Memories of a perfect day. and ponies.

I am so busy that I think I might explode.

My life goes in cycles of boredom and crazed panic-filled frenzy. Right now I am experiencing the latter. To be fair, it is 100% my own fault. I say yes to a lot of things, and most of those things are fun, like being a bridesmaid and throwing a wedding shower, or helping a friend design a logo, or offering to make a 30" diameter pinata by hand (this will be another post in the near future). The list goes on and on. Suffice it to say, I've maybe bitten off a little more than I can chew. And usually I can chew a lot.

Today however, I'd like to take a trip down memory lane to one of the most relaxing days I've had in recent history. It was a blustery Sunday afternoon about 2 weeks ago, and my friends Daniel and Lauren and I went to the Annual Malibu Family Wines Pick-Up party. The three of us are members of a wine club there, and every May, they throw a big party at the Saddlerock Ranch. It's invite only, and you can bring a date, so obviously, I brought my good friend Annalise (who you may remember from other Beach City Girl adventures, like this one). Now, I've been a member of this wine club for a couple of months, and have been to the Malibu Family Wines tasting room dozens of times, but nothing could prepare me for how absolutely paradise-like the estate is.

It's like a painter put that one tiny cloud in the sky.

The Saddlerock.

We drove up a winding road, through vineyards and fields, past horses, zebras, camels, peacocks, llamas (my favorite!), and some of the most gorgeous countryside I've ever seen.

Miniature pony. His name is Shaggy-do. or at least it should be.

I'm a writer, and I'm prone to exaggeration (I admit it), but this place took my breath away. Everywhere we looked there were little ponds, and waterfalls, and rose gardens, and that was just the natural beauty! In addition to all of that, there were white tents filled with appetizers, and cute little sitting areas, and a Spanish guitar duo, and wine. Oh my. So much wine. It was lovely. Normally, the assortment of wines and their ready availability might have gotten the best of me, but that didn't happen because there were tiny plates of tomato-basil quiche, sun-dried tomato and tangerine quinoa, tiny meatballs and gravy, and brownies and cookies, and strawberries, and cheese plates, and I tried them all (at least twice).

There's not much more I can say to describe how perfect this day was. It got crowded quickly, so we ended up sitting on the grass, but even that was divine. We laid out, and let the sunshine and the breeze wash over us, while we sipped good wine, and laughed, and listened to beautiful Spanish guitar music. And then, just when we thought things couldn't get any better, we went and played with the miniature ponies.

This may not seem very exciting, but trust me, it was. Those ponies were a hoot. As you can probably tell they were very friendly. They kind of reminded me of mischievous, scruffy little children running around and trying to eat things they shouldn't.

Lauren's pony was eye-ing her wine glass the whole time. Lush.

The fairytale ending to this perfect day was that we all got to be together, we took home three bottles of wine, and we took pictures with a camel. That's right, a camel. And while I'm not in possession of these particular photos, as soon as they are sent to me, I will add them to the post, because during the photo session, the camel tried to eat Lauren's hair. Seriously. He bit her on the head.

If that's not the perfect end to a perfect day, I don't know what is.

Anyhow, in the midst of my craziness, I try to recreate the utter contentment of that day at Saddlerock Ranch. There's something about spending an afternoon in the sun with friends that makes me feel calm, happy and relaxed. My goal is to recall that feeling later this week when I'm 10 seconds away from spontaneous combustion. I'll let you know how that works out.

P.S. If any of you are in Southern California, and interested in being a wine club member, I highly recommend Malibu Family Wines. Their wine is great, the membership is super affordable ($43 per quarter), and I always have a fabulous time whenever I visit their tasting room. Annalise liked it so much she signed up on the spot at the pick-up party. I can't say enough good things. Check them out here: Malibu Family Wines