Earlier this month, The Husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. It wasn’t an overly grand or lavish affair, just the two of us spiriting off to another near-to-us beach town, Oxnard. In fact, it’s so close to us that The Husband once worked in this town but in an area a few miles from the closest beach. A long time friend of ours recently bought himself a weekend get-away place that is close to where we stayed so we had fun learning more about the area during our trip.
As the saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun. I have some very vivid memories of this day 25 years ago which make it seem like we got married just last week. This total group photo was a request of mine that my guy, his father, and a friend of ours made happen. I had gotten the idea from a similar type photo I saw in a bridal magazine and when I showed it to them, they said that if I wanted it then I would get it. And I did. I have a copy of this photo on display in my office at work and I have gotten a lot of comments/compliments on it over the years.
Time has been tight for me these last few months with my regular 8-to-5 job and with an 11-day trip to NYC and a few of the New England states already planned to occur in late October, I couldn’t get away from work for more than the two days that I did take off for this anniversary trip. It was just before the Labor Day weekend so there were no crowds to deal with which was great and I got an extra-long long weekend out of it, too.
It was during this trip that The husband and I found all those great thrift stores I wrote about in Thrifting Overload. The first day of this trip was the day before our anniversary and I wore the outfit in photos below that day. It was during the shopping that I came to realize that the red lace-up flats were not going to make it onto my list of favorites. First of all, laces are a bit inconvenient for shopping and secondly, they just wound up not being very comfortable for me as I shared in Purchase More Shoes: Fall Preview (even with an insert).
Skirt – J Jill, old (option with B&W print); Vest – Forever 21, thrifted (longer version); Top – Lauren Conrad, old (option); Shoes – Merona (exact)
So, after a few hours of thrift shopping, we finally made to our hotel and our suite with a view of the ocean. The suite was on the ground floor so we could walk out onto a patio and enjoy the scenery as well as the tranquility of the beach.
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When The Husband made the reservation, he was asked if the stay at the hotel was for a special occasion and he said yes, that we were going there to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. The host then offered to send us a bottle of champagne and some chocolates which The Husband graciously accepted and we enjoyed while sitting out on the patio.
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After settling in and resting a bit, it was time to change clothes for dinner and take a few more photos. Another guest at the hotel, who was also sitting out on a patio enjoying the view, offered to take a picture of the two of us and she nearly got our feet in it, too. There was a bit of a breeze blowing, hence the wild hair.
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Sweater – J Crew Factory Store, sold out (similar look); Cropped flares – Loft, thrifted (almost same)
Even with the ocassional breezy moments, we had beautiful weather during our trip. The next day (and actual day of our anniversary), we did some exploring of the area and stopped at a couple more thrift stores. I don’t have any pictures of us doing any shopping but I can show you photos we took while enjoying a stroll along the beach. This cold-shoulder top is one of three I bought back in May as options for this Project Sister Act collaboration post. The pearl necklace was an anniversary gift from The Husband several years ago and I always wear it on our anniversary.
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Cold-shoulder top – I Jeans By Buffalo, sold out (very similar); Fringe hem jeans – DIY project
Later in the day, we again sat out on the patio to enjoy some wine we had brought with us and to wait for the sunset. I, of course, changed into another outfit and we again took a few selfies as we watched the sun going down.
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Dress – Simply Vera (same in different print)
I don’t think we would ever tire of this view. It is such a treat to be able to watch as the sun sinks into the horizon.
While we were out and about earlier that day, we had scouted out a couple of options for where we could have dinner and settled on a little Italian restaurant. I’m happy to report that we made an excellent choice and that our dinners were delicious. I don’t usually photograph my food but it was too good not to do so.
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After breakfast and checking out of our hotel the next day, The Husband and I drove over to Ventura to check out the thrift store offerings there and again, we were not disappointed. Both of us grew up in more or less the same area and within about 5 miles of where we live now but the wonders of these nearby towns were unknown to us until now. Situated about halfway between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, these communities are lovely gems that still retain some of the old town charm I find lacking in newer areas.
Let’s Wrap This Up
Now, onto the Fine-Whatever link up for this week. My featured contributor from last week’s Color My World link up is Anna Shirley from The Glam Adventure. Her blog focuses on healthy lifestyle, fashion, and beauty which are all evident in this lovely seaside photo.
Where have you been and what have you been doing in real life? How well you do know your neighboring towns? What are the characteristics you find charming in older communities?
Let’s connect! Subscribe, tweet, follow, friend, love, pin, stumble … all options are available and waiting for you. I look forward to hearing from you. And don’t forget to add a post or two to the link up.
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40 Comments
Isn’t it great to get away for a few days! Looks fantastic.
Nancy, yes it was wonderful to get away for a couple of days.
Rena, I love this post so much! Your wedding photos are so lovely! And it was such a treat to see the Rena from 25 years ago. So gorgeous then and now! What a fun anniversary trip you had, too. A very happy milestone for both of you! Thanks so much for sharing it with us.
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
Shelbee, thank you for your lovely comments and compliments.
Happy Anniversary! I love your wedding photo with everyone in it – such a great idea!!!
Sounds like a very nice getaway!
I find we often don’t explore nearby areas enough, yet there are such treasures to be found. I know there are still so many amazing areas and little towns to explore around here…
And I’d love to explore the coastal towns between Pismo and LA more one of these years….
Thanks for the link up & have a wonderful weekend !
Andrea
Andrea’s Wellness Notes
Andrea, you are so right in that we often don’t appreciate what we have in our own backyard. There are many charming towns along the central coast of California.
So many relationships don’t have quite such a lovely culmination, Rena, that whenever I hear or see or read of a couple crossing yet another milestone in their lives together, it just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside 🙂 that whilst nothing is perfect, white picket fences do exist. Happy 25th, my friend. You and your man look very serene and happy together xoxo
Sheela, thank you for your lovely comments. It does feel like quite an accomplishment to have made it to 25 years and I know that we’re lucky to have done so.
Happy Anniversary!! Isn’t it so nice to be with a great guy?
I’m bummed about your lace up shoes—mine have a zipper in the back which makes it so much easier to take on & off!!
jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Thank you, Jodie, for the good wishes. As for the shoes, live and learn.
Many congratulations on your silver wedding anniversary! That’s a real achievement and you’re looking just as happy together as on your wedding day. Glad you were able to take some time away together to celebrate.
http://petitesilvervixen.blogspot.co.uk/
Thank you, Jacqueline. It was a nice way to celebrate.
Congratulations on 25 year anniversary!! you go girl!! … looks like a wonderful celebration get-a-way … beautiful photos!!
Celia, thank you for the congratulations.
Congratulations Rena 25yrs! In the UK we call this our Silver anniversary. The couple would be gifted with Silver. You celebrated in style, this looks like a fabulous vacation x
http://www.vanityandmestyle.com
In the US we also refer to 25 as a silver anniversary and I could certainly use more silver. Thank you for stopping by.
Rena
Congratulations to you and your husband on such a Milestone! Love the pictures of you and your hubby at the beach, as well as the one taken 25 yrs ago. I am sure you have some great memories. Fun that you were able to find some great thrift buys and what a lovely view for your getaway! I love that the hotel gave you champagne and chocolates! Again, congrats!
jess xx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com
Thank you, Jess. Even though it was a short get away, we had a really nice time together and I’m glad that comes across in the pics of the two of us.
Happy anniversary. I love the pineapple top.
Thank you, Jon. The pineapple is an eye catcher, isn’t it?
Happy Anniversary – it looks like you chose a lovely way to spend time together!
We did, Colleen, and thank you for the well wishes.
Congrats! What a special way to celebrate
http://www.michellespaige.com
Thank you, Michelle.
I live right across the street from the Embassy Suites at Mandalay. It’s great to see my neighborhood in your shots. Glad you liked it, and Happy Anniversary!!
I envy you. It is such a beautiful location. Thank you for the anniversary wishes.
Congratulations! I love to see people living their lives in great style Thanks for sharing with us!!
Thank you, Jennifer. I’m glad you enjoyed the post and I was so happy to see your new weekly link up.
I commented earlier, but wanted to say, I love the group photo, and again, Congratulations!!
Thanks for linking up with Turning heads tuesday
jess xx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com
Jess, thanks for commenting again and for your weekly link up.
Congratulations and love your 1991 wedding fashion. I married the same year;) 25 years does fly. I wrote about our 25 years on my blog. http://www.almostemptynest.net/25-secrets-of-a-25-year-marriage/
Wish I wrote about fashion (maybe I should start) or I would join your party. I found your 25 years post on the over the moon party.
Laura
Thank you, Laura and congratulations on your anniversary as well. It is a typical 1991 wedding dress (LOL) I enjoyed your post and I’ve signed up to follow your blog. Thanks for stopping by.
I’m so glad you had fun on your trip. It’s too bad your shoes didn’t work out though. They are really cute. Thank you so much for hosting!
Thank you, Mallory.
Happy Anniversary!! Looks like you two had a blast. Beautiful photos!
xx, Elise
http://www.sparkleandslippers.blogspot.com
Thank you, Elise. We did have a wonderful time.
Congrats. It looks like you had a great time! Thank you for sharing your wonderful post at #OverTheMoon. I look forward to what you will share next week! Do something special. Give yourself a standing ovation today! We hope you’ll come back again next Sunday when we open our doors at 6:00 PM EST.
Marilyn, thank you for the congratulations and for the invitation to return to next week’s link up.
Congratulations on your anniversary! What a gorgeous wedding photo. Must be wonderful being able to look back on such a long time together. Love all your outfits but the one with the red lace-ups is a favourite!
Christina ♥ https://caliope-couture.com
The group photo is a fabulous memento from that day and I’m so glad that I have it. I also really like the outfit with the red lace-ups so thanks for letting me know it was a hit with you, too.