Our California Spring Adventures

This spring, we headed back to Santa Cruz so I could work and we could enjoy the California lifestyle we love. It’s funny to see my kids now, a bit older, deeply and truly enjoying the natural elements of the Central Coast that I, too, am obsessed with- the ocean, the plants, the redwoods, the perfect temperature. I am always inspired when I walk around our little favorite spots in Santa Cruz. We also headed up to Petaluma for a day and had fun exploring the city and dining at Brewster’s Beer Garden.

For all my personal pics this trip I used my Fujifilm x100v, an awesome little compact camera with a vintage vibe. Although it’s not able to perform at the caliber of my Nikon Z6 (focus is a bit hit or miss sometimes), it is fun and easy to use, and you just can’t go wrong with Fujifilm colors. I also edited these images differently than normal, relying on Root and the Bud’s warm and vintage feeling presets. I LOVE how these edits came out- they have the sunburnt, dreamy quality that I associate with coastal California. What do you think?

Looking for some inspiration to get creative yourself? Here are a few things that are keeping my creative juices flowing.

What I’m reading: Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman

What’s I’m listening to: Local Valley by Jose Gonzalez

What I’m watching: The pretentious snob in me is embarrassed to admit this, but I’ve been on an Emily in Paris kick