i heart ojai

this weekend my husband and i celebrated valentine's quietly with good food, laughter and time together. as a high-note, we were treated by the in-laws to a generous and fabulous get-away to ojai, for some much needed r&r (thank you mike and terri!). the city of ojai is just 30 minutes south of santa barbara, tucked away in a gorgeous valley of rolling hills and shady oaks. i wanted to share this special place with you, because not only does the inn we stayed in serve as a romantic little b&b, but can be an ideal location for intimate outdoor weddings.

the lavender inn is located in the heart of ojai, with all of ojai's quaint boutiques, restaurants (try osteria monte grappa - absolutely fabulous!) and activities, literally out the front door. there are 7 guest rooms + one cottage for accommodations and a small adjacent on-site cottage, providing massage and skincare treatments. the afternoon wine and cheese hour and daily homemade breakfast are delicious. the grounds (complete with a pond) are well maintained and private. a fun little historical fact: the inn was ojai's first schoolhouse built in 1874. if you chose to rent out the inn for immediate family, there are a number of other small inns or the luxury ojai valley inn and spa to host friends and relatives nearby. one of our favorite parts of the experience was a chorus of frogs that chirped us to sleep after the sun went down. the frogs in addition to the sound of the trickling garden fountain, was a magical moment during our stay. look into ojai and the lavender inn for your next romantic retreat or wedding venue. happy love day!

pour some sugar on me

with valentine's day approaching, i thought i would share a fun and usable treat i made last month. it's a perfect gift for valentine's and you can enjoy the spa experience at home. you + special someone + bath + sugar = valentine's day luxury. this is also a great home exfoliating treatment to use a few days to one week before your wedding. 

homemade brown sugar body scrub

1 c brown sugar

1/2 c olive oil

drops of essential oils
(i chose cinnamon oil for a spicy-warm fragrance and tangerine for a refreshing-invigorating one)

add brown sugar to mixing bowl, pour in olive oil, use dropper to add essential oil (amount at your discretion) and mix together. chose jars that can get wet. i found great glass jars at the craft store that did the trick. the final touch, if you use labels or decorative paper, is to modge-podge over it to keep the ink from running. enjoy!

natalie + dan

congratulations to natalie and dan! this week marks the 6 month countdown 'til their big day. can you tell by the photos above what a fun couple these two are? their smiles radiate the affection they have for one another...a precursor to the day they have planned for this summer.  a historical santa barbara monument, an ocean front venue, tied in with some very creative touches: their wedding is sure to be a quintessential santa barbara celebration.  view more of their beautiful photos above, shot in my favorite city of san francisco, at treasure photography. and stay tuned for the wedding photos in july!

"brown paper packages tied up with string"

this holiday season, i was inspired to create a gift box for those merriment-friends that have inspired me in 2009 and whom i'm wishing a successful 2010. i've always been a fan of using brown paper and recycled packages, tied up with sting...which usually makes me sing the tune from sound of music for the rest of the day. this year i was inclined to actually give, a few of my "favorite things." when making this gift yourself, the contents can be your own personal favorites. i find homemade treats are a thoughtful, eco-friendly and cost effective approach. my favorites are chocolate! here are a few photos of the goodies i included in my gift box. i have to say they were happily received.

jessica foster truffles - in my holiday package were pomegranate (for the season) and ancho-chile cumin, a perfect compliment to the mexican hot chocolate (below). these bite-size bits of handmade goodness are made here in santa barbara, by jessica herself and are as gourmet as chocolate gets! see jessica's website for other delicious flavors.

hot cookie.com chocolate chip cookies - another locally made treat. i personally can't get enough of chocolate chip cookies, they're my ultimate dessert and even better when someone else makes them for you and you just enjoy!

ibarra hot chocolate - a version of mexican hot chocolate and a family favorite that is perfect on a cold winter night. with a little cayenne, you'll give it an added kick!

 

indulgence the home spa gift certificate - we all need to toast to ourselves, especially after a long year. indulgence provides the luxury of spa treatments in the comfort of your home! a thank you to carol of indulgence, who generously donated the gift certificates. a great way to motivate us to take the time.

i wish everyone a very happy holiday. may your 2010 be filled with health, prosperity, love and merriment.

leigh + dave

i feel so lucky to have a career that allows me to meet kind people. kind people, that are in love no less! meet leigh and dave. a perfect example of the employment benefit i am so thankful for. leigh and dave met in santa barbara while both in grad school at ucsb. their friendship became a little more when fate would have it, that after graduation, they both took jobs in the same city, san francisco! the engagement photos above were taken by the talented photographer shelly vinson. the photos she so perfectly captured, highlight leigh and dave's personality and leave us waiting in anticipation for their special day at the four seasons biltmore, august 2010 - stay tuned! see the rest of leigh and dave's photos on shelly's site: http://www.shellyvinson.com/

anne + marcus (part dois)

as promised, anne and marcus have shared photos of their beautiful september wedding celebration in the canadian rockies. (merriment posted a preview in july, see post).

back in july, anne and i had fun bouncing ideas off of one another about the ambiance of the day she envisioned: honoring their heritage and their love of santa barbara, making the event kid friendly and keeping the overall decor true to the surroundings, simple and rustic. many of these details were incorporated, but above all...the quality time they spent with their family and friends stands out and will forever be in their hearts.

the two wed on anne's father's christina lake property, intimately surrounded by family and friends from brazil, the us and canada. every bit of this celebration was a collaborative effort by those dear to the couple. not only the location of the ceremony, but anne's family friend grew succulents and ferns in preparation for the decor, anne's godmother played the harp, her godfather officiated and friends catered the rehearsal dinner. according to one of marcus' family members "over three days of celebrating, not a single waiter was to be found." anne and marcus found the whole experience to be relaxing (commendable for a destination planned wedding). congratulations to mr. & mrs. chevitarese! photos above by: Allison Watt

jamie + justin

last saturday, october 10, 2009 i had the privilege of coordinating a lovely wedding at the santa barbara zoological gardens, for bride and groom jamie and justin! they were engaged one year prior, to the day, at paris' eiffel tower and over the last year the two planned a wedding weekend that couldn't have been lovelier. the ceremony took place in the zoo's palm garden, complete with a couple distant roars from the resident lions and a reception that followed on the hilltop overlooking santa barbara's coastline and harbor. one of the magical moments: the day that was turning out to be a little chilly and foggy...became soft evening sunshine, as the bride made her way through the rose petals to the alter. to quote the groom "the heavens parted" when his beautiful bride walked down the aisle. everyone agreed - it was a breathtaking moment. congratulations to mr. & mrs. anderson! photo above by  fotocielo (see additional on merriment's website).

details from j&j's day:
caterer: rincon catering
cupcakes: robyn loves cakes
dj: santa barbara djs
florals: cana flowers
officiant: father of the groom, bob
photographer: fotocielo
venue: santa barbara zoological gardens
videographer: george guajardo
planner: merriment

i also have to give a little shout-out to my fabulous assistant, chanel. she did an amazing job helping to make sure all the details were executed to perfection. thank you for all your hard work chanel!