Napa Getaway

As I mentioned the last time I posted, I wanted to share some of my favorite snapshots from our recent Napa getaway.  It was an awesome time and I tasted a lot of great wines!  We visited a variety of spots in Napa and Sonoma, and the ones I've included here were a few of my favorite.

One of our first stops, Far Niente, had the most beautifully manicured grounds of the wineries we visited.  This makes sense considering the owner originally made his money in the nursery business!  All of the spring flowers were in full bloom when we visited in early April.  The wines were really great as well, mostly Cabs, and my husband liked them so much we joined the wine club!  Two more notable items about Far Niente are the underground caves which were carved out after the building had been there for many years.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a lot of great snapshots of the caves since I would have needed a stand for my camera.  Additionally, as part of the tour you get to see the owner's car collection (added bonus for the husband).  I will note, though, that our tour guide - Zack - corrected me when I called it a "car collection;" he was quick to point out that these cars are driven regularly.  La dee da.  :)  A few snapshots from this stop:

Me and my husband in the underground cave:

Daydreaming About an Oceanside Resort

My husband and I tried to fit in several of our "dream" vacations before we had children.   I shared a small look into one of those trips - to Italy - here.  However, we never checked the box on my California dream vacation: coastal towns filled with gorgeous gardens and ocean vistas, sprawling wineries high up on beautiful mountain ranges, and let's face it, lots of good food and fine wine.  Ok, I've fooled no one, any wine will do really. ;)  

So, you can imagine my excitement when I learned that my husband was awarded the opportunity to spend several nights in Santa Barbara, CA, a quaint coastal town.  My husband's company awarded their top salesman with a four night stay at The Four Seasons Biltmore resort.  It was gorgeous!  I suppose that is an upside to having a salesman husband: great perks when you exceed sales goal.   Let's not talk about what happens if you fail to hit your goal.... ;)

A peak into the Four Season's resort lobby:

Where I've Been Lately...

It's been quiet around here, yes, but here is a look at the reason why. I wanted to quickly share a few photos. Also, you can follow me on Instagram to see more. I think the link is on my blog?!?!? I'll look into that. Sorry for the drive by nature of this post....

Surprise Valentine Spa Day and Getaway

Last Thursday, my husband surprised me with the news that he had planned a spa day, dinner, and hotel stay for us downtown in the city.  And oh yeah....we were leaving the next morning at 10 am!  Today I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite pictures from our getaway at Allyu Spa and Hotel Monaco.

Breathtaking Vistas and Our Stay in the Amalfi Coast

I recently came across a post by Michele at Hello Lovely highlighting her stay at this beautiful apartment while in Paris.  After reminiscing with her, my mind kept wandering back to one of my favorite all time trips.

In 2007, two years after I was married to my husband, we were lucky enough to travel to Italy - a prerequisite of mine before there was any talk of children!  I, correctly, assumed that once our little ones were here, romantic trips to far away places would likely be a thing of my dreams.  Luckily, I had the chance to visit the Amalfi Coast, because it is literally the place that dreams are made of with its soaring cliffs, breathtaking views of the Mediterranean, and enchanting atmosphere. 

My favorite stop of the Italy trip - although I enjoyed it all - was in Positano, a seaside town situated amongst the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast.  The Amalfi Coast, a stretch of coastline and series of towns, is on the southern coast of the Sorrentine Peninsula in Southern Italy. (Wikipedia, baby :))

The photo above is the perfect characterization of Positano: cheerful, colorful, charismatic buildings built into the rugged and soaring cliffs of Amalfi. 

Road Trip to Iowa

Where do you find your inspiration? For me, nature is a great place to start.

This past weekend, my family and I took our second annual weekend road trip to Iowa. My husbands step-dad owns land there in South English.  The view above is what you see from the kitchen window of his house.  I so much enjoy taking a walk outside of his home on a crisp morning and taking in the surrounding beauty of the fall landscape.

While driving through Iowa, I loved looking out my car window at the old weathered barns, cattle, and rolling hills of corn: