The Andaz Napa … A Hip and Vibrant Hotel In Downtown Napa

As a designer

I have the utmost appreciation of 

beautiful hotels

especially those with well appointed rooms.

The Andaz Napa
a boutique hôtel
located in the heart of downtown Napa 

exceeded even my expectations

with their  luxuriously sized

and 

well appointed rooms.

You can feel the local flavor of Napa
by even simply stepping into the lobby
of the Andaz Napa
and
then
the rooms!

I was most taken

 upon opening my door

to my stunning room

to find not only a plate of strawberry rocky road

but a hand written welcome card as well.

The welcoming presentation

gave me a pinch me moment

to be on such a fabulous blogging trip

and
 staying at such a gorgeous hotel!

My room was a suite

with an ample living room 

with a pull out bed

and

a two sided fireplace.

There was also a coffee bar

and refrigerator

providing the comforts of home.

The bathroom was elegant

 and 

generous in size.

I actually took this picture 

inside

the grand shower.

Just stepping inside this  utterly luxurious shower

had me immediately

planning a bathroom renovation at home!

Then there was the 

immense soaking tub

so beautiful

it almost felt like a 

sculpture in the room

and 

 it became even more of an incredible luxury once inside the tub
filled with bubbles.

The bed called out a siren song

for lounging 

and
 cozy retreating
after amazing whirlwind days
in Napa Valley!

The rooms are done with a zen like spender

that made coffee in bed in the morning

another  endeavor in luxury.

Knowing we would be having 

a full day of wine tasting

I opted to order a healthy breakfast

in room.

I was truly tickled 

with the inventive and fun  presentation

done  by the Andaz Napa.

I can't wait to work some of their styling ideas

into my own home

like

~ the heavy weave napkins 

tied with twine

~ smoothies and water

served in lidded mason jars

~ butter and jam made in house

served in recycled jars

and

~ food served on artisan level stoneware dishes.

For me
Taking  innovative styling ideas home from traveling

is always such a fun reminder of a trip

and always

 one of my favorite souvenirs!

I appreciated how  almost every corner

in the Andaz Napa is addressed.

From stepping out of the elevator into the hallway ...

to the sumptuous Mercantile Terrace

with not one fire pit

but two!

The Terrace proved to be the perfect  place 

for our evening cocktail gathering

of friends and bloggers.

The round fire pit

surrounded by rockers

is such a poetic space to relax
and

 sip some of Napa's finest wines.

I was inspired to see their abundant use of citrus in planters

as well as their use of drapes outside

both ideas I am hoping to incorporate more of in

my outside spaces at home.

The welcoming lobby of the Andaz

is replete with a charming and helpful staff.

From being checked in via an iPad

while being offered a welcoming glass of wine

to the clean finish of 

an online checkout 

with a cheerful concierge

who so kindly printed out my boarding pass

for the trip home.

Within the personalized lobby area

is a breakfast bar by day

and a cocktail bar by evening.

Also within the lobby is a water station 

which in the morning truly speaks to the local flavor of Napa

with the offering of fresh juice blends

as well as iced and flavored water.

A perfect way to get out and see the downtown Napa neighborhood

is to rent one of the bikes

or 

do like I did

and
 get up for an early morning stroll
to take in the breathtaking splendor
found in downtown Napa neighborhood
as the sun makes it's rise gently above.

I so enjoyed taking in the local sites

before heading out to the wineries.
This trip to the Napa Valley
was truly filled
with immense beauty at every turn.

The Andaz Napa is perfectly located

for the most beautiful walks through the historic downtown neighborhood

as well as the riverfront.

The Napa Valley has so much to see and do

and the Andaz Napa

was the perfect home base to see it from.

I am so absolutely taken with not only the hotel

but the Valley as well …

I can't wait to return to 

the Andaz 

 and 

Napa Valley 

for a romantic getaway with my husband!

This blogging trip
and the
beauty and friendships
involved
will be forever with me.
My heart is full of
such gratitude for the opportunity!

As always my friends

I wish you love

as you style your life

Disclaimer : Andaz Napa generously sponsored my stay for two nights.
 As always all opinions are my own.

All photos … as always
are my own.

And speaking of gratitude

I have the utmost gratitude 

to Adrienne of the 

Rich Life On A Budget

for her tireless ability to arrange this

amazing blogging trip!

Thank you A

and 

much love to you 

dear friend!

What I Wore … Bloggers in Napa Valley … A Recap

I have returned from an absolutely amazing trip

with Bloggers in Napa Valley.

There is so much to tell about this fabulous adventure

but I am going to start with a recap of 

What I wore

What worked 

and

What I will do different next time.

If you have been following along

you have already seen my post on

Packing - Before the Clothes

and

Packing - the Clothes

I invested quite a bit of time prepping and packing for this trip

so here are my notes on what I was happy with

and

what I will do differently for my next trip.

I loved wearing this outfit to the cocktail party at the
 Andaz Terrace

 our first night.

Here I am with
La Contessa of 

 The  Vintage Henhouse

whose personal  accessory style I just adore!

I loved wearing this outfit of mine

because it was the perfect mix of

casual and opulent

with a denim tunic and sequined pants.

The best part of this simple pairing

it made for the perfect backdrop for 

my  major accessory love!

I also realized on this trip that was always filled with

loads of picture taking

to sit forward for a picture.

Being comfortably seated

does not make for flattering photos.

This is my first note to self

for the next trip
and
always for that matter :))

I will have to say I have mixed feelings

about my travel outfit.

Besides sitting forward for photos

I am going to remember to

Try on all outfits

before the trip.

I was almost in a panic 

when I put on my carefully chosen ensemble

at four in the morning

 getting ready to leave for the airport.

The original pieces had looked great on the hanger

but the fit left something to be desired.

I had a rather mad scramble of trying and tossing 

similar pieces to get the comfort I was looking for

even after all my planning.

Second note to self

Try on all travel outfits

before the trip.

I was so happy to see 

Adrienne of 

The Rich Life On A Budget 

meet me at the airport!

She planned our adventure for over four months.

Seeing her there in person was  such a surreal moment to be sure!

My travel outfit  also functioned well

for our initial lunch at Redd.

Being together with

Adrienne of The Rich Life On A Budget

Heather of StyleMindChic

Kim of Northern Cal Style

and 

Jennifer of A Well Styled Life

felt like a walking dream.

Our second day was spent wine touring

with the fabulous luxury of being driven by 

Napa Valley Tours and Transportation

That beautiful adventure 

is a story to follow.

Knowing it would be a full day of touring

I chose some sporty pieces

including my anorak for J Crew.

The bag I chose for the day

is part of Levi's 

Made and Crafted line.

What I enjoy most about this bag

are the backpack straps on the back side.

When photographing on the trip

I was hands free of the bag

to really concentrate on getting great shots!

It is a dream bag for a blogger!

Now to the part of the outfit 

I am not so happy about.

This  infinity scarf …

which again looked great hanging with the other pieces

but because I wore it down

the scarf just ended up looking sloppy.

The outfit would have looked cleaner sans scarf to be sure

or at the very least 

wrapped twice.

I am loving my newest Panama hat 

from
Montecristi Hats 
in Yountville.
I have wanted one of these true Panama hats
every since I read about them on Adrienne's blog!

It was such an exciting treat to visit a store not only filled with

so many versions of Panama hats

but 

sizes as well!

They are even able to customize your hat to fit!

My flats served me well

but I did rather tire of them by the end of the trip.

Even though I would have liked to have brought 

more shoes

that was a packing concession.

My suitcase just barely made it under the airline weight limit

as it was.

But this trip I actually even used my work out shoes
that I always bring

during an early morning 

exploration of beautiful  Downtown Napa.

Most of my separate bag packing shown above

 worked very well.

Things just came out of order a bit

because

I always forget 

which bag goes into my suitcase

and which bag goes into my carry on!

I just need to always remember to

leave room in my suitcase for 

my skincare and toiletries!

One thing I did this packing trip 

that worked extremely well was 

pack some cozy pretties 

for lounging in the room!

Our trip was jam packed with 

exciting outings

so

being able to come back to the room to

 change

and

 lounge even for an hour 

was absolutely refreshing!

Speaking of rooms

our rooms at the 

Andaz Hotel

were truly amazing!

I can't wait to share all of the

stylish details with you in my next post!

As always my friends

I wish you love and joy

as you style your life

linking up with
Visible Monday

Hello Gratitude … Hello Napa

My heart is overflowing with gratitude this week.

My trip with  Bloggers in Napa Valley was sublime.

For this trip I ventured far outside my comfort zone

for the promise of spectacular sights 

and 

heartfelt connecting.

My expectations were exceeded

on both accounts.

The beauty of the Napa Valley 

can move me to tears.

Almost everywhere you look 

there are jaw dropping views.

It is an area dominated by grape vines and wineries

where farming turns poetic. 

I could feel an almost sacred appreciation of 

life's beautiful bounties.

And then to share this beauty with such 

fabulous  like hearted women

made my heart overflow with gratitude 

for the perfect moments shared.

I gave it my all

to stay in the moments

to savor and enjoy

each and everyone of them.

 To commit them to the memory

that dreams do come true

when you can sum up the courage to step outside of your comfort zone

with the intent of

finding beauty and connection.

I am so very proud of the five of us who went to Napa Valley

because we each ventured out bravely into uncharted territory

with open hearts

and 

the appreciation of making true connections

which in my book

is one of the greatest gifts of blogging.

So today I am counting my blessings 

for a trip of a lifetime

and

 resting up 

because 

living outside your comfort zone

is not for the weak hearted

but

 can be ever so worth it in the end!

I will be back next week 

to share some of the truly spectacular places we had the privilege to visit!

As always my friends

I wish you love and joy

as you style your life

My Packing System … Part 2 ... The Clothes … the Clothes

In yesterday's post about getting ready for my trip 

for Bloggers in Napa Valley

I covered my packing system

for everything … except 

the clothes.

So now to the more dramatic part of my packing.

The Clothes.

Whenever I have a trip

I try to find out as much information as I can

about the itinerary and specifics of the trip.

For me that's when the creative fun begins

as far as styling outfits 

perfect for each occasion.

For drinks and dinner the first night

at the Andaz  Hotel

I styled an outfit perfect for the evening

with my denim tunic 

with my sequin pants and a denim trench.

The lines of the outfit are quite simple 

making them the perfect backdrop for …

Lots of Bling!

I collect accessories in wardrobes.

For this fabulous ensemble I am bringing

Antique Oppulence Collection

made up of pearls and crystals

all with settings with an antique brass finish.

Wednesday we will have the fabulous opportunity 

to spend the day touring in a limo

via Napa Valley Wine Tours

visiting some of Napa's best wineries .

For a day of wine tasting 

I am taking Adrienne's advice

and

dressing casually

with a nod to being functional as well.

I will be finishing off my outfit

with some well chosen accessories.

Although I was so excited about my fabulous suede clogs

practicality won out …

they just didn't make the cut 

when it came to packing space issues.

Speaking of not making the cut …

neither did this wonderful

maybe wear to dinner the second night …

it was just to much of a maybe …

that took up a lot of room.

Sadly it was left behind …

although I do have mad plans for the skirt

pairing it with a white blazer for another upcoming occasion.

Taking it's place for Wednesday night dinner out

is my sure bet instead …

my leather jacket

lace top

and 

sequin skirt

paired with my favorite brooch necklace

and 

of course 

some more  well chosen accessories.

A vintage bag

patent pumps

and

 mixing in some turquoise 

with the crystal statement necklace

to really round out the look.

After I figure out the itinerary when I pack

I then do an overall view for the trip

and

 decide what else I need to fill in with.

I always want to bring gym clothes

that can either 

make it to the gym

o

r in spectacular areas like Napa

work just as well for outside walks.

One always personal need 

I have found to be most necessary when I travel

Lounging clothes.

I feel so much of traveling 

and

taking in new sights and experiences

 many times requires clothes when I am "on"

I personally 

 really also need some down time when I travel

for some alone time

just to cozy in some loungewear.

Even if it's just for an hour

that time to feel rejuvenated

makes me so better equipped

to really savor and enjoy

the essence of the locale.

Which brings me to 

my travel outfit.

When traveling to a destination

and 

home again

I always will prefer a jacket of some sort.

Maybe it's because I am a woman 

who came into her adult life in the eighties

but I always feel more  confident in any situations

in a jacket…

to me a jacket is a bit like a form of armor.

A jacket makes me feel  more empowered 

for what ever the situation may bring.

And of course 

more empowered 

with the addition of some great 

accessories!

On that note

my packing is finished.

It is with a very excited heart

and 

a little bit of nerves

that I will be on my way 

to meet up with some

absolutely splendid women

for our 

Bloggers in Napa Valley trip ….

A trip 

which is in it's self 

a testement

to the fabulous 

connections that can be made through blogging.

I will be back here on Friday.

Until then

you can follow our trip on instagram

by following me

the link is on my side bar

and

 you can also then follow all of us

with this  #bloggersinnapavalley

As always My Friends

I wish you love and joy

as you stele your life