on the beach

Last weekend, we had the chance to do a fun photo shoot for the Horrillo family--Jeff's aunt+uncle, and cousins. They have been so amazing to us while we've lived here. They helped us move in and get settled, invited us over for super delicious meals (introduced us to calamari and a million other things), and even threw a big party for Graham after his baptism. So a little family photo shoot felt like the least we could do for them in return.

Anyway, back to the beach. Jeff took all of the photos, of course, while G and I helped with styling, posing, hair fixing, and wave watching. :) These pics were all taken after a beautiful hike down to the remote Northeast corner of Baker Beach--super close to the bridge. But before the photoshoot, we met them at Ocean Beach for a picnic+fire, complete with brats, gourmet salads, a bottle of wine, and yes, s'mores. The entire time we've lived here, I've always wanted to have a beach bonfire, but just never got around to it. I'm pretty sure that was the last major activity I hoped to do before leaving S.F. So beach bonfire, Check! Something about grimey combination of sand, smoke and sticky s'mores just screams summer to me. It was bliss. I love these cute pics that Leslie took of us in action during the session:

best of berkeley

Last Saturday I met up with my friend Becca in Berkeley for a girlfriendly adventure. We spent the afternoon sauntering around in the Elmwood district, enjoying lunch, perfect sunshine, and happened upon a few of the most delightful places on earth:
We stopped in at Ici for dessert. We knew this place was worth checking out, after seeing a line of 15+ people out its door at any given time of day. {What more advertising does a business need!?} And it's true, this place is the real deal indeed. Our short wait in line was beyond worthwhile. Their ever-changing menu offers 11+ different flavors (like burnt caramel, saffron, or meyer's lemon sorbet) by the scoopful every day. And if one of these does not tickle your fancy, they also have the most amazing ice cream sandwiches, bon bons, and bombes in store. Of course everything is handmade with sustainable, local ingredients, and at a surprisingly affordable price. Swoon! If only I could spend the rest of my days inside their cooler. Seriously, when in Berkeley, this place is a must-stop!We also strolled into one of the most enchanting shops you could ever imagine; the Tail of the Yak {photo found here, and more lovely photos here!}. This place is a true feast for the senses. Its owners have collected some of the most unique+beautiful little novelties from every corner of the earth. Ribbons, papers, trinkets, dishes, art, chandeliers, jewelry, you name it. And perhaps the most breathtaking display: The doves. Yes, beautiful white doves, nesting in a 6' wooden cage draped with beautiful satin ribbon. This is the stuff dreams are made of! We were just lost in the magic of it all. I ended up buying 3 of these {antique repro?} German Easter eggs. They look so sweet on my coffee table!

girlfriends

Last week, my amazing girlfriends Becca & Amy paid me a visit. We couldn't even remember the last time the 3 of us got together for some serious chilling + crafting time. Needless to say, this visit was long overdue! It was Bek's first time in Cali, so we hit some of my favorite spots in S.F. to make the adventure complete. Sometimes I forget that we live in one of the most gorgeous cities on the planet...That's why I genuinely love playing tour guide and discovering this place through new eyes again + again! We packed our days with the perfect balance of painting the town and embroidering t-shirts in front of the TV. {More on that later...}
Some of the week's highlights:
01. Lunch + wandering through the Ferry Building Farmer's Market
02. Desserts from Miette
03. Huge progress with our knitting projects
04. A breeze through Fisherman's Wharf & Ghiradelli Square {Advice: never spend more than 2 hours here when in San Francisco. There's so much more to see and do!!}
05. Lunch at Boudin sour dough bakery
06. A trip to the top of Coit tower on the brightest + clearest day for sweeping views of the city + beyond
07. Spotting a flock of bright green parrots on Telegraph Hill
08. A stroll around the Palace of Fine Arts {see pic above...we saw swans!}
09. Daily pots of tea
10. An afternoon in Union Square
11. Hunting for the perfect pair of skinny jeans at Macy's
12. Checking out the adorable boutiques + shops in Hayes Valley, Fillmore, and Union Street, some of my very favorite neighborhoods
13. Seriously hitting all of the thrift stores in the Mission
14. Inadvertently discovering Mission Statement, a tiny boutique coop of some of the coolest up-and-coming SF designers
15. Picnic in Golden Gate park in front of the Conservatory of Flowers
16. A stop at Peapod Fabrics + Britex, the stuff our dreams are made of
17. Dinners at the best Italian and Indian restaurants in our neighborhood
18. Thai + gelato with friends after church
19. {Multiple} trips to the beach
20. Taking advantage of free admission at museums...Gotta love the first few weekdays of the month!

Crafting our own souvenirs. Yeah, funny story. The entire weekend was so perfect and gorgeous and we couldn't stop obsessing about the fleet of sailboats sprinkled across the Bay. That's when we started jonesing for friends with yachts and time to take us sailing with them. And suddenly the idea was born: We needed t-shirts that said "I'd rather be yachting." 5% cool and 95% dorky, I know. But we each designed our own using fabric applique and embroidery and finished them up during the course of watching the Notebook and Mamma Mia! They actually turned out to look pretty stinking cute!



Our little boy is already a ladies' man!!

december daily {no. 17} : merriment

Yesterday Jeff and I both had the day off--free to run about the city, free of responsibility. We had a tasty lunch out and hit the Asian Art Museum with our friends Eric & Kirsten in the afternoon. Then back home to get all gussied up for the date of the year: Jeff's sister Heather gave us tickets to see the Phantom of the Opera! {Thanks Heather! We had the best time!!} It was an early Christmas gift, since it's just showing in S.F. through the first week of the year and we weren't sure we'd be able to catch a show after Christmas. Before the show, we had a fabulous dinner at swanky Houston's. (Silly, because Jeff works there, but I love the food, love the rock-star service, and love the discount!!) From there, we caught the adorable F Car to get to the theater district. Although not the quickest, these street cars are definitely the coolest way to get around. The city has a collection of vintagey cars from around the world, each painted different colors. They're unusually neat and clean inside and have darling little wreaths on their fronts at Christmastime! So unbelievably charming. We made it to the Orpheum with just 30 seconds to spare before the show began (phew!). And I can't speak highly enough of the performance. Amazing. Seriously, the best night ever.

How lame am I for not taking pics? I even made a point of dashing back into our apartment to grab my camera on the way out, just to capture all of the fun. Lo and behold, we've all been there, I was greeted with a dead battery situation. So am hoping that my borrowed flickr pic by photomato will suffice for the wonders of today's experience.

december daily {no. 16} : city sidewalks

This afternoon I hopped down to Union Square to pick up my very last few Christmas gifts. That's right. All done! And had I not been near-finishing, I think I might have had a panic attack in all of the commercial holiday hub-bub. It gets completely out of control, don't you think? Instead, I had a delightful time meandering about, admiring the big city sidewalks dressed in holiday style. The lights are fabulous! But the front of Williams-Sonoma is my very favorite sight to behold. Makes you want to cozy in and buy a few red + green Kitchenaid mixers, or maybe just savor a sample of their exquisite peppermint bark.
Here's a little California Christmas tree for those of you drowning in snow and subzero wind chills! Wish you were here. But don't be too jealous...It was a damp, blustery 41 degrees here today and I actually thought about wearing mittens. It's kinda cute when San Franciscans complain about the cold.
For once, I picked up a slew of beautiful baubles at Anthropologie without actually spending a pretty penny. Believe it: the sales are phenomenous! Half the store is on sale, which makes everything extra tempting, now that it's so suddenly within reach. I was like a kid in a candy store. This place steals my heart.
And perhaps the most splendid sight of all: the 5 story tree in the windows of Neiman Marcus (Or, as my dad would say, Needless Markups). Definitely the most festive view from my bus-stop. Home to nibble on Christmas cookies and sip hot chocolate!

printing party!

Who: {Lotta Jansdotter} invites us
What: A Printing Party
Where: Craft Gym 1452 Bush St. S.F.
When: Saturday 6.7.08. 5-8pm

Our very favorite Lotta Jansdotter is making the trek back to S.F. to host a printing party, celebrating her new book Lotta Prints. Am dying to attend + crossing my fingers to leave work a bit early next Saturday!

a {vegetable?} subscription

I am head over heels excited about this new kinda subscription I just discovered...Forget about Bon Appetit magazine, I can get thee freshest fruits & veggies delivered to my door monthly, even weekly! Capay farms, located about 90 miles north of S.F., runs a sheer genius business: They grow organic produce, harvest it 6 days/week, package up a great variety of the latest, greatest in-season items, and deliver it to people for a completely reasonable price! You can be choosy about what you want in your box with each delivery. You can get a mystery package, request all fruit, all veggies, or simply say hold the cauliflower. They even throw in recipes in case (like me) you have no clue what to do with kale. {I don't even know what kale is, but I'm pumped to give it a whirl!} I'm completely up for the challenge. In fact, I've never been so excited about vegetables in my life. And although I've never been a neurotic organic, sustainable food worshipper, I am passionate about food tasting fresh, nutritious & delicious. This is going to be amazing. Can't wait to fill you in on the adventures!

annie leibovitz

Phew! Another busy week spills into another busy weekend. Jeff's dad was in town for a church conference until Saturday, so in between eating out, hanging out, and three different busy schedules we had a great excuse to check out the Annie Leibovitz exhibition at the Legion of Honor. {Yes, that's her ravishing shot of Nicole Kidman above.} It's so fun to think we have an amazing art museum in our very own neighborhood. We've hiked past this place so many times and finally having the chance to stop in and check out its galleries left me, well, impressed. Definitely add this place to your list of "When in San Francisco..." Oh, and Annie's magnificent photography is on display until May 25th--and comes highly recommended.

work hard:play hard

Sheesh! I feel like it's been forever. Sorry for the bit of a breakie, it's just that I've been working hard and playing harder this past week! My darling friend Gretch came to visit and we had a whirlwind of wonderment and fun. I just wanted to share a few of her pics. I never get tired of playing SF tour guide and rediscovering the city through another's eyes. I love trying new things and sharing old favorites! It's like taking a vacation without ever leaving home. We had absolutely gorgeous weather, with just a few intermittent rain showers. {Not enough to spoil the fun!} Biking across the GG was a first for me...And certainly will not be the last. Seriously, this is the absolute *best* and brightest way to enjoy the bridge, provided that you've got flawless weather and zero wind. We rented bikes for $7/ hour here and biked from Fisherman's Wharf to Sausalito. We did a little fine dining on the shore and were too full to pedal back up the hills...No worries, we just returned to SF via ferry!

Oh, and did I ever mention that Robbin Williams lives just a few blocks from us?? Yes. A quirky house for a quirky man. Don't you think it suits him?

sf dreams

This weekend has been nothing short of absolutely gorgeous weather and makes me love, LOVE living in S.F.! (Sorry dear friends/fam reading from the Midwest...Hopefully this post will be impetus for paying us a visit or at least give you a glimpse of the Spring to come!)

On this perfect day to be alive, Jeff & I & our new baby Nikon took a family stroll around Pac Heights. The trees in the park were blossoming...in February!I have a laundry list of dream homes here in the city and this neighborhood is dripping with the sort of things I have in mind. In fact, just about anything built circa 1900 will do. The blue beauty above has me salivating at this very moment. Even if I won't be living here or there anytime soon, dreaming and collecting snapshots are free for now! :)
After our leisurely hike & photo shoot we can't leave the 'hood without stopping for treats at our beloved La Boulange bakery. I couldn't help but snap this one of Jeff inhaling his raspberry tart. He was even nice enough to save me a bite. Delectability=100%

Hope you're also finding some sunshine in your life this weekend!

the perfect dessert

Today Jeff and I had a little lunch date in Hayes Valley. This neighborhood is saturated with the cutest places! It is a prime example of San Francisco essence, with its bright, upscale indie shops and cafes. You could spend all day just meandering through unique boutique after boutique. We stopped for dessert at Miette's confiserie, my favorite. place. ever. It's enticing pastel exterior is just the beginning. It's like stepping into a dream, and that's the experience one has before tasting a Parisian pistachio macaron. The rest, my friends is pure heaven! Miette is a sweet pastry and candy company that started with a bang here in 2001. Now they have two retail locations in S.F. and have a bakery in Berkeley. They use high-quality ingredients to make the most elegant, simple, delightful treats. I am giddy just thinking of all the gorgeous cakes and sweets they make for glitzy parties and weddings around here!

experience

Last night Jeff and I headed out to the SFMOMA (Museum of Modern Art). Although modern art is not high on my list, we were lured in by the open late/half price Thursday campaign. I'm always searching for new and inexpensive things to try in the city! I must admit that after the first floor of canvases painted one completely solid color, I was unimpressed; modern art had lived up to all of its stereotypes. Then as we climbed and meandered through the museum, things got more and more intriguing. We especially loved Olafur Elaisson's Take your Time exhibit in which strives to capture art as an experience rather than an object. I had to drag Jeff out of this 360 degree room of changing colors. Very cool. When in SF, the MOMA is definitely worth a shot...And if you're the skeptic, like me, save it for Thursday nights (again, half-price) or the first Tuesday of every month (free)!

britex

Today I embraced a free afternoon to check out the famed Britex Fabrics of S.F. Not sure why I hadn't heard of, noticed, or checked out this awe-inspiring place sooner!? It's located in Union Square, the hopping hot spot of all glamorous department stores in the city. When in San Francisco, it's a must see for crafters and seamstresses alike. This place has four charming stories jam-packed with every color, pattern, and texture of fabric under the sun, plus an entire wall of buttons. (Of course where I spent 90% of my Britex experience!) Yum. This just reinforces the fact that I desperately need to dust off Amy's sewing machine, figure out how to wind a bobbin, and get to work. Lately just the sight loose fabric makes me feel simultaenously inspired and debilitated. I need to face my fears and my free-time. Seriously.

d.i.y. trunk show

On a perfect Sunday afternoon (yesterday) I had the joy of checking out the San Francisco Craft Mafia's Winter DIY Trunk Show in Golden Gate Park. All of the locals in the crafting business rolled out their latest creations and to sum it up--it was a heavenly event! I couldn't believe the talented knitters, jewelry makers, and seamstresses hiding right here in the city. I felt like I was browsing the best of Etsy in real life. What a treat! The booth shown above belonged to Peapod Fabrics--they were so gracious to allow me to snap this pic! Their shop, located in the Sunset, specializes in rare and vintage linens. Check out their lovely birdie ornaments and adorable baby booties! Other unique San Fran crafters I fell in love with at the show and are totally worth checking out: Field Day Wearables + Mumblepeg.

crave san francisco

Attention girls: There has never been a better time to come & visit me in S.F.! Sweet Jeff just bought me this nifty book: CRAVE San Francisco, the complete girly guide to the city. LOVE IT! Organized by neighborhood, it's oozing with an insider's scoop on where to find all of the prettiest things in S.F. at of-the-moment local places: boutiques, spas, yoga, and stores full of yarns, shoes, gifts, ribbons, tea and cakes...the list goes on! Plus, the book highlights many of the successful, inspring female entrepreneurs behind the indulgent locations. CRAVE hit the shelves about a year ago, but it's still new and exciting to me! I think that this is a dazzling idea, because it supports community business and makes girls like me very happy indeed. So keep up the great work, local women retailers...I may be broke, but I'll never be bored again! Oh and great news: CRAVE has also published similar literature for the girly-girls located in Seattle and Vancouver!

living a little

Friday: for the first time in a lifetime, err, a long time, Jeff and I randomly had coinciding days off! It was such fun to live life at turtle pace: Sleep in, eat Cheerios, run, relax, then spend a lovely afternoon painting the town! For awhile now, I've been collecting names of shops and places to visit in this little notebook. (I always find/see/hear of great places scattered throughout the city, but don't always have ample time to make special trips to visit each.) Alas--The perfect day to run around, hitting all the charming places on my wish list! One of my new absolute favorite places in the city is the Union Street Papery. The collective shops on Union are delectable enough, but this place is a diamond among jewels. It's overflowing with gorgeous ribbons, original letterpress, stamps, stationery, everything! Plus, the very kind clerk gave me the skinny on a great place that offers letterpress classes here. I am signing up ASAP! :)

Love bugs: I adore the classic look of these newish baby-blue VW convertibles. There is just something about the blue and black color combo. I spot them all over the city! I always liked VWs, but I've never felt this passionate about them before. I am in love.

After hearing lots of buzz about Lisa Congdon's work here in SF, I decided that it was high time to hop over to CandyStore in the Mission to check out her art show for myself. (Jeff was so disappointed that it's not actually a candy store. Just an adorable shop full of hand-crafted goodies, art, adorable clothes and home accessories.) Anyway, Lisa's new Rare Device store is opening here in October. *Adding it to my list!* To get a great intro to Lisa and her successful design career, check out the fun interview here.

when the fam comes to town

{Pardon me if this sounds too cliche} they say that you can sum up life in just 3 words: it goes on. I was so bummed to see my fam leave this morning after such a quick, action-packed visit. So while it completely stinks that we live so far away, this is my attempt to cheer up and catch up by sharing the fun, whirlwind weekend we had! I have so many pics to share...It's tough to pick just a few. In a nutshell, we had: *perfect weather, *quality time, *yummy seafood (including delicious bass, which only Napoleon Dynamite fanatics like my fam can truly appreciate), *great hikes, *Ghiradelli sundaes, *fun memories *time to catch up on you tube's greatest hits and watch Mrs. Doubtfire (because 1. it's filmed here in S.F., and 2. Robin Williams is our neighbor!).
S.O.S.! In order to tour this amazing WWII submarine, one must first overcome the challenge of turning on his or her iPod. Good thing Daniel was here to help my parents accomplish this mission impossible. Don't you love that look of intense perplexity on my mom's face? Anyway, if ever you find yourself in the flurry of tourist traps at Fishermen's Wharf in S.F., I highly recommend touring one or both of these preserved WWII vessels. It's pretty impressive and educational!

They say that a picture is worth 1,000 words. Here's my littlest bro aiming battleship guns at select S.F. high rises. {This may have been the highlight of his trip.}Pretty bold to wear this sweatshirt to Ghiradelli square?Thanks for peeking and have a fabulous week!