Dreams do come true

Guests arrived to see this, there was magic in the light

There are only so many hours in a day and to be spending those precious hours with friends and family in one of the most beautiful places in the world is a dream I've held on to for a long time. It took a small miracle, loads of emails, texts and long heated conversations, but the dream became a reality.

View from the Foscarini Bar terrace on the Grand Canal

Incredible background for a party

How lucky am I to be able to share these moments. If you would have told me a year ago that I would be holding a glass of Prosecco, standing on a terrace on the Grand Canal with 30 of my nearest and dearest I would have laughed. A year ago I was recovering from cancer surgery. The outlook wasn't as golden as the evening light on the canal. In fact, it was downright grim.

Here I am, one year later. Laughing, loving and relishing every moment that I get to keep. Never take time for granted. It can be taken away in an instant. There are no sure-fire guarantees, except one, that you create your own happiness.

The last little tomatoes....maybe

Well who would have thought that there would still be anything left on my funny tomato plant when I arrived home. All that I had heard was that the weather had been warm and I knew that anyone who would have watered the garden was with me in Venice. Cindy, mom, they were with me! I had quite a handful that made it as far as my salad plate. The rest were gobbled right there in the warmth of the sun!

My standard salad....
Baby spinach, marinated shallots, toasted pinenuts and shaved parmesean tossed with a fresh pomegranate vinegar dressing. MMMMM Oh, and those little gem tomatoes!  Buon appetitto!

Venezia, Venedig, Venice, Venicia---whatever you call it, it's fabulous!

Cindy's first ride on the Grand Canal

St. Mark's in the bright sunshine

Hans, Isa, Mom and Me enjoying the piazza on a Sunday afternoon

Finally, I'm home and can start to get all the details down! Please be patient, pics will arrive and I'll get everything posted in little dribbles.  
The Beginning.....
It was an incredible three weeks of revelry, food and adventure. Going into this trip I didn't know what to expect. Would everyone have fun? Would my finances take me far enough? Would the party be wonderful? AND, most important of all would the weather cooporate? The answers to those questions and more were YES, YES, YES!!!

I ran around for days, organizing, ordering food and cleaning house before the guests began to arrive. Roberto and I worked very hard, a little too hard. We missed some very needed R and R.

The trip began with the traditional cocktail at Harry's where Claudio was holding court over the scene and had that Whiskey Sour on the bar before I could even ask for it. Roberto's icy Martini was close behind.along with a plate of hot Pierinis(small, baked/fried ham and cheese finger sandwiches) Paolo offered to seat us at a table so we did and we settled into our seats and started planning!

Knowing that Cindy was the first guest to arrive on Monday, I had the schedules for my many airport runs to meet and greet. I will apologize in advance to those that I couldn't welcome at the airport, there was so much to do and without an entourage of assistants it was all up to just the two of us.

Photos are being organized as I type and will arrive soon!

Off to Venezia!

There has been a big gap between postings. Jewelry show, work and major party planning have taken up all my free minutes. Now, I'm packed ready and waiting to get on a plane to celebrate an early Thanksgiving early in Venice. Thanksgiving for many things, health, family and wonderful friends. It's really a celebration of turning 50, surviving chemo and getting my life and health back on track and looking toward a fantastic future. Days of wining, dining and laughter are up ahead!

My Santa Barbara friends have decided to join me along with friends from Sun Valley, Barcelona and Stuttgart for a vacation in Venice. 18 of us in total. Don't worry, I won't be holding up a little flag and speaking into a microphone on the calli of Venice. Heaven forbid! But, we will be taking over the Agli Alboretti hotel in Dorsoduro. My good friend Anna Linguerri and her staff really don't know what will hit them. I'll try to give her a heads up.

What's getting in the way is my 50lb weight limit on luggage, my bank account and my work! Not to be daunted by all those hindrances, I think that everything will be wonderful and I will be able to show off my favorite place in the world to my nearest and dearest.

This also gives me the opportunity to try out my new smartphone. What the smartphone needs is a smart operator. That I am not. We'll see what happens. Meanwhile, I have to hurry and water a thirsty garden and hope that it's still alive when I get back. Leaving Santa Barbara on an 80 degree day is painful!

I have to explain this lonely little hydroponic Italian Treviso lettuce. I'm going to munch it down right now. It has been 2 years in the making. First with incredibly expensive seeds that the gardener blew all around the yard before they could take hold. Then with a small  potted bed of it growing happily that was mowed down by a bird right when I was going to harvest. Now a year later the gardeners hadn't mown the lawn for 2 weeks and this little guy was just poking up. I quickly, gently pulled it up and placed it in water. Like the folks at Hollandia, right up the street. Now 2 weeks later I'll have it for lunch. Part of me can't eat it, it's struggled so hard!!!

We need to remember those who lost their lives as innocents and those who lost their lives while in the line of duty in the most senseless peacetime act of violence against man on our soil.
Sadly, our world has and never will be the same, but for a shining, bright moment after 9/11 the nation became one, supporting each other, practicing acts of kindness and goodwill. Lets do that again.

Food is for sharing with friends!

It doesn't take much to get me motivated to have people over. Turning 50, finishing chemo and having enough energy to be in the kitchen all day was excuse enough. Add to that, my good friend Suzy arriving from Spain to celebrate with me and a party was born!
Not to mention, that the garden was at it's Summertime peak. All the Shasta daisies, lavender bushes, everything was blooming and fresh.
Always being one to create elaborate invitations, this time I fell under the spell of EVITE. I will admit it was easy and very organized. Keeping track of the guests was a piece of cake. Even though it didn't have the feel of my past invitations the summertime lemons were fun and appropriate.
Suzy and I hit all the best spots in Santa Barbara for our feast. The farmer's market, C'est Cheese, Our Daily Bread, Via Maestra and the new Whole Foods. Oh, and Tri-County produce for a case of vino
Feeling better is one thing, but I still wear out easily and decided that a very light, anti-pasto spread was the ticket. Someone broought fried chicken---I still don't know who---and Cindy made a wonderful mozzarella appetizer. I made peach puree from the huge harvest that was happening at the moment and there were Bellinis, Bellinis and more Bellinis!

Thanks to all who came, a wonderful time was had by all, even me!

Backyard July 2011

Suzy filling the platters

Tony, Terry, Suzy and Chris filling their plates, with Roberto's flowers blocking the view!

My mother and Joey at the table, good view of the garden

All the wonderful goodies, mmmmm

My birthday roses, grazie!

Venezia, Venezia!

Well first may I say that my technological skills aren't what I think they are. Trying to post from another computer just wasn't going happen, so here I am, finally back after 2 glorious weeks in my other home town. There really isn't anything better in life than relaxing, reading, eating, walking and doing the same for days on end. Whenever anyone asks what do I do there with all my time, I have to ask them, "How much time do you have?" I'm more than happy to share with them.

Where should I start. I guess the beginning. Thankfully, the wonderful folks at SWISSAIR got me there safely with hardly a bump.Even though the flight is a long one, I'm thoroughly entertained with the in-flight movie selection(watched 4), decent food, decent wines and comfortable seats---yes, I did say comfotable---in steerage!

Arriving during the day was a novel experience for me. Normally, by the time I land it's dark and Winter has arrived. Here it was July, hot and sweltering. A new experience for me. Roberto was there to meet me and we always start with a welcome Prosecco at the airport bar. The airport was packed, another novelty. Then it's off on the Alilaguna to the Fondamenta Nuove for a quick walk home. Every time I arrive I swear that my suitcase will be light as a feather. Personally, I believe that the humidity weighs things down. Roberto lugs my suitcase over the two small bridges and we arrive. Up 4 flights of stairs and then it's time to refresh and go out on the town.

We have a lot of "traditions" to uphold. Most importantly, my arrival whisky sour at Harry's Bar. After a 10 munute walk through the Rialto, the Merceria, across Piazza San Marco we arrive to find 2 seats at the bar just waiting. Even better, my beloved Claudia is tending bar. He went into retirement, only to reappear again, thankfully. It was wonderful to be remembered and to feel the familiar burn of the bitter cocktail. MMMM heaven couldn't be any better than this. Well, it can! Out came the Polpette and a dish of olives.

Fiesta with my favorite flower girl Isabel!!!!!

Fiesta 2011----never too old to be a flower girl!!!

 VIVA LA FIESTA!!!!
Nothing like kicking up my heels with good friends, food and a few margaritas.

Old Spanish Days--Fiesta week is coming to a close here in Santa Barbara and I am considering this one of the best ever. Thanks to my friends Bill and Christy Janka I went everywhere. Christy took me to the Marshall's party overlooking the city and the Board of Realtors party. We went to the Dignatarios at the Zoo. I walked in the parade as a flower girl chaperone. We all went to the hottest ticket in town---the Horseman's Rendevous after the parade and then I met friends for champagne and a lovely dinner at a private home.

All my life I've wanted to be in the parade and finally, this year it happened. I don't think I stopped grinning the entire way. I think I was more excited than some of the flower girls. Next year I want to be on a horse or at least in a carriage. We'll see!

Now I'm paying for it, but it was SO worth it. What fun. Lots of great Tri-tip BBQ, wonderful Tequilas and all the salsa I could eat. Now it's back to being healthy and focused.

Ok, so I'm not St. Babs. Nor will I be, but I couldn't resist climbing up on the float. This was post parade at the carriage museum party.




At the Marshalls Party! Christy and I having a wonderful time.



On our way to the Horseman's Rendevous Post Parade Party!

One of the parade carriages.

I didn't cook enough....

I really was lazy this trip. Most of the time was spent resting, reading, relaxing and drinking Prosecco. Sadly, I had promised Roberto that I would get up every morning, put on my walking clothes and trek off to the Rialto for the makings of extravagant salads. This was what I had aspired to. What really transpired was woke up late, made a coffee, read a while---I did finish Cutting for Stone---got dressed, called Roberto and headed off to Cafe Aurora in Piazza San Marco.
It didn't help that I was really sick, really. A nasty sore throat, stuffy head, fever thing hit me hard on day 2. There was one day that I walked though. I got up, dressed, stretched and ran out the door. Took the traghetto to the Rialto and walked all the way to the Carmini where my friend Christina lives to feed her cat Penelope. Problem was that once I arrived I couldn't get the door open. After many futile attempts and a long chat with Penelope through the door, I gave up and marched back home.
I did stop at the Rialto for some fresh veggie photos.


Love the colors!



Lunch on the island of Vignole

 On Friday there was a general transportation strike in Italy and the effects in Venice are devastating. It was estimated that 35,000 tourists had arrived for the weekend. Several large cruise ships, small ships and all the other flotsam and jetsam of travel had arrived. Roberto had a great sugestion. Take a vaporetto to the outlying islands in the lagoon. Inter-island vaporettos ran on a reduced schedule since it's the only way to get around. Regular vaporettos weren't going anywhere for 24 hours.

We took the vaporetto from the Fondamenta Nuove to the first island past Murano, Vignole. It's just a little island, a few houses and 2 small restaurants. The path takes you along a canal then through fields of flowers and vegetables ready to be picked. The Trattoria Vignole sits along the water. Private small boats were continually pulling up and diners finding there way to the casual garden tables. No table service, just platters of fish, vegetables, breads and wines available.

The main canal of Vignole



Our plate of grilled vegetables---and some fried croquettes

This spot was so tranquil. We sat for a long time, drinking wine looking out across the lagoon towards the city. It was so amazing to know that just a kilometer away the city was swarming with people. Here we sat under the trees in the quiet. Just relaxing and enjoy each other's company. Five stars for this place. It is very crowded on weekends in the Summer, but weekdays it's perfect!

My new Venetian favorite!

Fields of Queen Anne's Lace along the path to the restaurant



Qui si mangia bene!

Here's what I mean about a gorgeous view. The towers of the city in the distance seem light years away.

Fall jewelry collection coming soon!

A big thanks to my fabulous friend and incredible photographer, Stacy Bloodworth! I'm feeling a just a little glamourous.

Currently I'm working on my Fall collection for Waltrip-Gardella Designs http://www.waltripgardelladesigns.com/. I've sourced some fun stones, pearls and of course, Murano glass beads. It's been a rough season for my beadwork. Chemo brain effects more than your speech. It really did a number on my ability to concentrate and put pieces together. Cancer is such a bitch! My head is now swimming with designs and my hands are starting to work in unison.

There will also be a new addition with my Fall launch. A collection in shades of teal---the color that represents Ovarian Cancer--- a portion of the sales will benefit Ovarian cancer research. Anything to raise awareness of this silent cancer will help save lives. I just haven't come across a name for the line yet. I think I'd like to honor two of the first women that I "met" on Team Inspire's Ovarian cancer support site. Sarah and Jane, both incredibly brave, strong women who lost their battles earlier this year. These two women were still posting and blogging to the very end, sharing love, hope and their journey with all of us fighting this disease. So it may be "SarahJane"we'll see. September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month and that will be launch time.

Santa Barbara Museum Of Natural History WIne Festival

Last Saturday in Santa Barbara was a pretty busy day. Starting off with the crazy, fun Summer Solstice parade and followed by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History's Wine Festival. I was invited to pour by David Hardee, owner of Carina Cellars of Paso Robles. It was quite a treat to see many old friends, make new ones and enjoy one of the most beautiful settings in Santa Barbara. We poured the Viognier and the Clairvoyant, both tasting delicious. I'm partial to the Viognier. It's the perfect thing for a warm, sunny day. Fresh, crisp and refreshing. Big thanks to David for letting me help out!

Looking across Mission Creek

Thekla Sanford of Alma Rosa



The most beautiful setting



People were there in droves, the first beautiful Saturday of Summer!

Can't forget all the fabulous food being served!

David Hardee, owner Carina Cellars

David tells all!

Christine who was also pouring Carina with me.

Getting ready to hit the grill

The baked one

The top

My little table



Prayers for Bellinis!!!



Crazy Shasta daisies

My one tomatoe plant.