My husband and I kicked off the getaway season with a (return) trip to Napa, where we were hosted by great friends and joined by a handful of others, including my NYC-based pal Stephanie Johnson*, pictured with me, above. Our brief 36 hours there were filled mostly with eating, drinking, eating, drinking and eating and drinking! We did manage though to squeeze in some tennis, yoga, biking, and riding in the back of the vintage pick-up. It all went off without a hitch, except that Stephanie and I arrived with the same hostess gift: a backgammon set. Thankfully, they were different; Mine was this travel-friendly gorgeous leather Clare Vivier, Stephanie sourced her equally striking one from CB2. This coincidence prompted me to hunt down other cool and original hostess gifts, in prep for upcoming trips! Plus, I thought it might be helpful to you, too. My favorite finds thus far include this super soft pom pom-trimmed throw that can double as a beach blanket, these monogrammed linen stitch napkins, this sleek (dinner table-suitable) ice cream holder, and this chic leather catch-all for keys or jewelry (I like it monogrammed).

Check out my trip's highlights in the snaps below. Next time I go away I will try to take more pics, so I can share more (This time I guess I was just too busy having fun)!

*My friend Stephanie, as you may recall, designs super stylish, travel-friendly accessories that also make for great hostess gifts! She even has a cute little jewelry case named after me.

The table setting for an al fresco dinner.

Lunch is served (Euro style at 3PM!).

Here's the view from my bike! Beyond beautiful (even at 102 degrees)!