The Prettiest Blue Ever.

Tomorrow Susan over at West Coast Crafty is going to post my craft piece that was on SFist. Regardless of my piece, you should go over and check her blog out, she's one of my favorite crafty blog writers.

Also I'm totally taken with this brand new color of duct tape I got recently. It's this lovely shade of blue and I can't stand how good every color looks with it. I'm sort of obsessing over it with pink and white right now, how juicy is this blue?

NPR craft competition.

A great way to combine all that time you spent reading celebrity gossip blogs this year and your crafting skills. Check it out: NPR craft competition.

good books for cold weather.

In between crafting and working I'm managing to read a book I'm pretty into right now, Melissa Bank's new one called The Wonder Spot. It's not earth shattering, but the prose are pretty easy to sink into and she walks a good line between chick lit (god I hate that phrase, but it sort of fits here) and literary fiction. My mind is circling around one line I can't seem to get out of my head since I read it last night, "I went all the way from hating to liking her, and the distance made me feel like I loved her." Maybe that line's sort of stuck with me because it reminds me of my ex and how two days ago I was cursing his name and feeling an utter hatred for him to yesterday when we had this really sweet and pleasant conversation and it reminded me just how much I loved him. Either way, the line sort of appeals to the fiery Italian in me, we go to extremes with people, and when we make that effort, from wringing our hands in frustration to showering you with words of adoration, it just means we love you.

It's cold here in SF, dipping into the 40's and I'm glad I have a good book to read.

what i did this week-end besides eat and drink.

My first fair is this saturday night at the Mezzanine.


I'm not much of a purple person but this sea horse wallet is one of my faves.


Little owl card holder.

Big owl.

craft away.

Below is something I wrote for SFist. Since it took me so long to add all the links and it has some good info for craft shopping if you're in SF, I thought I'd post it here as well. I have to write in the third person for SFist, and even though I think that can be a drag, I'm not changing it back to first person here. It's starting to be that crazy time of year for me again, where I'm frantically making stuff for all the holiday fairs I'm doing, so consider this the official beginning of my crafting madness. I'll post some pics up soon.
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We're just as taken with the shiny new mall downtown as you are, but once you're inside it you may as well be in Wayne, New Jersey. Charm your friends and family this holiday season with some gifts you can only get in our lovely city, and rest easy knowing that you're helping local businesses and crafters thrive. Don't know all the local talent San Francisco has to offer, or where to shop for it? We're here for you. Below you'll find a list of some of the craft fairs happening in the bay area this December. Because when it comes down to it, wouldn't you rather do your shopping in a bar, with a drink in hand? We know we would. So avoid long lines for the new Tickle Me Elmo (did they really need to make another one of those?), fluorescent lighting, and those scary make-up ladies trying to push perfume and eighty dollar blush on you. To help get your list started we asked a couple of our favorite local designers what they want this year. So read on and give your Aunt Eunice something she can't buy at the mall in Indiana. You can thank us later.

Jenn D'angelo, creator and designer of Noo Works clothing line, and the woman behind the fabulous Fasionfest at 12 Galaxies, tells us what's on her list: "What would I like to receive? A cute pajama panty set from Boi.oi.oing, a big chunky medallion necklace from Cast of Characters, she makes a lot of stuff from found jewelry so it's always random and cool, a beer holster from Brew Holster Cult, even though I already have one, and one of my cutie heart sweatshirts, zip up." If you plan on charming Jen this year, you'll be able to get her everything she wants at the 12 Galaxies Fashionfest on December 10th from 12-5pm. By transforming your favorite local watering hole into a craft emporium it can't really get any easier for you. Where else can you eat breakfast, nurse your hangover, and shop?

We're stealing some ideas from Jill Bliss, local designer and founder of Blissen, this year. As a local artist with her own line of stationery products available from Chronicle Books and a crafter extraordinaire, we wish we were on the receiving end of Jill's shopping list. But we've jotted down what she wants and we may end getting some of this stuff for ourselves: "Lotta Jansdotter's Smyka bag, Lotta moved away while I was temporarily relocated in So Cal, but now I'm back and missing my Lotta fix! Nooworks' black forest collection, the hearts patterned sweatshirt, actually I couldn't wait for someone to buy this for me I ordered one the other week! Cara Lyndon's, vintage earrings, I keep seeing Cara's earrings in various shops and wishing my ears were pierced! If someone bought me a collection of hers, especially any of the dangling ones with the ear threads, I'd be forced to get out a needle and ice. A Minor Thread, perfect pink tote, I'm a sucker for totes. I'm surprised I haven't bought this one yet. And finally, Lisa Congdon's mod bird, I never got one of these a few years ago when Lisa began making these, which i regret."

Here's a list of some craft fairs to get you started. We know there are a lot out there, so feel free to let us know about others in the comments section.

12/1-12/3 Maven: Urban Design + Craft Fair Fri. 5-9pm, Sat & Sun 11am-6pm 1700 Dwight Way in Berkeley
12/2 Chillin’ 8pm-2am at the Mezzanine 444 Jesse Street in SF
12/7 Appel & Frank 5pm-9:30pm at The Regency Center 1270 Sutter Street @ Van Ness in SF
12/9 Twelve Designs Trunk show 11am-5pm at Levy Art & Architecture, 3361 Mission Street @ 29th in SF
12/9 Root Division 6pm-10pm Holiday Art Sale 3175 17th Street in SF
12/10 December Fashionfest 12pm-5pm at 12 Galaxies 2565 Mission Street @ 22nd in SF
12/14 Feria Urbana 6pm-11pm at The Canvas Gallery 1200 9th Ave @ Lincoln in SF
12/16 Holidayland Gift Sale 1pm-7pm at Blank Space 6608 San Pablo in Oakland
12/16 & 12/17 Gifty Holiday Art Sale 10am-4pm at The Crucible 1260 7th Street in Oakland

I want snow.

I just talked to my friend in Seattle, he said it's been snowing for hours. It's 34 degrees and sticking! I miss winter snow storms. He didn't seem happy, saying it's only supposed to snow once a year in Seattle and that usually happens in January or February. He says global warming is the problem, and while I'm just as concerned as he is, I say go out and play in the snow.

sorry, sort of.

I felt kind of bad after I wrote my last post. I started thinking about all the vegans in my life that I admire. I mean, one of my favorite vegan friends kept me company tonight while I cooked food for tomorrow. She casually sipped her wine while I scooped out buckets full of sour cream and cream cheese for an onion dip from scratch and she wished she could try the tomato fennel gratin and green beans with crispy shallots. Also after I left work, I went to Rainbow Grocery, the best organic/health food/co-op grocery store in San Francisco. At Rainbow I ran into another magnificent hard-core vegan, an ex's sister. She's fantastic and interesting and every time I run into her I think about how I should have just married into that family. Oh well. Anyway, all this to say that I guess some days what drives me fucking crazy about this city is also what I love most about it. I mean it's a town full of people with some of the most out-landish (compared to status quo) ideals on the planet, but they stick to their convictions. Forming groups and clogging the streets with protests. And really, that's what shifts the paradigm at the end of the day. But still, I think you're fucking stupid if you boycott Thanksgiving dinner because someone is cooking a turkey. I'm sticking to that.

Just be happy you were invited.

Only in San Francisco will you hear a story of someone boycotting Thanksgiving dinner because a turkey is being cooked. Seriously. I got word of this from a friend today, to protect the innocent I won’t name names. But this friend, we’ll call him John, decided to have Thanksgiving at his house this year. John invites a ton of people over, mostly vegetarians, but turns out there are a few folks coming who eat meat and would love a real turkey. Imagine that--a real turkey on Thanksgiving Day. So John decides to cook one up, despite that fact that he’ll probably eat the Tofurkey, he’s a good host that John, really accommodating. Well someone’s feelings got hurt, it turns out one of the friends of the people who asked for a real turkey in the first place is vegan. Once he caught wind of a real bird being cooked he decided to boycott John’s Thanksgiving Day meal. If you ask me they’re all probably better off with out the vegan there anyway. Some vegans take themselves a little too seriously. Especially the real preachy ones, it hasn’t happened in a while, but when I worked at a non-profit I came across a lot more of them. When they go on and on about how much better they are then you for not using any animal products I want to just rip their leather shoes off and stick some rotting pork in their mouths. To be clear, I heart many vegans, but I like the ones who can watch their boyfriend eat a double beef burrito and laugh when he says he might have to throw up. I don’t know any vegans who would boycott a meal at my house because I chose to cook meat, especially on Thanksgiving Day. My mom made a Turducken two years ago on Christmas day when I was a vegetarian. Did I cry? No, because we don’t do that where I’m from. Back on the east coast you suck it up and sit at the table with carnivores. I love this city. But only here will you hear about a vegan boycotting a thanksgiving meal because a turkey was being cooked.

winter in San Francisco

We may not have snow here, but we do have giant pine cones.

fancy office speak.

I guess everyone has already seen this, but it's new to me. And I can't even believe how perfect it is. From the backs of the balding men to the intensity of the dude singing. Wow. And when this stops being funny to you, go over to you tube and watch David Cross doing a parody of it. Consider this another addition to all the office speak posts.



Thanks for sending this link Jean, it made my day.

a thanksgiving dildo.

This year Nekoda will cook up a storm again, hopefully making my favorite roasted root veggies with rosemary & thyme. And Chip will no doubt bake up his Kentucky sweet potato pie. There will be a tofurkey, which I will happily devour, despite the fact that I am a card carrying meat eater once again. We will drink endless wine and probably bourbon, and maybe when we all get full enough and drunk enough we'll run around in the park. I will roll home.
Last year I was at the farm. It was the first year I've ever lived in San Francisco that I spent away from my friends. I blame it on a bad boyfriend. The farm was nice, I think it rained. We built a fire in a make shift fire pit outside. It was a hippy Thanksgiving that could have only happened in California. From the wacky old dead head to Jon, my boyfriends best friend, handing me a giant glass dildo he had blown just for me during dinner. If everyone wasn't so stoned I would have blushed even more. And not like you need to know, but it's been just about a year, and I've never put it in me. The thing is so long and thick I'm scared it will dismember something inside of me. After Jon handed me the dildo, reaching across the yams and cranberries, he said "I expect a full report." No one even batted an eye and I thought then of my mother and what she would say if I told her someone gave me a hand blown glass dildo during Thanksgiving dinner. God bless this state, and how far it is from Jersey.
Everytime I open my sock drawer that dildo bangs around, but I don't know where else to put it. I imagine a future lover finding it years from now, "Wow, what do you do with this?" He wouldn't believe me that I've been too scared to use it, or that someone gave it to me as a gift on Thanksgiving day. Or worse, he'd insist we try it out.
I should get rid of that thing. Drop it off at Good Will or sell it on ebay. I'm sure someone would love it. Can you regift a dildo? Is that wrong?

sunday.

It's Sunday, Jack says you should take a nap.

Another review.

This time I reviewed Beach House for SFist.com, check it out.
Beach House Review

more fun with work words.

Since a lot of you probably won't see the comment Jean just left on my office speak post, I figured I should post it here. Because it's really fucking great. Feel free to comment with more. You know you can make a bingo board with the words & phrases filled in instead of numbers and discretely play with your favorite co-workers during meetings. Not like I would ever do that at my job. Onto Jean's list:

here are my favorites (despite the sports metaphors, my department is all women). keep in mind this is only a partial list:

bandwidth
full court press
visibility
speificity
rolled up
buckets
finessed
reallocate
tap in
mindset
place hold
radar screen
fruits
low hanging fruit
loop in
piggyback
flesh out
nugget
pan for nuggets
tough nut to crack
dragon to slay
still has legs
cross pollination
pearls
tidbits
on top of that speed bump
lots to tackle

I'm on Sfist!

Check it out! I have a review on Sfist today.
Southern hospitality, Mission style