Creating a "Sunny Escape" for Our House Guests
Scott and I had the pleasure of hosting house guests for the long weekend. It was late summer and the weather was picture perfect for poolside lounging and some outdoor fun in Chico. My sister, Dorie, and her guy Michael, were up from Newport Beach for the weekend and I wanted to create a “sunny escape” for my special house guests. My first step is to prepare the guest room. Freshly washed linens, fluffy towels, candles and fresh flowers are a must. For this visit I added some lovely dark calla lilies to the mirrored bedside table.
Scott and I had the pleasure of hosting house guests for the long weekend. It was late summer and the weather was picture perfect for poolside lounging and some outdoor fun in Chico. My sister, Dorie, and her guy Michael, were up from Newport Beach for the weekend and I wanted to create a "sunny escape" for my special house guests. My first step is to prepare the guest room. Freshly washed linens, fluffy towels, candles and fresh flowers are a must. For this visit I added some lovely dark calla lilies to the mirrored bedside table.
I always like to have some snacks and beverages prepared for the arrival of the road trippers. In this platter I prepared a variety of imported cheeses, olives, marcona almonds with rosemary and veggies with dips. I especially like the gorgonzola-pecan and white bean hummus dips from Trader Joe's specialty market. I turn on a favorite playlist from Pandora--like "Chilled Cream" and "Bliss"--for setting a relaxed mood.
Dining al fresco is a must for warm summer evenings in northern California. I've learned to keep the menu simple: Scott grills steak or chicken and I add fresh salads. On this evening a baby greens with goat cheese/pine nuts salad, a watermelon/feta salad and grilled asparagus were on the menu. We topped it off with sorbet floating in limoncello.
Cheers to family and summer evenings together!
As much as we love time together with house guests, it's also good to give them a little time to relax. We always prepare the coffee pot the night before ready for the early risers or those who want to sleep in a bit. When we finally gather in the morning there is such a relaxed vibe to the conversation and catching up time.
Following a leisurely morning at home, it's good to mix it up, so we headed downtown to the Chico farmer's market for some fresh produce.
We ran into several long time friends, including a retired colleague of mine, Sally (right), who grows and sells her produce from Green Cedar Farm in Berry Creek. Here she is pictured with her intern from France. The apples were absolutely fantastic! Thank you Sally! xx
Beautiful blooms at the market.
We opted for lunch out at one of our favorite, healthy spots, Tea Bar and Fusion Cafe. Soon enough it was time to get home for some lounging by the pool.
Michael--getting his float on!
At one point Dorie grabbed her new fancy new camera and encouraged me to let her take some photos. As bloggers we know it is good to have some decent head shots, but it can be so awkward to have your photo taken. I feel like I am terrible at it--especially photos of me taken alone. With Dorie's design school background, and career as a fashion designer with St. John, she has participated in many fashion shoots over the years. I definitely trusted her to take good photos; it was me I worried about. When I say she took hundreds of photos, I'm not kidding. I still haven't looked through them all. As with any photo shoot there can be many awkward shots--and a few good ones. Either way, we had a ball and laughed a lot!
This is me, stepping out of my comfort zone....
I like the background and it seems to blend nicely with my straw-colored hair. ;)
Dorie has a thriving business in Orange County, Broadway Botanicals. She specializes in succulents, floral design and now residential landscapes. For more on her beautiful designs Broadway Botanicals. I'm always so inspired by her unique creations.
I hope this weekend was a sunny escape for Dorie and Michael. I know it was for us!
Have you entertained company recently?
What are your favorite tips for welcoming house guests?
Creating a Cozy Space at Home
I was recently asked about my must-haves for creating a cozy, relaxing space. If I had to focus on one starting point to create a cozy space, I would say alwaysstart in your bedroom. Let's get down to basics and focus on the most important element, the bed. We spend a large portion of each 24 hour period in our beds, sleeping, relaxing, reading, dreaming, napping and connecting. It's an important space to invest in layers of high quality luxurious sheeting, comforters, blankets, throws, pillows, and comfy details. I'm all about layering and a feeling of luxury in the bedroom.
The great 'pillow' debate lives on in our house. Scott bemusedly wonders, "Why do we have so many pillows?", but I can't live without them. I have pillows for comfy support, for creating just the right angle when I want to read or type on my iPad, and decorative pillows for a little style. My Savvy Sleepers satin pillow case (see the silky number above?), is a must-have for the anti-aging and smooth morning hair benefits. I'm addicted to mine (and buy in bulk for gifts)! I am also super excited to be carrying Savvy Sleepers in my Stylemindchic Boutique (online).
This is a fun post from Dale of Savvy Spice blog, creator of Savvy Sleepers, and she's wearing a Stylemindchic Boutique bracelet- it's so pretty on her.
Back to cozy comfort. My first high quality purchase of a sheet set was the gold standard Frette brand, while traveling in Italy. Luxury linens make such a difference in quality of comfort and sleep. And let's face it, even with sleep issues, like many of us have, comfy sheets help us feel pampered (as we toss and turn). My Frette sheets are still luxurious,12 years later, but I've never wanted to spend the money to invest in another set. Recently, I've been pleased to discover a newer brand, stateside, that rivals the luxury of European linens, with more reasonable price points. Parachute was developed by Ariel Kaye from California. Her experience with European linens was similar to mine. "Years ago while traveling through Italy, I found myself in a picturesque hotel on the Amalfi coast. After a long day, I got to my room ready to unwind. I pulled back the duvet, arranged the pillows to my liking, crawled into bed...and found perfection that I didn’t know existed. Those sumptuous sheets were softer than anything I had ever experienced." This young entrepreneur from Los Angeles started her own line of luxury bedding, with more accessible prices, when she saw the need. The company also gives back, which is a plus.
See more luxury at the Parachute website.
Beautiful linen sets
Along with my linens, pillows, and a faux fur throw blanket, layered to create a nest of a bed, I add lightly scented candles, a fragrance reed diffuser, and a linen spray to add a freshness to the sheets, to my bedside table. My current favorite is here from London.
I love to add elements that have meaning, like the framed mirror that hung in our family cottage at Lake Tahoe for years, and the gilded dish my mother brought me from her honeymoon in Europe last year.
Scott and I purchased this chandelier at the Clignancourt Flea Market in Paris, during that same trip when we bought the Frette linens. Another element of cozy comfort for me is mood lighting. I love a chandelier, candlelight, and lights on dimmers, to set a mood in the bedroom. By the way, not every element has to be expensive. The wallpaper in our room is from Lowes, the European Square Pillowcases & curtain panels are West Elm and the chair was on a major sale at TJMaxx.
I appreciate little details like framed photos, sentimental items and, of course, fresh flowers.
Motherhood Day and Celebrating Us
Happy 'Motherhood' Day to all! If you have birthed a baby, adopted a baby, fallen in love and became an 'insta' stepparent, been a nurturing auntie, or stepped in as a grandparent to care for your grandchild, you are part of the motherhood in my book. Motherhood can encompass all kinds of nurturing and care. I see it everyday as a school psychologist. I am surrounded by an army of nurturing, caring teachers, clinicians, nurses, administrators and staff.
Happy 'Motherhood' Day to all! If you have birthed a baby, adopted a baby, fallen in love and became an 'insta' stepparent, been a nurturing auntie, or stepped in as a grandparent to care for your grandchild, you are part of the motherhood in my book. Motherhood can encompass all kinds of nurturing and care. I see it everyday as a school psychologist. I am surrounded by an army of nurturing, caring teachers, clinicians, nurses, administrators and staff.
Mom with the beautiful flower arrangement she created last Mother's Day
As I look towards celebrating my mother and sister on Mother's Day this Sunday I realize that this day is not without a mix of emotions. I think of the women around me, my mothers, sisters, sister-in-laws, aunties and friends who are beautiful moms and raising incredible, talented, responsible children. They are in the role of a lifetime and it warms my heart. For some of us the road to motherhood is quite complex. Like many of us, I am a stepmother who wanted to be a mother in my own right here but miscarriages ended that dream. I was thrilled to have experienced the joy of my stepfamily life coming full circle this last year here. I am an adopted daughter who has seen both the joy and pain experienced by two wonderful women surrounding the gift of adoption. It is a story that is deeply personal and yet one that I want to share when the time feels right. I always end up in tears in the card aisle a week before Mother's Day since it bring up a well of emotions. We will also be tipping a toast to Scott's dear mom, Margie, who is no longer with us. A day of celebration, merriment and a few tears.... isn't this often the bittersweet balance of life?? It is a joy to celebrate our unique journeys.
As I was contemplating a gift for my mom on Mother's Day I realized I could never truly top the gift we gave her on Mother's Day two years ago. began as a family portrait with a photo of mom, ended in a proposal and a wedding last fall. Seeing my mom happily married and enjoying life more than warms my heart on this Mother's Day weekend.
Happy Mother's Day to my mom, Jeri, and sister, Heidi, and all of us sharing motherhood this Sunday.
How are you celebrating motherhood this year?
xx,
Curated Lifestyle Collections at my here!
Creating a Welcoming Guest Room
Be my guest! It's finally the summer season which means many of us will be doing some travel of some variety. It may be a luxury resort, a tour, a road trip, a camping adventure or visiting friends and loved ones for a vacation. With that in mind, I've been in the mood to update our guest room for summertime guests.
Creating a Welcoming Guest Room
Be my guest! It's finally the summer season which means many of us will be doing some travel of some variety. It may be a luxury resort, a tour, a road trip, a camping adventure or visiting friends and loved ones for a vacation. With that in mind, I've been in the mood to update our guest room for summertime guests.
Start with freshly laundered, high thread count (read smooth) sheets. I love to use all white sheets in our guest room for a fresh feel. I add a lightweight comforter, either down or hypo-allergenic (best for those with allergies). This bold black and white duvet cover captured my eye the other day and I'm liking the additional pop it gives the room. I layer on a colorful coverlet, this one is DKNY, folded at the lower edge of the bed which can be added for cooler nights to adjust the level of warmth.
I always add fresh flowers~tuberoses, freshly cut roses or white lilies have lovely scents. Gardenias are fresh and fragrant from our garden during the summer season. I like to float them in a pretty vase or bowl.
My mom, Jeri, is a flower lover and had fresh flowers from her garden in the house, most days, while I was growing up. This small tradition definitely makes life a little more beautiful.
Lightly scented candles (don't forget the matches!) are another favorite touch.My current favorite is the Dayna Decker candle. I always include an alarm clock but hopefully, no one will need to use it during a relaxing visit.
This glass dish is originally from my husband's family. Scott's mother had labeled it (using tape and waterproof pen) with this caption 'Daddy State's candy dish 1800's'. Labeling family heirlooms adds is an instant reminder to the family of the history of the piece. A history that might otherwise be forgotten.
Fluffy white towels are always a must in my house. Magazines for early or late night reading is a nice touch to deal with insomnia. I often include a travel magazine for dreaming about the next adventure. Putting items in a welcoming basket is a good way for your quests to know you thought of them in preparation for the visit. This Kai perfume oil smells like a tropical holiday in a spritz.
When I travel I easily get dehydrated so a carafe of water within easy reach is essential to quench the dreaded midnight thirst.I like to change out the photo based on who is visiting. Our girls are our most frequent overnighters so I love to use this one from our trip to Cabo San Lucas in 2007.
On a tray, I include some favorite spa items like the MOR body butter, sugar scrub, and fragrant soaps.
A light summer weight robe is also a nice touch to avoid any 'mishaps' around the house. #tmiThis chic number in Greek key motif is one of my favorites.
A corner chair is always handy for conversation or putting on shoes.
This little sparkler was a find from Target.
The vintage print and two petite florals painted by my mom, Jeri, many years ago are special to me. Aren't they sweet?
My final tip~Stock up on toiletries and extra supplies for guests in the guest bathroom. I always supply toothbrushes & toothpaste, lotions, deodorant, band-aids, anti-bacterial ointment, and aspirin.
Typically my recommendation is that a weekend or long weekend is the perfect length of time for a visit. You know what they say about how guests and fish alike don't you??(After three days they both begin to stink.......ha ha ha -just jokes here!!;) I tend to follow that rule when I am a guest in someone else's home as well.
Leave 'em wanting more.... also a great motto for life!
If you are welcoming guests this summer or being a house guest yourself,here's to long lazy mornings catching up over coffee, walking and talking, belly laughs and shared sunsets, with a glass of wine, enjoying those you love.
Are you having house guests this summer?
How are your travel plans shaping up?
Al Fresco Life and Living Outside
Al Fresco Life
The al fresco lifestyle is all about taking life outside. It's finally spring (joy!) and that means we are gearing up for the season of throwing open our windows, carrying our movable feasts to dine alfresco, the alluring possibility of lazy afternoon naps on the patio and warm evenings under the stars is on the horizon.
In Italian alfresco means "in the cool". Love that!
It may be a fresh, sleek space with natural elements
or a classic, luxurious elegance with warm wood tones and a roaring fire.
There are elements of each photo that appeal to me. I've done outdoor living spaces of different styles over the years~from South of France to Cottage Garden to a sleeker, more modern version in our current space. We are working on an update and I will share more on that soon (yep-a do it yourself project-more honestly a do it 'himself' project).
No matter what my style of outdoor living space becomes I do have some essentials:
*Candles are a must to create an ambiance in my outdoor spaces.
*The sound of water~ a water feature, water fall or even a tabletop fountain~ creates a relaxing mood
*Fragrant plants (citrus, night blooming jasmine, tuberoses are all lovely)
*A throw blanket to ward off an evening chill
*A pot of herbs to pick for grilling or adding to alfresco dishes
*I love to add a curtain to a deck or patio space to soften the look-even in sleeker styles
*A fire element. Yes, to candles and the next step would be a flickering fire bowl or fireplace to set the mood.
What is your favorite style of outdoor living? Do you spend time zhushing up your space to get it ready for the season? Any tips?
What are your must-haves?
Here's to our upcoming al fresco season~are you like me? Can hardly wait!
