wine country, pt. 2

More photos of my love affair with Napa Valley. (I believe that is a fig tree in my photo above.) It was just the best trip, and I wish I could have gone for a whole week – definitely next time. I'll just have to gaze longingly at these photos for now. Hope you enjoy!

View from the house at Frog's Leap, my most favorite stop on the trip

Pretty, stripey runner on the stairs at Frog's Leap

Frog's Leap, with its deep wrap-around porch and pretty views, was

really fantastic and so peaceful. This is sweet Abbie, resident pooch.

Wildflower at Cakebread

Sparkling in wait at Schramsberg

Schramsberg tasting, Brut Rosé and Reserve

Gardens at Schramsberg

Lattice flowers at the Palisades Deli in Calistoga,
which serves up a seriously tasty BLT

More pretty flowers, Palisades Deli

Bouchon Bakery cart in Yountville

Pancake-sized roses in Yountville

More Yountville scenery

Comfy bench and pillows at our hotel, the perfectly
delightful Villagio in Yountville

 Absolutely perfect day on the terrace at Joseph Phelps –

another favorite spot with these views and, of course,

some fantastic wine in hand and dear friends nearby.

wine country, pt. 1

Oh my. Just got back from a whirlwind trip to Napa, and I am nuts about that place – just look at those wildflowers in the photo above. Can't wait to go back again someday! For now, here are some more photos and recommendations – this will have to be a two-parter, so more photos to come soon!

Rouge at Frank Family Vineyards

Gorgeous views at St. Supéry

Barrel tasting, St. Supéry

Garden views, St. Supéry

Beautiful old oak barrels, St. Supéry

Tasting at St. Supéry

Stripey tile terrace and some wall art at the most delicious

lunch spot ever – the wonderful, must-visit Mustards Grill.

sketchy

Some of the new designs I'm working on are based around hand-drawn sketches of flowers and other spring-summer pretty things. This is one of the preliminary ideas. Can't wait to show you the final products!

hello, springtime

Spring definitely feels like it is here in full force. In celebration, here are some flowers for you – Ranunculus from Trader Joe's – my favorites!

henri, je t'aime!

Henri Rousseau is on my mind. Love his cheerful colors, climbing greenery and fantastical landscapes. One of the many things I admire about Rousseau is that although he painted a lot of jungle scenes, he never left France. He would get inspiration from visiting various exhibitions and the greenhouses at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. Such a great imagination! Unfortunately, like a lot of now-famous artists, he was not recognized for his work until after his death. Being self-taught, he was ridiculed and many critics considered his work flat and juvenile. In reality, he was at the forefront of the vanguard movement among post-impressionists, influencing many other artists, including Picasso, Matisse and others. So, that's a pretty big "face!" to those snooty critics. I was lucky to see a huge exhibition of something like 50 of his paintings in 2006 in D.C. at the National Gallery. It was amazing. Some of my favorite of his paintings are, from above, Myself, Portrait-Landscape, 1890, National Gallery, Prague, and Woman Walking in an Exotic Forest, 1905, The Barnes Foundation, Merion, Pennsylvania, and more below:

The Dream, 1910, Museum of Modern Art, New York

The Wedding, 1904-05, Musée de l'Orangerie, Paris

 The Artillerymen, 1893-5
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York

The Banks of the Bièvre near Bicêtre, 1908
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Bouquet of Flowers, 1910, Tate Gallery, London

{All images by Henri Rousseau from Henri Rousseau: Jungles in Paris, ed. Frances Morris and Christopher Green, Abrams, New York, 2006}

slate interiors

I want to marry this store! Recently visited Slate Interiors, a wonderful shop in Plaza Midwood in Charlotte. Slate features more than 50 artists, merchants and designers offering a carefully curated and edited selection of beautiful art and home furnishings. I fell in love with all the great throw pillows, vintage maps + prints, mid-century glassware and the insane assortment of fantastic lamps + shades. More photos below:

Definitely visit Slate Interiors next time you're in the neighborhood – certainly a must-do in Charlotte. And, also check out their blog, which features updates on the latest happenings and new stock.

{Photos by me at Slate Interiors, 1401 Central Avenue, Charlotte, NC}