Thursday, April 28, 2011
Bachman Babies!
After work today we drove up to Louisville to meet the Bachman twins Clarabelle and Miller. We had planned on having dinner with Lindsay and Jodie but unfortunately we were too cramped for time. :(
Walking in to visit two babies is amazing! The girls are beautiful and tiny with the most precious noises I've ever heard. Sara seems to be doing great and both of them are adjusting to the tiring yet wonderful double blessing they have been given.
How can I have Smore' when I haven't had any?
Discovered a new blog today with a tasty way of using a jar! Howsweettreats
Anything combining Smore' ingredients has to be devine! I love mason jars! We have them hanging all over our patio and yard in the summer. Now I have an even better use for them!
Anything combining Smore' ingredients has to be devine! I love mason jars! We have them hanging all over our patio and yard in the summer. Now I have an even better use for them!
Peanut to Princess: Tank Top (or any top!) - Boutique Style {Tutorial}...
Peanut to Princess: Tank Top (or any top!) - Boutique Style {Tutorial}...: Adorable tank top embellishment! I'd like to try this on a onesie or little dress too!!!"
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Cornice Up!
A while back I posted pictures of Barry using his manly saw and cutting out our cornice board for the big window in our room. Well, the project took a bit longer than expected due to me being indecisive on it’s size and having other projects that held precedence. (When we have pretty weather you have to act on it!)
I’m pleased to say it is now finished. B did a great job putting it together. I had originally thought of using a textured crème fabric to cover it because our bed spread is so busy, but upon discovering this fabulous silk blend pattern I had to change plans. I purchased a new heavy duty staple gun for the project and covered the board with batting. As with any project we had a road bump….not enough fabric to cover the length of the board. So I cut some of the leftover fabric from the width and sewed it to the end. Then, with Keightley’s help I attached the fabric.
We had a time trying to get the board mounted onto the wall due to the extreme length and height of the window. Thankfully Barry’s Dad was able to help put it up after everyone left on Easter. Now I just need to sew the new curtains to go underneath and then it’s bye-bye mini blinds!
I’m pleased to say it is now finished. B did a great job putting it together. I had originally thought of using a textured crème fabric to cover it because our bed spread is so busy, but upon discovering this fabulous silk blend pattern I had to change plans. I purchased a new heavy duty staple gun for the project and covered the board with batting. As with any project we had a road bump….not enough fabric to cover the length of the board. So I cut some of the leftover fabric from the width and sewed it to the end. Then, with Keightley’s help I attached the fabric.
We had a time trying to get the board mounted onto the wall due to the extreme length and height of the window. Thankfully Barry’s Dad was able to help put it up after everyone left on Easter. Now I just need to sew the new curtains to go underneath and then it’s bye-bye mini blinds!
Tornado warning
So we've been under a tornado warning for over an hour now during CATS testing. My room is one of the safest and I have kindergarten babies in here that are going nuts....we are letting them sit up out of the turtle position. To too it off or AC is broken! Oh KY weather!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Black Interior Doors
So we are in the process of getting new paneled interior doors to replace our flat paneled ones. Last night I ran across a new post from Remodalaholic with this fabulous idea of painting interior doors black. Black really? I love painting things black, dining room chairs, kitchen cabinets, (coming soon our stairs)!!!! But never have I thought to do our doors! Last year I played with the idea of doing our window trim in black but then decided we would need to do the house trim too and that was way more work than neccessary.
Barry isn't entirely sure he's keen on the idea. Replacing our doors was his idea, and something he has been talking about for a while. He ordered oil rubbed bronze handles for our doors and hinges to match. When I mentioned painting them black he sadly said he'd just have to get use to the idea and that OH he wouldn't be able to see his "white doors" he had been invisioning. :) I now feel like Whitney trying to battle Ryan for decorating freedom. We'll see who wins the debate. :) Our only dilemma would be changing our hardware order to silver instead. But Ohhhhh how dramatic it would look! I'm in love!
Plain tank top to Ruffled Romance
I am in love with this tank top. I'd like to create this asap. I can even see making it into a dress too! Ruffles and Stuff
Dancing in the Rain
Sarah and I braved the tornado warnings and flooded streets to go watch the Lexington Ballet performance of Giselle at the Opera House on Good Friday.
Barry and I had been insane little worker bees all last week in preparation for Easter. I was a bit stressed taking the time away from prep work but am so glad I did. What a great memory to have with my sister.We arrived early (of course it was an accident) driving through flooded downtown streets. As we got out of the car we could hear the tornado warning sirens going off. So we scurried on over to the Opera House basement and purchased a glass of wine to wait it out.
Neither one of us knew the story of Giselle. So we decided to make it up as we went. It was a great ballet with a dark love story. Sarah had scored Buy one get one half off tickets from the Prima of the company who was playing Giselle and also played Clara in the Nutcracker this year. As it turns out we were seated next to her boyfriend whom I worked with in college. (small world!) We are definetely going to have to do some double dates for ballet under the stars this summer!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Baby Gifts
Hello ruffle butt onesie! I can't imagine anything more adorable than a little babe in this! Make it stop! It's too much cuteness!
I somehow think I could make this even with the low level experience I have. I'd like to make an attempt sometime soon! :)
Paper Mache Bird Mobile
Which reminds me of the fabric mobiles we found in Carmel by the Sea
One Crafty Place has a nice tutorial for this: scroll down the page to find it.
I am in love with birds for babies!
or the adorable Owl Mobile tutorial also on One Crafty Place
A WHAT????? Yes a BUM SPOON!!!! For applying diaper cream. Who knew?
How to make a Tutu!!!! I can see little Elise running around they yard in this!!!
I somehow think I could make this even with the low level experience I have. I'd like to make an attempt sometime soon! :)
Paper Mache Bird Mobile
Which reminds me of the fabric mobiles we found in Carmel by the Sea
One Crafty Place has a nice tutorial for this: scroll down the page to find it.
I am in love with birds for babies!
or the adorable Owl Mobile tutorial also on One Crafty Place
A WHAT????? Yes a BUM SPOON!!!! For applying diaper cream. Who knew?
How to make a Tutu!!!! I can see little Elise running around they yard in this!!!
More ideas to keep.....
This is an adorable and cheap wreath to create. I love the clean lines of white and this would be darling just about anywhere. I immediately thought of sweet Annabelle Lee's baby room with the clean cream and white colors. It would be adorable in her room with a few sheep attached to it!
http://www.vanessachristenson.com/2009/12/winning-tutorial-snow-ruffle-pillow.html
This is darling. Possibly more time than I would want to spend on making flowers and actually making the pillow form but who knows.
http://www.vanessachristenson.com/2009/12/winning-tutorial-snow-ruffle-pillow.htmlFelt flowers (like my flower pin) and felt made pillow.
http://www.etsy.com/storque/make/how-tuesday-pillow-with-rosette-clusters-from-felt-furnishin-5095/An easy way to add fabric polka dots in a three diminsional form.
http://sew4home.com/projects/fabric-art-a-accents/372-stylish-baby-nursery-fast-a-fabulous-wall-art
http://www.vanessachristenson.com/2009/12/winning-tutorial-snow-ruffle-pillow.html
This is darling. Possibly more time than I would want to spend on making flowers and actually making the pillow form but who knows.
http://www.vanessachristenson.com/2009/12/winning-tutorial-snow-ruffle-pillow.htmlFelt flowers (like my flower pin) and felt made pillow.
http://www.etsy.com/storque/make/how-tuesday-pillow-with-rosette-clusters-from-felt-furnishin-5095/An easy way to add fabric polka dots in a three diminsional form.
http://sew4home.com/projects/fabric-art-a-accents/372-stylish-baby-nursery-fast-a-fabulous-wall-art
Painted plastic flower eggs
http://alisaburke.blogspot.com/2010/03/colorful-canvas-eggs-tutorial.html
Cute easter eggs idea that we could keep year after year!
Cute easter eggs idea that we could keep year after year!
Adorable bird canvas tutorial
http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/2010/01/13/diy-paper-bird-painting/
birds on branches, with cute scrapbooking paper
I can see a version of this in our living room, or Elise's room. :)
birds on branches, with cute scrapbooking paper
I can see a version of this in our living room, or Elise's room. :)
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Easter Amazement!
1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
We opened the day with a moving Easter service at Broadway Christian. Taking communion and listening to the sermon, I am reminded of how loved we ALL are, the unfathomable sacrifice made for our salvation, the love that must be spread through us, and how I am not remotely doing enough. My prayers for Barry and I are going to be refocused. I want our talents and time to be spent on those things that matter, not to us, but to our Lord and Savior.
This year Barry and I were blessed with the gift of hosting the family Easter lunch. As with any hosting event we worked our tails off both inside and outside the home. Of course I wouldn't have it any other way. :)
We have been getting rain for what seems like 40 days and 40 nights. Barry found a small window in the middle of yesterdays storms to mow the grass. Everything was looking green and blooming beautifully! With severe storms becoming a regular occurrence we were afraid our Easter would be spent indoors, but once again a blessing was given. We boldly set up the tables and chairs out on the patio and were able to stay outside for the entire day.
As usual we had entirely too much good food at our gathering. It was such a wonderful Easter, everyone was able to show up at one point or another, except for Travis and Tara. We all seem to be in such good places in life. It's hard to believe Brennen is now of legal drinking age and Troy and Hunter are making there final college decisions.
Ella and Elise had a cute Easter egg hunt in the basement (due to the muddy backyard). They had a lot of fun together and enjoyed their search.
Oh my first attempt at Cake Pops....after burning the chocolate 4 times I finally gave up on having all the chicks decorated. They were a hit, and oh so tasty. I will absolutely be making them again......just not for the same event that we are also hosting.
Funny Bunny Elise! We found her here just laying in the flowers. I think she was trying to lay an egg. :)
Keightley was so good today with everyone. He is now entirely wiped out and resembling a furry sack of flour on the couch with us. We are off to bed. Hopefully a good nights sleep will prepare us for a working Monday. :)
I'm so thankful for this undeservingly blessed life.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
We opened the day with a moving Easter service at Broadway Christian. Taking communion and listening to the sermon, I am reminded of how loved we ALL are, the unfathomable sacrifice made for our salvation, the love that must be spread through us, and how I am not remotely doing enough. My prayers for Barry and I are going to be refocused. I want our talents and time to be spent on those things that matter, not to us, but to our Lord and Savior.
This year Barry and I were blessed with the gift of hosting the family Easter lunch. As with any hosting event we worked our tails off both inside and outside the home. Of course I wouldn't have it any other way. :)
We have been getting rain for what seems like 40 days and 40 nights. Barry found a small window in the middle of yesterdays storms to mow the grass. Everything was looking green and blooming beautifully! With severe storms becoming a regular occurrence we were afraid our Easter would be spent indoors, but once again a blessing was given. We boldly set up the tables and chairs out on the patio and were able to stay outside for the entire day.
As usual we had entirely too much good food at our gathering. It was such a wonderful Easter, everyone was able to show up at one point or another, except for Travis and Tara. We all seem to be in such good places in life. It's hard to believe Brennen is now of legal drinking age and Troy and Hunter are making there final college decisions.
Ella and Elise had a cute Easter egg hunt in the basement (due to the muddy backyard). They had a lot of fun together and enjoyed their search.
Oh my first attempt at Cake Pops....after burning the chocolate 4 times I finally gave up on having all the chicks decorated. They were a hit, and oh so tasty. I will absolutely be making them again......just not for the same event that we are also hosting.
Funny Bunny Elise! We found her here just laying in the flowers. I think she was trying to lay an egg. :)
Keightley was so good today with everyone. He is now entirely wiped out and resembling a furry sack of flour on the couch with us. We are off to bed. Hopefully a good nights sleep will prepare us for a working Monday. :)
I'm so thankful for this undeservingly blessed life.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Oodles and Oodles of flowers.
http://www.allthingsthrifty.com/search/label/Throw%20Pillows
All things Crafty blog! I just discovered it today and love her tutorials, and different uses for flowers.
All things Crafty blog! I just discovered it today and love her tutorials, and different uses for flowers.
Great Large Rosette tutorial
The big flat rosettes I want to make on everything! They look more time consuming but this is a great step by step tutorial.
http://westermanfam.blogspot.com/2011/02/rosette-pillow.html
http://westermanfam.blogspot.com/2011/02/rosette-pillow.html
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Celebrating Toni
Toni's birthday took place over spring break so we went to dinner tonight to celebrate. Stacey, Debbie, and I joined up with the belated birthday girl. None of us had been to Six Friends Cafe before but thought it would be a fun time to try it. Specializing in crepes, gelato, and beer we weren't sure what to expect. What we found was an inviting front porch and an ecletic no frills cafe that somehow made me feel like I was on vacation. Brightly hued walls and reggae music are combined with the smells of sizzling panini's.
We had a great time catching up and trying something new. I now have plans to go back multiple times until all gelato flavors have been tried! Mmmmm Blueberry Merlot!
We had a great time catching up and trying something new. I now have plans to go back multiple times until all gelato flavors have been tried! Mmmmm Blueberry Merlot!
Welcome to the World Woods
Barry and I went to see brand new baby Woods yesterday! It was such an amazingly wonderful and yet strange thing to see Alison holding him! "Wow that little guy was made by you two! (and God)" :)
I was able to hold him for a bit and look into his adorable little eyes. He seems to be quite studious at the moment, observing every move people make. (most especially his Momma). He has a lot of John's features but Ali's long eyelashes.
Addie drove down from Louisville to meet the new lil Randolph joy! She was absolutely elated to hold him! What a happy, happy day! Today is Alison's birthday, and what a wonderful gift.....they get to bring Woods home!
After our visit we went to Nick Ryan's Saloon for dinner. It was great to catch up with Addie, and it's definetely something I'd like to have happen more often! Everyone knows a Mosely laugh is good for the heart!
Our meal at Nick Ryan's was totally dissapointing! :( I had been in love with several dishes there, namely the sweet potato veggie burger and truffle fries. WELL! Veggie burger has been taken off the menu and replaced by a much messier and less delicious counter part. I recieved my plate with fries, and guess what? They are no longer truffle fries unless you request that! WHAT? How bout giving a hungry lady a heads up!? Never will I ever go back there again....unless its to have drinks and truffle fries only! :)
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
No time to blog Dr. JONES!
Wow we have been busy since getting back from vacation.
Last week we were in a tornadoe of "to dos", and it hasn't stopped this week either! There were the usual 90 loads of laundry that come with being gone for a week. Our grass had grown into a jungle and Barry spent a good amount of time working on that. I murdered all of the weeds in our flower beds and gardens that were trying to make a new home for themselves.I have exactly two weeks off until my grad courses start back up so I've been trying to make the most of it. Getting some crafting projects done here and there. Barry has started cleaning out his closet and I have found several shirts of his that I'm currently ripping up and making into little rosettes. :)
I saw a cute project involving old food jars made into flower pots and decided to use those as my Easter centerpieces. So I've been cleaning and spray painting those outside whenever the wind stops. We have enjoyed being home again and getting back into cooking. I'm attempting to plan our meals a week in advance and only go to the grocery store once each week.......(we'll see how this goes).
Last week Sara and Ryan gave birth to their twin girls and we are excited to meet Clarabelle and Miller. It is unbelievable how many of our friends are due in the next couple months! Molly and Eric had their baby girl Avery on the 18th, and Alison and John gave birth to Woods yesterday!
Don't drink the water!!!!!!!
We celebrated Don's 60th birthday on Sunday with everyone at Don and Karen's. It was a great evening spent catching up with everyone. We are so glad they are back in Kentucky and here to stay for a while!
This year we are hosting our families Easter gathering! I'm so excited! I love hosting! The decorating, planning, cooking and cleaning have all begun. I have a checklist for each day this week and am hoping to throw this gathering without too much stress. :)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Homemade By Holman: S'mores Cupcakes
Hello Smore Cupcakes! I will make you someday and enjoy you to pieces!!!!
Homemade By Holman: S'mores Cupcakes: "Graham cracker 'crust', Hershey's chocolate, chocolate marshmallow cake, toasted marshmallow frosting... these cupcakes are the cake versio..."
Homemade By Holman: S'mores Cupcakes: "Graham cracker 'crust', Hershey's chocolate, chocolate marshmallow cake, toasted marshmallow frosting... these cupcakes are the cake versio..."
Saturday, April 9, 2011
California dreams...backblogging.
******Disclosure......got a little behind in blogging. There was simply too much to fun to be had! So I've been back blogging this week and will do a quick back to the real world recap soon too********** :)
So we are on our vacation to Cali right now. Usually people think of vacation as a time to relax and rest, for us this is rarely the case and our need to go, see and do all that we can has continued on into our trip. Therefore I've not even taken the time to get on the computer and write about what we're doing. We are about an hour away from our dinner reservations in our last night in Yountville, so I'll take this time to try and create a brief synopsis of our trip thus far.
Day 1 March 31- we drove to Louisville to catch our flight to LAX. Wheels Up-Louisville. We had the smoothest day of traveling we've ever experienced together. Our flights were on time and everything went according to schedule. Once we arrived we picked up our car and met Tim and Autumn at In-n-Out Burger. The smell of salt filled the air and I felt relaxed instantly. We stayed at Tim and Autumns cute apartment right in Playa Vista which is in the middle if everything LA. Tim had to got to work at Shutters around 10:00pm and we retired to bed soon afterward.
Day2- April 1st- oh April fools day! We drove south about 45 minutes to see Josh and Meissa and to meet 6 month old Annabelle. It was a beautiful drive along the coast to get to their place. Being greeted by Josh holding his little girl was a weird thing for us to see. She is 190% precious. Their place is completely perfect, a nice open and cozy condo with beautiful grounds, pool, and ocean access. They were sweet enough to make us a delicious brunch while we caught up on each others lives.
Afterward Josh put lil Annabelle down for a nap and we walked down to their beach access spot. It is mostly a rocky landscape but a beautiful spot all the same! I sure wouldn't mind being able to walk down a few steps and have the ocean splash my toes!
When Lil LuLu awoke we all went for a dip in the pool. She was too much for words in her little BumbleBee swimsuit, equipped with wings and a hat. TOO MUCH!!!!!
We then headed back up to Santa Monica, in the middle of the rush hour traffic, but no worries with some of the pretty views along the way. Unfortunately with the timing of everything the bike ride we had planned to take with Billy was not possible. We did stop by his place and hea down the street for a walk around the Venice pier. It was great to see him and the spot where him and Nikki call home.
We quickly took showers after getting back to Tim and Autumns and the four of us headed to meet everyone for dinner at Villa Blanca in Beverlly Hills.
My restaraunt pick, and I was dying to see the interior. It was beautifully decorated inside and out, and I would love to have everything in our house white and sparkly like that. Our dinner was fit for reality TV no doubt......all we were missing were the cameras. Win, Liz, Billy, Nikki, Tim, Autumn, and eventually Josh all experienced a unique evening out in BH. :)
Win encouraged us to endulge at Diddy Reese afterwards which was an extremely good choice. The line to get in to this little dessert joint was wrapping the block but Win, Liz, Autumn, Tim and us braved the storm! The reward was sweet with two warm cookies of our choice sandwiching the ice cream of choice......can we say Yummy?
Day3- We woke up and went for a bike ride down through Venice Beach and up through 3rd Street with Tim and Autumn. It was a cloudy, cool day but a great day for biking. It was interesting to see all the color and exuberance of that area. Even with the clouds it was so nice to smell and see the salty body of water!
After biking Barry and I got cleaned up, and packed up for our next stay. Then it was off to the Getty Museum. We had heard wonderful things about the museum and were excited to see the works of some great artists. We were both DYING of hunger when we arrived and were able to grab some great sandwiches and sit outside to dine. The architecture and landscaping of the Getty were indescribable. It was a hazy afternoon, so I can't imagine what the views might have been on a clear day. We enjoyed walking around the space outside and the amazing art inside. Insert * Irises* :) Unfortunately our time there was cut short due to UK's appearance in the Final Four against UCONN. We probably saw only a quarter of the art they had showing but some great impressionist, European, and Italian paintings were observed as well as Chinese photography.
We watched the game with the entire clan (-Meissa and LuLu) at one of the Cali groups good friends condo, Leo. He was so wonderful to host everyone there, and I must say it was a great place to watch a game. Look straight ahead, there are the CATS, look to your right, theres the ocean......not to shabby. *BCOOP- It wasn't so much that UCONN beat us, but more that we beat ourselves. The team looked tight all night and was unable to loosen up (with the exception of Doron Lamb). The upper clansmen (Miller, Liggins, Jorts) who had played so well in the last eight games to this point just disappeared. We still only lost by one despite the poor performance. It should always be remembered, though, that this team went farther than anyone expected of them. Despite this poor game, it was still the semi-final game of the national tournament. They ended up ranked No. 3 overall, and found a special place in the hearts of Big Blue Nation. GO CATS!!!! *(Yep that was his quick version) ;)
Blue as blue can be we departed quietly from Leo's and said our goodbye's to everyone but Win. We then trotted on up the coast to Malibu to spend our evening with Win.
Day4- We had a fabulous morning with Winston. He made us a most amazing breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon, avocado and mango. Liz came over after breakfast and we all headed out to a nearby hiking spot. The hike was completely sick! A steep incline up the trail provided amazing views of rolling hills and the ocean with a cool breeze and warm sun joining us along the way. We stopped for some tricep dips, push ups LOL, views of waterfalls, picture taking, and site seeing.
The end of our hike meant it was time for us to pack up and move north. We made our way up the PCH for the remainder of the day observing the most amazing views along the way. Our eyes couldn't take it all in at once. Barry said it perfectly "everywhere you look there's something beautiful, mountains, the ocean, or flowers."
We found out that part of the PCH (unfortanetely the Big Sur/Pfieffer Beach area? had washed into the ocean after the severe rains they had last week. SO........we had to find an alternate route. We went as far north as we could enjoying the views, thinking we were lost, and changing radio stations every two seconds, (our ipod adapter didn't work). We missed the easiest road we could have taken to put us back on the 101, so I navigated us to the next road we coudl find on the map that would put us there. This little 9 mile drive to get to a road to connect us to the 101 took about 45 minutes to drive. The windy, and many times one lane road, was quite an interesting drive. It was completely beautiful but very secluded with few houses around. At one point I saw what appeared to be a road sign way above us on the top of the mountain. I told Barry I thought there might actually be a road up there.......little did I know we'd be making the sharpest turn I've ever seen in my life and driving "straight into the sky" to get up there! We were a bit worried our rented Kia woulnd't pull through! :)
The rest of our drive ran smoothly and we made it to Monterrey. We stayed at the Marisa Posa Inn. It was super cute and we enjoyed our fireplace in our room. They had outdoor firepits and a great breakfast there too. We had dinner that night at a little Greek restaraunt in Carmel by the Sea called Demetra. Alison and John had told us about it. The food and drinks couldn't come quick enough after our day of traveling. We had a great meal and enjoyed being serenaded by the owners on their fancy little guitar and smooth singing! :)
Day5- We spent most of the day walking around Carmel by the Sea. It was the cutest group of high end shops I have ever seen! It was a beautiful afternoon! We loved all of the shops we went in and most especially the french antique store, Jan de Luz. Everywhere you looked people had their dogs. We certainly missed Keightley on this day. Even all the shops and restaraunts were dog friendly!
We had a delicous and fresh lunch at Basil. I had a Cucumber-Basiltini...YUMM! We then headed down to the Carmel beach. Oh my goodness! Maybe one of my favorite beaches ever!!!! BEAUTIFUL surroundings. Wonderful sand and the scenery was to die for! Families of children and dogs were playing and enjoying the hot hot day! We were half tempted to go put on our swimsuits and stay for the day but decided there was too much to see...... But don't you worry Carmel, we will be back to visit you! We could both spend an entire weeks vacation there, and it would be a great place to bring a family!
We headed south on the PCH to try and see as much of the views as we could before getting to the road closure at Big Sur. WHAT A DRIVE! We could drive 1/4 mile without pulling over onto one of the many viewing areas! We were both snapping pictures left and right, trying to capture the waves crashing onto the black rocks where seals were playing. We found a great little spot and decided to park because we saw a path to the beach. We grabbed our bottle of Vino, fruit and chocolate that we had purchased and made our way down the sandy path. We found ourselves on a very private and beautiful setting. Large rocks scattering the shore made the crashing waves an interesting sight. We enjoyed our snack and the setting we were in and snapped pictures with furry!
We headed north once more, making our way toward Napa. We arrived in Yountville around 7:30 and checked into our sweet little Bed and Breakfast Maison Fleurie.
We had a delicious dinner at Mustards Grill and enjoyed our evening. It was nice to unpack our things for a few days stay!
Day6- We woke up and came downstairs to the sites of home made breakfast dishes and a fire in the fireplace! We then went for a bike ride through Yountville's countryside and vineyards. We came back in time to catch our tour of four vineyards with Platypus tours. It was a great day! We learned alot from our guide as well as the people hosting the tastings. Our first stop was at Vilo Vino the Cliff Family Winery tasting room, we purchased a bottle. Next stop Casa Nuestra, a hippy little family owned winery with a very electic variety of grapes being pressed. We did our fist barrel tasting there, and had a nice picnic lunch. We walked away with a second bottle. Third stop was Ballentine which was in a beautiful setting and we were able to see a larger production facility...but we were not so impressed with their wines. We saved the best for last at Scott Harvey. We had a relaxing afternoon on the porch and enjoyed some of our favorite wine! We became club members here! We can't wait for that box on our front porch!
After our extremely long day of wine drinking we decided to have a low key dinner in downtown Napa at Downtown Joes. We came back to the B&B and enjoyed some relaxation in the hot tub before gettinga good nights sleep.
Day7- We woke up without a hangover!!!!! Surprise to me! :) We came down to a different spree, but equally delicious breakfast once again. Blue skies and sun shining we put ourselves back on our bikes and headed down the road again, only this time we took a different route. We went in the opposite direction towards a busier section of town. The ride was beautiful and serene and we passed many wineries. It was tempting to just stop in and do a bike tasting. :)
We came back and got showered up and ready for our solo day of tastings. I knew of several I wanted to visit through suggestions or just love of the wine.
We started the day at Cakebread. I've always liked their wine, the wineries story was a tale of self made success (like so many of these wineries are). The landscaping was immaculate, our tasting was decent, yes I say decent. My tastebuds had been opened to a whole new world the previous day and I was surprisingly less than impressed with my normal Big love of Cakebread.
From there we headed to Frog's Leap, at the suggestions of Alison and John and Meredith and Justin. What a fabulous experience. From the moment we walked in the door I was snapping pictures. The inside of the building held my dream living room/dining room/patio. We were taken to the patio. It was a beautifully sunny day but the wind was blowing strong cool air. We were seated on the covered patio, under a heater with a view of the amazing grounds. The tasting was such a personal, self exploratory experience with the wines. The glasses were filled by a worker carrying the wines in a wicker basket and the grapes and vintage were explained to us. A plate of cheeses, fruits and nuts lay on the table to enhance the tastings. We were able to bask in all the glory this place held for us. After our tasting we found our way to some wooden rockers sitting in the warm sun. Peeling ourselves out of the chairs we explored the gardens. I truly never wanted to leave......Can I please live here?
We drove to Castello Di Amarosa, (Laura's favorite). The castle was very neat and built of authentic materials to a true Italian castle. The experience itself seemed to fall into a theme park category, and the wines left something to be desired on my tastybuds....All and all though a neat experience.
Driving back we decided to call our tasting quits and head to Yountville to walk around the town. The town is unbelievably quaint, filled with sights, sounds, and smells to delight. The evening was growing cooler, and even windier as a front rolled in with a forecast of storms. We walked to Bouchon Bakery for a little treat to nibble on, and then Cafe Jeantte for $1 oysters and a drink. The town was quite lively with taste of Napa event in session. Our B&B provided wine and h'orderves that we grazed upon while talking to other people staying there.
We ate dinner at Bottega, Chef Michael Chiarello's restaurant. The atmosphere and dining experience were wonderful. Barry and I strayed away from wine, he ordered a bourbon and I had a lavendertini, which was beyond delightful. He looked way to handsome for words! I really enjoy sitting across the table from this man!
Day 8- We spent the morning exploring the V Marketplace area where Bottega is located. The shops, garden area and Taste Napa store were a great find. It was suppose to storm and become quite frigid, but once again we were blessed with sunshine and complete blue skies! :) We had lunch at Pacific Blue. Seated at the bar with us were two older gentlemen who happened to be brothers, and happened to own a winery (neighboring Cakebread), Sequoia Grove. They told us all about their adventure from Pennsylvania to Napa where they began their business, knowing nothing about grapes and learning from their neighboring farmers. We decided to head up there for a tasting. They made wonderful wine, the older brother showed up and took care of us. We walked away with three bottles of wine and a great memory.
We began the drive south to San Francisco. Somehow my Droid led us astray and we ended up an hour in the wrong direction. Oh bother! We arrived in SF and met up with Ryan and Whitney, who were such fabulous hosts to us! We found out that we only actually had that night with them because they had to leave Saturday morning to prepare for a shower Whit was throwing for Liz and Win. I wish we could have spent more time in their company, but what time we had we thoroughly enjoyed. Whitney is full of life and great to talk to, Barry and I were happy to see Ryan with such a great match. Ryan drove us around to see some of the city, we drove to the top of Lombard street to see the city at dusk, take some pics, and meander down the curviest street in the world. We went to dinner at____________hmmmm ok I don't actually remember the name. But regardless, we had delicious little sliders, of all different fillings and toppings. We enjoyed chatting/laughing and sipping it up and then headed to American Cupcake. The interior of this place, all white, letting the cupcake shine! Oh how delicious they were! Mocha melt in my mouth!
Day9- Ryan and Whitney had to get up early to head to Santa Barbara, then Malibu for the shower. They were kind enough to let us stay there and explore the city. This day was full of walking, beyond lost, and laughing at ourselves.
Oh the line for the cable cars!!!!!! Wow this took a while! But how could we be there and not ride one? It was another beautiful blue sky day and we enjoyed our ride down to Fisherman's Wharf. The Wharf area itself was somewhat of a seafood carnival. We walked up to Ghirardelli Square and shared the BEST sundae I've ever had in my life. We walked down to the pier to try and catch the Ferry to Sausalito only to find out the next one wouldn't leave for an hour. We waited in the little shops, walked around, had a glass of wine and made our way onto the water. Sausalito was definitely more my speed. (Barry liked the city better than I did) The harbor was lined with masts and flags=smiles. We got a ride from a local up to the top of the hill and peered out at a nice view of the Golden Gate bridge. This was a much better choice than biking it in all that wind!!!!! We took a tour bus back down the hill and headed onto the Ferry again. Past Alcatraz and the sailing schools, we landed back at SF Harbor.
We walked around downtown a bit searching for a place to set ourselves down for dinner. We decided on Ozumo Sushi and French Restaurant, interesting combination I know. We had a nice slow meal, winding down from our busy day, reminiscing on the trip and preparing for our early day of travel.
We packed everything up and headed to bed around 11:00.
Day10- 6:30am Wheels Up San Francisco. Yawns, walking, sitting, waiting. We made it home by 8:00. Karen and Don delivered Keightley, dinner and a half gallon of milk so we didn't have to worry about the grocery story. They couldn't be any better if they tried. It was so good to see them after four months of them being in Ft. Myers! Keightley was happy to see us, but also happy to have had such a great grandmommy and grandpappy to keep him.
Wow did we sleep good in our own bed!!!!!
Our drive was
So we are on our vacation to Cali right now. Usually people think of vacation as a time to relax and rest, for us this is rarely the case and our need to go, see and do all that we can has continued on into our trip. Therefore I've not even taken the time to get on the computer and write about what we're doing. We are about an hour away from our dinner reservations in our last night in Yountville, so I'll take this time to try and create a brief synopsis of our trip thus far.
Day 1 March 31- we drove to Louisville to catch our flight to LAX. Wheels Up-Louisville. We had the smoothest day of traveling we've ever experienced together. Our flights were on time and everything went according to schedule. Once we arrived we picked up our car and met Tim and Autumn at In-n-Out Burger. The smell of salt filled the air and I felt relaxed instantly. We stayed at Tim and Autumns cute apartment right in Playa Vista which is in the middle if everything LA. Tim had to got to work at Shutters around 10:00pm and we retired to bed soon afterward.
Day2- April 1st- oh April fools day! We drove south about 45 minutes to see Josh and Meissa and to meet 6 month old Annabelle. It was a beautiful drive along the coast to get to their place. Being greeted by Josh holding his little girl was a weird thing for us to see. She is 190% precious. Their place is completely perfect, a nice open and cozy condo with beautiful grounds, pool, and ocean access. They were sweet enough to make us a delicious brunch while we caught up on each others lives.
Afterward Josh put lil Annabelle down for a nap and we walked down to their beach access spot. It is mostly a rocky landscape but a beautiful spot all the same! I sure wouldn't mind being able to walk down a few steps and have the ocean splash my toes!
When Lil LuLu awoke we all went for a dip in the pool. She was too much for words in her little BumbleBee swimsuit, equipped with wings and a hat. TOO MUCH!!!!!
We then headed back up to Santa Monica, in the middle of the rush hour traffic, but no worries with some of the pretty views along the way. Unfortunately with the timing of everything the bike ride we had planned to take with Billy was not possible. We did stop by his place and hea down the street for a walk around the Venice pier. It was great to see him and the spot where him and Nikki call home.
We quickly took showers after getting back to Tim and Autumns and the four of us headed to meet everyone for dinner at Villa Blanca in Beverlly Hills.
My restaraunt pick, and I was dying to see the interior. It was beautifully decorated inside and out, and I would love to have everything in our house white and sparkly like that. Our dinner was fit for reality TV no doubt......all we were missing were the cameras. Win, Liz, Billy, Nikki, Tim, Autumn, and eventually Josh all experienced a unique evening out in BH. :)
Win encouraged us to endulge at Diddy Reese afterwards which was an extremely good choice. The line to get in to this little dessert joint was wrapping the block but Win, Liz, Autumn, Tim and us braved the storm! The reward was sweet with two warm cookies of our choice sandwiching the ice cream of choice......can we say Yummy?
Day3- We woke up and went for a bike ride down through Venice Beach and up through 3rd Street with Tim and Autumn. It was a cloudy, cool day but a great day for biking. It was interesting to see all the color and exuberance of that area. Even with the clouds it was so nice to smell and see the salty body of water!
After biking Barry and I got cleaned up, and packed up for our next stay. Then it was off to the Getty Museum. We had heard wonderful things about the museum and were excited to see the works of some great artists. We were both DYING of hunger when we arrived and were able to grab some great sandwiches and sit outside to dine. The architecture and landscaping of the Getty were indescribable. It was a hazy afternoon, so I can't imagine what the views might have been on a clear day. We enjoyed walking around the space outside and the amazing art inside. Insert * Irises* :) Unfortunately our time there was cut short due to UK's appearance in the Final Four against UCONN. We probably saw only a quarter of the art they had showing but some great impressionist, European, and Italian paintings were observed as well as Chinese photography.
We watched the game with the entire clan (-Meissa and LuLu) at one of the Cali groups good friends condo, Leo. He was so wonderful to host everyone there, and I must say it was a great place to watch a game. Look straight ahead, there are the CATS, look to your right, theres the ocean......not to shabby. *BCOOP- It wasn't so much that UCONN beat us, but more that we beat ourselves. The team looked tight all night and was unable to loosen up (with the exception of Doron Lamb). The upper clansmen (Miller, Liggins, Jorts) who had played so well in the last eight games to this point just disappeared. We still only lost by one despite the poor performance. It should always be remembered, though, that this team went farther than anyone expected of them. Despite this poor game, it was still the semi-final game of the national tournament. They ended up ranked No. 3 overall, and found a special place in the hearts of Big Blue Nation. GO CATS!!!! *(Yep that was his quick version) ;)
Blue as blue can be we departed quietly from Leo's and said our goodbye's to everyone but Win. We then trotted on up the coast to Malibu to spend our evening with Win.
Day4- We had a fabulous morning with Winston. He made us a most amazing breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon, avocado and mango. Liz came over after breakfast and we all headed out to a nearby hiking spot. The hike was completely sick! A steep incline up the trail provided amazing views of rolling hills and the ocean with a cool breeze and warm sun joining us along the way. We stopped for some tricep dips, push ups LOL, views of waterfalls, picture taking, and site seeing.
The end of our hike meant it was time for us to pack up and move north. We made our way up the PCH for the remainder of the day observing the most amazing views along the way. Our eyes couldn't take it all in at once. Barry said it perfectly "everywhere you look there's something beautiful, mountains, the ocean, or flowers."
We found out that part of the PCH (unfortanetely the Big Sur/Pfieffer Beach area? had washed into the ocean after the severe rains they had last week. SO........we had to find an alternate route. We went as far north as we could enjoying the views, thinking we were lost, and changing radio stations every two seconds, (our ipod adapter didn't work). We missed the easiest road we could have taken to put us back on the 101, so I navigated us to the next road we coudl find on the map that would put us there. This little 9 mile drive to get to a road to connect us to the 101 took about 45 minutes to drive. The windy, and many times one lane road, was quite an interesting drive. It was completely beautiful but very secluded with few houses around. At one point I saw what appeared to be a road sign way above us on the top of the mountain. I told Barry I thought there might actually be a road up there.......little did I know we'd be making the sharpest turn I've ever seen in my life and driving "straight into the sky" to get up there! We were a bit worried our rented Kia woulnd't pull through! :)
The rest of our drive ran smoothly and we made it to Monterrey. We stayed at the Marisa Posa Inn. It was super cute and we enjoyed our fireplace in our room. They had outdoor firepits and a great breakfast there too. We had dinner that night at a little Greek restaraunt in Carmel by the Sea called Demetra. Alison and John had told us about it. The food and drinks couldn't come quick enough after our day of traveling. We had a great meal and enjoyed being serenaded by the owners on their fancy little guitar and smooth singing! :)
Day5- We spent most of the day walking around Carmel by the Sea. It was the cutest group of high end shops I have ever seen! It was a beautiful afternoon! We loved all of the shops we went in and most especially the french antique store, Jan de Luz. Everywhere you looked people had their dogs. We certainly missed Keightley on this day. Even all the shops and restaraunts were dog friendly!
We had a delicous and fresh lunch at Basil. I had a Cucumber-Basiltini...YUMM! We then headed down to the Carmel beach. Oh my goodness! Maybe one of my favorite beaches ever!!!! BEAUTIFUL surroundings. Wonderful sand and the scenery was to die for! Families of children and dogs were playing and enjoying the hot hot day! We were half tempted to go put on our swimsuits and stay for the day but decided there was too much to see...... But don't you worry Carmel, we will be back to visit you! We could both spend an entire weeks vacation there, and it would be a great place to bring a family!
We headed south on the PCH to try and see as much of the views as we could before getting to the road closure at Big Sur. WHAT A DRIVE! We could drive 1/4 mile without pulling over onto one of the many viewing areas! We were both snapping pictures left and right, trying to capture the waves crashing onto the black rocks where seals were playing. We found a great little spot and decided to park because we saw a path to the beach. We grabbed our bottle of Vino, fruit and chocolate that we had purchased and made our way down the sandy path. We found ourselves on a very private and beautiful setting. Large rocks scattering the shore made the crashing waves an interesting sight. We enjoyed our snack and the setting we were in and snapped pictures with furry!
We headed north once more, making our way toward Napa. We arrived in Yountville around 7:30 and checked into our sweet little Bed and Breakfast Maison Fleurie.
We had a delicious dinner at Mustards Grill and enjoyed our evening. It was nice to unpack our things for a few days stay!
Day6- We woke up and came downstairs to the sites of home made breakfast dishes and a fire in the fireplace! We then went for a bike ride through Yountville's countryside and vineyards. We came back in time to catch our tour of four vineyards with Platypus tours. It was a great day! We learned alot from our guide as well as the people hosting the tastings. Our first stop was at Vilo Vino the Cliff Family Winery tasting room, we purchased a bottle. Next stop Casa Nuestra, a hippy little family owned winery with a very electic variety of grapes being pressed. We did our fist barrel tasting there, and had a nice picnic lunch. We walked away with a second bottle. Third stop was Ballentine which was in a beautiful setting and we were able to see a larger production facility...but we were not so impressed with their wines. We saved the best for last at Scott Harvey. We had a relaxing afternoon on the porch and enjoyed some of our favorite wine! We became club members here! We can't wait for that box on our front porch!
After our extremely long day of wine drinking we decided to have a low key dinner in downtown Napa at Downtown Joes. We came back to the B&B and enjoyed some relaxation in the hot tub before gettinga good nights sleep.
Day7- We woke up without a hangover!!!!! Surprise to me! :) We came down to a different spree, but equally delicious breakfast once again. Blue skies and sun shining we put ourselves back on our bikes and headed down the road again, only this time we took a different route. We went in the opposite direction towards a busier section of town. The ride was beautiful and serene and we passed many wineries. It was tempting to just stop in and do a bike tasting. :)
We came back and got showered up and ready for our solo day of tastings. I knew of several I wanted to visit through suggestions or just love of the wine.
We started the day at Cakebread. I've always liked their wine, the wineries story was a tale of self made success (like so many of these wineries are). The landscaping was immaculate, our tasting was decent, yes I say decent. My tastebuds had been opened to a whole new world the previous day and I was surprisingly less than impressed with my normal Big love of Cakebread.
From there we headed to Frog's Leap, at the suggestions of Alison and John and Meredith and Justin. What a fabulous experience. From the moment we walked in the door I was snapping pictures. The inside of the building held my dream living room/dining room/patio. We were taken to the patio. It was a beautifully sunny day but the wind was blowing strong cool air. We were seated on the covered patio, under a heater with a view of the amazing grounds. The tasting was such a personal, self exploratory experience with the wines. The glasses were filled by a worker carrying the wines in a wicker basket and the grapes and vintage were explained to us. A plate of cheeses, fruits and nuts lay on the table to enhance the tastings. We were able to bask in all the glory this place held for us. After our tasting we found our way to some wooden rockers sitting in the warm sun. Peeling ourselves out of the chairs we explored the gardens. I truly never wanted to leave......Can I please live here?
We drove to Castello Di Amarosa, (Laura's favorite). The castle was very neat and built of authentic materials to a true Italian castle. The experience itself seemed to fall into a theme park category, and the wines left something to be desired on my tastybuds....All and all though a neat experience.
Driving back we decided to call our tasting quits and head to Yountville to walk around the town. The town is unbelievably quaint, filled with sights, sounds, and smells to delight. The evening was growing cooler, and even windier as a front rolled in with a forecast of storms. We walked to Bouchon Bakery for a little treat to nibble on, and then Cafe Jeantte for $1 oysters and a drink. The town was quite lively with taste of Napa event in session. Our B&B provided wine and h'orderves that we grazed upon while talking to other people staying there.
We ate dinner at Bottega, Chef Michael Chiarello's restaurant. The atmosphere and dining experience were wonderful. Barry and I strayed away from wine, he ordered a bourbon and I had a lavendertini, which was beyond delightful. He looked way to handsome for words! I really enjoy sitting across the table from this man!
Day 8- We spent the morning exploring the V Marketplace area where Bottega is located. The shops, garden area and Taste Napa store were a great find. It was suppose to storm and become quite frigid, but once again we were blessed with sunshine and complete blue skies! :) We had lunch at Pacific Blue. Seated at the bar with us were two older gentlemen who happened to be brothers, and happened to own a winery (neighboring Cakebread), Sequoia Grove. They told us all about their adventure from Pennsylvania to Napa where they began their business, knowing nothing about grapes and learning from their neighboring farmers. We decided to head up there for a tasting. They made wonderful wine, the older brother showed up and took care of us. We walked away with three bottles of wine and a great memory.
We began the drive south to San Francisco. Somehow my Droid led us astray and we ended up an hour in the wrong direction. Oh bother! We arrived in SF and met up with Ryan and Whitney, who were such fabulous hosts to us! We found out that we only actually had that night with them because they had to leave Saturday morning to prepare for a shower Whit was throwing for Liz and Win. I wish we could have spent more time in their company, but what time we had we thoroughly enjoyed. Whitney is full of life and great to talk to, Barry and I were happy to see Ryan with such a great match. Ryan drove us around to see some of the city, we drove to the top of Lombard street to see the city at dusk, take some pics, and meander down the curviest street in the world. We went to dinner at____________hmmmm ok I don't actually remember the name. But regardless, we had delicious little sliders, of all different fillings and toppings. We enjoyed chatting/laughing and sipping it up and then headed to American Cupcake. The interior of this place, all white, letting the cupcake shine! Oh how delicious they were! Mocha melt in my mouth!
Day9- Ryan and Whitney had to get up early to head to Santa Barbara, then Malibu for the shower. They were kind enough to let us stay there and explore the city. This day was full of walking, beyond lost, and laughing at ourselves.
Oh the line for the cable cars!!!!!! Wow this took a while! But how could we be there and not ride one? It was another beautiful blue sky day and we enjoyed our ride down to Fisherman's Wharf. The Wharf area itself was somewhat of a seafood carnival. We walked up to Ghirardelli Square and shared the BEST sundae I've ever had in my life. We walked down to the pier to try and catch the Ferry to Sausalito only to find out the next one wouldn't leave for an hour. We waited in the little shops, walked around, had a glass of wine and made our way onto the water. Sausalito was definitely more my speed. (Barry liked the city better than I did) The harbor was lined with masts and flags=smiles. We got a ride from a local up to the top of the hill and peered out at a nice view of the Golden Gate bridge. This was a much better choice than biking it in all that wind!!!!! We took a tour bus back down the hill and headed onto the Ferry again. Past Alcatraz and the sailing schools, we landed back at SF Harbor.
We walked around downtown a bit searching for a place to set ourselves down for dinner. We decided on Ozumo Sushi and French Restaurant, interesting combination I know. We had a nice slow meal, winding down from our busy day, reminiscing on the trip and preparing for our early day of travel.
We packed everything up and headed to bed around 11:00.
Day10- 6:30am Wheels Up San Francisco. Yawns, walking, sitting, waiting. We made it home by 8:00. Karen and Don delivered Keightley, dinner and a half gallon of milk so we didn't have to worry about the grocery story. They couldn't be any better if they tried. It was so good to see them after four months of them being in Ft. Myers! Keightley was happy to see us, but also happy to have had such a great grandmommy and grandpappy to keep him.
Wow did we sleep good in our own bed!!!!!
Our drive was
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