pass the wine.

I hope each and every one of you had a fabulous weekend! I still can't believe it's over... 

To help distract you from the inevitable Monday blues, I thought I'd share the fifth day of photos 

from our trip out west. These photos show the first glimpses of the {d}s who joined us from 

Denver for the wine country leg of our trip. 

{jd} and {cv} were roommates in Charlotte during two of the three years {cv} and 

I were long distance. I shared many a weekend visiting {cv} hanging with {jd} too. Thankfully, 

he met {rt} and then introduced me to this vivacious redhead who is now one of my closest friends. 

{cv} and I were both honored to be a part of their big day in 2009...when {rt} became {rd} :) 

It was easy to travel with this pair because they're always up for an adventure--and we're 

always laughing! These are a few snapshots from the first full day of our reunion...

The pictures should reveal that we ate AND drank very, very well during our time in wine country. Bouchon Bistro made the perfect lunch stop in Yountville! We got a little taste of Thomas Keller 

through a perfect lobster bisque and an incredible croque madame. It made for a great start to our 

time in the Napa Valley. From Bouchon, we headed for V. Sattui on the recommendation of {rd}'s coworker and got a taste for a bustling family vineyard, swarming with visitors. 

As a complete contrast, we then headed to Newton Vineyard for a "semi" private tour. It was just the four of us until a few more straggled in 20 minutes into the tour. {cv} and I had first tasted a Newton

wine at the winestore in Charlotte--and wanted to see just where these tasty vintages were made. We're so glad we made the trip to this secluded and spectacular estate....the staff was outstanding and the views were even better. Though it was one of our more expensive tastings, it was worth every penny.

 Before dinner at Morimoto, we checked into our two bedroom suite at the Silverado Resort. 

This set-up worked splendidly for us because we were able to get two bedrooms and two 

bathrooms with some common living space, so we could maximize our time with the {d}s :) 

The Silverado was one of those decisions which made our reunion that much better!

The fantastic fare and the stellar service at Morimoto capped off our first day in Napa. We cabbed 

to the restaurant so we could fully enjoy our dinner, which ended up being a great decision. I don't 

think I could pick a favorite dish, though the rock shrimp tempura {not pictured sadly} and the donuts were absurdly good. If you're not hungry reading this, I'm impressed ;) I am just writing about it!

Do you make time for reunions with friends?

How do you maximize your time together?

Hope these photos helped to make your Monday a little brighter!
Thanks again to all the lovely ladies who linked up for Friday's Fancies :) 

I'm already looking forward to this Friday! See you tomorrow...xoxo {av}

P.S. Keep your eyes peeled for a few more doses of wine country--including our hot air balloon ride!