until the sun comes up over santa monica blvd...

ok, not really santa monica blvd, but more santa monica pier.

santa monica pier (and boardwalk) is one of my very favorite places. for those who haven't been, it's this uber-charming oasis with complete with a carnival, aquarium, shops, fruit trucks, bike rentals, taco and hot dog stands, other greasy delicious food stands, the ocean (duh), charming beach homes, and a vast array of some of the happiest homeless people and their dogs (expression unintended).

we don't go here nearly enough, especially considering it's a whopping 4 miles from our apartment.

anyway, this past MLK day we finally went down there after a several week stint. we got there right at ten and it was calm, quiet, and awesome. we decided to rent bikes for an hour and stroll up and down the boardwalk into venice:

(*do make note of the cleanliness of the surrounds.

and also of the super-sketchy helmet on loan for Rubes)

the men in my life.

are you kidding me? precious.

toilet paper trail

ruby was working very hard, so she requested we stop for a drink.

*ah, yes. notice the difference in the surrounds once you get to Venice...? 

good ol' venice.

another really awesome thing about santa monica beach are the plethera of play structures and things. oliver loooooves the swings. it's just extra-sweet they happen to overlook the pier and the ocean:

come visit us.

anytime.

lastly, I have been pinteresting lots lately--including, but certainly not limited to--this baby:

before:

after:

*yeah, and is the camera quality as annoying to you as it is to me? a problem soon to be fixed via tax return.