Thursday, December 24, 2015

Colorful Coastal Christmas


Merry Christmas, my friends and readers!

This year, we decided to take a mini-break and escape to the beautiful Oregon Coast. On the plus side, at least for us geeks and nerds, it is practically deserted this time of year. If you're a party person, the Oregon Coast is definitely not the place to be right now. On the not-so-plus side, winter on the coast means high winds, heavy rain and the possibility of floods. I'm not used to such strong winds, they almost knocked me off my feet, though locals take their dogs for a walk on the beach just as if it was just another sunny day. We also took walks trying to catch breaks in the weather. In general, I wanted to stay warm and cozy, but still look and feel festive and just a bit glamorous. 



This was by far my most successful outfit for this type of weather - the sweater in addition to a new colorful wool coat protected me from cold, and jeans kept me dry. I only packed two pairs of jeans and one skirt (which was not needed), a couple of sweaters and a plaid shirt with some jewelry pieces. Well, hats and scarves and gloves as well, and two pairs of comfy shoes - one for walks in town, and another one for walks on the beach. The coat does not have a hoodie, so I also grabbed a brolly. A yellow one - to add sunshine! 









It was a great vacation. For the most part, everyone stayed in a happy mood which is the ultimate goal of holidays, isn't it? Being happy, being surrounded by people who help you stay happy, put all your worries aside and just really really be happy - isn't it the deep ultimate meaning of holidays, any holidays? Why this simple wisdom sometimes escapes us, beats me... My idea was to not prepare any gifts for each other in advance, but rather browse and enjoy whatever finds we liked in Cannon Beach and Seaside shops. It worked rather well. Our finds were books, notebooks, art supplies... and everyone ended up delighted.






We stayed at a Seaside hotel, called Rivertide Suites. The hotel had a swimming pool which Anya and I happily took advantage of, and also free wine and beer every night from 5 to 6. Surprisingly, the red wine (Twisted Old Vine Zinfandel) was pretty good, as was the locally brewed beer. Such a pity I found out about it only on our last night. Breakfasts were also included, so we did not need to worry about them. Our room had a full kitchen, so if we had a desire or need, we could even cook home-made meals. I did not want to cook, so we ate out (we particularly liked a restaurant called Driftwood in Cannon Beach). We managed to catch the last run of a play at a local community theater - Coaster Theatre Playhouse. You know how much I love little local theater, and this one was a good discovery. The energy of the lead actress was just phenomenal, we had good laughs.




It is Christmas Eve here now, and we're taking it easy, having a long day driving through the heavy rain yesterday (Justin is our captain and hero). Justin's out food shopping as we came back to an empty fridge last night. I'm going to run a vacuum-cleaner around our Christmas tree. We'll most probably go out for Chinese for dinner, unless people will settle for my borscht. Then Anya wants to spend the rest of the evening wrapping our gifts/finds for each other, so we have something to unwrap and act surprised, as Justin put it, tomorrow morning - both Justin and Anya enjoy this part of Christmas (wrapping, unwrapping and acting surprised, that is). I'll be uploading family videos for my folks to enjoy in far-away Russia, and catching up with you, my lovely blogging friends.

Lots of love to you all!

Coat - Boden 
(my first purchase from this brand - I'm very happy with it, 
the coat comes in 3 colors and now is on sale on their web, sizes 2 to 18 US)
Jeans (old), sweater, hat and scarf - Lane Bryant
Boots (old) - Born

Linking up with 

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17 comments:

  1. your new coat is fabulous!!! such a gorgeous thing!
    love the wild weather pics of your family - you all look so cosy and happy! and that surf!
    wish you a "gemütlich" time! tons of hugs!
    xxxxxx

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  2. Dear Natalia, so lovely pictures from you and your family. I like the last picture, Doughter and mother. Both look amazing and with love. Oh ich wünschte ich könnte auf deutsch schreiben.:)
    I wish you and your family merry Christmas and I am happy about you blogging again ♥️
    Ah and I Love your new coat from Boden. You look amazing in it and with the warm ähm mütze :)
    kisses Tina

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  3. We have a touch of snow now but we were very Pacific NW with the rain earlier. As always, stunning ensembles perfect for the occasion.

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  4. Thanks for linking up to Top of the World Style. I wisch you happy holidays and a happy New Year.

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  5. Oh, I do love some good wild weather and you look fabulous in your bundling! What a lovely trip to make, browsing, shopping, theatre, and eating. Free wine and beer? I've never heard of it but what a nice touch. And a nod to your captain for excellent piloting. Merry Christmas, Natalia, and to Justin and Anya.

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  6. So good to connect with you all again. Enjoying your blog and photos of this very recent trip.

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  7. That coat with stripes made me smile! It is so lovely...and I like how you paired with with an ice sweater and white jeans in that first outfit...but I also enjoyed seeing that second outfit with blue jeans and striped coat. Interesting how with that green scarf and beanie this coat looks different, like a brand new one. I did notice you said they came in different stripes, that's pretty cool.

    I see you had a lovely trip prior to Christmas Eve. The ocean can be so inspiring! I see you had a great time. Cheers to Justin, the resident driver:)....and I hope you had a happy Christmas Eve and Christmas day with Anya and Justin.. In my family they also enjoy unwrapping the presents and acting suprised...and sometimes actually being surprised...I don't celebrate with them anymore, but with my husband and inlaws but thanks to technology I get to see the presents and everything! happy holidays to all of you !!!Happy Saint Stephen!

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  8. What a wonderful trip Natalia! I Love the idea of being someplace wonderful, where no one else is! The photos look like heaven, if a bit windy. Justin is indeed a hero , getting you and Anya home safely! I love the way you bought gifts on the trip, a good way to explore! Love your winter white outfit, with that dashing awning striped coat, and fab scarf!
    Enjoy the holiday season!
    xx, Elle
    http://www.theellediaries.com/

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  9. love that you enjoyed some fabulous time! you really look relaxed, beautiful like a ray of sunshine wearing your lovely coat and those cozy hat and scarf!!! gorgeous!!! lovely color combo!! and lovely white jeans (we're sharing a comfort vibe!!)
    And it looks an amazing place to go, those landscapes are wildly beautiful!
    besos

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  10. A clever idea to take a little trip just before Christmas, love the beauty of the area , never mind the wild and windy weather. I am sure with your bright and snuggly coat you were as warm as toast. Lovely photos of you all. All my best wishes for a joyous New Year.

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  11. Hope you all had the most wonderful festive time. That looked a magical break. One day I will get to Oregon. It looks as stunning as I'd imagined it would.
    Love your Boden coat and that marvellously chunky scarf, too. xxx

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  12. Love this outfit - you look wonderful! I think I've just fallen in love with this Boden coat...love the view from the beach too, great landscape!
    Christina ♥ https://caliope-couture.com

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  13. You look fabulous. I love the colours and fabrics and this coat is very great! What a wonderful christmas trip! Amazing views.

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  14. Love Love Love the colourful coat! Pop by and add a link to my weekly fashion link up if you get a chance. I think my readers would really like your style!

    http://www.sydneyfashionhunter.com/2015/12/fresh-fashion-forum-link-up-13-girls.html

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  15. Natalia, that coat is fantastic on you! In fact the whole outfit's fab but the coat is especially covetable.

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  16. Natalia, that coat is fantastic on you! In fact the whole outfit's fab but the coat is especially covetable.

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