For the past few months, Kristan and Annie and I have been working with La Crema to plan another event, kind of like the one we did in Seattle; only a little fancier and with some adventure thrown in.

This summer La Crema opened a new Estate that has so much to offer--Rob and I checked it out pretty much as soon as we moved (while our friends Tina and Michael were visiting). It's a gorgeous spot with lots of patio space to hang out with a bottle of wine, and you can also tour the vineyard which is kind of my new favorite thing. 

So for this event with La Crema, we couldn't think of a better place to host than at La Crema! We invited a handful of awesome food and lifestyle bloggers from the Bay Area to join us for a tour of the Estate and a three-course lunch, followed by a wine and cheese pairing and plenty of desserts. We had the best time.

The tour is so fun--I've done it twice and totally loved it each time. If you're ever in the area, you can make an appointment and do it, too! But call me first so I can go with you. (Just kidding--kind of.) The property has such a rich history and I love hearing about the people who owned it before La Crema. Their legacy is certainly being honored every day.

After the tour, we headed back inside for some food and (more) wine. I'm so happy with how the table turned out. We made a Pinterest board full of inspiration for flowers, linens, table settings, and candles and it was so fun setting up. Renate from La Crema took our ideas and ran with them and when the flowers showed up I knew we were really all on the same page. There were gorgeous white and crimson dahlias mixed with green succulents for a perfect balance of color and texture. Every little detail was perfectly autumnal.

Lunch was incredible. There were oysters, some of the best tuna I've ever had (pictured below), and some amazing duck. You can check out the full menu in today's post on the La Crema blog.

We followed it up with a wine and cheese pairing that made me want to study cheese--seriously, it was amazing. Chef Tracey was so thoughtful in her pairings and had such wonderful explanations for everything. I loved the three-course lunch, but the wine and cheese pairing was really something special. PSA: it's also available to the public if you make an appointment. 

I couldn't have asked for a better first big California project. The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, and the timing of the event was incredible--I made so many new friends and they all live in my area! 

We sent everyone home with a swag bag full of treats that included awesome candles that Rewined was kind enough to send. And Minted knocked it out of the park as usual with our gorgeous rose gold menus. One of my favorite things about events like this is working with our favorite brands on all the small details that come together to make the big picture really lovely.

 Such a fun day. 

This post is brought to you in partnership with La Crema. 

Photos by Oguz Uygur.

Yesterday I headed to the airport to pick up my #LaCremaDoesSeattle friends and we ran around planning some last-minute details for our next event, which is this weekend in Sonoma. I love working with Kristan and Annie, and I'm so excited that we were able to bring John (he shot and edited this video) and Ozzie (our awesome photographer) with us this time!

I'll be all over for the next few days--we're setting up this morning in Sonoma, then spending the night in San Francisco so we can shoot some additional projects while we're all together. Then it's back to wine country for a couple of days. We're busy and there's a lot to do, but sometimes I still can't believe I get to do this for a living. 

There's no way I'd be able to do any of it without you out there. Thank you so much for reading. Feel free to follow along on Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat (username: flynnmd), or by searching the hashtag #LaCremaSaralees.

Wishing each of you a happy weekend!

Photos from #LaCremaDoesSeattle by Oguz Uygur.

I was going to post a recipe this morning but when I went back to the photos I had hastily taken a few weeks ago (where did the time go?), I realized that they didn't actually look very good. Recipes and outfit posts are some of my favorite kinds of content to share, but when I use them as backups I always get a little nostalgic for the days where I used to blog randomly and write in real time, at my computer, before hitting "publish." So I think I might do that again today.

Rob and I have had so much going on in our lives these past few weeks that it's made my head spin. Lots of good stuff--moving into the house and having friends over every Sunday so all of our dogs can wear themselves out playing in the yard. Having enough space to entertain, to sit on the back porch in the sun with friends and iced coffee or beers, has been a bit of a dream come true. We have windows in the kitchen and I hang my pots from the ceiling and all of our dishes are stacked in open shelving--I didn't know little things like that could make such a difference. We've also had some pretty incredible opportunities present themselves to us lately and I'm excited to share more details about everything soon.

And yet through all of it I've found myself feeling incredibly overwhelmed. The move and the cookbook and some unexpected decisions we've had to make. Last year my parents split up and my mom got breast cancer for the second time--so I'm trying to find some perspective and feel blessed, not stressed (how's that for a cheesy expression?). Things are busy, but good, and I am really thankful for the adventure.

There was a time where I used to write every day--I filled up big journals every year and didn't even know what a blog was. Over the years I slowly stopped writing in the journals, but as more and more people started reading the blog I started censoring myself in some ways. That's not official yet, don't talk about it. That's too personal, keep it to yourself. The recipes and outfits are fun but they don't really capture all of who I am and what I want this space to be.

I guess this is less of an update and more of a realization that I'd like to write here more. I've been so busy lately that I haven't spent any time coming up with post ideas or shooting photos, and I know that takes a toll on a blog. But I also haven't spent time really writing the things that are on my mind, and that can take a toll on a person.

We've had a lot of rain in the past few weeks and it's brought me back to the headspace in which I usually live. Barefoot in the kitchen making scrambled eggs with a lot of butter. Writing at the dinner table while the coffee brews. Curled up on the couch with a book and a cup of tea, now with a sleeping dog in the nook behind my knees. I started feeling like my old self again--the creative one who feels everything and dreams big. Writing this cookbook has pushed me out of it and then brought me back. 

Thanks for being here. There's a lot coming and I'm glad you've stuck around for it.