It’s hard to believe that smack dab in the heart of the Bay Area, you’d find a town of less than 200 people. Yet, it exists. Port Costa, the quirky little town nestled within cattle grazed hills, is a drop back in time.

In fact, one of my favorite hotels is located in Port Costa, the Burlington Hotel. Each year, all of the girls from the shop and I visit for a weekend, it is such a wonderful place to visit during the holidays! We love dining at the Bull Valley Roadhouse, where their hand chiseled ice and old photographs fit right in with the historic town.

Quite a few years ago during a visit to the old port town, I found myself wandering the streets, enjoying the peace of the quiet neighborhood. I stumbled upon a shop filled with twinkling lights and peeked my head through the window. What I saw inside was a children’s paradise for adults, an entire atelier filled with magical treasures from around the globe, named ‘Theatre of Dreams’ and owned by Wendy Addison. 

Since my first visit, Wendy and I have become wonderful friends, and we love carrying her goods in the shop. Her art is instantly recognizable as each piece is handmade from vintage pieces sourced from her travels. She designs for companies such as Tinsel Trading Co., and many others all across the country.

I have an admiration for Wendy’s work because she honors old traditions, which makes for truly unique pieces. I love that she still uses her old letterpress and Victorian die-cuts to create her art; there are a lot of reproductions on the market, but Wendy sticks to the tried and true old world methods. It reminds me of the French, who take even the most pride while wrapping a piece of chocolate.

When Wendy made a visit into our shop, she was very inspired by the hot air balloon we have on display. As many of you may know, the hot air balloon is very symbolic within our story, and is even on the logo of Tyge William Cellars bottles. Wendy and I came up with the idea for her to design a custom Theatre of Dreams Christmas ornament for our Chateau Sonoma. The ornament will feature a hot air balloon and will only be available for Chateau Sonoma customers! Addison will be visiting on November 12th where she will be releasing the ornament as well as showcasing her latest work.

If you are already a fan of Theatre of Dreams, we hope to see you for a magical afternoon spent with Wendy Addison. If you have yet to discover Theatre of Dreams, we invite you to spend the afternoon with us, I know you will love Wendy’s beautiful designs just as much as I do!