lovely blooms

While I was adventuring in Seattle, I stumbled upon a fabulous community garden. Right smack in the middle of the city was a beautiful green, lush garden filled with an assortment of edibles. These were one of my favorites, I am not quite sure of the name but these beauties have seeds that you can use for baking pastries and such. I am all for community gardens, what a great way to bring people together, who doesn't want to garden?!!!

Vivace

While in Seattle, I stumbled upon one of the yummiest cafes: Vivace!!! Vivace had the tastiest coffee drinks with one of my favorites being the Cafe Nico. Each drink was made to perfection and the cafe is a coffee lovers heaven. I absolutely loved the designs that were created in the fluffy foam of every drink.  If you happen to get the chance to go to Seattle, definitely stop by Vivace, if you love coffee this will surely be a place for you. For more yummy info go here http://www.espressovivace.com

Do

 Hey, Darlings!!! I am off to Seattle this weekend to do some hiking and adventuring. Have a lovely weekend filled with love, yummy treats and surprises. Here is a quote from one of my favorite adventurers of all time:

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain

The Opposite of Up

The whole time I was in Maui I had one single mission, well, I had others but this was on the top of my list; I wanted to taste the pineapple upside down cheesecake at Tommy Bahamas. Being that I wanted to go to local authentic restaurants I steered clear of going here, however, I decided to give it a try. The decor is typical Tommy Bahama, but the the restaurant is filled to the brim with plants and the outdoor patio is beautiful. I ordered the seared ahi, a pineapple mojito and for dessert....... the Pineapple Upside Upside Down Cheesecake!!!! I am so happy I decided to splurge on this little slice of heaven. Imagine Pineapple Cheesecake, with a hint of lime, then drizzled in a caramel sauce with small pieces of pineapple covering the bottom. This is definitely something to try in Maui, it will have you feeling upside down with joy, mmmmmm. 

A hint of Pineapple

If you get the chance to visit Maui there's one must do: go to the winery at Ulupalakua Ranch! The drive there is picturesque and has you driving through Maui's up country, absolutely beautiful. The winery features Pineapple wine and champagne, let me tell you, AMAZING!! I ended up bringing home two bottles of pineapple champagne and one bottle of the white. I couldn't imagine a better glass of champagne to share with friends on a warm summer night.  Here is the link, see for yourself http://www.mauiwine.com/

petals from maui

Maui was absolutely magical and I found myself not wanting to leave, but who wants to leave when on vacation? I've been thrown into a whirl wind now that I am home and will update everyone about my Maui adventures once Wednesday is here. Until then, I hope you get lost in this photo. 

Up up and Awayyyyy

I snapped this photo right outside the Rose Gardens in Berkeley and thought it was quite fitting with how I am feeling, light, airy and happy. I am off to a wedding in Hawaii this week, so, I hope everyone has great week!!! Have fun and get carried up, up and away!!

Morning Goodness

This weekend I went to one of my dad's favorite places for Brunch, Rick and Ann's. Nestled right under the Claremont Hotel, and tucked a way on Domingo Avenue ,Rick and Ann's can easily  be missed. However, all locals and regulars know exactly where it is. The restaurant is a bit mom and pop with a spice of country cottage. I love their homemade scones and muffins and the scrambles are amazing with ingredients like: goat cheese, asparagus, broccoli, and other yummy treats. Inside there's a communal table that allows you to eat with 10 or so people, but if you have time to wait, the patio is quaint and refreshing. The patio looks onto a gorgeous flower shop, and the Claremont is perched over head. Make sure to get to Rick and Ann's early because this place gets crowded, but with good service and even better food, Rick and Ann's is worth the wait!!! Here is the link and a story with how they started, take a peek.......  http://www.rickandanns.com/

Good One

Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.

Dr. Seuss

Camping

June is a perfect month to go camping! There's nothing better than camping with friends, eating around the campfire, drinking dark and stormies, laughing, playing games and singing campfire songs, ahh the perks of camping!!! Plan a camping trip with friends and family this month and take advantage of the long June nights. Some of my favorite places to camp are: Fort Ross, Capitola, Big Sur, and Pine Crest Lake, get out and enjoy great outdoors.

Power Yogaaaaaaaaaa

Today was my last day of Power Yoga for the quarter and I can't believe how far I've come.  I went from barely being able to execute a pose, falling over on my mat, fighting every urge to laugh in downward dog to now, I would almost say I am a guru. Ok, guru might be an exaggeration but I can hold dancer's pose, half moon, and warrior three. Power Yoga definitely turned out to be an adventure!!!!! For any of you that are craving a challenging and empowering workout try Power Yoga, you'll love it!!!

if only I was here...

So, today is a day that I wish I could be swept away to the family farm in France!!!! For now, I will eat some cheese, drink some wine, and look at pictures from my last trip to brighten my day!!!

Simplicity in Summer

I can't wait for the long, warm nights of Summer!! Soft, airy dresses, iced colorful drinks, big hats, good books and nights with good friends. 

Chapeau

This happened to be a weekend of French dinning, from French takeout at Gregoire to snagging a great early bird special at Chapeau Restaurant in San Francisco. The early bird special is a three course meal for 25 dollars. I ordered the chilled carrot soup with hints of blue cheese, the duck with polenta and pear sauce and then the red wine soup for dessert, it was amazing!!! I was amazed with the hefty portions, I almost had to unbutton my pants to make room for dessert. The only disappointment was that our waiter was not fluent in French, however, most of the staff were. It was by some far off chance that our waiter did not speak French because I am not sure they would have understood my broken French, but, at least I tried!!! If you feel like getting whisked a way with mouth watering food and even better desserts try Chapeau. Here is the link, check it out for yourself....  http://sanfrancisco.menupages.com/restaurants/chapeau!/

A Little Piece of France on Piedmont Avenue

Over the weekend my husband and I had dinner at Gregoire . I had a gift certificate and finally got to put it to use.  Much to our excitement Gregoire was a little slice of France in Oakland. Gregoire is small, quaint and offers French takeout. We ordered the Halibut with cream sauce, pineapple bread pudding with caramel and a side of frites (fries) and we left feeling like we had just ducked into an alley in France and grabbed a delicious dinner. If you love French cuisine definitely try Gregoire. Here is the link to this yummy treasure!!  http://www.gregoirerestaurant.com/

Ode to the Weekend!!!!

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend filled with adventure, travel and yummy food.

I myself, will be going to a festival, Romeo and Juliet, and a French restaurant in the city!!! ENJOY and live in the moment!!!!

Adventurer of the Month

I've decided that I would love to hear about other bloggers travels and adventures. Each month I am going to feature two travelers on Coeur de La. I will post a picture of the adventurer and a blurb about where they are off to, so, let me know your summer plans, adventures and travels. What I need: a picture of you, the adventurer, where you plan on adventuring to and the must have that you will be packing. I am hoping this will be a great way to inspire others to get out and take an ADVENTURE!!!

Foggy mornings in June

While driving this morning I couldn't help but enjoy the early morning fog. I love early mornings in June when everything is fresh, the day has just begun and the air feels crisp and cool. Sunny days are great too, but you need a foggy day once in awhile to bring you back down and cool your soul. I took this picture last weekend off of 280. I loved the hay stacks and the fog lingering by the green hills, that's simply June weather. I love it!!!

Celebration

Sunset Magazine will be hosting their 2009 Celebration Weekend this Saturday and Sunday, June 6,7 from 10am-5pm in Menlo Park, Ca. If you are into great food, wine, living green, new ideas for home decor or just want to get out and take in the fresh June air, come down and celebrate with Sunset Magazine. 

Check out the link here for more details http://www.sunset.com/

A Real Foodie

 The face says it all!! I think little kids are all true foodies!!!!

What Every Adventurer Needs

This little bracelet would be my inspiration while on an adventure. I would take it everywhere. I love how simple the bracelet is; it literally warms my soul. It's definitely a must have for my next adventure. 

check out this giveaway here

Rich in Life

To be rich in life one has to enjoy the simple things. A few simple things that make me happy are:

laughing

family

the outdoors

love

books

the french countryside

gruyere cheese

friends

charming

Everything in Paris is charming to the eye!

- Mark Twain

I found this quote and immediately this picture came to mind. In this photo I am at a market getting ready to set out for a day of walking in Paris, do I look happy?