Our last couple of days in Napa were spent winetasting and eating! We found a winery called Bourassa (our last name) and the owner was so happy to chat with us and he and Phil tried to figure out if they were related.....
Mr. Bourassa had a very cozy winetasting room set up for us - very Phantom of the Opera...
from the Apple Orchard where we got married last year.........
we had such a wonderful time and can't wait to go back again next year!
It was a very chilly, gloomy morning and we started it here..............
across the street was the V. Sattui Winery...............
then we headed back to walk the Carneros grounds and say hi to the horses............
and tuck in with our reading material - guess which one is Phil's........
Happy Thanksgiving!
yay....finally a vacation....to our surprise, we were upgraded from a Vineyard Cottage to a Vineyard Suite! Now we have a seperate quarters for a living room and extra bathroom.......
and it's raining! our idea of a perfect holiday...........
We started the morning with breakfast at the hilltop and a bit of a walk..then I was off to the spa for a massage while Phil played Warhammer - our ideal morning..........
As much as we love living in the city - it is soooooo nice to see trees, hear birds, walk on grass, I even saw a slug! Who knew I could miss seeing a slug!!
Off to do more nothing!...............................
I can't believe November is upon us already! It's been an exciting first week I must say - it does'nt feel as Fall-ish as I would like it to be though. But it will be a busy month, 3 special birthdays (one of them being my Mom's), my bro them are going to Japan, and Phil and I are going back to The Carneros Inn where we got married a year ago! phew! Anyways, since our one year wedding anniversary is coming up, I better finally finish up my Napa post!
We woke up Saturday and had breakfast at the Hilltop - then went to MARKET for some snacks...
We walked around some more to feed the horses........
picked some leaves from the trees in the Apple Orchard where the ceremony was (I have them pressed in a book).........................
we got massages at the spa and had a last minute urge to swim - so we had to buy bathing suits at the boutique there....................
we just tried to take in the scenery as much as we could............
We spent the night watching Vertigo, then headed home the next afternoon!
I cannot wait to go back in a couple of weeks! We are staying an extra day this time and maybe we'll stop in San Francisco for a bit. This year has gone by fast -but it has been fun!
Phil and I received the most beautiful wedding gift the other day from my fave Aunt and Uncle in Hawaii - a crystal Tiffany dish........................
It got me thinking - I better finish up my wedding post - it's been over 6 months!
So, the wedding day up in Napa............
We woke up to a beautiful blue-skyed Friday morning - sunny and slightly windy, and actually quite warm. Very un-November-y. I remember stirring in the night, about 4am and hearing crazy blustery winds. All I could think was "My hair!". Thank goodness those had died down by then.
We had breakfast on The Hilltop and decided to go for a walk and see the sights. The wedding was not til 3pm. We walked up the road to some nearby vineyards.......................
We leisurely walked back to the cottage and started getting ready. There was no stress or drama - just lots of giggles and excitement. Our photographer Angie was more than prompt and we immediately liked her and felt comfortable with her.
The 3 of us walked to the Apple Orchard where our Reverend Blaine was waiting for us, along with Brooke, the events coordinator for the Carneros Inn.
The ceremony was perfect, beautiful, short, and sweet - Rev. Blaine even managed to mention Linkin Park in there!!
Then Phil and I walked the property with Angie for about an hour, taking photos eveywhere. We ended our night with dinner at FARM. Exhausted from a fun, eventful day - we excitedtly looked forward to the full Saturday we had ahead of us.......................................
Phil and I woke up fairly early on Thanksgiving morning - we slept for about 13 hours! The day before was hectic - driving in from LA, meeting with our officiant, getting our marriage liscense, checking in etc. Today was just fun stuff - breakfast (with Mimosas) and picking acorns at the Hilltop first!
We called our families to wish them a happy Thanksgiving ( it was weird being away from them) and went on another walk. The weather was beautiful, pretty warm and sunny, but with cool breezes here and there. Although the nights were VERY cold.
We took a little nap, and by the time we woke up, it was time for Thanksgiving dinner!! We ordered cottage dining from the big restaurant on the property called FARM. They were serving prix fixe Thanksgiving dinners. The waiter set everything up for us on our private patio!
Everything was amazing! Although, we did really miss my Dad's pumpkin pie :)
We ended the night just chilling in our cottage and watching TV with the fireplace going. Up next, the wedding day...............
So here is my finished skirt....................................
It's bubble shaped with pleats, high-waisted with an obi-type sash. It was very comfortable!
We arrived in Napa at noon on a Wednesday. We actually ended up driving straight to our officiants house to meet with him, and then we went to the County Clerks office to get our marriage liscense.
We got to The Carneros Inn at about 2:30p. It was sooo amazing! The property is built in the middle of all the vineyards, and there are several horses roaming about. The inn is set up like a little village, everyone has their own cottage (decor is modern farmhouse - so cool) with private decks and indoor/outdoor showers. There are 3 restaurants on the property, there is a Town Hall and market even!
The rows of cottages............................
Our friends Joaquim and Sharon had surprised us with a lovely flower arrangement waiting in our cottage.........................
Day one in Napa included exploring the property, dinner at the Boon Fly Cafe, and turning in early :) More later!
So it was all set. We cleared our plans with our families and with everyone's blessings, I booked Phil and I for a week at The Carneros Inn! I then booked an officiant and a photographer and that was it. The photographer Angie Silvy was to be our witness. Luckily, the Inn gave me a list of great resources to choose from. Our wedding would take place in the Apple Orchard on the property.
I had pretty much decided on my outfit - a skirt and a top, which I made two days before we headed up there. I ultimately ended up wearing a top I bought at Club Monaco the day before we left. But I kept the skirt though. All the prep was pretty painless and stress free. For rings - we did an little Me&Ro for me, and some Jewelry District for Phil. We also got Phil a black shirt, charcoal grey trousers, and white shell toe Adidas. As for my bouquet - my Mom and I made it with fake dogwoods, little sprigs of this and that, and a little bluebird nested inside (he was my something blue) We wrapped the stems with shredded ribbons of my skirt and top fabric...................................
I finally have a minute to breath again! These past couple of months have been so busy - and add computer issues on top of that - it's nice to be able to sit down and blog again. I'll be doing backtracks of Napa posts while inserting the random WIP things here and there.
So, it all started a couple of months ago - Phil and I decided to elope. Our best friends had just done it - they went to Turtle Bay on the North Shore of Oahu - and since we are the cold-weather-loving versions of them - we decided to go up to Napa. We knew we would both have a week off during Thanksgiving, and my birthday is also around that time, so we figured it would be a fun and special thing to do. Of course, the first thing I did was plan my dress.....................
and shop with my mom..........................
more later!!!
photo credit :Angie Silvy
