Whirlwind California Weekend

I'm back from a fabulous weekend visiting my dear friend, Jeni and her family in Northern California. Our weekend was full of activities, yet it felt very relaxing, though it would be hard not to be relaxed in such a lovely setting. Jeni and her husband, Robbie were the most amazing hosts. They went out of their way to take me to some really great places and treated me like family in their gorgeous home. It was so fun to meet their sweet baby William who is almost fourteen months old now. He has such a fun personality and is a little flirt! I didn't take as many pictures as I thought I had and really dropped the ball by missing out on some great food and scenery shots. I must have been too busy eating! Every restaurant we went to had wonderful, seasonal California cuisine. It was so nice to spend the weekend with Jeni and Robbie and Fabian and I really hope that they will come visit us soon!

After Jeni picked me up at the airport, we headed to Ella Dining Room and Bar to meet Katie Denham of katiedid for lunch. Isn't the setting gorgeous?

The walls and ceiling are lined in reclaimed shutters in a lovely range of colors.

Katie and Paloma

It is always so nice to meet other bloggers and Katie certainly did not disappoint. She is absolutely delightful! Candid, funny, sweet, and incredibly talented...she was just as I thought she would be. She also has gorgeous hair!

Jeni, Katie, Paloma

Jeni loved this setee and the fabric it was upholstered in. Isn't it lovely?

Ella Dining Room and Bar

Next, Jeni and I ran a few errands and I had the chance to meet a few of her friends and neighbors who were all super nice. Afterward, we went to her house, which has gorgeous views from nearly every room.

Breakfast Room

The house was filled with so many lovely touches, like these pumpkins and beautiful flower arrangements. Not only is Jeni very thoughtful, she is also incredibly talented at creating gorgeous flower arrangements.

So Sweet

Jeni's to-die-for kitchen is bananas!

Family Room

Has anyone ever heard the term "keeping room"? Robbie was telling me that he has heard several people use the term in place of living room.

Beautiful Mirror and Flowers

Dining Room

I loved this mirror!

More Beautiful Views

Lovely Courtyard off the Kitchen

On Saturday, we headed up to Apple Hill for some fall fun. We visited the Rainbow, Inc Orchard where we enjoyed the most amazing, piping-hot apple donuts.

Robbie, Jeni, and William

Aren't they a gorgeous family?

Me and Silly William

Love him!

A Cool Eucalyptus Tree in Napa, where we spent Sunday afternoon.

Cute Shop in St. Helena

I loved these etched demijohns.

Aerial View of the Store

Next stop, Woodhouse Chocolates which carries an incredible array of beautiful and delicious chocolates.

Paloma and Jeni

The chocolates were divine!

Erin Martin's Showroom was so fun. Her style is eccentric and a little subversive.

Erin Martin Showroom

Coral Roses are very popular in Texas!

Pretty Flowers

Main Street in St. Helena

C'est moi!

Hendry Vineyard

Jeni and Robbie's friends, Chad and Allison went tasting with us. They were so sweet and were both really funny. They suggested we try Hendry Vineyard, a more low-key place which turned out to be great. The tour and tasting lasted two hours. George, the owner was a little long-winded at first explaining all of the ins and outs of winemaking, but I think the girls were all itching to go inside because it was absolutely FREEZING!

Jeni, Allison, Chad, Robbie

The tasting was actually really nice. The wines were great and George did a great job of explaining each wine and its complexity to us.

We tasted two wines at a a time and would observe weather a wine went straight down the tongue or if it spread to the sides. Then we would taste the first wine again after tasting the second to see how it had changed. It was actually quite interesting and George did a wonderful job of explaining the science behind winemaking to us.Tasting is free and you pour your own wine, which is relatively unheard of. If you're in Napa, you should definitely pay a visit to George and everyone else at Hendry Vineyard.