DPG August - "Faces"

DPG August - "Faces", originally uploaded by kathyjohnson.

Here's my submission for this month's theme - Faces. I decided to paint part of a face, instead of an entire face. The painting is pretty large - 4 ft by 3 ft. And the inspiration for the painting is my husband. For one, it was Dominic's birthday this month, so I wanted to paint something especially for him! And second, the guy in the painting actually looks a bit like him... the only unfortunate part is the woman looks nothing like me. But anyway, I'm pretty happy with the painting, so that's good.

Next month's theme for DPG is "Inspiration." That's a wide open subject!

Grape... Juice

It's almost time for CRUSH to begin in Napa! Some of the chardonnay grapes are already being harvested and crushed into wine, as they ripen earlier than the red varietals.

Anyway, I saw this photo in Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and thought you'd enjoy it too.

Napa River

I love the way that oak trees can look so twisty and gnarled. They remind me of the path a river takes or looking at an angiogram (nice comparison, I know). Anyway, this is from our room at the Milliken Creek Inn and Spa in Napa. Although it still ranks high, it has unfortunately dropped down a notch since last year since they didn't have their amazing quiche two out of the three days we were there. And the day they did have it, it tasted like rubber. Bummer. (You would have been disappointed too if you would have had that melt-in-your-mouth buttery crust, savory perfectly cooked quiche with nuggets of meaty ham and tender mushrooms... mmmm, I'm hungry again now)

Another day, another birthday

Dominic had another birthday meal at Auberge du Soleil in Napa on Saturday. Here he's blowing out his candle, but he couldn't even finish his treats after our delicious meal and luscious bottle of Aubert pinot noir. Dominic's already tried to get on the mailing list, as the winery doesn't sell retail -- a man on a mission ;-)

A bear with the stag

Apparently, the matriarch of Stag's Leap used to read a story to her children which featured a mother bear protecting her cub. The story was so favored that the family had this sculpture placed in the cave to protect the wine. Seems to have done a good job, as the winery was recently sold to a joint venture of an Italian wine entity and the Ste. Michelle Winery of Washington states for hundres of millions of dollars.

A maze of barrels

The wine cave is modeled after the highway and road structures in Napa. One of the paths is called Highway 29, another the Silverado Trail, etc. Not sure which pathway we were on in this shot, but the smell of wine and French oak was intoxicating.

Cave entrance

After walking around in the sunshine, it's nice to enter a cool and inviting cave. Here is the entrance to the Stag's Leap cave - beautifully done with sparkling scounces and a golden light. The door in the distance leads to the caves themselves.

Stag's Leaps new visitor center will be here

Currently a very scenic outpost next to a road in the Stag's Leap compound, this spot will be the future home to the new visitor center, with perfect views of "Stag's Leap" - a craggy outcropping poking out of the hill where apparently a stag leapt to safety from hunters.

Happy Birthday to Dominic

Yesterday was Dominic's birthday so we took the afternoon off and headed up to Napa for some celebrating and pampering. Our first stop was a private tasting at Stag's Leap Wine Cellar off of the Silverado Trail in Napa. I'll post pictures a bit later. Then we checked into the Milliken Creek Inn and Spa for a rest and nap before getting ready for dinner at Etoile.

Tonight we're checking out a new restaurant called BarbersQ which specializes in barbeque (as you can imagine). The reviews say the ribs are wonderful, as is the vinegar chicken. Will let you know our thoughts later.

The 11th Hour - check it out

Technology and Hollywood are converging more and more and we've been working with a variety of projects that will illustrate that soon.

Meanwhile, through another project, I recently met a very bright and connected woman who is working on the 11th Hour, which is backed by Leonardo DiCaprio, amongst others. It opens this Friday.

Looking at a new way to make friends...

.... That was the title of Vic's article about Imagini, a brilliant company we are working with (you can read the article in The Guardian here Looking at a New Way to Make Friends). I love how you can learn about a person just through viewing their "Visual DNA" - a collection of photos that a user has selected in answer to questions like "What is do you consider freedom" or "What do you consider art"). If a picture paints a thousand words, just imagine what you can learn from a collection of photos -- an entire chapter about a person's life! All without filling out a profile or questionnaire. A nice way to make new friends... or find a holiday destination, or gift for someone, or...

Squirrel days of summer

Summer squirrel, originally uploaded by kathyjohnson.

After a week of unseasonably chilly weather, we're back to normal with long balmy days and soft breezes. Makes you just want to soak in the warmth and breathe in the fresh air. And that's not just us humans... I've caught the squirrels sprawling out on the deck railing a few times. Here's one guy caught in the action (or inaction).

Rendezvous in SF

Robert, Alison, Raza and Kathy, originally uploaded by kathyjohnson.

Al drove up from Santa Cruz, I ferried it over from Marin, and Raza and Robert popped over from different parts of the city to catch up at the Vitale.

Baby's got Bump

Al is looking more radiant than ever with her big baby bump! Counting down the last month before baby joins us in the world!

Girl's night out

Here we are out for dinner. We had driven up to Healdsburg for some girltime - a bit of shopping, pampering, eating, and of course, loads of girl talk. We had a nice big, cushy room with fluffy pillows and a big thick duvet which we promptly plopped on upon arrival. After a bit of relaxation, it was down to Healdsburg for some shopping. We both ended up buying some aromatherapy bits (a girl has to make sure her nest smells nice) and Al also stocked up on a new washable tablecloth (an absolute necessity with a newborn).

We also checked out the pool, but seemed to lock ourselves in, so while all the guests watched us, we struggled to open the gate to the pool, only to give up and find another door. Was it the Hotel Healdsburg locking us in? Or were we just too distracted by all our gossip? Anyway, I think the other guests thought we were spazzes.

For dinner, we dined at the Dry Creek Kitchen and had their 6-course tasting menu. We were stuffed. But still made it for breakfast the next morning (after all, Al is eating for two! Don't know what my excuse is...). We also had a nice relaxing massage before heading back to Marin for another meal (at AVA - fried chicken and hamburgers... mmmm). I think we both looked pregnant by the end. But it was so wonderful to share time with the wonderful and beautiful Alison!

Vienna calling

Last week my old friend Christoph Prinz and his wife Heidi came to visit from Vienna, Austria. Christoph was here to run the San Francisco Marathon (which he says he did with no practice or training... yeah, like I wish....). They popped over on the way up to Sonoma, so Robert and I gave them a tour of the Baywood Chateau ;-) and then we headed down to Insalata.

Robert was on camera-duty here - doing the outstretched-arm technique.

The following day, Al came up to visit and we headed up to Healdsburg for a girl's day, since she's 8 1/2 months pregnant, so this will be the last for a while. More pics to come.