valentine's day Daytripping: St. Helena in the Napa Valley



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Vintage Home in St. Helena      



 Living in Northern California allows for a depth of experience I sometimes take for granted. I live in Sacramento, a city with more trees in the downtown and midtown areas than any other city in the nation. It encourages an abundance of sidewalk cafes  and fosters those human connections recently discussed on Oprah that promote happiness. It is a cozy, yet vibrant place to live.

And then there are the Sierra Nevada mountains, home to Lake Tahoe and more  world class skiing than anyone could ever need. San Francisco is a daily commute for some, and the dramatic California coast is less than two hours away. We have the Amador wine country in the Sierra foothills to the East and the lush Napa Valley to the West.

Daytripping is easy and rewarding...and something I can't get enough of. I mentioned last week a day trip with my daughters to the Napa Valley, and St. Helena was on our itinerary.

One of my favorite stops is Vintage Home. A home goods store packed with style, Vintage Home always make me yearn for my own little cottage in the valley where I could cook and have friends share a bit of wine and a round of boche ball. 

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Caldwell Snyder Gallery, St. Helena

 Caldwell Snyder is a contemporary art gallery on the main street that is always fun to wander through. They have a sister gallery in San Francisco, and they are both fabulous! If you are looking for a Valentine's weekend getaway and are considering the wine country, Caldwell Snyder is hosting what will be a very fun event on Feb. 12 called Cameo Rocks. Wine, Cocktails, and other sweet treats! Check out more about the gallery HERE and more details about the event benefiting the Cameo Cinema Community Arts HERE.  

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Martin Showroom, St. Helena

 I never pass through St. Helena with out stopping by designer Erin Martin's atelier. Always full of vigorous creativity and wit, it never fails to inspire me. You may remember her contribution to the Elle Decor Showhouse HERE. More info about Erin's Showroom HERE. 

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Olivier, St. Helena

 Are you a lover of food, and by definition, that would include anything made or dipped in olive oil? Then a little hop into Olivier would be a must. Charming and friendly, this shop has olive oil tastings that are to die for. Never miss it when passing through....just a suggestion.



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Olivier photo from Olivier website



After all that shopping, we were hungry!! We stopped in at the Market Restaurant for a little brunch.

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Market Restaurant, St. Helena



Orange infused waffles with berry compote and chicken apple sausages is what I had.....mmmmmm! I was just checking the menu today and it has already been changed (I love a change-able menu!!). Now it is Banana Bread French Toast with Fruit Compote and Applewood Smoked Bacon....does that sound delicious, or what? Check out the brunch menu HERE.

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Orange Waffles at the Market Restaurant

No trip to St. Helena ends without a stop in at Dean and Deluca as we head for home. We have a need to take a little of the flavors back home with us. In this case, we brought home cookies and a beautiful aged jack cheese. We told my husband, Tim that they were gifts for him. Just a little white lie.....he did get to have some.

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Goodies at Dean and Deluca

 A day with my girls is something I treasure, and this particular day was perfect. 

I hope you get out and spend a day with someone special....maybe it'll be right here in Napa Valley.

For more information about picturesque St. Helena hop on over HERE. 

Happy Day to you!

valentine's day Daytripping in Napa Valley - Woodhouse Chocolate

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 Last weekend, my oldest daughter came home from college for the weekend and we decided to have a bit of a girl's day. Both of my girls and I hopped in the car on Sunday morning and drove to Napa for Brunch and a little adventuring. Our first stop was the town of St. Helena in the heart of the wine country. I am not sure what it is, but all three of us have acutely developed chocolate radar. It must be hereditary. We immediately found one of the most charming chocolate shops I have ever seen, Woodhouse Chocolate.

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We all stopped dead in our tracks when we were passing by. We decided that we had to stop and get a little gift for Grammy (my mom), who did not feel up to coming on our little jaunt. It would be nice to think that we were so selfless as to only be thinking of others.....but...

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....we are not. As soon as we entered, we were only thinking of our own chocolate needs. I chose the Amaretto Almond, and the Orange Chocolate. Daughter "one" chose the Ginger Tea and also the Orange. Daughter "two" picked the Honey and the Pecan Praline. All get an "A +".... and we are very experienced when it comes to handing out grades in this department.

We did, in fact, pick out six pieces for Grammy, including her very favorite Coconut. The gals in the shop wrapped up out package in the prettiest chocolate brown bag with cream tissue and Tiffany Blue grosgrain ribbon. Sinfully delicious perfection in a bag....that's what it was.

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 I hope you have a chance to stop in next time you are in the Napa Valley. Really....what is better than wine and chocolate?

If you cannot get to this neck of the woods in the near future, you can shop online at the Woodhouse Website HERE. You can also learn all about the Anderson Family, the purveyors of this fine establishment as well as why the Elephant has become their symbol. So please do stop in and stay awhile! 

valentine's day Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

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 With all of the Fall displays out there on all of the blogs, we were inspired to get over to a pumpkin patch I had heard about on the levee along the Sacramento River. Dave's Pumpkin Patch is the place to find all of the exotic pumpkin varieties I was looking for: the Fairy Tale pumpkins, ghostly grey pumpkins, white pumpkins, big, small and everywhere in between, Dave has them. 

We only had Sunday to make it to the Pumpkin Patch...so we decided to go rain or shine. Ahem....it was rain.

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 There was a down side...most of the fun stuff, like the Hay Maze...was a bit flooded.

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 And the Hay Pyramid was surrounded by mud.

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 But on the upside, we had the place to ourselves! We found all of the pumpkins we could ever want, and we had the full attention and the gratitude of owner Dave and his sweet kids. There was free apple cider, hot chocolate and popcorn for all of us, and I can't be sure, but I think we got a bit of a discount on the pumpkins for weathering the storm (they were awfully well priced!!!).

Perhaps we were a bit, well, low on good sense. Even the livestock knew enough to get out of the rain:

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But I prefer to call it a bit of an adventure. One we will more likely remember.

Dave is the best...and there will be sunshine this weekend I hear. So you can expect that the pumpkin cannon will be in operation, there will be carnival games to play, pig races, pony rides and the fields are still full of pick 'em yourself pumpkins. Hop on over!

Have you gotten your pumpkins yet?

valentine's day Be Good.

valentine's day When a day is beautiful, not only for the eyes, but also for the heart...it stays in the memory forever.

A picnic in Napa with Tim, the girls, my Mom and my Aunt. Laughter, feasting, breathing in deep all of the time together before my oldest takes wing and starts life on her own.

Wishing you all a good weekend!

valentine's day Girls' Weekend, Lake Tahoe

I have been away a bit.....perhaps you have noticed? It has been a busy summer working with wonderful clients, weekend getaways and a vacation thrown in for good measure

A couple of weeks ago, I made a yearly jaunt with my friend Lori to spend the weekend with our long time friend, Diane at her Lake Tahoe home. On Saturday, we headed over to the Thunderbird Lodge, where Diane is the Master Gardener, for a picnic on the beach. Old Omar Khayyam had it right:

"A book of verses underneath the Bough

A jug of wine, a Loaf of Bread - and Thou

Beside me singing in the wilderness-

O Wilderness were Paradise enow!"

Lake Tahoe is known for is crystal clear waters, and Lori and I took full advantage jumping right in for a swim. Meanwhile, Diane uncorked the wine and got the party started.

After a couple of glasses of wine, it was obvious to us that the clouds had formed into a giant Thunderbird in honor of our visit. Can you see the full wingspread? And then there is the head at center.

Here's a little help...this is the Thunderbird plaque above the door at the lodge....can you see it now?

Not more than a few minutes later, we saw original lodge owner's, George Whittell Jr.'s, yacht, also named the "Thunderbird" motor up to the boathouse. It had been out ferrying people back from the Oscar de la Renta fashion show that had been taking place on the North shore of the Lake. If you want to see more about that fabulous show, check out Tartanscot's blog HERE for another Lake Tahoe chic affair! (Although our little tete a tete was pretty chic, if I do say so!)

When we finished lunch we sauntered on over to check out the gardens and just happened to pass by the boathouse. Luckily, the captain and his mates were still there and let us in to have a closer look at this gem of a yacht. Truly a beauty to behold....all varnished wood and chrome buffed to a brilliant shine. Sigh.....it conjures visions of movie stars making their way across the lake to the infamous poker parties thrown by George in the 30's and 40's.


It is only fitting that this stunning bird should have just come from Oscar's party! (Although I did hear that Oscar did not make an appearance! Ah..C'est la vie! There were still gift bags with sunny yellow umbrella's and stationary!)


After our well deserved "Oh"ing and "Aw"ing, we said goodbye and headed up the hill for a garden tour and a visit to the Lodge.


There is always another thing of beauty to see on the grounds, some occur all by themselves:
And others are the result of Diane and her volunteers' talented efforts.

There were also a couple rooms inside the lodge that had been re-decorated to better reflect the life and times of George Whittell Jr. and his wife Elia.

Front Door at Thunderbird Lodge

Great Room at Thunderbird Lodge

George's Bedroom

A brass bed was added in George's Room, along with a photo of George with one of his many pets. ( Some of which included lions and other wild animals.)

Elia's Room

Elia is pictured in her more feminine room with her pet cheetah.

A brilliant day to be sure.

On Sunday, Diane gave us a tour of her own beautiful Sierra Mountain garden. Diane carried every granite paving stone herself, creating a courtyard which overlooks the Lake.

This sprightly sculpture appears to emerge straight from the earth to breath in deeply the fragrant flowers in Diane's garden.

One of our traditions every year is to exchange gifts since we all have summer birthdays. It is always a fun challenge because we set a price limit on the gifts. This year I found these cute straw bags and paired them with pretty scarves from Cost Plus World Market. (I have to say....LOVE that store!) I will show you what I received in my next post! Stay tuned.

After our gift exchange, we headed out for lunch on the Lake...it was another beautiful day, and we gorged on Hamburgers, Cobb Salad and Rum Runners at the Beacon Bar and Grill in historic Camp Richardson.

Fat and happy, we were all ready to head over to our favorite Plant Nursery, Aspen Hollow, to buy a few things before heading back home. The sky started to get a bit dark for a summer afternoon....and it started to sprinkle a little. As we got a little closer to the Nursery, we heard thunder. As we pulled into the parking lot.....it hit! A HUGE hail storm with hail the size of moth balls and golf balls. We were stuck in the car hoping that the windows would not crack. This was our afternoon of winter in the middle of summer.

The hail eventually died down and we ventured into the Nursery. Sadly, they had a bit of damage and decided to close for the day. We will have to wait for next year.

valentine's day Diane and I seeking shelter in the Nursery Hut at Aspen Hollow.

Another beautiful and adventurous trip to the Lake. Thank you to Diane, Phil and Lori for such a wonderful weekend!

valentine's day Get Outta Town!

valentine's day Weekend hike on Mt. Rose near Lake Tahoe a couple of weeks ago

No really...

As much as I love design, or maybe because I appreciate it as much as I do, I think it is necessary to recharge and find inspiration in things that at first glance seem unrelated. It gives us a chance to clear the cobwebs, get out of a rut and perhaps think of projects we are working on in new ways. That sky might just be the perfect shade of blue for the pillows on the bed...the green of the pines, brilliant for the curtains....

The meadows were spectacular...cool and intensely green

Getting out of the city, either alone or with family or friends, gives us a chance to reconnect with other parts of our lives. Turn off the Blackberry or iPhone (but having it on hand for emergencies...maybe not so bad). I overheard a friend say something to her daughter recently that struck me. The daughter was texting away on her phone while my friend was trying to get her attention, and the daughter was just not "present". My friend said, "love the one your with". Apparently, this was a sort of code between them for "Put down that flippin' phone and listen to what I am saying." But what a perfect way to tell someone to be "here" and enjoy what is happening with the people who are in front of you.

The wildflowers were out in force

We are heading out of town again this weekend to go to Santa Cruz for our oldest daughter's college orientation. It is not only a fun getaway, but a time for us to prepare to "let go". It is a sort of a new path we are heading down on this journey that is our family. I hope to be "present" for every minute.

Have a wonderful weekend.

And don't forget to .....

Love the one you're with.

valentine's day New paths

valentine's day Daytripping: Marin County

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Last weekend we decided to hit the coast to get free of the smoke filled air brought on by the many recent wildfires in the Sacramento area. We took the dog, a picnic of roasted chicken sandwiches and fruit from the Sacramento Farmer's Market and hit the road.

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Muir Beach in Marin County was our first destination. We love it because dogs are very welcome off leash, and Cooper was in dog heaven. After a good two hours of running him ragged and soaking up the sun, we settled in for a great picnic lunch.

If you are ever in the area, you have to stay at the Pelican Inn. Originally built in Surrey in 1673, it was dismantled and rebuilt at Muir Beach where it has been providing a touch of England for over 20 years. Be sure to check out their website for pictures of the authentic Tudor style rooms. If you are daytripping like we were, stop at the pub for an ale and a game of darts.

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After a quick stop for ice cream, we did some shopping for antiques in one of my favorite towns, Mill Valley. I suggest Maison Reve if you get the chance:

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They specialize in French antiques and garden accessories. So pretty!

Next stop: Sausalito on the San Francisco Bay

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There is a beautiful town square, with a fountain guarded by these two handsome elephants. I had to take this for you Courtney!

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Full of beautiful Victorian architecture....

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And creative people.....

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Sausalito is one of my favorite cities by the Bay. It was a glorious day....so to top off out trip we had to eat at one of my all time favorite seafood restaurants: valentine's day

FISH is located right on the Marina in Sausalito and specializes in fresh fish. A very casual atmosphere, drinks are served in Mason Jars and you sit outside at picnic tables: valentine's day

But do not let that fool you into thinking that the food is less than excellent. I had a white bean and tuna salad with Kalamata olives, red onions, carrots, celery, and lots of other goodies. And there was clam chowder all around. Here is a picture of the Portuguese Red Chowder, rich and spicy:

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Be sure to check out their really clever website here. You will be very entertained.

So...we had a very good day by the Bay.

I am recharged and ready to do some more blogging about one of my many design crushes, so I hope you visit tomorrow!