Yay! After years of waiting, Peet's Coffee will have their grand opening in Cotati on Monday, January 9th! Formerly Frank's Freeze on the corner of Old Red and Gravenstein highways, Peet's will open in a brand spanking new building. Between Cotati's restrictions on fast food chains, and the push back on having yet another coffee shop, Peet's has been in the making for quite some time. Peet's is my favorite coffee, it will be nice not having to travel to Petaluma or Santa Rosa to patronize their stores. Thank you, Cotati, for letting Peet's come to town.   Peet's Coffee & Tea7764 Old Redwood HighwayCotati, CA 94931(707) 796-7080     01/06/2012

Despite the real estate  market having it’s ups & downs in 2011, it’s up to us Agents to pass along the truth of the upcoming 2012 year: Home values are improving and selling prices WILL increase - so stop pushing those low-ball offers.  Here is an interesting fact sheet I came upon that gives a good view of the 2012 market prediction. 12/28/2011

Last night, I decided I didn't want to cook so we went out for dinner. The restaurant I chose in downtown Cotati was packed and all tables were taken except one. The empty table near the front door was too big for the two of us, but we really didn't have a choice if we wanted a place to sit. Soon after, a women who appeared to be in her early 30's arrived with two young children in tow. The woman had a discouraged look on her face when a waitress told her there would be at least a 15 minute wait. When the waitress walked past our table, I asked her to please invite them to join us. They took us up on our offer. We had a wonderful conversation during dinner and the kids were very polite. They were from out of town (Shingle Springs) and were meeting family who lived in the area to go see ... 12/24/2011

  Elegant Evening - December 10th, 2011 - 5:00PM to 8:00PM, Downtown Cotati I'll be the first to admit, I'm not crazy about the name of this event. To me, elegant evening means I would have to dress up in high heels and pearls (and a bit more, of course, due to the time of year), but I'm more of a jeans and cowboy boots sort of person. Cotati is casual, VERY casual ... but the downtown merchants like to get all gussied up for this event. So here is what to look forward to: - Free horse and carriage rides (note to drivers, Old Red will not be your friend tonight)- Appetizers and Beverages- Contests- Special discounts at participating merchants- Holiday music and Carolers If you like a small town atmosphere, you'll enjoy Cotati's Elegant Evening, the last of the FOUR DAYS OF FESTIVE FUN d... 12/01/2011

  Candlelight Concert (FREE) - December 9th, 2011 from 7:00 to 9:00PMChurch of the Oaks, Corner of West Sierra Ave and Page Street Church of the Oaks is once again sponsoring a free concert featuring vocal performances and beautiful holiday music. You need not stay for the whole concert, come and go at your leisure. The Church is small, the acoustics will amaze you. Church of the Oaks has served the community of Cotati since 1901. One of the coziest weddings I have ever attended was in this venue. If you haven't been already, the Church alone is worth the visit. But I guarantee you will enjoy the music as well.   FOUR DAYS OF FESTIVE FUN Day 1 - Let's Light the Tree!Day 2 - The Cotati CrawlDay 3 - Candlelight ConcertDay 4 - Elegant Evening     12/01/2011

  The Cotati Crawl - December 8th, 2011   "The Cotati Crawl" is a social gathering that happens every Thursday night in downtown Cotati. Usually, the "crawl" is where you can find young Sonoma State University students. But this one week during the year, the local adults begin the crawl during the earlier hours in a festive fashion. Every venue is within a block or less from one another, hence the ability to "crawl". Here is this years (loose) crawl schedule:   --  5:30PM - The 8 Ball, 8 Charles Street--  6:15PM - Spancky's Bar, 8201 Old Redwood Hwy--  7:00PM - Cotati Yacht Club, 8099 La Plaza--  7:45PM - Friar Tuck's Pub, 8201 Old Redwood Hwy   This an evening to mix and toast with the locals. As a group, we will travel (crawl) from bar to bar to enjoy holiday drink specials (both alco... 12/01/2011

Cotati Holiday Tree Lighting - December 7th, 2011 at 6:00PM - La Plaza Park   GATHER 'ROUND La Plaza Park in downtown Cotati for the annual Holiday Tree Lighting. Our wonderful Cotati Public Works Department makes sure the lights are up, ready and working for this annual event. Carols will be sung and a countdown ensues before the switch is pulled to activate the lights. After the oohs and ahhs, everyone heads on over to the Fire Station across the street to meet Santa. There will be cookies, cocoa, cider and holiday music. This is a great opportunity to get a photo of Junior with Santa.   * Clip Art disclaimer ... unless we have really bizarre weather, there will NOT be snow on the ground :(   FOUR DAYS OF FESTIVE FUN Day 1 - Let's Light the Tree!Day 2 - The Cotati CrawlDay 3 - Candle... 12/01/2011

    Get your oom-pah-pah on, the Cotati Oktoberfest is happening this weekend on October 8th under a giant tent. The admission is free! If you wish to add an authentic meal of bratwurst, German potato salad, sauerkraut and gingerbread to your day, the price tag is $15.00. This also includes your choice of beer, wine, root beer or water. The fun starts at noon in La Plaza Park in downtown Cotati. Karl Lebherz and his Bavarian Band will entertain on the stage while you polka on the dance floor. There is a schedule of contests as well, starting at 2:00PM. There are no entry fees and the winners receive $50.00. - Wiener Dog Races at 2:00PM (for dachshunds, guess that means I can't enter my Chihuahua)- Tankard Hold at 3:00PM (for men) - sponsored by Spancky's Bar- Beer Stein Race at 4:00PM (... 10/05/2011

Heirloom Tomato Tasting - Cotati Farmers Market Thursday, September 15th, in La Plaza Park 4:30PM - 7:30PM Another farmers market season is ending! That means Fall is right around the corner with Winter on its heels. Tonight there will be free samples of fresh picked "Green Zebra", "Brandywine" and "Cherokee Purple" heirloom tomatoes. All tomatoes being sampled will be available for purchase from the Cotati Farmers Market vendors. If you love tomatoes (my favorite food), head on down to La Plaza park in downtown Cotati at 4:30PM to make sure you don't miss out. La Plaza park has an outdoor stage for bands, tonight is Open Mic Night for "Rule 5" and a surprise duo that we Cotatians are sure to recognize. (This is a small town, hardly anyone is unrecognizable). Erin Armstrong with ACN is... 09/15/2011

As we watched my Mother-In-Law age, it became apparent that we needed to move her closer to us in the small town of Cotati. After a bit of research, I helped her fill out an application to be put on the waiting list at  Charles Street Village, a Senior housing complex. And waiting we did, we waited for almost 4 years. In the middle of June, I got the call ... "your mother-in-law is at the top of the list, can you bring her in for an interview?". She made the cut, and for the past two months I have been super busy driving back and forth (over 300 miles round trip) to her apartment in Sonora to help pack and to plan her move. When it came time to reserve a truck, I received quotes from all of the top brands, Budget being one of them. Budget was hands down the most reasonable when it came ... 09/14/2011

I live in a very small town called Cotati (Koe-tah-tee) with a population of just under 7,500. Walking around town is always fun because there are so many characters here. You can usually find a game of chess in progress, along with diners eating lunch or dinner at sidewalk tables. Since Cotati is such a small town, it is highly unusual to go out and not see someone you know. So there are a lot of "Hellos", "How are you" and "Nice to see ya" whenever you enter a meeting place. One of those places is Oliver's Market, a locally owned and operated grocery store where the selection of produce and wine is phenomenal. Olivers is a sought out destination for many of my out of town guests, it's one of the first places they want to go once they arrive here. Another great thing about Olivers is ... 08/25/2011

The morning after I returned from a very noisy camping trip, (Jake Brakes, Train Whistles and KIDS, oh my!) I was happy to be sipping a cup of coffee and catching up with the news in my quiet house. Well, almost quiet. There was an annoying hum that wouldn't go away. It sounded like water running but I couldn't find the source. I talked to my neighbor who was outside and asked if he heard a humming noise in his house. No, he said, but he would ask his wife since he is a little hard of hearing. Well that didn't happen. (Note to self, never send Jimmy home with a message for his wife, call Kathy directly. Evidently Jimmy has the attention span of a gnat). After returning home from a day of work, the humming was more prominent. I turned the water off at the house and the noise went away. O... 08/23/2011

  It's summertime, and summertime means it's the season for Movies in the Park in Cotati CA! Leave the popcorn and candy at home, concessions are catered by eager local youth groups. The fun begins at 6:30PM in La Plaza Park, on the corner of West Sierra and Old Redwood Highway. This movie is rated PG, suitable for the whole family. Not familiar with "Hook"? Click to watch the trailer. You will need to bring something to sit on such as a blanket or low back beach chair. It's also a good idea to bring something warm to wear, Cotati really cools down at night after a hot day (thank goodness!).     07/02/2011

  It's Thursday ... Do you know where your Farmers Market is? If you live in Sonoma County, the answer would be Cotati! Every Thursday evening through September 15th, the Cotati Farmer's Market will be held in La Plaza Park from 4:30 to 7:30PM. Bring the whole family, you'll find some fantastic food vendors and plenty of activities for the young ones. While the kids are in the jumpy house after they get their face painted, check out the fresh local produce, handmade crafts, flowers & plants and specialty foods. La Plaza Park has an outdoor stage and tonight you can enjoy music by Graystreet Band. Graystreet defines their music as "swinging, jazzy, soulful, eclectic". A little bit of something for everyone! The music this evening is being sponsored by Cotati Corner Wine Bar, right acros... 06/30/2011

    Searching for a suitable venue can be a tedious and stressful process. Especially so when you can't risk potentially foul weather, you're not sure how many guests to plan for and/or working with a tight budget. I drive by an overlooked venue every day. It's the Cotati Veterans Memorial Hall in Cotati, CA. Not only can this venue hold a large number of guests, it also has a kitchen, a stage and very reasonable rental rates. There is also an abundance of parking with two spacious lots on both sides of the building. This indoor venue has been booked for weddings, dances, reunions, BINGO, charity auctions, company meetings, dinners, scout troop gatherings, brokers tours and, at least once a year, a place to vote. The Cotati Veterans Memorial Hall is situated on a 1 acre lot studded with... 06/30/2011

  The sun is out again, and it's time for Spring cleaning! Saturday is the day where you can get rid of those larger items that won't fit in your trash, yard waste or recycle bins ... and it's FREE.   Cotati Spring Community CleanupSaturday May 21st from 8:00AM to 2:00PMCotati Park-n-Ride (St. Joseph's Way)   Here is a list of materials accepted: Wood and Yard Waste, nothing longer than 5 feet, NO stumps, palm fronds or poison oak Household Trash Household Recyclables NON-FREON containing appliances Scrap Metal (NO drums, cylinders, tanks or items with gas engines) Materials NOT accepted: Batteries Refrigerators, Freezers, Air Condioners Mattresses or Box Springs TV's Computers or Electronics Pressure Treated Wood Tires Anything with a Gas Engine (lawnmower, weed eater, chainsaw) Brick... 05/19/2011

Space Planning ~ Color Consulting ~  Furniture Selection  Today I worked with a lovely lady on a Space Planning, Color Consulting and Furniture Selection Project.  I arrived at her home this morning and started the process with some conversation about her home and what she envisioned.  I then took my before photos and started the design process. Furniture Selection: We looked through some catalogs and then online to find styles and colors of furniture that my client liked.  She was able to find the style of furniture and make some choices.  She wanted to get all new furniture in both the Living Room & Dining Room so we went through a process of selecting pieces she would like to have.   Some of my Client's Selection Colors are iphone quality and not exact. Color Consulting: As we went t... 05/14/2011

Look out! The Cotati Crawl, which takes place every Thursay Night, lands on Cinco De Mayo this year. Sonoma State University Students and residents alike will be flooding the restaurants and bars of downtown Cotati, all two blocks of it. The Cotati Crawl is a ritual where everyone "crawls" between The 8 Ball, The Tradewinds, Friar Tucks, Spancky's and The Cotati Yacht Club. All are within a block from each other, with restaurants and independent shops scattered in between. If you are in the area and looking for something to do tonight, there is a party happening in Cotati, CA.   05/05/2011

    Cotati is a small town with a population of 7,300 give or take. So when a new restaurant opens, it's BIG news. I couldn't wait to dine at Brixx Pizzeria because they have a pizza on the menu with a warning label. Now that's MY kind of pizza! Brixx Pizzeria, located in the center of downtown Cotati, has a great selection of beers on tap as well as bottled beer. And their wine list is much better than I expected. An application is in the works for a liquor license, hopefully that will be granted later this year. We ordered the Diablo Gamba (Devil Shrimp) pizza with chipolte pepper, onion, cilantro and mozzarella. Underneath the description are the words in bold letters ... warning: the diablo gamba is VERY spicy. Bring it on! We also ordered and split The Wedge salad, which is an iceb... 04/28/2011

  At 8:30AM this morning, the Cotati Arts Project unveiled their fist of many sculptures planned throughout the downtown area of Cotati. The weather was brisk, but the sun was shining, making for a chilly but upbeat morning. The first sculpture was placed at Cotati's busiest intersection, at Old Redwood Highway and East Cotati Avenue. Athena stands about 6 feet high and faces La Plaza Park, diagonally across the street. Motorists honked their horns as they watched the unveiling, something they do here whenever they see a crowd assembled. Based on Greek Mythology, Athena is the Goddess of many things, two being Civilization and Crafts. These are the qualities that were emphasized during the ceremony this morning. While listening to her dedication, I couldn't help but think of the Parthe... 04/08/2011