Photos

this is what’s in my dash

Smiles. Big, big smiles.

sunny saturdays

In the Marina in San Fransisco:

Ahhh….so nice.

to erin, who led me to jessica, who led me to…

…Heather, who led me to the best place to sip a girl could ever work in:

I came to Napa and found a lot including my fabulous Swanson Soul Sisters. This Alaska or Bust adventure has been a most growing and incredible 5 months of my life. What a way to end it working with you all. I heart you for life chicas. Thank you.

hot air balloons and bubbles

Don’t tell anyone, but I took this photo while I was driving yesterday morning. (Hey, I didn’t want to miss a close-up shot!)

The day before, I snapped these leaf-changing vines at Mumm on my day off:

If you work IN the wine biz like I have been here, you rarely get to run around and go tasting yourself, because you are so busy serving others the good grape juice. I managed to weasel some time in for bubbles, after all- they are my favorite. I love fall, I grew up in Vermont and changing leaves of an kind have always been beautiful to me. In Vermont I’d be drinking cider and eating apple doughnuts looking at the beautiful changing colors through the windows with good company. Here in Napa I have done the same- just with a bit of sparkling instead.

I will never again have a first harvest season in Napa, with a first time working for a winery. I will probably not live in a lot of places where I can see hot air balloons filling the sky each morning or where I’m able pop in on my way home from running errands for a sip of some wine or food that’s known around the world. For these, and many other delicious reasons I am giving my thanks this year.

Cheers to never taking any moments good, bad or bubbly (hee hee…) for granted.

how you know when you’re really in love with something

*You think about it everyday. Even if you are insanely busy, stressed or otherwise pre-occupied
*You sometimes put it before yourself
*You feel like if it’s not a part of your day, your day is incomplete
*You feel lost without it
*If you never got to see it again, your heart would be broken in two
*If a someone proposed the question; “If you could do anything in the world, what would if be?”- it would be that thing

That’s how I feel about Blue Lollipop Road and sharing my life, in all the glory and madness here; I’m in love with it. It makes me feel free. Not writing here even for just a whopping few days was a much needed space and break, but has made me feel like I lost my love, my puppy, my best friend. I have too much to say to keep my mouth shut for long. There’s all that cool and funny stuff that happens during the daily bs that I can’t wait to share too, so here I am again. What can I say, I just can’t stay away.

If you know me or if you’ve visited here more than once, you know I am more comfortable sharing and being wide open than hiding things. This sometimes gets me in trouble. I have no problem telling people when or why I love them or when I think they suck. This sometimes gets me in trouble. I can stomach and be smiles and rainbows even to the biggest of jerks, but cross me or someone I love and I will go postal on your ass. This sometimes gets me in trouble. Living life open on the world wide web sometimes gets me in trouble, but it’s worth it and then some. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have said it before and I will say it again; I won’t change who I am, being truthful, or how I write because I am afraid that someone won’t like me. (Yes, this includes any current/future employers, boys, in-laws dogs, chickens or other.) Sorry.

I took this cute (bad) photo (with my phone) at a wine event in The Marina today in San Fransisco:

I only have ICE for you Blue Lollipop Road!

In more news; I just saw the New Kids on the Block perform with the Backstreet Boys on the American Music Awards. I’m not even sure what to say about that, but I do have another announcement that will come soon. Don’t you just love surprises?

november vineyard sun starting to set

roads, vines and skies- oh my

I love it when the intended jump quick out of the car and snap a few pix turn into gorgeous ones like this that remind you of how incredible an everyday adventure is.