Favorite Wines

Now that spring is in full force, I'm getting excited about sharing wines with friends. Don't get me wrong, I love a glass of good wine year-round, but there's something extra special about enjoying a glass on a friend's porch while we bask in this wonderful California weather. Here are a few of my favorite wines, in no particular order:

I really like Merlot wine - but I'm very picky about it. Which is to say, I really like the Merlot wines that I actually like. I found this one by Bogle to be very enjoyable. My very favorite Merlot that I've had to date is by Lange Twins Winery in Lodi, but I don't know where they sell it so I've only ever had it in a restaurant.

This could very well be my favorite wine, ever. 6th Sense Syrah by Michael David Winery from Lodi, CA is delightful. It's full and velvety and everything good.

I'm not big on white wines, but Seven Heavenly Chards (by Michael David Winery) is great! This chardonnay has a smooth, full, slightly buttery flavor. One of my favorite treats is sitting down with a glass of this wine and a bowl full of fresh popcorn.

This Pinot Noir by Clos du Bois is excellent. Although I definitely prefer the 2008, the 2009 is also quite good and easier to find in stores. The flavor, again, is full (no watery wine for me, thank you very much!) and smooth.

(And yes, I do realize that it's painfully obvious just how inexperienced I am at tasting & describing wines. I know nothing of tannins and I'm scared of saying that wines are "fruity" or "nutty" or "oaky" because, honestly, I'm not 100% sure what those things taste like.)

Own the Night Tour

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I saw Lady A in concert! The photo above is of me and one of my best friends at the concert. It was a wonderful experience! I was never a huge Lady Antebellum fan but their latest album has several treasures and they're great performers.

The opening act was Thompson Square, a new country group that I really like. Unfortunately, it was pretty evident that they're inexperienced performers. But, I look forward to seeing them again when they've gotten more experience under their belt and know how to enunciate into a mic :).

Darius Rucker also performed and I'm not a fan of 95% of his country songs, but overall, the entire concert was awesome! I only wish it had lasted longer. If the tour happens to be coming near you, I highly recommend going to see it. It was worth every penny!

Here are a few of my favorite songs from the evening:

Love I've Found in You - Lady Antebellum

Dancin' Away With My Heart - Lady Antebellum

Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not - Thompson Square

An Ampersand & Another Ampersand...& More Ampersands!

Sorry for the poor quality. My phone has a terrible camera.

If the above photo has you thinking that I'm addicted to ampersands...you're probably right! I love them. I cannot get enough of them. And while I'm not sure exactly what it is that draws me to them, I suspect that it's a combination of their graphic beauty, straight lines, and gorgeous curves. Here's where all my ampersands came from:

1. The & pillow was made for me by my sister and co-blogger, Ashton. Etsy has a variety of ampersand pillows, in case you'd like to purchase one.

2. The poster print of ampersands in various fonts was purchased on Etsy from here. The frame is from Target.

3. The large, rusty metal ampersand was a birthday gift from my three younger brothers. They found it at an antique store in Oroville, CA during the California State Open Fiddle and Picking Championship Contest.

4. The smaller, thicker ampersand was purchased at Kohl's a while back. Judging from their website, they no longer have them.

5. The black & white ampersand print was purchased from this Etsy seller. The frame is from Target.