Friday Five: Five Things You Need For Summer!

Hi gals,

No one looks forward to the Summer more than me. I live in California for a reason! I want to be at the beach. Here are some fun things I think would make Summer complete.


1. The Lilly Pulitzer Over-sized Beverage Bucket in Chiquita Bonita! I know my friend LULU would love this to hide her "Sneeky" cocktails in as she heads to the beach. Isn't it divine? I got one for my birthday and I LOVE it.

2. Mudpies Full Length Caftan. Beyond.

 

3. Fabio's Italian Kitchen Cook Book!

I'm dying to try some of these recipes this summer and finally get my pantry stocked correctly!!

4.  Monogrammed Acrylic Cuff Bracelets!

I have one in pink and about to order some more!!

5. Gazpacho: I could eat this all year long!

Gazpacho adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:
Serves  8


1 egg
2 cups chopped fresh plum tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped red or yellow pepper
1 cup chopped cucumber, seeds removed
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2/3 cup olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cups beef broth (optional) *you can also use veggie broth 
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup minced parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 46-ounce can tomato/veggie juice *I highly recommend R.W. Knudsen's Organic Very Veggie
1/2 cup panko crumbs
Tabasco, to taste


What are your Five things you are wanting/ loving for this Summer?

The Best Hotel In Santa Barbara- The Montecito Inn - Part Deux

Well it took me a while but I finally did part two, I mean deux (cause you know I'm fancy) of my Santa Barbara birthday post. Santa Barbara is my favorite vacation spot and Montecito is the jewel of Santa Barbara.

As you saw in my earlier post I am obsessed with the Montecito Inn. When my husband called to confirm our reservation he asked the one question you should always ask. "Is there anything else I should know about that would make this stay more incredible?" to which they said "well....". This is how we learned of: The Apartment.

The apartment is a two bedroom apartment with full kitchen, amazing master bedroom, jacuzzi tub, dining room, living room and DECK!

You can bet I enjoyed that jacuzzi tub! Gorgeous! Loved the whole thing and cannot say enough about it!

In addition to the "apartment" we set up a very special dinner at Trattoria Mollie. Yes, the one that OPRAH goes to. Yes that one. We did a special dinner with our dearest friends.

Mollie and her son treated us to the meal of a lifetime!!

And the best part of the night was the toasts everyone made to me. So touching! You just don't know what you mean to someone until they stand up and tell you!

When I blew out the candles with these girls I have never felt more LOVED!!!