All That Rubbish

VLV January 2012 Wk 2 Sketch : Happy Birthday, Marisa!

2012-02-01T06:00:00.002-07:00

Now that the recipient finally has this card, I figured I could post it =) This was Marisa's birthday card that I sent earlier this month (albeit late since I had been obsessed with using a certain sentiment that we both love - the Happy Birthday Plain Jane from Verve. For the life of me, I've searched high and low for it and still haven't found it, so I placed my new order today.

The sketch was a fabulous one that Andrea came up with - January's VLV Week 2. It was challenging for me, but I think it worked. I knew I could include some green since we're both lovers it. =) A seam binding bow, some half pearls, a button, twine, nesties and rhinestones, plus embossing and edges from a recently purchased MFT Open Bracket Border and this card was done!

I survived my snowboard lesson last night....and signed up for another half marathon - the Edmonton Police Foundation Half Marathon on April 29th. Guess it'll be a good way to celebrate turning 31 just five days before =)

Plus then I'll have a second half marathon out of the way in time to start concentrating on cycling for my 2012 MS Bike Tour. Oh the fun to be had this spring/summer!

VLV / PDCC116 : Happy Birthday

2012-01-31T18:46:00.002-07:00

Just a quick post in time to get this card in for The Play Date Cafe's Challenge #116. I used the Viva La Verve January 2012 Week 3 sketch as my other source of inspiration...as well as my new stamps & dies, which arrived today! YAY!

Now it's off to snowboarding for this little would-be snowbunny.

Sisterhood Challenge : Stripes / VLV Jan 2011 Wk 1

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Inspired by my Sistahs in The Sisterhood of Crafters and our current challenge of using striped paper on our creation, I really went to town with the stripes! I also figured the VLV Jan 2011 Wk 1 sketch worked perfectly for a manly card since I have a coworker's birthday coming up in February. Alas, this card was born!

There's definitely stripe overload on it...but I think he'll like it. Plus it's relatively clean & simple, which is both tough and easy for me. I love adding embellishments, but I'm never sure what really works for me.

Anyways, I'm happy to report that my second snowboarding lesson was last night (technically the third, but I bailed on the -40 weather a week ago) and I still have no broken bones or really wicked bruises. That's not to say there was less falling....don't get me wrong. I just land a little more gracefully for the most part, even managing a flip last night near the bottom of the hill ;)
This is a long short week at work and I'm sooo looking forward to a few days off with lots to do, but nothing officially booked! And it's back to running after two Sundays off. YAY!
Don't forget to show us your striped creations at The Sisterhood!

Happy Wednesday, everybody!

Warm Wishes : Sisterhood Challenge & JUGS Sketch 118

2012-01-11T06:00:00.002-07:00

Using the Just Us Girls 118 - Sketch Challenge as the basis for this wintery little number, which is on it's way to my grandparents, I created this card for The Sisterhood of Crafters' Let It Snow challenge. The idea: create a winter themed card or project.

My little Verve mitts were perfect. PLUS, I got to use my previously unloved scalloped edge nestabilities. I really wanted to try this faux embossing technique, so I cut out three kraft snowflakes as the 'squares' in the sketch. Yep - this was a big stretch for me, as I'm usually a rule follower to the enth degree. Alas, I'm trying to branch out ;)

Also, up until yesterday, it's been so nice here that I've had a hard time doing much in the way of wintery crafts. I mean, when you're +8C in January, you're doing pretty good! Unless, of course, you're looking to haul your friend out to the countryside for a little XC skiing and there's no snow in sight. Then you're just darn outta luck. But it's now supposed to be about -13 today, so we're well on our way to frosty cool and hibernation mode. ;)

I started my snowboarding lessons last night. Let's just say I think I may have underestimated what I was getting myself into after my two hours of riding last time. I fell on my butt so much that I actually stayed seated a couple of times when I was doing up bindings for a bonus second or two just so I could chill the impending bruise. Now I know how MrP felt last time!

Oh well - Happy Wednesday everybody!

Celebrating You : Mojo Monday Sketch 222

2012-01-06T06:00:00.003-07:00

Well I knew I'd be needing some birthday cards for this month, so I used the Mojo Monday Sketch 222 to get started. I wanted to create a golden creation, having been inspired by the new ribbon I picked up at Michael's.

I used some liquid pearls, gold embossing powder, gold paint pen, some of my yet-unloved copics (I was hoping for a paler shade of green, but this was the lightest I had..in hindsight, maybe a SU marker would've worked, too) and some pearls to highlight this creation. I also added a little sparkle with a glitter pen to the inside of the flower.

I was also able to use up some papers from my collection. Yahoo!

The sentiment is the title stamp from Celebrating You and the flower is from Love's Flower, neither set of which has seen enough love on this blog (in my mind anyways).

Have a wonderful Friday! Tonight I'm off to The Keg with my mom and MrP to help use up some gift cards she received over the holidays. Sweet deal for us =) Speaking of sweet deals...I had told MrP that I was craving salad for supper, so what does he do? Rocks my world with an amazing feast of warm, fried goat cheese coins on a bed of spinach, apple & walnut salad in an apple cider vinaigrette. SPOILED!

Big Wish : Another November VLV Sketch

2012-01-05T05:59:00.000-07:00

Apparently another creation I didn't share - not sure if that was a photo issue as well or because it was due around the time that I mailed it and I didn't want the recipient to see it. Either way, it's long overdue and she's got it now!

Such a fun sketch, but I really struggled with it. Finally, I went with a stamped kraft background and used up some versamarked/hologram embossed dots that I'd created ages ago. The colors were inspired by the designer paper of the other card I created at the time (yesterday's post).

The highway to get to work yesterday was a complete gong show, so I'll be leaving early today and hoping there's been no more freezing rain since last night when I got home from spin. Off to use up another Hot Yoga class tonight - I believe that'll leave me with 9 remaining to be used by the 23rd.

This Saturday, Chelsey and I are attempting to make French Macarons in a class. I can't wait! I love eating them, but they're notoriously difficult according to most. Now to find myself a cute apron to wear during class ;)

Happy Thursday!

Happy Birthday!

2012-01-04T06:02:00.000-07:00

Just realized that I never posted this card from the VLV November Week 1 challenge. Why? I think because the crooked photo was driving me crazy. Not crazy enough to retake a photo before it made it's way to it's home, though. LOL! Alas, it's imperfect, but I like it anyways...because I'm not perfect ;)

This card used up some of my favorite old SU! designer series paper and I always love being able to use up some felt in the form of a sweet little flower! Pretty clean and simple considering some of the stunning creations by the Verve Divas for the sketch =)

I hope your new year has started off well. I've been visiting the hot yoga studio a lot lately, but not as a new year's resolution - I had 13 visits to make before the 23rd of January to use up before they expire. What a healthy (and happy) coincidence! The only problem, of course, is that the resolutioners are out in droves and it's driving me a little crazy!

Oh well - as my Grandma always says, "This, too, shall pass."

Happy Wednesday!

It's a New Year

2012-01-01T10:00:00.001-07:00

And I just want to take a moment to reflect on the year that's passed and all that's happened, plus recognize those things and people that I am grateful for. Looking at my posts from 2011 for my favorite cards, I was also struck by what a fantastic year it was for MrP and I. With trips to San Francisco, Napa and Chicago, it was definitely a memorable one. On our drive home from Red Deer on Christmas Eve, we were even reviewing our favorite parts of the year.

My biggest personal achievement this year was this: I started training for and completed my first half marathon. Not only did I do it, I beat my anticipated finish time by about 16 minutes. I don't expect it'll be my last ;)

But some of the greatest times this year were brought on by other people...my friends and family. To be sure, MrP made this an unforgettable year and for him, I am completely grateful. I can't even begin to describe how much I love him and our relationship.

My friend Swillsey and I had some awesome volunteering experiences to end the year, our gifts to each other being those of time well spent, helping others and I love that she's so giving like that. Also, the fact that she showed up to take pictures of my half...well that just meant the world to me.

My fitness buddy, SB, completed the half training with me and was a huge source of support and inspiration through it all for which I am utterly grateful. I'm not sure I would have finished like I did without her.

RunnerJen got me through the long Sunday runs when SB was working and I just needed someone to keep me going. I'm in awe of her ability to make people feel like they can do anything. Plus, a super sweet gift for Christmas - photos that she took of our runs together - was very appreciated.

Joc is courageous and sweet, witty and inspiring and she's got me running into the winter months, having agreed to train with her for Vancouver (although I'm thinking I'll likely run Red Deer's half marathon with SB the weekend before instead of Vancouver).

Chelsey is my super crafty bestie who gave me the single coolest gift this Christmas, spoiling me rotten, that really did blow me away. She created the advent calendar seen below...

and for every day, there was a gift bag to open. In a year that MrP and I chose to not exchange gifts, somehow, our tree was ~~overflowing~~ underflowing (?!) with gifts. The crazy thing was the timing of them as I opened. I had one day where I had a nail file on my list of things to pick up at the store and what did I open that morning? A seven way file, perfect for my exact needs! There was a Starbucks gift card, socks, chocolates and even one of my favorite treats that I'd gotten a raw deal on a Halloween - Sour Patch Kids. It truly was a glorious thing, to wake up every morning to a little surprise. It really made my crazy busy month something to look forward to and I can't wait to return the favor sometime!

Speaking of our tree - I don't think I shared a photo of our 7.5' - 1,300 light beast that is the bane of MrP's existence. He wanted blue, green and purple lights (don't tell him they look pink!)...and LOTS of them, so after buying individual strands, he sat for about three evenings, restringing the strands so they had the correct sequence. PLUS, the green bulbs were a different brand that we ordered from the US, so he had to swap out all of the bases for the bulbs on those strands. It was a heck of a process and now he basically despises having to pull out the tree every year, but man is it a spectacle (I think).

But I digress. I was talking about the people who've made this year what it was...and that includes YOU. I'm so grateful to have me so many amazingly talented, kind hearted and genuine people through this blog. I had, at one point, decided to shut it down, but it's the friends I've made along the way who are non-judgemental, sweet, giving and so full of inspiration that have kept me going.

To all my friends, I look forward to sharing in your times of challenge and celebration in the upcoming year. May yours be filled with love, laughter, health and friendship!

A Year In Review

2011-12-31T07:50:00.000-07:00

My wonderfully talented and sweet friend Karin is hosting a Year in Review Blog Hop to highlight some of our favorite creations of 2012. Turns out, I did more crafting than I thought I did! In no particular order, here's some of my faves from the year.

If you'd like to play along, check out Karin's blog for the details. Entries end today for a chance to win some great prizes!

At this time, I'd like to thank you for your support over the last year and wish everyone a very happy, healthy and craft-filled new year!

Black, White & ... : Sisterhood of Crafters Challenge

2011-12-28T06:00:00.002-07:00

This week's challenge at The Sisterhood of Crafters is a color one...black, white and ...pick your color. I guess technically, I cheated since I do have two colors, but I hope they'll forgive me. The red was intended as the third color (a dominant, sparkly one!)

Yesterday MrP and I enjoyed another full day off together even though between him and my mom being sick on Christmas day, I'm now finally catching their darn colds. Hoping another good workout tonight on the bike will kick it's butt! At least the sweat will be good for my soul =) We picked up some gear to hopefully start curling in a league in January and I snagged some good deals on compression socks and thermal running tights. I agreed to train with a friend for a May half marathon, so I better hop to it.

Today, we're working a half day (as well as tomorrow since MrP got called into work for meetings), but I'm grateful for some rest time, as well. We're hoping to get through Season 4 of The Wire before our regular tv shows kick in again.

Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday! Check out The Sisterhood to play along with our color challenge =)

Nesties Storage

2011-12-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

I've been working on this project for a little bit, but finally finished it up today, so I wanted to share. This is how I'll be storing my nesties. It was easy, affordable and can be hidden by switching the side of the door that it's hanging on (which happens to be our server/storage room door that is also in my craft area)

It was easy to create with a sheet of corrugated plastic from Home Depot (to ensure it was light weight), over the door hangers (also from Home Depot) and some rolls of magnetic tape from Canadian Tire (I'm sure Home Depot carries those, too, but I hate that store, so when it was just me shopping, I went to Canadian Tire. Is it just me or does Rona make more sense?! Apparently Rona was designed by/for women and Home Depot was designed for/by men, so I've heard).

Anyways, it's a fast & easy storage for my addiction and I thought I'd share in case anyone else has a Cuttlebug folder overflowing with nesties! HAHA (Note: I also have one more row free - as MrP pointed out - so I can buy more. I think that was encouragement?!)

I went to the gym and avoided shopping today. Hope your Boxing Day was a good one, my fellow Canadians ;)

Second Annual Calendar Project

2011-12-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

Last year, I did up this calendar for Chelsey and just into December, I realized I should have gotten on a new calendar earlier in the year to save my sanity. LOL! Somehow, I did get it done (albeit quite last minute). Once again, I think January is a fave of mine. It's an almost all Verve calendar with tiny bits of Taylored Expressions, Papertrey Ink and The Cat's Pajamas =)

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!

Sweet Sunday Sketch : Spread Your Wings & Fly

2011-12-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

Inspired to use the Sweet Sunday Sketch 148 as the layout for a little congratulations creation (my friend just got a promotion), I pulled out some of my favorite retired designer series paper and whipped up this card for her.

This was the first time I'd ever inked up tis butterfly. How did that even happen?! I'd used the smaller one, but apparently not the larger one. Bizarre!

This last week has been a little crazy around our place, as I'm sure it has been for many others. Swillsey and I did some Santa's Anonymous deliveries on Saturday last weekend and then wrapped gifts for donations to the Youth Emergency Shelter Society on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Add in a Cyclefit class on Wednesday to rock my world and it's been a great, busy, but rewarding week. Even with the 'wrapping Nazi' that we worked for. We did determine, however, that we're going to have our own "Rapping Wrappers" evening next year where we'll wrap the gifts for each other while listening to some good rap tunes. Might even put it out there for our friends & family - we'll wrap for a donation to YESS (but then we don't have to deal with cranky little elves!)

I do, however, know that Chelsey unwrapped one of her gifts, so I'll share that soon. Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a wonderfully healthy, happy and crafty New Year!

Karin CASE: Winter Wonderland

2011-12-19T11:26:00.001-07:00

My super talented blog buddy, Karin, sent me this Christmas card and I knew I had to CASE it. With a need for even more Christmas cards than I had started, I figured these would be easy to mail, but still lovely...hopefully! I created the first one (farthest right, I believe, in the image below) and wasn't in love with it, so I left it. But when I went back to check on the liquid pearls, it had grown on me, so I created the other three as quick and simple mailable cards.

Here's Karin's beauty

And one of my CASE attempts

And here's the four attempts. While they took a little to grow on me (I instantly loved her color combo, but used Not Quite Navy and Bordering Blue on mine), I am now quite fond of these simple beauties. I used some liquid pearls on the tree branches to creat my own little 'snow' bundles and add some sparkle.

The tree image is one Chelsey gave me from Gina K's Tree Silhouettes.

Thanks for the inspiration, Karin!

May Your Spirits Be Bright : Mojo 219

2011-12-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

With Mojo Monday 219 as a starting point and some more of my old Ski Slope Designer Series paper, I was even more thrilled to be using up some of the collection! The sentiment is the title sentiment from my new fave Christmas set, Bright Spirits. I added a little bling in the form of green half pearls to give a little extra "sumpin' sumpin".

Yesterday we booked my flight to Las Vegas a couple weeks before my birthday when MrP is there for a conference. This will be my first time back in Vegas since our honeymoon in 2006 and is, in fact, the first time I've ever actually looked forward to going there. I've been twice before and never loved it. In fact, I always say I hate Vegas (which is one of the top ways to annoy MrP since it was his honeymoon destination pick) In all honesty, we did have some good times there (saw O, visited the Secret Garden at the Mirage and the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay), but 7 days was WAY too long and on the Saturday night, I just wanted to stay in & rent a movie. =)

One full day with MrP, then two days of self indulgence....I can't wait!

Also booked us tickets to see CATS when the show comes to Edmonton in February. In addition to Winefest and Disney in Concert by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra?! Lots to look forward to in 2012. I hope your New Year is looking just as bright =)

Jingle Bells : Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #147

2011-12-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

Well it's a Christmas Challenge over at the Sisterhood of Crafters this week and I was in need of some hand crafted holiday creations, so I pulled up Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 147 and got to work. I loved the simple layers that gave me a chance to use some of my much hoarded designer series paper (I believe these are from Ski Slope).

Some more love for my newest Verve in the form of Bright Spirits. I sure do love these images and sentiments. Julee outdid herself once again! I finally found some use for the bundle of bells I bought, too. I love how Maureen & Marissa have been pumping out fabulous creations with them, but I haven't been able to swing it. Another hoarding experiment?! This card weighs (an almost) metric ton, but I love all the layers and hope the recipient does, too.

Check back with The Sisterhood for all of the fabulous Christmas creations this week. I'll be posting more of mine as the week goes on!

Joy: CASE Study #69

2011-12-13T06:07:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I've ever participated in a CASE Study Challenge, but I absolutely was amazed by the card Amy Sheffer created that was being featured, so I had to give it a shot with #69. I mean, even the CASE Amy did of her original card is phenomenal - check it out at the challenge! Plus, Maureen did such a lovely job CASEing it, I really was inspired. So here's the inspiration:

And this is my attempt at CASEing it. I used white paper and shimmery white paper, but they almost look like cream and white. I also embossed the one layer below the nesties - but with the script folder.

The ornament is from SU! and the sentiment (as well as the label dies) are from Verve. I'm completely in love with the new Bright Spirits set!

This card is on it's way to it's Christmas home now, but it was definitely one I was proud to be giving away. Who knew layers or white could look so spectacular? I'll definitley be giving this a go again. Thanks Amy for some spectacular inspiration! One day I hope my photos turn out that beautifully, too =)

Vervey Christmas

2011-12-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

A couple of quick & easy cards from the Stamp A Stack that Chelsey & I did. These two featured Verve stamps, so I thought I could get them entered in the Holiday Diva Dare before the end of the contest =)

The first used the SCS Sketch Challenge 359 and featured Glad Tidings, which is a holiday favorite. My new snowflake punches had yet to arrive (which they did yesterday!) I can't wait to get using them.

The second was just a quick & easy to mail card that worked with the ornament button that I wanted to use. The sentiment is from O' Christmas Tree.

I'm so glad it's my long weekend! Hopefully that'll mean time to clean & organize my craft area, as well as finish up my Christmas cards =)

I was blog surfing today and it ended up being quite expensive. Darn all of you inspirational stampers!

Packers and a Boat Tour - Last Days of Chicago

2011-12-05T15:53:00.000-07:00

On our way back to Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin (and another fabulous day of weather!) We were so lucky to enjoy such a warm streak, making both of our Packer games fantastic experiences.

Enjoying some Honey Weiss on the way to Green Bay

MrP enjoying the luxury bus

The one sign we didn't get a picture of last time around - for MrP's former fave player

Taking advantage of the festivities at the Tailgate Party at Brett Favre's Steakhouse

Shana & I with some G men

MrP & I at Lambeau Field

18" of comfort....and they're not kidding!

Love it! (The Vikings current QB is Ponder)

Enjoying the game

Clay Matthews (52) getting ready for the game (aka wetting the hair )
It's good to know he's not the sweat monger he appears to be once the game starts

MrP and The Packer Pope

A group of us from the Ultimate Fan Tour

On our last day (Tuesday), we took the advice of Shana & Jeff and headed over to check out the Architectural Boat Tour of the Chicago River.

Mallards on the river

Lake Point Tower, the only skyscraper in this direct area, the builders found
loopholes that were quickly adjusted before others could build in the area.

As we discovered, I'm not such a fan. I like some of the more art deco &
gothic style architecture like the Wrigley Building with it's clock tower

Kinzie Street Railroad Bridge

Batman Begins/Dark Knight anyone?! This is the old Chicago post office (left) that
functioned as the bank being robbed at the beginning of the movie.

Used to be one of the largest buildings in the world, Merchandise Mart
It used to have it's own zipcode and was only opened it's design showrooms to the public in 2010.

More my style!

MrP enjoys some modern buildings
I believe the mirrored one ahead was Trump's

Tallest building in the world with a woman-led design team, Aqua

Chicago skyline - it really was a beautiful day for a ride on the river
(which is no longer "Toxic", but now just "Polluted")

I hope to get back to Chicago one day soon! So much more to see, do (and eat!) =)

May Hope Sustain You

2011-12-02T05:46:00.000-07:00

Wel I was one card short of completing the VLV challenges for November, but as I was getting more and more tired this week, I got more frustrated and said "no point - I never win anyways - there's always someone better". On a Friday, I realize that's a crappy attitude and I'm going to go back to thinking positive. In the meantime, this was the card I created with the very scary Week 2 sketch.

The colors were inspired by the Autumn Vine designer series paper from SU! and I kept them quite clean & simple.

My Mom and Grandma get back from Costa Rica tomorrow and as is typical in December, my schedule is a gong show, but I'm looking forward to all that the most wonderful time of the year has to offer (unless it's the crazy wind that woke me up at 2:30 this morning).

Have a fabulous weekend! I plan to post the last of our Chicago pics at some point in the next few days, so stay tuned if you're interested.

Stamps: Forever in Our Hearts

Paper: Sage Shadow, Autumn Vine DSP, More Mustard, Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, Whisper White

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Ribbon, Button, Twine, Glue Dots, Nesties

Polka Dots Challenge

2011-11-23T08:41:00.001-07:00

I was a little slow on the challenge this week - I completed it at 4:30 this morning! Preparing Treat Exchange Invites, I went with this lovely Basic Grey Wassail paper that I purchased last year. Three different nesties, a button and to help closure and these were done! So easy peasy and quick to assemble for the 10 attendees.

Opened up! I just need to get my finishing touches inside the card with the details for the December 6th event. Chelsey & I attended a treat exchange six years ago and while we enjoyed the actual exchange, the treats were not of a quality that I wanted to repeat my attendance at the event (think pillsbury cookie dough, raw, as 'truffles'), so we chose to host our own! This is now our fifth year....tough to believe it's been that long. Mind you, MrP always makes a heck of a meal for us, so I continue to host =)

I'm so grateful for all of the people who continue to make this such a successful event. I only hope we can continue to keep it going!

Happy Wednesday, friends =)

Day 2 in Chicago

2011-11-22T16:15:00.000-07:00

Starting the day off right, we booked a walking food tour with Tastebud Tours, much like the ones we took in New York and San Francisco. This one, however, promised we would need a healthy appetite....and they weren't kidding. When you start off with two slices of Chicago deep dish pizza (which as it turns out features a heart stopping amount of cheese), you know it's gonna be one heck of a tour!

Pizano's for Pizza

Slice of Cheese and slice of Beef & Cheese

One of the purchased cows from Cows on Parade

Sarah's

A "Sarah's" Brownie (fudgey heaven!)

Palm Court - the Tea Room at The Drake
(one of the top tea rooms in the world)

Powder room of The Palm Court
Powder room at the Palm Court was in the finals last year for the best rest room in America

Individual facility

Powder room hall

Powder room wall

Seating for High Tea at the Palm Court

MrP outside The Drake

John Hancock Center

We saw a couple of weddings having photos taken at this church

Waterworks building that survived the Chicago Fire
(it's literally a giant holding tube to prevent flooding)

Downtown Dogs - an apparent Chicago staple

All beef vienna sausage on a poppyseed bun with relish, onions, tomatoes, slice of pickle, peppers, mustard and celery salt.
The coloring of the relish is an old tradition that is still used today. Way back when, they thought the relish looked unappetizing, so they added green dye. (and they think this neon green looks more appetizing?!)

Chowing down
(MrP was terrified. Heck, I was terrified. Turned out it's damn tasty!)

Another Chicago Fire survivor. They pressure washed most of the building, but left a bit of the spire to show the char.

Next on our tour was Heaven on Seven, a cajun restaurant (subsequently we went back there again to try their pecan pie)

Huge hot sauce collection (free dinner for two if you can bring in one the owner doesn't have)

Gumbo (DELISH!) and Jambalaya (also very tasty!)

Funny hot sauce

with and even more hilarious description

Billy Goat Tavern

Tour Guide, Annalynne giving us the story behind the Cheezborger

Cheezborger at The Billy Goat Tavern

Love that architecture!

Outside of The Chicago Tribune features stonework from buildings around the world

Loved the look of The Allerton Hotel's second floor

Faces at The Allerton Hotel

Dessert at The Allerton Hotel (their pastry chef is amazing!)

End of Tour Photo with Annalynne

United Center

Mitika statue

Hull statue

Growing up, MrP loved Michael Jordan

Madhouse on Madison getting ready for some hockey

Ready to cheer on the Oil (while expecting a 6-1 game for the Hawks)

A whole lotta history!

Gametime, baby!

Retired numbers of some of the greats

RNH (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) - seriously looks like he's 12 on the ice with the big boys!

Madhouse is right!

The Bulls also play at the United Center

The 'boulin Wall (or sieve as was the case that night)

We got very tired of hearing Chelsea Dagger, as catchy as it is, it's tough to hear six times!

MrP and The Math Genius(as we deemed him)
from Medicine Hat, who's getting his PhD in Economics at Northwestern

All in all, a fantastic time. I'll more pics up soon (MrP is on me to get them up!) But now all I can hear is Chelsea Dagger in my head....

The Windy City, Baby!

2011-11-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

Well we arrived in the Windy City, aka Chicago, on Friday, November 11th and it's been quite a visit thusfar. The flight was pretty quiet, I thought, despite my boss's comments about his flight into Chicago being the worst turbulance he'd ever experienced.

Room @ Marriot

Checked into our room at the downtown Marriot on the Magnificent Mile and joined our fellow Ultimate Fan Trippers in the lobby for a meet & greet cocktail hour, which turned into a bit of a gongshow, finishing up at a jazz bar.

Shanna & Jeff - another couple on the trip

Saturday, we walked around, making our way to Twin Anchors for lunch, which was used in the Dark Knight as a bar location. The two mile walk allowed us to discover some of the beautiful downtown architecture and landscaping. It's such a pretty city.

Along our walk

Walking nerd

At Lincoln Park, we discovered these squirrels, who were the most giant squirrels we'd ever seen. They were the size of small cats!

Attack of the killer squirrels

This beautiful building is actually an old public works site!

We walked late into the afternoon, eventually dropping off our purchases from the north of our hotel and making our way south of the hotel to the river.

MrP at the river

Evening cityscape

Home of the Chicago Tribune

We made our way over to graham elliot for supper. With a very cool, casual atmosphere (the servers all wear jeans, welcoming patrons to do the same), we really enjoyed our evening, despite a few pairing misses, which included a wine that smelled like a tawny port, but tasted like.....yuck!

Cheddar Rosemary Gourges

Happy with his Whisky Sour
(My tasty, beautiful cocktail was a "Pillow Talk")

Amuse bouche
dill, roe, custard, pickle

crab with celery, nasturtium, pomegranate, verjus
paired with 2009 andre et michel quenard jaquere, chignin, savoie

It's tough to upscale a caesar salad, which is such a traditional, obvious choice for a salad option, but Graham Elliot has managed to do it! The crispy, warm crouton was filled with mascarpone and was an absolute joy to eat! (...the anchovy...not my fave, but tolerable) Kudos to the chef for such a brave (and tasty) choice!

caesar with romaine, brioche, parmesan, anchovy
same wine pairing as above

The pumpkin tasting was intended to be like eating pumpkin pie...in the form of a soup! There was crushed up pie crust, spices, toasted pumpkin seeds, a dehydrated cranberry and a marshmallow.

Pumpkin (before)

Pumpkin after
paired with smuttynose brewing company "old brown dog" ale, new hampshire

lobster with rissotto, mushroom, urchin, samphire
paired with 2009 albert bichot "1st cru les vaillons" chardonnay, chablis

canape
eggplant, caponata, porcini, guanciale

swordfish wiht chorizo, paella, saffron, fennel
paired with 2006 domaine de monbourgeau "l'etoile" savagnin chardonnay, jura

This was my 'unhappy' pairing. The earlier wines were not ones I would likely go out and buy on their own, but they paired well with the food. This wine was much the same, but it's an unfiltered French wine that smelled like port, but did NOT live up to the tasty fragrance. It did, however, cut through the richness of the swordfish, which was what the pairing was intended to do, so we powered through ;)

scallop with popover, clam, parsley, salsify
paired with 2003 marcel deiss "burg" field blend, alsace

The riesling that was paired with the scallop was the first wine that I thought I'd actually buy - the sweetness paired beautifully with the saltiness of the scallop....so yummy! Of course, we can't actually get it in Alberta. HAHA

MrP's fave (NOT!)
A tea/mushroom broth blend meant to prepare you for the featured mushrooms in the hen dish

hen with maple, matsutake, kale, pine
paired with 2009 george descombes gamay, morgon

wagyu with marrow, egg, potato, watercress
paired with 2006 benegas lynch "libertad vineyards"
cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, petit verdot, pomerol

We then had an intermezzo of apple cider hot toddy (DELISH!) It looked much the same as the broth, in a super cute cup...but was much more MrP friendly. MrP also asked a couple of times about the giant plates and the chef's aversion to the middle of the plate. The wait staff said he wasn't the first to question the antics of the kitchen ;)

bitters with citrus, spice, gentian, anise
paired with manhazerac

chocolate with caraibe, ivoire, nib, coconut
paired with gonzalez byass "noe" 30 year pedro ximenez jerez

We truly enjoyed our visit to graham elliot and would definitely recommend it. We sat next to a couple from Minneapolis, who were a little chatty, and when I used the washrooms near the end of our visit, one of the staff inquired if we'd enjoyed our evening, as they were concerned about the chattiness of our neighbors disrupting our evening. Not to be concerned, though...we much preferred them to the table next to us at Meadowood! LOL

Today, we've booked a walking food tour (a last minute addition to the trip, as we decided to look into it as we walked yesterday) and will later enjoy the Blackhawks/Oilers game. In the meantime, happy Sunday - GO PATRIOTS GO!

Giving Thanks

2011-11-09T06:00:00.017-07:00

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge this week is Giving Thanks...and that's exactly what I wanted to do with this card. I used the Splitcoast Sketch 357.

I had some old SU! designer paper that I love for call cards, so I used that and some twine, plus one of my favorite leaf stamps from a SU! set called Autumn Splendor. I just love how rich and true to life the stamps are, but I dislike cutting them out. HAHA!

The sentiment was from a set that I'm pretty sure my sweet blog buddy Karin gave me a while back.

Happy Wednesday!

Birthday Cheer

2011-11-07T08:41:00.001-07:00

I found inspiration this time around in the Viva La Verve October Week 5 sketch (who wouldn't?! It's fabulous!) I had to make a card for my mother in law's birthday so I knew I could make it a big, fun 5.5" x 5.5" card. I just love the patterned papers in this set (I think it was called Berry Bliss) and have managed to not use them all yet despite my best efforts at reducing my patterned paper.

I have a huge stash of Purely Pomegranate paper, plus I had purchased two rolls of this satin ribbon, so I'm still going strong with it (plus, I find I'm a little stingy) The cake from Big Wish was stamped in Versamark and embossed with Irridescent Ice, then just a few touches of color were added. Makes it a bit difficult to see much other than the flower and candles, though unless you look *really* hard.

This is promising to be a fun filled, but (as usual) busy week. I'm looking forward to flying out to Chicago on Friday, though, for our Ultimate Fan Trip. I'm hoping the Oilers can make a good showing at "The Madhouse on Madison" and then aiming to see the Packers continue their current win streak.

In the meantime, though, The Sisterhood of Crafters has a challenge coming up on Wednesday that I'm happy to be participating in, so be sure to pop by ;)

Have a great day!

Stamps: Verve Wish Big

Paper: Purely Pomegranate, DSP, Close to Cocoa

Ink: Purely Pomegranate, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery

Accessories: Pink Rhinestones, Purely Pomegranate Ribbon, Nestabilities, Sticky Tape, Versamark, Irridescent Ice EP

Hope Big!

2011-11-05T00:00:00.000-06:00

Using Moe's VLV Oct 2011 week 3 sketch and the ColorQ Challenge 109, I created this card for a family member who's back in the hospital after almost 10 years in remission with a secondary cancer. I hope the bright colors will add some pop to the hospital room...and my next card for her will feature her fave - PINK!

I used some of my newest Verve - Tag Time and my PTI flowers for this one. Also used a little edging and fabulous seam binding, which is always great for bows. The buttoned up flower was glimmer misted to allow for some distressing (and sparkle).

I hope she likes it - I figure the best way to honour her is to live my life to it's fullest since I know it's what she wants, but I also know it'd touch her heart to get one of my cards that she always loves.

Anniversary Wishes

2011-11-04T17:20:00.001-06:00

Inspired by the CR84FN Color Challenge 41 and the Viva La Verve October Week 4 sketch created by Charmaine, I whipped up this card for friends celebrating an anniversary next week. Hopefully she doesn't check on here before it arrives, as she was following along with my vacation. {Hi Rose!}

I just adore the heart in the You and I set, so I inked it up in So Saffron along with a sentiment from Love Story.

In an attempt to keep the card relatively mail-friendly, I stuck with buttons and a touch of bling. The hearts are colored with a Spica pen, too, so they shimmer.

Color wise, I stuck with Baja Breeze, Basic Gray and So Saffron. I know Baja isn't exactly steel blue, but it was the closest I had to the color. LOL
Supper with friends tonight - so much fun to look forward to this weekend. Happy Friday everybody!

The Restaurant at Meadowood

2011-11-03T21:38:00.003-06:00

The Restaurant at Meadowood (AKA - the other Michelin 3 Star in Wine Country)

Walkway to The Restaurant

The Restaurant at Meadowood

MrP at the start of the evening

"Pillows on a Pillow"
Cheese Filled Heaven
that was served on a pillow

Frozen Radish Shoots with Iced Gelee
(another "wish we'd written it down moment)

Clam with spinach, then lightly "breaded" before being baked
(hard to describe, but tasty!)

Goat Cheese Custard with Chives and Caramelized Onions

Fresh out of the oven Pain au Lait with
cream butter that featured floral petals within

TannyP and MrP's First Course
Crescenza Agnolotti with Broccoli, Bantam Egg, White Truffle Nage
paired with a Chassagne Montrachet White Burgandy Chardonnay

Fresh Baked Sourdough Roll

TannyP Second Course
Cobia in Kale Ash with Pumpkin, Gastrique of White
Soy and Maple, Quince paired with a Cold Heaven Voignier

MrP Second Course - Butter Poached Veal Chop with assorted
Roots and Tubers paired with a Vietti Barbera D'Alba

Wines paired with Cheeses

MrP Third Course
La Jeune Austise with textures of Apple, Herb Ash,
Sassafras Honey paired with a Terre de Rouge Muscat

TannyP Third Course
Abbaye De Belloc with Pear, Macadamia Nut,
Nasturtium paired with a Rolly Gassman Alsace Reisling
(isn't this the coolest cheese presentation?! I
hope to find this and serve it at my next wine & cheese night!)

Bread served alongside cheese course

Palate Cleanser
Buttermilk Sorbet with Wheat Crisps
& Dehydrated Strawberry Meringues

Lubbers

TannyP Fourth Course
Pears from the Garden with Parmesan, Caramel, Rosemary
paired with a fortified wine (no picture or notes showing the wine or vintage)

MrP Fourth Course
Milk Chocolate with Burnt Orange, Maple, Pecan paired with a fortified wine (no picture or notes showing the wine or vintage)

Mignardises
Mint Cream Truffles

Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches
Mini Toast & Jam
served on living moss from surrounding forest

We felt compelled to try Meadowood after eating at various Michelin starred restaurants, including other three starred restaurants - The French Laundry, Daniel and Le Bernardin.

The meal was excellent, please don't think it wasn't... but truthfully the experience and food were better at some of the other places and if you really want to get MrP fuming, charge him $16 for still water, then another $12/pot for tea (which we each requested peppermint tea after supper - we could've easily shared a single pot, but they brought us one each).

Alas, we loved our visit to Napa and San Francisco and coming home to -4 weather was less than inspiring. The 23 bottles of wine did, however, inspire us to finally order a lovely wine rack, which MrP put together tonight. YAY! Unfortunately, we discovered our basement is a lot warmer (and less humid) than we thought, so we still may have to invest in a cellar (if you're reading this, MrP, I'm not opposed ;-Þ )

And so this finishes our trip....until we leave for Chicago on November 11th! In the meantime, I've got some craftiness to share.

Napa Valley Wine Train

2011-11-03T21:17:00.000-06:00

Due to some technical difficulties on our last day at the hotel in Napa, I wasn't able to get the photos uploaded from our wine train tour. Then we got home and I have no excuse...I was just plain lazy! Alas, MrP has requested that I get my poop in a group before he goes back to work so he can show everyone each day's worth of California goodness, so here goes:

Napa Valley Wine Train

Nerd on a Train
(I swear it's a movie title...)

View of Opus One

Heitz Cellar - we bought a bottle of their wine (and liked it) before we left.
It was recommended by a guy at the wine store (just another customer).

Another nerd on a train
(Vista Dome is where it's at!)

Boarding Pass & Menu
(And complimentary Mumm Brut)

Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese "Ravioli"

Grilled Sea Scallop & Prawn

Bread and the hand of God
(or MrP...whichever is more likely)

Trying to pull a MrP
Somehow it's just not as believable

Red & Green Apple Endive Salad

Grilled Canadian Salmon
(I just got it because it's Canadian!)

Beef Tenderloin

Up the stairs to the Vista Dome

One of the train cars

From the last car, looking out the back

The pair of us on the last train car

Handmade "Smore"
Chocolate tart with marshmallow

Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee

Anniversary Truffles
Supposedly they were Kahlua, but they didn't taste all 'coffee-ish' so MrP even had one

Celebrating Palmers

Engine of the Wine Train

Big ol' Engine

Napa River Inn (view walking back from Napa Valley Wine Train over the Napa River)
I've decided this is one of the most pathetic 'rivers' I've ever seen.
It has almost trickle spots where it's barely a stream.

It was a beautiful day on the train - and definitely a unique way to view wine country. MrP is fascinated by trains, so it was a good time had by all.

Happy Anniversary! Happy Anniversary! Happy Anniversary!

2011-11-03T20:46:00.000-06:00

Well it's Chelsey's anniversary so I had to drop this off at her house this morning (since it's too darn big to send in the mail - I love 5.5x5.5 cards, but they're a pain to make envelopes for).

And before you start with me, I do have posts for the last day of Napa getting it's final touches....I blame the wine (and flaky internet on the last day). It'll be up later.

Back to the aforementioned Viva La Verve Week 2 sketch. Like Marisa, I LOVED this one - thanks Teresa! So much fun to play with and the colors were a Splitcoast Color Challenge 347.

Anyways, I it was the first I'd gotten to use my jotted heart die, as well as inked up anything from my Small Phrases set. I also got some stitching practice, as well as twine bow tying.
Now I can't stop thinking about how much more I could do with this sketch and wanting to play with it - just like others!

Happy Birthday, Chels!

The French Laundry

2011-10-28T16:30:00.002-06:00

Prepared to head out to supper

Taking our Deerfield Ranch DRX to supper

Signature Laundry Pins

A half bottle of champagne to start the night
(chosen on their iPad wine list - an update from our last visit)

Michel Turgy, "Réserve," Blanc de Blancs, Mesnil-sur-Oger

Warm Gourges (Cheese Puffs)

Salmon Tartare with Creme Fraiche in Handmade Cones

"Oysters and Pearls"
"Sabayon" of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar

First serving of bread with Cowgirl Creamery Sweet Butter made for TFL
and a whipped, salted butter (MrP's fave butter on earth)

Chanterelle Mushroom Veloute
Nantes carrots, Cipollini Onion Marmalade, Coriander and Curry Creme Fraiche

Salad of Black Mission Figs
Fennel Bulb, Piedmont Hazelnuts, Arugula and 100-Year Aged Balsamic Vinegar

"Fish and Chips"
Sauteed Fillet of Mediterranean Rouget, Garlic "Palettes" and Parlsey Coulis

"Smoked" Fillet of Atlantic Cod
Littleneck Clams, Confit Potatoes, Celery Branch and Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette
(this was a play on New England Corn Chowder)

Sweet Butter-Poached Maine Lobster "Mitts"
Jacobsen's Farm Pears, Roasted Salsify, "Herbes Fines" and Lobster Broth

Bacon wrapped Devil's Gulch Ranch Rabbit Sirloin
"Musquee de Provence" Pumpkin, Brussel Sprouts, Cranberries and K&J Orchard Chestnuts
(You can't see it well, but this also had a rabbit kidney and featured a frenched rabbit chop. This is knife work at it's finest - something Chef Keller likes to feature -
highlighting the staff skills)

Wolfe Ranch White Quail
Sweet Peppers, Broccoli, Spanish Capers and Braised Pine Nuts

Snake River Farms "Calotte de Boeuf Grillee"
Baby Beets, Arrowleaf Spinach, Horseradish "Pain Perdu" and Aged Balsamic

Snake River Farms "Calotte de Boeuf Grillee"
Baby Beets, Arrowleaf Spinach, Horseradish "Pain Perdu" and Aged Balsamic
(MrP wanted a pic of his, too. - his best beef dish EVER)

"Comte Reserve"
Sour Cherry Clafoutis, Compressed Endive, Marcona Almonds, Arugula and Burgandy Truffle

Verjus Sorbet

Candied Cashews, Grapes and Mountain Mint

(This dish was designed to be a palate cleanser, following the beef - before dessert -
but could have easily been the showcase; the flavor of the sorbet was incredible.)

Caramelized White Chocolate "Namelaka"

Piedmont Hazelnuts, Toasted Oats and Black Mission Fig Sorbet

To celebrate our anniversary they also brought out out a Chocolate Wine cCke

"Pommes Anna"

Funnel cake, "Pruneaux d'Agen", Rum "Anglaise" and Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Mignardises

As a special treat, guests last night were also presented with an original French Laundry classic
"Coffee and Donuts"

consisting of a frozen cappucino semi-freddo with sugar dusted beignet.
They also provided their traditional caramel covered macadamia nuts.

MrP holding the copy of the menu heading into the French Laundry kitchen

Milton's (our main waiter - you can see his hand here) giving us a tour of the kitchen and explaining the various stations. Here is where the vegetables and fish(?!) stations.

Protein station, followed by Pastry (who are always the last chefs to finish up)

The two of us under the five stars of Thomas Keller

Wine Cellar

Chef Timothy Hollingsworth discussing next night's menu with one of his staff

Chef Hollingsworth
The one 'regret' we had of the evening was that we didn't even think to have our picture taken with him! LOL He was very humble (upon congratulations of their retention of the Michelin 3 stars, his reaction was "Thank you! It's definitely a group effort!"

Autographed menu
(he's even got an elegant signature!)

Parting Gift

Shortbread and the unfinished macadamia caramel chocolates

At the beginning of the evening, we were unsure of whether our second visit could stand up to the hype of the first, which was undeniably the best dining experience we'd ever had. After visiting Daniel in NY, we'd both thought they might have won for 'best food'. (Our first visit to TFL having been our first three star dining experience, we were still learning the ins & outs of what we enjoyed).

While there was really nowhere to go but down, somehow The French Laundry's staff managed to make this visit even better, outdoing themselves once again. The food was exquisite, the the service was spectacular and the experience was second to none. Still #1 in our books - in both experience and food,

(As a side note, I told MrP that had I died last night, it really would've been my perfect day - fabulous day of exercise, followed by the best meal of my life!)

Day 3 in Napa - Part One

2011-10-28T09:51:00.000-06:00

We figured it was only fair that The French Laundry gets it's own post - plus today's bike ride....it can stand alone. It was a solid, enjoyable ~22 miles of biking. If I'm honest, it was the one day in Napa that I had more say than MrP. It was one of my 'must do' things for Napa. He booked it, but I pointed him in the right direction (and today, I had the final say in which route we took - determining how long we rode). Yep, I'm a bit of a planning nazi. Whatcha gonna do about it?!

Anyways, we checked in at Napa Valley Bike Tours just after 10 this morning for our self guided tour (meaning they'd deliver lunch at 1 to a winery along our way with a picnic area - which ended up being the beautiful Clos du Val since we knew they had a lovely, scenic area). They also picked up any purchases made throughout the day.

Starting out our route North out of Yountville on a beautiful, quiet country road

I loved this gnarly tree - and MrP loved the longhorns

Welcome to Napa Valley indeed!
We actually cycled through the Yountville, Stag's Leap, Oak Knoll wine districts

Opus One has a pretty cool building - even from the service road street

Hello gorgeous!

MrP heads in to visit our first winery stop - Silver Oak

The Tasting Room at Silver Oak

A couple from Pennsylvania took our picture in exchange for me taking theirs

Fountain looking from Tasting Room into vineyards
(none of which are Silver Oak's)
Purchased a 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon - Palmer count: 21

Our second winery visit,
another recommendation from our cycling guides, Plumpjack Winery

MrP couldn't be serious for one shot after picking up a bottle of their Chardonnay
Palmer count: 22

Robert Sinskey Vineyards (crossing Silverado Trail was a bit challenging)

Tasting Room at Robert Sinskey

Sexy guy in bike shorts at Robert Sinskey
(AKA happy camper with a bottle of Zin being picked up for us)
Palmer count: 23

A second visit to stunning Clos du Val

but this time, it was to eat in their beautiful picnic area for lunch

Sandwiches, Apples, Water, Chocolates, Chips, Potato Salad for lunch

Enjoying lunch

I love hydrangeas and these were beautiful!
(MrP took my pic with these green ones rather than the pinkish ones that had a spider web among them)

We didn't stop, but rode past Trefethen Family Vineyards in our attempt to get to Chandon, then Elyse in time for our scheduled visit. We did enjoy the Trefethen wine with supper at The Cliff House, though.

What a day for a bike ride.

Here we are, cycling along

Making faces

And then the creep comes along and says "I'm gonna get you!"

So we stopped for a proper photo together

Domaine Chandon
We hadn't heard many complimentary things about the people working at Chandon,
but we had a great experience. Our tasting guy was playful, personable and gave "Canada"
an extra Signature sparkling wine glass (clean one for me, the one we used for MrP)

Beautiful grounds at Domaine Chandon
We did the Classic Flight to try the wines we knew we could get at home...
and discovered their classic brut is quite a tasty number. We'll pick that up at home!

Resting at Domaine Chandon

Redd - the restaurant by day
(since our visit was at 6:45 on Tuesday, we couldn't get a proper photo)

Since it was along the way, we took a few pics of the unassuming ex- Laundry

I can't wait to share our supper details...A-FREAKING-MAZING!

The French Laundry/Ad Hoc Gardens across the street from The French Laundry

More garden (there's little tags with the French Laundry logo indicating what's growing)

Elyse Winery, named after the daughter of the owner/winemaker
After trying their C'est si Bon and Cab Sauv Port at Redd, MrP had to try more.
They have a funny story about their brother label, Jacob Franklin

MrP pets the winery dog, an older Boxer genteman

Leaving with a bottle of C'est si Bon (It's so good)
Palmer count: 23

After our day of cycling, we headed back to the hotel for a shower, rest and preparation for our big night out. I feel like I should warn you - the photos were NOT great. The restaurant prefers no flash used (as is the case at most fine dining establishments), but were too nice last time to obviously tell us to turn the damn thing off. LOL

This time, we knew better, so our photos are not so amazing, but we met Chef Timothy Hollingsworth, took a kitchen tour and had an outstanding evening.

Happy 5 Year Anniversary, MrP!

2011-10-27T00:21:00.002-06:00

Well today was the day. Five years ago, we tied the knot in La Jolla (San Diego), California and this year, we're back in CA for another visit. I must say, MrP really knocked it out of the park with his planning of our visit to Napa. I was in charge in SF, but Napa was his baby...and he's been 5/5!

We started with our Sweetie Pies bakery breakfast to ensure we'd have energy for the day.

(Oatmeal, Scone, Low Fat Oatcake, Tea, OJ & Egg/Bacon English Muffin)

And when this is your view as you eat...it's a great morning!

On the way to Calistoga....check out the McMansion in the hill!

Our first visit of the day, Chateau Montalena.

Sound familiar? They're the ones who really put California wines on the map.

Have you seen Bottle Shock? It's the story of the infamous blind Paris wine tasting of 1976 where the 1973 Chateau Montalena Chardonnay beat the French wines.

Their chateau is GORGEOUS!

And the ponds are nothing short of fabulous either

A pair of satisfied customers who left with 2 more wines. We even had a bonus tasting, as they were celebrating the 35 year anniversary of their win, so they had opened up some of their reserve library wines - today's was a 1984 Chardonnay. If we'd been there last week we could have snagged a bottle of our own, but sadly only two bottles of the nine they took out remained and they were opened for tastings this week. Sad face. Nonetheless it was incredible (and we're not typically Chardonnay lover's to begin with)!

Palmer count: 13

No moping for us, though - it was off to SolBar for our lunch reservation.

MrP tried a glass of the 2010 Turley Cinsault El Porron from Lodi

I had the Sex in the Valley - charbay green tea vodka, thyme, mint, cucumber & house-made lemonade

heirloom beet and citrus salad, avocado mousse, frisee, cara cara oranges

We went with the Lucky Pig - slow-roasted shoulder of long and bailey duroc pork, black sesame crepes, pickled pineapple, mongolian peanuts, lettuce cups and more.

It was a lunch to remember, that's for sure!

Our next stop? Our favorite winery! Deerfield Ranch Winery

As we drove over the bridge, we noticed these giraffes on the island in the middle of the Kenwood Marsh. It made me love the winery even more (I love giraffes, having fed them when we visited the San Diego zoo after getting married).

A Deerfield barrel (note the logo with the design of the mountain ranges)

Tasting in the Cave (23,000 square feet of caves)

Last of the grapes getting ready for separation

Fermenting Tanks (glycol cooled)

On the trail to the Winemaker's home (part of our private VIP tasting)

View from the back yard (note: does the range look familiar?!)

Luke Skywalker, the Jedi Knight (AKA Walker)

We forgot to snap pic's of the patio where we sat with P.J. (winemaker's wife) and sampled several terrific vintages from their library, but I did take this picture towards the end when we were sampling their 'Gold' dessert wine (so yummy). P.J. was lovely and a very gracious host; also even though it was the last day of harvest Robert Rex (winemaker) stopped to chat for a few minutes, which was fun. It was so beautiful and relaxing - it really was a perfect afternoon.

One of PJ's roses in her garden

PJ and I with our jointly-loved giraffes.

She promised to have a baby for me to adopt next time we visit so I could actually get it home without numbing shipping costs. I swear I'm not a giant - she's just TINY!

Happy Anniversary, Buddy!

Thank you for a fabulous anniversary day (and vacation)!

Final note: with another five bottles, we put the Palmer count to 21. Technically, two are dessert wines, so they count as 1 and we're taking a bottle of the Deerfield DRX to The French Laundry tomorrow, but we're still getting to the end of what we can bring home (max 24, of which we'll pay tax & duty on 20). Hopefully our bike tour tomorrow isn't as productive as the last couple of days have been! HAHAHAHA

Also of note - just for MrP's coworker - we DID have In N Out for supper on our anniversary. That's right. Burgers. Cuz that's how we roll! (He thought I was the driving force behind the Michelin starred restaurant visits, so I told him I'd be happy with an In N Out burger for our anniversary and I'm pretty sure he thought I was full of bologna.

Napa....aka If I lived here, I'd be an alcoholic

2011-10-26T21:41:00.001-06:00

I wish I was kidding, but it's totally true. If it was any closer for me, there'd be meetings.
As it is, I may have to hit up a foodnwine-anon meeting when I get home!

Since I was smart enough to get a spare yogurt for the travel morning and MrP wasn't,
he had a Tartine brownie for breakfast. Breakfast of champions?!

Along the highway back into San Fran (from the Airport) with our rental car

Crossing the famous Golden Gate Bridge

This may be the easiest crossing of a bridge I'd ever done since I just took pics looking ahead the whole way (I don't like bridges)

Finishing the bridge crossing

It was foggy once we crossed into Sausalito

Arrived safely at the Martinelli Winery despite calling to say we were going to be 15 minutes late for our tour. We were about 10 minutes from the winery when we realized that the GPS was still on mountain time and we, in fact, would be there about 45 minutes early, so we had time to grab some breakfast beforehand.

Here's Linda (from Boston - we both agree on the love of Tom Brady) with the little Jackass tank. The Jackass Hill Zinfandel (their top selling, priciest Zin) is produced entirely in this little teeny tiny tank, known as the Little Jackass. The best part of the wh ole "Jackass" story is that the youngest son was given this apparently impossible (60% incline) hill to farm and his family all laughed when he was doing it, saying "Look at that jackass, trying to grow wine on that hill!" and thus the Jackass & Jackass Hill labels were born.Wouldn't you know it, the impossible to farm areas became the most successful part of the entire family winery.

Aging barrels at Martinelli

Scenic view between the Winemaker's barn and the Aging barn

Cosmos on the hill just south of the Winemaker's barn
(apparently in the spring, it's overrun with tulips and is just as beautiful)

Leaving Martinelli

I would definitely recommend trying their wines. They don't do any blending and even between two of the Pinots that we tried in our tasting, the different fields make a HUGE difference. We're taking home 3 bottles.

On the way to Napa on Petrified Forest Road

We made a pitstop at the Petrified Forest to look around
but didn't have time to do the full walk

Lunch! This is genius....exactly what I like to snack on.
However, the sauce was a little sweet, so I'll stick with my fresh pineapple in cottage cheese.

Arrived for our Rombauer Vineyards pick up & tasting.

We did a tasting in Sherwood Park at a local wine shop with Alan, one of the winery's salesmen and he introduced us to their 2006 Zinfandel, which is no longer available. TEASE! We told him we were heading to Napa in October and would be interested in a magnum or whatever they could find of it if possible, so he made it happen. Seriously happy pair, we are!

They have a beautiful old vine Zin statue near the entrance of the tasting room

I made friends with Moose, the winery dog

Along the trail in the garden at Rombauer

Private garden entrance

Cave entrance at Rombauer

We took 2 bottles in addition to the six being delivered to our hotel.
(Palmer count: 11 bottles)

Finally, we left and headed for our hotel. We made one more stop on the way, though, as we weren't sure we'd make it to Clos du Val on our cycling tour on Thursday.

So we met Brenda from the winery, who took us through a tasting
(and included a bonus tasting for MrP since he was hoping to try their rose)
They have a beautiful setup and we were glad we stopped in.

MrP at the tasting room doors

Looking back to the main building from the road

Some grapes still remained when we left...with two bottles in hand.

(Palmer count: 13 bottles)

Checked into our room at Napa River Inn

Main building of the hotel
(we're in the Embarcadero rooms across the parking lot, along the river)

We walked around the area before heading out for our supper reservation at Redd in Yountville. The Michelin guide had just revealed their 2012 restaurant guide and we were glad to see Redd retained their star. However, in an effort to not impede on other diners' visits to the restaurant, we didn't use the flash for photos and they ended up lacking quite severely. Swillsey - don't judge the photos and my lazy Photoshop (lackof)skillz ;)

Even on the rare occasion he does dress up you can't take MrP anywhere.

TannyP's First Course - Yellowfin tuna tartare, asian pear, avocado, chili oil, fried rice, cilantro paired with a Napa Sauvignon Blanc (neither of us heard the winery or vintage)

MrP's First Course - Sashimi of hamachi, sticky rice, edamame, lime ginger sauce paired with a German Reisling (neither of us heard the winery or vintage)

TannyP's Second Course - Halibut, jasmine rice, clams, chorizo, coconut curry nage paired with 2009 Adi Rosé of Syrah

MrP's Second Course - Caramelized diver scallops, cauliflower purée, almonds, balsamic reduction paired with 2009 Alban Vineyards Viognier

TannyP's Third Course - Glazed pork belly, apple purée, burdock, soy caramel paired with 2008 Brewer Clifton Pinot Noir

MrP's Third Course - Crispy chicken thigh, butternut squash, brussel sprout fondue paired with 2006 Elyse ‘C'est si Bon’ Grenache

TannyP's Fourth Course - Beef tenderloin, marrow capped shortrib, fingerling potatoes, carrots, button mushrooms paired with 2006 Larkin Cabernet Sauvignon

MrP's Fouth Course - Lamb loin, ratatouille, arista puree, olive tapanade paired with 2007 Wind Gap Syrah

TannyP's Fifth Course - Maple crème brulee, poached pears, pecan biscotti paired with 2003 Topaz ‘Special Select’ Late Harvest (Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon)

MrP's Fifth Course - Chocolate & peanut butter beignets, bitter caramel ice cream, bananas paired with Elyse Cabernet Sauvignon Port

Mignardises - Salted peanut brittle chocolates and red velvet truffles

Finally, check out this awesome sink that I now want for our spare bathroom.
No spray and virtually nothing to clean.

Final full day in San Francisco

2011-10-24T22:07:00.001-06:00

Oh the sadness at the prospect of leaving San Francisco....but the excitement of all things full of fun that MrP has booked for us in Napa. He's my designated driver...and I'm the designated drinker. I have a feeling he's going to be taking a lot more photos of me this time around. Guess I better get my game face on and lose the anxiety over having my photo taken! Gotta learn to ham it up like he does so beautifully!

Today, it was time to use up a sweet Bloomspot deal I'd purchased ($15 for $30 worth of deliciousness at Elizabeth Faulkner's Citizen Cake).

Just outside the building

Starting off with some SF beer for me and some Rose for MrP

(yep - another common role reversal for us!)

Fine - take my picture while I'm not drinking

Deadpan face

Serious about good eats

Creamy tomato soup (might be the most tasty soup I've eaten)

MrP's Bacon Burger with Housemade Salt & Vinegar Chips with Ancho Ketchup

As you can tell, I hated my soup!

Desserts - I had a Sticky Toffee Cupcake

MrP had a Chocolate Chip Cookie and Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart

(Can you say CHOCOLATE FIEND?!)

A common occurrance in San Francisco...thought of Moe!

And picked myself up a little skinny caramel macchiato in honour of some friends ;)

We did a little walking around Union Square for some window shopping before heading East to Cliff House for supper. I found a fabulous pair of Cole Haan boots, but couldn't bring myself to spend the $$ even with the 25% off sale. I figured when MrP turned down his knife set at Williams Sonoma, which is 10x more practical than a pair of boots, I couldn't justify 1/3 of the knife price on a single pair of spring/fall boots. Alas, I'm still boot free.

A few clouds from our hotel room looking North up the hill on Mason Street

Cliff House for supper at Sutro's

Sunset View from Cliff House area (into Sutro Baths)

More Sunset photos from Cliff House

Sutro Bath Ruins

Sunset view from cliff side table

Bread (I suspect it was a Boudin Bakery creation?!)

We paired our seafood supper with a 2010 Trefethen Dry Riesling

Sweet Corn Soup

Dungeness Crab Cake Starter for MrP

Grilled Scallops with Prawn & Corn Tamale

Chorizo Wrapped Halibut with Clams & Celery

When we went to catch the bus back to the hotel, we discovered two of these little buggers playing in the dumpster & running around scavenging.

Finally, since we were the only people on the bus and I had a half a bottle of wine, we were a pair of posers. I leave you with these images...

MrP with his "creep" on - HAHAHAHA

And as usual, being a poser!

(of course, I did stick my tongue in his ear, so that might have been a bit of a surprise)

Tomorrow we're off bright & early to Napa, so it's time to hit the jacuzzi now for a final bit of relaxation in San Francisco =)

Have a wonderful evening!

Rough Day

2011-10-24T15:59:00.000-06:00

We were back at the hotel to get some pants for MrP since it was a little cooler than anticipated after lunch at Citizen Cake and I just had to share these two pictures...

You know it's been a rough vacation when you go from this...

to this...

within an hour!

Couldn't ask for more on Day 4

2011-10-24T10:42:00.002-06:00

Our fourth day started out like the last two - a cup of Fage yogurt, which I always see US food bloggers raving about - and I must say, we love it, too. It's thick and delicious and very protein-rich, which is a must for me!

Then it was off to the Exploratorium, which is a fun and friendly way to mix science into anyone's life. It's located at the beautiful Palace of Fine Arts, which really is a thing of beauty.

Palace Pond

Mallards (MrP loved 'em)

Inside the hologram triangle

This was the funniest thing....you had a wall in the middle and had to come up with a design, then describe it to the other person and see what they came up with. This was my turn...my design is at the bottom. Apparently I don't communicate well because MrP's is at the top.
(I think he intentionally did his own !)

This was MrP's turn to describe. (His is on top)
Apparently he's a LITTLE better at describing. LOL

The 'offensive' water fountain

(apparently a social experiment - people either find it offensive or love it)

On the bus to the start of our Gourmet Walk in Hayes Valley

Smitten Ice Cream - Fresh Mint with Tcho Chocolate Chips

The Kelvin Machines at Smitten
(four proprietary ice cream machines that use liquid nitrogen to make the ice cream)

Second stop on the Tour was Fatted Calf for Charcuterie

(I thought Connie deSousa of Charcut in Calgary would love this place!)

Sales counter

Charcuterie Plates

Orange Salumi, Cabernet Salumi, ~~a nasty one that I can't remember~~ Soprasetta (MrP's got a good memory for food), then Spanish-style Chorizo and Beef Jerky (plus olives)

Hayes Valley Farm in the heart of the city (supported by the city)

In 2012, 1/2 of the farm is scheduled for condos, which has always been known

True Sake, the first Sake only store in US

created by a guy from Ohio with the means & love of sake to do it

Next tasting stop - Frjtz for Belgian Fries

They had 10 different ketchups & mayos for tasting with the fries

Another Miette visit (this time in Hayes Valley),
but this time it was pistachio and coffee macarons

Check out those cupcakes - they called MrP's name

He skipped the macarons and went for the carrot cake cupcake

which he says was absolutely delish!

Next stop was Christopher Elbow for truffles

and boy did they have a selection!

We tried the Rosemary Caramel and the Salted Caramel

(I also picked up a fig & port and a passion fruit caramel to take home)

Things of beauty!

They remind me of Jacek Couture Chocolates at home.

Our second last stop was Arlequin for a cheese platter

A small taste of each cheese, some really delicious almonds and apples/grapes, paired with a dashh of a local Chardonnay and it was off for our final stop

Smuggler's Cove is a Tiki Bar of the best kind...
over 300 flavors of rum makes them the largest rum bar in the country!

~~I can't recall the name of this drink, but it started with a P~~ Pupule and featured some awesome spices. From their website: One of Donn’s earliest drinks from his Hollywood outpost, this is a well-spiced delight bursting with allspice, cinnamon, and vanilla, refreshingly lengthened with lime and orange, and aged Virgin Islands rum.This is a very celebrated bar, so if you get a chance, make sure to check them out!

We also enjoyed a Demerara Dry Float (Warning: This drink can lead you down a road to ruin. Only you decide how far to travel. Exotic fruits and rich demerara rum served with a side of danger.) and a Sidewinder's Fang (As it used to be at the legendary Lanai restaurant in San Mateo, a concoction of lime, orange, all natural passion fruit syrup, dark Jamaican rum, and our Silver Reserve rum. Beware this serpent’s bite!)

From Hayes Valley, we made the short walk (about 1.5 miles) to the Mission to visit Tartine Bakery for supper

We shared a Spicy Turkey Sandwich

Peppered turkey breast, provolone, broccoli rabe pesto

Pecan Pie and Macaroon

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

Check out that selection!

And while we were in the area, Bi-Rite Creamery
(which had a relatively short line, thankfully!)

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

A great way to finish up a day (and the start of a long way back to the hotel)

The day was a fabulous (albeit quite long one). MrP had sore feet and wasn't sure how I was standing (given my 5K run to start the day) but we had a great time! The next day is our last in San Fransicso and should be a relaxing one to finish up our visit =)