i heart napa

feeling a little naked.

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:07:00 +0000

{figuring out the figure.}

last year my super talented aunt gave me a box of charcoal and a pad of paper and told me to meet her the following tuesday at her drawing class in downtown napa. she had been asking me to join her for weeks and now that i had materials in hand, there was no getting out of it! boy, does she know me well.

i will say it was such an inspiring class. the teacher, vicki long is beyond incredible and all of the other students were not actually students, but true artists...creating art worthy of a museum. during that first class i experienced a whole range of emotions, starting with frustration, followed by embarrassment (because lets face it, these people were degas and i was a first grader) and ultimately, ending with pride. pride because even though i felt raw and naked and uncoordinated the entire class, i actually was able to create something a little better than a stick figure.

{still need to learn the hands + face.}

the reason why i wanted to share this with the world is because this class reminded me how important it is to try something new and different. i am that girl who has three notebooks filled with big dreams...it is so easy for me to pour a glass of bubbles and curl up on a couch and journal those dreams. then because of my fear of failure, i put those journal away for another day. if it wasn't for my aunt and her encouragement, i honestly would have never tried figurative drawing. so...i hope this post might give you that little bit of encouragement you might need to try something new. if i can do it and then post my work online...you most certainly can too.

{20 minute interval.}

{i could not get that leg right...}

{trying to master different angles + positions.}

{the backside is easier.}

{learning how to use colors...another small head!}

click here to read an article on my brilliant teacher, vicki long.

happy friday.

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:40:00 +0000

hope you have a lovely weekend.

{pure beauty.}

{perfection.}

{a glimpse.}

{oh how i wish i knew how to play.}

{hope you stay dry.}

oh how i love anthropologie...

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0000

{ruffles + converse = happy}

last fall and all through the winter i was in love with this jacket from jcrew...what i am saying? i am still in love with it! wish i could wear it to bed...but now that spring is here (and we had two whole days of sunshine), i found myself needing something just a bit lighter. or at least that is what i told myself when i walked up to the checkout stand at anthropologie the other day.

{curio collar jacket}

how could i resist with all that cuteness? those ruffles and rhinestones...it was just waiting for me to take it home.

i also fell in love with these pieces below. but somewhere between grabbing them off the rack and walking to the dressing room, images of my basement started to pop into my head. that darn little project, which is no longer little...the one that needs doors and door knobs and waterproofing and window casings and rugs and furniture...well, it most certainly put a stop to me even trying them on.

{rippling pond jacket.}

{lemon squares jacket + all seasons shirt dress}

{gleaming shoots blouse + blue book blouse}

{love this whole outfit.}

{lean lines tunic}

{images via anthropologie.com}

just a small little project.

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0000

after living in (and bursting out of) this funky little house for nearly 9 years, i am finally able to renovate my basement...here are some pictures of the project so far. i will definitely write more about this project later in the weeks to come. oh what an adventure it has been. i can not wait for it to be done.

{future office • before + during}

{trying so hard to be useful.}

{love the new closet space under the stairs. my sweet boy is so smart.}

{hammering in little metal plates over the wires before installing drywall.}

{i had no idea installing drywall would be SOOOO messy...

oh + i have a huge appreciation for those who install + tape drywall. talent!}

mad for blossoms.

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:58:00 +0000

i am going crazy for blossoms. they make me unbelievably happy! seriously, just seeing a picture of them makes my heart smile. and now they are bursting open all over the valley...with such perfect timing, as i was starting to get a bit sad about the end of camilla season (another absolute favorite).

{lovely cherry blossoms at martin design • st. helena}

{warm + romantic • san francisco}

{happiness on a gloomy day • napa}

{sweet bee • st. helena}

{no words.}

{i can not get enough of this arrangement • san francisco}

napa flea market find.

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:04:00 +0000

{new chucks + old favorite nikes...meeting for the first time.}

sweetness.

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:11:00 +0000

{loving these spring blossoms.}

craigslist find: w&j sloane loveseats

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:23:00 +0000

my amazingly patient roommate came across these love seats on craigslist a few weeks back and i finally had a chance to pick them up in novato this morning. i was delighted to find them in such great condition as you never know from pictures...

{vintage w&j sloane loveseat.}

{love the linen}

around my garden in february.

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:41:00 +0000

{love these delicate little flowers popping out of my rocks.}

{rusty old chair*}

{the vibrant green of the moss makes me happy.}

{they survived the rain!}

{a makeshift chair.}

{empty pots waiting for spring.}

{so happy to see you little primrose.

you are much tougher than i thought.

i was convinced i killed you last summer!}

* to any family members reading this post: no, that is not grandma's old chair sitting out in the rain. i have that one inside + happy. this one i found for free down the street...already in this condition! :)

pablo + uday stare down.

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:54:00 +0000

{pablo just wants to get along.}

after a year + a half pablo + uday have started their peace treaty talks. qusay was no where to be found.

yes, my cats are named uday + qusay. a bit sick i know, but fitting since it seems all they do is torture helpless birds, squirrels + lizards.

a little flickr group.

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 17:00:00 +0000

last week i joined a little flickr group called bloganistas.

{hello.}

i thought i would share with you my first picture...it was raining, i was rushed, my shirt was wrinkled. super hot, i know. but that is actually good for me as i seem to be wearing sweatpants all to often these days.

{bloganista no. 1}

oh what a dream...

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:49:00 +0000

this catalog for equitours came in the mail yesterday + i can not stop dreaming. seriously, i think this may be my new goal to work towards...maybe not for 2010, but definitely for 2011.

{equitours • horseback vacations worldwide.}

{i can not decide where i would want to go first...morocco?}

{or botswana?}

equitours

po box 807

dubois, wyoming 82513

tel: 800.545.0019

my little house.

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:58:00 +0000

hello. hope you all are having a lovely weekend. i have been doing quite a bit of dreaming...of spring, horseback riding in point reyes, gardening + playing outside in the warm sun on a beautiful beach.

{dreaming of spring • my little house}

i have also started a new project in my basement. very exciting. actually very, very, very messy, but the thought of it being done, exciting. i can't wait to share with you the entire project. i have been taking lots of pictures, but to be honest am a bit embarrassed by all of the junk i have collected through the past 9 years (so still on the fence with regards to posting those pictures here!). in the meantime, i have included a little drawing my darling roommate put together of my future office space. what do you think? this is my first big project, so any input is always appreciated!

{office plans, draft no. 1}

note: to anyone planning on doing any sort of remodeling - get a pod, working around my junk has been a nightmare.

meet: girdie girl.

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 23:10:00 +0000

if you have read my blog in the past, you most likely have seen a picture of my handsome boy pablo. + although he is featured here on a regular basis, i do not believe i have shared the full story of santos juan pablo (his official name)...+ how he came to live with me here in napa. i will say, our story is a love story + it does deserve to be told, but it will have to wait for another day because today i wanted to write about another perro de calle, a little girl named girdie.

{miss girdie girl}

miss girdie was found a few days ago outside of my parent's home in todos santos (baja). at this point we are pretty certain there is this big flashing sign, similar to the one in beetlejuice, pointing all stray dogs to my parent's home (this of course can not be confirmed, as it is is only visible to dogs). since we are certain this sign exists, i was far from surprised to hear that they had found + ultimately brought this little girl into their home. seriously, every time they go down to todos santos, they find another dog who is in desperate need of love. actually, more often than not these dogs just show up on their doorstep. a few years ago it was cowboy. oh, he was such a doll. + then there was rocky...i was obsessed with him (he was my first. such a long + sad story, which actually ties into pablo's story. so stay tuned). + then there was a very, very sick little puppy with one eye. + then there was indy, who we found on the beach. she now lives with my sister ash. + then there was another little puppy who was found under a tractor, a few yards from their house...+ of course there is pablo! seriously, the list goes on...

so here we are again, another year, another dog. girdie is in very bad shape. my dad said she is in one of the worst conditions he has seen yet...this poor girl was beyond starving, she was infested with fleas, she is missing patches of hair, she has been attacked by other animals, she was left for dead. my dad's description - "she is the ugliest thing i have ever seen." of course he said it with love...we all know a dog's beauty is in it's personality. but i think you get the point.

{happy girl.}

as we stand today, with the help of a local vet, they are working on getting her healthy. from these pictures you can see she still has a long way to go. they had some tests done to see if she has ehrlichia (a disease spread by ticks)...keeping fingers crossed they come back negative. once she gets better, they will need to find her a good home. i'll keep her progress updated on this site.

on a happy note, i spoke to my dad this morning + he was pleased to report that in just a few days she has developed quite the personality. another non-surprise, as with most all of the other mexican street dogs i have come across, once given a little food + a little love, they have blossomed into the sweetest, most hilarious little creatures to exist (ok, a bit dramatic i know, but we need to find her a home).

cheers! nm

i heart {camera bag} iphone app

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 01:52:00 +0000

i love taking pictures, but have never been a big camera phone gal. probably because my nikon is attached to my body. seriously, my boyfriend is jealous. or embarrassed (especially, when i whip it out while at dinner). so, on those rare occasions when i leave my camera behind (and in turn miss the most incredible shot), i have been relying on my little iphone.

here are some pictures i shot and processed on my phone, using one of my most favorite iphone apps (actually, my only app.), camera bag ($1.99). i have also included one shot with each of their 11 filters. they are nothing to write home to mom about, but i think good for a camera phone. click here for some more examples from other camerabag lovers.

oh, wait, i just noticed nevercenter released camerabag for desktop ($19). happy day for non-iphone users.

*helga filter, then processed again through instant*

{my (8 year + going) backyard project.}

* instant filter*

{breakfast with terri}

* helga filter *

{peach cobbler}

* sorry, can't seem to figure out which filter this was *

{serious fisherman}

* mono filter, then i don't remember, sorry *

{tuna fishing.}

* lolo filter *

{delish breakfast at the fremont diner}

* cinema filter *

{pablo being pablo.}

* mono filter *

{charlie (to be pronounced in a british accent)}

* lolo filter *

{ethan. i heart ethan.}

*helga filter *

{big e smalls likes to sleep in.}

* instant filter*

{old nikon love.}

* lolo filter*

{flatmate's vintage avon small world collection. love it!}

* lolo filter *

{my heaven on a hot day.}

***

i found these darling heart cups at target a few weeks ago. i hate admitting to buying them, because in doing so i am admitting to the world that i was one of those people who bought valentine's day merchandise in december (while christmas shopping). but, since the whole shelf was practically gone, i figured it was ok, because clearly i wasn't alone.

{original}

{helga filter}

{colorcross filter}

{lolo filter}

{magazine filter}

{instant filter}

{mono filter}

{1962 filter}

{1974 filter}

{cinema filter}

{infrared filter}

{fisheye filter}

cheers!

happy 2010!

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:10:00 +0000

{me • january 1, 2010 • lake tahoe}

hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. i took a little much needed time off + went up to lake tahoe with elliot + some friends. what a beautiful way to start 2010.

here are some pictures from my weekend away...spent mostly eating, drinking bubbles, exploring + sitting by the fire.

{snowy walk.}

{i love this fence...the yellow looks so warm against the coolness of the snow.}

{evan aka harry wiener is quite the adventurer.}

{evan reflecting on 2009.}

{lake tahoe • january 2010 • i just love the contrast between the melting snow + sand.}

{me.}

{harry wiener exploring the beach.}

{and the mountains.}

{harry wiener all done exploring.}

{martha stewart's chicken paillards with lemon butter sauce.}

i tend to cook things i am familiar with (which can get a little boring)...so one of my new year's resolutions is to try new recipes more often. i found this recipe in the january edition of martha stewart. one resolution accomplished! the other (eat less butter) was not. oh, well, it was tasty!

{my attempt at paillards.}

we didn't have a mallet, so ended up using a small frying pan to pound the chicken out. i also am not too gifted with butterflying chicken. adding that to the long list of things i need my oh-so-talented-chef-father to teach me.

{i love brussels sprouts...especially with pancetta}

bussels sprouts with pancetta is one of my go-to dishes in the fall + winter months. super yummy + easy to make.

{good eats.}

{big e smalls did a little exploring of his own...several times without my permission!}

{and a lot of relaxing.}

martha stewart's chicken paillards with lemon-butter sauce

serves 2 to 4

lemon segments give this dish great flavor. to segment the fruit, cut away all the peel and white pith. then slice along the membranes. serve the chicken and sauce over fresh spinach.

season 4 chicken paillards (from 2 breast halves) on both sides with salt and pepper.

heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter foams. add 2 paillards, and saute on 1 side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. reduce heat to medium. flip, and saute paillards until cooked through, about 2 minutes. transfer to a plate. raise heat to medium-high, and repeat with remaining paillards.

add 1/4 cup minced or sliced shallots to skillet, and coo over medium heat, adding oil or butter as needed, stirring often, until golden, about 1 minute. rainse heat to meadium-high. add segments of juice of 2 lemons (my notes: i didn't understand if she meant 4 lemons total, 2 for segments and 2 for juice?), 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock, and any plate juices, and deglaze the pan (my notes: i used a splash of white wine to deglaze as well), scraping brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. simmer until sauce reduces by half, about 3 minutes. gradually stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of cold un-salted butter (cut into small pieces) until just melted. season to taste (my notes: i added a little tarragon...nice addition).

preparing the chicken

boning: start with a bone-in breast (this will yield two paillards). inset the tip of a boning knive near the ribs, and work the knife along the bone to remove the meat.

butterflying: place one hand on the chicken, curving your fingers up slightly for safety. slice meat horizontally, cutting almost to the other side. open it like a book. (my notes: i didn't read that last bit + cut them into separate pieces...oops!)

pounding: place meat inside a plastic bag or between plastic wrap (my notes: i used wax paper...it worked just fine). working from center out, pound with the smooth side of a mallet until meat is 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. cut into 2 pieces.

i heart: sneak in disposable flasks!

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:17:00 +0000

{is it wrong that i love this?!}

my roommate brought home restoration hardware's holiday catalogue a few weeks back. of course out of all their fun items, i thought the disposable flask was the best! love, love, love it. it would have been the perfect gift for pretty much all my friends + family (we live in napa...so i can say that without sounding like an alcoholic). sadly, they were + still are sold out. however, i just did a little research + found this site that sells something similar.

ps. i also LOVE this bike...and just noticed it is on sale from $695 to $344!

pps. image via restoration hardware online {i did not take it}.

love this sign.

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 23:43:00 +0000

love this sign., originally uploaded by i heart napa.

i went to dinner at my friend's house the other night. this is the sign she has place above her stove. love it.

pablo + my new yellow shoes.

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

i love playing around with my camera. it definitely has opened my eyes up to a whole new world. there is nothing more exciting than discovering beauty in places so familiar they are passed without acknowledgement. usually i love exploring outside, but since it has been so wet + cold, i have started taking the most random shots around the house. most of them i will spare you, but i think these ones turned out pretty good. just love the warmth of the yellow, sheep skin + dark wood floors.

{pablo + me}

{i heart these shoes. especially since they were only $16!}

{pablo. so warm + snuggly}

hope you are all staying warm.

last minute gift ideas {hint. hint.}

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:39:00 +0000

i am officially changing my middle name to - last minute. just in case you are too, here is a little (emphasis on little. otherwise it would be a novel) list of my favorite things (gifts i would be very happy to receive myself).

{riedel "o" wine glasses. i use them everyday. perfect gift for under $25}

{fresh sugar lip treatment with spf 15 • great stocking stuffer}

{fleurissimo. my favorite scent from creed}

i believe fleurissimo is also available at diva perfumes in st. helena.

{lush • dream cream. HEAVEN!}

actually everything from lush is heaven.

{addicted to these moleskine cashier notebooks}

{i want this lomography diana camera!}

or any of the diana lomo cameras.

what do you want? love to hear about new things!

happy happy holiday!

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 06:39:00 +0000

wishing everyone a very happy holiday.

the perfect gift: swanson vineyards alexis wine + bonbon gift set

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 04:44:00 +0000

the perfect gift. holiday, hostess, wedding, baby, birthday, engagement, promotion, retirement, thinking of you, thank you, i love your blog...gift.

{delicious treasure.}

{swanson vineyards alexis wine + bonbon hatbox gift set}

{i love the vibrant color of the box set against the muted tones of this antique piece.}

{exclusive. lovely. elegant. delicious. most definitely, unforgettable}

{the hatbox alone is eye candy.}

{alexis bonbons • a delightful creation by vosges haut-chocolat of chicago}

{"decadence with a wink"}

{2005 cabernet sauvignon gift set}

alexis wine + bonbon hatbox gift set $125

alexis bonbon hatbox {12 bonbons} $35

2005 swanson cabernet sauvignon gift set {750ml} $140

for more information on the gift sets, wines, or to visit their winery, please follow the link below.

swanson vineyards

1271 manley lane

rutherford, california 94573

tel: 707.967.3500

cheers!

mustard in december.

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:01:00 +0000

{i want to move in}

i went up to rutherford today to take some pictures of my favorite winery (can't wait to share those shots!). i could not believe all of the mustard growing up valley. so beautiful. i just had to stop and take this picture.

i really love living here.

oh, can someone correct me if i am wrong? i always thought of mustard growing closer to the springtime.

cookie party.

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:06:00 +0000

{toast with gorgonzola...ready for a little drizzle of honey}

{my dream meal}

{my favorite bubbles*}

{i heart cookies}

{these were delicious + low fat}

{more deliciousness}

{little santa}

{i kind of wanted to take this munchkin home}

{her too}

{sweetness}

{sleepy girl}

i went to a holiday cookie party last weekend. certainly a party i hope to be invited to again next year. met some new lovely ladies (and babies) and ate lots of yummy cheeses, bubbles and cookies.

thank you miss gretchen.

click here for the recipe of the cookies i brought (chocolate whoppers).

*the name of the bubbles pictured above is allimant-laugner cremant d' alsace rose and can be purchased here in napa at jv wine and spirits and oxbow wine merchants for about $18 a bottle.

make + eat: maida's chocolate whopper cookies.

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:53:00 +0000

{chocolate whopper cookies}

a few years ago my aunt gave me a print out of maida's chocolate whopper cookie recipe along with my christmas present (thank you nancy). since i had never had one of these cookies, i didn't think much about it. i did however, have enough sense to file it away and ultimately made them this past mother's day. they were such a hit! so amazingly delicious that when i received an invitation to a cookie party this past week, i didn't have to think twice about what i would bring.

a little afterthought...while writing this post i was reminded how the simplest gifts usually turn out to be the best gifts.

Maida's Chocolate Whopper Cookies

recipe found at cookiemadness.net

ingredients:

2 ounces (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate 

6 ounces semisweet chocolate

3 ounces (3/4 stick) unsalted butter 

1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour 

1/4 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

2 eggs 

3/4 cup granulated sugar 

2 teaspoons powdered (not granular) instant coffee or espresso 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

6 ounces (1 cup) semisweet chocolate morsels 

4 ounces (generous 1 cup) walnuts, broken into large pieces (i chopped them up) 

4 ounces (generous 1 cup) toasted pecans, broken into large pieces (i chopped them up)

directions:

adjust two racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat oven to 350°F. if you are baking only one sheet, adjust a rack to the middle of the oven. line cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil.

• place the unsweetened chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and butter in the top of a small double boiler over hot water on moderate heat. cook, covered, for a few minutes (i didn't cover). then stir occasionally until melted and smooth. remove the top of the double boiler and set aside, uncovered, to cool slightly.

• sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside (i was rushing and accidentally only sifted the flour and then added the rest without sifting).

{melted chocolate + butter}

• in the small bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, coffee or espresso, and vanilla at high speed for a minute or two. beat in the melted chocolates and butter (which may still be quite warm) on low speed just to mix. add the sifted dry ingredients and again beat on low speed just to mix, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula to incorporate the ingredients. remove from the mixer and transfer to a larger bowl (i did this whole step in the large kitchen aide bowl. did not transfer).

• stir in the chocolate morsels, the walnuts, and the pecans.

• use a 1/3-cup metal measuring cup to measure the amount of batter for each cookie. put five cookies on each cookie sheet, one in the middle and one toward each corner. use a rubber spatula to push the mixture into the measuring cup and then to scoop it out onto the lined sheet (the dough is gooey). do not flatten the tops.

{i made them just a little too big...}

• bake two sheets at a time, reversing the sheets top to bottom and front to back once during baking to ensure even baking. Bake for 16 to 17 minutes-no longer. the surface of the cookies will be dry but the insides will still be soft. there is really no way to test these; just use a portable oven thermometer before baking to be sure your oven is right, and then watch the clock.

makes about 14 cookies (sadly, i made them a little too big and only yielded 9)