sat night

This past Saturday night I left Stefan home with little Samantha to head up to sunny Healdsburg for a surprise 30th birthday party for the lovely Sarah Jenks.  While both Stefan and Samantha were invited to the soiree, we decided to spare Samantha the 2ish hour drive up and not subject the party guests to the distraction of a baby (no matter how adorable :).  Stefan sacrificed himself to stay home with his little lady while I got a night of luxury up in wine country.

For the big 3-0, Sarah's sweet (and sneaky!) husband had arranged for a private outdoor dinner among the grape vines at Kelley & Young Wines.  Not only did the guest list include 15 of her closest friends, her family also all flew in from out of town to surprise her.

We all gathered at the gorgeous Kelley & Young property around 5pm.

Every detail of the set-up was perfect, from the gorgeous setting to the lovely tablescape to the beautiful blooms.

While we waited for the guest of honor to arrive, we sipped on Sauvignon Blanc and munched on a spread of savory snacks, all prepared by the fabulous Claudine Dagit of Stilettos & Spice.

When Sarah finally arrived, she could NOT have been more surprised.  She immediately sprinted over to give everyone a big hug.

While I was enjoying this succulent menu:

Stefan was enjoying this one:

And while I was slowly dining on heirloom tomatoes,

fresh melon with Serrano ham,

tender flank steak with crispy potatoes, and - best of all - flourless chocolate cake with freshly whipped cream,

Stefan was slaving away at home - doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen, all while watching little Samantha. 

Totally and completely fair. :)

As much fun as I had getting spoiled up in Healdsburg, I couldn't wait to get back to my two favorite people.

(And my very clean kitchen.)

xoxo

KK