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A California Beach Style Home (and some cottages too!)

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Happy weekend!  It has warmed up to the 90′s here this week and is beginning to feel like summer.  I commented to my husband that I badly need a beach trip.  He asked if a canoe/camping trip on a Georgia river would do. Sorry honey, but that is definitely not the same.  I want to lay out on the sand, smell the scent of salt water, and listen to the waves crash…sigh.  Guess I will just have to settle for dreaming of beach cottages until we can make a trip someplace where we can walk barefooted on warm sand.

Someplace like this…

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I’ll start my latest beach cottage dreaming with this house.   You may have seen it since it has been used for Pottery Barn photo shoots, and many years ago Coastal Living magazine featured it in an article entitled Fresh Air. From the moment I laid eyes on it, it was love at first sight, but it was not my typical taste. Nevertheless there was just something about it that said, This is what a house at the beach should look like.:)

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It is owned by Thom and Mary Ellen Vernon, the founders of the Fresh Produce line of clothing, and is located in Montecito, California.  They put many vintage touches in the home..from bead board to board and batten, from old looking appliances to antiques – but mixed it all beautifully with new pieces.  There is even a gumball machine below the wall phone!

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It looks like such a happy house to me.  I think the blue and green color scheme was what first made me smile, but I also adored it because it had such a relaxed feel – exactly what you would want in a house near the beach.  Just look at the toys on the mantle here.  That woodie with the surfboard on the top shelf is precious!

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Here is the very vintage styled kitchen.

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And aren’t the windows just wonderful in the dining area?

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In the original article, the owners said they had to convince the carpenters they wanted imperfections (like space between the boards, some scratches on the wood.)  They wanted the house to look old and lived in. Can’t you just imagine the looks on the faces of the builders…  You want us to do what??  The craftsmen also couldn’t believe all the windows that were in the house, but the Vernons wanted a lot of light.

The look of old and lived in is exactly what they got…especially in their four bedrooms.  Take a look at the master bedroom.

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How would you like to be able to walk out on this upper deck off your bedroom in the morning?  Give me a cup of coffee, and it would be heavenly!

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Here is one of the bedrooms for children.  It has two iron beds in it.  (My boys would probably jump out that window and run for the beach!)

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There are also these very cool beds in the bunk room…

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And I think the sleeping porch is right off of it.vrbo.com

The fourth bedroom of the house is the guest bedroom.  Those french doors are beautiful.

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Now here’s something kind of funny to me.  Scroll back up and look at the photo of the entrance at the top of the post….Now look at the real entrance area here.

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That top photo was on the cover of a Coastal Living publication, Color it Coastal, in 2008.  Looks like the editors at the magazine decided a beach view would be better on the cover than the tree in the yard.  (It would be nice if it were real.)  Amazing what photo editing can do!

Beach view or not, I think the house would be a fun one to stay in near the beach (and I think it does have water views from the upper floor.)  The Vernons live in Boulder, Colorado, but this home is where they sometimes go when they head to the coast.  It is available for rent here if you are interested. (And there are 15 bicycles available for your use when you rent it!)   If this 3100 sq. ft. home is too large for your needs, there is another very cute option available…

Just look at this…

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The Vernons took on another building project in 2010.  In the fall of 2012 they completed the restoration of two 1955 cottages and added 6 new ones to a compound in Carpinteria.

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Aren’t they cute?! These are one bedroom cottages that can sleep 4 or 5 people, and they are located four blocks (quite walk-able) from the nearest beach.  Decorated with the same cheerful blue and green color scheme as the Montecito house, they too have that relaxed beach feel.

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Vintage styled appliances make their appearance in the cottages, too.

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And there are his and her sinks in the bathroom.

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The rental information for these is available at VRBO.com and CarpCottages.com.  And the rates are very reasonable.  I would love to be there this weekend enjoying sunshine on the beach.  Wouldn’t you?  But instead, I will be here on the other side of the country, watching it rain, and working on final report cards. (Maybe my last ones ever, since I am changing teaching positions next year. Yippee!)  In the meantime, I will dream of the beach near these precious cottages…

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and know that summer will be here soon.:)

So how are you spending your weekend? Report cards, anyone?

   
House Crazy Sarah - May 18, 2013 - 11:33 am

Just gorgeous Kelly! I adore these types of cottages and I think I might prefer a beach cottage like this to even Colorado!
(Love the way the decorated with mis-matched furniture!)

Tamar Time - May 18, 2013 - 11:50 am

Interesting how PB also changed the color of the hardware in the entry way. The real room has black hardware on the door, and brass on the wall hooks. The PB room has all matching silver looking finishes. Personally, I like the real thing better. But, it’s all beautiful so….who cares. But, it’s a good lesson in “if it’s beautiful to you….it’s beautiful.”

Lindy James - May 18, 2013 - 12:05 pm

Thanks so much Kelly for these great pictures of this beautiful home in Montecito, one of my favorite places to go to estate sales, and the info on renting this home or the cottages in Carpinteria. Have already asked for info on renting one of the cottages for a few days this summer. Not sure at this late date whether any will be available but we’ll see. Never knew these lovely places were available until reading of them, from you. Thanks again, Lindy

Garden, Home and Party - May 18, 2013 - 12:25 pm

Kelly,
I’ve loved these homes since I first read about them. I love the way the large house looks like it’s furnished over time, with great finds from antique stores and thrift shops. I had read the article on the cottages later. I didn’t realize they were available on VRBO. We rented a home through them in St. Helena and had a wonderful time.
This post is the perfect beach visit, no sand in your bathing suit or sandals! :D
xo,
Karen

Dawn - May 18, 2013 - 2:25 pm

I love the beach houses! They look like my type of vacation place! This weekend we are at the lake house and it is sunny and beautiful but not like being at the beach.
What will your new teaching position be next year?

Paula B. - May 18, 2013 - 6:37 pm

Echoing the beach house love, I agree the blues and greens give off such a great vibe. Temps in the nineties, oh my, we are finally having some days in the seventies! However, it’s been nice to have a spring that slowly unfolded, builds up the anticipation for all that summer fun. We have another six weeks of school, we do go back after Labor Day but this year we were hit with the hurricane and several big snows, that leaves us with a lot of make-up days. Wishing you a speedy end of year with all those last minute details that need wrapping up including those “pesky” report cards. And, here’s to your new job in the next school year and more importantly, here’s to a wonderful, adventure filled summer.

Holly - May 19, 2013 - 8:19 am

Thanks for sharing! These are gorgeous… I wish we had something similar to that little enclave of cottages available for rent on the east coast. I’d love to be going somewhere like that this weekend… instead I’m looking out over my backyard at the pouring rain. Good luck with your report cards!

Nancy - May 19, 2013 - 3:38 pm

Every time I see beds like those rope beds I have to ask (and no one has answered yet!) what keeps them from slamming into the wall?!

Sandy - May 19, 2013 - 9:44 pm

I love the beach house….I want to rent it and invite my whole family! The cottages are adorable too…thanks for sharing and good luck with your grading!

Napa’s Restaurants – Part 2

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I believe I could eat out for every meal over a month and still not be able to cover all of the great restaurants in the Napa Valley region.  It is “foodie heaven!”  In my last post I told you about our first dinner in the area and lunch on the following day.  Today I want to pick up there with our travels through some charming grocery stores and more restaurants – including my favorite.

From the photo above, you can see that we went to the Dean and Deluca shop in St. Helena.  I really liked that town.  There was so much to choose from inside the store. We purchased coffee, some black and white cookies, and an apron that I cook in all the time now.  They had a black t-shirt with their logo on it that I should have gotten when we were there. (Not that I need another black shirt!)

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That afternoon we also visited the wonderful old Oakville Grocery Store in …Oakville.:)Don’t you just love the painting on the outside wall that our daughter is looking at?

Here is a look inside the store.

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After the afternoon spent shopping we went back to our hotel to rest for awhile and then drove to Yountville for the best meal of our entire trip at this lovely French restaurant.

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We were seated near the bicycle in this charming room.

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Extra seating was available out on their covered porch. (I would have been happy there, too.)

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Now let me show you some of the delicious food from that evening’s meal.  This was the salad and quiche my daughter ordered.  (It was amazing!!)

My favorite was my dish of puff pastry topped tomato soup.  Oh my goodness it was good!

And here is the actual recipe for you to recreate it at home.sanfranciscocuisine.com

I don’t have photographs of all the guys’ dinners, but I do of their desserts.  My husband and one of the boys enjoyed this warm apple tarte tatin. (Our oldest said it was the best dessert he has tasted in his life.)

And our other son shared the chocolate creme brulee with our daughter.

Every morsel of food there was delicious.  When we return to the Napa region, I know we will want to eat there again.  I also hope that we will have an opportunity to go here…

This Thomas Keller restaurant…Bouchon – is also located in Yountville.bouchonbistro.com

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And finally, I would also like to eat at Mustard’s Grill- again in Yountville. (What a foodie town!!)

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Thanks for tagging along on this leg of our California trip.  I hope I have not made you too hungry reading this post…unless, of course, you live near Napa Valley.  (If you do I am jealous!)  I have not tried out the tomato soup recipe yet.  So if you make it, I would love to know how it turns out!

We are finally down to the last week and a half of school here. This time of year is always crazy trying to wrap up all the loose ends of a zillion tons of paperwork while maintaining sanity amid the rooms full of children who are more than ready to be on summer break (as are the teachers.)  So please forgive my lack of responding to emails and comments.  Summer is coming (hallelujah!) and my summer project is blogging.  No vacation planned yet, but I am definitely thinking on it.   Are any of you headed to Napa for a trip?

Where would you like to go for a dream summer vacation?  

Please share so we can dream along with you!

   
Dawn - May 16, 2013 - 9:15 am

Kelly,

I am down to my last day and a half of school! WE haven’t planned our vacation trip yet. I am sure it will be near the south or south east coast line. Thanks for sharing your Napa pictures!

cindy hattersley - May 16, 2013 - 11:33 am

Mustards will be one of your all time favs! You must try ad hoc as well!

Garden, Home and Party - May 16, 2013 - 11:52 am

Hi Kelly,
I’ve been to both grocery stores. I love the fact that they have so many fresh items and such selection. Dean and Deluca is like the Disneyland of grocery stores! I haven’t tried any of the restaurants you’ve shared. We tried to get into Mustard’s and couldn’t a few trips back. Your pictures of the food made my mouth water!
Enjoy your countdown to summer. We’ll all catch up when you finish.
Karen

Mickey - May 16, 2013 - 3:53 pm

Hi Kelly, Thanks for sharing the NAPA photos. My nephew and his new bride were married in Napa in April. I wasn’t able to attend but have enjoyed your pictures and will have to find out if they ate at any of your recommendations. I am also on the last 2 weeks of school, my preschoolers are ready for a summer break. Have a wonderful evening!! Mickey

Tamar Time - May 16, 2013 - 9:13 pm

My dream vacation is to explore New England. I have not been North of Virginia yet, and I am planning on having a meandering vacation through there someday, preferably by myself.:)

Atlanta’s Sublime Doughnuts and Napa’s Restaurants – Part 1

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!  I hope you have had a delightful day.  The one thing I think all moms should enjoy is great food. (Well, actually everyone should enjoy that – not just moms, but especially moms on this day.)  Anyway, my crazy boys decided they wanted to get me the best doughnuts in the world for my Mother’s Day gift, so they drove an hour and 45 minutes to Sublime Doughnuts this morning and brought back this box of a dozen assorted delightful yummies:

Just in case you want to know the flavors, they are as follows from left to right, top row to bottom:

Raspberry, Nutella, Reeses, Strawberry Shortcake, Dulce de Leche, Orange dream star, S’mores, Boston Cream Pie (with an M for “mothers”), Toffee, Banana fritter, Butterfinger, and Nestle Crunch.

Good grief they were good!  (And I am so full right now I can’t move….)  We cut them apart and tried them all.  I think my favorite was the orange followed closely by the strawberry shortcake.  If you are near Atlanta, make the trip.  They are delicious!

Okay, now turn your attention from doughtnuts to dinner…

We have always been big eaters around here, and dining out at good restaurants is one thing our family really enjoys doing together.  (And we are also pretty good about debating who has the best food, and how steaks should be cooked!:))  When we made our trip to Napa several years ago, not only did we research accommodations, but we also researched restaurants.  Obviously, Thomas Keller’s French Laundry showed up time and time again as the place to eat, but with three children along for this trip and a budget to consider, that was not a  possibility for us.  But that was no problem because Napa Valley has many amazing restaurants.

I know food is the ultimate consideration when choosing a place to eat.  If it is not good, don’t even consider it.  But in Napa, not only was the food good, but the restaurants also had fabulous gardens.  Take for instance, the gardens above from the place we dined our first night there, Bistro Don Giovanni.  Aren’t all those statues amazing?!

And not only were the statues and gardens gorgeous, but the floral arrangements inside the restaurant took my breath away!

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As you can see, the restaurant interior is very nice, and they have a cozy outdoor terrace for additional dining space.

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Our meal was quite tasty, and we enjoyed a delicious treat from their dessert menu afterwards…bistrodongiovanni.com

the Bostini Triflebistrodongiovanni.com

Bistro Don Giovanni serves Italian fare in Napa.  We had an assortment between us of Farfalle alla Cacciatore (a rabbit dish), ravioli, grilled pork chop, and seared salmon.

The following day we drove through the countryside and explored the small towns in the area.  I especially loved St. Helena with its wineries and cute shops.  We had lunch that day at this mostly seafood restaurant:

The interior was very pretty…

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but since it was a warm sunny day, we enjoyed our meal out on their terrace.  (I think terraces and patios are required at Napa restaurants.:))

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I had wonderful fish tacos, and my husband had the blackened salmon sandwich.

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Take a look at their roasted banana rum ice cream sandwich.  Quite droolworthy, don’t you think? (It has homemade banana bread in it.)

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Unfortunately, Go Fish is no longer open.  It was changed into a Mediterranean style restaurant called Brassica.

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And then last year, it changed once again.  This time it became more “family friendly” with a children’s menu included.  It is now known as Cindy Pawlcyn’s Wood Grill and Wine Bar.  Here is a look at their adult menu.

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They still have the patio for dining as Go Fish did.cindypawlcynsgrill.com

Another restaurant in St. Helena that I would like to try the next time we visit is French Blue.  It too, has a beautiful small terrace area.

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And a charming light filled interior space…although I am not real sure about eating with all those throw pillows there.  What do you think of that?

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In my next post I want to show you my very favorite restaurant in the Napa region, and I have a recipe from there to share.  Please be sure to come back for that.  I promise you don’t want to miss this one!

So how did you spend your Mother’s Day this year?  

Did you dine at a wonderful restaurant? (or eat a box full of doughnuts?)

We’d love to hear all about it in the comments!

   
Louvina - May 12, 2013 - 10:06 pm

We started my early Mother’s Day outing at a street party Friday evening with vintage music, old cars and 1920′s costumes to celebrate the premier showing of The Great Gatsby! Fun, fun! Then a late night snack at Steak and Shake! My girls spent the night– then on Saturday we went out to an early lunch at a quaint Mom and Pop Mexican restaurant and had wonderful homemade food. Then we continued on a girl’s shopping trip and finished with our favorite coffees at Star Bucks. Wonderful time was had by my 2 daughters and my only granddaughter and myself!! I am a blessed mother!:) now after reading your post, I am craving my favorite creamed filled donuts!!:) thanks for sharing your Mother’s Day!!

Garden, Home and Party - May 12, 2013 - 11:18 pm

Kelly,
What sweet sons! I love donuts and those look delicious.

I have never eaten at any of the restaurants you’ve shared from Napa, I always loved the Go Fish sign. I’ve several friend’s that have eaten at French Laundry but I seriously doubt that I could justify their prices, even if we were wealthy, which we’re not. One of our sons loves to cook and has a couple of Thomas Keller’s cook books, that will be as close as I get to sampling his amazing talent. lol.
Karen

Anne Boykin - May 13, 2013 - 2:54 am

Hi Kelly, I have family in Napa and I visit when I can, of course. Can’t wait to hear what your favorite restaurant is. I live near Atlanta and will have to try Sublime Doughnuts. Enjoy your blog!

Arlene@Nanaland - May 13, 2013 - 2:51 pm

I started the morning with a lovely box of Morgan Price Candy from my hubs. Morgan Price is a locally owned candy store with many delicious treats. Then off to church…had a visit from our daughter and grands, then off to eat dinner at son Charles’ home. It was a grand day!! Your donuts look amazing…will have to check that out the next time I am in Hotlanta.

Patty @ Home and Lifestyle Design - May 13, 2013 - 3:57 pm

These are my kind of restaurants!
I just found your blog & I am your newest follower.
Patty at http://homeandlifestyledesign.blogspot.com/

Judy Clark - May 13, 2013 - 4:05 pm

Kelly,

I have so enjoyed seeing your post about your trip to Napa. We have wonderful friends who go there every fall. They are wine connoisseurs! In fact, we had some Napa wines last night at their house. I sent them the link to your blog and they loved it. They have never stayed in the cabins before and are very interest. Thank you so much for sharing.

Dawn - May 13, 2013 - 4:07 pm

Kelly,

My husband got up early and drove across town to a bakery and go us fresh donuts for our breakfast as well! I love their blueberry cake donuts! Then we meet my parents and his parents at the lake house and had a wonderful late lunch together. It was a beautiful and relaxing day!

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