A trip to the central valley:

      Recently I found myself taking yet another quick trip out of town. This time I found myself in my home town of Stockton, California to visit family! While I was there I managed to eat a lot of delicious food, check in at my favorite thrift stores, play dress up in my gram's jewelry box, and spend a lot of time with the people I love. Here's just some of the highlights of my trip:

Digging thru bins of old ties at a local thrift store for the two best finds! The red paisley one is by Christian Dior and the plaid tie on the right is designed by Ben Sherman. Both of these together cost me less than a meal at McDonald's!

My Gram's cat just had a liter of 

the most adorable kittens ever:

Yummy home made Spagetti:

Playing dress up with Gram's Gems:

The best thrift store find in Lodi, California! A like new red coach messenger bag and for only $35 bucks! There was one in the same style but in black that I wanted also but I thought the red would add a nice pop of color to most any outfit:

Yours,

Nico

Hibernating for the winter:

      I'm not actually going to be hibernating this holiday season but I have been stocking up on cold weather items. Here's a handful of my style supplies for Autumn:

Black hat adorned with a Macaw feather perfect for covering up dark roots in between salon visits:

Something Old (Marc Jacobs bag, similar here) and something new (Missoni for Target sweater skirt, can't wait to pair it with tights and oxfords):

I have a massive obsession with all things jewelry (see examples here, here, and here). Honestly my adoration has gotten slightly out of hand so instead of looking for new gems for fall, I decided to explore "the archive" (my treasure chest filled with pieces I have collected over the years) and I ended up rediscovering pieces that I think will work perfectly with my winter wardrobe:

I picked up this tassel at Beverly's Crafts for less than $2, when looped thru a zipper pull, this red tassel gives a basic bag a fresh update:

Found a sleek glass jar at Dollar tree recently and have been using it as a "catch all" for my clothing nick nacks. I keep extra buttons from jackets and pants in here (ever wonder what to do with all those spare buttons? and they always go missing when you need them, right?). Needles, thread, and safety pins are kept handy in this location too. A pretty yet practical way to keep odds and ends organized:

Yours,

Nico

A strawberry celebration tart!

      My dear friends Bridgett and Sara both celebrated birthdays this weekend and to honor the occasion I made a strawberry tart (perfect with an ice cream and chocolate syrup topping). You may recognize this method of making a tart from my Peachy Keen Tart post, this is an extremely similar recipe that is a stand by for whenever I'm in a time crunch before a pot luck:

Magic Ingredients:

-1 pound of fresh strawberries (or you could use frozen strawberries brought to room temperature)

-1/2 cup granulated sugar (use more or less depending on the ripeness of the berries)

-1/2 cup brown sugar (use more or less depending on the ripeness of the berries)

-1/2 Tablespoon Grand Marnier

-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

-1 tablespoon apricot jam

-1 pre made frozen pie crust (you could certainly use your own recipe for crust too!)

Let's Get Cooking!

1: Lay defrosted pie crust on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, preheat oven to 400 degrees:

2: Slice strawberries in half and place into a medium mixing bowl. Add in sugars, grand marnier, nutmeg, and cinnamon to the bowl and combine until strawberries are evenly coated:

3: Layer strawberries onto pie crust leaving a 3/4s of a inch boarder:

4: Fold over the crust onto the strawberries and brush the apricot jam over the top of the tart (including the crust):

5: Bake in 400 degree oven for 25 minutes for a easy to put together dessert (It's even easier to eat!):

A photograph of one of the birthday girls 

being a ham in front of the camera:

Can't wait to celebrate again next year! Happy birthday ladies!

Yours,

Nico

The Boon Fly Cafe:

      While on my quick two day trip to Napa with my good friend Sharon, we managed to find time to have a relaxing breakfast at The Boon Fly Cafe. From the moment we arrived and saw the outdoor swings attached to the barn style exterior we knew we were in for a delectable meal! The menu had so many fantastic options, deciding on what to order was the most difficult part! Here is a photo journey of our dining experience:

Bright and vibrant exterior building:

Beautiful interior with gorgeous wood tables, exposed cooking area (so you can see how your meal is prepared!), and industrial style lighting:

I just love the country charm of the 

tractor etching on this water carafe:

Sparkling orange prosecco mimosas:

Beer battered onion rings 

with spiced ketchups:

Sharon ordered the fried chicken and waffles. The crunch of her every bite was enough to make me want to steal a piece when she wasn't looking:

I got the Pastrami Reuben with swiss 

cheese on home made marbled rye bread: 

      Napa was such a lovely destination with utterly fantastic views. I hope I get a chance to visit again in the future, especially to visit The Boon Fly Cafe again! If you ever find yourself in wine country, I highly recommend this venue for a great meal!

Yours,

Nico

Napa wineries:

      While in Napa for a last minute get away I had the opportunity to take a 8 hour wine tour to 4 different wineries in the area. The day was truly a memory I will look back to for a long time. An abundance of yummy wine and food was the focus of the excursion and two of my favorite indulgences! Here are some quick snap shots of my two favorite wineries:

Dominari Winery:

The most amazing petit syrahs I have ever had the opportunity to try, one even had the aroma of bacon (the first love of my life)! Tastings are $15 dollars for 6 samples of various wines or free with a purchase of a bottle! I have to say, the tawny port they carry was worth the 15 bucks for a taste all on it's own (One bottle for $90)!

Limited edition "goes both ways," bottle of the tawny port (most wine bottles are just straight):

Surplus of medals for Dominari wines:

Wall of wine barrels crafted 

from neutral oak wood:

Hopper Creek Winery:

      This venue had a wine tasting room that felt more like my own home. Complete with massive leather couch and big screen TV, I was instantly enjoying a glass of merlot in my own living room (or at least it seemed like it!). Marcus, the tasting host was such a character and had lots of information to divulge. Tastings include six wines for $10 or free with a purchase of a bottle of wine. I would recommend this to any wine lover that is looking for a more casual environment. 

Stellar view of the grape vines. Had a chance to enjoy lunch here with the great scenery!

     After composing this post, I'm kind of hankering for a glass of wine. Good thing I brought home a couple bottles as souvenirs!

Yours,

Nico