So, recently, I was selected as a caretaker for the Flat Joe Project. You’ve probably heard of Flat Stanley? It’s a similar premise.  A jewelry designer, Joseph Allen, decided to make a necklace character by the name of Joe. He travels around, meeting new people, and seeing new places.

About the designer: Joseph Allen makes hand stamped jewelry.  The items are made with high quality Argentium Sterling Silver; they come in satin and hammered finishes and you can personalize them however you’d like (birthstones, pearls and crystals can be added as well)!  View his shop here: Joseph Allen Designs

I was so excited to host Flat Joe! He came to us all the way from Georgia, and seemed a little jet-lagged from the long trip! After a nice nap to acclimate him to our timezone, we started our adventures. 

First, he met the family. Me (Michelle), Chloe (the black lab), Tim (my husband) and Stabler (the feisty cat):

Tim, always glad for an extra pair of hands, wasted no time in putting him to work. They added some neat details to the fireplace in our living room:

Afterwards, we relaxed in our backyard, and Joe decided to hang out with the bougainvillea:

Joe joined us for our anniversary dinner at Bottega. It was a lovely meal (read about it here). Joe helped us select a dessert:

He even helped Tim polish off a delicious Zinfandel!

The next day, I thought Joe should see the beautiful Napa views:

There was a beautiful fountain in Yountville, and at first, Joe wanted to test the water…

But he (quickly) thought better of it.
On his last evening, Tim opened up a nice bottle of Pinot Grigio, and Joe seemed very interested:

The Dickson family thoroughly enjoyed meeting Flat Joe, and we hope he had fun experiencing the Napa Valley. Where will he go next….???

If you’re interested in hosting Flat Joe, please go here and leave a comment with your contact information!

My blog readers get a 10% discount on any purchase from Joseph Allen Designs!! To take advantage, make sure to mention my blog and ’flat joe’ in the comments section of the Checkout process, and you will be refunded the 10%.  

FYI: I was given the opportunity to host Flat Joe on the incentive that I would receive a significant discount on a future purchase. I was not compensated in any other form.

Tim started my day off with doughnuts from Buttercream Bakery and a non-fat Chai from Starbucks. Mmm! I was, unfortunately in quite a bit of pain and discomfort, so I spent the morning and afternoon in bed, trying to save my energies for our anniversary dinner at Bottega.  For lunch, Tim went out and got my favorite sandwich (avocado, mustard, lettuce, tomato, red onion and cheddar cheese on cheesy bread), and while I ate, he finished a couple of house projects (a blog post is in the works). Stabler was very cuddly and kissy all day, and I liked it.

Our dinner reservation was at 5:45 (I wanted to go early, just in case!) and we arrived with a few minutes for picture taking. The restaurant itself is designed very well. I loved the atmosphere, and the seating was comfortable.  We were served sparkling water (I believe it was house made), and as we looked over our menus, our eyes had to keep up with our tummies! I ended up with the Insalata del Bosco (mixed greens & pear salad) and the Handkerchief pasta with asparagus. It was all delicious! Tim ordered the Mozzarella Buratta with artichoke hearts, and a Rib-Eye steak with truffle-parmiggiano fries. Tim and I have had many, many versions of the french fry, and this was probably the BEST we’ve ever tasted – which is definitely saying something! We loved them. OMG my mouth is watering, just imagining the flavors. We ordered two desserts to share; the first, a chocolate torte with caramelized banana, roasted banana gelato and a chunk of chocolate peanut butter bar; the second consisted of Zeppole (almost like a doughnut hole?) with a warm lemon curd and a blackberry, blueberry and earl grey jam. It was like we’d died and gone to pastry heaven. It was one of those meals where, from start to finish, Tim and I couldn’t stop smiling – the food was THAT good. I can’t wait to go back.

After dinner, we drove around Napa and talked. When we got home, I put on some records and we played a few rounds of Mancala (Stabler LOVES the shiny stones), took a few pictures, and enjoyed our food coma.

Thanks to my wonderful husband for making this day so special.
XOXOXOXOXO