What I'm writing this week...

Building business: Napa Valley Plastic Surgery Associates
In 1936 Rose and Fortunato Martini purchased a corner of a prune orchard on the northern edge of Napa. They built a restaurant, naming it Martini s Napa Valley Inn. The popular eatery was razed in 1974 to build Lyons Restaurant...

Former restaurant to become medical offices
Today, it s one of the busiest intersections in town, but in the 1930s, the corner of Jefferson and Trancas streets was home to a prune orchard, in what was then the northern outskirts of Napa. In 1936 Rose and Fortunato Martini purchased a corner of...

California foreclosures hit 4-year high
Residential foreclosure activity in California reached its highest level in more than four years in the third quarter, reported real estate data company DataQuick Information Systems, but Napa lenders report more encouraging news. Lending institution...

What I'm writing this week...

Blessing of the animals

Napa High grad launches biker wear for women

Whole Foods comes to Napa

Help Wanted

Napa store naturally takes care of skin

Hispanos Unidos

Images from Chinatown

Found this week...

Found this week, at Wal-Mart.
Black trench coat with contrasting detail.

I don't usually look to Wal-Mart for much of anything, but after seeing this ad twice, once in InStyle and once in another fashion magazine, I investigated.

A trip to my local Wal-Mart revealed more than 20 of these black poplin coats with satin-like off-white piping. Sizes ranging up to 14/16, I believe. Price: $39.95. On sale on Walmart.com at $31.00, only XS. Turns out Wal-Mart sizes run large, I ended up with the XS, which says size 0-2. I'm usually more of a 4 or 6.

$39.95 was a bit more than I would want to pay for clothing from Wal-Mart, but this coat is cute. My middle daughter, the fashion forward one, also gives it a thumbs up.

Report from the playground to follow.

What I'm writing this week...

Napa home prices, days on market up
Napa businesses eye city s plan to offer downtown free Wi-Fi
All in the family
Building business: Queen Anne Court, Old Town Napa