I kept putting off writing this post, and at first I honestly couldn't understand why. I want to share my adventures, and this one was spectacular! This trip was something that I had waited months and months for! But I kept saying to myself, "no.. not today.. write it tomorrow, when you have more time. No, not yet, not yet..."
I didn't realize it until now that I wanted it to be this really personal post about being home and how it all makes me feel. Santa Maria, that trip, all of those feelings of being home and belonging, they are my most personal types of feelings. When I'm there, I have no internet, I turn my phone off, I isolate myself because I want it all to myself. I let the sunshine be my best friend, and cold my only worry. Its all just too much for a post that's supposed to be about a car show! Haha, so I'm going to go ahead and share my trip experience, instead of a novel about how much I loved being there. :)
(Heads up: This is going to be a picture heavy post. )
We stopped at dad's work to say hi to everybody and take pictures in the furniture showroom. Haha.
Then it was off to the car show!
When we got there, we went into the buildings first (I was on my shorts-hunt after all) when I saw my dad making a bee-line for this man. He was like, "OH MY GOSH TRISHA TAKE A PICTURE OF HIM AND ME!!!" Thinking he was just a random man, I was like, "uumm... okaay?"
Turns out he's from my dad's favorite show Car Warriors on the speed channel! and upon further investigation I realized why my dad was acting like me if I had ever run into Dita Von Teese:
"Known as 'The King of the Customizers,' the legendary George Barris and his world-renowned Barris Kustom Industries has built some of the most famous automobiles of all time, including the original Batmobile, The Munster Koach, the original Green Hornet and The Beverly Hillbillies jalopy."
Um yea, COOL! He was a really sweet man, and took a picture of my dad, me and my sister for fan pictures. Really glad I got to meet him!
You'll notice most of the pictures I took of cars are either black or red. I just can't help myself, every time I see a classic car I think, "Ooooo it's so pretty but it imagine if it was black!" I love the classic aquas and pinks and creams, but I feel like I've seen those a MILLION times. The ones with a deep green, deep red, or super shiny black just get my heart racing every time.
My sister got her first pin striping brush and she's really excited to learn some new techniques. This one was her favorite.
Look this one isn't black or red! Ok I have to admit, I saw this car and immediately thought, "Hey! I wanna make a dress like this! A black bodice, plum belt and aqua skirt!" Haha, inspiration comes from everywhere I guess :)
It took a couples hours of being there before I felt comfortable enough to take pics by the cars.
(My friend once asked me, "How are you gonna be a pinup girl if you don't like when people take pictures of you??" I think I said something stupid and random like, "Shutup, I don't trust people!" but I really meant,
"I'm SHY! D:" haha)
If there's anything I learned from my parents growing up it's this: DO NOT TOUCH THE CARS.
I grew up in a family of car people, and the one thing they cannot stand is when they spend all weekend washing and waxing their cars and people go and put their grubby little fingerprints all over it. I'm 19 and my dad still makes this crazy face when it looks like I'm going to lean on it or I'm getting to close. So now I only pose by cars where I can put my wrist on the window sill, or hold the handle.
(I make that awkward pucker/fish/parrot face when people stop to look at me and I get uncomfortable.. lol)
But then I found the car I'd been waiting all day to see! I caught a glimpse of it the night before at the hotel and I knew it was going to look gorgeous in the sunlight.
I was in love.
(Theres that stupid face again, this time it was because the owner of the car was staring at me, he probably thought I was going to touch it... haha)
Want. Want. Want. Want.Want.
Lunch consisted of strawberries and brownies with whipped cream. :))
(I just noticed the woman sitting behind me, snood and cheetah print coat!?! Awesome!!)
Hey! I haven't saved these shoes yet! Woo-hoo, saved pair No. 15! (From Payless)
(The rest of the outfit: Top, seashell necklace and Flower Clip-Made by Me, Skirt-Thrifted and Altered, Cardigan-WetSeal, Black Leather chain purse-Froever21, Octopus bangle-HotTopic)
Yay for always having a pretty car in the background!!
This was my favorite pin striping art from that day. Ha.
Then it was back to the hotel to enjoy some silliness our last night there.
Because who DOESN'T jump on the hotel beds???
The first year or so that my dad's work transferred him to Santa Maria he lived here at the Travelodge, and we stayed here with im an entire summer once. It's really like another home to me. While dad was checking out I couldn't help but take a few pics.
My sister got in on the picture action. Haha.
Someday I'll be back in this beautiful town for good. That sunshine and chilling coastal air. It'll be mine. Someday I'll be home not just for a weekend, but for forever.
With that amazing red car of course.
