DIY - Global Coffee Table

For a few years now I've been saving bills from each country's currency I visit.  They don't take up as much space as coins and are super lightweight.  Every ounce counts when you are backpacking or living out of a carry-on for 5 weeks.  As a designer, my favorites are color and name driven.  Hong Kong is never one to blend in with the crowd and covers their bills in HOT pink.  Australia has been using Pantone's color of the year, Tangerine Tango for years.  Last but not least is India, for the sole reason I just miss paying in Rupees! 

 Instead of letting the bills gather dust we used them to decorate our drab Ikea coffee table.  Any glass top table with a layer underneath would work.  Plus it's a great conversation piece for your next dinner party.

                               A few more recipes for the dinner party I mentioned.
                                                  appetizer   /   main   /   dessert

Destination - Santa Ynez Valley II

I've been wine tasting all over the world.  Napa, Tuscany, New Zealand and France to name a few but Santa Ynez Valley will always be a favorite.  In lieu of mine and TDH's upcoming trip to the gorgeous SYV this weekend I thought I would share a few more of my favorite spots.  This itinerary is ideal for a day trip.  It's full of fresh Italian food, small and big wineries and best of all relaxation.  

Drink
Bring a picnic or fresh sandwiches from Panino to accompany your tasting experience at Bridlewood.  Members are given the royal treatment with 1 on 1 attention and a tasty local cheese platter.  Non members can taste in the larger and busier front room.  But everyone can enjoy the expansive grounds, roam the stables and take a nap next to the lake.  Then drive up the road to Demetria Estate for tasting and a tour given by one of the members.  Check out the adorable on-site house below to rent out for the weekend, for members only.  They also host summer movie nights (with fresh popcorn of course).   Sign me up!

Eat
Make a reservation at Grappalo's for an authentic Italian dinner, complete with crowded tables, traditional antipasti and a reasonable wine list. 

Stay
This time we stayed in Santa Barbara for the night at the Oceana hotel.  Cute, clean and across the street from the beach.  

Do
When you tire of wine tasting head into Los Olivos to wander the indoor and outdoor artisan galleries. 

time slows down in Santa Ynez, enjoy it

Bridlewood Estate

Fall vines at Bridlewood

wine storage at Demetria

A preview for tomorrow's Style post - What to wear wine tasting

sun setting over Demetria

Rental house on the Demetria Estate (Members Only)

View from the porch

Have you ever visited Santa Ynez?  What are your favorite wineries?  I'm still looking for a new winery to try near Demetria for this weekend.  Recommendations welcome! 

PS - The pictures were taken during a weekend around Christmas last year hence the tree made out of horseshoes and fall foliage. 

Italian Indian Squash Delight

This week I combined the culinary styles of two of my favorite places in the world - Italy and India.  Their spices and flavors may be on opposite sides of the spectrum but the way they prepare and enjoy their food is similar.  Who doesn't love a culture that uses some type of bread to sop up the last puddles of sauce on your plate?  Each country savors each bite making dinners a 3-5 hour affair. 

In India you eat with one hand, the other is reserved for the not-so-clean bathrooms, which may be just a hole in the ground.  Took me a whole week to get the hang of tearing off naan with one hand!  Thankfully you can enjoy these lovely flavors from the comfort of your own home.  Although, if you are feeling adventurous, train yourself to embrace spicy food and book a trip to Goa for relaxation or Rajasthan to sight-see and walk with the princes.  The Prince of Udaipur was quite cute if I remember correctly.    

Ingredients

3-4 zucchini or squash, small to medium, chopped

1/2 onion, white or yellow, chopped

1/2 big bunch of kale, or 1 small bunch, chopped into 1/2" wide

1 garlic clove, smashed

1/2 lemon

good quality Parmesan cheese, NO KRAFT!

turmeric

red chili pepper flakes

cumin

salt

pepper

extra virgin olive oil

What to do with the Ingredients

1.  Heat a pan on medium heat, add evoo, garlic, onions, salt and pepper.  Cover and stir every minute or so until they start to turn clear.

2.  Toss the zucchini and squash in.  Add a few shakes of tumeric, cumin and as much red chili pepper flakes as you can handle.  (They are great for your metabolism.)  Squeeze the 1/2 lemon over the pan.  Cover for about 2 minutes.

3.  Add the kale, stir and cover.  I don't like my kale super soggy so I don't let it cook for long.  Totally up to you and your family's tastebuds.

4.  Top with Parmesan cheese. 

Step 2

Step 3

Mangia! (eat!)

Going to the Chapel

We are finally at base camp of our Mt. Kilimanjaro wedding season.  8 weddings in 5 months, 3 in one week, 2 maid matron of honor speeches and WAY too many glasses of champagne.  I'm exhausted!  We just returned from our last one up in Monterey.  The happy couple had perfect 75*, sunny and clear weather, she wore a dress so light and airy it could fly away and the late night sliders and fries were a hit!  You may remember her bachelorette party here.  Next year we only have 4 on the roster (hooray!).  

In honor of wedding season ending I put Pinterest to the test and rounded up some inspiration for you beautiful ladies still searching for the perfect dress.  Whether you are getting married at the courthouse, on a tiny island in a foreign country or in a 1,000 year old cathedral, you may be asking yourself, "How do you know?"  I knew when I didn't want to take my dress off.  I tried on about 50 but kept asking to slip into my favorite, over and over.  When you don't want to take it off, when you find the dress you want to sleep in, and when you feel sexy AND comfortable that's when you have found the winner! 

Thailand, Milan, Cotswalds, Stockholm, Sevilla, St Bart, California


Don't be afraid to do something different!  Go short, add a pop of color, wear 2 dresses throughout the night, maybe even 3!  Pair the Thailand top with some hot shorts and bare feet.  Hats?  They are storming back in, big and small.  It's your wedding day.  I don't care what your mom wants you to wear, I don't care what your mother-in-law thinks you should wear.  Wear what makes you feel like the luckiest girl in the world because you are, you get to marry the person of your dreams!

La foto del giorno - Venezia

Gondola driver, Venice, Italy

Is Venice still sinking?

30 by 30

The Competition - 30 countries by 30 years old.  

** Post Update **  

Knocked off a few more countries.

At 29, I've seen 24 29 countries.

Where have I been? (in order of visitation)

St. Lucia - have your hair braided, fly on a trapeze and skip in the tropical rain. 

Italy - favorite European country. Milan, Lake Como, Venice, Portofino, Genoa, Lucca, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Cinque Terre, Forte dei Marmi, Capri, Positano, Amalfi, Naples, Sicily, Taormina, Lipari Islands.

Mexico - Manzanillo, Cabo (Day 1.

Czech republic - Prague, gorgeous but passport, camera and credit cards were stolen, be careful!

France - Niece while studying abroad, then Paris. 1st trip by myself, scary, exhilarating, a must for anyone!

Monaco - cleanest train station ever seen. Beautiful but a bit snoody.

Greece - Santorini and Mykonos.  Pelicans the size of a 9 year old hang out in the restaurant kitchens.

Spain - bus-ed it from Barcelona, Grenada, Sevilla, Portugal then train back to Madrid, train is the better way to go.

Portugal - Lagos and Lisbon.  The fresh fish rivals Fiji's.

Switzerland - Bern, Interlacken, Murren.

Bahamas - Relaxing, hot, dine on conch a hundred different ways.

British Virgin Islands - Sailed from Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, Willy T's (must get the t shirt!)

Canada - Montreal (an all time favorite), Vancouver.

New Zealand - Prepare for the adventure of a lifetime! I prefer South Island over North Island.

Australia - Melbourne, Sydney, Perth.

India - Rajasthan (Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ranthambore) Mt. Abu, Ahmedabad.

England - London, the food is amazing! if you avoid British fare except at high tea.

St. Martin - Favorite passport stamp, the font is fabulous.

St. Bart - Glamorous island living with a French accent.

Anguilla - Whitest sand I've ever seen.

Hong Kong - I'm more a Kowloon girl than Hong Kong island.

Vietnam - Hanoi and Sapa. Sapa was surreal; rice patties, water buffalo, tribal women half my size scurrying up mountains in plastic slip-ons. 

Fiji - nicest people I have ever encountered, you will laugh all day long here, perfect for a honeymoon.

Ireland - Dublin, Douglas (our favorite!), Killarney (ideal for the outdoors lovers), Inch, yes it really is called Inch, Dingle and Galway.  

Denmark - Copenhagen. Explore, eat,

Sweden - Malmo and Stockholm. (Where we would live in Stockholm.)

Germany - Munich, beers and pretzels the size of our heads!
Belize - San Pedro Island. 1, 2, 3, 4 

On the radar ~ Iceland, Peru and Bali.  Have you visited these 3?  Where should I go/do/eat/drink?

Dublin, Trinity College

Last night in Stockholm, Sweden

Nyhavn, Copenhagen, Denmark

Sunset, Fiji

Locally made textiles, Sapa, Vietnam