This Week’s Quote

 

{Image Source}

Your Napa Questions Answered

I’ve gotten a ton of questions about my trip to Napa last weekend regarding two specific things. The first question is whether or not the house we stayed in is a bed and breakfast or it can be rented out. Unfortunately, the answer is no. It is a private residence belonging to one of my friend’s family. It is such a beautiful, tranquil place and I wish you all could see it. The good news is that there are so many wonderful places to stay in Napa! We visited the Solage in Calistoga while in Napa and it looked so relaxing and was so well-designed. They even have some Nasa-designed chair that we were all dying to try! Apparently, you relax in it for 20 minutes and that is supposed to be equivalent to 2 hours of sleep. Erin of Elements of Style recently stayed at the Carneros Inn and loved it.

I’ve also gotten a lot of questions about the bag that I am carrying in this picture. It is from one of my favorite boutiques in Houston, a bientot. I really love it. I can carry it using the top handles like I am in this picture, it fits on my shoulder, and it has a long strap, so I can also wear it across my body. It’s big, but not too big. I was able to carry a bunch of magazines in it for my trip, which was great. The best part, is the fuchsia lining inside! Unfortunately, the bag is not on their website, but if you are interested, you can call and let them know it’s the big, black leather bag I carried in Napa.

 

I hope this helps! Thank you again for reading La Dolce Vita. I have the best, most supportive readers. What can I say? I’m a lucky girl! Have a great weekend!

Fabulous Room Friday 10.22.10

The wonderful Gwen Driscoll of the blog, Ragland Hill Social recently debuted a new interior design website showcasing her interior design portfolio. It is filled with beautiful, thoughtfully-designed spaces, my favorite of which is this charming little girl’s room. I love the combination of saffron yellow and lavender along with several accents that are reminiscent of the South for me: French-style tables and bulletin board, a fancy monogram, dramatic silk drapes, a crystal chandelier, and an elephant.

After last weekend’s activity-filled time in Napa, I am looking forward to being home and relaxing this weekend. Happy Friday!

 

{Image Credit: Gwen Driscoll Designs}

Kips Bay Showhouse and Gilt Home

{The landing, complete with a peacock blue sofa, seagrass wallcovering with nailhead trim, and a cane-print rug was designed by Robert Verdi and Deirdre D’Elia.}

Gilt Home has teamed up with the famed Kips Bay Showhouse this year for an amazing contest. Over the course of the next three weeks they will be updating the Gilt Home Facebook page with photos and videos as the Kips Bay rooms come together from designers such as Vicente Wolf, 2Michaels, and Jennifer Post. Then, on November 4, they will sell the furnishings from Kips Bay at an exclusive Gilt Home sale.

{The Kips Bay “Trophy Kitchen” designed by Eve Robinson}

Gilt Home fans on Facebook can enter to win a two-hour consultation with one of the featured Kips Bay interior designers and a $1,000 credit to shop at Gilt Home. To enter, simply visit their Facebook page and register for this unique opportunity.

{Noel Jeffrey created the glamorous master bedroom}

{The elegant master bathroom designed by Ed Ku and Etienne Coffinier features

hand-blown glass bubbles by Suzan Etkin.}

{Elizabeth Pyne of McMillen Plus designed this pale aqua and gold vignette.}

Special Holiday Ad Rate on La Dolce Vita

Ad space is currently available on La Dolce Vita and we are offering a special discounted holiday rate. On La Dolce Vita, you’ll share your business with your target audience and reach thousands of readers who love shopping online each day. The holidays are just around the corner and this is the busiest shopping time of the year!

For more details, please contact me at palomascontreras@hotmail.com.

A Whirlwind Weekend in Napa

I spent last Thursday through Sunday in the beautiful Napa Valley with some girlfriends. We had such a great time and I am looking forward to doing it again! We had the wonderful fortune of staying at this gorgeous home designed by renowned architect, Howard Backen. The home an location were so idyllic and I must say that the house was so thoughtfully designed and the place is completely charming. It was featured in Architectural Digest last year. We were only in Napa for a few days, but were able to do so much! We spent time shopping on St. Helena’s main street, visited with the locals, did a little wine tasting, and ate delicious food. {The Front Courtyard Looking Toward the Guest Cottage}

{Front Courtyard}

{Pool Area}

{Bocce Ball, Anyone?}

{View from the Master Bedroom…Does it get any more idyllic?}

{Part of the Kitchen / Family Room, Complete with a Rotisserie}

{Lovely Kitchen}

{The Dining Room Adjacent to the Kitchen}

{Erin Martin’s Showroom in St. Helena}

{If you know me, then you know I went bananas for this Greek Key table!}

   {I cannot say enough good things about Swanson Vineyards! I have an entire feature devoted to Swanson planned, but until then, I just have to say that this is a definite must if you are planning a trip to Napa. The tasting room is at once grand, elegant, and eclectic, the wines are marvelous, but more than anything, he Swanson Vineyards family (especially the doyenne, Elizabeth) is composed of the warmest, most welcoming people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in a very long time.}

{Our fun group included Kyle of Knight Moves, Shannon Wollack, me, Ashley Steen of Orchard 11, and Jeni who was taking the picture.}

We also had a wine tasting at Mai(s)onry, which is such an interesting space. They’ve combined a tasting room with an art gallery and a well-curated interior design boutique. They carry the exclusive Blackbird Vineyards label which produces excellent wines. This visit was also an incredible experience that I am planning to feature more about soon.

{From Left: Ashley, Maura, Shannon, Me, Kyle, and Jeni.}

As usual, everything I ate in Napa was out of this world! From a simple sandwich at Giugni’s on Main Street in St. Helena to dinner at Redd (pictured), I am always so impressed by the delicious seasonal cooking in this part of the country. On our first night in Napa, we had dinner at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen, owned by Cindy Pawlcyn of the famed Napa restaurant, Mustard’s. Everyone loved their food and the service was outstanding. On the second day, between tastings at Mai(s)onry and Swanson, we had lunch at Michael Chiarello’s Bottega, which is a new favorite of mine. Again, everyone loved their food and Chef Chiarello visited with us for a while. That night, we went to Redd, which is a personal favorite of almost everyone in the group. Their Heirloom Tomato Salad and Lobster Risotto are out of this world!

New Handbag Collection by Iomoi

I have long been a fan of iomoi and I am absolutely loving their new line of leather bags! The colors are fantastic: orange, navy, yellow, chocolate, and camel and the shapes are so classic. On top of all of that fabulousness, they can be monogrammed in gold (see navy bag below)! I wish I could see them in person!

{The Leather Parker Bag in Orange}

{The Leather Tote in Navy}

{This shot gives you a better idea of the tote’s size.}