ignorance was bliss

Have you ever found out about something fabulous that was practically right in your own backyard your whole life?  And after you find out about it, you can't imagine HOW it is you have never experienced it before?  Please let me introduce you to the Miraval Spa and Resort, a mere two hours away from my front doorstep.  An oasis in the desert.

Did you all see me and  Mia and some of our girlfriends on the {Nate Berkus Show} back in November?  The day we taped our segment was one of the best days EVER!  At the end of the day, Nate's amazing producer Jesse and the rest of his crew surprised all of us with beautiful gift baskets and day spa certificates to the Miraval Spa in Tucson.  Now, the two of us had heard about Miraval from Oprah a few years ago when we were actually in her audience for one of her shows.  The theme that day was all about health and nutrition, and she and Gayle sat on big sofas and talked about their recent trip to Tucson and the Miraval Spa.  They showed a lot of hilarious footage, and almost sold us on the fact that Arizona is one of the most beautiful places on the planet.  But more than that, they convinced us to put Miraval on our bucket list of places to visit in our lifetime.  And so we added it to our ever-growing list, never knowing when it was to become a reality.

Last Saturday ended up being our highly anticipated, magical day at the spa.  Even I struggle with words worthy to describe what it was like.  Cara, Mia and I spent one of the most beautiful days of the year there.  We lounged by the pool in puffy white robes, sipping smoothies and deliciously mixed juices whose clever titles promised us endless beauty and youth, and enjoyed being pampered with facials and massages.  Yes, we felt like princesses, and we loved every minute of it!

We visited with several other girls who were there from all over the United States with their besties, enjoying a week of the Arizona sun and staying at Miraval the whole time to truly embrace the whole experience.  They were enjoying amazing classes everyday ranging from stress management seminars to cooking classes with professional chefs, hiking and rock climbing to tennis lessons, and everything you can imagine in between.  We have convinced ourselves that every year hereafter, we will add a night to our stay, until we get to stay a whole week. Now we have to convince our husbands.  Please pray for us.  

Of course, half the experience was the amazing food, all created under the direction of Dr. Andrew Weil, who I am a big fan of.  The creativity and presentation of each dish was exquisite.  The chef's special that day was pan-seared cod with a chilean sauce served with lightly sauteed green beans over sticky red rice. 

Our drink was also delightful.  Prickly pear herbal tea, served chilled with a lemon wedge.  We toasted to our commitment of finding ourselves in the same spot next year!

One of our favorite dishes was the Quinoa Asparagus Salad with a Honey Basil Vinaigrette.  If you aren't familiar with quinoa, let me give you a brief introduction.  Quinoa is considered a super-grain, and is packed full of amino acids and protein.  It is also gluten-free which is a big plus, and comes in three colors: white, red and black.  They all cook up just like white rice.  I use white a lot at my house, and usually mix it in with white rice.  My kids have never noticed.  My favorite way to use the red quinoa is for breakfast, covered in fresh berries and agave (or honey), drenched in cream.  Always rinse your quinoa before cooking it to eliminate a bitter flavor.  This is a cold salad recipe, perfect for Spring.  If you make this a day ahead, be sure to hold a little bit of the dressing back, and toss it in your salad just before serving to freshen it up.

        Quinoa Asparagus Salad

• 1 cup red quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups water
• ½   teaspoon salt
• ½ bunch asparagus, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sundried tomatoes, rehydrated in warm water
• ¼ cup toasted sunflower seeds

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place quinoa in a medium saucepan. Add water and salt, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes (no need to stir).
3. Toss asparagus with sunflower oil and salt. Spread asparagus onto a baking sheet, leaving space between pieces. Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until tender.
4. In large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, asparagus, sundried tomatoes and sunflower seeds. Set aside.
   
   Honey Basil Vinaigrette

• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

1. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, basil, and garlic.

Toss salad and dressing together.  Chill at least 4 hours.

Our day was beyond dreamy, and we were all so thankful to Nate for his generosity.  What a guy!  It was so thoughtful and kind of him to send some simple DIY moms off for a day of pampering.  We were so grateful for the experience and blessed his name numerous times during our stay.

In true fashion, we did make it to one Goodwill, where I secured a pig trophy for under a dollar.  Did you know my Dad owned a pig farm while I was growing up?  I took a pig to the County Fair every year until I was in high school.  It's such a symbol of my childhood, I will be finding a very special spot for it!

Until next year girls......

wedding

Remember this face?

Ya him.

Oh, mommy!

I'll give you a moment to catch your breath.

So in case you're not up to speed, last Friday I surprised 5 of my best girls when I persuaded this cutie pie to do a segment on Club Project. 

You can't IMAGINE what kind of hoops I had to jump through to get them all in the same place at the same time, not to mention coordinating a 6 man camera crew and a field producer.  But I pulled it off, fabricated lies, sleepless nights, and sweaty armpits.

I coordinated back and forth with Jenny, the shows producer, to work out all the kinks and let's just say, I have a new appreciation for what goes on behind the scenes. You can't fathom what kind of planning, coordinating, and scheduling must align to make something like this happen.  The most miraculous thing of all is I kept it a secret for 6 weeks! 

Jenny and I worked closely together on every detail including what pieces we would make over for the show.  She thought it would be best if we took on two small projects that groups of three could work on,  something that would take no more then a few hours to transform.

I found this old cart on casters at a flea market in Long Beach and thought it would be the perfect thing to
showcase.  I know, it's a diamond in the rough, but I knew it had some potential and the 6 of us could bring out it's inner rock star.  G said if she had found it on the side of the road, she wouldn't take a second look, but I fancied it right from the moment I laid eyes on it. 

Lettie, Candice, and G sanded down and re-stained the top, painted the inside and outside light gray, and stripped the hardware and key holes. 

G hand painted numbers on the drawers. 

Nate and I both agree, a room needs at least one modern piece with clean lines.  I knew this would sit in perfect juxtaposition next to my traditional, leather sofa, and french settee. 

Remember this small scaled chest from Gracie's Thrift?  I purchased it during a trip we took {junkin' in Phoenix}.

It was only thirty bucks and with a smidge of creativity, I knew it would make a great night stand for my teenager's bedroom. 

Jilly, Cara, and I worked on this one, stopping along the way to explain exactly how to DIY and maybe shoot an occasional oops, "take 2".  Jesse was an expert, asking us just the right questions so viewers at home would be able to re-create the process.  We used the tutorial from Jami at {Freckled Laundry} to create this zinc inspired look right from restoration hardware. 

I searched the internet and found this inspiring idea for drawer pulls. I knew if we put our heads together, we could come up with something just as innovative.

Cara took some jute rope and after a few minutes, she invented this.  Now, that's what I call friends with benefits. 

Here's the finished product.  I love the little carpet tacks we hammered into the drawer fronts to give it the look of zinc veneer.

Little did I know, there was one more surprise in store for us.  A big one.  At the end of the day, I opened the front door and there on my porch were six huge, beautifully wrapped, gift baskets from Nate and the crew!  In them we found gorgeous linens from his home shopping collection,

battery operated candles with decorative, holiday cuffs,

linen scarves,

a sequined throw pillow,

and a little note from the man himself.

That's G in hot pink scrubs.  She was so excited, she gave the note a big, juicy, kiss.  Jilly's expression comes in as a close second (don't judge her, she was a cheerleader, and a Bon Jovi lover).  We've honestly been trying to get ourselves to the Miravel Spa for years and surprise, NOW WERE GOING!

It was such a special privilege to be able to give this opportunity to 5 of my friends.  The six of us know as well as anyone that life isn't always exactly the way we we'd imagined it would be.  It was so exhilarating to take a break from the cares of the world and experience pure joy for one day.   

Our segment airs next Friday, November 11th and you bet we'll be together.  Just the 6 of us (plus Nate), some yummy treats, and a TV tuned in to channel 10 at 11:00am. 

PS. Nate, if you're reading, there's still a chance for us.  In my book, there's only two things standing between us. 

Call me.

somebody pinch me!

Ever laid your eyes on this hottie?

We've been in love with him since his first appearance on the Oprah Show in 2002.  The {first make-over} Nate ever did on Oprah was the transformation of a tiny 319 square foot studio into a real home.  We must have watched that show 25 times in amazement!  No wonder he became Oprah's "go-to guy".

To make a very long story short, Mia emailed what I'm sure was a compelling letter into the Nate Berkus Show about our very own {Club Project}.  The next morning, she got a call from one of the producers of the show.  She worked, undercover, with them for six long weeks.....sending emails, pictures and information, never divulging her secret operation to any of us.

We very innocently showed up last Friday at Mia's for our project day at the appointed hour. She answered the door with glossy lips and flip camera in hand, which was certainly out of the ordinary.    Then she sat us all down on the couch, recited her love for each of us and our group.  She said a little something about how she wanted to create a memory for us, then screamed at the top of her lungs, "The Nate Berkus Show is here!!"  The few minutes that followed her announcement will be etched in my mind forever and ever.  If there is ever a time when I can't recall that surprise, it will have to be because I'm not breathing anymore.  Her family room was flooded with 7 men equipped with cameras, lights, microphones, and who knows what else!

As soon as we stopped squealing and caught our breath, the amazing Jesse validated what Mia had said, and introduced himself and his crew.  They were the nicest and most professional group of guys, and played along with our game of 20 questions all day long.  They lead crazy, busy lives as Field Producers and we were astounded by their rigorous schedules.

I felt so official wearing a microphone pack all day!  You can tell Cara thinks I'm crazy.

 

We even enlisted the muscles of some of the crew a few times during the day. 

Lettie, Candice, and G working on the drawers for the new zinc nightstand.

Of course Mia knew we would all be famished by noon, so she put together this amazing salad with greens, fresh roasted vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes (that she made herself), grilled chicken, feta cheese, and fresh basil she went and snipped from her herb garden out back.  The Production Assistant ran and picked up gourmet pizza from The Deli for the ladies, and In-N-Out Burger for the guys since they don't have them in New York.

Mia is going to finish detailing the rest of our day on Friday's post, including when our show will air, and maybe a little bit about her personal interview with them the day before.  There is still so much left to tell, you just won't believe it!

But let me take this opportunity to say how dear Mia is to me.  Not only does she pull off amazing surprises like this, but she is the best friend a girl could have.  She is grounded, witty, beautiful, talented, driven, and kind.  We have never, ever run out of things to talk about in over 10 years, and I can promise you we never will!  We have laughed and cried together too many times to count, and I always, always feel indebted to her.  I have no idea how I'm going to repay her for this one!   She is amazing, and I am grateful every day that she is a big part of my life.  I love you Mia!!

I'd also like to say what I really wanted to say about Nate when the camera was in front of my face, but was too flustered to do it.  I adore Nate Berkus.  He is definitely at the top of my list of people I'd love to meet someday.  He is so kind and compassionate.  He relates to people of all walks of life and finds great joy in helping and serving others.  His design ideas are superb, and his application is flawless.  He is inspirational to me because of his passion in doing what he loves.  I'm so thrilled that he has made a name for himself in the design world.  He certainly deserves it. 

Thank you so much to Mia and the Nate Berkus Show for making a dream of mine come true.  Thanks to all the ladies of Club Project.  We are so lucky to have each other!  Stay tuned for Friday's exciting  post from Mia.......