Silly Billy Bean (2024)

16/07/2023

Billy prefers a medium bodied Syrah.

The most magical gem of Santa Barbara's wine region is 🍷 This is our absolute number one recommendation for dog friendly wine tasting anywhere in Santa Barbara or the Santa Ynez valley. We've been members here for years, and while you won't see it on many tourist guidebooks, this is a local favorite amongst people who really know their wine. Come here for the Estate Viogniers, Syrahs, Grenaches, & Mourvedre (we love the Chateau du Plantier, too.) You truly can't go wrong here... Rideau makes the best wine I've ever tried, without any doubt in my mind. Don't miss it if you're in the Santa Barbara / Solvang or Santa Ynez area.

Would you take your dog wine tasting?

btw billy's snazzy bandana is from ❤️

🏷️ dog friendly santa barbara california winery vineyards santa ynez wine tasting solvang buellton dogs of california central coast california wines

15/07/2023

See ya wouldn't wanna be ya, email inbox.✌🏼 Friday at last.

Do you have fun summery weekend plans?

📍Devereux Beach, Goleta, California

🏷️ dog photography beach dogs california coast santa barbara dog mom goleta isla vista golden retriever

28/06/2023

Where do you feel most connected to your childhood?

When life feels too much too fast, my mind takes me to slow summers on the Oregon Coast. Blackberry pie and raincoats. Wind whipping our faces as we raced down sand dunes into a cold lake. Uncontrollable laughter. Foraging for mushrooms. Digging for clams. Catching dinner ourselves. 🎣 Early morning coffees and late night glasses of wine. Drizzly days and campfire stories. Grandma's cookies. All the time in the world to paint a lake too beautiful, too ever-changing, to capture. All the time in the world just just... be.

Do you know what I mean?

📍Florence, Oregon Coast

🏷️

28/06/2023

June has been a dang whirlwind and life has been nuts! I haven't been able to post here regularly in a while, and it's bummed me out. I've really missed the creative fulfillment and our amazing friends here. What's been going on with you? Any fun, semi-fun, or straight up mundane updates in your life? I wanna know.

It's been a busy time here. I just finished teaching for the school year, submitted a publication, and walked at my phd graduation... all in one week. (📚Technically, I'm finishing my dissertation in the summer and then formally "filing" my diss -- we walk in the spring. Almost done! Just writing like a crazy person now. ✍️😵‍💫) Billy is being a wonderfully sweet puppy throughout the process as always, and Jackson has been wonderful to have for support, having survived the dissertation-writing and grad school process himself somehow.

So what's new in your life? Do you have plans for summer? And are we the only ones going to tons of wedding this summer? It's the summer of love and I'm here for it. ❤️❤️‍🔥

📍Isla Vista - Santa Barbara, California

🏷️ golden retriever puppy dog beach dog good dogs california

12/06/2023

Not really sure where the weekend went but I know it was a good one while it lasted. ⛱️

Good luck kicking Monday's 🍑 all.
We've got this!

10/06/2023

May the weekend be everlasting, amen. ✌🏼

09/06/2023

Sweet dreams are made of this ❤️

Jackson and I are spending a lazy night watching Murder She Wrote, drinking good wine, and eating leftover pizza I brought to my college students for our last week of class.

After a bit of a stressful stretch, life is feeling pretty good. How are you doing? Do you have fun plans for the weekend? Or a plan not to make any plans? (I need one of those weekends, I think!) 🤣

📍Isla Vista - Santa Barbara, California

07/06/2023

Wednesday mood. 👨‍🎨

How's everybody doing? What's going on in your life? It's been a bit stressful around here in the work/school department, and to be honest I feel like caught in a state perfectionist paralysis. Overthinking everything. Grad school maybe hasn't helped.

How do we make imperfection itself the goal? How do we enjoy the process, take the risk, do the thing scared?

I don't have the answer but I'm looking forward to overthinking the question with you. ❤️🤓

*Billy's bandana is from and the delivery package Billy tore up was wine.🍷😂

🏷️ Image Description: Black and white photograph of a mischievious golden retriever named Billy who had too much fun destroying a cardboard box delivered to his pawrents

23/05/2023

Hungry eyes.

👁️

Where the heck is time going? How is it late May already? How is this dog almost 3? How am I about to turn 33 in 2 days?

It feels like time keeps speeding up and I'm caught somewhere between whiplash and exhiliration. Is this just me or do you feel it too?

🏷️ puppy dog eyes guilt trip cute dogs golden retriever pawsome

✨Bandana -

17/05/2023

About last night 🌙

📍Onsen Hotel & Spa

Desert Hot Springs, California

Living for the 24 hour whirlpool bath and natural hot spring sourced pool at 🌴We usually don't get to enjoy hotel pools when Billy travels with us, but here we're soaking in every second of it because can join us on the dog friendly pool patio... so relaxing.

✨Hosted dog friendly stay
Coachella Valley / Palm Springs California 🌵

🏷️ unique pet friendly hotels socal stays dog travel resort palm springs pool dog parents fun vacation places

16/05/2023

What happens in Palm Springs stays in Palm Springs. 😎

😂

📍Onsen Hotel & Spa, Desert Hot Springs
(hosted | amazing dog friendly California stay)

How's your week starting off? Hope it's treating you well. Sending the good vibes your way. ❤️

xox, Julie & Bills

🏷️ dog mama retriever california puppy kisses golden retriever

15/05/2023

Happy Mother's Day to the dog moms, cat moms, iguana moms, human moms, hot moms, cool moms, self-moms ❤️

Sending you extra love today!

Jackson always says this is one of his very favorite photos of me-- mask and all-- solely because I look so freaking crazy happy meeting Billy and his puppy siblings for the first time. Such a beautiful memory.

Can you guess which of these two puppies is Billy? 🤔

🏷️ gotcha day new dog golden retriever puppy baby doggy meet cute dog mom mothers day 2023 pawrent my dog

12/05/2023

This weekend's mood. ✌🏼

🏷️ sleepy lazy dog weekend tjif friday night golden retriever puppy dog nap

11/05/2023

Buried in my soul like California gold.

I love these boys. 🫶

📍Whitewater Preserve, Palm Springs, CA
(dog friendly hike)

🏷️ coachella valley dog hiking palm springs dog itinerary california destinations la daytrips cali dogs travel dog dad

09/05/2023

Billy is currently mad at me for pulling foxtails out of his paws and cleaning his big ol' golden retriever ears. So I'm going go ahead and gaze at this photo for validation that my dog does, in fact, love me. 🥀

📍Whitewater Wilderness Preserve
🌵 Palm Springs 🌵

Come here for spectacular dog friendly hiking trails, with stunning views of the Whitewater River flowing through a desert canyon dotted with wildflowers that move with the wind...

We had an insanely fun dog-friendly getaway to Palm Springs this weekend staying at the magical 😌 I can't wait to share all our fun adventures there with you... stay tuned!! 😉

What did you & yours get up to this weekend? Hope you didn't spend it cajoling a cranky, put-upon pup like someone I know... 😂

🏷️ dog friendly hike palm springs ca dogs socal pups allowed dog mom california girl adventures trail hiking puppy itinerary pup cali activities

05/05/2023

Foggy Oregon mornings... blackberries picked straight from the bush... douglas fir on the air... slow woodsy walks with the dog of my dreams.

The Oregon coast is a magic place to me... a place that brings me beautiful, bittersweet nostalgia for the uncomplicated simplicity childhood. Do you have a place like that? A place that can take you right back to your childhood? I want to hear about it.

📍Florence, Oregon

🏷️ explorer dog travel with dogs pet photography puppy dog eyes dogs pacific northwest golden retriever

01/05/2023

May we all enter Monday with the delusional optimism of this golden retriever ✌️

🦮

Wishing you an absolutely fantastic week! Spoiler alert -- you are a bada$$. You will kick 🍑 at everything you prioritize and put your mind to.

Have a great one.

🏷️ monday again happy dog good vibes woof

28/04/2023

The way these two look at each other...

My good boys. 😊 I feel so very lucky to have them.

🫶🏼

What are your plans for the weekend??

xo, Julie

🏷️ golden retriever pet photography training sunrise happy dogs santa barbara california

26/04/2023

Not shown: 45 minutes spent lubing up Billy's toes with vegetable oil to get all the beach tar off 💀

Lots of tar at the beach just now, but it was worth it to give this water dog an ocean day and Jackson and I some much needed sunshine.

Hope you're having a beautiful week!

📍Santa Barbara, California
(Goleta near Isla Vista)

⛱️ps our umbrella is from and we've loved it for years because it's super lightweight - def recommend if you need one for beach days!

🏷️ dog photography california coast puppy problems golden retrievers

24/04/2023

🤔 Who won the race between the sand and sea?

Neither, they tide.

😉

Have a beautiful day from our little family to yours! 💕

🏷️ cute dog photography puppy dog eyes beach dogs california summer waterdog santa barbara golden retriever

23/04/2023

Ten Things To Do in Edinburgh 👇🏼

⛰️ Hike Arthur's Seat

🪦 Wander Greyfriar's Kirkyard and find the graves of Tom Riddell & The Potters - inspiration for Harry Potter (also walk town Victoria Street for Diagonalley vibes)

🍳Try a "Full Scottish" breakfast, complete with haggis & black pudding
(you might actually find you like it!)

📚 Explore the famous bookshops of Edinburgh on a rainy day - don't miss McNaughtan's

🫖 Have afternoon tea at The Dome

🥃 Sip Scotch whiskey - we had a great experience at Cadenhead's Whiskey Shop

👻 Take a ghost tour of the city

🏰 Walk the Royal Mile and wander Edinburgh Castle

☕️ Enjoy the city's awesome speakeasy & coffeeshop scene

🖼️ Take in a bit of culture at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery

Bonus: don't forget to order some fish & chips while you listen to live music and take in the gorgeous sound bagpipes!

Please let us know other Edinburgh must-do's in the comments! Is Scotland on your dream travel list? 💚

*Post is a carousel with multiple photos-- swipe through to see all the Postcards from our beautiful trip to Edinburgh in October 2021 ✈️

🏷️ Edinburgh travel itinerary activities to do Scotland Scottish dream vacation UK adventure weekend rainy day travel guide

17/04/2023

Hey you! How was your weekend?

Ours was a cozy, lazy one at home in Santa Barbara. We spent as much of Saturday and Sunday at the beach as possible, and the remainder of the weekend we spent checking Billy for foxtails... we found so many! 😪They're at their stickiest right now and absolutely everywhere in Santa Barbara... and California generally. In fact, I even saw them when I was in Europe last year-- they're a problem all over. Especially in Spring and summer, please don't forget to check your dog's paws and legs thoroughly for foxtails every night. It helps to use a combination of good lighting to look for them AND to feel for them with your fingers, especially between toes. Extra frequently if you live anywhere near grass, or if you have a light & long-fur dog like Billy, which makes the foxtails nearly invisible against the fur. It's crazy how sneaky and sticky these grass seeds are... they're the freaking worst and we've had bad encounters with them in the past. When we found so many this weekend, we knew it was that time of year to get the word out... gotta keep all our wonderful pups safe. ❤️

We love you and wish you a fantastically fun and foxtail-free week!

Love, Julie & Jack & Billy

03/03/2023

Postcards from Yellowstone 💌

➡️ Swipe to see how beautiful Yellowstone is in the winter!

📍Yellowstone National Park, North Entrance (Gardiner, Montana) - only entrance currently open to cars and only entrance open year round

Have you ever been to Yellowstone? This has been the National Park at the very top of my travel bucket list for as long as I can remember. This week, on the world's most fun family trip to visit my brother Henry at college in Montana, I finally got to see Yellowstone for the first time. It is every bit as enchanting as I dreamt it would be and more.

Yellowstone in the winter is breathtaking. The wild life is magnificent... bison, wolves, mule deer, elk, moose... and we were able to see an enormous amount of serene beauty and wildlife in just a 3-4 hour drive roundtrip from the North Entrance. For us, it made for a perfect daytrip from Bozeman.

This time if the year the Park is blissfully uncrowded. There's only one entrance open year round to regular cars -- the North Entrance, where we went in. Many of the park's most famous sights aren't accessible this time of year by car (Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, etc.) but the quiet beauty of the winter experience from the North Entrance has a beauty all its own.

It's also possible to get into the park other ways in the winter, via snowmobile or on a guided tour. These options tend to be much more $ than going in by car, but we know people who have had great experiences with guided tours.

What do you think? Is winter in Yellowstone on your bucket list?

22/02/2023

Somewhere on the horizon just out of view
is an unexpected adventure looking for you.

Imagine Description: golden retriever Billy stands on a beach in Santa Barbara on a breezy day, his fur glistening in the California sun. Billy has caught sight of something unexpected on the horizon... a horse and its rider making his way along the shore.

Billy loves horses. ❤️

21/02/2023

you're in my heart, you're in my soul 🫶🏼

Lucky every day to live life with the sweet, cuddly adventure dog of my dreams.

📍Shaver Lake, California

Image Description: Golden retriever Billy sits on a bed of snow in front of a row of trees, staring straight into the camera with irresistible puppy dog eyes. The pup wears a blanket around his shoulders and a bright blue bandana from

20/02/2023

All along, he was a wild snow beast. 👀

We had a wonderful weekend visiting with family in Fresno and playing in the snow at Shaver Lake. Billy absolutely loved the snow... it made us smile to see him leap and bound around in mysterious fluffy stuff in this first ever encounter with snow. 🥹 We also had a blast attempting to build snowmen and sledding with our wonderful nephews.

It was surprisingly warm that day in the California mountains and we weren't there long, so we didn't need special gear for Billy this time (except a warm blanket buffer between his paws and the snow to rest on.) That said, the experience made me realize how little I know about the snow dog life!

This will most definitely not be our last trip to the snow with Bill, so I want to learn more! I'd love to hear from our snow-experienced friends any of your cold weather dog advice, must-know things, or must-have products for pups in snow (booties? jacket?)

I hope you've had a wonderful weekend and that your week ahead is looking beautiful.

Image Description: a golden retriever sits on a bed of snow in front of row of moody, wintery trees. The dog stares mysteriously off to the side, into the distance.

Bandana:
Hands-Free Leash:
Harness:

18/02/2023

California roadtrips call for 🌴

🍔😋

What's your favorite roadtrip food? 🚗

Accessibility Description: golden retriever dog Billy sits in front of an In N Out burger restaurant in the middle of a weekend roadtrip up the California coast. The puppy is hoping he'll get to taste a burger and animal style fries too. 😂

15/02/2023

Maybe just a little cheese, please? 👀

Wishing all my fellow dog moms strength resisting those puppy dog eyes today. 🫡

🐾

Bandana:
Harness:

23/01/2023

Not cool, dad. Not cool. ✌️

I hope you had a great weekend, whatever that looked like for you. Here it was beach walks with Bills, Ted Lasso, slippers & a robe and leftovers. 💅 What did yours look like?

❤️

bandana:
harness:

Accessibility Description: golden retriever Billy gets "bunny ears" from his dog dad prankster Jackson and looks back at him with a sassy look in his puppy dog eyes

Silly Billy Bean

16/07/2023

15/07/2023

28/06/2023

28/06/2023

12/06/2023

10/06/2023

09/06/2023

07/06/2023

23/05/2023

17/05/2023

16/05/2023

15/05/2023

12/05/2023

11/05/2023

09/05/2023

05/05/2023

01/05/2023

28/04/2023

26/04/2023

24/04/2023

23/04/2023

17/04/2023

03/03/2023

22/02/2023

21/02/2023

20/02/2023

18/02/2023

15/02/2023

23/01/2023

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share