In December of 2005 I visited the Huntington Library with my dad for the first time, and I have never forgotten it. It’s been a place I’ve wanted to re-visit for ages, and when I found out that Patrick had never been, we made it one of our top priorities in our list of day trips.

To those who may not be familiar with the Huntington, it’s a wonderful place that combines historical texts, works of art and many bountiful gardens all in one place. The Huntington Library is the work of businessman Henry Edwards Huntington and his wife, Arabella. Interested in art, texts and gardens, they began to amass a collection of glorious items, including important texts ranging from a Gutenberg Bible to original printings of Benjamin Franklin’s paper to the incredible Audubon’s The Birds of America to hand-written documents from Charles Dickens and John Muir. I recall during my 2005 visit there was an original pamphlet of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, which left me giddy (I mentioned my love of Paine in a blog award post). Though sadly I did not see it on display during this visit. The art collection is exceptional, and 50s kitsch lovers will want to visit as the original paintings of Pinkie and Blue Boy are displayed. Then there are the gardens, including a Japanese garden, Australian garden, and my favorite, a desert garden, among many, many more! The place is 120 acres, and it’s almost impossible to see the entire place in a single day, so I think we shall be returning sometime in the future, especially since they have rotating exhibits. Our visit was partly to get some plant inspiration for our patio, which is lacking in greenery at the moment. So a great deal of time was spent in the desert garden.

Recently I finally got some prescription sunglasses! A necessary item in California! Despite the sun, where was a slight chill in the air, and I broke out some wool and a light jacket.

I really intended to share our bedroom with you this week, but we had to wrap up a few more things and hit some unexpected speed bumps along the way! But I do hope to share it soon! In the meantime I also need to prep for Rock Around the Park, rockabilly day, at Disneyland, which is this Sunday! We had such a swell time when we went two years ago, I’m exiting to go again! But I have absolutely no idea what to wear! I’ve had no time to make anything new! I guess I better go rummage around my closet!

Outfit
Mexican Tourist Jacket: Expo
Blouse: Thrifted
Jumper: Antique Alley, Portland, Ore.
Shoes: Buffalo Exchange, Portland, Ore.
Matching Cacti Brooch & Earrings: Brownsville Antique Show, Brownsville, Ore.
Bangles: Here and there…