• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Californians at Home
  • Home & Decor
    • Our California Remodel
    • Shop My Home
    • Lake Tahoe Cabin Style
    • Books I Adore
  • My California Closet

Northern California Style

Northern California Style

  • Home
  • About
  • Californians at Home
  • Home & Decor
    • Our California Remodel
    • Shop My Home
    • Lake Tahoe Cabin Style
    • Books I Adore
  • My California Closet
  • Shop My Home
    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

#saltlakecity

Weekend Meanderings-Giving Yourself a Fall Reset, Sleep and Skin Tips, the French Countryside & More..

August 19, 2022 By kimwheeler 29 Comments

On this Weekend Meanderings..making yourself a priority once fall and school season starts, skincare tips from a facialist, improving your sleep, a little about the charm of Salt Lake City, living in the French countryside and more..

It’s that time again for all the good things that we want to share with Elizabeth and Juliet.

We had a crazy week..We were in in Salt Lake City to help Griffin move into his first solo apartment for his junior year at the U. It started out a little rough though.. After hiking Mt Tallac in Tahoe, Grif was to drive the rest of the way to Utah with his full car. The night before, a mama bear, who has been roaming out Tahoe neighborhood with three cubs, smelled Griffin’s granola Max had made for him in the car. In their exhaustion from the climb, they forgot to check the car for food. They woke up to this..

Grif’s two side windows had been pried out and the passenger window broken. Bear paws scratched it all over the place. Needless to say, the granola was nowhere to be found, nor the extra banana I stuck in his side door! ( I know I feel badly about that.) Max and Grif had to push the window frames back to close, and they taped up the driver side window.

Grif drove seven hours back to Utah like that with limited visibility. At some truck stop in Nevada, he fortunately found noise cancelling earphones they sell for truckers!

We met him that night in Utah and spent three full days helping him move in, get his things out of storage, clean a grubby, but nice apartment with awesome views, and sort out the car repair thing, and a rental.

He took off Tuesday morning for a backpacking trip through Wyoming with pals, and we went home exhausted! He needs a table and a couch, but has a desk, a bed and a bike and a kitchen with all the necessities…He’ll figure the rest out as the year goes on. I’m excited for him.

Salt Lake City views

The mountains and the church spire looks like Switzerland to me. I’m sure when they are snow covered it will be beautiful. He’s walking distance to the school and also has a bike and the city tram right below his place..

Mountains to the West, in his kitchen and to the East, in the corner..above.

Salt Lake City

Have you been to SLC recently? It’s a beautiful city with the most amazing mountain ranges on all sides. Things I really appreciate about it are the small little neighborhoods that are tucked into the town. Those little neighborhoods have cute independent shops and restaurants. Sometimes it’s only two or three of them, but it gives each little area a nice feel. You can always find an independent coffee shop to work in..And they aren’t in strip malls. It’s a thriving spot for small independent businesses.

I also adore the brick homes that have been left largely in their original state and just updated with paint and pretty yards. The streets are wide and they have big center strips with trees that make a hot area feel very leafy and green. Many homes have gardens and sunflowers in their front yards..

House with painted white brick and black door.
Salt Lake City home with garden

Eva’s French Bakery is always a must for us and it’s within walking distance to our go-to hotel, Hotel Monaco. The design of this darling bakery is like something you would see in Paris and you can get an authentic baguette sandwich and tomato soup, wonderful croissants and pastries..They also took over a vintage jewelry spot next door ( love that they left the marquee), and make their own crème glacée ice cream now too.

Eva's Bakery Salt Lake City
ham and butter croisssant
Eva's wallpapered bakery

The airport is all new and the Delta terminal is beautiful with a stunning wall of glass that invites you to gawk at the goings on the tarmac and feels very jet age..I loved it!

Glass window wall at Delta Terminal Salt Lake City

The flight from San Jose is one hour and a half and most people come in the winter to ski all the resorts like Park City and others that are a short drive away, but it’s quite pretty in summer..and fall!

I wore my new Anthro blouse and my cord shorts from Carve to travel. I usually do pants in the airplane, but it was just too hot. I brought my J. Crew cashmere travel wrap (on sale now), in my bag and could lay that over my legs when the plane got chilly..

I love this Henley Popover shirt so much I am thinking of getting it in the stripe too.. Looks like the white is already sold out online, but may be available in stores.

Anthropologie Henley stripe popover

Getting back to healthy eating – after travel

I am always so done with eating out after traveling. I really feel the need to sort of detox from all the processed and high sodium foods. I want nothing more than a fresh salad made at home from my own tomatoes. The night we got back we made grain bowls and then a salad with chicken the next..

hummus and chicken avocado bowl
strawberry fennel salad
quinoa bowl

When I’m over eating out, and I want a reset, I go to the grocery and get several boxes of different salad varietals, a roast chicken for protein ( mostly for Max), garbanzo beans, fresh berries, tomatoes, and avocados. I always have frozen brown rice and quinoa and we can make different variations on a salad for dinner with just that.

I always add some kind of nuts like walnuts or sliced almonds or pepitas and I shake in hemp seeds, chia, and flax too. I also like red onion slices or with the strawberries, fennel, which has a wonderful smell and taste..I find the fastest and easiest dressing is to just squeeze a lemon, a shake of vinegar, a drizzle olive oil and a little salt..

I love these O Vinegars in the citrus, orange blossom and pomegranate versions are my favorite and just a shake of them with this California Olive Oil are what I always have on hand and so good. I never buy dressings.

O vinegars

I also revert to water, water and more water. I’m always parched from traveling and from Utah, especially so, though I am hydrating non-stop. I pretty much drink water for all my liquids except my morning oat latte for a few days after returning. I love spring water for the minerals and try to buy a few bottles to supplement our purified tap water.

Skin and Dehydration- and Facials

The other thing I did to recover from three days of shopping and cleaning for the college kid, was book a facial for myself when I returned. I haven’t indulges in one for many moons and I thought after a summer of catering to everyone, this would be a good way to start back to taking care of myself a little better. If you haven’t had a facial for a while, it’s a nice thing to do for yourself after the kids are back in school, or just to reset for the fall. My aesthetician says a good way to care for your skin is to book a facial once with every change of season. I love that as a reminder! You can also do a home facial too!

One tip I learned from her today is that dehydration is almost always the biggest problem with all skin types, and especially as we age. Since I have rosacea and am sensitive, I am always wary of breaking out and probably do not hydrate enough for that reason. I shy away from thicker cremes and oils, but if they are good quality I should not. I also get blackheads and that is related to dehydration as the dry flaking skin, clogs the pores. I did not know that.

Kiehl's recovery facial oil

She recommended adding a few drops of my night facial oil to my day lotion, to amp up the hydration. I also need to use my hyluraonic lotion more, and not cleanse, but just splash with water in the morning. As usual… she told me, drink more water and eat better! I’m sure my high sodium food, dry weather and not enough water was showing, not to mention poor sleep.

Better sleep habits

On the Delta flight back to San Jose, I was wiped out from a few nights of rotten sleep and thought I’d zone out on the free streamed shows. I noticed there was a Master Class on sleep by author, and sleep expert Matthew Walker, so I blew through seven short episodes of his class while on the plane.

Matthew is professor of neuroscience and psychology at the UC Berkeley, and has written a best seller, Why We Sleep. I got so much out of this Master Class, though doing it while exhausted!

Why We Sleep Book

The biggest take aways were always go to bed and wake up at the same time, even on weekends. Drinking and caffeine are the biggest disrupters of healthy sleep and you should try hard to regulate your caffeine intake to morning.

If you’re sleeping after drinking, you’re not really sleeping per say, but are sedated, like surgery, and your brain and body won’t give you normal reset that it does with sleep.. You’ll wake up sleep deficient and your body can’t repair itself or download our memories, like it does during normal sleep. Also everyone needs at least 7-8 hours a night. Routinely sleeping less demolishes our immune systemand those who go with less actually have high incidences of cancers and other diseases like dementia. H

e has a lot of tips for sleeping better in his book and this little clip I found on YouTube had a lot of what I heard in the Master Class… He’s funny too, but his research is groundbreaking and this is something we should all care about if we want to live a healthy life..Matthew says,’Sleep is the elixir of life and mother nature’s best key to immortality..’

One bonus of kids out of the house, its I can’t stay up so late worrying about them!! It’s out of my jurisdiction now..

A beautiful and fun book..

While in Carmel last week, I bought, Coming Home, The French Art of Countryfication, at the Earthbound Farm Stand. I was enchanted with the photos, but I also love the content. There are recipes, decor, style and home tips and much wisdom and inspiration here..

Coming Home to Nature book

This book documents the stories of Parisians who left the city for the country, how they adjusted and what they love about it.

Coming home to nature book
Coming Home to Nature -  the French art of countryfication.

A great book for anyone who dreams of moving to the country or is a Francophile…It really made me want to move to the country.

Well that is my weekend meanderings for this week.. Please check out Elizabeth and Juliet’s blogs to see what good things they are sharing…

PINECONES AND ACORNS

MAKE MINE A SPRITZER

Thank you for being here! Hope your weekend is wonderful.

Kim

If you missed last week’s meanderings I shared some fun ideas for Carmel day trips, an easy ladies’ lunch you can pull together, Sienna Miller’s English cottage and a great white shirt for your wardrobe for now and in fall..

If you’d like to get an email when I post, please subscribe to the blog here for a post in your inbox a few times a month and every Saturday for Weekend Meanderings.

Some links will generate a small commission here, which helps make this blog possible. Thanks so much for your support!

Filed Under: weekend meanderings Tagged With: #facials, #fallreboot, #frenchcountryliving, #salads, #saltlakecity, #sleep, #utahtravel

Primary Sidebar

Featured Posts

Fun Kitchen Styling Tips!

Asian Noodles & Other Main Dish Salads

Signature Style- Fall Edit & New Season Wishlist

Remodeling – The Social Front Patio

Loving Rattan and Serena & Lily

My Favorite Sheets, Duvets & More- Refreshing Your Bed

Get My Posts by Email!

Find Me on Facebook

Northern California Style

Archives

Categories

Footer

Don’t Forget to Follow!

Blogger, writer and explorer sharing about my native California, and parts farther afield. Join me here where I chat about things to love in the worlds of design, fashion, home, travel and culture.

Currently Pinning

  • valentines ideas collage
  • Heart shaped cookie cutter and boxes of cookies.
  • Heart shaped cookie being decorated.
  • Valentine Cookie post collage.
  • Valentine's Day Roll Cookies with Decorative Icing
  • Valentine cookie bark is the easiest, prettiest heart day treat you'll ever make!
  • valentine cookie bark l sheri silver
  • valentine cookie bark l sheri silver
  • How to Create a Collected Valentine Tablescape
  • Cindy Hattersley Valentine Tablescape
  • Valentine Table Scape Cindy Hattersley 2-23
  • carved taper candle and flowers in glass vases
Today, on the blog, some Valentine fun. 💗I’m Today, on the blog, some Valentine fun. 💗I’m joining a group of talented women and we all have some Valentine ideas for you. My blog is about an easy Valentine or Galentine‘s dinner you can recreate. I tried to make this super simple because the whole point is gathering with your people and having a good time. 

I did make ahead dishes and used pink items already in my home for the table. I added primroses from the hardware store for extra prettiness and for take home favors. 💕

Stop on by the blog to get all the details. 
@northerncalstyle link in my bio.
And don’t forget to go to these lovely blogs:

@most_lovely_things 
@cindyhattersley 
@classiccasualhome 
@makemineaspritzer 
@sherisilver

#valentines #valentinestablescape #valentinesdinner #galentinesparty
Styling idea of the week…February dressing inspi Styling idea of the week…February dressing inspiration from Princess Diana.. Try a puffer vest or jacket paired with ruffles or florals and a skirt. A pretty transitional look with a romantic February vibe. 💗 Maybe you already have these items in the closet? See what you can create!

This pic is from the fun account, @lostinvintagefashion which is a wonderful rabbit hole to drop into should you need some sartorial inspiration.

Happy first of February friends!

#winterdressing #stylingideas #princessdianastyle #puffervest
The weekend post is up with chat about the trendin The weekend post is up with chat about the trending colors for 2023 in home decor and fashion.. Did you love the 80’s? If so this is perhaps a more sophisticated version with sherbet tones and bits of magenta, greens and navy.  Here I added a bit of these Easter tones to the coffee table with a grass cloth box, one of my books and a candle. I think the best way to update things is to add touches to the home and closet that appeal to you and mix them in with neutrals.. 
What do you think of these colors? I think they’re fun. Some clothing pieces bring me back to my Esprit loving days. It could be fun to add a shirt, shoe or bag in these tones and I selected a handful to consider..

Also on the blog, a few good white jeans, skin cleansers you may need and more! 

Stop on by our blogs- links as always, in our bios or stories:
@northerncalstyle 
@makemineaspritzer 
@pineconesandacorns
 Happy Sunday!

#color2023 #springcolors #trending #serenaandlily #coffeetablestyling
A January PSA- get in your closet and get those wh A January PSA- get in your closet and get those white jeans out! I found mine at the bottom of my closet today in a basket and thought -yes! I love the look of a classic white jean, paired with a chunky sweater or turtleneck in black, beige, tan, creams-  neutral colors always look fantastic. Today it was warm enough that I could go sockless and wear my Madewell loafers with them and a little jacket I have from Anthro. Get your white jeans out. it will give your winter wardrobe have a little kick. White jeans can be worn all year and they even look great with winter boots and coats. 

This is also a great time to look at your white Jean inventory. 🤍If you don’t have a pair that’s comfortable and straight leg, in a thicker material…this might be a good time to look. I’ll share some on the weekend blog as well.

if you missed our LIVE this morning, you can watch it on Juliet’s @makemineaspritzer Instagram and I’ll link to it on my stories ! Thank you everyone for tuning in in for the fun questions and comments. We love doing this with you all weekly! Let us know in comments if there are any other topics you want to hear about. Today we talked trending colors, exercise classes .. finding art and pillows and more..

#whitejeanseason #januaryclosetremix #winterwardrobehacks
I love the sunshine in the morning streaming throu I love the sunshine in the morning streaming through the kitchen.. My baby daffodils are blooming to make it even happier. This is one of my favorite things about the new year, the bulbs and daffodils and California poppies that hint spring it on the way.💛 If you don’t have a few blooms in the kitchen, maybe you can add a few?

Hope your having a beautiful week!

#kitchensun #californialife #januaryincalifornia
I love this of Liz Taylor at her first wedding to I love this of Liz Taylor at her first wedding to Richard Burton in 1965. She’s wearing a empire, knee length dress and orange blossoms in her hair, which must have smelled heavenly. I want yellow in my closet this spring!

This is the center of my spring vision board! 💛 Link to all Elizabeth’s wedding dresses on the weekend post -and a few yellow things I added to the house if you missed it! 

#yellow #yellowaesthetic #liztaylor #thebrideworeyellow #springfashion #spring2023 #vogue
Sunday beach trip… We made it to Santa Cruz to c Sunday beach trip… We made it to Santa Cruz to check out the coast after these rough last weeks. Aptos looks pretty good and poor Seacliff is terribly battered. So sad to see what people have lost. My heart goes out to them.

We had the beach to ourselves and the weather was winter perfect. ☀️Cold and sunny. We had a picnic of sandwiches from Zoccolis deli and took in the sun and sea air while watching surfers and birds.

This song just seemed to fit -and relatable as I could not sleep last night! No idea why. Isn’t it maddening? 

Hope you get a chance to take a winter beach walk.. They are the best. 

#santacruz #aptos #california #northerncalifornia #winterbeachwalks #seacliff #norcal #seascapebeach
Happy Sunday! The weekend post is up and I’m sha Happy Sunday! The weekend post is up and I’m sharing a few good ideas for a dining room refresh, pops of yellow, my favorite winter skin care essentials right now, a beautiful and unique San Francisco house in @archdigest, online yoga, and the story behind a historic San Francisco home I came upon last week.. Head to the blog for all the deets! 

I hope its a wonderful weekend.☀️

Don’t forget to visit Juliet and Elizabeth blogs ..links as always, in our bios or stories:
@northerncalstyle 
@makemineaspritzer 
@pineconesandacorns

#northerncalifornia #weekendpost #yellow #diningroomdecor #bernardmaybeck #sanfranciscohomes #architecturaldigest #potterybarn #serenaandlily #californiastyle
Our dear friend Contessa @contessa_and_her_pig has Our dear friend Contessa @contessa_and_her_pig has been seriously sick and fortunately is back home now, but still struggling with pneumonia. If anyone wants to send her a snail mail note please dm me and I will share her address. She loves unique cards and pretty postcards you’ve saved from travel, so she would be thrilled to get a little note!

It seems like just yesterday we were in her gorgeous yard taking photos for my Californians at Home series. It’s still one of my favorite photo shoots and if you want to read it again -or missed it I will link to it in my bio today. She’s one of a kind, so let’s get her well soon and bolster her spirits!!💛💛

#californiacontessa #californiansathome
I have to share a snippet of just some of the wisd I have to share a snippet of just some of the wisdom that was Martin Luther King. He will always be one of my biggest heroes and ten years ago I wrote a small post highlighting some of his very meaningful words and quotes that we could all use as a life guide. Link to the post in my bio and more on my stories. 

Do you know he is the only American to have a holiday for him that hasn’t been a president? He also had a low approval rating when he died. That has changed. Now people around the world use his teachings of living in peace and the fight for justice as a model we can strive for. I find his words so very needed in a world that is polarized more than ever. ❤️

#mlkday #mlkquotes #whatareyoudoingforothers
It’s still raining here! In an effort to use som It’s still raining here! In an effort to use some beautiful citrus and boost morale, I made these chocolate chips with a California twist. They have orange and walnuts -and for fun I added macadamias from my Hawaii trip and coconut flakes. I also switched out brown sugar for moscavado which is less refined and had more depth and flavor. So far response has been thumbs up from the home crew! 
The recipe and all the weekend fun- along with some cozy coats for this weather, and a recap of our SF meander are on the weekend blog. Juliet and Elizabeth also have great ideas this weekend.. links as always, in our bios or stories:
@northerncalstyle 
@makemineaspritzer 
@pineconesandacorns 
Have a great weekend !

#californiacookie #californialiving #californiachocolatechipcookie #weekendpost #chocolateandorange
Just a little peek at some of the homes in San Fra Just a little peek at some of the homes in San Francisco’s Laurel Heights and a little walk through the Presidio to the Lyon Street Steps. We had an unbelievably beautiful day after so much rain and darkness. I highly recommend walking through this neighborhood, through The Presidio and grabbing lunch and checking out the lovely shops like the new Emily Joubert! The views are amazing all the way to the Golden Gate, and I am in love with all the beautiful homes of San Francisco. ❤️

#sanfranciscolove #presidioheights #lyonstreetsteps #sanfranciscowalks #housesofsf #visitcalifornia #ourgoldenstate #sanfranciscomansions #citybythebay #prettycity

Copyright © 2023 · Northern California Style· Blog Design by Little Blue Deer