family

Beyond Van Gogh San Jose

September 26, 2021 in Events / General Fashion tagged art / beyond van gogh / family / outfits / san jose by Bay Area Fashionista

wearing: large hoop earrings / black top / G buckle belt / bracelets (local San Jose designer!) / pleated green skirt / black pouch / fall nail polish / black chain boots /

Art meets tech at the new Beyond Van Gogh, immersive experience in San Jose! I was thrilled when Beyond Van Gogh invited me to attend their press preview party last Thursday; one day before the event’s grand opening. It was amazing to be able to view the new exhibit, and to take photos, in order to share the event with you. If you are local, I hope you want to go!

I don’t want to give away too much information, because then you won’t be surprised when you attend the event. So, I will give you a brief overview!

The “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” is currently being held at the San Jose Convention Center in downtown San Jose. It’s an amazing walk-through and experience you won’t want to miss! The exhibit begins with an educational walk-through which details Van Gogh’s life and experiences. This is an important, educational moment in the exhibit, so make sure you read it all!

After reading about Van Gogh’s life, inspiration, and experiences, you will be guided into an immersive room which walks you through his paintings and life works. His artwork is grouped by theme, and using technology, the paintings fade in and out, and immerse you inside of them! It really is quite an amazing experience!

My husband and I chose to stand, pause, and wander through the area. If you prefer to sit, there are benches around the room, and some attendees sat on the ground and really felt themselves immersed into the art. This truly is an incredible fusion of art and tech. My husband even commented that he would love to see other artists works’ in this way. I agree!

It is also a great way to introduce Van Gogh to children, who may otherwise bore at a traditional museum. The immersive experience is fun for kids; as we witnessed several children enjoying themselves during the event. I immediately regretted not bringing my kids. This is a great exhibit for families!

Well, I don’t want to give away too much. I would love for you to attend “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” yourself! The event starts Friday, September 24, 2021 and runs through November 14, 2021. They have daytime and evenings hours, so you can choose if you want to do a family outing, or date night! Love that!

For more information, and to purchase tickets, please visit VanGoghSanJose.com.

What I wore to the “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” event:

Enjoy the event, and thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

*I was gifted tickets to this event. all thoughts and opinions about the event are my own. all photos are my own too.

Pismo Beach day 3

August 11, 2021 in General Fashion / Travel tagged family / Pismo Beach / summer 2021 by Bay Area Fashionista

pictured: cross body bag (coverts to a belt bag) /

Well, our third and last day in Pismo Beach was one of relaxation. In the morning, we relaxed by our hotel’s firepits and enjoyed pastries and coffee. After breakfast, we took a family walk around downtown and enjoyed a casual lunch at Pismo Pizza and Chowder House. My kids enjoyed the pizza, which they tell me was delicious, and I enjoyed curly fries and a cup of clam chowder. Yum!

Pismo Pizza and Chowder House: Clam Chowder and Curly Fries

pictured: cobalt mug (brought from home) / bracelets (local San Jose designer) / fall nail polish /

When we were done with lunch, we headed back to our hotel, and my husband and son went out to the beach. My daughters, on the other hand, wanted to go back to the downtown area and do some back-to-school shopping. I mean, who am I to object to some shopping?

It is very cool at my daughter’s high school to wear surf and skate brands. So, as you can imagine, my daughters found a couple of stores filled with the perfect attire to wear to school. We found plenty of tee’s, a sweater, and a sweatshirt they can wear in a few days when school starts. We also found key chains with their names on them! We never find their names on key chains, so we picked three! One for each of my children, with their names spelled perfectly. Love that!

After our shopping excursion, we relaxed with some tea, and then went back to the hotel patio to watch the waves, relax, and chat by the hotel firepits. Our hotel, Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach, was perfect for relaxing and admiring the beach and ocean. I highly recommend it if you travel to Pismo!

Relaxing again by the firepits at our hotel

pictured: linen joggers / Gucci sneakers /

My family was tired after a day at the beach, or a day of back-to-school shopping, so after we relaxed, we headed out to dinner to our go-to Pismo restaurant; Brad’s. This is a casual diner that we always stop at for brunch on our way to Southern California. As I mentioned in my day one post, we always stop in Pismo on our way somewhere! This was the first time we had Pismo Beach as our vacation destination, and we loved it!

What I wore on day three in Pismo Beach:

If you visit Pismo Beach, be sure to eat at Brad’s. They have a huge menu, and all of the food is delicious. Plus, the prices are reasonable. We have been eating there for years!

Well, that’s a wrap! Back to our busy lives in the Bay Area, and in a few days; school!

A few questions I have been asked on Instagram:

This hotel looks beautiful, is it expensive? A: Yes, it is pricey, but it is also part of the Marriott network, so if you collect Marriott points you can use them to stay here and offset the cost.
Can you recommend an affordable restaurant? A: Yes! Brad’s, Cool Cat Cafe, and Pismo Pizza and Chowder House. Yum!
What is the weather like in Pismo? A: It was cool and comfortable. I would say the Pismo Beach area is roughly 10-15 degrees cooler than the Bay Area during the summer. We were sad to leave and go home to 90 degrees. So pack a sweater or sweatshirt, as well as at least one pair pants; just in case. I packed two pairs of shorts but never wore them. I lived in linen joggers, jeans, and leggings.
Do the restaurants in Pismo require reservations? A: We only had reservations at The Oyster Loft and Somerset Grill. If you want an ocean view restaurant, I recommend making reservations. Most of the restaurants in town are on the casual side, and don’t require reservations.

Let me know if you have any additional questions and I will answer them!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Pismo Beach day 1

August 9, 2021 in Travel tagged casual style / family / outfits / Pismo Beach / summer 2021 / travel style / vacation outfits by Bay Area Fashionista

pismo beach pier family vacation california road trip ideas — Pismo Beach view from pier

School starts mid-August this year, so we decided to take one last quick trip before our schedules become full of school-related activities; especially since we have a senior, and an 8th grader this year! It will be very busy!

Pismo Beach is one of the those places we normally stop at for lunch or brunch on our way to Southern California. We decided it would make a relaxing and easy road trip for a few days. After all, it’s a beautiful beach town, and since we have a senior, it’s a great place to stay while checking out Cal Poly SLO for our aspiring engineer! College tours can be fun for the parents and siblings too!

We arrived early, before check-in at our hotel. Our hotel was Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach, which is part of the Marriott family of hotels. It was right on the beach with ocean view rooms, a pool, and a family-friendly deck and atmosphere. They were very accommodating, and held our luggage, as well as stored our car, until our room was ready. They even got our room ready a little bit early since we had arrived well before check-in. Loved that!

It was right before lunch when we arrived, so we took a walk around town and found Cool Cat Cafe. It had a casual and retro vibe which look appealing for lunch, so we put our names in for a table. The wait was only fifteen minutes and we were seated inside by a window. The staff was friendly and the food was delicious! I enjoyed a vegan burger with mushrooms and onion rings. Yum!

My Beach bag on the dresser inside our hotel room

Travel outfit details: sunglasses / lipstick / stripe tee (under $50) / bracelets / fall nail polish / stripe cross body bag / linen jogger pants / Gucci sneakers / Beach bag /

After lunch, we walked down the pier and checked out the view, took silly photos, and started to feel relaxed and ready for fun! Then, we headed back to the hotel and played cornhole on the hotel deck. It was fun! After an hour, our room was ready, so we settled into the room and planned the rest of the day.

Since the hotel was on the beach, it was easy to head down to the beach for an hour before getting ready for dinner. I highly recommend this hotel if you stay in Pismo. It’s very convenient! After the beach, we got ready for dinner, and headed over to Oyster Loft, which is on the other side of the pier from our hotel and on the second floor of a corner building.

The Oyster Loft had a beautiful view of the ocean and a great menu. They also had a few menu options for kids; which was perfect for my son who enjoyed chicken strips and rice. The food was delicious, we would love to go back someday!

Casual dinner outfit details: sunglasses / lipstick / puff sleeve tee (under $50) / snake buckle belt / jeans / bracelets / chain pouch / fall nail polish / espadrille mules /

After dinner we took another walk along the pier and then settled back at our hotel. The hotel has fire pits on the deck overlooking the beach. I brought my favorite evening tea from home and made myself a cup so I could enjoy it while watching the sunset. From our angle, we couldn’t see the actual sun, but we could enjoy the sunset colors over the beach. It was beautiful, and again, very relaxing!

Well, that was day 1 at Pismo Beach! It was an arrival day for us, so we got settled into our room and explored the area while getting a little bit sandy. Love!

Shop my travel outfit, and casual dinner looks online:

Stay tuned for more coverage from Pismo Beach!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

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