Yearly Archives: 2014

With all our Valentine’s Day brainstorming, Sarah wrote in with a request to take it a step back: How about what to wear to get a date???  He needs to have a job, likes to have fun, has some fun friends, active, likes wine, and is ok with my quirkiness. Handy around the house, maybe I’d run…

I have had a lot of time on my hands while recovering from pneumonia. For Margaret’s birthday, I spent two days working on a hand-painted, 3D, pop-up birthday card. Since her party was at a bar hosting a Prince vs. Michael dance battle, of course the two of them had to make a special appearance. Poor…

V wrote in with a Valentine’s Day request close to my own heart: How about what to wear to host a Valentine’s dinner at home with friends? As a seasoned hostess, I’m sure you have some go-to items! It’s a dinner on the 14th, with one other couple, and dogs. Nothing too fancy, but fun.…

I’m not a morning person. I prefer breakfast recipes that can be prepared ahead and just grabbed with a cup of tea to take back to bed.  I adapted this recipe from Giada’s Apricot Oat Bars. I used both dried apricots and cherries for the jam filling and cut out 1/2 a stick of butter (it…

Whether you love Valentine’s Day or hate it, you can still dress up on February 14th in something fun. I’ve put together two outfits: one for the classic romantic and the other for someone with a rebellious edge. Which outfit is more your style? Outfit No. 1: The Romantic Dress – A pretty dress in…

Do you share my inability to throw away the remains of a roast chicken? My sister and I have a near compulsion to turn leftover chicken and turkey bones into soup, a handy trait inherited from our Mom. Having chicken soup stockpiles in the freezer was so helpful when I’ve been terribly sick with this…

To wrap up our week of Holman Ranch daydreaming, here’s what I would wear as a guest to that Spanish-themed wedding in Carmel Valley: Dress – A bohemian dress in a navy print for $138 from Anthropologie is floaty for dancing and eating paella under the oak trees. Belt – A basic leather belt from…

Inspired by Holman Ranch, I put together an idea board for a Spanish-themed wedding in Carmel Valley. This is the kind of event that I love to attend: unfussy with a focus on excellent food, a beautiful setting and a few memorable details.  This wedding makes the most of the Spanish-colonial style of Holman Ranch,…

You’ve seen how pretty Holman Ranch looks by day – now let’s take a tour of the historic ranch in Carmel Valley at night. When Rob and I first arrived, it seemed like we had the whole place to ourselves. The barn was set up for dinner, but there was no one around. We explored…

Earlier this month, Rob and I were invited down to Carmel Valley to spend the night at Holman Ranch. To start, let’s talk about the setting: Carmel Valley is tucked up in the hills 20 minutes from Carmel-by-the-Sea, full of vineyards, oak trees and ranches. Holman Ranch started out as cattle land in the 1880’s.…