Hardware Store in Wine Country

I avoid trips to The Home Depot whenever possible. Their products are fine, but not the shopping experience.

So while my husband was studying the map to get us from one winery (Bella Luna) to the next (Le Vigne), I startled him by saying, "Look at that hardware store, I have to stop."

 

We were in downtown Templeton but it felt like we had gone back in time.

I half expected to see Opie from The Andy Griffith Show.

Or at least a Templeton version of Opie!

The place is immaculate. Wood floors.

 Every item in place. Dust free and label facing forward.

Admittedly, the folks that run it are pretty 'OCD'  (they said it, we just agreed, ha ha).

But that just adds to the charm.

Along with the old-fashioned cash registers.

And the bank safe that has been around forever.

It has a stair step door frame so that if robbers try to shove nitroglycerin to blow it up, it will only settle/seep into the first of many 'stairs'.

Clever design, no?

We walked through all the aisles.

Impressed by the decent prices.

Felt the urge to support the business.

Established in 1899 and operated by the Hewitt Family since 1923.

Which is why we left Templeton with a shiny new mailbox and stick-on numbers displaying our street address….

Canals of Naples

Naples is a neighborhood of Long Beach, CA.

Built on three islands and divided by canals.

It is a lovely place to stroll during the holidays...Christmas decorations range from sophisticated to completely over-the-top, here we go:

Stick around after dark, there are Christmas 'trees' lighting up the canals.

Olallieberry

Cross a blackberry and a raspberry and you get an olallieberry.

The seaside village of Cambria is crazy about 'em.

Take a picture with the berry.

Eat some jam.

Bake a frozen pie.

There is an Olallieberry Festival and an Olallieberry Bed and Breakfast and there is the fresh baked pie, oh the pie.

Delicious olallieberry pie.

Or an early morning olallieberry cream cheese muffin if it is too early for pie.

Tasting the berry, in any form, is a treat.  

And a very good reason to visit Cambria.

That and the view!

Antique Boutique in Julian

Although we head to Julian for many reasons, most of which start with a hankering to pick apples (in the Fall), drink apple cider or eat apple pie (any time of year), we almost always stop here while we are in town.

Years ago we got a spectacular deal on a chaise lounge we refer to as the fainter. As in ‘please dear guest make yourself comfortable and relax on our fainter’.

When we found it at Antique Boutique it was scratched up and covered in faded pink flowered fabric. The stuffing was popping out in various places. Hmmm, all the sudden I am thinking 'spectacular deal' was an overstatement.

Still, it had good bones (architecturally speaking).

We hauled it south to Tijuana and a recommended furniture craftsman did the re-upholstery, shined up and stained the wood and gave it back to us in pristine condition.

So I have warm feelings when I walk into this shop.

Look past the hodgepodge displays, step over Jake (the 13-year old dog that usually parks himself near the front) and admire all the old stuff.

From scales.

To a chip and dip bowl, I think.

A vacuum.

And some type of cooking appliance that the owner said could handle a small turkey.

We walked out with a set of six delicate glasses from the 1940’s. In perfect condition. Meant for sipping sherry.

Perhaps they can be updated. 

And used for limoncello!