POLAROID SNAPS: MAKING MEMORIES LIKE IT'S 1990
Let's make memories like it's 1990.. with a polaroid camera. Today, we’re sharing this fun girls trip to Joshua Tree on the site to inspire you to go out and create your own original insta memories.
AN ADVENTURE IN JOSHUA TREE, CALIFORNIA
Collaboration and Photos by Natalie Shabtai, Samantha Taylor, Aly Gasparian
Sometimes, you just need to head to leave your phone at home and head out to the California desert with your best girl friends to disconnect. Today, we’re sharing this fun girls trip to Joshua Tree to inspire you to go our and create your own insta memories.
Your recipe for super success:
1 hip and stylish Airbnb house — we love these suggestions from Live Like It’s The Weekend
3-4 of your closest gal pals
Polaroid, Fuji Instax camera or disposable cameras and lots of film.
A killer playlist (follow our Spotify)
Bubbles (We love @drinkbourdon)
Heart Shaped Sunnies
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KEEP YOUR FACE TO THE SUN: AN ADVENTURE IN JOSHUA TREE, CA (VIDEO)
An adventure in the desert, in the middle of summer. Not my brightest of ideas… the heat was something else. But I also remember the endless laughter, the golden sunsets and the red and orange colors that painted the sky. I remember the Uber rides lined with disco lights and N’sync playing through the speakers. I remember meeting the most unlikely of people, the ones like us, passing through a random town in the California desert.
AN ADVENTURE IN JOSHUA TREE, CALIFORNIA
Contributed by estCA staff, Lindsay Vacek and photographer Ashley Wiliams
My phone chimes.
It’s a text message: “Hey. Let’s go out to the desert this weekend! My family has a house out there and we can hang by the pool and explore Joshua Tree”
I quickly respond: “Yea! I’m in! That sounds great!”
This is an exchange that happens quite frequently between my friends and I. We thrive on weekend adventures to get out of the city and explore. It’s also a great opportunity to see friends who live outside Los Angeles because we often will find a cool city to meet up in. Sometimes we have plans and other times, we just go and see where the adventure leads us.
I don’t usually regret my spontaneous spirit. It’s something I quite love about myself - but I don’t know why we thought it was a good idea to go spend the weekend in the desert in the dead middle of summer. Even the water in the pool was hot. I had a massive headache the entire weekend. I think it might’ve been the hottest weather I have ever experienced in my life. I remember walking 300ft from the car to a rock and putting down a blanket and not being able to move.
But I also remember endless laughter. I remember the golden sunsets and the red and orange colors that painted the sky. I remember the Uber rides lined with disco lights and N’sync playing through the speakers. I remember laughing and meeting the most unlikely people, the ones like us, passing through a random town in the desert. And this quote:
“Keep your face to the Sun and the Shadows will always fall behind you”
Note: I am no pro when it comes to shooting and editing video… but this was just a fun little collection of footage from our phones.. and this is what this site is for… to share the adventures.
ALSO, ON THAT NOTE, ANY VIDEO EDITORS OUT THERE, CONTACT US!
HAVE AN ADVENTURE YOU WANT TO SHARE? WE’RE CURRENTLY ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS.
Wanderlust: A Bohemian Inspired Adventure (VIDEO)
When Jason and Sean of Audrey Alba Films shared with us their Bohemian Inspired short, we knew we wanted to share with you all! These two filmmakers from San Diego, CA love to film fashion shoots and create custom wedding films.
A VIDEO ADVENTURE IN THE CALIFORNIA DESERT
Video by Audrey Alba Films
A note from the editors: We, at estCA, love seeing all of your California-inspired Adventures! It's so inspiring to see everyone going out and exploring their surroundings! Whether it's an event, a photo, a road trip, video or writing, we really hope you see our community as a place to share your own Golden State of Mind. So let me take a quick moment to say THANK YOU for sharing with us.
When Jason and Sean of Audrey Alba Films shared with us their Bohemian Inspired short, exploring in the California Desert, we knew we wanted to share with you all! These two filmmakers from San Diego, CA started their company back in early 2014, using their two daughter's as the inspiration behind the name of their film company. They are inspired by creativity, whether it be from film, music or art. They love to film fashion shoots and create custom wedding films.
FOLLOW THEM: website | facebook | vimeo | instagram
Clothing : Free People | Jewelry : Alex and Dani | Music : MusicBed
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AMAZING, AMUSING AND CONFUSING.. The California Ghost Town that's Far from Frightening
There's no argument that Calico is a real ghost town. Established in 1881, Calico produced $86 million in silver and $45 million in borax during its glory years. At its height, the town boasted a population of 1,200, 22 saloons, a "Chinatown," and a well-known red light district.
AN ADVENTURE IN CALICO GHOST TOWN, CALIFORNIA
This shoot is a collaboration by Renata Amazonas, Amy Bjornson, Ashley Williams, Kim Egel, Tiana Gallagher, and Lindsay Vacek.
"Nothing to frighten children or adults. It is simply amazing, amusing, and confusing." So reads the sign above one of the establishments along Calico's main street, inviting all comers to a tour of a cunningly crooked house. It's the sort of attraction more commonly associated with amusement parks, but the sign is actually fairly accurate in describing Calico as a whole. There's nothing frightening about the place, but if you opt for a visit, there's every chance you may find the remains of this onetime boomtown "amazing, amusing, and confusing."
There's no argument that Calico is a real ghost town. Established in 1881, Calico produced $86 million in silver and $45 million in borax during its glory years. At its height, the town boasted a population of 1,200, 22 saloons, a "Chinatown," and a well-known red light district. When the price of silver plummeted in the 1890's, the town survived on borax revenues until its official death in 1907.
Calico's ghosts slumbered on its barren desert hillside until 1951, when a man named Walter Knott purchased the real estate upon which it sat. The same entrepreneur who founded Knott's Berry Farm, Walter Knott set out to make Calico not only amazing, which it was already, but also amusing, which is why if you visit today, you can tour a crooked house and witness a staged gunfight.
You can take a train ride, and you can look down over an expansive view of the Mojave Desert. Calico is a delightful patchwork, the product of a checkered past, all woven together into a sight worth seeing. It's right off Interstate 15 near Yermo, between Barstow and Baker. Are you heading for Death Valley or Las Vegas? Stop by Calico as you head east from Los Angeles, and prepare to be… amazed, amused, and confused.
Wardrobe: Free People | Gull + Marie | Kim Egel Jewelry | Janessa Leone | Luv AJ
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DESERT DANCING
There's always something so calming about the desert. I love feeling the wind blow through my hair and kiss my cheeks. Smelling the crisp earthy air as I watch the sky go from blue to pink to orange to purple. It's easy to find myself, arms outstretch, dancing with the wind.
There's always something so calming about the desert. I love feeling the wind blow through my hair and kiss my cheeks. Smelling the crisp earthy air as I watch the sky go from blue to pink to orange to purple. It's easy to find myself, arms outstretch, dancing with the wind.
This trip was among some amazing women where we spent moments creating art, laughing and pushing ourselves outside our comfort zones. And at the end of it all, we laid down some blankets beneath the desert night sky (and the thousands of stars that watched down on us) and toasted to moments that we will cherish forever.
This shoot is a collaboration of Renata Amazonas, Amy Lynn Photography, Ashley Williams, Kim Egel, Tiana Gallagher, Lindsay Vacek.
Wardrobe: Free People / Gull + Marie / Kim Egel Jewelry / The Handloom / Nanga / Jennafer Grace / Janessa Leone / Badgley Mischka
SCROLL TO SHOP ITEMS INSPIRED FROM THIS SHOOT
A TRIP TO THE MOJAVE DESERT FOR THE RISE FESTIVAL (VIDEO)
When Jason and Sean of Audrey Alba Films shared with us their trip to Rise Festival, we knew we wanted to share with you all! These two filmmakers from San Diego, CA love to film fashion shoots and create custom wedding films.
An "Unmentionable" Birthday in Palm Springs
Leah, of Color Pop Events based in New York City, was planning her friend's "unmentionable" birthday and flying out with a few girlfriends for the weekend. Leah kept with the theme of her friend's fun and colorful personality by hosting the weekend at the Saguaro in Palm Springs, the most colorful hotel in the desert.
Leah, of Color Pop Events based in New York City, was planning her friend's "unmentionable" birthday and flying out with a few girlfriends for the weekend. When she reached out I was so excited to head out to the Saguaro to photograph their party. Leah kept with the theme of her friend's fun and colorful personality by hosting the weekend at the Saguaro in Palm Springs,the most colorful hotel in the desert. The hotel was amazingly accommodating and allowed us to set up our dinner party in its Tinto restaurant, which was closed at the time for renovations, so we pretty much had an entire restaurant all to ourselves. Leah's vendor friends Sincerely, Jackie designed the party invites and paper goods and Toasted Parties supplied all of the decor from the honeycombs to the party animals (my favorite!) to the silver glitter pineapple drink stirrers (because it's not a party without glitter!).
Event Design and Planning: Color Pop Events
Venue: The Saguaro Palm Springs
Photography: Ashley Williams Photography
Invitations and Paper Goods: Sincerely, Jackie
Decor: Toasted Parties
Napkins: Farewell Paperie
Tote Bags: Anthony & Stork
Candy: Papabubble
Temporary Tattoos: Tattly
Photobooth Props: Tweedle Dee Designs
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ashley Williams was born and raised in Encinitas, a beach community in Northern San Diego. She has been photographing weddings and lifestyle photography for the past four years and loves it! Living in Southern California, she enjoys road tripping and exploring this beautiful state of California. She is looking forward to sharing her travels and being a part of the Established California Team. Keep an eye out for her as she shares this beautiful state we are all lucky to call home!
Bold & Bright Fashion Inspired Shoot at Salvation Mountain (with Behind-the-Scenes Video)
We believe there are many types of Adventures. People are inspired by many different things. Places, fabrics, a landscape, makeup... so we always love it when creative people come together to make magic.
We believe there are many types of Adventures. People are inspired by many different things. Places, fabrics, a landscape, makeup... so we always love it when creative people come together to make magic.
Each person can bring to the table their talents and expertise. From the makeup artist who paints a beautiful palette of colors and flawless skin, a photographer who utilizes their camera and lighting techniques to capture contrast and tones that aren't always seen to the naked eye -- to the model who flows and moves in front of the lens to capture a feeling and moment. The results are always something to be proud of. That's why we are sharing this fashion-inspired shoot today at the iconic Salvation Mountain in California.
I've always been intrigued by Salvation Mountain near El Centro and traveled there recently to shoot with sisters, Patricia and Débora Vaz. Because it is so colorful there, I wanted all of the fashion to reflect that bold and bright style as well. I worked closely with the models to stylize the shoot for the perfect look(s). We hit it at the perfect time of day and got some great imagery! Enjoy!
Photography : Shannon Henry of Studio Carre
Models : Patricia and Débora Vaz
Wardrobe + Styling : Photographer and Model Collaboration
Hair + Makeup: Erin Grever with Lux Artistry
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Since her childhood, Shannon has always been intrigued by the arts (fashion, fine art, beauty, and dance). Then, in high school, photography transformed from a hobby into her full-time passion. Shannon has been photographing weddings, lifestyle portraits, special events, and intimate boudoir photography for over 10 years, well before her business, Studio Carré Photographie (a family name), came to life in 2008. Her style is fashionable and artistic, a true extension of the arts which inspired her early on.
CHEERS TO A NEW YEAR: An Adventure in Glamis, CA
It's rather surreal, being in the desert of south Eastern California. You could wander around the dunes for days and see little more than tire tracks in the sand. It's really hard not to get reflective, almost introspective, in this massive, empty space.
It's rather surreal, being in the desert of south Eastern California. You could wander around the dunes for days and see little more than tire tracks in the sand. It's really hard not to get reflective, almost introspective, in this massive, empty space. Maybe it's being out in a desolate space. Maybe it's being in a place that seems untouched by time, knowing that it looked virtually the same hundreds of years ago and will for hundreds of years. Whatever the reason, i found my thoughts grow more and more sentimental as the day wore on.
Seemingly removed from all time and space it is easy to step back and look at the year we've had. As we watched the sun set over the dunes, I didn't feel sad at seeing something come to an end. It is peaceful. I looked back to see all the amazing times we had and the amazing people we got a chance to work with and create something amazing.
Just as the last rays of sunlight, the dying moments of the day, cast the sky in its most beautiful and vibrant colors. I can bask in the sappy, sweet moment of reflection as my thoughts too turn beautiful and vibrant.
So lift a glass of champagne or whatever it is you've got.
Here’s to 2015.
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These photos are the product of a collaboration by Ashley Williams, Shannon Baily, Renata Amazonas & Thomas Williams / Jewelry by: Kim Egel / Blankets from Sackcloth & Ashes / Foreword by Thomas Williams for Established California.
SALVATION MOUNTAIN, CA
Heading east on the 111 really feels like you’re driving to the edge of the Earth. Apart from the railroad tracks and scattered encampments of trailers and vans, the only signs of life are the endless tracts of fishbones that pave the shore of the Salton Sea. Then you reach Salvation Mountain, a diamond in the rough if there ever was one.
Images by Ashley Williams Photography
Heading east on the 111 really feels like you’re driving to the edge of the Earth. Apart from the railroad tracks and scattered encampments of trailers and vans, the only signs of life are the endless tracts of fishbones that pave the shore of the Salton Sea. Then you reach Salvation Mountain, a diamond in the rough if there ever was one. For decades artist Leonard Knight scavenged the desert to construct this monument out of adobe, hay, and thousands of gallons of paint. The result is a folk-art treasure and universal place of wonder, a spiritual and artistic mecca.
Leonard’s heartfelt message, “God is Love”, will thankfully be preserved, but his legacy will be the extraordinary resilience and uniqueness of his work. Wandering through the hodgepodge structure, we were struck by the pristine strangeness of it all and the brilliant individualism of a man fulfilling his vision.
It is definitely worth the trip, if not just to behold this dazzling mirage once. The heat of the desert out there is…brutal, but sometimes you have to sweat your ass off to witness something remarkable. Discovering Salvation Mountain is discovering a technicolored spiritual and artistic oasis whose magnetism draws pilgrims just like us each and every day. Though we were dripping sweat throughout our visit, we left refreshed and inspired by this monument to those who shine their brightest, even in the midst of the desert
—there is no beauty without a drop of pain—
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Thomas Williams grew up in a town where it’s weird if your hair isn’t salty or if you wear shoes all the time. A writer by trade, his days are filled exploring his passions for art, music, and literature. Education and aspiration brought him to Los Angeles and back but it’s his vagrant’s strain that keeps him discovering his surroundings and himself in the city or not.
Thomas is as at home on the surf-washed sand on the beach, in the musk of antique stores and flea-markets, or under the neon glow of dive bars and hole-in-the-wall venues. With a a love of the unexpected and the occasionally raw, Thomas is is eager to share with you a slice of his “Golden State of Mind”
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Photography by Ashley Williams for Established California.
Caftan and Cocktails in Palm Springs, CA
When you think of a Palm Springs Lifestyle.. what comes to mind? I instantly think of Frank Sinatra, lounging by the pool at his Twin Palms Estate, singing "I’ve got the world on a string" longingly to Ava Gardner. Or a 50′s beauty.. relaxing, drifting to and fro on the patio, with a cocktail between her jeweled fingers. When the temperatures start to soar in Palm Springs, what better way to carry that relaxed "cool-off" vibe than to mingle with a caftan on.. and a cocktail in hand?
Photography by Ashley Williams
When you think of a Palm Springs Lifestyle.. what comes to mind? I instantly think of Frank Sinatra, lounging by the pool at his Twin Palms Estate, singing "I’ve got the world on a string" longingly to Ava Gardner. Or a 50′s beauty.. relaxing, drifting to and fro on the patio, with a cocktail between her jeweled fingers. When the temperatures start to soar in Palm Springs, what better way to carry that relaxed "cool-off" vibe than to mingle with a caftan on.. and a cocktail in hand?
The inspiration behind the Caftan and Cocktails shoot came from the vintage vibe that is a constant in Palm Springs. The city is full of mid-century homes mixed with modern, vintage shops. The city thrives on a mixture of new farm to table cuisine, beautiful architecture (old and new) and all that makes up the cool, laid-back and relaxed vibe that is "Palm Springs".
The desert also has the most beautiful sunsets, which played a part in the colors of the caftans against the backdrop of nature. Bright oranges and purples, taken from nature, were infused in the shoot with the cocktails and attire. Lounging by the pool is also a Palm Springs "lifestyle" essential.. which was why we choose such a fun location (The Viceroy Hotel) showcasing the laid back, vintage vibe. It was playful, colorful, and relaxed, which is exactly how Palm Springs should be!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A California native. Self-proclaimed closet style junkie, cuisine exploring, travelista. Conni has always had a secret passion to do more, see more, learn more. Her hunger has grown into cooking (although she didn’t realize how fulfilling it could be to bake chocolate-chip, banana bread!), decorating and helping people learn all about the world of style.
She loves a warm cup of coffee in the morning, a glass of bubbly at night (or anytime for that matter), making new friends, a great book, & her next vacation (always in the works!). She may have an addiction to Doritos and is quite obsessed with anything related to dachshunds.
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Photography submitted by Ashley Williams for Established California.
SALTON SEA
I traveled into the desert with a few of my favorite creative humans and we explored the lost below-sea-level lake: the Salton Sea. Wandering around and discovering new places with friends, who have the same appreciation for nature, definitely makes me feel whole. These photographs are from our desert adventure.
I had the opportunity to travel to the desert with a few of my favorite creative humans and explore the lost below sea level, the Salton Sea. We had amazing laughs as we baked in the 107 degree heat and took some gorgeous photos of our experience. Kelly of Little Fox Flower Shop provided us with some beautiful floral arrangements while Kim Egel designed some stunning pieces of jewelry to wear on our adventure. Wandering around and exploring new places with friends who have an appreciation for nature definitely makes me feel whole.
Find somewhere you think is beautiful and get lost.
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These photos are the product of a collaboration by Ashley Williams, Shannon Baily, Renata Amazonas, Kim Egle - Photography submitted Ashley Williams for Established California. Makeup by Ashley at My Girls On Film Studios
JOSHUA TREE, CA
Sometimes life just calls for a little adventure … and thats exactly what we did. I met this group of girls only just last year, but I feel like I have known them for a lifetime. This trip was by far one of those trips that will never leave my soul. Filled with laughter, adventure, good conversation, lots of photo taking, being silly, and just deep down being free out in the desert.
Photography submitted by Amy Lynn Photography
Sometimes life just calls for a little adventure… and that's exactly what we did! A group of us women (all female photographers) meet last year in San Diego, but I feel like we have known each other for a lifetime. This trip was by far one of those trips that will never leave my soul. It was filled with laughter, adventure, good conversation, lots of photo taking, being silly and just that deep down "being free" feeling that you get from being out in the desert. We decided to stop in the town of Joshua Tree to get a little Peace + Love from the little hippie town in the middle of nowhere. Here are some of our favorite shots from our trip.
If you're headed to Joshua Tree, don't forget to stop in the little town, you never know what little gems you might find!!
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These photos are the product of a collaboration by Ashley Williams, Amy Lynn, Shannon Baily, Renata Amazonas, Kim Egle - Photography submitted Amy Lynn Photography for Established California.
