Cape May, NJ. - Stormy Day - post-tornado skies, 6/21/16

Cape May, NJ. 6/21/16 - Stormy Day - post-tornado skies

Emmett and Ellery 

Not One, But Two Rebecca Haas Jewelry Events This Week in Middlebury, VT and Natick, MA! 12/10 and 12/12

I have a couple of events this week that I want to let you all know about! Both will provide a casual and personal atmosphere for you to browse and shop through an extensive collection of classic favorites as well an new and one of a kind pieces! And I'll be traveling a bit outside of my usual radius for both of them, first to Northern Vermont, and then to the edge of Boston. I'll give the event details below, but feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.

First up, in Middlebury, VT this Thursday. . . 

I have just recently started selling my work at The Edgewater Gallery in Middlebury, Vermont. I was thrilled when they asked me to be their featured artisan during Middlebury's Stag & Doe night! This great event is this Thursday evening 12/10, and many local businesses will stay open late and offer refreshments and various other enticements to sweeten your holiday shopping experience. Click here to see all of the various happenings and special offers going on around town. (It looks like most places will be plying you with some kind of delicious libation, they'll be playing It's a Wonderful Life in the park, and things like that . . )

And then this Saturday from 10-3 in natick MA. . .

I am so pleased to have been selected as one of Lou & Grey's favorite local makers! This is a beautiful brand, and I am looking forward to spending the day amongst their chic and cozy winter collection. If you are in the Boston area stop in and say hi! Click here for directions to Lou & Grey's Natick store.

Homestyle Hostel

This winter these two two cuties opened Homestyle Hostel in Ludlow, VT, which is a ski town just down the road from me. They have been booked and bustling since they opened, and are doing a great job welcoming skiers and local families alike to come in and enjoy the delicious food, coffees and cocktails, as well as the cozy atmosphere and the room full of board games. I had a great time this morning shooting some mood pictures to flesh out their website, and rewarded myself handsomely with a mouth watering brunch and their signature bloody mary that is so home made that even the tomato juice is made from scratch in house. Yum. Here are some of my favorites from today's shoot.

18 Hours in Portsmouth, NH

TH and I escaped to Portsmouth, NH last weekend for a night as a belated birthday trip for me, and just a general change of scene and night off from parenting.  Neither of us had ever been there and we really enjoyed it's salty and artistic atmosphere.  We left Emmett with some friends, and realized it was the first time we had left him and gone away together since he was about 14 months old.  I'm not quite sure how we let that long of a time period elapse.  We were, of course, totally tweaked about it, and almost bailed at the last minute, but I'm really glad we didn't.  And Emmett had a great time on his sleep over, came home full of stories, and told us he wants to do it every night. Phew!

We got there around 3:30 and checked into the Ale House Inn, which is a great little boutique hotel with iPads in every room, a little lobby with fresh fruit and snacks, and very friendly staff who are more than happy to help you find ways to fill up your time in Portsmouth.

The we walked around for a bit, looked at the water, and did some exploring and shopping.  And then we started eating, and managed to hit 3 restaurants in the remaining 15 hours.  First we went to Cava for a few small plates to refresh ourselves after our walking and shopping.

 And then we met up with a friend at the wine bar at the Black Trumpet, and then downstairs for a delicious dinner, where I had the most delicious foie gras I've had in years, which was pan seared and served over a flambeed apple slice and served with a beet and citrus relish.  SO good.

And then home to bed, because after all, we are still exhausted parents, even on our night off :)

It was truly lovely though to get out of our routine, get a chance to actually talk to each other without being interrupted, and just soak in a new atmosphere.  The really is something so rejuvenating about being in a new place, and taking in new sights and smells.  It helped me pull back a little and refocus on the big picture, and take a break from all of the little day to day demands and distractions.  And if 18 hours can do that, just imagine what a long weekend would be like! Maybe next time. . .

California Part 4: Tablas Creek Vineyard

This is my family's Vineyard in Paso Robles.  It is an incredible place, and every time I go there I am more and more awed by the scope and style of the project, the amazing integrity behind the farming and winemaking, and just the sheer beauty of the place.  The photos above and directly below are of the new additional property that was just purchased, which is yet to be planted with vines.  It's a great place to try to launch rocks into space (if you're 3).

These photos were taken a few weeks ago, and I'm sure the vineyard is looking quite different now.  When we were there the vines were just starting to come out of their winter dormancy. In the vineyard they were in the beginning stages of mowing the spring cover crop, so you'll notice that some of the rows have been mowed, and some not.

We are moving towards biodynamic farming, part of which is creating a diverse ecosystem within the vineyard.  These little cuties below are helping out with that, as well as helping to disperse natural fertilizer around the vineyard as they help keep down the greenery between the vines.

This donkey's name is Fiona, and she's a guard donkey.  She and her other donkey friend keep coyotes and other predators away from the sheep and alpacas.  They are in a little enclosure that gets moved around regularly once they have munched down all of their fodder, and before they start munching on vines.

I have really only glossed over the tip of the iceberg of interesting things about Tablas Creek, so please click here if you want to go deeper.  I was just out wandering through the vines and couldn't resist taking photos of the amazing scenery.  And if vineyards and winemaking interest you in general, check out my brother's award winning blog (#shamelessfamilybragging). It is a great place to frequent for regular thought provoking and informative wine related articles spanning such topics as details of viticulture, wine business and policy, tasting notes, and many other subjects that effect daily life on a vineyard.

California: Part 3: AndBe

I am very excited that my jewelry is now being sold at AndBe, a gorgeous new shop in Paso Robles, CA.  I got a chance to go there it in person and do a little shopping while we were out there a few weeks ago.  Beatrice and Andrea are the co-owners, and they sell carefully selected things for the home in beautiful muted colors, as well as accessories and some clothing.  

AndBe is full of luxurious textures and patterns, and it was a joy to wander around and pick everything up for a closer look.  And although there were many things I would have loved to take home, I ended up selecting six of the bowls you'll see below.  I have already put them into use, and I just love them.

Gorgeous stuff, right? I'd be in big trouble if AndBe was about 3005 miles closer!