California Part 5-All Good Things Must Come to an End

We started out our last full day with breakfast at the Boon Fly Cafe at the Carneros Inn. This was actually our second time to eat breakfast there (we also ate there the second day of our stay). It was an easy walk from our cottage to the cafe and a great way to take in the cool morning air. Aside from the cafe's laid back atmosphere, I also loved the presentation of their water, butter and mini jellies. Presentation is big with this girl, and I left wanting to go home and make my own signature water bottle.

After breakfast we walked over to the market, which is right by FARM (where we dined the first night), and the bocce ball courts.

Another shot of FARM. The open area porch has fire pits and couches under it that you can sit around and enjoy at night while you sip on a cocktail.

We made our stop into the Market at the Carneros to see what they had to offer and to purchase a t-shirt to remember our travels. I loved the tin ceiling and light fixtures in there. The Market had everything from food, to clothes, to jewelry, to personal care (even the water bottles found at Boon Fly Cafe were for sale!)

After our little shopping trip, we put on our swimsuits and went to soak in one last day under the sun at the pool. Oh how I miss this view.

...and these Hilltop Skinny Margaritas.

And this view too...Here I am trying to take as many mental snapshots as possible. Neither of us wanted to leave the pool that day. I'm sure you can see why.

For dinner our last night, we went to Bisto Jeanty in Yountville. This little French restaurant was also recommended to us by several different people. This day was also the anniversary of what would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday (unknowingly to us when we booked the reservation), so we found it very fitting.

I had one of their signature drinks called the San Tropez...very fruity and delicious...right up my alley!

And Jon chose to start his meal with a little escargot. Our sweet waitress attempted to ease me into trying some by telling me to just pretend they were mushrooms, but then I informed her I didn't like mushrooms either. :) So I can't attest to their taste, but Jon was a big fan.

Our waitress also offered to take this picture of us at our cute little corner table. The inside of the restaurant had a very cozy and collected feel with French antiques adorning the walls. There was also a large outdoor patio full of French bristro chairs for dining al fresco.

I ordered the Flamiche aux Poireaux (quiche) with a side of their creamy potato gratin (so good) and Jon ordered the special for the day (I can't remember what it was now). We both cleaned our plates though, or at least tried our hardest, and took the rest to go in hopes of savoring some more later.

When we got back to the Carneros Inn after dinner, we put our s'mores kit they'd given us the first night to use at our fire pit. The air was cool (perfect for adorning our complimentary ropes) and the sky was full of stars. It was a wonderful way to cap off our relaxing trip to Napa and the Carneros Inn. It's very clear to me now why the Inn was named one of the Top 25 Most Romantic Getaways in the World by Travel + Leisure Magazine. We enjoyed our stay immensely and definitely want to plan a trip back again.

I hope you enjoyed going on our journey with us and received some valuable information about where to stay and dine in Napa!

Canopy Stripes

As I mentioned in a previous post, black and white canopy striped fabric is one of my current obsessions. It's classic, clean and oh so elegant. Not to mention that it can make a bold statement in a room without being too flashy. I normally favor a very neutral color palette with accents of greens and robin's egg blues, and this pattern could be put in any such setting and be beautiful. Here a few of my favorite examples: Is this room spectacular or what? It's modern, classic and sophisticated! There is a large amount of stripes in this room, yet it's not overbearing. And the symmetry and clean lines displayed throughout give the room great balance. I could just plop this room right into my house! This is another example (as shown in a previous entry). If you don't have the money to invest in a rug, buy a few pillows and get the same look in your room for a fraction of the price. Whoever said black and brown don't go together was seriously mistaken. Lo

Table Decorating Contest

Jon and I are leaving to spend a long weekend in San Antonio with his parents and his brother (who will be town from Arizona). But before we go, I wanted to leave you with some pictures from the Officer Spouses Club Table Decorating Contest that was held last night. I called Jon on my way home from base, and he immediately asked "How was the contest?" to which I responded "Victorious." The 32nd FTS, our squadron, took first place! The theme was Silver Screen so we decided to focus on famous quotes from each movie genre. Each place setting featured a different movie. We had a "drive-in" for our center piece where clips of the famous quotes were shown. Welcome to the Jayhawk Drive-In! Wizard of Oz place setting. The glass had a button you could turn on to make the water swirl and look like a tornado inside. Also notice the witch's feet sticking out from under the plate :) A close-up of the yellow brick road I painted. Silence of the Lambs pl

Guest Room Before and After-Healing Aloe

Here is a shot of the room in all of its coral glory. Great for a teenager, not for a soothing guest room. And here is the Healing Aloe after. Healing Aloe is a color by Benjamin Moore. It was hard to get a good shot of the true color, but it is more of a seafoam than gray. Aside from painting the walls and buying a new white quilt for the bed, everything else in the space we already had--most of which are hand-me-downs (bed and dresser) or thrift store finds (lamp and side table). It will all be sufficient for now, and hopefully a space that our guests will love. I'm very happy with the outcome and the progress of one more room in the house coming closer to completion. One down, three to go (at least in the painting department!)

House of Hydrangeas

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