...where i'm at...

I'll be posting here for a while: http://citiesandseas.blogspot.com/. Come visit!

grass books

loving this book art from Corol Silverman.

via my love for you.

This will make you want to make books..

One of the books I am most excited we are publishing this Fall is called Pictrial Websters, it's a beautiful book packed with the illustrations from the original 19th century Webster's Dictionary. The author, John Carrera first self-published and printed this amazing book, here is his video of that process- it's so worth watching!

Pictorial Webster's: Inspiration to Completion from John Carrera on Vimeo.

focus

i've been away from here partly because i've just been so busy but mostly because i don't know what i want to do with this space anymore. i need focus. i always love blogs who know exactly what they are and i've been struggling with exactly what i want this blog to be. maybe i'm overthinking it.. anyway that focus is what drew me to this wonderful little blog called We Make Words. first of all i love words, and i love how the name of the blog tells you exactly what you will find there.

oh Grizzly Bear how i love you..

lazy sunday

next?

i've been busy. so busy i'm afraid to open my google reader because it will likely take me days to get through... and i don't need to mention i haven't been spending much time on my own blog. i'm in flux... ready to leave this lovely little blog behind and start something new. i'm still thinking about it all and figuring out what's next. i'll be around here a little more until i figure it all out and will let you all know what's next when i know! i feel it coming.....

hugs

isn't this the perfect shirt for making up? or making out!

via design for mankind

Swine Flu !! !!

This is both hysterical and terrifying.. .

i'll have a dirty pig please

i'm cutting out sweets and alcohol for two weeks staring today. which is maybe why all week what i noticed most on the blogs i read were the things i wanted to eat....

the cake above is not just a chocolate cake it's a bacon chocolate cake with salted caramel and when i start eating chocolate again it may be the first thing i request. too bad the creator of this cake is in brooklyn. i saw this beauty on the blog a baker in brooklyn who made some stenciled cookies for Ed's book release party in January. i've had those chocolate bars with bacon before, and while they're good, i can only imagine this is a thousand times better. i mean real bacon in a three layer chocolate cake. oh. my. goodness. and he's named it the Dirty Pig!

and will you have a look at these strawberries? i spied them over on the small object. Sarah calls them double chocolate dipped strawberries + dirt and she made them with fresh strawberries, semi-sweet morsels, and dark chocolate. yum.

Sometimes I do have favorites...

It's true. I love all of the books I work on, I really do. But sometimes there are books you just get attached to. Such is the case with the totally awesome (yeah I said it) Like I Give a Frock, written by Michi Girl and illustrated by Kat Macleod. I've long been a fan of Kat's lush watercolor and mixed media illustrations.

A book packed with beautiful illustrations and wickedly funny fashion advice, what could be better? If you want to get your hands on a free copy head on over to the Chronicle Books blog where I wrote a post today asking people to leave comments about their worst fashion faux pas. There are some pretty good ones up there already, daisy dukes, side crimped pony tails... go add yours!

heat and ice cream make everything better

i had a silly day. the kind of day where you feel a little like a punching bag and all you can do is just sort of laugh about it. but the weather in san francisco right now is beautiful, it feels like east coast summer. the gorgeous weather canceled out my silly day. i met up with a great friend, we had a lovely dinner and than walked to Maggie Mudd in Bernal Heights. there's nothing like walking a good long distance in the heat on a summer like night for ice cream. it was delightful. and in honor of my night here are some adorable ice cream etsy finds!
(poloroid transfer above by etsy seller shehitpausestudios.


ice cream soap by etsy seller LoveLeeSoaps.


little ice cream hand stamp by etsy seller hola.


cupcake misses ice cream card by etsy seller fuzzygrapefruit.

i am game...

happy happy friday!


I Don't Know from ATO Records on Vimeo.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

This was the question that we asked people and I guess the theme of my birthday party this year. I think it's a question we should never stop asking ourselves, because no matter how old we are I really do believe we can always reinvent ourselves. And I think there's some freedom in embracing that. So once again Chris was the photographer at my birthday party, she had a little spot set up in the front of the bar and we had markers and a big blank pad of paper where we asked people to write down what they want to be when they grow up, or who they want to be, or what they wanted to be when they were little. It was so much fun and there are so many great photos. I'm going to put them together in a book. Here are just a few.












To see the whole set go to Chris's flickr page.

oh what a week...

wow. if my birthday week is any indication of what my 33rd year holds for me i think it's going to be a good one. i feel so ridiculously loved.


after many years of thinking about it and talking about it and designing and redesigning what it would look like in my head and on paper i finally got a tattoo. i had heard all sorts of horror stories and just about everyone had an opinion on the matter but i have no regrets and i am so very happy with this permanent mark on my skin. the entire experience was just awesome and i'm so lucky to have had molly there to hold my hand, talk me through it, and document the entire thing. lucky me this birthday girl just happened to have the week off from teaching so she was able to go with me last minute. thank you thank you thank you molly!


i loved jason at cyclops tattoo and couldn't recommend him enough. he owns the place with his partner Cicely who wasn't there but who i've heard some nice things about. lucky me, i got to get my tattoo facing Valencia street with loads of natural sunlight streaming in and one of my favorite people my by side.


all of these lovely photos were taken by molly meng.

....................

loved this and stole it from how about orange.

firsts

after living in the bay area for almost eleven years it's sometimes hard to believe i haven't explored, tasted, visited, and seen all of the local wonders- but if you live here you know there's an awful lot to explore and sometimes you just get stuck in your routine. which is why today was such a treat. i woke up early and headed to the Alameda flea market with some friends. i've long wanted to check out this once a month event but have never gotten motivated enough to really make it happen. there is SO much there and i have no idea how anyone can make it through the entire place in one day. as long as i can convince someone to come along and drive i want to make this a regular monthly trip. i got a great glass lamp for my bedside table, some blue mason jars for flowers, chandelier pieces i plan on using for necklaces, and a beautiful piece of vintage fabric.


sadly i'm still cameraless but i'm posting some photos i found on flickr from user colleenbaptist's photostream of the Alameda Flea market, i think they capture it well!

and after the early morning flea market i had another first- Bakesale Betty's! the fried chicken sandwich is as delicious as everyone has always told me it was and i just loved the ironing boards set up as tables on the sidewalk. i see many more visits there in my future..

what jack would say

my cat's name is jack. if he could talk or write i would like to think his life lessons would be similar to those above. maybe he would replace Have an amazing haircut with Do not puke hairballs where you sleep.

via swiss miss.

rooftop party

I love these dreamy looking photos that Jordan from Oh Happy Day posted from a rooftop birthday party she threw this past weekend. She brought up a bubble machine and it looks like they drank bubbly too.. what a lovely way to celebrate!


I also love the way these flowers look in old tea tins. I'm planning on finally going to the Alameda Flea market this weekend and I'll be looking for lots of jars and old vases for flowers for my upcoming bday party.

on the interwebs

i love love...
...this printed vellum sleeve and Niagara Falls postcard from etsy seller BROOKLYNrehab.
...this book frame project Diane posted over on her fantastic blog Crafty Pod.
...the trailer for 'where the wild things are'!! can't wait to see this movie directed and written by Spike Jonze & Dave Eggers.
...and maybe my new birthday dress?

it's almost my birthday!

i am not having a baby or getting married (not that there is anything wrong with either of those things) but i AM turning 33 and that's a good enough reason for me to throw (another) b-day party for myself. because why not? here's part of the invite i designed. i saw this photo of Iris Barrel Apfel, a fashion designer who i didn't know before i saw this amazing photo and i ripped it out of the magazine. i didn't know what i was going to do with it and for a while i just had it hanging up in my cube at work. i love her, i love her big bulky jewelry and big glasses and awesome pants and i don't really care what you think look about her and i want to be her when i grow up.

and here's a small excerpt from the interview with her that i link to above, doesn't it just make you love her more?

What do you look for?
I’m a hopeless romantic. I buy things because I fall in love with them. I never buy anything just because it’s valuable. My husband used to say I look at a piece of fabric and listen to the threads. It tells me a story. It sings me a song. I have to get a physical reaction when I buy something. A coup de foudre – a bolt of lightning. It’s fun to get knocked out that way!

What is your shopping philosophy?
I do have a dominant shopping gene but, unlike a reasonable person, I never plan for what I need each season. I enjoy the thrill of the hunt, the discovery and the endless search. In another creation I was, perhaps, a hunter/gatherer. After all these years, I’ve learned that it’s not the end result or finished product but the process I most enjoy. If my experimenting, searching and juxtaposing turns into an exciting outfit well, it’s just a big fat bonus!

What are you buying now?
Jeans. What else would you suggest for the world’s oldest living teenager?

summer day

had a lovely lunch with peter & david at Ferry plaza building. peter snapped this pic of david showing off his spring roll. look at that view! and now imagine 70 degree weather. and i wanted to move to new york why??!?

happy friday!

Etsy Obsession

i've been kind of getting into the hippie chic thing lately, lots of bright colors and drapey tops and dresses. i need more turquiose, i need more silver and beads and i think i may need these:




they're from Etsy seller Sisicata who has a shop full of awesome resin jewelry.

craft talk

this made my poopy day, thanks Jennifer!

Missing Mr.Pickles

If you live in the Mission you're likely familiar with Mr.Pickles, maker of fine sandwhiches. You've also likely walked by the giant Mr.Pickles pickle- love him or hate him he's been missing for over a week and things just aren't the same around those parts. I first read about the story on MIssion Mission, several friends and I have an email thread dicussing possible suspects, and now the story has made it to the local CBS Blog. I love the ominous picture they have of Mr.Pickles in the dark, too funny.



Do you know where Mr.Pickles is?

sarah getting married....

and Julie... two of my dearest friends and i'm having so much fun helping them with all the little details or whatever it is they want my input on. Julie will have an east coast wedding in August and Sarah & Roger have a California wedding to plan for September. there are so many lovely wedding blogs and i'm particularly obsessed with snippet & ink, it makes me want to quit my job and start a party planning business, it's so well curated and is a great source of ideas and inspiration. today Sarah and i looked at lots of weddings online to get ideas for hers, i just love the details and creativity some people put into their weddings these days..





i also recently saw Rachel Getting Married and loved it. all wedding nonsense aside it was a well acted, well directed, engrossing movie and i highly recommend it!