thirsty

Of course when I'm back east the NYT's runs an article on how good the drinks are in San Francisco. Like I needed the reminder! The writer visits Beretta, Alembic, Bourbon & Branch and some others. Read the article here.

bah-humbug

apparently my 7 month old niece is not a fan of christmas. i'm spending christmas eve night at my brothers so hopefully seeing my happy face on christmas morning will cheer her up a little!

have yourself a merry one

on my way to the east coast!

i think i posted this video last year but it so well depicts xmas in jersey i just couldn't resist posting again.

chronicle crafts

i'm always amazed at the talent of my co-workers, on a daily basis and annually when we have our christmas craft fair. kate posted about this over on the work blog but i thought it would be nice to show some pics here.

kate bought old tea cups at good will and with some soy wax made these awesome candles. i bought the adorable mini one, and am still debating who to give it to for xmas.

these shirts and prints are from my friend geoff, one of our fabulous designers at chronicle. you can buy them at his etsy shop.

i adore these stockings clare made. i love stopping by clare's desk and seeing all of her detailed drawings, you can see more of her art here.

sandy and her husband have a fantastic little card biz called Treat Zone, you can also get their sweet cards at their etsy shop.


and i brought some jewelry and wallets this year.

i love these snow guys that designer beau bergeron created in below freezing chicago recently.

(via cr blog)

by and by

i'm probably the last to see this but i just love this map by emily wick. i first saw it on pret a voyager and than saw that's it's been posted quite a few places.. and i can understand why!
i've always been a fan of new hampshire's motto.
and who knew this was oregon's motto? what does that even mean?

this map reminds me a little of the fabulous ork posters.

texting with feeling

With all of the fancy new technology in our lives I'm constantly fascinated by how we communicate today. i miss letters, but I also love twitter and the convenience of texting. I feel closer to people I wouldn't know as well if it wasn't for blogging and twitter and keep up with old friends and acquaintances I probably wouldn't even remember if it weren't for facebook. while I am an active and happy participant in all of it, i appreciate artists and crafters commentaries on these new ways we communicate and connect.


I loved these 20 embroidered text messages by Ginger Anyhow.

I also really love the animated version (or virtual 3-d simulation as she calls it) of falling asleep while watching a dvd, also by Ginger. So brilliant, I hate it when that happens!

Ginger's texting project also reminded me of the embroidered blog that Rachel posted about on Craft.

what it feels like when you're reading a book you can't put down

love this image and idea.


seen first via Swiss Miss image created by Marina Camargo

cute or creepy?

it has been a very long week and i can almost taste the cocktail i'm about to dive into. i really can't decide if i think this little guy is adorable or kinda creepy?


More photos of this little guy over on SFist.

buy more books!

it's tough times for print media. i love this campaign encouraging people to buy books as gifts. read more! it's good for you.

hello hello

it's been a long sad week and i'm sort of surprised it's not friday yet. BUT there are some good things happening that i am excited about and one of them is the fantastic party we're throwing for the new Hello Lucky! Book, Handmade Hellos. there will be crafting and wine and lots of good people, so if you're in SF i hope you can make it. It's from 6-8pm, tomorrow 12/11 at the Hello Lucky studios 977 Howard Street.


Anh-Minh wrote a fantastic article about the Moyle sisters and their fabulous individual style that ran in the Home section of the SF Chronicle today, read it here.


i hope you can come craft with us!

cover kitty

naughty santa and the best mulled wine

it's always so refreshing to see the place you live in through the eyes of a visitor. there are things so unique to san francisco, i sometimes forget to appreciate them in my day to day. take this santa photo for example which my cousin took when she was visiting this week-- where else would you find a leather daddy santa complete with a whip as a decoration for a non-profit homeless shelter? i love this city.

i always miss the east coast around the holidays, the snow and cold, the houses decked out in holiday lights and tacky lawn ornaments. it's hard to get that kind of holiday spirit here but we came pretty close today, picking out a christmas tree with sarah and roger, baking holiday cookies and sipping on this delicious mulled white wine from the Decemeber issue of Martha Stewart Living. i love this recipe! and it's versatile enough for any season, refreshing and light for summer sipping but full of fall spices that make it perfect for holiday parties. i'll be revisiting this recipe for sure. a note, we couldn't fine Muscat in the market we were shopping at so i bought triple sec instead (you can also use cointreau) and it seemed to work well.

holidaze

i love this retro-looking wreath Rachel posted over on Craft.


home sick today and i got to watch the Martha Show, i love these acorn lamps that someone on her staff created. they're pretty involved but look awfully sweet.


i am always so blown away by the crafts made by linda and i adore these mini-sweaters she crocheted and turned into ornaments for friends. she links to a pattern for them on her blog.

and if you're looking for some lovely handmade gifts for the holidays be sure to check out the Etsy shop Linda has set up, 100% of the proceeds will go to her brother-in-law who is battling kidney cancer.

more decorating

a few more things i might need one day for the new home i don't have yet.


Squirrelly Shirley & Squirrelly Sam Salt & Pepper Shakers from Merchant of Kismet.


Seven Deadly Sins Tea Set by Trixie Delicious.


Ampersand Cutting Board by House Industries.

Stencil in NY!

If you're in NY there is a fun event happening at Powerhouse Arena this Saturday for the book Stencil 101. Wish I had a private jet to get me there!

make believe decorating

I often fantasize about how I would decorate my home if I had a home that was all mine. I have great roommates but I've had so many over the years and its gotten me in the habit of just putting time and energy into making my own two rooms in the apartment look nice. All of my favorite art and beloved plants take up space here. But one day I'll have a place to call my very own and I can't wait to start decorating it. I've picked out hundreds of different color schemes for the walls, fabrics for the curtains I'll make, plates, and furniture, this non-existent place has been renovated a million times already.


I like knick knacs, as much as I try to clear the clutter from my life I can not deny this fact. I like little things that serve no purpose but to look at and make one smile or remember. Which is why I'm drawn to the funny little creatures in The Runny Bunny's Etsy shop. I especially love the hybrid section of the shop which gathers the lambs with bunny heads, or bunnies with ladies torso's. They are totally creepy but also delightful and ancient feeling. I'll have several of them on a shelf somewhere in my new house.

this made my day and it's only 10am!

Fifty People, One Question: New York from Crush & Lovely on Vimeo.

bovine bakery and a nice long drive

It was a lovely day in Northern California, the sky was perfectly blue, it was warm without any real heat and there was a nice breeze kicking through every few minutes. At least that's how the weather was in Point Reyes where Molly and I drove to to meet up with some friends from the mission cycling club who had ridden the 42 miles from the city on their bikes. We met at the bovine bakery which is a regular spot for the hoards of bikers that make it to that quaint little town. I had a great cup of Thanksgiving Coffee, one of my favorite brands, and a delicious croissant and the gang of us sat outside and soaked in the day. It's days like today that make me appreciate this state... my how lucky we are.

tweeting away

i finally joined twitter and after updating my status on facebook it really doesn't feel all that weird to tweet. tweet tweet. i can't figure out how to search for people on there so if you want to follow me i'm tweetsweet. would love any tips or advice! tweet tweet.

sticking with a theme

last night when i saw molly i noticed the black and white pirate band-aid on her middle finger. it was playful and fun and i loved it. it also got me thinking about why we've lived with boring skin toned colored bandages for so long. we think people won't notice that we have some weird plastic sticker around a finger or stuck to our arm? i'm all for calling out our injuries with color and creativity. it's kind of like saying 'hey i have a cut but i'm making the most of this cut and using it as a chance to adorn myself with some body art i don't usually get to wear'. why not? it's so much healthier to shout out your little pains to the world than try to cover them up anyway.


which is why i think urban outfitters artist series bandages are such a brilliant idea. Kate Sutton's sweet illustrations make me want to get hurt just so i can have an excuse to don one of her clever band-aids.

toast!

I have a very dear friend who I may have to get these for.

this might be one of my favorite things ever.

Snoop Dog making cognac mashed potatoes on Martha Stewart. Please note how she calls herself just a "home girl from New Jersey".





Thanks for sending Hannah!

best use of a toilet paper roll i have ever seen.

saw this first on Oh Joy and i couldn't resist posting here. created by Yuken Teruya

how totally inspiring.

make a wish

i just read about this fun event happening tomorrow in dolores park on my love for you. i'll list the details below as meighan did, in case you're in SF and are able to go. how fun.
Date:
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Time:
11:11am - 11:12 am AND pm
Who:
everyone in the world
Where:
everywhere in the world, as WELL as Dolores Park by the tennis courts in San Francisco
Why:
Everyone who can make it to the courts at Dolores Park are invited to gather there on November 11 at 11ish am and/or pm. When 11:11 strikes, we will collectively cast our own wishes during a minute of silence. The alignment of numbers and synchronicity of people coming together for a common mission can remind us that together we can realize the true effect that positive thinking can have. While there, some of us will be taking photos and making a Wish List to be published in the future, preserving and perpetuating all wishes made.

p.s. in searching for an image to use with this post i found a very cool looking etsy shop called domestikate. i would have loved to buy that clock up there!

out with the old.. .

man i love this image. and all of the images of the Obama family behind the scenes on election night on flickr.

brunch and twilight.. two perfect things.

i woke up saturday morning determined to eat healthy this weekend, the cloudy skies made me think this would be easy, i would have a quiet and relaxing weekend at home, maybe go to the gym and load up on fruit and veggies from the farmers market.

what is it they say about the best laid plans? an hour or so after my healthy weekend idea i got a text from a friend telling me we were meeting for brunch at Universal Cafe. if you've ever had brunch at Universal you know how very hard it is to turn down. i had some amazing combination of poached eggs, biscuits and sausage gravy along with two mimosas.. so much for my healthy weekend plans. the menu changes often at Universal but i've never had a breakfast i didn't like there. we also split some delicious pumpkin donuts with mascarpone. yum.

and today i met Anh-Minh for another delicious brunch at Slow Club. i think they have a more constant menu, i had the egg fried sandwich which was delicious and simple with some of the most perfectly cooked bacon i've had in a while. they open at ten which is when we got there and it filled up pretty fast so like most good brunch places in the city the key seems to be getting there close to when they open.

this isn't food related but it might consume me for a while so i'm sharing. today i started Twilight and it's kind of a wonder i was even able to pull myself away and write this post. i had been thinking about reading the series for a while but was resisting, last night some good friends finally convinced me. i've got heidi's well loved copy next to me in bed right now and i can't wait to get back to it!

taco truck to a chinese restaurant

i'm a little foggy today so forgive the lame title of this post. last night i finally tried mission street food which i've been hearing so much about. the smart folks behind the idea had been renting a taco truck in the mission on thursday nights but have found a new home in a chinese restaurant on mission and 18th. the food was great, i only wish there was more of it to go around. i never did get to try the much talked about pb&j which is pork belly & jicama w/ pickled jalapeno and cilantro aioli on fresh home-made flatbread. but the fried rice and curry soup was delicious. looking forward to trying it out again next thursday. if you go, go early, it was packed!

loads of great pictures from last night can be seen here.

yes we did!

what an absolutely amazing night. this is what it looked like where i was. lots more video and pictures from the intersection of 19th and Valencia can be seen here and here.

how awesome to be able to be a part of history being made like this. i feel like we should have a month long celebration!

photo above from Brandan O'Connor's Blog

don't forget!

love this awesome outfit created by lisa anne auerbach (seen via whip up)

calapitter

probably one of he most fun things about halloween this year was helping molly sew up her giant caterpillar costume for her first grade classes halloween parade. molly got all the fabric at scrap and together we figured out how to assemble the thing. she made the legs of the caterpillar by cutting stockings, sewing one end and stuffing them with bubble wrap, then we sewed them onto the big tube we had made for the body. it's truly a homemade costume but it was such fun putting it together.


i grabbed these photos from molly's blog where you can go and read about all of the awesome halloween crafts she's been doing the last couple of weeks.