Darling Retreat: Carmel by night

We pulled up to the address in Carmel after dark. The organizer, Chelsea, came out to meet us, opened a rounded iron gate in a stone wall, and ushered us into another world.

Kara Elise, our professional chef with a huge heart, made us all feel so relaxed and welcome in her kitchen. Here she is explaining the menu and giving us "table questions" to get conversation flowing. Her meals spoiled me for everyday life!

Sarah Dubbeldam, founder and editor-in-chief of Darling, told us about her vision for the magazine.

Here is our beautiful bedroom. We felt like we'd stumbled into a fantasy world, kind of like Pride and Prejudice meets Narnia.

And look at these elegant gift bags.

Jackie, our yoga teacher, gave us a tour. It was all winding paths and stumbling in the dark. Water surged and crashed--close enough to taste but hidden in the dark. Little did we realize what awaited in the morning....

{All the photos in this post were taken by the amazing Kate Rentz, the professional photographer who captured the whole weekend.}