Best.

Nail polish options. If only I could be this organized with other aspects of my life.

It seems like I've spent a good chunk of 2012 on vacation. Well, that's because I HAVE! I'm a very lucky lady. First came my glorious week of Craftcation in March, and less than a month later, I spent two magical days with my beloved friends at my spiritual home, the Madonna MF-ing Inn. It's always been my dream to gather my people there and do some serious chilling, and thanks to the planning skills of Miss Crystal, it all came together this weekend.

 

note the gummi vitamins and Tums at the heart of our bar (we ain't 19 anymore!)

I like to make trade-offs in my mind to alleviate guilt about spending money, having too good a time, not behaving like a proper adult, etc. You know how it is. Here's my rationalization for the recent onslaught of fun. Ready? Because I don't plan to get married, I think it's okay to have a number of small but epic party times over the next 20 years to make up for it. These events will include the people I love, places I love, and copious amounts of booze and food without all the scary pressure and planning of a wedding. Totally legit, right?

On top of the world.

Throughout my youth, I always poo-poohed any invites to Hearst Castle, which was the main place to show off to any visiting family (it's about an hour away from my familial home in San Luis Obispo). It always sounded way boring. However, it's great that I waited, because seeing it for the first time as an adult is way better. 9-year-olds don't get very excited about tilework and tapestries, but to the 32-year-old me, nothing could be more mind-blowing than the crazy attention to detail the Castle offers.

They've changed their touring options in recent years due to budget cuts. That means you only get to go through a few rooms inside the house, but, you get unlimited time to stroll the grounds relatively unsupervised! This includes both pools. BOTH POOLS. Yes, you can lie in a comfy lounge chair at the foot of the Neptune Pool and pretend you're Marion Davies for as long as you feel like it! Obviously, this is exactly what we did. The weather was perfect, the air smelled like orange blossoms, and the view down to the ocean was unobstructed by fog.

Extreme chill.

On Monday I may have eaten a stellar barbecue beef sandwich at Hearst Castle only to follow it up with the biggest filet mignon I've ever seen. The meaty memories will be well worth the caloric and monetary austerity program I am now on.

Snacks, drinks, chandeliers, party hats.

My friends and I love each other so much that it often requires police intervention. Nothing makes you feel young like a 1 AM visit from the local constable requesting that you shut down the party immediately.

I guess what I'm saying is that I had a really good weekend. I am also revived and ready to do some work.