Who loves wine? I know I do! One of the things I was excited about when moving to California is the access to so many amazing wineries within a few hours of Los Angeles. I had always heard that Paso Robles was a great weekend getaway and always wanted to try it out! But where to go exactly? 
​The Paso Robles area has over 200 wineries, most of which are family owned and operated businesses. There are so many to choose from so I figured I would share our experience at a few we went to in case anyone is curious! As a planner I know a helpful guide or another's recommendations and experiences is always appreciated when making a plan.

On a whim we decided to head up there for two nights and hop around a bit as we were looking for a weekend getaway within a few hours of Los Angeles and wanted to look for all dog friendly places to bring our pup, Pepper.
​It was Labor Day Weekend so there was very limited availability at hotels, especially pet friendly ones, so we spent hours calling every hotel in the area but nowhere had any vacancy for Saturday night, most only had availability Sunday. We went ahead and made a reservation at the Farmhouse Motel for Sunday, and left ourselves on a waiting list at a few hotels in case there were any cancellations for Saturday night. Hoping that the universe would bless us, taking a leap of faith, we decided to just head on up the coast with only a somewhat formulated plan. YOLO

Just as we thought we were going to have to find a last minute crummy motel somewhere the universe provided for us and I ended up getting a call from Tracy (super nice lady!) at the Farmhouse Motel where we made our reservation for the following night in Paso Robles. She surprisingly had a cancellation and offered to put us up in the same room for both Saturday and Sunday nights! What a relief! We had faith that it would all work out in the end, and it did!
​So we headed on up to Paso Robles for the night to check into our room at the Farmhouse Motel! We finally arrived at around 9:30pm ready to rest our heads for the night since we knew we would have a fun filled day of wineries to visit in the morning! The Farmhouse Motel was so cute and cozy, they even did the little fancy swan towels on the beds and all of the rooms had a nice homey, cottage, antique feel to them.
Our first reservation for a wine tasting was at 11am at Jada Winery so we were so grateful to have a place to stay closely the night before! (Most of the wineries were operating on strict reservation schedules for tastings & tours because of Covid precautions as well as the Holiday weekend) We opted only for wineries that advertised that they were dog friendly as well because of course we wanted to bring Pepper along for the day!

​By 7pm we were back in our hotel worn out from the day and needed a nap and decided on some Chinese delivery for dinner! After a long day of touring and day drinking relaxing seemed better than going out, am I right?!
Overall it was a wonderful weekend getting to see a diverse range of sceneries, tasting a number of different wines, and learning quite a bit about the history of Paso Robles and a few of their wineries! I highly recommend any of the wineries we went to as well as the Farmhouse Motel! If you are ever looking to spend a few days in the area and have any questions please don't hesitate to ask!

If you're looking for activities to do this fall, I highly recommend Underwood Family Farms for a Pumpkin Patch experience that rivals all the rest! The farm features so  many potential photo ops and there is something for everyone and all ages!
​First on our agenda was the pig races! They have a few race times throughout the day and each race they give the little piggies harder obstacles to make it more challenging! Cheer on your favorite bandana color and watch them run!
There are tons of barnyard animals to pet and feed on the grounds including alpacas, goats, cows, horses, donkeys, bunnies, the list goes on and on!

Overall it was the perfect Saturday Pumpkin Patch Fall outing! There were many other activities available such as face painting for the kiddos and many food vendors. You could definitely spend the whole day there! Make sure to wear comfortable shoes to walk around in as well as a cute fall outfit for the photo ops!
I decided on a leopard print tan colored skirt from BloomChic and a mauve colored sweater from Cotton On. I paired it with some fall/winter comfortable booties and a hat to complete the look! All in all I would say Underwood Family Farms is a must experience for everyone this fall!
Shop my skirt and other curvy looks at Bloomchic or use my discount code "alyssaalexander88" at checkout for $$ off your order!

​As the seasons change, comes time to also change your wardrobe to fit the weather. Break out the jackets, scarves, and boots for the Holiday season! I have paired with Talbots to show you two looks that can be created with three staple pieces that I believe everyone should have in their wardrobe. A classic denim jacket, a blazer, & a pair of nice colored jeggings. Layers are key in the fall and winter, even in Los Angeles! I am here to show you how you can take a pair of colored jeggings and dress them up or down depending on the occasion!
For the first look I have paired the olive colored comfort stretch denim jeggings with a classic denim jacket in the Lowell Wash for a more casual fall look. I like to keep the undershirt simple and solid, (I chose grey here) but as always feel free to get creative. I added black heeled booties and a leather purse to complete this simple, comfortable, casual fall look. Here

​For the second look, I took the same olive colored jeggings and paired it with a blazer for a more professional, polished look. I kept the undershirt plain and simple with white, and added a pop of flair with the leopard print heels. I think this look is so versatile for work, an interview, dinner, audition, etc. Here
I have come to realize that simple, plain, polished pieces like this are definitely a necessity when it comes to my acting auditions, as well as working on productions in background, etc. They want stylish, simple, solid, polished non distracting pieces. 
Shop these looks now on Talbots website! You can get 40% off site wide from Dec 10th to 17th! Get the promo code from this link: stylinity.com/coupons/@talbots/@alyssaalexander_88

*This post is in collaboration with Talbots and Stylinity

Shoppable Looks here!  (go2b.uy/@alyssaalexander_88/0) ​

Kicking off into 2017 I figured it would be a good time to start a blog. I have been asked a couple times now to create one and who knows who will actually read it, but I do have opinions, reflections, and advice for whoever is willing to listen and I actually love writing. My goal is to inspire as many people as possible with this modeling venture/platform; it is not only for my own personal growth but for those who are following my journey as well.

As we begin the new year, alot of people have resolutions or goals for the new year. Alot of them are body or health related, and I honestly hate that we put so much emphasis on things we want to change about our bodies or what others influence us to change. This week is always the most crowded at the gym and when some people begin resolutions they will have given up on by February. Sure, there are things I wish I could change about myself, my eyebrows suck, I have eczema on my face, arms & legs, scars, stretch marks, and I could afford to lose a few pounds. But I am not going to obsess over the things I don't like about my body or think that life will finally begin when all of these "flaws" are gone, fixed, or hidden. You can still live a fullfilling, happy life before those things happen, while you are in the process. If you want to workout more and eat healthier to take care of your body like I will be focusing on in 2017, do it for the health aspects and not because you are looking to change the way you look or make something smaller or bigger. You are still beautiful at any shape or size. I believe there is a difference between wanting to change yourself and wanting to improve yourself, but you also have to do it for YOU and for nobody else.

As someone who has struggled with body confidence and back and forth weight issues, various diets, & workout routines, I am finally confident in who I am in my late 20s and looking back, most of it had to do with the relationships I had in my life. At one of my most physically fit and smallest size/weight years of my adult life, I was in a very toxic relationship. I was with someone who didn't appreciate me and who made me feel like I needed to look like these girls he talked to or followed on Instagram or hung on his walls or liked on Facebook. I used to avoid going out with friends because I was afraid of going over my calories for the day, or miss spending time with my friends or family because I was spending hours in the gym every day (sometimes 2 or 3 times a day). I became an obsessed gym rat running 5 miles a day and going to 2-3 fitness classes because I thought, maybe if I lose these last 10 pounds he will love me more or things will work out. It was emotionally and mentally exhausting the things he would say and do. My happiness was determined by how well my relationship was going and how I looked to him. When I finally got to a point I was so unhappy with not only my body but myself in general, I realized it was this toxic relationship that was controlling my happiness and the way I felt about myself.

There is a saying that you should "Never put the key to your own happiness in somebody else's pocket" and I truly stand by that these days. If there is a person in your life that is bringing you down, or controlling your happiness, or how you feel about yourself SAY GOODBYE. Sometimes letting go of that negativity is the best thing you can do for yourself. So, if you have any goals or resolutions for this year in 2017, make sure that they are set for yourself and for your happiness and no one else's.

Image Credit: Lexington Boudoir