innatblackberry

Delightful Dining & Lush Living

Covid came with a lot of restrictions, which meant a lot of improvising and changing things up so we could “social distance” and be a safe and comfortable place for our guests to relax.
This is what we came up with…

While the fireplace area has always been an intimate little spot, the original “dining room” used to have four dining tables.
We flip flopped some furniture…

So while we still have two tables, we now have a great relaxation space adjacent to those tables. Perfect for eating breakfast and then moving to that gorgeous couch to kick back and carry on some after breakfast conversation.
Our next move was a little bit of a mash up…

The concept of comfy benches and bistro style seating came about quickly after we moved the living room furniture!
A perfect place to dine or sit with a cup of coffee in the afternoon and play a game.
(We have a wine trivia game which is best played over a bottle of local wine!)

Brasserie Four

Brasserie Four is a little French bistro in the heart of downtown Walla Walla. They serve a delightful array of French cuisine, local beers and wines.
The oysters on the half shell are extremely popular, as is their iconic dish of steak frites.
The pate and escargort never disappoint either!

Tip: Ask your server about specials-you wouldn’t want to miss out on Locati Farms grilled asparagus!

Starting with the house rose and red wine, a half and half board of pate de campagne and pate de foie de poulet, the escargorts with garlic butter, the french onion soup and oysters on the half shell. Delicious!

Library Luxury

The library has been through many phases throughout the years. From red walls, burgundy furniture, to brown walls and mostly wood furniture. This space has foregone its greatest transformation to date! This year we switched the wall color to this extremely rich and dimensional “Urban Bronze,” with a bold and yet timeless blue on most of the furniture and a crisp white on a couple of other pieces. All these little changes (with mostly just the help of paint) really brightened the space but kept the soft and luxurious feel.
Keep your eye out for our cute little library mouse that helps light our bookshelf!

Classic Cezanne

Though the Cezanne has the same classic wall colors as it has for many years, some new pillows with a rich rust orange pull from Cezanne’s paintings and give the room a little pop. Add another eccentric bench under the window-with a great garden view. The fireplace got a little face-lift and voila!

Modern Monet

It’s amazing what an accent wall of color can do for a room! That rich color really made our furniture pop.
We added a beautiful gold lamp for some extra light. Accenting the room with some new throw pillows and a unique sitting bench at the end of the bed, this room is as stunning as ever!

Black Pearl Boba

This is going to be a short one.
If you’re downtown and need a little pick me up from wine tasting, check out our local boba spot!
Build your own, or order off of their menu.

Fruity? Original? What pops? What is chewy?…
I decided on the lavender coffee, blended, with yogurt “poppers” after I chatted up the girl at the counter with a couple questions, she gave me the recommendations I needed.
It was AWESOME!

Yamas Greek Eatery

Yamas Greek Eatery is in the heart of downtown Walla Walla.
We started with a recommendation from Antonios (pictured above) for a beautiful Greek white wine. Crisp, dry and fruit forward, it was wonderfully paired with the alifes (a platter of five delicious house-made spreads.) Though they were all amazing, the tirokafteri (feta and hot peppers blended) was a huge hit for the whole table!

Ask your server about the specials!
I can’t for the life of me remember what the second special option was. As soon as I heard Antonios describe the octopus, I didn’t need to hear anything else.
Perfectly cooked, with a slight char on the outside. sitting in a bright citrus oil mixture, with a fresh salad… Wow!

Tip: To paraphrase Antonios, “No tips, what you see is what you get and you won’t be disappointed.” He was not wrong!
But a little insider tip, don’t forget the Ouzo throughout your meal to complete that authentic Greek dining experience!

Seating Switch

When we first turned this space into another room, which would be named the “Van Gogh,” we needed a seating/dining area.
For a while these chairs and decent sized table were a perfect fit.

But then… this idea came around. Not only would it allot more space, but you could also look out into the garden as you sat at the beautiful solid wood bar, in comfy retro gold velvet chairs.

Not only was this update beneficial to utilizing space, and giving you a more enjoyable seating experience, it gave a whole new splash of style to the room!

It’s a wild life…

The animals and wildlife around the Inn are always fun to spot.
Ducks bathing in the creek, deer wandering through the backyard, wild turkeys making their way down the driveway, you’re bound to see some amazing things!

Absolutely amazing things, like…

Once upon a summer’s day in June 2021, we were pulling into the Inn driveway when we noticed a ball of fluff just sitting at the edge of the yard and driveway. We got out to see what it was and it was this little guy!
He seemed to be blind, and didn’t flinch when we picked him up in a towel and loaded him into a container.
We took him to the closest veterinary office, who held and cared for him until one of the wildlife rescues in the area could come pick him up.
He was so soft and cute! I’m glad we were able to rescue this little creature.

Speaking of rescues…

For about a year and a half we had a rugged stray hanging around the Inn. Miss Camille (our outdoor Inn kitty, who also happens to be a rescue) is very protective of her territory, so these two little females were having it out quite frequently.
Calling her “Bobbie” (because of her bobtail) we fed her in a different spot, away from Camille and the house, until she started to warm up.
After a couple weeks, we were able to trap her and take her to the Humane Society.
Though she was already fixed and chipped, we found she no longer had a home, so our housekeeper (who definitely didn’t need another cat, but couldn’t resist one in need) took her home, where she has thrived and become quite chonky and comfortable.

RESCUE. LOVE. REPEAT.

Chewy Molasses Cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups flour

3 Tablespoons sugar in dish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream together butter, egg, sugar, molasses and spices.
Add in the flour mixing until well combined.
Form dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar, flatten with fork and bake approximately 12 minutes.

Tip: Any cookie dough can be scooped and frozen for up to one month. (Even though, let’s be honest, they never last that long.)