vacationing in a bus is THE BEST

A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I went to LA, rented a Volkswagon bus and drove to Joshua Tree (and later, Palm Springs). I admit, I originally booked this trip solely because that bus is irresistibly cute and I had visions of driving it down the highway, windows down, wind blowing through my hair. Luckily, we discovered that roadtripping in a bus is the best thing ever and the trip didn't degenerate into some kind of National Lampoon fiasco. 

why roadtripping in a bus is a fantastic idea: 

1. nap time, any time. whereever you are, whatever time of day, you have a nap mobile at your disposal. simply fold down the back seat, close the bus curtains and have yourself a shut eye.

2. make friends while stuck in traffic. this bus was a QUITE the crowd pleaser. there were smiles, honks and buses of children waving at us. 

3. panoramic views. there's something about that windshield that makes the view down the highway look like something out of a fancy coffee table book. renting this guy instead of a Civic made the trip about the journey, not the destination. 

4. watch the sun rise from wherever you park. one of my favorite parts of the trip was waking up and looking out the rear window to see the sun rising over the Joshua Tree hills. I haven't seen the sun rise in years (mostly because I won't be able to afford a San Francisco apartment with views of the actual sky for a few more decades), but park this baby at a campsite and enjoy the sunrise from the comfort of your bed (ahem, sleeping bag). 

answers to the questions that you probably have if you want to plan a trip like this: 

- we rented our bus using this company (they were SO nice). 

- if you fly into John Wayne Airport, the rental company will pick you up at the gate! (I don't know if I have ever been more excited than when I saw that little red bus for the first time! my heart rate was out of control.) 

- the bus was an automatic transmission.
- the rental rate varies, but it was definitely cheaper than renting a regular car, in addition to the fact that it was also our hotel for two nights.

instagramming

I've been Instagramming up a storm lately - follow @helloerin, or click here for more.

I'd promise to never post a picture of my dinner, but I never say never.

confession time.

It's confession time. I've been shopping at JCPenney. 

Occasionally I'll find myself parking in the JCPenney lot (because let's face it, it's always the least crowded entrance to the mall), so a few weeks ago I was walking through on my way to another store when a grey cashmere sweater caught my eye. It was in an enormous size and had one of those dumb scoopy neck lines, but the heathered cashmere was so pretty and it was a STEAL at $20. 

I have a deep-rooted aversion to loose, scoopy necklines (it's so hard to find a true crew-neck these days!), so I wanted to find a way to make the neckline a little less floppy. I got out a needle and thread, created a little pleat, and 5 minutes later... voila! 

I think this looks like a fancy detail on an expensive sweater, not a 5 minute update to a $20 sweater. This guy is going in my weekly rotation! 

I love my boots.

I've mentioned before that I dislike how much the blogosphere makes me want more stuff. I like buying things as much as the next girl, but seeing bloggers' lists of "essentials" that include $90 candles and $500 party dresses never fails to make me feel like I'm losing at life.

So, let me introduce my new reoccurring column called "I love my ______." Instead of telling you what new, shiny dress/candle/ring/whatever you MUST go buy (because it's "swooon-worthy!" ugh. worst descriptor ever.), I want to share some of my best clothing investments with you - things that at the time felt like a big splurge, but that I've worn for years and have never regretted purchasing.

First up:

A big snowstorm hit the day of my first-ever big deal job interview in college, and the only thing I had to wear before changing into my heels was a pair of Uggs. A quick trip to the mall yielded these bad boys, which have since gotten me through the past five winters.

These things have only gotten better with age. I'm obsessed with how they wrinkle perfectly around my ankles and how the toe has worn down just a tiiiiny bit. This is probably what the Queen of England wears to feed her sheep in the morning when she's staying at her castle in Scotland, right?

If you're in the market for some investment boots:

one Coach, sale $279  /  two  Madewell, $298  /  three Frye, $428

photobooth-ing

For the past few weekends I've been taking dragging my boyfriend to photobooths hidden in dive bars and tourist traps across San Francisco. There aren't many film booths in working condition anymore, so it's a fun adventure to hunt down the few that are still around. Don't get me wrong - I'm not above hopping in one of those snazzy digital photo booths at the mall and adding sweet heart borders and shooting star effects, but there's something so special about a film photo booth print. I think I'll be keeping these on display for a long, long time. 

Use this site to find out if there are any photo booths in your city! 

photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5