Thursday, November 12, 2009

Vampire Weekend at Pappy and Harriet's

When the new boyfriend and I (more on him later) found out that one of our most liked bands, Vampire Weekend, was playing near Joshua Tree we decided to make a short day trip out of it and head to the concert. They played in a small off-the-beaten-path restaurant/venue called Pappy & Harriet's.

After researching Pappy & Harriet's a few days before the show I started getting excited. I love going to dive type places and this one seemed like it would be a lot of fun! We left around 3:30 and barely hit any traffic. We made a pit stop at Morongo on our way there, Justin won $50 and I won $40 (yay us!) and then were back on the road.

By the time we got to the windy, 2 way road that leads you to Pappy & Harriet's it was already dark. This made for an exciting drive since you literally are in the middle of no where and there aren't any lights but your headlights to guide you. It was so dark that arriving at Pappy and Harriet's felt like an oasis of light welcoming us in.

Before leaving home we had already decided that we would eat dinner and Pappy & Harriets (mainly because there wasn't much else around to choose from). This proved to be a great choice! This place should be on Diner's, Drive-In's and Dives. From the country saloon feel to the DELICIOUS hamburgers this place gets a A+ in my book. Their food prices were really reasonable and with beers being between $2-$4 and liquor between $3-$5 I don't see where you could really go wrong. All of their drinks are served in mason jars and the walls had old glass bottles built into them, which really helped add to the old saloon feel.

(The lighting is really dim so it was hard to get a good shot of the walls and other decor)

After eating we decided to walk around and check out the venue/restaurant some. There was an ADORABLE picnic area outside that had vines growing over it. I wish there had been better lighting so I could have taken a photo to share it with you. Since it was chilly and there wasn't much to see, we decided to head back inside. They were 3 pool tables and then I found the bathrooms! The doors to the bathroom had been painted to match the feel of Pappy and Harriet's...they even painted the stall doors!


The next thing we knew the first band was taking the stage so we headed in over to the stage are to catch them and get a good spot for Vampire Weekend. I don't remember what the opening band was called, but they were pretty good. Finally it was time for the main event...Vampire Weekend! The room filled up really fast and since we were upfront I could feel my claustrophobia setting in and I headed to the back (shortly followed by Justin). Vampire Weekend was really good. They played some older songs as well as some new one's and everybody was loving it. Since we had a 2 hour drive home we headed out as soon as they were done playing, but both know that we will be back the next time a band we like plays there.

If you ever find yourself in the Joshua Tree area, make sure you head to Pappy & Harriet's. Most nights they have live music and with the drinks the price they are, this place is a sure hit!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Silverado Country Fair

I found out about a country fair a few months ago from my next door neighbor Nick who has his own business selling different flavored teas and beautiful tea pots. It's set back in the Santa Ana Hills/Canyons in a town called Silverado and evidently this was their 39th year having the event. When I decided to sell at the event I didn't know exactly what I was getting myself into, but upon arrival it soon became clear that Marie and I were in for a weekend of down home fun.

The people that attended the Silverado Country Fair were mainly locals or people from near by towns in the canyon. To say they were welcoming would be an understatement. Everyone was so happy, accepting and cheerful all weekend long it felt like we had escaped to a different land.

The event raises money for the community and the organizers, volunteers from the Community Center, went out of their way to give everything a country feel. There was a blacksmith making things on site, a pretend jail where you could have your friend "arrested" for $6 and a picture with their warrant printed out, rock stacking, a stage where local bands/musicians played bluegrass, western and country music, and various food eating contests were some of the highlights for us.

Here's some pictures from our weekend and I will definitely be going back next year!




My booth

A closer view of my new sign and plates

The corn and scarecrow in front of my booth were
VERY popular with the carnival goers


Saturday morning Marie notice a hummingbird who stopped by
and tried to "feed" off my fake flowers and bright colors.
Can you see him?


Rock stacking. The more you stack the more points you get.
The size and shape of each rock determines how many points it's worth.


Country Legend Rusty Richards
stopped by to preform Saturday morning


Saturday's Watermelon Eating Contest (she was 2nd)

Watermelon Eating Contest (she was 3rd)

Watermelon winners! The girl in blue won!



The blacksmith hard at work





One of his fantastic pieces

Sunday's Pie Eating Contest

This little girl was ADORABLE! She was sitting on her
Dad's lap and they were eating the pie together.


The guy on the top left ended up being the winner.

Through out the 2 days there was a raffle.
This is Wendy; she won the apron I donated.



Like I said, Marie and I had a great time at this country fair. If you are ever in the area, we definitely recommend a drive through the beautiful Santa Ana Hills/Canyons.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Team Tough Titties

This past weekend was the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure in Orange County. My friends over at www.DiNGLIFE.com put together a team called Team Tough Titties and threw a fundraising ball Friday night for it. While I wasn't able to attend the race, I did attend the ball and supplied one of my cherry purses for auction. If you aren't familiar with the Susan G. Koman Foundation I highly suggest you check them out. Last year they raised over $3million for breast cancer research and support. 75% of the money either went to research or people fighting the battling.

Here are some pictures of my friends and I getting ready for the First Annual Tough Titties Ball. Silly me forgot my camera at home so I don't have pictures from while we were at the ball.
We danced the night away and had a great time supporting such an amazing cause.



Bri and Jessica


Sue and myself



All of us...so fancy!

One of the reasons this event was so important for the 4 of us to attend is because Jessica's Mom is a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed in Oct. 2007 and has been done with treatment for a year and a half! While I have never met this women (she lives in Delaware), Jessica speaks very fondly of her and I can tell she is an amazing Mom, friend and an all around great human being. We truly are lucky that Susan Pelillo-Smith is still around to fill us all with laughter.

Jessica and her Mom (Susan)