Wine, Women & Shoes

My latest fundraising project was for an event called Wine, Women & Shoes. It's an evening of wine tasting, shopping, silent and live auctions, and a fashion show sponsored by Macy's. It was a success for St. Rose Hospital raising 20% more than the previous year and attended by more than 500 guests. Proceeds will benefit the Women's Center and Silva Pediatric Clinic at St. Rose. Here are a few photos to give you an idea of the fun. For some reason, the photographer did not take great shots of the space....the event was held in three large rooms; however, the only "room" shot he took was of the stage. Anyhow, it was a fun time for everyone and all for a good cause!

The event was held at Casa Real at Ruby Hill Winery in Pleasanton, CA.

Casa Real is a beautiful property and event venue. It's surrounded by rolling hills and vineyards. The pictures don't do it justice!

Me and one of our emcees for the evening....Hunter Parrish of Showtime's "Weeds" and the movie "It's Complicated" among many other credits. He's a Dallas native who moved to LA to pursue his acting career. Always nice to meet another Texan out here among the crazies (just kidding!).

Our emcees....Hunter Parrish and Debbie Gibson! Remember Debbie? She's one of the best-known pop singers from the 80s....remember one of her many hits, "Electirc Youth?" She's since been on Broadway, writes music and still performs all over the world.

Here's a picture of the the stage and seating for the fashion show.

Hot pink shopping totes added a great pop of color to the event space. Signs were made and taped to chairs for our "VIP" guests.

Here's a picture of one of the 77 auction items. I like to make signs for each item so that the auction looks uniform and provides consistent information.

One of our many merchants....Toss Designs...they make wonderful bags!

Diana Kelly makes beautiful shoes and handbags! Her clutches adorned with starfish, palm trees and even alligators (yes, you heard right....Diana is a Florida native, a graduate of the University of Florida and a huge Gator fan!) are adorable and affordable. She flew all the way out from Sarasota, FL for our event.

The evening concluded with a great fashion show and profitable live auction. Debbie's impromptu singing spurred Hunter to join in. Great way to end a great evening!

Sunny Days at the Beach

My last post was about how rainy it's been lately...well, rain no more! The sun has been shining since last weekend and while it's been a bit chilly outside, the sunshine is beautiful. Last weekend we took the pups to the beach 4 times....3 visits to Ft. Funston Beach and 1 visit to Crissy Field. Here are some pictures of our beach adventures. And I'm still anxiously awaiting warmer weather so don't have to wear a sweatshirt to the beach anymore. :)

FRIDAY EVENING AT FT. FUNSTON

Ahhh...lovely!

The very long, very steep descent down to the beach.

It just keeps going...

Stopping to smell the flowers.

Almost there...Toby is leading the way!

Beautiful landscape

Gotta get the "mother-daughter" shot.

Beautiful sunset.....I'll never get tired of watching these.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT FT. FUNSTON

Another great shot of Ft. Funston!

Watching the hang-glider.

Smiling Bella!

SUNDAY MORNING AT CRISSY FIELD

Car ride to Crissy Field

Great shot of the Golden Gate Bridge.

As I was getting dressed for work this week, I found Toby like this. Spoiled, huh?

Here's a video of Toby and Bella running free on the beach....they were soooo happy!

Rain, Rain Go Away!

I can't help but laugh out loud when I look at these pictures! Because Nor Cal is known for having a very rainy season December-March, I decided to buy Toby and Bella raincoats. The pups are rather prissy and they hate cold, wet weather. Toby doesn't mind his raincoat, but Bella isn't really a fan. They are quite a sight to see on the streets...most people we walk past smile or start laughing. My poor babies!

Marin Headlands

Mike and I spent the afternoon with Toby and Bella in the beautiful Marin Headlands. The Headlands are located just north of the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County and it's paradise for surfers, hikers, cyclists, and photographers. Today, temperatures were in the 60s and there was a light breeze...perfect March weather. Check out some of our pictures below!


The lagoon and beach.

Walking up the road that leads to the hiking trails.

We've made it to one of the many trails you can walk while enjoying the rolling hills and crashing waves along the coast.

Another shot of the beach.

See the lil' black specks in the water to the right in the photo? Those are surfers!


One dude caught a wave!


Check out those waves!

Mother-daughter picture....look closely, Bella is smiling!

Look at my handsome man...he's so photogenic...I seriously should have hired an agent to represent him for print ads...haha!

"Mama, my tiny paws are tired. Pick me up!"

"The hills are alive...with the sound of music...."

Another great photo of Mr. Perfect. He's such a natural....just knows how to pose. :)

Toyb decided to take a break and sit in my lap. I love this photo! We're so lucky to have this amazing scenery within 20 minutes of our home.