i heart: sneak in disposable flasks!

{is it wrong that i love this?!}

my roommate brought home restoration hardware's holiday catalogue a few weeks back. of course out of all their fun items, i thought the disposable flask was the best! love, love, love it. it would have been the perfect gift for pretty much all my friends + family (we live in napa...so i can say that without sounding like an alcoholic). sadly, they were + still are sold out. however, i just did a little research + found this site that sells something similar.

ps. i also LOVE this bike...and just noticed it is on sale from $695 to $344!

pps. image via restoration hardware online {i did not take it}.

love this sign.

love this sign., originally uploaded by i heart napa.

i went to dinner at my friend's house the other night. this is the sign she has place above her stove. love it.

pablo + my new yellow shoes.

i love playing around with my camera. it definitely has opened my eyes up to a whole new world. there is nothing more exciting than discovering beauty in places so familiar they are passed without acknowledgement. usually i love exploring outside, but since it has been so wet + cold, i have started taking the most random shots around the house. most of them i will spare you, but i think these ones turned out pretty good. just love the warmth of the yellow, sheep skin + dark wood floors.

{pablo + me}

{i heart these shoes. especially since they were only $16!}

{pablo. so warm + snuggly}

hope you are all staying warm.

last minute gift ideas {hint. hint.}

i am officially changing my middle name to - last minute. just in case you are too, here is a little (emphasis on little. otherwise it would be a novel) list of my favorite things (gifts i would be very happy to receive myself).

{riedel "o" wine glasses. i use them everyday. perfect gift for under $25}

{fresh sugar lip treatment with spf 15 • great stocking stuffer}

{fleurissimo. my favorite scent from creed}

i believe fleurissimo is also available at diva perfumes in st. helena.

{lush • dream cream. HEAVEN!}

actually everything from lush is heaven.

{addicted to these moleskine cashier notebooks}

{i want this lomography diana camera!}

or any of the diana lomo cameras.

what do you want? love to hear about new things!

happy happy holiday!

wishing everyone a very happy holiday.

the perfect gift: swanson vineyards alexis wine + bonbon gift set

the perfect gift. holiday, hostess, wedding, baby, birthday, engagement, promotion, retirement, thinking of you, thank you, i love your blog...gift.

{delicious treasure.}

{swanson vineyards alexis wine + bonbon hatbox gift set}

{i love the vibrant color of the box set against the muted tones of this antique piece.}

{exclusive. lovely. elegant. delicious. most definitely, unforgettable}

{the hatbox alone is eye candy.}

{alexis bonbons • a delightful creation by vosges haut-chocolat of chicago}

{"decadence with a wink"}

{2005 cabernet sauvignon gift set}

alexis wine + bonbon hatbox gift set $125

alexis bonbon hatbox {12 bonbons} $35

2005 swanson cabernet sauvignon gift set {750ml} $140

for more information on the gift sets, wines, or to visit their winery, please follow the link below.

swanson vineyards

1271 manley lane

rutherford, california 94573

tel: 707.967.3500

cheers!

mustard in december.

{i want to move in}

i went up to rutherford today to take some pictures of my favorite winery (can't wait to share those shots!). i could not believe all of the mustard growing up valley. so beautiful. i just had to stop and take this picture.

i really love living here.

oh, can someone correct me if i am wrong? i always thought of mustard growing closer to the springtime.

cookie party.

{toast with gorgonzola...ready for a little drizzle of honey}

{my dream meal}

{my favorite bubbles*}

{i heart cookies}

{these were delicious + low fat}

{more deliciousness}

{little santa}

{i kind of wanted to take this munchkin home}

{her too}

{sweetness}

{sleepy girl}

i went to a holiday cookie party last weekend. certainly a party i hope to be invited to again next year. met some new lovely ladies (and babies) and ate lots of yummy cheeses, bubbles and cookies.

thank you miss gretchen.

click here for the recipe of the cookies i brought (chocolate whoppers).

*the name of the bubbles pictured above is allimant-laugner cremant d' alsace rose and can be purchased here in napa at jv wine and spirits and oxbow wine merchants for about $18 a bottle.

make + eat: maida's chocolate whopper cookies.

{chocolate whopper cookies}

a few years ago my aunt gave me a print out of maida's chocolate whopper cookie recipe along with my christmas present (thank you nancy). since i had never had one of these cookies, i didn't think much about it. i did however, have enough sense to file it away and ultimately made them this past mother's day. they were such a hit! so amazingly delicious that when i received an invitation to a cookie party this past week, i didn't have to think twice about what i would bring.

a little afterthought...while writing this post i was reminded how the simplest gifts usually turn out to be the best gifts.

Maida's Chocolate Whopper Cookies

recipe found at cookiemadness.net

ingredients:

2 ounces (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate


6 ounces semisweet chocolate

3 ounces (3/4 stick) unsalted butter


1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour


1/4 teaspoon baking powder


1/2 teaspoon salt


2 eggs


3/4 cup granulated sugar


2 teaspoons powdered (not granular) instant coffee or espresso


2 teaspoons vanilla extract


6 ounces (1 cup) semisweet chocolate morsels


4 ounces (generous 1 cup) walnuts, broken into large pieces (i chopped them up)


4 ounces (generous 1 cup) toasted pecans, broken into large pieces (i chopped them up)

directions:

adjust two racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat oven to 350°F. if you are baking only one sheet, adjust a rack to the middle of the oven. line cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil.

• place the unsweetened chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and butter in the top of a small double boiler over hot water on moderate heat. cook, covered, for a few minutes (i didn't cover). then stir occasionally until melted and smooth. remove the top of the double boiler and set aside, uncovered, to cool slightly.

• sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside (i was rushing and accidentally only sifted the flour and then added the rest without sifting).

{melted chocolate + butter}

• in the small bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, coffee or espresso, and vanilla at high speed for a minute or two. beat in the melted chocolates and butter (which may still be quite warm) on low speed just to mix. add the sifted dry ingredients and again beat on low speed just to mix, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula to incorporate the ingredients. remove from the mixer and transfer to a larger bowl (i did this whole step in the large kitchen aide bowl. did not transfer).

• stir in the chocolate morsels, the walnuts, and the pecans.

• use a 1/3-cup metal measuring cup to measure the amount of batter for each cookie. put five cookies on each cookie sheet, one in the middle and one toward each corner. use a rubber spatula to push the mixture into the measuring cup and then to scoop it out onto the lined sheet (the dough is gooey). do not flatten the tops.

{i made them just a little too big...}

• bake two sheets at a time, reversing the sheets top to bottom and front to back once during baking to ensure even baking. Bake for 16 to 17 minutes-no longer. the surface of the cookies will be dry but the insides will still be soft. there is really no way to test these; just use a portable oven thermometer before baking to be sure your oven is right, and then watch the clock.

makes about 14 cookies (sadly, i made them a little too big and only yielded 9)

i heart: the entertainer

{yumminess from cowgirl creamery}

i am putting together a little list of my favorite things/gift ideas for the holidays + came across this yummy display of cheeses on the cowgirl creamery website.

i don't know about you, but i have a thing for cowgirl creamery cheeses. if given the chance i would eat them every day. especially the mt. tam + red hawk.

this "party in a box" would be the perfect (holiday, housewarming, wedding...) gift for a foodie. or for a party (which is probably how it got the nickname). or for yourself, for no reason.

click on the links for more information or to see their other cheeses.

cheers!

shop/i heart: jcrew's downtown field jacket.

{images via jcrew.com}

i bought this jacket from jcrew a few months back and pretty much wear it every chance i get. if it was possible to love a jacket, i would say i love this one. so much so, months later when i see it on sale i do not care one bit that i paid full price (very big statement coming from a girl who usually pays $2 for a shirt at goodwill).

oh and of course it goes perfectly with my hunter wellies!

{image via jcrew.com}

i heart: my new dresser.

{i heart my new dresser.}

love, love, love this estate sale find. it's from the 1950's and in perfect condition.

{my old dresser. sadly missing a handle.}

i am pretty much convinced that nothing is made with the same quality these days. which makes me question why anyone buy something new?

eat: red velvet cupcakes

i heart cupcakes.

and some reason i have been craving red velvet cupcakes for months and months. there is something about the cake combined with cream cheese frosting that makes me happy.

so when i came across the recipe for these lovely red velvet cupcakes on the food blog, sporkorfoon, i decided it was time to give in to my craving.

they were a bit messy to make (red food coloring and i did not hit it off. oh and i clearly lack the patience to apply frosting correctly). but they were very very very yummy.

for more information and to see the recipe click here.

enjoy.

meet: buddy

this is buddy. he came with bryan {my new roommate}.

i think he looks like a pablo mini me.

we now have a full house. super full. don't bother trying to break in.

warning.

warning • strange household.

for sale: vintage art deco desk

hello, my name is nicole and i have a serious addiction to estate sales.

unfortunately {or fortunately for my bank account} i live in a little house. so in order to make room for new things, i have finally acknowledged the fact that i either need to get a storage unit or sell some of my pieces.

this is a vintage/art deco desk in coral. i love the brass handles and detail in the base. the two drawers on the bottom right side are actually a single drawer for files.

measurements:

w: 41.5"

h: 28.5"

d: 20.5"

price: $100

oh + i have some extra paint for touchups.