a n h - m i n h . c o m

With the 49ers-Steelers game delayed yet again because of a power outage, I thought I'd take the opportunity to do a little blog update with some of my favorites things of late.

A couple of weekends ago, my nephew came over to hang out with me while Jon was out of town. We made sugar cookies using these Star Wars cookie cutters. They were cute enough without any adornment, so we didn't bother with any frosting or candies.

I love this neon pink and orange ribbon (apologies for the grainy iPhone photo). It reminds me of the neon holiday decor story that Kate Pruitt wrote for the Anthology winter gift guide.

When we were in Mexico for Thanksgiving weekend, my sister and I did a little shopping in Los Cabos. I got this amethyst and sterling silver ring, which I've worn almost every day since.

The other day, Jon and I were in Bernal Heights and stopped in at Avedano's for the first time — and it will definitely not be our last! The sandwiches there are insanely good. And I don't usually even like sandwiches. Just up the street, Sandbox Bakery is another good spot. I love their cheddar, bacon and scallion biscuits (which I first discovered at Flora Grubb).

Posted at 06:57 PM | Link

While we were at Nick's Cove, I had a chance encounter with Tomoko Takahashi. I happened to have a sample copy of Anthology in my hands and she inquired about it, having read about the magazine on Oh Joy!

We got to talking and and I was so pleased to later learn that she is the talent behind Tota Press. Check out her gorgeous letterpressed cards, which are sold on a subscription basis:

BTW, in case you're wondering, the first issue of Anthology should be shipping in a couple of weeks!

Posted at 07:33 AM | Link

Jon and I are back from vacation. We went to New York for a friend's wedding and figured, "Hey, since we're pretty much halfway there, let's go to London afterwards!" So we did. And it was a ton of fun. Lots of good eating, museum visits, and general hanging out/walking around in both cities. More later — once I get a chance to go through my photos.

Posted at 06:52 PM | Link

Wow. I'm surprised I still remember how to access/update this blog. Even Jon has started giving me a hard time about my lack of posting. Lately, all of my creative energy has been going towards writing for the SF Chronicle or working on my big new yet-to-really-be-announced editorial project.

And I still have a part-time job. And I still try to find time to hang out with Jon and other friends and family.

Like this weekend. We attended the Outstanding in the Field event at Route 1 Farms in Santa Cruz. It was amazing. (I am definitely planning to sign up for another dinner next year.)

After the OITF meal, we spent the night in Bonny Doon at this adorable place (which belongs to a friend's parents):

Other miscellaneous stuff:

• My new thing is to have the local dry cleaners add those little bra-strap holders to my sleeveless tops. I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner.
• I recently started subscribing to New York magazine. Two issues ago, there was a big feature about the best sandwiches in the city — just in time for our trip later this month.
• In other food-related news: Buttermilk ice cream does not work. (I'm talking to you, Madera restaurant. Your rhubarb galette, on the other hand, was awesome.)
• I recently discovered the beauty site 3floz, which as its name implies only carries products that are sized just right for TSA approval. Perfect for travelers or people who just want to test out a new product, without committing to a full-sized version.

Posted at 09:58 AM | Link

So we're nearing the end of April and somehow I managed not to write a single post this month until now. I've been pretty busy with writing-related stuff, as well as a few other things ...

• We went to Mexico. And it was awesome. Nothing but hanging out by the pool and eating churros. Or going into town for mango popsicles and tamales from a lady with a cart. And one day, Jon went out fishing with friends and caught 15 tuna and a mahi mahi.
• Any place that serves beignets and bbq pork buns for breakfast is pretty much my idea of heaven. OTD on Bush Street is my new favorite and I'm on track to becoming a regular at this place.
• I always think that test-driving cars is going to be fun. But you know what? It never is.
• The SF Decorator Showcase is opening this weekend (I've been following the home's progress as part of an article for the SF Chronicle). In case there are still people reading this blog, I thought I'd give a little peek of the Showcase.
  
  Michael Burg

  
  Benjamin Dhong

  
  Gregg De Meza

  
  Darin Geise

  Disclaimer: My photos are not good, not good at all. If you're in SF during the month of May, it's definitely worth checking out for yourself.

  Posted at 05:37 PM | Link

• I have been buying Miette fleur de sel chocolate caramels by the bagful and, no, I do not share them with Jon. They are so good.
• It took me a few weeks, but I finally finished reading the excellent piece on John Hughes in the March issue of Vanity Fair.
• I was in Venice, CA, last week and now I want to learn as much about the history of the area as possible. I just ordered a copy of Cottage in the Sun: Bungalows of Venice, California
• The Jean Paul Gaultier collection at Target launched yesterday and some of the pieces sold out in the middle of the night. I may have to stay up late this weekend when the Liberty of London line comes out.
• Speaking of London! I am planning a trip there this summer. Which I am really really really looking forward to.
• I love the rooms below, which are featured in the "An All-Star Makeover" article in the current issue of Elle Decor. (Nate Berkus and Anne Coyle decorated the place for "Oprah" producer Ellen Rakieten.)

Posted at 09:09 AM | Link | Comments (2)

During my college years, I spent a summer in Manhattan interning with a magazine. Since I knew absolutely no one in the city, I was grateful for my fellow interns — one of whom made plans to live at an all-female residence on 34th Street called The Webster. I followed her lead and made it my home for the three months as well.

Today, the NYT has a story about places like The Webster. Reading it brought back all sorts of crazy memories. I had a fantastic time that summer and met so many great people through the internship and living at The Webster.

Now I feel really old thinking back on those days!

Posted at 09:23 AM | Link | Comments (4)

Yesterday marked the annual wine harvest for our community vineyard. The weather was beautiful, which may have contributed to the impressive volunteer turnout.

It was fun to get involved with the wine-making process, including clipping the bunches of grapes off of the vines and then removing the individual grapes from the stems.

After all of the grapes were sorted, they were crushed in a machine. The seeds and skin are included because the vineyard only produces red wine. Eventually, it will be stored in oak barrels and make its way to our home in bottles.

Posted at 09:37 AM | Link | Comments (1)

During a recent visit to Emily Joubert, I experienced one of those moments where I really wish I was the type of person who could throw an elegant dinner party. This lovely table, in perfect fall hues, was set up in the tented outdoor area of the store:

I dig all of the Juliska pieces on the table. (Note to self: Get some dried Chinese lanterns for the house.)

Posted at 04:21 PM | Link | Comments (2)

Jon and I spent most of 2002 living in Oakland, directly across from the Rockridge BART station. Our bedroom window provided an awesome view of the Albertson's loading dock (it's now a Trader Joe's). The mice and termites eventually drove us out of the apartment. Still, we've maintained a soft spot for that neighborhood.

These days, we don't spend much time in the East Bay. But this weekend, we had a couple of great excuses to head over the San Mateo Bridge. Yesterday, we saw the matinee show of "American Idiot," which was a lot of fun. (The music is great, but there isn't much of an actual story.) Then we met up with my brother and his family for a delicious dinner at Wood Tavern.

Before dinner, Jon and I were strolling along College Avenue and happened upon Cupkates — a mobile cupcakery!

Yum. I hope the mobile food craze makes its way to the Peninsula soon. (So far, I've only seen taco trucks parked during lunchtime in front of the construction sites for several ridiculously large homes being built in Woodside.)

{Photo from the Cupkates website}

Posted at 07:37 AM | Link | Comments (2)

Is it really already Friday? This week went by especially fast. Here's some online reading I've been enjoying:

• Habitually Chic - Jenna Lyons: The Complete View
• decor8 - Hygge House: Favorite Things
• The Style Saloniste - Designers I Love: Martha Angus
• Lonny Magazine (a peek of it, via MA Belle)
• NYT (Home & Garden) - Renovating an Industry
• NYT (Dining & Wine) - What They Brought to the Table
• LA Times - San Francisco Ferry Building a Waterfront Foodie Heaven

I dropped by Fourth Street in Berkeley yesterday to pick up the CB2 "peekaboo console" and some lemon-pistachio cookies from Bette's To Go. So this afternoon, I'll be busy figuring out what goes on the console and consuming far too many of those yummy treats. (Or maybe the cookies should wait until after tomorrow's trip to the dentist?)

Posted at 11:17 AM | Link

Abbey posted today about the Mad Men cyber casting call ... with Porter Hovey in the running for a walk-on role! But I couldn't figure out how to vote until I read Lynn's blog post about the topic. You just click on the fifth star (under the photo) on the casting call website. (I think you can vote once per day.)

Porter totally deserves to win, right?

P.S. Banana Republic is currently featuring some Mad Men-inspired pieces. I recently got the printed tie blouse as a gift from my in-laws. Now I just need to make sure I can still fit into my pencil skirt ...

Posted at 03:07 PM | Link | Comments (2)

Have you seen this new feature that Maggie has launched? It's called Mighty Closet and it is genius.

Says Maggie: "So I thought I’d visit a few of my stylish friends and take photos of their favorite outfits. Aubrey Sabala is my first Mighty Closet guinea pig." That is one amazing green dress.

Posted at 04:49 PM | Link | Comments (1)

It was in the 90s around here this past weekend, so I didn't get any work/writing done. I was too busy doing things like ... Dining al fresco at a local restaurant, where we saw one of Jon's former professors arrive on horseback ... Hanging out at the neighborhood pool ... Proving that I will basically eat any food made with bacon (I tried the Bacon Apple Maple donut at Dynamo and the Bacon Peanut Brittle at Humphrey Slocombe).

So now this week is turning out to be one of those checklist weeks, where I've got this task and that task to take care of:

            ☐ Write feature on two awesome SF people.
            ☐ Write weekly Stylemaker Spotlight.
            ☑ Dentist.
            ☑ Vote.
            ☐ Car wash.
            ☐ Buy paint for the gift-wrap closet.
            ☐ Finish the gift-wrap closet.
            ☐ Ikea.
            ☐ Watch "Gossip Girl" season finale.

Hmmm. The two things I've accomplished are the least time-consuming. I'd better get to work on the rest of this list!

Posted at 08:09 PM | Link | Comments (2)

Confession: I sometimes have the urge to buy shoes from Anthropologie and display them around the house like artwork.*

* Because most of their shoes do not fit me — they rarely carry anything smaller than a size 6 — but they are so, so pretty.

Posted at 07:40 PM | Link | Comments (4)

This morning, I'm catching up on my usual online reads. Penelope Green had a fun article in yesterday's NYT about the San Francisco home of skateboarders Jay Shapiro and Claire Bigbie. I like it a lot.

You can check out the entire slideshow here.

Posted at 08:15 AM | Link | Comments (4)

Wow. Kurtli Reidi's weather forecasts site is officially one of my new favorites. (via Please Sir)

Posted at 09:57 AM | Link

• The NYT has an article today about DIY magazine publishing. Just as blogs have given millions of folks a voice, I love that it's so easy now to publish your own book (I like Blurb a lot) and magazines.
• My latest obsession is Dynamo Donuts. I want one of their lemon pistachios right now, but have settled for a regular old-fashioned from the place near work. A poor substitute.
• Jordan held her first-ever letterpress class this weekend and it was a lot of fun. I can't wait to get my fancy new cards! BTW, her studio space is awesome.
• I think this tea rose belt from Anthropologie would make any outfit happier. And it's just $28.
• How cool is this post that Maggie wrote last week in honor of her husband's 40th birthday? (The answer: very cool.)
• We enjoyed a fantastic dinner at the Village Pub on Friday night. But I couldn't help noticing that the two young boys at the table near us spent most of the evening playing with their handheld devices. I've noticed this lately when we go out to eat — that the parents don't engage with the kids at all throughout the meal because they're too busy with their video games or text-messaging or whatever. I'm glad that my nieces and nephews don't do this at the dinner table! At home or in public.
• Speaking of my nieces, one of them was admitted into the hospital late last week and had a really rough weekend. Little kids in pain = the worst. I hope she's feeling better this morning and recovers quickly.

Posted at 09:25 AM | Link | Comments (2)

• Wow. Ghost-Twittering for celebrities is an actual job. According to this Jezebel post, Britney Spears, 50 Cent and Barack Obama don't write their own tweets. (Honestly, I'm OK with Barack letting someone Twitter on his behalf, since he's busy saving the country and all. But if that's the case, then I'd like more tweets, please.)

• I would like to officially put the Tesla Model S (an electric sedan) on my list of wants. I'm due for a new car in 2011, right?

Posted at 09:47 AM | Link

When it comes to in-store displays, Anthropologie has some of the best around. I snapped these photos at the Carmel location last weekend:

I collect matchbooks when I travel, so I might modify Anthropologie's above idea a bit. I'm thinking I could display a group of matchbooks from one trip — maybe this year's trip to Italy? — in a shadowbox. (I don't know if mine will be as color coordinated as theirs though!)

Posted at 03:34 PM | Link | Comments (2)

I've been following this discussion over on Apartment Therapy today. The NY Times wants AT to stop using their images — which basically means that AT probably won't be posting much about future NYT stories.

As a blog and newspaper writer — most of you know I was once a regular contributor to AT:SF — I can easily understand both sides here. But I tend to agree with AT commenter "18percentgrey":

Forget about the warm & fuzzies. It's not like you're not in business to make a profit here. It's business. They pay the reporters & expenses to create original content, and blogs take it, and post it, claiming it benefits the Times. ... Blogs that have their own advertising should pay for the content they take from other entities - plain and simple. Either legitimately license the material, or create your own original content.

When I was writing for AT:SF, one major concern was whether another AT city site might scoop me. Or, even worse, if a subject for a pending post was already covered ad nauseam by other design blogs. The only way to 100 percent avoid either scenario was to come up with completely original content: get out there and see what's in the local shops; track down people for house tours; interview people yourself, instead of excerpting another magazine/newspaper/website's interview; make contacts in the design community to stay on top of events.

And you know what? It wasn't such a bad thing. So maybe, in the end, losing the NYT content will make AT even stronger.

Posted at 03:03 PM | Link | Comments (7)

Yay! Did you see that AB Chao is blogging again? And many recent posts are about her awesome house.

A while back, AB was kind enough to let me write up a House Tour on her Louisiana abode for Apartment Therapy. It remains one of my favorites. I mean, how could you not love a place with a porch like this:

Posted at 01:19 PM | Link | Comments (5)

Even though Jon and I have been married 4+ years, I still occasionally pick up Martha Stewart Weddings because the pictures are so pretty and inspiring. And a lot of times, wedding ideas can totally be adjusted for other festivities. Like this rehearsal dinner that was recently featured on Snippet & Ink:

Love love love the red shoes on the couple.

Strawberry shortcake. Yum!

Homemade ice-cream with ...

... Custom wooden spoons!

More treats: S'mores

How cute are these custom flags from Mexican Sugar Skull?

And my favorite: a piñata featuring the couple's initials (Sharon and Francis).

Fantastic!

Posted at 08:29 AM | Link | Comments (5)

Have you seen this article about Twitter in New York magazine? As someone who has worked at several dot-coms and been a Twitterer since 2006 — albeit not a super active one — I found it pretty interesting.

In other media-related stuff, the very idea that the Bay Area may lose its major daily newspaper makes me want to hide under the covers. Sad.

Posted at 10:11 AM | Link | Comments (1)

We ended up spending half of the holiday weekend in Napa. But no, it wasn't some sort of romantic Valentine's getaway.* We actually participated in a Livestrong event at Twomey Cellars on Sunday — which was followed by standing for a loooong time in the very cold and unrelenting rain, waiting for some of the best cyclists in the world to ride by in the first stage of the Tour of California.

That's Jon's idea of fun. My idea of fun came next: A trip to the Barney's outlet, relaxing at The Carneros Inn with a hot beverage, and dinner at Farm. So everybody won.

* We're not exactly hearts-and-roses people. So our Valentine's Day started off with a trip to the dentist for both of us. And the day ended with watching Andy Roddick at the SAP Open.

Posted at 05:14 PM | Link | Comments (2)

I've always thought it would be cool to live in an old firehouse or church. And here's a 1910 Gothic Revival church in San Francisco that's on the market for $9,950,000:

But I don't think it's nearly as cool as the Flemish chapel that Apartment Therapy linked to this morning.

Posted at 01:37 PM | Link | Comments (2)

Did you see this article about the closing and mourning of Domino in today's NYT? Here's a quote from Charlie Rutman, senior adviser to MPG North America, a media buying company:

“The magazine industry in every category is under extreme pressure, extraordinary pressure, for a lot of reasons: the Internet, the cost of subscriptions in a tough economy, the tough economy, you name it. By the way, there probably are too many magazines, but if companies can’t survive these kinds of pressures we’re not going to have any magazines in the future.”

Yikes.

Posted at 09:35 AM | Link | Comments (3)

So much time had passed since I last logged into my Flickr account, I actually forgot my password. But I'm just getting back into the Flickr thing and started a new set with a handful of photos of our house. Hopefully, I'll be able to round up more pics and upload them soon.

Posted at 08:40 AM | Link | Comments (3)

The last few days have felt like a bit of a time warp. Let me explain:

• I bought a suit — something I hadn't done since the late '90s. I needed them way back when I was in law school. However, with closet space at a premium in our old house, I must've donated them away at some point.

  When my company announced that it would be shutting down, I looked in my closet and realized that I didn't own a single suit, but I could probably use one for any potential job interviews. Banana Republic was having a sale on workwear earlier this week, so I decided it was a sign that I should order a new suit. Um, but the last time I purchased a suit, this thing called a "size 00" didn't exist. Who determined that it should?




• Last night, I enjoyed a fantastic dinner at the Slanted Door with a friend I hadn't seen in over 13 years. THIRTEEN! (And I can't even remember the last time I got free glasses of wine from a bartender.)



• I popped into Carrots yesterday and half of the store was on sale. And not just a little bit on sale — 75% off. No, that is not a typo. SEVEN-FIVE. I couldn't pass up a pair of K-Swisses designed by Yigal Azrouel. I haven't worn K-Swisses since George H.W. Bush was in office.



• And this weekend, I'm going to head over to the public library and get myself a library card. If you don't count the use of college libraries, I haven't checked out a book from a library since I was, well, wearing K-Swisses.

Posted at 09:13 AM | Link | Comments (4)

I didn't make any New Year's resolutions for 2009, but I can't stop thinking about Hollister Hovey's post about her #4 resolution: "More adventures!" It's not so much the idea of traveling more that's on my mind; it's the photos she included. She looks so well put-together as she visits L.A., Paris, Marrakech, etc.

I want that!

If you look at most of my travel photos, I'm wearing jeans and sneakers. But if you look at my closet, that's a small percentage of my wardrobe. So going forward, I resolve to pack more stylish outfits when I travel — and make sure I get photographed wearing at least one of them.

Posted at 08:11 AM | Link | Comments (1)

You're probably familiar with the iconic Obama posters designed by Shepard Fairey. Well, now there's a site called Obamicon.Me that will give any image a Shepard Fairey-esque treatment.

via Jezebel

Posted at 11:41 AM | Link | Comments (2)

We are done! That's right — done with our holiday shopping, with an entire week to spare. Now if only we could get started on those blank holiday cards that have been sitting on our coffee table for the past few days ...

Now that we don't have to make any more trips to the stores, we had to find *something* to occupy our time. So Jon and I have decided to try to start two new house projects over the next week. Yes, house projects — two of them — right before the holidays. And we're hosting Christmas Eve dinner this year. Hopefully, there won't be holes in the walls and small cans of paint everywhere.

Oh! One gift-y thing I wanted to mention, without giving away too much here: We used Blurb for the first time and are super pleased with the results. (Putting together the book, with its photo layouts and captions, brought back memories of working on the high school yearbook.)

Posted at 08:01 AM | Link | Comments (3)

It's been about a week since we got the news that our firm is shutting down at year's end. For professional and personal reasons, it's been tough to deal with. But now that the initial shock has worn off a bit, I'm starting to think about the future. And while I'm not really sure what lies ahead, I've got some ideas: continue freelancing (though I may have to try harder to get more writing assignments); get a part-time job (so there's some steady income); take a class or two (perhaps through Stanford's or CCA's continuing education programs); start a business (with my sister); do some volunteer work (I've always thought it would be cool to work with students on journalism-related projects). I'm in no rush to make any decisions, but I'm actually excited about the possibility of doing something new.

And with that said, I'm ready to get back to the regular programming on this blog.

P.S. Hi, Sherrie!

Posted at 07:21 AM | Link

Since my last post was sort of a bummer, I've decided to counterbalance it with this post.

Awwww. He's cute, right? That's what I get to come home to almost every day.

So, despite my temporary sad spell, I know that life is still pretty darn good. (To those who've emailed: Thank you! I feel better already.)

Posted at 06:54 PM | Link

It's been a sad 24 hours over here. It's too soon to talk about any of it, even though it's the only thing on my mind right now. I'm going to try to throw myself into some writing, decorating and jewelry projects until the darkness dissipates. But this one's hitting hard, so it could be a while.

P.S. Everyone is healthy.
P.P.S. And I know it will all work out eventually.

Posted at 11:24 AM | Link

• Our old neighborhood was a Halloween hot spot. The new one? Not so much. But we still participated in the Halloween tradition of buying lots of half-priced candies at Target the day after.
• The Yves Saint Laurent exhibit opened at the de Young this weekend, so I dragged Jon to it on Saturday. Beautiful, amazing work. And, maybe it was the nonstop rain that day, but the museum wasn't terribly crowded, so we were able to move through the exhibit with ease. (We were afraid it would be reminiscent of when we saw the Jackie O. exhibit at the Met a few years ago and the place was ridiculously packed and the lines were crazy.)
• Since we were already in SF, we decided to go on a furniture shopping spree at Room&Board. Hopefully, I'll be able to share photos soon.
• Also on the home front: The living/dining room has been painted! You may recall that when we bought our house, there was a faux finish on the walls. After attempting to live with it for a few months, we finally agreed (or I insisted) that it had to go.
• Everyone we know seems to be having babies! We visited with a couple of friends with little ones — all adorable.
• Yesterday, while we were in the East Bay, I did a little work for a future article and visited with some homeowners who have a lovely Japanese-style teahouse in their backyard. How would you like to hang out here every day after work:
  

  Talk about relaxing. And the teahouse is heated so you can still enjoy it during the cold and rainy days!

Posted at 08:52 AM | Link

• I just got off the phone with Nate Berkus (an interview for a future article).
• My sister dropped off a box of Sprinkles cupcakes. Mmmm ... red velvet.

Posted at 12:49 PM | Link | Comments (5)

Arrrgh. I have been trying to add my Twitter Updates to this site for a while now and, for some reason, the timestamp feature isn't working. I haven't really been Twittering much lately, but still! It's frustrating.

Posted at 02:09 PM | Link

I have a couple of deadlines this week, so it'll be a little quieter than usual around here. Instead of a real post, all I have for you today is a link to Jezebel's latest write-up on the "Woman Alive" series — the book entitled, How to Decorate Without Going Broke.

Enjoy!

Posted at 02:35 PM | Link

Our new house has a lot of wall space and one of the things I'm most excited about is increasing our art collection. Specifically, I'd like to start buying more paintings. Which is why I couldn't resist bidding on the blank canvas painting that Jordan's very talented husband, Paul, is contributing to the Nie Nie Recovery Fund auction. So yes, I could potentially score an awesome new painting for the house AND do my part to help out.

I'm sure someone will come in with a higher bid than my initial one, but come Sunday night — when the auction closes — maybe I'll still have a shot.

Posted at 08:30 AM | Link | Comments (2)

I don't think it's possible for me to walk into an Anthropologie store and NOT take pictures of the displays. Here's one I spotted yesterday in Palo Alto:

Another cheap and easy way to create some wall décor, courtesy of the creative folks at Anthropologie!

Posted at 08:04 AM | Link | Comments (2)

Have you seen this feature on the Martha Stewart site? Some of my recent favorites include the bamboo steamers used as organizers, the paintbrush rack, and the fabrics remnants rack.

We have built-in shelves above our (new!) washer and dryer, so we're planning to add a curtain to hide the supplies (just like Martha suggests):

Posted at 09:09 AM | Link | Comments (1)

What a week. In the middle of all of the moving madness, I had a writing deadline *and* ended up going to NYC for a couple of days. All good stuff, but very tiring!

Oh, here is a snapshot of the only box-free room in our house, the dining room:

And in case you're wondering: Yes, we are short several chairs in this photo. But they have been ordered and should be here any day now (an amazing housewarming gift from my sister). The candelabra is a holdover from the previous owners that I'm still debating about. And we need a longer runner now that we've expanded the dining table.

Have a great weekend!

Posted at 07:25 AM | Link | Comments (11)

I've been ordering all sorts of fabric swatches lately and they usually arrive in a plain ol' envelope from the retailer. Well, leave it to Anthropologie to take things up ten notches with the coolest packaging ever for free swatches:

Included in the little box are: a handwritten note about their fabrics and furniture; cards detailing the various sofas and chairs they offer; the swatches themselves; a small pencil; and a measuring tape. Seriously cute.

Posted at 02:06 PM | Link | Comments (2)

Must. Mark. Calendar.

Earlier this week, the de Young announced a 40-year Retrospective of the Work of Yves Saint Laurent. It opens November 1, and the San Francisco museum will be the only venue in the U.S. for the show.

I can't wait!

Posted at 03:24 PM | Link | Comments (1)

I read quite a few blogs.* And one of my favorite things to do is check out the comments. But you may have noticed that I don't have the comments feature turned on for my own site. This is something that I've been going back and forth on for a while now. The main reason I don't: If I activate comments, I get an email every time one is written so that I can approve/publish it. This is great because I get instant alerts ... but it also means I get a lot of spam comments/emails.

However, with the new house will come lots of new decorating projects. So I'm hoping the Internet (i.e., YOU out there) will give me lots of feedback and advice. And if I have to delete a few additional pharmaceutical, online gambling and no-interest home loan spams in my inbox every day? It's worth it.

* My newest regular reads are: In(side) the Loop and Urban Grace Interiors.

Posted at 03:38 PM | Link | Comments (12)

Excuse Me, Do You Work Here? No, I Just Need to Fold Clothes
Thousands of Neat Freaks Picked Up the Habit as Clerks at the Gap

Ha! Having worked in retail, including at the Gap and sister-store Banana Republic, I found this WSJ article pretty interesting. But I have to admit that I agree with Jezebel's take on the whole thing:

"Don't get me wrong: I can fold with the best of them — and without a folding board, mind you. Outer thirds of a tee rigidly marshaled, sleeves turned in at a 45 degree angle, and then the final letter-style flip. ... And my piles! Ruler-straight, color-coordinated wonders. Jeans? Even thirds, facing left. Anything on a hanger is leftwards, too, in ascending size order, carefully marshaled into sections organized by color and use. I love the novelty of this organization, the imposition of order on chaos — but largely because I don't do it at home."

Oh, and that WSJ article includes a video demo on how to properly fold denim. Awesome!

Posted at 10:39 AM | Link

In my head, I've already started mapping out exactly where everything will go in our new house. And there are two pieces of furniture that I'd really like to buy: a bench for the end of our bed (I've always wanted to have one and finally have the space to make this happen) and a comfy armchair in the guest bedroom. You know what I learned while researching these items? That lots of companies will send you free fabric samples, including Pottery Barn, Crate&Barrel, Williams-Sonoma Home, and Room&Board. Very handy!

Also: Fabric stores — such as Textile Arts — often charge a small fee for samples, and you can later apply that fee as a credit towards your purchase. (I really like Nicole's Lumimarja curtains and am leaning towards that fabric in a different colorway for our bedroom curtains.)

Posted at 03:54 PM | Link

Jill and I were at Anthropologie the other day and we both had to pull out our cameras (well, she has a cool iPhone) and snap some photos of this display:

Close inspection revealed that the installation was made with real feathers as well as some fashioned out of wood veneer. Clever!

Posted at 09:45 AM | Link

Say it ain't so!

Berry Disturbing Makeover for Strawberry Shortcake

P.S. Apricot and Hopsalot were my favorites when I was a kid.

Posted at 12:45 PM | Link

• If you are throwing a party for a group of five-year-olds, booking a bouncy castle and a balloon guy are all you need to keep them entertained and happy for hours. Oh, but it cannot be just any ol' balloon guy. No, we're not talking about your average balloon guy. Here are just a few of the creations made at a party I helped plan on Friday afternoon:

• The fries at Spruce are my new favorite. SO GOOD. (Thanks, Adam!)
• Lotta Jansdotter is one popular lady in the Bay Area. Her event at the Craft Gym on Saturday night was crazy crowded.
• Jon does much better in triathlons when he actually has time to train beforehand.
• I hate the Celtics a little less after hearing Oakland native Leon Powe's story during halftime of yesterday's game.
• After staying up sick half of the night, these things are making me feel much better today = some Advil + wearing a pretty new skirt + my new Anna Beck bracelet.

Posted at 09:36 AM | Link

I haven't been feeling 100 percent this week, so I'm happy to be staying close to home this holiday weekend. I will probably be drinking lots of tea — especially since just looking at this Cath Kidston tea cosy makes me smile.

Also: The tea I picked up from the Chocolate Bar is really good.

Posted at 09:54 AM | Link

I am always on the lookout for clever shoe storage solutions. And today, this Apartment Therapy "Small Cool" contest finalist caught my eye:

Simone's Gastown Space

All of those heels look so cool up there, but I'm afraid mine would get terribly dusty — especially since, despite owning tons of them, I hardly ever wear high heels anymore.

Posted at 02:46 PM | Link

It ain't fiction, just a natural fact.

Case in point: At around 9:30am yesterday, Jon was just about to start his triathlon — which he has spent months training for (you know, eating right, exercising, etc.). At around the same time, a couple hundred miles away — back at home — I was pulling into the McDonald's drive-thru to pick up one of my favorite breakfasts. Two hash browns, a cinnamon melt and an orange juice.

Posted at 03:17 PM | Link

Monday's aren't all bad.

• Jon's back! He spent a long weekend in Philadelphia — where he visited his alma mater, caught a lacrosse game and ate cheesesteaks. I'm jealous. Well, only about the cheesesteaks part. (I don't really get lacrosse.)
• Gossip Girl returns tonight! I'm looking forward to watching it with a quart of Bi-Rite salted caramel ice-cream* and a bowl of buttery popcorn.

* Speaking of salted caramel ice-cream: While we were in Paris, my sister could not get enough of this flavor from Berthillon. I love that they have those cones that allow for side-by-side scoops (rather than one on top of another).

Posted at 08:41 AM | Link

How I spent my Wednesday evening: Sorting through two week's worth of mail. Jon went to collect our mail yesterday from the post office and, since there was quite a large stack, they let him take it all home in one of those lovely translucent white bins. (We didn't pick up our mail right away because we figured the post office would be crazy in the days leading up to Tax Day.)

One of the things in our pile o' mail was the latest Home magazine. There were quite a few good spreads, but this was my favorite photo in the issue:

Posted at 08:23 AM | Link

If you're in the Bay Area, you can join the Cardboard Institute of Technology in celebrating the opening of this exhibit tonight at the Cell Space Gallery. Very cool.

Posted at 10:12 AM | Link

These outdoor chairs, available at one of my favorite local shops (Emily Joubert), totally say "spring" to me.

Happy Friday!

Posted at 05:39 PM | Link

• A good Friday indeed! The office was closed, so I spent the day running around SF with Elizabeth. Lots of design stuff accomplished for the house. And even a yummy lunch at Luna Park. (Mmmm ... mini-corndogs ...)
• Saturday entailed more driving — this time to Berkeley. I made a stop at Bette's Oceanview Diner's take-out for old time's sake (years ago, I worked on Fourth Street). The lemon-pistachio cookies are just as good as I remember.
• I was in the (510) working on an article and was lucky enough to squeeze in a lunch with Lisa and Nancy at 900 Grayson. I had never heard of the restaurant before, but I'd definitely go back for the spicy chicken and waffles.
• Today, I had to work off some of the calories from the cookies and fried chicken. Yes, it was my morning with the trainer. Afterwards, I watched my nephews scour the backyard for Easter treats.
• Jon was in Tahoe the past few days, so I made some progress on a couple of house projects, too. Well, my productivity had more to do with the lovely weather than his absence. Spraypainting the guest bedroom nightstands has been on the list for a long time, but the weather finally cooperated.

And that was my weekend!

Posted at 07:57 PM | Link

Relaxing by the pool in Hawaii for hours and hours is nice and all. But maybe not the best idea when you have a schmancy event to attend a week later. And you now have tan lines that will look ridiculous with the spaghetti-strapped dress you were planning to wear.

(Why didn't I choose a shady spot under an umbrella!?! At least for half of the time.)

So, Internet, I am now racking my brain trying to think of a different dress to wear to this function ... which is in three days.

Posted at 12:01 PM | Link

I wish this book was available when I got married! I totally would have picked up a couple of copies for my nieces.

This picture book is the perfect gift for soon-to-be flower girls. Girls will enjoy reading the story of Fiona, a first-time flower girl who discovers how exciting it is to play a special part in a wedding. The book includes a flower-shaped keepsake necklace the child can wear, as well as a comprehensive guide for parents with tips on how to prepare girls for the big day.

Oh, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the book is illustrated by Lorena Siminovich (of Petit Collage). Sweet.

Posted at 09:28 AM | Link

I am insanely envious of people who can take great photos. Right now, I am really enjoying Alex's pictures from her (ongoing) trip to Europe. You can check them out in her Flickr photostream and follow along on her blog.

Oh, and I didn't realize this until recently, but she also has a site —"How She Sees the World" — that documents her travels in photographs.

Posted at 02:59 PM | Link

You may have noticed the addition of a button over their on the right-hand side of this blog. The "Let Levi Ride" campaign was established in response to the decision to keep Team Astana out of the 2008 Tour de France. I admit: I only recently got into the whole cycling thing, and in large part after I visited with Levi Leipheimer and his wife Odessa Gunn at their Santa Rosa home last year. I was in awe of the amount of work and sacrifice that their lifestyle requires; they are both so committed to cycling.

When Jon forwarded the LLR website to me, I immediately "signed" the petition. Because I can't imagine devoting my entire adult life, and most of my childhood, to a dream and having the opportunity to fulfill it so unfairly stripped away.

Posted at 03:10 PM | Link

We enjoyed a super-mellow three-day weekend ... well, at least I did. Jon had to deal with a fair amount of work around the house, as well as in the office. (But the latter, although a bit of a pain, led to dinner at one of my favorite local restaurants — Hotaru — on Sunday night.) At least he got to check out the Tour of California, which kicked off in Palo Alto/Stanford on Sunday afternoon. (I quickly got bored and walked over to the mall.)

At home, I had a little to-do list for Jon that mostly entailed hanging stuff up. Here's one project that he wasn't responsible for because Elizabeth came over to help out:

P.S. In case you're wondering about the title of this post: During cycling races, it's a tradition to ring cowbells to cheer on the riders.

Posted at 09:28 PM | Link

A few weeks ago, at the Something's Hiding in Here opening at Rare Device, I picked up this stamp:

"THIS IS THE LIFE I LEAD AND I LIKE IT BECAUSE IT BRINGS ME CLOSER TO YOU"

I don't live with many regrets. I feel like the decisions I've made, even the bad ones, have led me to where I am today. And that's a pretty darn good place, one I never take for granted — especially because there have been some rough patches along the way.

When I was 23, I dropped out of law school to pursue a degree in journalism. After journalism school, I passed up some fantastic career opportunities and ended up working for a failed dot-com. These might seem like mistakes. But you know what? That dot-com is where I met Jon. It's funny to look back and think about how something that seemed so simple completely changed the course of your life. (Oddly, going back a little further in history, I wouldn't have worked at that dot-com if it weren't for my three-month stint at a pet store while I was in grad school.)

Today, even though I'm not big into Valentine's Day, I'm wrapping up that stamp and giving it to my husband.

Posted at 07:58 AM | Link

If Jon would allow us to, we would be eating out seven nights a week. I'm just not one of those people who finds cooking to be enjoyable, relaxing, cathartic, etc. I have tried and tried, but it just feels like work to me. And I already do enough of that during the daytime.

So any weekend that involves good meals out = a good weekend to me. Some of the highlights from the past 2-3 days:

• Post-dinner yogurt at Fraiche on Friday and Saturday. No, I'm not addicted. But close.
• A gigantic bowl of Vietnamese porridge for breakfast on Saturday from Out the Door. It had been ages since I'd last enjoyed this classic comfort food. (My mom used to make it a lot when we were growing up.)
• Donuts and a Dutch pancake from Citizen Cake just a few hours later.
• Saturday night dinner at a new-to-us restaurant: Mantra.
• I was jonesing for some of their spicy deviled eggs, so we went to the Dutch Goose last night.

As if all of the above yumminess wasn't enough, we also snacked on all sorts of Miette treats throughout the weekend.

Yes, it's a good thing we're both seeing a personal trainer these days.

Posted at 07:28 AM | Link

• Friday night, I dragged Jon up to SF for a delicious dinner at Farina. The sweet fried milk dessert that I love so much was not on the menu. But what's that they say about asking and receiving? Our server checked with the pastry chef and they whipped up a plate just like that. After dinner, I checked out the Something's Hiding in Here show opening at Rare Device. (Of course, I couldn't walk away empty-handed: I picked up a music box and a plaster heart.)
• On Saturday morning, I had my first official work-out with the personal trainer. And I am happy to report that, nearly 48 hours later, there is no soreness. But I guess that means the next work-out will be a little tougher. Jon rewarded me with a yummy lunch at Chris's Fish & Chips afterwards. (The trainer said I could eat whatever I want as long as I continue to see him.) That night, since Jon was craving a good burger, we went to one of my favorite restaurants: The Village Pub. Usually, I have a hard time resisting their beignets and chocolate soufflé. But we decided to try the apple crisp and carmelized banana/chocolate tart on Saturday night. Both were SO GOOD. I also liked the little Staub mini-dish that the crisp was served in.
• Sunday morning, we started the day with a trip to Fraiche for some fresh yogurt (I like the frozen better) and Blue Bottle coffee. Yum. Then we tried not to eat much the rest of the morning/afternoon, in preparation for a Super Bowl gathering at my sister's house. The fourth quarter of the game? Daaaamn. I love watching that Manning escape/Tyree over-the-head catch — and I must've at least two dozen times last night in the post-game wrap-up shows. (Jon is from NY, so we were rooting for the Giants. Besides, doesn't everyone love an underdog?) I wasn't that impressed with the Super Bowl ads though. There were only a handful that I thought were clever or funny.

And now I've got a case of the Mondays.

Posted at 07:40 AM | Link

The weekend following a trip of any sort, I like to stay home and nest. And with storms and lots of rain expected over the next few days, it's the perfect time to make some changes around the house. Jon and I are planning to move the furniture around in the office/craft room. And the big, big update there will be installing shelving on one wall. It should open up the room quite a bit because we can then get rid of a couple of tall bookcases.

I may take a trip to Ikea for some curtain rods (for when I eventually turn my wannabe Kelly Wearstler fabric into drapes) and casters (for a Lack unit in our bedroom). Oooh, and I've also got a Target gift card that I'm itching to put to use!

Posted at 08:07 AM | Link

I think someone (ME!) may be getting this as a Valentine's Day gift:

Posted at 03:13 PM | Link

It looks like the folks at Martha Stewart wised up and decided to transfer Blueprint subscribers to Living. That's good news. While I like looking at all of the pretty pictures in Weddings, I don't really have much use for that publication these days.

Posted at 03:14 PM | Link

I am all about the Salvation Army donation website. I swear: It is the easiest way to donate large items that you can't drop off somewhere yourself. You schedule it all online, and they just show up and take whatever-you're-getting-rid-of away. The day of the pick-up, you can check the time window. And once the pick-up is complete, you can even get a confirmation and receipt.

Genius.

Posted at 06:54 AM | Link

Okay, I like the show, but I swear I'm not obsessed with it. (At least I don't think I am?) But in case there are other GG fans reading this site, I thought I'd share Gridskipper's GG Guide — detailing the real-life NYC settings for various scenes.

Posted at 09:36 AM | Link

Wait? What? This week's episode was the season ender for "Gossip Girl"? Boo. I just hope I don't get so desperate for new programs that I become a regular "Cashmere Mafia" viewer. Based on the first episode, that show is truly terrible. Every five minutes, I found myself yelling out (at no one in particular): "Are there people seriously like this! Who talks like that? Who dresses like that? LAME!"

In other 2008 news: My dad has been in and out of the hospital (unplanned). Jon has been in and out of the hospital (planned). Half of my backyard fence collapsed during last week's storms (the whole thing has since been completely rebuilt).

As far as resolutions go, Jon and I made a pact to try to keep our house tidy enough so that we won't be totally embarassed if we have unexpected company drop by. And I have my initial appointment with a personal trainer this weekend.

Yes, you read that right. I know, up until this point in mylife, I've been so anti-exercise! But in 2008, I'm going to be just like Fergie — up in the gym working on my fitness.

Posted at 09:49 AM | Link

So you may have heard that Northern California was hit with a monster of a storm late last week. With a dark house and a muddy backyard, these two things really came in handy:

• Headlamp. I wore one around the house on Friday so I could clean out the closets, cook dinner (thank goodness for gas stovetops), fold some clothes, re-read old (but good) shelter magazines, unpack from our holiday travels ... All the fun things you do when you have no electricity.
• Tretorn Ballena rubber boots. I definitely got my money's worth out of these over the past three days.

(BTW, our eight-hour black-out on Friday really wasn't so bad — especially when you consider that there are still people without power this morning.)

Posted at 08:49 AM | Link

Posted at 08:36 AM | Link

You know what's really weird? Not having ANY interior doors in your home. Ours were taken away earlier this week and the lovely new ones will be installed today. Yay! Every time I walked down the hallway this week, I was reminded of the fact that I still haven't organized the linen closet. (That seems like a good New Year's resolution.)

This has been a busier-than-usual week — with the posting here, posting at Apartment Therapy, guest-blogging at Design*Sponge, and an SF Chronicle deadline. So, like lots of other bloggers out there, I'm going to take some time away from the computer for the rest of 2007. I've got presents to wrap, family to hang out with, and books to read. Oh, and of course, lots and lots of good food to consume.

Posted at 10:07 AM | Link

Things have been so crazy the past few days!

• The Sunset Idea House just opened and I got the news sort of last-minute. So I was scrambling to arrange a press tour and write up a story for the SF Chronicle.
• I stayed up late last night finalizing a "House Call" for Apartment Therapy. The post on Molly Meng's home and studio went live earlier this morning, and I hope you'll check it out because her place is really sweet.
• Jon and I constantly accuse each other of being the worst homeowners ever. We bought our house about three years ago and have been meaning to make a number of changes (after our initial renovation), but somehow never find the motivation. This week, things seem to be coming together. We've got an electrician scheduled to install a bunch of stuff. And we may finally be replacing the interior doors. You see, there's a two-inch gap beneath every single door — probably thanks to some fantastic shag carpeting that was previously in the home — and it sucks. Hopefully, everything will work out with both of these projects.
• The Sunset Idea House features one of these newfangled natural gas tanks, to be used with the Honda Civic GX. Jon has been kicking around the idea of a hybrid for a while now (perhaps it's the guilt from all those years of driving an SUV?), but I'm thinking natural gas would be even cooler! So I've been distracting myself by doing research on the car.
• Grace was kind enough to include me in the design*sponge 2007 Gift Guide: Bloggers' Wishlist. I'm flattered to be in such good company.
• Oh, and of course there's the usual beginning-of-the-month fun at my day job, too.

I'm so ready for the weekend.

Posted at 10:20 AM | Link

This past weekend was a good mix of work and play. Jon and I were both doing work on Saturday (him more than me), and then yesterday we were all over the Bay Area — Rockridge Cafe, Meg and her studio-mate's holiday sale, Scharffenberger and Tomasso's.

Oh! And there were new eyeglass purchases for everyone! (Two for me, one for Jon.) Not bad.

P.S. I have been wearing glasses for a loooong time. So I have visited more than my fair share of eyeglass shops. My all-time favorite is Next on College Avenue in Oakland. I love the selection and the service there.

P.P.S. Remember the Ige Design 2008 calendar I couldn't track down? Well, Maison d'Etre carries it. Yay!

UPDATE: Ige Design has launched an online shop! So you can pick up a 2008 calendar of your own right here.

Posted at 01:58 PM | Link

Over the past week, I've had a few significant deadlines looming over me:

• A holiday article for the SF Chronicle
• New jewelry designs for Adorna Bella
• A batch of coin purses for blissen

I'm happy to report that each item can now be checked off my to-do list! So now I can focus on the Thanksgiving holiday. Wheeee!

Posted at 04:38 PM | Link

I have finally left the house! I'm not feeling 100 percent, but I couldn't stand being cooped up (mostly alone) in the house for another day.

• Over at AT:SF, we've giving away a fantastic Amy Butler prize package. Since AT is considered a design blog, I'm often nervous about our more craft-oriented promos, but this one seems to be going well!
• One of the positives that came out of being sick: I caught up on this season's "Nip/Tuck" — which I totally would have watched sooner if someone had told me that Bradley Cooper is guest-starring this season! (I think he has three more episodes.)
• I am completely addicted to Door Sixteen. Anna has such a good eye for vintage pieces.
• Jezebel. That's another site I'm hooked on.
• Did you hear that fred flare is offering 25 percent off of *everything* on the site? Offer ends 11/19, and you just need to enter discount code "holiday.1107" at checkout.
• And how cute are these salt and pepper film canisters over at CRAFT:

Posted at 10:02 AM | Link

Three Potato Four has some of the coolest photo styling, especially if you're a fan of the vignettes (which I am). In the product photo for this glass penguin that I just purchased today, I love the Mariebelle cocoa tin that has taken on a second life as a little planter:

As if I needed another reason to treat myself to an order of Mariebelle goodies ...

Posted at 04:18 PM | Link

I've been writing for Apartment Therapy for about six months now and my favorite types of posts usually fall into these categories: House Calls and Giveaways. The former because I get to peek at other people's homes (who doesn't enjoy that?). Plus, for this new-ish feature on AT, I usually get to work with artists and designers whose work I admire. And Giveaways — what's not to love about giving readers free stuff? And they offer a great excuse to contact shops and businesses that I adore.

Starting next week, I'm cutting back on my writing with AT — basically, only posting either a House Call or a Giveaway every Thursday. Today, I've got a nice little feature on Diana Fayt's apartment and studio.

Please take a look — because I think you'll like what you see. I am off to prepare for an upcoming trip that I have not given enough thought to yet ...

Posted at 11:03 AM | Link

Wow. Those ladies at Rare Device sure know how to throw a party! It was so fun and so crowded, I did not take a single photo. (Sorry!) I seriously don't know if I could even reach into my purse for my camera. I certainly would have only gotten a shot of the back of someone's head. The room was packed, I tell you. I'm pleased I finally got to meet so many people whose names and writing I've become so familiar with on the Internet. And I'm looking forward to many return trips to RD so I can fully appreciate the great artwork and merchandise that Lisa and Rena have assembled. (There's one Kelly Lynn Jones piece in particular that I can't get out of my mind!)

So how do you follow up a super party like that? Head over to Farina for dinner. Evo, my dining companion, mentioned that the restaurant had undergone a $5 million renovation. Insane, right? It is quite a cool space though (used to be Anna's Danish Cookies). And I love the penny-round tiles in the bathroom. In addition to spending a bit of time checking out all of the details in the space, we did enjoy a wonderful meal. The highlight was dessert. Not that the other two courses weren't tasty. It's just that the desserts were divine: Sweet. Milk. Fritters. They were sooo good. And the panna cotta with strawberry coulis ... mmmm.

P.S. Last night, in addition to picking up some items at Rare Device, I made a quick shopping trip to The Curiosity Shoppe. This weekend, I'll try to photograph some of my new goodies so I can share (not all of it is on the stores' web sites yet).

Posted at 08:03 AM | Link

I got the new issue of Blueprint in the mail yesterday and couldn't believe how holiday-centric it was. But then I realized: November is next week! So indeed, the holiday season is pretty much upon us. I've already started my lists — of what I'd like to receive, as well as what I'd like to give to friends and family.

Another thing: So many artists are unveiling their lovely 2008 calendars right about now. Among my favorites is Green Chair Press' desktop calendar.

We have a small easel on our dining room credenza that currently holds the 2007 Port2Port calendar. I can't wait to see the 2008 version, which comes out on November 15.

P.S. Is it just me? Or has Blueprint improved quite a bit since its first issue? It's now my favorite domestic shelter publication. For some reason, I just haven't been feeling the last few issues of Domino.

Posted at 11:03 AM | Link

• Did you see the piece today in the NY Times magazine about Save Gocco — which was started by Jill to, well, save Gocco?
• Elizabeth came over yesterday and we went over every square foot in the house, figuring out ways to make improvements throughout. This required doing some shopping so we've already swapped out the doormat (with a lovely one from Anthropologie) and rearranged the display ledges in the living room. There are more changes — big and small — to come. And I'm so excited.
• I think I need to buy some of these porcelain keys and the set of wishbones from Rare Device. They are too cute. I'm sure Elizabeth can work them in *somewhere* in the house. Oh, don't forget: The Rare Device in SF is opening this Thursday! I'm so looking forward to the opening party.

Posted at 06:54 PM | Link

I would add these two sites to it:

• Becoming Home (I especially love the before/after gallery page)
• Four Beds, Two Baths

It's so cool to see the transformations that people make in their homes — the hard work and creativity that goes into it all. When Jon and I bought our house about three years ago, we had some work done before we moved in. So we've slowly been fine-tuning things, but I don't know if it'll ever stop feeling like a work in progress.

Posted at 02:02 PM | Link

I am feeling achey today. From playing Wii with the nieces this weekend. From the stupid way the Cal game ended on Saturday. From doing all sorts of cleaning up around the house. From going to the driving range for the first time in about six months yesterday. (Despite Jon's constant reminders, I don't stretch before hitting golf balls.) From bending and twisting wires for a new batch of jewelry.

I could really use an afternoon of camping out on the sofa, watching soap operas (or as Jon likes to call them, "my stories"). There is one good thing about Mondays: "How I Met Your Mother" is on tonight!

Posted at 01:45 PM | Link

Elizabeth just started posting her "Encyclopedia of My House" and I totally adore this idea. It actually comes from "The Encyclopedia of Me" and Elizabeth — being the interior-designer-in-training that she is — modified it to focus on her cute apartment in Oakland.

Hmmm ... I may have to borrow this idea, too ...

Posted at 03:41 PM | Link

Even though we agreed not to buy each other anniversary gifts anymore, Jon still gave me a little something this year (because he's nice and thoughtful like that). While what was inside the box was shiny and pretty, what first impressed me was the creativity on the outside. Jon had the shop wrap up the box, and the associate there did this cool pleating thing with simple white paper. Double-sided tape was used so that the folds stood out — rather than ugly strips of tape.

P.S. Is anyone else watching the playoffs? I'm rooting for C.C. Sabathia — and, therefore, the Cleveland Indians — and was sweatin' it there in the fifth. (Sabathia is a Bay Area native, who allowed me to profile his home a few months ago.) Jon is from NY, so I don't know how happy he is to have me rooting against the Yankees.

Posted at 05:38 PM | Link

Of food blogs with lovely photography: Athena has started documenting her meals! Check out Athena Eats for pretty pictures like these:

Oh, and she also includes recipes. Nice.

Posted at 09:51 AM | Link

I know I've mentioned the SBB before, but I just need to say: I am so envious of people who can style and snap such wonderful photos. I am a horrible photographer. Seriously bad.

The only problem with clicking over to SBB every morning is that it makes me wish I was at home cooking up a yummy breakfast like this:

Image: Tuesday's post on the Simply Breakfast Blog

Posted at 09:20 AM | Link

My sister and I just spent a girls' weekend in San Francisco. Although part of the reason we planned the mini-getaway was to check out the new Barneys, it actually was not one of the highlights of our time in the city.

But this was: We were in a Union Square shoe store when my sister, who insists she has extra-wide feet, starts measuring her feet with one of those metal contraptions (which I have not stepped foot in/on since I was in grade school). She asks some guy walking by — who was coming out of a back room — if he knew how to use the measuring tool. He did, so he graciously helped her. But then it turned out he wasn't a sales associate, but a real live shoe designer! Fast forward an hour or so and he's showing us his fall and spring collection online. He offers to drive down to his warehouse in the Peninsula and gather up all of the shoes he has in our sizes and bring them back that evening. He tells us his story and about his factory in Italy. And the best part: He said he could specially make shoes for me in my size.

Hello.

Oh, back to Barneys. The verdict: A bit of a disappointment, especially if you've shopped at the NYC store. I did, however, really like the mosaic tiling in the SF store's entry:

And at Cielo on Fillmore Street, I love the paper-chain curtains:

(Pssst ... I'll be blogging in more detail about both at AT:SF later this week.)

Posted at 05:54 PM | Link

It's only Tuesday? Bah.

We had a lovely and relaxing weekend — which included staying in San Francisco. We consumed delicious meals at The Slanted Door (lunch), Chez Spencer (dinner) and Town's End (brunch). And enjoyed wonderful company, courtesy of local and visiting friends.

All of the above makes it harder to jump right back into a crazy work week. Other stuff we've got going on: Jon is on this fitness kick that has seen him join a fancy new gym (I believe it's called a sports resort) and sign up with a trainer (who he pays to batter him twice a week). I'm in Week Two of the AT:SF Fall Cure (it's an eight-week program to make our home healthier). Photos of some home improvements to come ...

Posted at 09:51 AM | Link

• I couldn't sit through more than ten minutes of last night's MTV VMAs. (Meanwhile, Jon has a friend our age who threw a big VMA-related party in Vegas this weekend. I don't know how he does it.) That Britney opener was painful. The bad lip-synching. The bad dance moves. The bad outfit. Jon was so eager to get off that channel, he was almost relieved to be watching HGTV's "Design Star" instead.
• My niece just sent me an Evite to her upcoming birthday party. Next, she'll be blogging.

Posted at 07:49 AM | Link

• Friday night, I was introduced to some new folks (Rena and Lisa) — who I've emailed with before, but never met in person. It's always nice to further get to know such lovely and talented people. I was also introduced to Pauline's Pizza, which was delicious. Not many pizza places actually have good desserts, but Pauline's did!
• We are making decisions around the house! Like where to put the diplomas (there seems to be a fine line between being proud of your accomplishments and beating visitors over the head with your degrees). And replacement lighting fixtures for our two hallways. We don't have high ceilings, so flushmounts were in order. We went with the Heath at Restoration Hardware because, in the oil-rubbed bronze finish, they're a tad modern, yet also in keeping with the more traditional features of our home. (Next up: Runners for the hallways.)
• Seeing Nicole's updates to her home office gives me hope for mine. We have the Billy bookcases in beech, and I've been on the fence about them. But look how nice hers look in her space!
• The Pac-10 sure is looking good this season, except for Stanford (sorry, Jon!). I'm waiting for Washington to crack the Top 25, too.
• I am trying to catch up on previous episodes of "Friday Night Lights" before the new season gets underway. This may be my new favorite show.

Posted at 06:29 PM | Link

• I'm not really a beauty products person, but I can't get enough of Mario Russo's line. I first came across it last summer, during our trip to Boston. Thank goodness I've been able to continue to get my fix online.
• Over at AT:SF, I just did a "House Call" with Heather Frazier. And now I'm seriously thinking I *need* one of her mobiles.
• It's been so hot in the house lately, I've been even less motivated to cook. Which means, much to my great joy, we've been eating out a lot. My top pick from the past week: Flea St. Cafe.
• For the past few weeks, our refrigerator has been whistling and howling. Turns out, there was a problem with the fan. Yesterday, we finally got it fixed. Thank you, Mr. GE Repair Man!
• Hooray for donation pick-ups! We recently rid our house of seven bags worth of clothing and housewares. It feels really great. But our closets and drawers are still full! Another purge is required.
• Finally! Barney's is coming to SF this month.
• I've been making jewelry again lately and love this Martha Stewart idea for storing things as I make them:

Posted at 05:47 PM | Link

In case you care: This will probably be my only post this week. With the unofficial end to summer, and so many people cramming in final vacations, it seems like a good time to stay away from the blog a bit.

But you won't find me relaxing in the hammock this week. Nope. I'll be spending most of my time working the regular job; starting a fun freelance article; setting up all sorts of cool things for Apartment Therapy in September (like giveaways!); making new jewelry for Adorna Bella; and consuming root beer floats until I'm ill (it is so very hot in the house).

Happy last-week-of-August and enjoy your Labor Day Weekend!

Posted at 08:32 PM | Link

Nothing. Zero. Zip.

And I am thrilled about this. For the next 48 hours, I can be found here ...

... reading the latest issue of Blueprint, among other things.

P.S. I think that corner needs something — a lamp maybe? — but I haven't quite figured it out yet.

Posted at 05:37 PM | Link

Yesterday, I was reminded of:

• How good the Slanted Door's spring rolls are. On a warm summer afternoon, it's hard to beat a cocktail and those rolls.
• How great it is to see old friends, even if it's just for 45 minutes — right before they have to catch the Amtrak bus.
• How great it is to meet up with new friends, too.
• How delicious Thirsty Bear's tapas are. Prior to my trip yesterday, I hadn't been in ages! I'm amazed that the place is still SUCH a scene.
• Oh, and their sangria is delish.
• How much Bay Bridge traffic sucks ass. Ugh.
• How much I miss working downtown (because you know I need to live in the suburbs). Once upon a time, I could visit the SFMOMA during my lunch break ... The Ferry Building was within walking distance of my office ... *sigh*
• Of what a small world it is indeed. I ran into my SF Chronicle editor at the museum last night. And the day before, I bumped into a former co-worker at the Ferry Building.

And today I discovered:

• The "Simply Breakfast" blog — which includes gorgeous shots of photographer Jennifer Causey's morning meals. I love this idea.

Posted at 04:18 PM | Link

Since I don't keep a blogroll on this site, from time to time, I like to give a little shout-out to other blogs that I read on a regularly basis. Some I frequent because of the excellent writing. Some are sites maintained by personal friends of mine who I like to check up on. And some provide great design/decor inspiration.

In this last category, there are a few that I have recently become addicted to:

• Oh Happy Day
• Making It Lovely
• Orange Beautiful
• How About Orange
• Athena Says...
• Desire to Inspire
• A Browner Brown

Posted at 07:59 AM | Link

Don't like to clean? Join the club. But if you must clean up after yourself, at least you can do so with eco-friendly AND cool-looking products from Method. And right now, you can win a whole (waste)basket full of their fantastic products over at AT:SF.

If you win, I'll let you come over and clean my house.

Posted at 11:51 AM | Link

So I don't know how you hybrid drivers do it. I have been driving a loaner hybrid-SUV for the past week and, the first few days, it took all sorts of will power for me not to stare at that energy/consumption screen:

I finally had to turn off the display because it was just too mesmerizing. (Don't worry — I didn't take this photo while driving; it's from the car manufacturer's Web site.)

Posted at 08:09 AM | Link

Okay, I'm a little behind on a few things these days. One of which is my "8 Random Facts About Me" post. Leah tagged me a couple of weeks ago, but I spaced out on this until I read Lisa's post yesterday about "8 Facts/Habits." So here goes:

1. I don't tuck my shirt in. Ever. Even when it's business-casual day in the office. (Most days, I wear jeans, sneakers and a t-shirt to work.)
2. My favorite comfort food dishes can only be made by my mom. The name of the dishes? "Yellow Noodles" and "Invisible Soup." I don't know exactly what's in them or how to make them.
3. I like fresh oranges and orange juice, but cannot stand orange-flavored things. Orange Starburst? It's yours. Orange sherbert? Take it. Please.
4. I see movies in the actual movie theater only about twice a year. And usually it's when I'm visiting with Jon's parents in Hilton Head Island, SC.
5. When I was a kid, my mom tried to teach me how to sew with her machine. I had such a horrible experience that for years, I only sewed things by hand. Even articles of clothing. It wasn't until maybe five years ago that I made another attempt with a sewing machine. Now I can't understand what my problem was before!
6. I once saw Rod Stewart in concert (with my boyfriend at the time), and loved the show. Really, I did.
7. Jon and I met at work — my first job after grad school, his first after moving to the Bay Area from NYC. Since we were in different departments, we didn't really notice each other until my birthday, when he came into the conference room to grab a slice of cake. Thank goodness for cheesy office birthday celebrations!
8. I am a notary public.

Posted at 07:11 AM | Link

I don't know what else to say really about all of the drama going down with the Tour de France. I wasn't all that shocked about the Vino situation (his time trial on Saturday was seriously unbelievable). And I had a feeling Rasmussen would be the next to fall. But still. This is crazy, people.

I'm rooting for Discovery Channel, but even though these latest developments work in the team's favor, it's all pretty sad. It doesn't seem like any sport is immune to scandal and controversy these days.

(This is the window display of a bicycle shop in London, where this year's Tour started. A clever use of baguettes!)

Posted at 03:15 PM | Link

Things I'm just now becoming aware of:

• Tonic Living. Perhaps because all of my fabric budget has been going towards Superbuzzy lately, I never noticed this Canadian retailer until today. (Note to self: Start actually sewing things instead of just hording fabric!)
• Wait, Top Chef is in its FIFTH week already? I didn't even know that Season 3 had gotten underway! I blame my ignorance on the Tour de France, which has been consuming 90 percent of my TV-viewing time.

Posted at 09:26 AM | Link

A few years ago, I came to the realization that birthdays are the perfect time to ask Jon to tackle pain-in-the-ass projects. For example: The year we moved into our house, I wanted the garage walls painted. That was the only gift I requested, so of course he had to oblige.

This year, two things are on my wishlist:

1. A replacement chair for my sewing station. There's nothing wrong with the current chair; I'm just ready for a new one. Unfortunately, Jon is of the mindset that if it ain't broke, why replace it? With my birthday coming up next week, I can answer: Why? Because it's my birthday. That's why!
2. Installing the corner shelves we recently purchased for the home office/craft room. Now, if I didn't play the birthday card in this situation, you know when those shelves would go up? Based on our history with these type of things, mid-January 2008.

I'm sure between now and next Wednesday, I will invoke my annual battle cry — "BUT IT'S FOR MY BIRTHDAY!" — a few dozen more times.

Posted at 09:11 AM | Link

Paula Cole? Singing at the All-Star Game? Really? The Bay Area couldn't do any better? I mean, I think she hasn't had a hit in about a decade. You know, since the "Dawson's Creek" song.

Hmmm. I would have preferred to see/hear Huey Lewis. At least he's local.

Posted at 07:51 PM | Link

I am definitely NOT complaining ... But between this blog, Apartment Therapy, Girls Guide to City Life and the SF Chronicle, I've been doing a lot of writing the past few months ... While also maintaining my full-time day job. (Freelance writing alone does not support my shoe habit.)

So with Jon graduating this past weekend — and not going back to work for a few weeks — it's a good time for us to just hang out. Together.

I'll be back here in July. And in the meantime, you can still catch me over at AT. And I've got a couple of Chron "At Home"-style articles coming up that I'm pretty excited about — including one on a cyclist who will be competing in the Tour de France and another on a baseball pitcher who just might be starting the All-Star game for the American League. (Like I said, no complaints!)

In case you're trying to avoid doing some work, here are a handful of my regular non-design reads — sites that I check in on because the writing is just so good/funny:

• Mighty Girl
• A Girl and a Boy
• Ultratart
• Dancing Brave

P.S. For Father's Day, we went to The Slanted Door for dinner with Jon's folks. It had been years since I'd been there, and I had forgotten just how good that restaurant is! And I love that they use Heath Ceramics dishware.

Posted at 09:25 AM | Link

Earlier this year, I contacted Alyson Fox to inquire about commissioning a piece for Jon's birthday. Unfortunately, it took a little while to find an affordable hardcover version of the book that would serve as her canvas. (This Boy's Life is one of his favorites.) So instead of giving him an Alyson Fox original for his birthday back in February, he got an Alyson Fox original for graduation this week.

It was so hard to keep this under wraps. Because I love Alyson's work and wanted to display rather than hide it in the guest room for months. And months.

Here's what Alyson came up with for Jon:

Posted at 04:11 PM | Link

Not that we'll be needing these any time soon ... But someone commented on an Apartment Therapy post with a link to Rattle-n-Roll, so I felt compelled to share.

Posted at 04:00 PM | Link

I am sitting at the kitchen counter, working on spreadsheets.

SPREADSHEETS.

There's a reason why I studied sociology, law and journalism. NO SPREADSHEETS. Ever. You do not even know how much I dislike Excel — about as much as Jon loves the program. So these are not fun times for me at the day job, which has spilled into the evenings. At least I've got a pint of Bi-Rite's salted caramel ice cream to keep me company.

Oh, and ironically, Jon is locked up in the office right now WRITING a final exam. If only we could do a switcheroo.

(Yes, the Excel has me so crazy, I'm even pulling out words like "switcheroo." Who talks like that? Not me ... under normal circumstances.)

Posted at 07:29 PM | Link

And I thought I ate well during my recent vacation! Well, since returning home, the whirlwind of deliciousness has continued — with visits to Range, Bi-Rite Creamery, Rick & Ann's, Bakesale Betty, Genova Deli and Tamarine.

Jon and I made a trip to the 5-1-0 this weekend, staying at the Claremont. I had every intention of writing up the place for Girls Guide to City Life, but you know what? As grand and beautiful as the building and grounds are, our room itself was just so-so. I guess it's a bit typical of your old, historic hotels.

Driving around Berkeley and Oakland, however, I realized how much I miss the area. We lived in the Rockridge neighborhood for about a year — until the termites and mice just became too much for me to bear and we fled to the other side of the bay. Now that we're in the Peninsula, we don't make it over to the East Bay nearly as much as I'd like. (Jon did make the effort last weekend, when he and three friends went to the Giants/A's game, sitting in the FIRST ROW, directly behind home plate. If you watched the game on TV, chances are, you saw them every time the camera was on the batter.)

I find myself driving up to San Francisco at least once a week, but need to add Berkeley/Oakland into my regular rotation as well. The banana bread at Bakesale Betty alone is worth the trek.

Posted at 07:26 PM | Link

In the handbag department, a conversation between sales associates:
Girl #1: He looks like a bald eagle!
Girl #2: Well, he's only nine months old.

In the children's department (where, by the way, I picked up an adorable red jacket), several sales associates were discussing how hot J.Crew's clothing collection is these days. One of them remarks: "Yeah, I always tell people, 'Have you heard of this new designer, jah-cru?'" (It's going to be the new tar-zhay!)

Posted at 03:18 PM | Link

I started this blog a few years ago, back when I was working for my third (and I think final) dot-com. I was a copywriter at an online travel site. The position sounded cooler than it was because some people (mistakenly) believed that this meant I actually got to travel (on an expense account) and write about my trips.

But it was actually a fairly boring job. I wrote things like: "What is a red-eye?" and "Four-star hotels at two-star prices." So this blog was a way for me to write about things that I was actually interested in. When I later went to work for a hedge fund, the blog helped ensure that my creative muscles didn't completely atrophy.

And now I find myself in a good place — where my freelance writing is keeping me plenty busy, and it never feels like work because I truly enjoy it. People let me into their homes and, in doing so, tell me their life stories. I get to interview folks that, on some level, are doing things that I find remarkable. And I'm connecting with such talented individuals within the design community.

So I'm trying to figure out where this blog fits, what it's supposed to be, and why it still exists. Maybe it doesn't need to have a theme (e.g., raising babies, redecorating a house). Maybe it can just be random thoughts and updates.

Maybe I can just tell you things like: Sitting in front of high-pitched, squealy teenage girls at the Sharks game on Monday was less than ideal. The Chinese Consulate needs to never close again for two consecutive days; the lines today were ridiculous. Oh, and — this is important — Absinthe serves perhaps the best french fries in San Francisco.

Posted at 08:20 PM | Link

Me, my new haircut and Charlie Brown:


Jon and pro cyclist Levi Leipheimer:

Posted at 05:26 PM | Link

I just found out about this on Mighty Girl,* and can't wait to join in the photography fun. I'm glad the project is going down on a Saturday, because really, no one wants to see pictures of my cubicle and break room. I'm not very good at picture-taking, but maybe I'll get lucky and manage a few good photos to share.

* If you don't already read this blog, you totally should. And pick up Maggie's book, No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog. I got my signed copy a few months ago and have been meaning to craft a post based on one of her ideas. Soon ...

Posted at 09:12 AM | Link

I admit, bulleted lists are sort of an easy out when it comes to blogging. But it's all I've got in me right now.

• New magazines that are taunting me because I haven't had a chance to peruse them yet: Craft (full of Japanese-inspired projects!) and Blueprint.


• "King of Queens" has replaced "Friends" as my favorite re-run.


• After finding out that my favorite aunt died in a car accident over the weekend, I didn't sleep much last night. I keep running through all of these great childhood memories I had with her.


• Jon made a special stop at the Dutch Goose tonight to get me some spicy deviled eggs. He knows how to cheer me up.


• Since I'm doing more freelancing these days, I'm starting to save all of those work-related receipts so I can write off expenses later. After talking to Jill about this, I came home super-excited about all of my potential write-offs — gas! magazines! even travel and meals! Jon asked if I knew what "write off" meant. Honestly, I didn't really. It just sounded cool. Don't worry, he explained it. And it's still cool.


• I am putting together my notes from Decorator Showcase, in case you all can't make it. Or don't want to pay the $30 admission fee.


• The Visa application for Russia asks for a ridiculous amount of information.


• A house that I'm writing a profile on was featured on MTV's "Cribs" the other day. It's interesting to see how they edit material and what they choose to focus on. A day of filming whittled down to just eight minutes of footage.


• I'm such a sap. I got a little teary-eyed when I saw Jon's graduation announcements.


• I need a haircut.


• And some sleep.

Posted at 09:37 PM | Link

Friday

• Good: Friday's Alive at Bay Meadows is awesome. $1 admission, $1 beers, $1 hot dogs. And usually a cheesy (in a good way!) cover band.


• Bad: Friday's event marked the last one. Ever. The race track is scheduled to close in the fall — and will eventually be replaced with more commercial and residential developments.

Saturday

• Good: Meeting up with Jill and Ed at the DWR sample sale ... and then bumping into Meg and her family in line as well.


• Bad: There was a long line, and none of us found anything worth buying.


• Good: The long line allowed us all plenty of time to catch up.


• Bad: There was a long wait for brunch at Universal Cafe.


• Good: There was no wait for brunch at Atlas Cafe. Mmmm ... grilled apple and gruyere sandwich.

Sunday

• Good: Brunch at Crepes Cafe.


• Bad: Lots of laundry.


• Good: Jon's all done with his studying for the weekend, so we can watch "Sopranos" and "Entourage" together tonight.

Posted at 07:42 PM | Link

Last night, we were very disappointed to pull into the McDonald's drive-thru and learn that they were all sold out of boy toys. Not that we even knew they were in the business of offering up attractive young men to the public:

Posted at 07:35 AM | Link

This weekend was all about the three F's: friends, family and food.

Friday
Markets closed on Friday = my office closed on Friday = no work on Friday! So I spent my morning driving to Fairfield for a house tour that I'll hopefully write an article about. I was a bit early, so I popped into the local Starbucks. I mention this because this particular Starbucks had a ridiculous amount of pastries. Like mango-papaya empanada. Crazy, right? Later, on my way home from Fairfield, I decided to stop in Berkeley. Lunch was at O Chame, which serves up delicious, steaming bowls of udon noodles. That evening, Jon and I went out to dinner with friends at Sebo in Hayes Valley (amazing sushi — I'd never had monkfish liver before!), followed by a trip to Bi-Rite Creamery for dessert (flavors I loved: roasted bananas and salted caramel).

Saturday
We went to the last Sharks game of the regular season. Sadly, they lost. But the hot dogs at the HP Pavilion aren't bad! There may have been a Dippin' Dots incident that involved my six-year-old nephew getting super-excited when the Sharks scored a goal. Ice cream pellets flew everywhere, resulting in little pools of cookies'n'cream.

Sunday
Our friend Nick's parents host a somewhat-annual Easter Egg Hunt in Santa Cruz. There's usually an awesome curry egg salad, as well as other good eats. This year was no exception. And I did not fill up on too much candy. Earlier in the day, to fuel up for the Hunt, Jon and I lunched at the Crepe Place — which is one of my all-time favorite restaurants in Santa Cruz. I go partly for the food, and partly because I just love their patio/garden area. When I was a student at UCSC, I ate here all the time, so I suppose there's a bit of nostalgia at play as well.

Posted at 09:37 AM | Link

So that speeding ticket I got a few weeks back? Because I was detected (by aircraft!) going more than 30 mph over the speed limit, I was forced to actually show my face in traffic court. I was totally freaking out about it because I thought the judge might give me a stern talkin' to, or worse, increase my violation to reckless driving (which is a misdemeanor).

I forced Jon to go with me to downtown Redwood City this morning, where the doors for the traffic division open at 7:30am. We were not the first ones there — not even close. There were about a dozen folks in front of us. But some of them were just coming down to pay fines (why they didn't mail it in or go online, I don't know). We checked in, and then went away for about 45 minutes because the actual courtroom doesn't open until 8:30am.

About half of the people on the arraignment calendar whose names were called before mine were not present. It was a random lot in the courtroom. One guy ended up with fines over $1400 (and got credit for time served for some offense) and was put on an 8-month payment plan. Another guy showed up yet again without proof of insurance and was told he had one more chance. I was called up around 8:45am. The whole thing was over in about 2 minutes — after I plead guilty and accepted my fine (which, by the way, Jon did not think he should have to pay half of, but too bad).

Jon said if I get another speeding ticket, he's going to personally restrict my privileges so that I can only drive to/from work. Maybe I should get one of those Smart Cars, since their maximum speed is 85 or something.

Posted at 10:55 AM | Link

Okay, anyone who has ever driven on 280N has seen this house — just north of the Eugene Doran Bridge, on the east side of the freeway:

Huh? Flintstones?!? I've always referred to it as "The Barbapapa House." See:

(Top photo from some random site that I can't remember, but there was no photo credit.)

Posted at 05:32 PM | Link

It's not even 10:30am yet and already I've gone to the local cafe for a greasy breakfast. I picked up a copy of today's Chronicle, which includes my home profile on Renel (the SF Giants' announcer and KISS-FM morning show host). I went to the fantastic nursery down the street to get more blooms for our porch flower beds. I made a quick stop at the grocery store. I did a little shopping at Michael's. And, oh yes, there was also some sawing in the backyard.

So it's been a productive morning! And I think I'm ready for a second cup of coffee now.

Posted at 10:23 AM | Link

So I was reading Joyce Walder's amusing piece in the NY Times' — "It's Not You, It's Your Apartment" — and got to thinking about bad decor I'd come across back in my dating days. I couldn't recall anything that egregious ... except for Jon's framed poster collection.

His sister-in-law was a professional framer, so everything was well-framed. It's just what was in the frames was less than attractive. For example:

Oh, and Jon also had one of those Kramer faux-painting posters. And a gigantic poster, mounted on foam board, of Tyra Banks.

(We put Tyra on Craigslist and some guy in San Francisco was very excited to get that for free. I was so eager to be rid of it, we even delivered it to him ... Well, the drop-off was made on a street corner. So that was weird.)

Posted at 10:46 AM | Link

It's been one of those go, go, go weekends ...

• Immediately after work on Friday, we raced off to the city for drinks at the Americano, followed by dinner at Shanghai 1930. Okay, let me just say: Jon and I don't do bars or crowds. So dealing with the after-work insanity on a Friday night at Americano was a challenge to our suburban sensibilities. Oh, and there was a lady at Shanghai 1930 rockin' a sweet she-mullet.



• Saturday started off with a trip to the Venezuelan coffeeshop, so we could get properly caffeinated/fired up for the day's college basketball action. We had ticket's for the afternoon's UCLA-Kansas game, and — now that we're at the stage where we're just rooting for any Pac-10 team — we had a fantastic time. My only gripe: Too many TV time-outs! Oh, and I don't get this t-shirt that we spotted on some Kansas fans: "Rock-Chalk Jayhawks." Huh? Also, I do not know what this "8 Clap" is that the UCLA cheerleaders' signs alluded to. Maybe we should have done more research before going to the SJ Arena.
  
  After the game, we went out to dinner at one of our favorite sushi restaurants, where we ran into some teenagers wearing Bruins sweatshirts. (We should have asked them about the "8 Clap"!) Later that night, we forced ourselves to stay up to catch Peyton Manning hosting "SNL." I wasn't rooting for the Colts to win the Super Bowl this year, but I have to give him props. The boy can tell jokes! That United Way spoof was hilarious.



• Today started with an early-morning trip to the airport, then an early-morning trip to Target. Since I had some time before my breakfast date, I decided to swing through good ol' Daly City (which is where I grew up). I had to see this revamped Westlake Shopping Center for myself. It's absolutely crazy. There's a Home Depot! And a multi-story parking garage where there once sat a Goodwill drop-off trailer! The guy working at the trailer always seemed to be napping whenever we showed up. And he always had on a different random college sweatshirt.
  
  Anyway! After my trip down memory lane (aka Southgate Avenue), I headed into San Francisco. Breakfast, followed with a house tour for a possible Chronicle story. Since I like to type up my notes and start writing while a place is still fresh in my mind, I've been working the laptop most of the afternoon/evening.

Posted at 09:46 PM | Link

Pretty cool. Artist Louisa Bufardeci embroidered 13 one-minute telephone conversations:

Posted at 04:03 PM | Link

... In my office March Madness pool. I'm currently 8 for 8. Which is why I'm writing this post now. I'm sure by the end of the day, my percentage of correct picks will drop. Drastically.

I love this time of the year.

Update: I so did not see that Duke upset coming. Shoooot!

Posted at 03:48 PM | Link

With Lotta's book on the brain, I started thinking back to the one and only issue of Living 101 — which featured her old San Francisco apartment. I really, really wish Sunset would publish more issues, even just quarterly (like O at Home, InStyle Home).

As you can see from the table of contents, Living 101 was an ideal read for young homeowners and renters. It was budget-friendly, though probably less sophisticated than Budget Living was. *sigh* That's another magazine I miss.

(Psst ... If you don't already own it, pick up a copy of Home Cheap Home — which includes home profiles from BL.)

Posted at 10:38 AM | Link

So after a lovely day in San Francisco with Barbara — which included a yummy brunch at Americano and shopping at Anthropologie — I got a speeding ticket. My second in just over a year. Which means I can't go to traffic school to expunge this one. (By the way, online traffic school is one of the greatest online inventions.)

To cheer myself up,* I bought some Dagoba Xocolatl hot chocolate, which I highly recommend. It has a delicious kick to it — reminds me of the spicy hot chocolate at Coupa Cafe. Except I can make this in the comfort of my own home. Which entails no driving. And hence, no possible tickets.

* Jon feels no sympathy for me. He keeps reminding me that it's my own fault and I need to quit with the excessively fast driving.

Posted at 06:22 PM | Link

When I was in kindergarten, my favorite shoes were a pair of jellies that my mom picked up for just a few bucks. Now, a couple of decades later, it appears that they are fashionable:

Posted at 09:10 PM | Link

Yesterday, I joined Jon and his classmates on a field trip to the Google campus in Mountain View. I'm fairly certain that if I ever worked there,* I would get lost on a daily basis for about the first month or so. And, with about a dozen free cafeterias on the campus, I would gain about 20 pounds before my first payday.

* Not that they would ever hire me. Apparently, their hiring process includes submitting all of your school transcripts, standardized test scores, etc. And I thought buying a house required a lot of paperwork! Seems like way more documentation would have to be dug up for any potential job at Google.

Posted at 10:07 AM | Link

• If you have small feet (like me) and are looking for some simple ballet flats, I have a suggestion for you: J.Crew's kids' collection. The flats, which are made in Italy, are quite comfortable. I am embarassed to say how many pairs I have purchased in recent months (so I won't). And just to give you an idea about the sizing, I'm a size 4 in women's shoes and am able to fit a size 2 in the Crewcuts.



• My car is in the shop this week for a routine maintenance check, so I've got one of these hybrid SUVs as my loaner. We're thinking that Jon's next car might be a hybrid and I must say, I like the loaner much more than I thought I would. It's quiet. Yet fast. (Even though loudness is sometimes a selling point when you test-drive sporty cars, I don't like that.)



• In reality TV news, I've given up on watching Bravo's "Top Design"; don't really like MTV's "I'm From Rolling Stone" yet find myself recording it every week anyway; and hate the fact that I love MTV's "The Hills." (I read somewhere that Spencer is only 23. Doesn't he look way older? And it freaks me out that Audrina's teeth literally glow when there's a black light around. So unnatural.)



• I'm still sick. Usually, when I'm sick, I enlist my mom to make me a special soup and a special noodle dish. But she was on vacation for a few days, so I've had to go without my comfort foods (waaaa!). Future disasters will be averted, however, because Jon has agreed to learn how to make the soup and the noodles. Yay!

Posted at 03:42 PM | Link

The subject says it all. I spent nearly all day yesterday wearing sweats, lying on the couch, watching talk shows and soap operas, and drinking hot tea with lemon and honey.

Posted at 08:25 PM | Link

If you love Jill Bliss' work and happen to be in love and planning a wedding: Check out her brand-new line of wedding invitations, available exclusively at Olive-Route. Three designs are available, with "poppies" being my favorite of the bunch:

Posted at 09:22 AM | Link

Have you seen this? Now that I've discovered this site, I may not get any work done today!

Posted at 10:20 AM | Link

The mail at Casa de Jon-Minh has been pretty lame lately. ValuPaks. Tax crap. No good shelter magazines in the mailbox! Luckily, however, the Flor catalog arrived the other day. And as much as I love the product itself, I love the catalog photography even more. It's actually better (in my opinion) than most magazine pages these days. See for yourself:

I love the Laurie Smith fabric on that couch!


That bird table lamp is too cute.

Posted at 10:20 AM | Link

Despite getting completely soaked and hailed on during my golf lesson today, this turned out to be one of THE best weekends. Highlights:

• A delicious Singaporean dinner + Classico Gelato for dessert on Friday.


• Breakfast yesterday with Adam (mmm ... homemade waffles at Crossroads), followed by a quick walk along the Embarcadero with his adorable French bulldog.


• A long overdue haircut! I think it had been 10 months since my last one?


• Lunch and shopping with the talented and oh-so-sweet Jill Bliss.


• The latest issue of the SF Chronicle's H&G section includes my article on designer Gordana Pavlovic's amazing work.
  
• Dinner with a group of Jon's classmates at a very good (but very crowded) Indian restaurant.


• Lunch today with my sister and her husband.


• Bead-shopping this afternoon — so now I can get started on my next jewelry order.


• Watching "13 Going on 30."


• Winning the ebay auction for a fantastic rocking chair. (I have no idea where I'm going to put it, but I HAD to have it.)

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• How disturbing are those new digitally enhanced TV ads with Orville Redenbacher and his MP3 player? They are so wrong and so creepy. (He died in 1995.)
• Yet another reason to plan another trip to Tokyo.
• Of potential interest to other UCSC alums: NY Times piece from last week, about the campus vs. the city.
• If you are in the East Bay, pay a visit to Cesar and order a plate of fresh churros. Even if it's not listed as its own item on the dessert menu, ask. You'll be glad you did.
• I'm in a fruit phase when it comes to fabrics. For example: Appelsiini (available in green and orange); Apples Jersey; Juicy (in blue and yellow); and Strawberry Corduroy.

Posted at 08:24 AM | Link

Last week was insane. It was my first week back in the office after vacation, and it included visits from auditors and accountants (no fun!). Plus, I was working on three freelance articles that entailed lots of driving around the Peninsula.

Thank goodness for three-day weekends!

We spent ours in Carmel Valley, where I caught up on some sleep and some crafting. And, I made more progress on the writing. And we rooted for Tom Brady (local boy) and the New England Patriots. And we ate a lot of excellent food. And we celebrated my sister's birthday.

Even though I keep a separate food blog, I can't resist writing about the weekend's culinary highlights here as well — because it was so, so special. Jon and I joined my sister and her husband at the Chef's Table at Marinus. This was our first visit to the restaurant. I don't know what the dining room experience is like, but the booth in the kitchen was amazing. Pictures and descriptions of our Marinus meal — as well as our stop at one of my favorite spots, Big Sur Bakery — are here.

Posted at 09:22 PM | Link

I just discovered Pictobrowser, a tool that allows you to easily include slideshows of your Flickr images right on your web site — as demonstrated below.


All of these photos are from our recent trip to Turks & Caicos. You can get the HTML code for your own Flickr photos by clicking the "info" button in the lower right corner of my slideshow. You can also just grab a URL for the slideshow (like this).

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In elementary school, there was a kid named Eli in my class. Any time someone wore a new pair of shoes, he would chase them — screaming "new shoes! new shoes!" — and proceed to step all over their new shoes. This week, I discovered another way to give new shoes that well-worn look: Wear them while hauling out the garbage and recycling bins during a crazy-ass winter storm.

Sadly, it looks like the storm may have caused a fire at Manka's, which is where Jon and I spent our anniversary this year. We didn't stay in the main lodge, so I'm guessing our cabin is fine. But the wonderful restaurant there is pretty much gone.

Posted at 02:13 PM | Link

Slow day at work? My friend Nick just emailed with this cool trick that is sure to keep me entertained for at least the next half hour: Go to Google and type in your zip code. One of the top search results should be something like "Zip Code Detailed Profile." Click on that link and you'll get all sorts of interesting info on your neighborhood.

Posted at 02:04 PM | Link

The Reggeli Toaster is a real multi-tasker. When not in use, the board sits on top of the toaster to help keep it clean and dust-free. When you're making toast, the board can serve as a toast rack or cutting board (the grooves allow for even slices). Then flip it over to use the flat surface as a plate:

(via NotCot)

Posted at 08:40 AM | Link

Remember that dress I asked you all about? I wore it on Friday night:

Posted at 08:06 PM | Link

Wow. December 15th. Already?

• I just realized yesterday that the registration sticker on my car = November 2006. After spending half an hour looking through all sorts of junk drawers, I finally found the paperwork so I could renew online. (In California, the DMV sends the documents about three months in advance — giving you plenty of time to lose them.) Of course, there was a late fee for the renewal, which was about one month tardy. ONE-HUNDRED-AND-FIFTY DOLLARS. They are not joking with their payment deadlines. That's basically a 50% late fee! Crazy, right?


• Even though we're halfway through December, I still don't have a holiday card design in mind. I'm so behind on this project. But this weekend: me and the Gocco. (That is, when we're not attending the holiday parties that are on our calendar.)


• I've been meaning to post a photo of the holiday-ish table we set for last Saturday's dinner. We kept things simple (mainly because our table isn't very wide) and cheap:

Chargers, garlands and napkins from Target

Posted at 08:47 AM | Link

Earlier today, I was reading the comments on an Angry Chicken post. It turns out that there are THREE different designs for the Tord Boontje paper garlands at Target. Deer, bunnies and swans. So I started thinking about the one I had opened at home.

Swans.

Since I — like many others — was having trouble hanging my garland, I decided to use a pair as a makeshift table runner for a small dinner gathering we're hosting this weekend. Tonight, I opened up a second package of garlands to lay it out on the table.

Bunnies.

Okaaay. I actually bought three garlands, so I figured no big deal. The third would be a match for either the swans or bunnies, right? Nope.

Deer.

What the heck? What are the odds that you pick up three packages of the garlands and you get three different designs?

Posted at 09:32 PM | Link

Getting into the car and driving to work in the morning isn't so bad:

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As soon as we stepped into NOPA on Saturday night, I was smitten with artist Brian Barneclo's work. His San Francisco neighborhood mural at the restaurant's entrance is fantastic. (Apparently, he lives just a couple doors down from Nopa.)

He's also done a room at the Hotel Des Arts, and some of his pieces are available at The Shooting Gallery. A more affordable way to purchase his work: He designed a collection of boxed chocolates for Recchiuti. (Psst ... So did another one of my local faves, Rex Ray.)

Photo from the Hotel Des Arts web site.


Photo from the SF Chronicle by Jim Merithew.

Posted at 08:27 AM | Link

Yep, I survived NaBloPoMo. And even though I generally keep my posts short, it was still a challenge. Especially during the weekends — when I try not to spend so much time in front of a computer.

My first post-NaBloPoMo post is going to be a bit scattered ...

• Have you picked up your December Design Sponge Shop goodies yet? (I have.)


• Jon and I sampled two of the Amai Bakery Botanical Brownies the other night. We could taste the lychee more than the white peach, but loved both. The boxes are gorgeous, too, and would make such a nice hostess gift. (BTW, Amai's green tea cookies are going to be featured on the Rachael Ray show today!)


• How cute are these apple and strawberry corduroy fabrics?!


• Love this article in yesterday's NY Times, about people with Post-Renovation Anxiety, New Couch Angst, etc. who decide to host parties. (AT:NY readers had funny/strong reactions.)
• On a more serious note ... I hope this story has a happy ending. Update 12/03: There's now a web site to help find the Kim family (James, Kati and their two girls).

Posted at 09:13 AM | Link

I'm blogging from the kitchen — trying to stay out of Jon's conversation with the chimney sweep. In the ten minutes he's been here, they've already covered many topics, including: lacrosse, golf, Jon's education, Jon's career, the chimney sweep's sons' careers, our TV, cable TV, HD TV, the Tonga Room in San Francisco, my rainboots, Santa Claus ... and oh yes, fire safety.

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My friend Robin recently became the owner of a craft shop at Pier 39. So tonight, we stopped by the store to celebrate her new endeavor. She timed her "friends and family" celebration with the tree-lighting ceremony at Pier 39:

Posted at 08:13 PM | Link

I just noticed that Urban Outfitters is now carrying the classic View-Master. I picked one up over the summer at Brooklyn's Cog & Pearl and, ever since, have been on the lookout for cool reels to buy.

Jon and I also discussed maybe having a custom reel created, using photos from our wedding, honeymoon and other major events. But they're pricey to produce, and generally best if ordered in large quantities (at least 1,000). So we'd pretty much have to hand them out for every holiday and birthday for the next 47 years.

Posted at 11:04 AM | Link

Target vs. Barneys. $29.99 vs. $485.
   

Posted at 06:10 PM | Link

This post marks a milestone for me. For the first time ever in my blogging history, I'm writing a post that accepts comments. Why now?

1. Because I'd sure like your opinion. Please.
2. And I thought it might be nice to see who out there is checking in on this site. (If the answer is "no one" or "just my sister" — that's cool, too.)

P.S. You really can feel free to give the dress a thumbs-down. It's returnable, plus I don't mind having to go back out there to shop some more!

Posted at 04:02 PM | Link | Comments (24)

We decided to take a quick trip into San Francisco this morning — before Jon had to get busy with his textbooks.

• We enjoyed a totally delicious, but totally unhealthy, brunch at Elite Cafe. (My bowl of cheddar grits really did not need that extra double-pat of butter.)


• Then it was on to the Jonathan Adler store to buy a new floor lamp for the living room. (We suffer from an oversized TV that completely dwarfs the current lamp beside it.)
  
• And finally, we made our way to the SFMOMA to check out the Alexander Girard exhibit. (I especially loved everything he designed for La Fonda del Sol Restaurant in NYC.)

Posted at 04:47 PM | Link

A few weeks ago, Jon was up waaaay late working on a presentation for school. He had to give a 15-minute spiel about himself, and decided to include a timeline. We couldn't track down any cool tools, so he ended up creating his in PowerPoint. Just yesterday though, I came across Dandelife. It's billed as a "social biography network." But since I'm not a very good networker, I think it's just a neat little device for making timelines based on your personal history (complete with Flickr photos!). Here's mine.

(Note: The '80s were a quiet period for me, so there's a bit of filler in that decade.)

Posted at 07:42 AM | Link

Yep. I finally did it. I took a mighty technological leap forward and upgraded this site to Movable Type.

Starting right NOW, entries are searchable! And linkable! And categorized! And capable of being posted from any computer, any time! (Entries from the old site are still available via a link under "Archives.")

Okay, let the fun begin!

But be prepared to see some really sucky/boring titles on my posts. Headline-writing was never my forte.

Posted at 08:03 PM | Link