borrowed, bought, stolen.

reading in public places

2012-01-04T00:27:00.000-08:00

It's been sporadic but I'm still posting over on the book blog too...

Bring it 2012

2012-01-02T15:16:00.000-08:00

My view on New Years Eve. Taken by Rick with a fancy lens and long exposure. Beautiful shot, huh?

I have just a few resolutions for the new year:
Eat more salad.
Listen to more music.
And remember that my fear is my kryptonite.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-17T00:14:00.000-08:00

Things have been quiet on this front for a while - lots happening, and excited to share it all in the new year. Hope everyone has a lovely & gold holiday!

Some Old Favorites

2011-11-19T17:24:00.000-08:00

Fall Holga Photos

2011-11-07T21:57:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I pulled out my Holga. And even longer since I got prints and scans. I love film! Lots of juicy light leaks in this roll.

BOO house in Twin Peaks, Mika on Halloween, Fall in Twin Peaks

Lucky Jackson & the 365 Days Project

2011-11-06T23:40:00.000-08:00

If you spend more than 5 minutes on this blog you'll be able to tell I have a thing for embroidery, I love doing it and I appreciate the highly skilled embroiders I wish I could emulate. So Lucky Jackson is sort of my hero right now. She's started a project called 365 Days where she has committed to creating one original piece of art every day for a year. And lucky us she's posting each thing every day on her blog. As far as I can tell each piece of art is embroidered (so far) and I'm amazed at the detail she's able to accomplish in a day.

She also has an Etsy shop full of her great art.

Grace...

2011-10-18T00:44:00.000-07:00

...has always been my favorite word.

sunday lovely sunday

2011-10-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

The entire weekend was lovely. Sunday was especially epic. Picnic in the park and a photo of the moustache cake I made for Tara's birthday.

......

2011-10-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

trick

2011-10-04T12:06:00.000-07:00

I adore this Halloween Wreath that Polly created for Easy Crafts. Full instructions can be found here.

stick with it.

2011-09-30T09:23:00.001-07:00

...

2011-09-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

Polly brought over two delicious cupcakes from Miette today. We've been shooting a series of video tutorials for Easy Crafts and today was our last shoot. Sad but sweet. Will post the videos from today as soon as they're finished.

Tomato Pie!

2011-09-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

A friend at work sent me a link to the recipe for this Tomato Pie on Monday. It sounded so delicious and easy and I couldn't wait to make it. Next time I'll cook and season the onions a little before adding them to the pie shell, and I think it would be fun to try this with cherry tomatoes. The cheese, bacon, and basil topping is kind of amazing, I probably could have spooned it all off the top after this came out of the oven but I refrained. I'm definitely making this again and playing around with the ingredients.

Tomato Pie

This recipe is from Farm Fresh To You, an organic produce delivery service in the Bay Area

Ingredients
• 1 9-inch pie shell
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 3-4 tomatoes, roughly chopped, excess juice removed
• 2 cups grated cheese (combo of sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gruyere or mozzarella
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp hot sauce or Tabasco
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1/4 cup chiffonaded basil

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 ° F. Place pie shell in oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or longer until lightly golden. If you are starting with a frozen crust, you’ll need to cook it a little longer. If you are using a homemade crust, freeze crust first, then line the crust with aluminum foil
and pre-bake it for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.
2. Squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the chopped tomatoes, using either paper towels, a clean dish towel, or a potato ricer.
3. Sprinkle the bottom of the pre-cooked pie shell with chopped onion. Spread the chopped tomatoes over the onions. Sprinkle the sliced basil over the tomatoes with the bacon.
4. In a medium bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise, Tabasco, a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper. The mixture should be the consistency of a gooey snow ball. Spread the cheese mixture over.
5. Place in oven and bake until browned and bubbly, anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes.

Serves: 6
Difficulty: Easy

Christmas in September

2011-09-22T09:29:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite qualities in a person is when they remember things you tell them. And I totally recognize how lucky I am that I have a boyfriend who remembers the most random things I tell him. Granted we both forget stuff a lot, but it's the little things he remembers that always surprise me. Last night he told me he had an early Christmas present for me and gave me The Supremes Christmas album. I completely forgot I mentioned I wanted this when it appeared on the screen for about two seconds during an episode of CBS Sunday Morning months ago. I think it's a super power of his, remembering random things like this.

My brother is usually the one who dorks out on holiday music, but I am so excited to crack this open and get in the holiday spirit.

Happy Monday

2011-09-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

I wasn't nearly as productive as I thought I would be this weekend but I had loads of social time catching up with friends. Sometimes that's a lot better than 'getting things done'.

breakfast.

2011-09-15T23:31:00.000-07:00

I made the poor choice of getting breakfast at HRD this morning, which, while delicious, is sort of like a bomb in the belly for breakfast. My hung over head thought it was a good idea. It was worth it for this photo.

eggplant parmesan pizza

2011-09-11T22:31:00.000-07:00

Lately my favorite thing to make with the extra fried eggplant from when I make eggplant parm is a homemade pizza. This one is layered with lots of sauce, fried eggplant, mozzerella, goat cheese, and tomatoes from Alison's garden. It was pretty delicious.

Jennifer Collier’s Paper Devices

2011-09-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

Spotted these amazing creations on Craft and had to post them here.

Amazing work by Jennifer Collier.

Words from Pinterest.

2011-09-06T22:18:00.001-07:00

Sharing some of my Pinterest favorites.

All links to these can be found on my word board (sorry being lazy).

Something New

2011-08-30T09:39:00.001-07:00

I started a new blog. It's over here. And it's all about reading. Kind of. I'll still be posting random thoughts and things I love here!

food like mom used to make

2011-08-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had a little get together where we all brought food from our childhood. It was a fun night and a great way to do a pot luck - which usually causes some stress. I loved all of the rich, unhealthy food we ate which included spinach dip with fritos, chips & french onion dip (made with liptons soup mix), some sort of amazing cream cheese log roll wrapped in dough, hot dogs, baked beans, eggplant parm, and grilled cheese made with kraft american cheese & wonder bread.

Another Adorable Plant Project

2011-08-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

I guess I have succulents on the brain lately. Saw this sweet project over on Mod Podge Rocks and just love the idea.

Full tutorial can be found on What Lauren Loves.

almost friday....

2011-08-24T22:29:00.001-07:00

Plant Bombing

2011-08-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

What a great idea. Via Tree Hugger.

How To Make a Fabric Chandelier

2011-08-18T07:04:00.001-07:00

One of the things I am working on in my new job is a series of video tutorials. This is a pretty low budget operation and we're shooting everything with a flip camera. The videos are getting better, because Polly and I are learning as we go, but I've definitely had my eye out for other craft tutorial videos. This one from 100 Layer Cake is beautiful. It makes an intimidating project look easy. I don't need a fabric chandelier but this video makes me want to create one.

DIY Fabric Chandelier from 100 Layer Cake on Vimeo.

....

2011-08-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

Stole this from Design Crush (who always manages to post poignant quotes I love).

Reminds me of my dear friend Sellers who first told me about Pema. Also reminds me that I have her book on my nightstand which I still need to read.

Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey

2011-08-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

This post makes me want to make peanut butter pie. It also breaks my heart and makes me wonder if we ever realize what we have before it's gone. I hope so. I hope so much so.

Dozens of peanut butter pie recipes here.

Happy Monday

2011-08-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

After a long, sweet weekend today might be a little rough. But the summer-like weather here in SF will make things a little more bearable.

No-Sew Applique

2011-08-10T10:22:00.001-07:00

I've been having great fun shooting a series of craft videos with the lovely Polly Conway. This latest one may just be my favorite so far. Check it out, spread the word, and let me know what you think! We're not video experts and we're mostly experimenting so we're completely open to suggestions.

Check out the full instructions for this project on Wikia Easy Crafts.

Do!

2011-08-07T22:42:00.000-07:00

After attending and speaking at CCE this weekend I was reminded how inspiring and motivating conferences can be. I need to get out there more to recharge and motivate myself.

This conference called The Do Lectures looks amazing - too bad it's so spency to attend...

Do Lectures Trailer from The Do Lectures on Vimeo.

via SwissMiss.

posters for everyday events

2011-07-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

love these.
via design taxi (and my awesome guy who sent me the link).

Mornings in Yerba Buena

2011-07-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

I've started walking through Yerba Buena Park in the mornings on my way to work. I'm loving the little calm it offers me before my work day starts. There are people spread out all over the park meditating and praying, most of them older and Asian and I'm sure this is some sort of ritual to their day. There's also several groups of people dancing with fans. It kind of fascinates me. How do they know to meet here? Do they bring the fans or is someone leading this? And how long does it last? I've been wanting to take some photos since I first saw them but it's always felt a little disrespectful. Last week I couldn't resist and I'm so happy I captured these two moments.

hell yes please.

2011-06-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

by olly moss.

first summer bbq and a recipe

2011-06-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

It's finally starting to feel like summer around the Bay Area, of course that could change in two days. But today we acted like summer was here to stay for a while. It helps to get out of the city and over to the East Bay where it's always warmer. Some pics and a recipe for the chocolate chip cookies with pretzels, peanut butter chips, and sea salt that I brought to the BBQ. They are pretty delicious and super easy to make.

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Pretzel Cookies

(Originally spotted on Pinterest which led me to the original source of the recipe.)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. of baking soda
1/2 cup of butter at room temperature (I forgot to do this and just melted my butter in the microwave)
1/2 cup of tightly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
1 egg (beaten)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup broken up pretzel pieces
Sea Salt

Directions:
Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a larger bowl, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy. On low speed, slowly add the beaten egg and vanilla extract. Beat to combine, scrape down the sides of the bowl. (I didn't have a mixer and did this step by hand, the cookies still came out delicious)
Add the flour mixture and combine. Stir in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and pretzels. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper (or use a non-stick cookie sheet). Scoop out well rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough and sprinkle with pretzel salt. Leave about 2 inches between each ball. I pressed my cookies down since I had read that they don't spread too much while baking. Bake for 10 minutes. If you prefer crispier cookies increase the baking time by 1-2 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing.

the aftermath

2011-05-31T23:00:00.000-07:00

My head hasn't been in a blogging state lately. But I always get that itch, and I know it will come back soon, my need to record stuff here. The photo above was from a delicious Sunday night dinner, and like Molly it captures how this weekend felt for me. I wish they could all be three day weekends....

a different angle

2011-05-24T10:59:00.000-07:00

Color Me Katie has a very sweet post up today about taking photos from behind when a group is gathering for a picture. I love the idea of doing this and the different perspective it offers up.

koozies

2011-05-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

Sewing class at Workshop.

Kelly Malone, the amazing force behind Workshop, was recently diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer. Unfortunately she was dropped from her health insurance and needs help with medical bills. Read more and donate here.

i do love you san francisco

2011-05-16T23:41:00.001-07:00

even in the rain.

morning

2011-05-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

some mornings make me feel whole again. today was that kind of morning.

Artist Crush: Bec Groves

2011-05-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

Pretty sure I first read about Bec Groves on MrXStitch. I love the details of her work, it makes me want to become a better embroiderer.

Etsy Shop.
Flickr.

SF Chefs Unite

2011-05-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

Lucky me, I get to go to this event for work this weekend. My mouth is already watering just reading the menu. We'll be giving away two tickets on one of our sites, as soon as we post 'em I'll link it here. And tickets are still available for purchase here if you're looking to eat some good food for a good cause this weekend.

When I grow up...

2011-05-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

I think I want to be a roller derby girl.

i heart surprises

2011-04-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

You might remember me posting about this map a couple of weeks ago. I post things I love all the time and with my Pinterest obsession it's hard to remember all of the things I covet on the internets. So imagine my surprise when I walked into my kitchen last night to say hello to my boyfriend, who had just come over and was making himself dinner, to see this map hanging casually on my door, just like it had always been there. I think I might have squealed, maybe. Best surprise ever. Well this one was pretty amazing too.

Now that I own one of these beauties I can tell you it's even nicer in real life - so head here to get your very own, of any state you fancy.

Morning on Twin Peaks

2011-04-27T09:33:00.001-07:00

More ipod photo fun - the tilt shift app. Shot this while waiting for the bus this morning.

Sweet Ride

2011-04-26T09:31:00.000-07:00

This is the shot of this car I've been trying to get right with my plastic cameras for a while now. I love my ipod for making this happen. Although the car is actually pink and I'd still like to capture that. Maybe I'll do a series where I take the same shot with my Holga or Diana as I do with my ipod. That might be a fun project.

Yashica again.. .

2011-04-24T23:09:00.001-07:00

I've posted about this amazing camera a few times before. But I swear every time I get a roll of film developed that I shoot with my Yashica Mat I fall in love with it more. I wish I could take some credit but I think the majority of the magic that happens in these shots has everything to do with the camera.

oh no.

2011-04-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

I still love film. And I still kind of hate how easy it is to get a photo to look like this with an ipod/iphone. But now that I have one I can kind of see the fun in it. So I'll still be taking photos with film but I'll also be playing around with my new toy a lot despite what I may or may not have said about digital photos like this. Cake!

Modern Log Cabin Quilting

2011-04-21T23:31:00.000-07:00

By now you've probably seen Susan Beal's beautiful new book, Modern Log Cabin Quilting. I was so happy to receive my copy, not only are her projects beautiful and detailed the book itself is so pretty and well designed.

I love that the book has a nice range of projects and explains the basics of quilting, which for a non-quilter like me is important. Susan makes quilting seem approachable and easy. I can not wait to pick a project and start sewing. Of course when that will happen with the new job I'm not so sure...

But for now I can flip through Susan's lovely book and dig through the nice big box of fabric Jennifer Paganelli sent me and fantasize about the possibilities.

it's true.

2011-04-20T23:40:00.000-07:00

via lots of links that led me here.

Obsessed with Pinning.

2011-04-18T22:50:00.001-07:00

Have you discovered the wonders of Pinterest yet? I'm afraid I'm a little addicted. I just love the idea of being able to create these inspiration boards and keep them online in one nice place. And don't they all look so lovely together?
Is it a good thing or bad thing that I've bought several things from my Wear It board already? Is Pinterest making me more of a consumer? Hmmm... Perhaps. But it's also providing a great space for me to store craft ideas, art and photo inspiration, and recipes. I use the recipes board as sort of a recipe box. And it works. Tonight I made this. See the nice light green color in that smoothie? Here's how mine came out...
Ok, my fault, I added a tablespoon of Spirulina instead of the teaspoon the recipe called for. Oops. It wasn't as pretty or as tasty as I bet it was supposed to be but on the plus side I have tons of energy right now. Time for more pinning!

i promise...

2011-04-17T18:39:00.000-07:00

There are so many things we want to do. Things we want to get better at, things we want to do more or less of... (exercise/drink). There are things we talk about, and dream about, and hope to some day actually make a reality. With our day to day and our old habits it's hard to get there sometimes. To make the stuff we talk about our reality. It's hard. But when we do it it always feels so satisfying.

I think about this sometimes. How I should do more of the things that I know will make me happy even if it takes me out of my comfort zone or makes me get off the couch when all I want to do is stay there.

Which is why I love the project Tara is working on, it's called 'I Promise'. And it's all about making promises to ourselves and to others and actually committing to keeping them, or trying our best to keep them. Who knows how many people will actually keep the promises they write down - but writing them down seems to be a pretty good start.

You can read promises people sent in to Tara here. The photos in this post were taken from Tara's 'A House Full of Promises'. And you can post your promise here. It won't hurt, I promise.

Dirty Diana

2011-04-16T15:58:00.001-07:00

Some favorites from a recent roll of film taken with my Diana.

oh hi awesome map, i might like to own you.

2011-04-12T22:15:00.001-07:00

Get any state your heart belongs to here.

thinking about tights

2011-04-11T21:53:00.000-07:00

lots more here.

a mini conundrum

2011-04-06T10:02:00.000-07:00

I love this piece created by Elaine Elwick Barr. She calls it 'Gulf Gold-A Miniature Conundrum'. And it's available in her Etsy Shop.

The inspiration for the piece In her words:
One day I was watching a program called After Humans. It showed what would happen to the earth and all of our manmadeness, if there were no longer any humans to look after it. Gradually everything breaks down and is taken back by nature. That's where the Conundrums come from. Gulf Gold is a little bittle statement of the vast riches that come from our dependance on oil, and how the 'man' is cleaning up. This metal barrel stands just over 1 1/2 inches tall and features sterling silver glass glitter, that will continue to tarnish over time.

I want to go to there

2011-04-05T08:57:00.000-07:00

My time in LA was ridiculously short. And I promised myself I would return some time this year for a longer visit. Seeing these photos from the Griffith Observatory makes me wish I was going this weekend.

All photos via I Art U.

birthday week!

2011-04-03T19:36:00.000-07:00

I used to get a lot more excited about my birthday. As I've gotten older I'm less prone to let everyone know it's my birthday month. But this morning I woke up and thought - hey it's officially the start of my birthday week! And I went ahead and bought myself a dress I've been eyeing for a little while now, this lovely Newsom dress by She-Bible, I got it in olive. I also splurged on an awesome leather belt to go with it. The best part? One of the owners of She-Bible and I got to talking and it turns out it's her birthday month too, and she was sweet enough to give me a little discount for my birthday. I love buying directly from designers and I love birthday weeks.

Kristin McIver

2011-04-02T16:28:00.000-07:00

Loving the playfulness and whimsy of Kristin McIver's work.

Kristin's blog.

How To Steal Like An Artist

2011-04-01T12:18:00.000-07:00

Full post/article here.

Happy Birthday Mom

2011-04-01T06:14:00.000-07:00

How lucky I was to get you as my Mom. xo

So long Maggie Mudd

2011-03-31T07:30:00.000-07:00

Glad I got to visit one last time. Maggie Mudd will be closing its doors this Sunday. It's perfect ice cream weather here in SF so go show them some love before they shutter their doors. A worker there told me they wouldn't be selling their pints to local stores any longer either but they will still be doing their ice cream cakes to order online.

Black Gold

2011-03-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

This documentary will make you think twice about your morning cup of coffee. It is heartbreaking to see the impoverished farmers in Ethiopia struggling to feed their families in such stark contrast to the millions of westerners who pay more for their daily cup of coffee than those farmers make in a week. There has to be a better solution.

fried brussels sprouts

2011-03-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

I attempted to recreate the delicious fried brussels sprouts from Marlowe for Thanksgiving last year. I woke up two hours before my boyfriend so he wouldn't freak out about the big mess I was pretty sure I was going to make frying all those little leaves. They came out pretty good but I didn't quite perfect them. So I was excited to find this recipe over at food52. I'll be making these sometime soon. Not sure if it will be in my kitchen or in my sleeping boyfriend's but I can't resist trying my hand at these again especially with the sweet and spicy combo of honey and Sriracha. Yum.

....

2011-03-27T21:33:00.000-07:00

I'll be on the porch.

2011-03-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

I feel a little crazy as I'm on my second to last day at Chronicle. It's scary and exciting and really sad all at once. I don't have much time in between jobs but my sweet guy rented us a car and booked us a room at one of our favorite spots to celebrate. Even if it's raining all weekend I'm looking forward to kicking back and getting away for a minute before I jump into the new.

most important things...

2011-03-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

Love these prints from conilab.

salt in the wound

2011-03-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

I am still thrilled about my new job (which starts next week!!). But as if I wasn't already sad to be leaving the wonderfully creative people at Chronicle, I was given this amazing gift today. In pub group (which stands for publishing group) we talk a lot about which books we should publish, sometimes we look at book proposals, and sometimes we brain storm new book ideas. Last week I had the idea of publishing a book of models falling. I was only half joking to be honest. Don't you think people would buy that? And don't you think Chronicle would do it so well? Today, at my last pub group meeting, my colleagues presented me with this amazing 'Models Falling Paper Doll' kit. They took my idea and ran with it and I still think they'd be crazy not to publish it.

(oh and forgive the crappy cell phone photo)

Decor Hacks

2011-03-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

Heather of Dollar Store Crafts and Amy of Modge Podge Rocks have launched a new blog called Decor Hacks. How these two ladies are able to do all they do is beyond me but I'm glad they have the energy for it. Their site is already full of some inspiring stuff, including this amazing Library Book Desk.

oh and happy spring!

2011-03-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

Bakesale for Japan

2011-03-20T18:59:00.001-07:00

If you're in the neighborhood be sure to swing by Chronicle Books tomorrow and buy some delicious baked goods to support Japan. Chronicle will be matching 100% of all funds raised.

It's Boo!

2011-03-17T23:13:00.000-07:00

Got this in the mail from the talented Michael McConnell. Mike didn't know about Boo before me, do you know about Boo? Tell me he doesn't make you crack a smile. Look at that face.

I can not wait to hang this amazing piece on my wall. To see more of Mike's great work check out his show up now at the Braunstein/Quay Gallery in San Francisco.

my big news

2011-03-16T08:48:00.000-07:00

Sometimes this blog feels like a big old book overflowing with papers and photos I jam inside of it. A place where I jot quick notes and slip in scraps of things I find and love and want to remember – pages torn from magazines, quotes I want to come back to again, photos that inspire me. It’s a gathering place for me, a record of sorts, and I love that there are actually some people out there who are interested enough to keep checking back in on what I’m stuffing in this big messy book. So it feels both weird and totally appropriate to log it in here that after six years at Chronicle Books I'm moving on. It will be a big change for me and it wasn't an easy decision to make but I'm ready for new adventures and the one ahead feels both totally exciting and a little scary. I don’t know why I feel weird revealing exactly where I’ll be, I’m sure that will come out eventually, but I’m going over to internet land full time and will be working for a website. In my new role I’ll be working on the sites lifestyle category and specifically helping to develop and create the Craft & DIY section of the site. So in a lot of ways I'll still be focusing on the same sorts of things - just working with a totally different medium. I’m sure I’ll be posting a lot of what I’m working on over there since I will still be in the lucky position of having my work intersect with my passions and interests. Yay for new beginnings!

Photo by Jeremy Brooks.

Also

2011-03-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

Mike Perry announced that he will be donating all of the proceeds from his shop to help Japan....

Friends,
Buy anything from my online store for the rest of the month and 100% of the proceeds will go to help with the disaster in Japan. Be it you spend $10 or $5000 dollars all of it will be donated. Lets really raise some money and help. Please spread the word.
All my best,
...Mike
Mike Perry Studio

heartbreaking

2011-03-14T23:53:00.000-07:00

It seems so silly to purchase something to help in a situation like this. But it always amazes me the way so many creative folks mobilize when an unbelievable tragedy like this occurs. A small round-up below of things people have created to help raise money for Japan.

Japan Relief Print.

Square Ruby Ring from Pineapple Seed.

Help Japan by Rob Dobi.

Donate to the Red Cross.

small beginnings

2011-03-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

Never despise small beginnings, and don’t belittle your own accomplishments. Remember them and use them as inspiration as you go on to the next thing. When you venture outside your comfort zone, wherever the starting point may be, it’s kind of a big deal.
- Chris Guillebeau, Kind of a Big Deal

via swiss miss

i love you friday.

2011-03-11T16:47:00.000-08:00

It has been a long two weeks for me. In a great way. I have exciting news I'll share soon. But for tonight I'm looking forward to piling some friends into my teeny tiny apartment and just kicking back. I made my famous (yes it is) artichoke dip and some brownies and I filled the fridge with champagne and wine. Weekend here I come!

The Magnetic Fields & Kittens

2011-03-09T04:55:00.000-08:00

What a perfect combo.

Absolutely Cuckoo Cats from SINLOGO on Vimeo.

cloud house

2011-03-08T15:56:00.001-08:00

yes please. (click to make it big)

via cozy hunter.

designed by dietrich wegner.

......

2011-03-08T12:03:00.001-08:00

Do you know about the site Daily Calligraphy? Molly introduced me to it a while back and I love popping in there to check out the lovely quotes and fantastic penmanship.

this looks like more fun

2011-03-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

My aunt asked me my five year plan the other night and was shocked when I said I didn't have one. Things I want to do? Sure. Places I want to visit? Definitely. But a written and organized list of where I want my life to be in the next five years? Nope. I think I'm OK with that. And doesn't this look like a much better way to record what you want to do?

via I Art U

love this.

2011-02-28T11:34:00.000-08:00

via alkeemi.

The Cubana

2011-02-26T09:50:00.000-08:00

Clearly the Cubana at That's It Market isn't a San Francisco secret since Anthony Bourdain visited this place on his show but I hadn't heard about the amazing sandwiches there until recently. I wasn't brave enough to order the Cubana (although I did take a few bites of my bf's) but it was the meatiest sandwich I've ever bitten in to, and I mean that in a good way. So. Much. Meat. I think it had chicken, hot dogs, steak, some breaded something, fried eggs, ham, and who knows what else. I opted for the veggie torta which was loaded with cheese, avocado, jalapenos, fried eggs, mayo, and other delicious things. I've passed this little market a million times in my 13 years here and never knew the meaty wonders it held inside.

taking things apart

2011-02-25T11:03:00.000-08:00

How great are these photos by Todd McLellan?

Organizing the Bookcase

2011-02-23T07:55:00.000-08:00

Photo Opportunities

2011-02-22T12:24:00.000-08:00

I'm loving this photo project by Corinne Vionnet. Vionnet takes hundreds of tourist photos and overlays them on top of one another. Such a smart idea with lovely results.

via Gawker.

look into his eyes

2011-02-18T11:56:00.000-08:00

Did you know Jack was also a fortune teller? He says you are going to have a very good weekend.

photo by molly.

ladies night

2011-02-17T06:44:00.000-08:00

Clare's Deli. Not amazing but just perfect after a few drinks next door at the 500 Club.

Fart Party

2011-02-16T06:56:00.000-08:00

Funny, honest, self-deprecating, sad, hilarious, un-put-downable. This is the list of words that came to mind when someone asked what I thought of Drinking At The Movies, the latest from Julia Wertz. While I admittedly haven't read much of Julia's work before she's a friend of a friend (who I was excited to see appear in this book) and I always thought Fart Party was a pretty fantastic name for a comic. Even if what Julia writes about has little to do with farts or parties. I liked this for a lot of reasons but the ones that stand out are the things that draw me to any book I really like - I find something in them that reminds me of me, or rings true to what I know and believe. In this case it was Julia's move from SF to NY (I did the opposite coastal move), her drug addicted brother (now sober), the familiar impact he has on her family, and the constant pull she feels between coasts. This is a quick and entertaining read and you pretty much have no reason not to read it. For serious.

Young You/Old You

2011-02-15T06:27:00.000-08:00

I've emailed around about a dozen different photo sites where people reenact old photos taken of them. This is by far the best version I've seen of that awesome idea. Check out Irina Werning's Back to the Future project here.

Other new photo blogs I'm liking:
Other People's Lives
My Parents Were Awesome

...everyone wants someone to watch bad movies in sweatpants with...

2011-02-14T09:33:00.000-08:00

Quote above from Rocketshoes who has a great post on why it’s stupid to hate Valentine’s Day (even though yes I totally agree there are a million reasons to despise it. It’s a silly holiday created by card companies, like half a dozen other holidays) but so what? There are heart shaped cookies in the kitchen at work, someone left a chocolate heart on my desk, and I got two hearts on my latte this morning – all things which made me smile. And later tonight I’ll be watching some awesomely bad TV in my PJ’s with someone sweet. I've got nothing to complain about.

February in San Francisco

2011-02-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

judith
via Uptown Almanac

sfgirlbybay

it came to me in a dream

2011-02-11T08:41:00.000-08:00

I had a dream I’m really happy I remembered the other night. Someone asked me ‘If you could do absolutely anything and money wasn’t an issue, what would you do?’ I remember immediately answering, 'I would design things - jewelry and homes.' And then after some more thought I said ‘And if money really wasn’t an issue and I could do anything I wanted I would also open up my own store.'

I haven’t been thinking about a new career lately so it’s funny to me that I had such a vivid dream. I remember falling asleep feeling really happy and supported on Sunday night, so maybe that had something to do with it? When we feel more love and support maybe we’re less afraid to take those big leaps. I’m still thinking about it all and wondering what to do with that dream. I mean the glaring sign is that I should pursue it right? But in my waking thoughts I just don’t know if that’s really what I want to do with myself. Maybe it just means I should start making jewelry on a more regular basis again. Yeah, maybe I’ll start there.

music typography

2011-02-10T11:04:00.000-08:00

loving this music philosophy site.

via Public School

Wood&Faulk

2011-02-10T06:26:00.000-08:00

Some days I want to go live in the woods and build stuff all day long. This beautiful blog has me drooling and dreaming of that kind of life.

All photos from Wood&Faulk.

8mm Ideas

2011-02-08T12:34:00.001-08:00

I told you it was going to be a good week, didn't I? Well head over to Molly's blog and enter to win some of her cards for free.

I know Molly is my friend but I swear I would use her cards for everything even if I I didn't know her.

Happy Monday.

2011-02-07T08:56:00.000-08:00

I have a feeling it's going to be a pretty fantastic week.

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

2011-02-04T06:39:00.000-08:00

I have never been much of a football fan. But I am a fan of TV and food and drinking. So I’ve always gotten a little excited about Super Bowl parties. Because they usually involve sitting in front of a TV all day drinking and eating lots of not-so-good for you food. And since everyone else is doing it it’s a totally acceptable way to spend a Sunday. I also get excited at the prospect of preparing large quantities of unhealthy food for groups of people to enjoy while sitting on their asses and drinking all day. Seriously, anything I can do to promote gluttony and laziness makes me happy.
So I’m going to a Super Bowl party on Sunday and I can’t decide which dip to make, The Creamy Artichoke Habanero or this Serious Eats Real French Onion Dip that looks pretty amazing. Or should I make both? Thinking about these things excites me, seriously.

Update! Since I wrote this post I found out there will be many dips at the party so I'll need to bring something else. I made these jalapeno bacon things on New Years and I think they're perfectly well suited for a Super Bowl gorge fest so that's what I'll be making. I know you really needed that update.

seriously.

2011-02-03T09:12:00.001-08:00

eat your heart out

2011-02-03T07:13:00.000-08:00

Artist Crush: Buff Diss

2011-02-02T08:41:00.000-08:00

Loving the work of masking tape master and street artist Buff Diss.

via Wooster Collective.
more here.