Dream Destinations (part III)

 Part three of our journey continues to walk through some of my favorite movies and one bonus venue just because 

(you'll thank me later, I promise.)

First, the home place of George, Nina, 

Annie and Matthew Banks,

San Marino, California.

 

{Again, one movie I could watch over and over again 

and never get sick of, Father of the Bride.} 

{The house. So, it's not technically located at 24 Maple Drive, 

but I'll forgive them. It's still epically beautiful, and surprisingly, "warm in the winter and cool in the summer," 

according to George, Steve Martin's character.}

Next, I'm taking you east, to Kelsey Jo's backyard of Quantico, Virginia.

Also home to the Marine base and tons of other FBI-related sanctions including

BAU's finest, the cast of Criminal Minds.

Next, staying in the vacinity, is the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts

of Dawson's Creek.

 {this harbor town had the perfect small-town feel that made you wish your friends were only a house away.}

Fourth, I'm headed down south to the town of Natchitoches, Louisiana.

 

{Any takers for their annual Festival of Lights?}

 

 {This charming town if home to the Southern Belle's 

of Steel Magnolias}

 

{They're even kind enough to give you a tour of where the movie was shot, which makes this a must visit location for me.}

Lastly, a town that need no movie to highlight

 its amazingness,

New Paltz, New York,

specifically, Mohonk Mountain House.

 {Yes, this is a real place, and I'm told it has been the haven of many a celeb and socialite including 

the Vanity Fair magazine staff's company retreat. 

Good enough for them; good enough for me.}

 {For a tidy sum, you, too, can vacation in this breathtaking hideaway in the foothills of New York.}

On that happy note, enjoy your Wednesday, and stay tuned for the next, and final, installment of Dream Destinations.

Dream Destinations (part II)

This installment of dream destinations is a little more spread out than the last five locations, but I think they're worth the trek.

First stop is Sitka, Alaska.

{c'mon, who wouldn't want to visit here?}

{You might be familiar with this location through a 

little movie called, The Proposal.}

Next stop, keeping with the Ryan Reynolds "theme" is 

Boone Hall Plantation in

 Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.

{You might have heard, the lovely Blake Lively and

 Ryan Reynolds were recently married there}

{Yowza.}

{That house. Amazing. Probably remember it as 

Ali's summer house in The Notebook.}

{Good enough for them, good enough for me to visit}

Third, we're heading to the heart of wine country,

Napa Valley, California.

{Caught my first glance of this beautiful 

landscape from this movie}

{vineyards+ spanish style houses = heaven on earth}

Next up, the sweet small town of 

Shelby, Indiana.

{definitely top 10 fav movies ever}

{a time when summers were full of 

riding bikes and playing red rover}

 Last stop on toady's journey is the fictitious town of

Rosewood, Pennsylvania

home of the Pretty Little Liars.

{the sign is appropriately eerie given the nature of the show}

{found a lil map of Rosewood to help with all the clues}

{Town Square. Site of many a creepy moment and PLL drama}

 On the road again soon...

Dream Destinations (part I)

 This morning, a co-worker caught my attention by telling me a story about the drawbridge in Mystic, Connecticut. He said it was so idyllic and beautiful that it was his dream job to be the "drawbridge guy" and have the attention of the whole town every time a boat needed to pass by. 

This got me thinking about the movies and television shows I love, and where exactly they're located. While most are actual places, some are fictitious but no less loved by the faithful viewers. 

Alas, this is part one of my "dream destinations" series because there are far too many (roughly 20 so far) to put in one blog post alone. 

So, come away with me for a bit, would you?

First stop is none other than the idyllic

 Mystic, Connecticut.

 {most might recognize it from Mystic Pizza in which
Julia Roberts made her acting debut}

 {Mystic is a port city; prime for fall photographs, no doubt}

{precious little harbor town}

Continuing on our journey of New England is

Bethesda, Maryland.

   

{This charming city is the home-base for the 

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series}

 

 {This sidewalk might catch your memory as the place where 

Blake Lively's character, Bridget, runs into her ex, Eric.}

Speaking of charming destinations, next stop is fictitious small-town of Charming, California, 

home to Jax, Opie and the men of mayhem, 

SAMCRO, of Sons of Anarchy.

 {Although viewers of the show know all too well that Charming is anything but, the town is supposedly located in the 
beautiful San Joaquin Valley.}

Back east, and significantly more well off, Richard and Emily Gilmore's home is in

Hartford, Connecticut.

 

{While this pic makes their humble abode less than friendly-looking, it's also home to Rory's high school, Chilton, and conveniently located 30 minutes from her home in

 fictitious Stars Hollow.}

 {the cast of Gilmore Girls travels all around New England over the course of the series, but Hartford is a staple location (hello, Friday night dinners in exchange for tuition money)}

Last, but certainly not least, on this installment of dream destinations is

New York City, New York.

but as a local, like these peeps

 

{"I just love New York in the fall. Makes me want 

to buy school supplies." You've Got Mail}

 {infamous brownstone Carrie Bradshaw of SATC calls home}

 

{Rachel and Phoebe in front of the fictitious coffee 

shop of Friends, Central Perk}

 {okay, okay. This pic is technically in Bedford, NY (another dream location) it's featured in one of my all-time favs, Stepmom, which also takes place partially in NYC}

 

{NYC might as well be another character in GG for how

 much it plays into the scandal, xoxo}

 

{an oldie, but a goody-one of the first movies I recognize as showing NYC at it's finest}

NYC is the location for hundreds of movies and shows but my personal favs, 

other than those already listed are:

-Bride Wars (the Plaza Hotel)

-30 Rock

-The Great Gatsby

-One Fine Day

Stay tuned for the next 5 dream destinations...

Current Obsession: Elements of Style Blog

I seem to stumble upon fabulous blogs every day lately, but this one is seriously amazing. I'm in the process of re-doing my room and since I'm sick of buying sample paint colors only to find them subpar, I decided to search pinterest for paint colors with examples and names. 

That's when I found this:

{elementsofstyleblog.com}

By: Erin Gates

{like, hi, hello. even her business cards 

are gold, glittery, and amazing}

Along with the paint demo that will be greatly used in the upcoming weeks, her blog, twitter, and pinterest are filled with other gems like these:

{shout out to kelsey jo who has a similar print

 hanging in her room}

And most importantly,

it's proof that even the classiest of ladies

love to have a little fun.

{Reese Withersppon lovin' life}

*all photos are from Elements of Style or Erin Gates' pinterest.