One of Those

By Kate Riley April 18, 2011

It was one of those weekends where we had out-of-town family visiting, which always means in order to entertain the troops, we play tourists in our own backyard.  

It was one of those weekends where instead of driving, we all walk the mile and a half to our downtown shops, and I can’t help but appreciate along the way the charm of so many of our neighborhood’s homes.

neighbor

white colonial 2

 

neighbor 2

brick colonial

It was the weekend of our city’s spring festival, where everyone in town traditionally gathers on the downtown streets to watch the annual parade.

parade 2

parade 1

 

It was one of those weekends where we travel with our guests to a nearby tourist stop {Point Reyes} to window shop and savor local specialties.

pt reyes painting

artisan cheeses

apricot conserve

oysters and cheese

string lights ivy

wisteria in bloom

wine country flower barrel

 

It was one of those weekends I look forward to every year, where I browse the annual Antique Fair, filled with vendors from all over the Bay Area selling their wares.

blue gray console

buttons

relics

relic

corner cabinets

succulent in silver

armoire and wood blocks

starfish on tray

bust and knight

glass pendants

 

It was that weekend when one of my favorite perennials is finally blooming, and I can’t help but bring early clippings indoors to display in my new Antique Faire find, a trophy like silver vase that (despite a good polish) is still a bit tarnished, but aren’t we all?

cg viburnum and vase

 

It was one of those warm spring evenings where we dine alfresco for the first time all year on a simple menu of wild mushroom pizza, asparagus, and local chardonnay. 

asparagus

wc dinner

 

Where we sit and enjoy the fact that the garden and grapevines are blooming again.  And somehow the long dreary winter is forgiven and forgotten.

pink blossoms

It was one of those weekends that we all need to experience now and then, the ones spent ignoring the daily chores, and instead focused solely on relaxation.  The kind of weekend where it just doesn’t matter that there is laundry piling up because it’s much more important to step outside and appreciate the blossoms. 

Have you had one of those kinds of weekends lately?

 

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81 comments

  1. Love the pictures of your weekend, thank you for sharing! There is no sign of spring here, snow still on the ground, cold, blah so your pictures were refreshing for me! Love your new find and the flowers looked so great in there! Glad you had an enjoyable, relaxing weekend with family!

  2. What a beautiful tour of your weekend! Amazing photos! Sounds like a perfect mix of sightseeing and eating. Wish I could’ve joined you :)

  3. Fabulous photos — your guests were clearly well entertained! The flowers are stunning (even though I couldn’t detect any tarnish, I usually prefer a little patina — especially on such a classic shape). And the wild mushroom pizza … recipe, please!

  4. That was an absolutely beautiful post! This is why Spring is one of my favorite seasons of the year…beautiful weather, spending time with family outdoors and freshly grown food! Fantastic!

  5. Everything looks so fresh.
    It was my city’s annual spring festival as well.
    Unfortunately it rained so most of the weekend events were cancelled.
    It seems as if you guys had some amazing weather.

    Rashon aka Mr. Goodwill Hunting

  6. Can I say jealous? ;) While it is still SOOOOO cold where we are (Ottawa, Canada) I guess I have to live vicariously through you until we can stroll around in shirt sleeves searching for treasures. Loved the visit, thanks!

  7. Thank you for the spring tour! My area of the world is still waiting for spring.

  8. What an incredible post! I love the images you captured, perfect snippets of a lovely weekend! Thank you for sharing with us. Oh and I am sooo jealous of your backyard!

  9. Hello Kate,
    I’m relaxed just reading your post ;-)

    I need to head to my Salvation Macy’s for a silver vase for my hydrangeas.

    Have a great week

    Janet xox

  10. Beautiful pics! It looks like it was a fun weekend. We’ve got guests in this upcoming weekend for Easter, and I hope that it’s as relaxed and fun as your weekend was. Thanks for sharing.

  11. Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing. You’re like a tourism expert with the gorgeous pics and lovely narrative.

  12. Gorgeous. I wanted to crawl into just about every single one of your photos! I also wish my weekend had a quarter of the fabulousness that yours apparently did — my weekend was craaaazy. Le sigh. I could use a little wild mushroom pizza and chardonnay… that is, if it would stop raining, anything would bloom and we could break the 50-degree mark ;) Apparently I need to move your way!

  13. ok serious spring envy. Woke up to snow this morning in Chicago!!

    I spy the Rogue River Blue Cheese that I commented about the other day :)

  14. I’m with Mindy – freakin’ SNOW!!

    I have go to get me out to Sonoma sometime soon…we missed our annual trip this year and i am dying for a nice ride along the windy vineyard roads with the smell of earth in the air… I told E anytime he is ready to move I am so there!!!

    Thanks for sharing this nice slice of life with us…is it too early to crack open a bottle myself?

  15. Kate, thank you for bringing a little bit of your spring to me this morning! I’m still waiting out the winter here in Idaho… How blessed you are to be able to live in such a beautiful place! Thank you for sharing your weekend with us :)

  16. Your pictures are gorgeous!!! Another month before we have weekends like that in Ohio :)

  17. So beautiful!!! I haven’t had one of those weekends in what seems like forever, but I AM going to have one of those weekends for Easter weekend! Thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures…breath-taking!

  18. So beautiful!!! I haven’t had one of those weekends in what seems like forever, but I AM going to have one of those weekends for Easter weekend! Thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures…breath-taking!

  19. I hope you picked up some Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam…that is the best cheese I have ever had, hands down.

  20. Fabulous weekend! I’m trying to have more of those, and hope my summer weekends will be nothing but like that!

    As a blogger, one thing I thought while looking at your gorgeous photos: wonder if she had her guests wait for her take the pizza pics before they could sit down and eat! :) I’ve totally dont that! ‘Wait! don’t eat, let me take a pic first!’

    have a great week over there in paradise, kate!

  21. Very beautiful and charming neighborhood. I am with Mindy, it was snowing when I woke up this morning! I want to live there! I am glad you have a fabulous weekend with your family.

    Happy Monday!

  22. You’re killing me!!! I woke up to 3″ of snow in Michigan! I can’t wait for nice weather, parades, patios, and flowers! I’m SOOOOO jealous!

  23. I count my visit to Cowgirl Creamery as one of the defining moments in my relationship with cheese specifically and food in general. One amazingly tasty place.

  24. Looks like a wonderful relaxing weekend! I think I’ve had the yummy cheese before! lol :) – the past few weekends have been a burr (lots of whole house diy projects etc) But I am so looking forward ot having a relaxing weekend just chilling!

  25. Wow, I want one of those weekends. That is truly a charming place. I’d love to go to that french antiques store. It looks absolutely amazing!
    xoxo
    Lila Ferraro

  26. I’m very much hoping for one of those weekends soon! Could use some nice weather and some good company. Love the shots of the parade!! And just think, if you keep up with your studies, that could be YOUR cheese shop some day. ;)

  27. I had one of those weekends too! Not the same as yours, but hosted a Saturday morning breakfast with old friends, went to a local Tulip Festival and spent the evening with drinks, french bread and an assortment of delicious cheeses. Definitely one of those weekends to enjoy life!

  28. Fabulous pics from a fab weekend. Looks like you live in a beautiful part of the world.

    TDM xx

  29. Can I come and stay! Looks like you live in a beautiful part of the world!
    Love from Noosa, Australia x

  30. Oh I am so, so jealous right now. I woke up to snow on the ground this morning in Chicago!

  31. So jealous! We had snow and hail all weekend. Sigh. Oh Canada. :)
    Looks like you had a fabulous weekend!
    Shannon

  32. Lovely photos and it sounds like you had such an awesome weekend of relaxing and enjoying life! This past weekend we did absolutely nothing… and it was awesome.

  33. What an idyllic weekend! I would love to live in California. The Chicago suburbs don’t have quite so much charm. Thanks for sharing!

  34. You live near Point Reyes! Do you ever get oysters from a place called Grays? It is off the beaten path…a turn off the road to the light house. They farm oysters in the estuary. My mouth is watering just thinking about them and it has been 12 years since I was up there.

  35. The Butter and Eggs Parade- my sister lives there! I live about 1.5 hours south. We actually looked at the ivy covered brick house when it was on the market 2 years ago. Gorgeous pictures!

  36. Since I’ve been reading your blog I seriously want to move to Napa and have never even been there! So beautiful! No, I haven’t had a weekend like that in a long time, but I will once I leave for Hawaii next Tuesday! Aloha Kate :)

  37. No I have not have one of those weekends in a long time. Here in Ontario, Canada it was snowing yesterday. This is *not* common weather for the end of April. Normally there’s flowers and it’s nice out and I’m not buying whatever scraps of firewood I can find around town. :( On a positive your town and its buildings are remarkably similar to mine. So I truly could live vicariously through the pictures. :) ~ karen

  38. Now THATS my kind of weekend! I went to Pt Reyes for a wedding a few years back- and it was SO beautiful- like, breathtaking- it still haunts me:) How lucky you are to livein such a beautiful area of the country!

  39. I love those days where you can walk and linger! So fun!

    So after seeing you on the Nate show AGAIN and then the following day recognizing that he used some of your photos…I just wanted to send a big ol huge congrats! The fact that I automatically recognized your photos without him mentioning you made me feel like a pretty big deal! ;) It is really cool to see a fellow blogger “making it big”. Though I don’t really know you in real life…it feels like “one of us” has made it. And I think that is a really cool thing. I love that blogging has allowed us to get to know you and be a part of this process. Congrats to you Kate! So happy for your success!

    Ashley

  40. I live in Northern California (Bay Area – East Bay), but I want to live in your town!!! Beautiful houses! And I love the pictures of the antiques, you’re an amazing photographer!!

  41. i love this post! but, i am wondering, how do you BROWSE and ANTIQUE fair with two kiddos?

  42. Ha !! Rachel those kiddos are at HOME with their DAD!!!! It’s the only way to leisurely browse an Antique Fair that’s 2 miles from home. Ain’t no other way!!
    :)
    Kate

  43. Your vignette with the green flowers in the silver vase is so pretty Kate! And a leisurely Spring weekend is the best. We just bought a little inflatable pool for my one year old son to play in and just seeing the joy on his face is heaven! I’m looking forward to more of those kinds of weekends.

  44. That ivy-covered brick home is gorgeous! I, too, love a good antiques fair or show & sale. Glad spring’s here. Thanks for sharing the beautiful images.

  45. I love your blog! You don’t just throw pictures at us you take us on a journey! Thank you for letting us take a journey through your weekend. Glad you got a chance to relax and reconnect! THAT is what life is all about!

  46. Your weekend sounds like Heaven on earth! :) Perfectly lovely! Wish I could book a weekend at your bed and breakfast! Haha! :)

    Thanks for the beautiful pics and the dreamy escape!

    ~ Ali

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