The road to Cachagua

Every once in a while you have a moment that changes the course of your life. A few months ago I had one of those moments and it's all because of brunch.  All the best moments of my life involve food.

My boss invited us out to brunch at a new (to us) place - Cachagua General Store. This place, in the middle of freakin' nowhere, is unlike any place I've ever been. Gourmet food in a rather laid-back atmosphere. Cachagua (that's Ca SHAU wa) is a life-changing experience and not just because the road to get there is a treacherous, winding mountain path that makes me want to throw up just thinking about it.

See that red shack behind the sign? That's the restaurant. When we pulled up in the (dirt) parking lot I felt as if we'd driven through a time warp and stepped back into the '70s and I'm pretty sure I heard Dueling Banjos playing in the background. I was instantly fascinated and a little bit scared of this strange place. It's the kind of place that has beat up VW vans (complete with flower power stickers) parking alongside high-end BMWs and Mercedes. It's quirky and funky and a little out there...and that's just the outside.

Doesn't this say award-winning gourmet hot spot to you? But you should see their Yelp reviews. If you ever want to eat there, keep in mind that it's only open for brunch on Sunday and dinner on Monday. Any other day of the week, you're out of luck. Remember, I did say it was quirky.

The eclectic interior doesn't disappoint. Please note the restaurant dogs that just hang out in the dining room with you.

Take a close look at the "curtains" - they are actually paper drawings of curtains, it's like eating inside your favorite cartoon.

The food was pretty amazing, it lived up to the hype.

But how, you ask, could a simple brunch change your life?

It's all because of the clothes, my darlings

Of course I had to buy something new for this outing. Duh. Drawing inspiration from the hippy-chic atmosphere of the restaurant,  I found a cute, hippy/bohemian ivory babydoll top - so perfect! To this I added a crocheted sweater that I already had in my closet. All this hippy on the top needed the perfect embroidered jeans.

 

 

 

Cute, right? In keeping with the boho theme, I decided not to spend hours straightening my hair and let it curl the way it's always wanted to.

I put all this together and BAM - I felt like a new person. I loved the ruffles on my babydoll top, I loved my wavy hair, loved, loved, loved my jeans. I felt like me for the first time. I felt like a free spirit, creative, bohemian, wild-child. My new inner attitude must have shown on the outside too because complete strangers came up to me in the parking lot to tell me how much they loved my style. Um, wow.

That was such a great moment, I've worn the same outfit every day for the last six months. Ok, that's not really true (thank goodness) but I have refigured my wardrobe to reflect my new creative, hippy, boho, shabby chic, vintage cowgirl self. To be totally honest, some days are more successful than others. Creativity is a journey, I guess. All this creativity is spilling over into the house and garden although they are a long-term work in progress. It's really exciting to see where that will lead.

Cachagua will live forever in my dreams....because you're never getting me on that wickedly, winding road with the hairpin turns and sheer drops ever again.

WTF: what I wore today

I had another post in mind for the 2nd edition of WTF, really I did. I have a fabulous post in my head about a fun and easy way to make chocolate croissants complete with detailed pictures of the process. It was the most delicious research I've ever done. Unfortunately writing that post is taking longer than making the croissants ever did so today's post is going to be about what I wore to work today. Fun, right?

 

This is pretty typical of my style. The skirt is brightly colored so that it can go with a variety of tops. It's just the right length and I would much rather wear a skirt than a pair of pants, especially in the summer. I know that in the past skirts and dresses have gotten the reputation of being more for dress up but I think they're perfect for running-around casual wear and it's nice to see them coming back into popularity in the stores. In hot climates they are much more comfortable than pants or even shorts.

 I've paired it today with a new lace top. I love to wear a little lace for that vintage touch without looking like you're trying to recreate another century. The top came from an online catalog shop that I've recently discovered - Monroe and Main. What I really like about their clothes is that everything comes in plus size which is really nice because it's no fun to see a really cute outfit and find out it's not available to me.

 

On top of it all I have added a little cardigan with a ruffle trim. I wear a LOT of cardigans because it's always jacket weather here.  Luckily I love cardigans and they've been pretty popular in the stores for a few years now so I have built up quite a collection. I try to find ones that have interesting trim, ruffles or flowers rather than go for a plain, boxy style.

 

No outfit is complete without accessories and that's usually my favorite part of getting dressed in the morning but I went a little minimalist on this outfit, only a little white belt.

 

I finished it all off with my favorite yellow flats that have a peep-toe and a little flower accent. I have these shoes (from Payless) in yellow and navy blue and I have worn them non-stop in the summer for 2 years now because they are perfect for both pants and skirts.  I do a lot of walking during the course of my day, up and down stairs, so heels are out. I love to find cute little flats. Like my cardigans, most of my shoes usually have a bow or a flower or some little frippery to keep them from being boring. I like shoes but I'm not shoe crazy like my mother...although I do see leanings in that direction from time to time. Luckily I wear a perfect size 8 so shoes are pretty easy to find in my size and I limit my shoe shopping to discount places.

 

I was having a sort of trial run with this outfit, I've never paired these particular pieces together before. I want to wear this on the plane to Las Vegas next week when we go for a family reunion. The great thing about this top is that it's sleeveless so I can ditch the cardigan when we get there and it'll be perfect for the 110 degree heat.

 

Of course lace tops and little dog toenails don't go together so I changed into my play clothes when I got home from work

 



 

 

We're having a mild day here (although no sun, just clouds) so I am rocking the capri jeans but note that I still have a cardigan on...I just can't get away from them.

 

Please excuse the spots on the mirror in the home-style picture. The cleaning person obviously hasn't cleaned the mirror ever in a long time. I'll have to have a talk with her. It looks like she didn't make the bed either. Sheesh

 

So that's my Wednesday in just a couple of pictures. I know it wasn't as good as a chocolate croissant but

 

Wasn't That Fun?

 

 

 

 

 

Style

 

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As 3 of my favorite fellows would say - you've either got or you haven't got it.

I like to think I have a style. I don't really follow current fashion but I adore retro/vintage looks and I try to buy only classic styles of clothing that look like they could have been found at a local vintage store. I would buy vintage but there just isn't a lot of it in my size so I have to make do with what's out in the stores. Sometimes it isn't easy, some seasons I hate everything I see but usually, with a lot of patience, I can find the one gem in a sea of crap.

Some years I'm really lucky and vintage is IN so there's a lot out there that appeals to me. Of course then the contrary part of me kicks in and grumbles about trends and looking like everyone else out there. Part of style, for me, is being just different enough so that I don't look like I'm following the crowd.

All this stylishness can be a lot of work. I actually have to think about what I wear in the morning. Some days I leave behind a pile of discarded clothing on the floor because the outfit I originally planned to wear looked better in my head than it did on my body. I suppose it would be easier to throw on a boxy t-shirt and sweat pants but I just can't imagine walking around like that all day so I keep trying things on until I get a look that makes me smile.

To each his own, I'm not telling anybody else what to do (although I'd dearly love to) but, for me, it's worth the extra time it might take and I thoroughly enjoy any compliments that come my way. I know I'm doing something right when I hear words like elegant, cute and fun.

So, because stylish stuff is a big part of my life, from time to time I'm going to write about clothing and accessories I've found that fit into my style. I hope you'll like them too and maybe it'll inspire.

You've either got or you haven't got style - I know which side I want to be on!