If there ever was a town that is not only quaint and charming, but also chic and sophisticated, it is Carmel-by-the-Sea.  Located on the Monterey peninsula south of San Francisco, Carmel is a small town filled with art galleries, shops and inns, and is surrounded by golf courses.  Only the well to do can afford to actually live in Carmel, but for the rest of us, Carmel-by-the-Sea is a fantastic getaway destination in California for anyone seeking beauty, culture, rest, and relaxation along the coast. 

We spent two days and nights here a few weekends ago, so today I’ll share a few photos of our brief stay.   My most favorite thing about downtown Carmel is that everywhere you walk you’ll find a secret corridor, alley, or courtyard, and along every street, flowers are abundant.  They grow up along walls, blooming in pots, and spilling out of window boxes, flourishing in the sun and sea air. 

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It would be fair to describe me as a lavenderaholic, if there is such a label.  I can never get enough of this botanical that possesses most therapeutic scent in the universe. 

I have a dozen lavender plants scattered around my garden, but I still like to tour the commercial acres of lavender this time of year.  Last year I visited the Lavender Bee Farm – this weekend we decided to pop into Matanzas Creek Winery, famous for their gardens, lavender farm, and acclaimed chardonnay.  

I convinced the kids it was worth the half hour drive because they could go hunting for bunny rabbits, ala Elmer Fudd.  We didn’t spot any, but at least the idea kept them busy while Mr. CG and I strolled the grounds. 

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We had out of town family visiting for the weekend, so naturally it was filled with a little sightseeing.  With the fine weather, we headed to Kenwood and few favorite stops.

Gorgeous sunshine and great company made for a relaxing day out and about ! 

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I’ve always known Burlington Coat Factory was a great place for cheap clothing for kids.  Today I found myself exploring the home goods department and was rather delighted to see this discount store had a few accessories and some furniture that were quite stylish, and inexpensive compared to their designer twins !

I spied these moroccan end tables for $50 at BCF, and found them a few places online like right here for $200 !

Do you love the Filigree Urn by Z Gallerie ?  I adore it, but it is almost $100 dollars.  A similar version at BCF is $30 bucks and also comes in blue, green and white. 

That $12 dollar smaller one came home with me. 

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Well, top of the mornin’ to ya folks, hope your weekend was fabulous !  Mine was exceptionally great, especially since I had the opportunity to go to the Antique Faire here in town, the one I mentioned here that was written up in Country Living a few short months ago. 

The weather was perfect and so was the company – check out these lovely ladies who drove from all over the Bay Area to pay a visit to our Antique Faire !

Emily and Jillian; moi; Marie, Pauline from Struggling to Be Stylish; Claudia from Viva Frugality, and Kim from Yep They’re All Mine.

The group split up to hunt for treasures but met up later for a fantastic lunch.  Here’s a glimpse at some of the cool antiques I spotted.

This gorgeous bow front chest with bonnet top hutch.  It was a soft gray, I loved it !

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Many towns across America have their festivals every year which draw the local crowds.  Ours happens to be the ‘Butter & Egg Festival’ on the last weekend in April and it draws folks from all across the county to the tune of 25,000+ people.   The ‘Butter & Egg’ title has something to do with our town’s long poultry history, but I choose not to dig into the details.  Anyway, the ‘Butter & Egg’ kicks off with the Cutest Little Chick in Town contest before the big parade. 

When we first moved to this town twelve years ago, we never would have dreamed we’d be interested in a contest like this.  But then you go and have offspring of your own and something snaps inside of you, and all of a sudden, you want your kid to be crowned the Cutest Little Chick in Town.  It’s a small town pageant where nervous parents parade their ‘chicks’ before judges for the title and $50 bucks in cash. 

Many nails are bitten.  Grandparents pace back and forth.  The competition is fierce.  Every parent wants their critter named The Cutest Little Chick in Town.  I often wonder what the parental penalty is for not smiling on cue in front of the judges. 

A sampling of the candidates before their debut, and their secret thoughts:  

“I’ll endure the paparazzi as long as the lollypops keep coming.”

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Hey all, how are you this fine spring day ?  I hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend!   Me ?  I’ve been running around like mad and am in need of a little R&R for a few days.  My munchkins are out of school all week, so I’m taking a mini spring break too. 

I’ll be back in the middle of the week, but I thought I share some photos of one of my most favorite places to frequent when the weather gets warmer – the farmers market ! 

Here’s a glimpse from last week’s visit. 

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I get a hankering for the sand between my toes several times a year, then I quietly suggest to the fam that we head out to the beach, and it takes no convincing at all.  They race for their sandals and towels and can’t get into the car fast enough, then off to Bodega we go !

We happen to be lucky enough to live about thirty minutes from the Northern California coastline, so after a big weekend of gardening and home improvement, we decided to take a Sunday afternoon out at the coast to fly some kites and stop at our favorite seafood restaurant for the best clam chowder in the county.   

Bodega is fantastic in spring and fall, but incredibly foggy and cold in the summer, a lot like the weather in San Francisco.  So we head out the the coast as much as we can in April, May, September and October. 

I just love trails through sand dunes and coastal grasses. 

Inhale.  Breathe deeply.  Smell the salty air.  Life is good. 

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With all the rain we’ve had lately, the weekend sunshine convinced us to forget all of our obligations, and get out and have some real fun.  The Mister and I took off for Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg to mix and mingle with friends and the rest of the tourists who journeyed to Barrel Tasting Weekend in Wine Country !

Barrel Tasting Weekend is an annual tradition where visitors are offered a pour straight from the barrel before the wine is bottled.  Many times the winemaker is on scene to educate and answer questions.   Everyone is so friendly and social, smiling from ear to ear.  But I’m thinking that has a lot to do with the scenery and free flowing wine. 

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I’m back from the conference in Nashville and a whirlwind weekend.  The hotel was gigantic, over 600,000 square feet, imagine that!  From an architectural standpoint, the hotel was truly incredible.  But the most significant thing about the weekend conference was the comradery that occurred among all the gals in attendance.  I’m still floating in the clouds, have bonded with remarkable ladies at this unique event.

The Gaylord Opryland hotel in Nashville, Tennessee is like one giant conservatory that is the size of a small town.  Everything is housed under gigantic glass paneled ceilings.  There were so many restaurants and shops and clubs and gardens.  There were fountains and waterfalls, a miniature river and lush botanicals around every corner.

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