oh what a dream...

this catalog for equitours came in the mail yesterday + i can not stop dreaming. seriously, i think this may be my new goal to work towards...maybe not for 2010, but definitely for 2011.

{equitours • horseback vacations worldwide.}

{i can not decide where i would want to go first...morocco?}

{or botswana?}

equitours

po box 807

dubois, wyoming 82513

tel: 800.545.0019

meet: girdie girl.

if you have read my blog in the past, you most likely have seen a picture of my handsome boy pablo. + although he is featured here on a regular basis, i do not believe i have shared the full story of santos juan pablo (his official name)...+ how he came to live with me here in napa. i will say, our story is a love story + it does deserve to be told, but it will have to wait for another day because today i wanted to write about another perro de calle, a little girl named girdie.

{miss girdie girl}

miss girdie was found a few days ago outside of my parent's home in todos santos (baja). at this point we are pretty certain there is this big flashing sign, similar to the one in beetlejuice, pointing all stray dogs to my parent's home (this of course can not be confirmed, as it is is only visible to dogs). since we are certain this sign exists, i was far from surprised to hear that they had found + ultimately brought this little girl into their home. seriously, every time they go down to todos santos, they find another dog who is in desperate need of love. actually, more often than not these dogs just show up on their doorstep. a few years ago it was cowboy. oh, he was such a doll. + then there was rocky...i was obsessed with him (he was my first. such a long + sad story, which actually ties into pablo's story. so stay tuned). + then there was a very, very sick little puppy with one eye. + then there was indy, who we found on the beach. she now lives with my sister ash. + then there was another little puppy who was found under a tractor, a few yards from their house...+ of course there is pablo! seriously, the list goes on...

so here we are again, another year, another dog. girdie is in very bad shape. my dad said she is in one of the worst conditions he has seen yet...this poor girl was beyond starving, she was infested with fleas, she is missing patches of hair, she has been attacked by other animals, she was left for dead. my dad's description - "she is the ugliest thing i have ever seen." of course he said it with love...we all know a dog's beauty is in it's personality. but i think you get the point.

{happy girl.}

as we stand today, with the help of a local vet, they are working on getting her healthy. from these pictures you can see she still has a long way to go. they had some tests done to see if she has ehrlichia (a disease spread by ticks)...keeping fingers crossed they come back negative. once she gets better, they will need to find her a good home. i'll keep her progress updated on this site.

on a happy note, i spoke to my dad this morning + he was pleased to report that in just a few days she has developed quite the personality. another non-surprise, as with most all of the other mexican street dogs i have come across, once given a little food + a little love, they have blossomed into the sweetest, most hilarious little creatures to exist (ok, a bit dramatic i know, but we need to find her a home).

cheers! nm

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!

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?

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.

lovely find: vintage royal typewriter

{estate sale find}

found this lovely royal typewriter at an estate sale a couple weekends back. i am a bit obsessed with it.

side note: i had no idea the kind of finger muscles one would need to type! seriously.

i want one.

went to a friend's house for dinner this weekend. mid-party i was introduced to this little beauty. very, very jealous. if it was detached i might have considered putting it in my purse.

note to my favorite couple: please invite me back soon. :)

MERLOVE: a documentary about merlot wine

i have been wanting to do a proper post about merlove for some time now. and since i am not a movie critic or a particularly strong writer, i kept putting it off {sorry!!!}. basically, i let my fear of not being able to write a review worthy of such a beautiful film keep me from writing one at all. bad excuse, but i loved it that much! {hope that made sense?}

merlove is a documentary about merlot wine written and directed by rudolf "rudy" mcclain and marisol ramirez. i love it. you need to watch it and love it too. then drink a bottle of merlot {my favorite is swanson}. actually drink a bottle {or two} while watching the movie.

the dvd is being released tomorrow {saturday, november 14} and as it turns out rudy will be signing them at v. sattui winery from 11 am to 1 pm.

• merlove trailer no. 2 •

• merlove trailer no. 1 {i do things backwards} •

{more merlove love}

read:

• winebusiness.com

• decanter.com

• winespectator.com

• sthelenastar.com

follow: twitter.com/merlove

be a fan: facebook.com/merlove

buy the dvd: merlove.com

listen to: simka "cafe society"

i heart this door.

{mr. door}

i went to see a dear friend today to take pictures of her adorable children {adorable being an understatement}. while they were getting ready, i took some shots around the house. as it turns out i am kind of obsessed with her door. and her light fixture.

gosh, i think this might be the start of a new door obsession.

a day of peace.

{audrey m. forrow . marine)

{john r. mcintosh jr, marine}

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

-L.t. Col. John McCrae (1872-1918)

THANK YOU to all our veterans. Remembering you on this day, "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace..."

going home.

{audrey . october 1970}

i am going home tomorrow and the feeling is bittersweet. today marks 7 months since my grandmother's memorial and my grandfather's passing. 7 months of living without the most special person i have ever known. 7 months of wishing i had more time with both of them. 7 months of wishing i knew my grandfather better.

i am going home tomorrow and i get to see four of my most special friends.

i can't wait to see kel and her new baby girl. i can't wait to see miss ali and her growing belly. i can't wait to see my most special miss jac and her little julia {who is almost 3!!}. and i can't wait to see my most lovely friend chrisa, who i sadly haven't seen for over a year.

this weekend will be bittersweet, but it will be special. i am certainly most grateful to have these ladies by my side.

sunday with my family {on the napa river}.

{my dad's first time fishing in the napa river}

i had such a lovely evening with my family last night. seeing them reminds me how much i have missed them. sometimes i can't believe i am the same girl who moved clear across the united states to go to college. the girl who is now back in napa and wishing they would stop being retired and stick around more.

this past year has been filled with so much sadness and loss, seeing my parents this happy and at peace was heartwarming to say the least. the napa river is magical. it is raw and serene and healing and calming...and i know the right place for my father now.

{boo. i wonder if all pugs are as funny as him?}

i heart: horse by kelly klein.

i am obsessed with this book. horse by kelly klein. it was a last years christmas present from pablo and elliot. published in 2008 by rizzoli, it features over 250 amazing photographs. no matter how i re-arrange my living room, it is always somewhere within reach...one of those books i can look at over and over again.

{melts my heart.}

{can you imagine waking up to this?}

{amazing.}

{reminds me of the black stallion. and endurance riding...life goal.}

{i would never leave}

{remember that movie...wild hearts can't be broken? i need to watch it again.}

{speechless.}

horse

written by kelly klein

publisher • rizzoli

published • october 2008

hardcover

happy 61.

{snackshop number 1 . east pacific coast highway . corona del mar, california}

{jr and audrey mcintosh . brilliant + amazing + very missed}

this is the first year the anniversary of opening my grandparents first restaurant {one of many adventures} passes without them. my dad and some of the old crew/friends ate at ruby's {the restaurant currently at this location} today in honor of the start of something great.

xxoo.

read: blogs i heart

it's safe to say i am a morning person. i love mornings. no matter how late i stay up, i can never sleep in {occasionally that fact sucks}. there is something about the start of a new day that makes me happy. and yes, gone with the wind has been my favorite movie since i was 7.

anyways, i especially love fall mornings {on the weekend} in the valley! and today happened to be one of those rare perfect mornings where i didn't have anywhere to be. no commitments. no set plans. no waking up in a panic thinking about the tasks on my ever growing list of things to do {SUPER RARE!}. there was an estate sale i wanted to go by, but for once it wasn't at my foremost thought. and since i was up earlier than usual {so early the dogs didn't get up}, i figured i would made a cup of tea and crawl back into bed with my laptop for a bit. well, a bit turned into missing the estate sale, but only because i stumbled across some new fun blogs/websites. perfect morning!

hope you like them too.

• helen jane * lovely bog written by another napa valley lady...who also runs a cheese club called cheesewhizzes * love it!

• molly watson and her blog the dinner files * i discovered her though one of my all time favorite blogs sfgirlbybay. they both rock.

• 5 second rule * she made me hungry.

• super natural recipes * natural food recipe search engine.

what i love about today.

1. waking up to see pablo quietly peeking his head in the door (i do not pretend he is excited to see me anymore, he is purely driven by food).

2. visiting zeller's ace hardware on lincoln. seriously, the nicest + most knowledgeable people. i love looking at the shelves + all their neatness. so clean + organized. i could spend forever in there just imaging what each tool did...wishing i knew how to use them. 

3. the weather is perfect. cool morning, warm (but not too warm) afternoon with a little breeze.

4. i love that my buyers are over the moon with their purchase - all set to close on monday!

5. peaches + melon + tomatoes + fresh herbs + the thought of going to the farmers market in the morning!

6. my newest free find - a filing cabinet! one more project, but its a beauty. can't believe someone was throwing this away.

i heart firefighters!

my heart, thoughts + prayers are with all those affected by the fire burning in the deer park area. THANK YOU to all the brave firefighters + rescue workers.

if you are looking for more information, please visit the following websites:

• california dept of forestry + fire protection incident information page
• california fire news
• napa valley register