Devon's Dish [[ Church Creek Cellars ]]

Wow Wow Wow. 

I don't have enough room, for all the wonderful things I could say about 

Church Creek Cellars.

How cute are the horses that greet you as you pull in?? 

The newest winery to open in Santa Clara county, with the best views and hospitality, imaginable! When you are surrounded by 21 acres of gorgeous grape vines and panoramic views, you don't want to be stuck indoors. So they have built a beautiful open air Ramada, complete with a long bar and delightfully large, outdoor heaters.

With numerous award winning releases, you can't go wrong in picking any. Whether you choose to buy a few bottles to take home or stay awhile and sip under the oak tree, your experience will keep you coming back. 

Plus they have a wine club (join here) and don't let your glass go empty.

Church Creek Cellars prides themselves and their work, on the individual attention given to each plant. They believe that when you grow, nurture and hand pick a plant for production, you have the ability to select at the peak of ripeness for the overall style of wine they are trying to achieve.

They believe in the "vine-to-bottle" approach, something we in California know very well.. as "farm-to-table" has become increasingly popular in the last few years. The idea behind it, in it's most honest form, is that all parties involved in the process complete production in the most raw and natural way possible. No middlemen, no marketers, no distributors. You will meet the wine making team, and they are happy to walk you through their journey with each and every plant.

Me sitting with my parents enjoying the cabernet sauvignon. 

CHEERSSS 

Estate varietals include: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Sangiovese, Malbec, Zinfandel, Tempranillo, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, and Pinot Noir. (read more here) 

Diana look cute on the left talking with visitors || A packed tasting room on the right. 

Cooper has been working around the clock. Start ups often require you to wear multiple hats and multitask quite a bit.

Here he is shown as lead sommelier, earlier he was working as the official greeter and toast maker, and before that he was regulating the crowds as head of security.

So how do I know so much about this fabulous new winery??!

I actually had the honor of babysitting this (not so little) nugget of cuteness when she was a year old through age 12. Here she is working with her Dad (above) and standing taller than me (below) 

Now, that's a reality check, let me go have a cry. 

A little OOTD inspiration

 KG basic leggings

Ralph Lauren striped shirt (similar here)

Denim jacket (old, similar here) 

Celine glasses

Vans 

pins have been collected over the years. 

Me and Cooper taking a selfie.. what is everyone looking at? 

get your {{Holiday}} weekend on

image via

I love looking at the Christmas lights around the neighborhoods so far in December- but what I really love are the actual Holiday attractions that come with the season as well. On Thursday I'm going to Christmas in the Park, at Caesar Chavez park.  There are so many great events and activities going on around in the area  right now. To donate to the Christmas In The Park Exhibit Click Here. I've scoured the internet and compiled the ultimate Holiday Event List, so you won't have any excuse not to enjoy the sights of the Season. Hope you get to see a few or all off the list. Happy Holidays!!



Christmas in the Park- Downtown San Jose, Ca
101 West Santa Clara Street
San Jose, CA 95112
Hours- 9 PM to midnight until January 1st.

Fantasy of Lights- Vasona Park- Los Gatos, Ca
333 Blossom Hill Rd. Los Gatos, CA 95032
Mon - Sun 6 PM -10 PM

Ballet San Jose- Nutcracker- San Jose, Ca
San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
255 Almaden Blvd, downtown San Jose
Dec 8-23

Global Winter Wonderland- Great America
4701 Great America Pkwy.
Santa Clara, CA 95052
Every weekend Fri/ Sat/ Sun 4:00PM

Union Square Ice Rink- San Francisco, Ca
Union Square
San Francisco, Ca 94108

Drinking Stars Holiday Champagne Tasting- Enoteca La Storia :: Los Gatos, Ca
416 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos, CA, 95030
Dec 8th 2:00 PM

Joyeux Noël at Chateau St Jean-

Kenwood, CA

Chateau St. Jean Winery

8555 Sonoma Hwy., Kenwood, CA, 95452

Sonoma County

Dec 8 + 9^th & Dec 15 +16^th

Old World Food Truck- San Francisco, Ca

Hanukkah Pop Up Dinners @ The Coffee Bar

Buy Tickets Here

1890 Bryant St., San Francisco, CA, 94141

Dec 8^th 5:30

A Christmas Carol- San Francisco, Ca

American Conservatory Theater
415 Geary St.
San Francisco, CA 94102

Dec 7^th – Christmas

Buy Tickets Here

It’s a Jewish Christmas- San Francisco, Ca

Make Out Room Bar

3225 22nd St.
San Francisco, CA 94140

Tuesday, Dec 25, 2012 5:00p

28^th Annual Christmas Show and Antique Market- San Rafael, Ca.

10 Ave of the Flags, San Rafael, CA, 94903

Saturday, December 8, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday, December 9, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

::get your weekend on::

nothing too crazy happening in the South Bay this weekend... but of course I have to promote the Mountain View Art and Wine Festival. This is one of the big festivals that a ton of people love to go to- because it is one of the oldest in the area. It's located all downtown on Castro street and in addition to the fun booths, food trucks, talented artists and art work... there are still all of the cute local boutiques, delicious sit down restaurants and rowdy bars to see as well. So throw on a little sunscreen, grab a glass of wine {{or two}} and rediscover the Mountain View strip.

[[wino]]

ootd- blouse- JCrew, denim- True Religion, belt- vintage, shoes- Toms, bag- Louis Vuitton

 I feel like my work week is on fast forward and I can't find the remote in order to pause he madness. But fear not.. I will get through it. On my quick day off I got to enjoy the back country out in the South Bay at Clos LaChance Winery. We had all sorts of munchies and accoutrement's to make our afternoon more enjoyable. I especially loved the wasabi trail mix, it had the perfect about of kick. We shared a few bottles of the 2010, Reserve Viognier- which was very smooth. It had sweet undertones (think apricots and peaches) and a floral scent, which was very light and would pair well with multiple dishes. Finally as the sun began to set we decided that it was best to leave and get back to reality. Plus the bees had taken over one slice of turkey, and we were sure that they would come searching for more.

So we left the music, drinks, laughter and sunset... for another day

:: get your weekend on::

3 day weekend?? Yes Please!! 4 day weekend?? DUH!!

Sorry, I'm just too excited to announce that I have a four day weekend and it starts at 5:30 tonight. Boyfriend and I are headed over to his brother's house for a little sumthin' sumthin' tonight. Obviously our new favorite hangout... and Maddie loves their "children" too- so it works out for everyone. Then tomorrow I will be supporting my guy at the launch of his site, Tabata Times. For all of you out there who are into CrossFit or looking to improve your workout and fitness goals then it would really benefit you to check out the site. It offers great articles about everything from working out while pregnant to improving your pull-ups. After, we're off to the City, aka San Francisco, to hang with friends, eat 'till we nap and shop 'till we drop.

What are you up to this weekend? Want some ideas? look no further...

I love Greek food, if you do too- then head to Belmont for the annual Greek Festival and be prepared to eat.The festival includes authentic Greek Food & Pastries, Music & Dancing, Arts & Crafts at the flea market and Church tours... only a small charitable $5 is asked for in return. Plus its open Saturday, Sunday (12-10) AND Monday (12-8)- for those of you looking for something to do on your extra day off.

If your headed up north, it might be worth your while to check out the art and wine festival being held in Milbrae. The theme is Mardi Gras, and they will have all the usual suspects-artists and craftmakers showing their latest handcrafted wares, festive food and drink, premium wines, margaritas and mojitos, artisan specialty food, a microbrew tasting tent, an organic and green product showcase, home and garden exhibits, health and wellness displays.

Up in Golden Gate Park is the SF Zine fest, which I might check out while I'm up romping in the city. Its a collection of local artists that get together from 11-6 tomorrow sell, and trade their wares. Plus there's many free workshops and panels and, as always, the show is free to attend.

enjoy your weekend xx

:: get your weekend on ::

WOW.. This weekend is jam packed full of fun things to do,, for those of you living in the Bay Area. Even though the weather man scared us with a chance of rain on the horizon, I think it will stay nice and hopefully everyone will enjoy their weekend.

Santa Clara is starting off their county fair this weekend. It's a four day long event that takes place in San Jose. The fairgrounds have been home to the fair for years and years. It is the place where you can taste the best kettle korn and funnel cake, see the Worlds largest pickle and witness your very first piglet race... all in one day!! So throw on your cowboy boots and get to talkin' a little funny- head to the fair this weekend!

Fremont is having a little fun this weekend over in their neck of the woods. It's time for the Festival of the Arts again.The event is Saturday and Sunday 10-6. hosts a wide variety of activities and entertainment for the entire family; over 700 top-quality artisan booths delight the most discerning shoppers, music lovers enjoy continuous music featured on three stages, and Gourmet Marketplace offers gourmet specialties and wine for the discerning cook/foodie... best of all- it's free

In downtown this weekend is the magical Renaissance Faire held in Guadalupe Gardens near the HP pavilion from 10-5. San Jose Renaissance Faire offers you a chance to visit the days of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the First.. without sacrificing your twitter feed. See about 800 costumed performers bring Shakespeare's England to life with parades, pageants, and fun townsfolke. My favorite part of the faire are the gigantic turkey legs and the horseback riding jousters

enjoy your weekend xx



:: get your weekend on ::

Fountain Blues Festival at Saint James Park If you are looking for a fun event for this weekend this Blues Festival going on down the street from my house is sure to be a fun event!! Especially with this gorgeous weather that the South Bay has been experiencing this week. The Fountain Blues festival is going to be held at Saint James Park, and as I was catching the train this morning I spotted them beginning setting up. Speaking of that: if you don’t feel like dealing with traffic the VTA Light rail has a station the stops right outside the front gates to the festival. It is going to have multiple artists playing throughout the day and offer different craft and specialty booths for shopping. And if you’re headed to a blues festival, you know they’re going to be offering a terrific spread of food choices. Mmmm baby back ribs, I hope!! The festival opens it’s doors at 11:00AM, but the music runs noon to 8:00pm.

map to Saint James Park 

78th Obon Festival in Japantown This weekend will also be the annual Obon Festival, held in Japantown of San Jose. The San Jose Japantown is one of only three remaining Japantowns in the entire country, so show it a little love. The festivities get under way with traditional dance performances at the local Buddhist church and then UCLA and UC Berkeley drum lines will perform. There will be many different arts and craft style booths and of course all the local shops will be open… Biscuits, Maddie’s favorite store- which means dogs are allowed to come. This is a two day event, so it’s flexible if you already have prior commitments. Plus it opens at noon and runs till 8:00pm. I love going to this festival, mostly because of the amazing food!! They have everything from sushi to strawberry shortcake. But my favorite treat in town is the Hawaiian shaved ice from this little gem.  Have a fun weekend, with whatever you do. If you’re able to check out either of these events in downtown, leave a comment at the bottom with your thoughts, ideas or just tell me what you ate. :)

Also, this weekend in Los Altos they are having their 33rd Art and Wine festival. I really love outdoor events like this, because I live in near a ton of flourishing winerys- when they offer local vineyards it's always a treat! So if I can enjoy a glass of wine while I walk and look at cute-sey knick-knacks. I am always so amased by some of the things people create. It looks like its open untill 8:00 on Saturday and 6:00 on Sunday. They will have a few entertainers, numerous food vendors, a kidszone and of course a ton of winerys.  

wine tasting {{part two}}

The winery that we visited after lunch was Darioush and it was breath taking. Right when we pulled up we thought that it looked more like a royal palace than a winery. It was designed and built using many different materials from all over the world, and boasts its influenced design. "Reminiscent of the great noble architecture that once existed, the imagery of the Darioush building evokes Persepolis, the illustrious capital of ancient Persia" The gift shop that is housed inside the tasting room is more like a pop up Barney's Boutique. With uniques finds from Missoni, an assortment of crystal champagne flutes and serving dishes, multiple high profile biography novels, and other classic home and entertaining goods, you could finish up your Holiday shopping in one swoop.

After a beautiful tour of the grounds and the buildings, our host took us down into the cellar where he had prepared a wine and cheese pairing with 5 of their special release and library wines. Out of all of my favorites the Merlot was my favorite and I had to take home a bottle at the end of the night. I'll save it for a special occasion however, before I taste it again. Aside from the wine being delicious, the tasting room was very extravagant. In middle eastern culture the term my home is your home is more of a way of life, than just a saying stitched on a hanging tapestry. Our host made it very clear that the owner wants you to enjoy your time there and everything is put in place to make you feel as welcome as possible. If you're in Napa and you feel like vacationing to another part of the world I hope you get the chance to experience Darioush Winery.

Wine tasting {{part one}}



in the barrel room

  As I told you before, I had a wonderful trip to Napa Valley a few weeks ago, I had never been. On our trip we were able to visit two wineries, Silver Oak and Darioush winery- both were exquisite. Silver Oak had more of an old world vibe in their decor and Darioush had a very glitzy, high- class feel. After admiring the first winery and enjoying a complimentary tour we got to sample some of their classics. Gorgeous grounds, especially the vines, they were lush and green and looked to be right off of a wine label. If you are in the area and love a good Cab, I highly reccomend their place.  I felt a little funny having a glass of wine before noon, but as they say... do as the Romans do

view of the property

:: me with my cupcake tray ::
Lulu dress from Therapy, swarovski havaianas sandals

Jackie had the most gorgeous nails that day. A deep coral color with gold tips. Which she explained to me to be much easier to do than it looks. I love to have pretty nails, but I didn't believe that I could do them myself (because I'm terribly uncoordinated). And I don't always want to pay extra at the nail salon.

Turns out it only takes a few steps.

1) paint you base color x 2

    2) use a make-up sponge with a small amount of glitter

nail polish on one end and dab the tip of your nail.

3) start to dab about 3/4 of the way out on your nail

and concentrate it more as you get closer to the edge.

It creates the perfect ombre effect because the porous surface of the sponge doesn't allow too much glitter to rub off when you apply it tot he nail.

I don't know which shines more..

We decided to head to the Oxbow Market and check out the competition for San Jose's new market. For lunch we dined at the the Kitchen Door and I had a wonderful soft shell crab sandwich. It had just the right amount of crunch and salty flavor, but the dressing that came with it was cool and creamy and added just the right of smooth to every bite. Totally not on the regular menu, but it was a special occasion so I thought it would be acceptable. The market was very eclectic inside and reminded me of a future San Pedro Square Market. i hope ours will be as successful. It had everything inside from cheeses to spices to coffees and ice creams. It really did hold quite a few vendors, who I would be interested in seeing again. I also liked the layout of the interior, it seemed as though all the shops were crowded together but still had a comfortable flow throughout the stands.

bloody mary, sweet potato fries, crab sammy

Oxbow Cheese Market

baked delights
"it's ok, they're organic"