The Barefoot Contessa

Ina Garten, otherwise known by foodies as “The Barefoot Contessa” is my favorite Food TV star.

I recently bought her newest “How Easy Was That” cookbook, (which I highly recommend along with all of her other cookbooks)

Her nickname; “The Barefoot Contessa” came from the Hampton’s food store she once owned.

After working at the White House in the 1970s as a nuclear energy  policy analyst, Ina bought a small, specialty food store in the Hamptons which was already named “The Barefoot Contessa.” She told The New York Times, “My job in Washington was intellectually exciting and stimulating but it wasn’t me at all.” Ina loved to entertain and cook much more.

The original store’s owner had named it after a 1954 film starring Ava Gardner and Humphrey Bogart.  Ina Garten decided to keep the name because she felt “Barefoot Contessa” suited her “elegant but earthy lifestyle.”

ANYHOW…who knew

that in Something’s Gotta Give, Diane Keaton’s character shops in Garten’s ACTUAL “Barefoot Contessa” store??

 

How cool is that?

When I discovered this tidbit, I had to revisit the movie and check out her store!

How fun that Diane Keaton (one of my favorite actresses) shopped at the Barefoot Contessa!

Loved that movie, love Diane Keaton and the Barefoot Contessa :)

 

For Rent

I found this beautiful rental on VRBO.

(Vacation Rental By Owner)

“Magazine Photographed House with Vineyard View St. Helena, California Vacation Rental by Owner Listing 206740”

It is in St Helena which is in the heart of Napa.

My favorite place to visit besides Texas, KY & OK.

The property caught my eye.

These pictures will show you why.

The Autumn crush…

Sigh…

 

The house is owned by Michelle Cheatham

a San Francisco interior designer

and owner of the INVISIBLE CHEF/a successful catering company.

“Michelle has achieved coast-to-coast success catering and event planning for clients in San Francisco, the Bay Area and Wine Country, New York City, The Hamptons, Martha’s Vineyard, Sun Valley, Aspen, Atlanta, and Philadelphia. Inspired by her Southern roots, as well as a passion for outstanding food, Michelle has a love for entertaining and an appreciation for beauty. She has countless ideas to create and inspire.” (Source:Invisible Chef website)

How cute is she? Single and 46 years old.

I don’t know which leaves me more flabbergasted the fact that she’s 46 or still single?

 

The views.

Sigh…

The views with wine &dinner.

For $300/person Michelle will host your Wine & Food pairing in her amazing St Helena home!

“Dinners are accompanied by high-end, small boutique Napa Valley winery owners, and each course is carefully matched and paired with the wine being served. Guests have an opportunity to discuss the wines with the owners, and purchase their favorites to bring home. The dinners are painstakingly prepared by Michelle herself for those with a high-end and adventurous palette. It’s truly the personal connections with local food and wine artisans that sets the experience apart.”

Sounds like a lousy time, huh?

AND did I mention that you can rent this home?

Double Sigh…..

 

The pea gravel patio.

Sigh…..

A wedding reception on top of that pea gravel!

Endless sighs…..

(Hint to my friends with daughters:You know who you are :)

A saline lap pool.

A saline hot tub and glass of wine.

Warm relaxing sighs….

You can tell by Michelle’s  kitchen that she is a chef.

 

Michelle teaches cooking classes in this kitchen for $200/person.

“Invisible Chef offers interactive cooking classes and a unique food/wine connection, deep in Napa Valley wine country. From simple skills to advanced culinary techniques, each class is a hands-on experience. Guests cook a seasonal feast, complete with locally-grown produce from the local farmers market, and enjoy it served afterward with accompanying local wines.”

Could you imagine?

Are you crying yet? I am.

 

The house is decorated with many unique and rare French country antiques.

Every detail exceptional with 100% Egyptian cotton linens to Riedel wine glasses to the silver and china are included.

 

More sighing……

Sleeps four to five fortunate souls.

Or a dozen poor unfortunate souls on air mattresses on top the pea gravel.

For a cool  $14,000

you can rent this place for a month…

$14,000 divided by 4 girlfriends = $3,500

$3,500 for a month in heaven…

Sigh…

Do I have any takers or sponsors?

Hi Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers.

Imagine my reaction when I saw this bumper crop while in Tyler.

Abby’s in-laws get to enjoy these beauties growing in their next door neighbor’s yard.

 

This row of smooth bark trees are Crepe Myrtles.

The colors are magnificent.

 

The lavenders, pinks

and blues!

Gorgeous!

 

Love that smooth white Crepe Myrtle bark too.

 

The weather must be perfect for them in Texas.

They made my day…

hope they made your day too :)

Welcome to Tyler

This is Abby’s sweet in-laws (and Parker’s summer) Tyler TX home.

In fact, it’s another breathtaking house that Ricky built.

A beautiful Tudor style home with the same amazing attention to details inside and out.

 

Abby’s talented father-in-law took her bridal portraits inside that picture window.

Now here are a few more beautiful homes in their neighborhood…

This next house has my name written all over it.

See the note I put on their door?

“CALL ME, WE NEED TO TALK”

Love these garage doors

with the vines

and pea gravel driveway.

Those touches add such a feeling of southern France.

Not that I’ve ever been there before but because

I have seen homes that look like this ~ from southern France ~ in magazines.

The inexpensive way to travel and learn.

Painted brick houses that are still tempting me.

 

I hope some day we can visit Tyler together…

or at least plant some boxwoods, or throw down some pea gravel in your driveway or paint your bricks.

Have a great BIG Texas Monday :)

Sundays With Landry

 

I am so sad I missed my li’l man playing in his new pool today.

There is something to be said about living in the same holler :)

I Wish…

Another bit from Texas…

I wish my Downtown was like McKinney’s.

Their courthouse is in the center square.

Lots of cute shops surround it.

 

 

 

 

Isn’t this a beautiful storefront?

 

This shop was my favorite.

Everything was Restoration Hardware-ish.

Except they were one of a kind finds.

Joe thought he was looking at the price of an entire lamp when he was ONLY looking at the cost of it’s shade.

And he thought the shade was expensive!

YIKES!

Yes, it was that kind of “cool” store.

Where you love everything in the place but can’t afford to even work there.

 

Downtown McKinney has really nice restaurants, too.

Actually, my Downtown has good restaurants too.

However,

I just wish it had fun shops… I couldn’t afford.

The chef at this restaurant trained with Wolfgang Puck.

Nobody was here because it was around 3pm.

Their menu sounded delicious.

They had tons of beer on tap.

We ordered an iced cold beer and their gourmet Mac n’ Cheese appetizer.

Yes, it was as good as it sounds.

Landry spent his time checking out my diamond ring.

See his sense of concentration? accompanied by some drool?

He likes jewelry so much these days…

I  call him my “Little Michael Eller”

(you Findlay friends laugh because you understand…to those outside the area…Michael Eller has the nicest jewelry store here)

Pretty much the only jewelry store here.

Just another reason why…

I wish my Downtown was like McKinney’s.

Shhh, I can’t complain too loudly…the gemologist is sleeping.

However you spend your weekend…

Enjoy it!!

Tomorrow would have been Hannah’s June 11th wedding.

I would have been spending today dolling up The Pits.

Quietly, I thank the Lord… as it is cool and rainy here.

God certainly blessed us in December.

Great is His faithfulness :)