Olafur Eliasson

SF MOMA is featuring an exhibit by artist Olafur Eliasson through February 24th. The exhibit consists of sculpture, lighting, and other elements which for the most part are interactive. This exhibit is an amazing experience not to be missed! The artist will be in San Francisco on February 27th for an Artist Talk at the museum.

Pretty Dresses

These dresses are two of the most comfortable, yet still polished and flattering, items of clothing I own. They are my "go to" clothing for work on mornings when I just need to get out the door, feel comfortable, and look good. I usually pair the chain link dress with cinnamon colored heels and the black sweater dress with black patterned tights and black pumps. They are both on sale right now at Banana Republic.

La Palma

Mexican food is quickly becoming somewhat of a Christmas Eve tradition for us. Last year we had Naomi's delicious enchiladas with all the fixings from La Palma. This year we had chili con carne made with ancho chilis and sirloin steak - no chili powder and ground beef here! Tyler and I headed to the Mission to do our grocery shopping at La Palma and Casa Lucas Market right next door. Tyler enjoyed browsing the store for the all the exotic candy and sodas.

From La Palma, we picked up fresh made tortilla chips, salsa fresca, and masa for tortillas. You can buy the prepared masa for a little more than $1 per pound and make your own fresh tortillas. You'll never want to eat store bought tortillas again.

For the tortillas, you need a tortilla press, a clean plastic garbage bag, and a griddle. I bought my tortilla press next door at Casa Lucas Market for about $10. Cut a wide strip of garbage bag or similar material to sandwich the masa in between the disks of the press. Roll a piece of masa into a ball about the size of a ping-pong ball, place the masa in between the two sides of the plastic bag, and press. Next open the press and peel the tortilla from the plastic. Don't press too hard, it doesn't take much and the thinner the tortilla, the more difficult it will be to peel it off the plastic. Put the pressed dough onto a hot griddle and cook on each side until slightly golden.

Fresh tortillas might be one of the most heavenly foods ever invented and are definitely worthy of becoming a Christmas Eve tradition.

I Got My iPhone!

iPhone



Look what I got for Christmas! This phone is truly amazing. With the touch of the screen I can see the weather in SF, Vernal, Philly & Paris, read and send e-mail, download and listen to music, browse the Internet, watch YouTube, check stocks, plan my calendar, take a picture, and more.

Make sure you are photo worthy next time I see you, so I can take your picture for my contacts.

Bridge View

We love our new apartment. We have a view of the Bay Bridge and the city from our living room and bedroom windows. Our favorite view of the bridge is from the pool and hot tub. This picture was taken a few weeks ago when some friends stopped by for an evening visit. See more on Pepper's blog.

Kicking It With Marlo

This is my new favorite person to hang out with.

Tough Tyler

Adam took this picture of Tyler on the ferry back to the city a couple months ago.

One Sunny Friday Afternoon

I cycled across the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time with Tyler and Adam last weekend. It's just what we needed the day after our delicious, coma-inducing Thanksgiving dinner. We stopped in Sausalito for lunch and then took the ferry back to the city. The trip from our neighborhood is approximately 11 miles including a few big hills, some strong headwinds, and stunning views. It's been years since I cycled on a regular basis. I think I'm going to take it up again.

All I want for Christmas...

Eames Plywood Chair in Light Ash (X2)





iPhone





Paris, Je T'aime





Olafur Eliasson's Take Your Time

Christmas Tunes

Oddly enough, some of the best holiday mix CD's I've ever purchased are from Old Navy. They usually find the classics with a twist or remix. The music is particularly good for parties, because they use the same energetic music that makes you feel fun and carefree so you will shop more. You will have to trust me on this one.

Cozy Soles

This might be the best $20 I've spent this year. I love these booties!! They are so comfy and warm and I smile every time I look at my feet. You can get them in red or blue too. As an added bonus the soles are perfect for dancing on and sliding across wood floors!

Working Girl

I'm finally back. I've had some major life changes the past couple of months.... a new job, which I started in the middle of busy season, a new apartment, my BFF had her first baby, and I have a renewed dedication to getting in shape. I think things have stabilized though, so I'm ready to get back on the blog wagon. It's probably not realistic for me to try to blog everyday, but I will try to get few posts in on the weekend at a minimum.

Small Spaces

This is a great desk for a small space. It could double as a small buffet or console table too.

Botanical Prints

You know how Martha Stewart always has those impressive motifs of botanical prints that cover a big wall? Here's a great source for the prints. Just ignore the ugly gold frames. You can purchase just the print and find your own frames.

Country Mouse City House

Josh Rouse released a new album last month. I'm really getting into it. My favorite song so far is Sweetie. You can listen to it on his Myspace page.

Denim Delimna

Why is it so hard to find jeans that fit right? I don't think I'm alone in thinking so. I finally found these after trying endless others.

I just found this website, zafu.com, that helps you narrow down the options after answering a few simple questions about your shape. Since I need another pair, I'm going to test it and get back to you. I did see that I own a couple pair that were suggested to me. That's a good sign!

Things Change

Wow! My life is really crazy right now. I'm undergoing some very exciting changes including work and address that came up a little sooner than expected. More about that later. Things are settling down a little so hopefully I will be back to posting regularly.

Congratulations Jenn!

A few of us met last week to celebrate the new addition to Jenn's family. We had dinner at Terzo. I can't say enough about this place. I could eat there every night if I lived closer. Say "hi" to Ron for me if you go!

Break

I've been on a bit of a blogging break while entertaining company. I'll be back mid-week.

The Bourne Ultimatum

We saw The Bourne Ultimatum over the weekend. Despite the lack of dialog and the shaky camera I can't help liking the character and the story. Matt Damon is such a cutie. The first movie, Bourne Identity is still my favorite of the three.

Bon Nuit

I like fairly simple, yet luxurious bedding. This bedding is on sale at Crate and Barrel. The aqua color is very calming without being boring. It also comes in a pretty spa blue color.

Place Mats

I love these placemats.

Unique Sleeper Sofa

I'm intrigued by this sleeper sofa. I wouldn't use it in my main living room, but maybe in a den or spare bedroom/ office combo. Usually I'd rather sleep on the floor than a sleeper sofa, but this looks like it could be comfortable and without being big, bulky, and heavy.

Bella Jacket

Not too long ago I commented to a friend that I wasn't ready for fall fashion. Now I'm just really tired of looking at over-shopped summer sale racks, so I'm excited that the fall lines are starting to appear. I really love this Bella jacket from J. Crew. It comes in several pretty colors as well as velvet.

French Lessons

I've always wanted to speak French fluently. It wasn't offered in my high school, so I learned German instead. I've taken classes through City College but due to my own inhibitions I usually sit in the back and try to speak as little as possible which doesn't translate into fluency very well. That is all going to change starting August 30th. I've taken the plunge and signed up for a class at Alliance Francaise. The average class size is 6 students which means I can't hide in the back anymore. Once I get going I want to supplement with private sessions too.

Next on the list - sailing lessons!

Miss Em

This past week was spent entertaining Emma, our 10-year-old niece from Oklahoma. We ate lots of gelato, went on many long walks to burn energy, and shopped our hearts out at Hello Kitty. This weekend will be spent cleaning up the glitter that has some how mysteriously settled over our entire apartment, relaxing in complete silence, and getting ready for the next group of company. Thanks for a fun week Em!

Pretty Dresses

This shirt dress from Club Monaco is structured enough for work and can easily be dressed up for evening.

Pedicure Worthy

I'm loving open toe shoes lately. This pair is on sale for a mere $60 at Nordstrom.

Pretty Dress

I've tried on this BCBG dress twice and almost purchased it both times. It looks really short in the picture, but it hits me right at the knee (I'm 5'6"). It's hard to find cocktail dresses with sleeves, so this one might find its way into my closet soon.

Zazie

Elise, Kim and I met for a late breakfast at Zazie today. Zazie is possibly my favorite breakfast place in SF. (I'm torn between who has the better breakfast - Mama's or Zazie.) My favorites are the poached eggs Albert with white cheddar, bacon, and salsa fresca served with the most delicious garlic roasted potatoes, gingerbread pancakes with lemon curd, french toast Tahiti stuffed with caramelized bananas and walnuts, orange-vanilla challah french toast with whipped cream and cherries.... you probably get the point! You can order most items al acarte which is nice for the days when I want 1 gingerbread pancake and 1 poached egg. The hot chocolate is really good too.

If you happen to be there on a decent weather day, check out the garden patio dining in back. I've heard that the lunch and dinner menus are equally as good, but I've never gotten that far in my perusing! I'm hoping to get the gingerbread pancake recipe out of them someday to use for Christmas brunch. So far I know that they use freshly grated ginger.

Closet Downsizing

Tyler and I stayed up until 2:00 AM last night because of the overwhelming urge to clean out our bedroom closet. We took 6 large trash bags of clothes and shoes to goodwill today and threw away at least 2 more bags full. I feel so light and refreshed as a result!

Here's my criteria for clothing: (1) Do I love it? (2) Is it flattering? (3) Does it convey the image that I want? That last question usually seals the deal if you have any doubts!

(Completely unrealistic picture from The Container Store. Do you really want to wear khaki and aqua everyday of your life just so your closet can look this good?)

Portica Table

I'm in love with the endless possibilities of the Portica table from Room and Board. You can order from several standard size bases for coffee tables, desks, dining tables, accent tables, console, etc. or customize the base to your exact specifications. Once you determine the size, you get to choose the top from a pretty wide and versatile selection of finishes. They have everything from traditional woods to glass finishes to French limestone. I particularly like the zebra wood, French limestone, and white quartz. The price is really reasonable even for the custom option.

Paper Piles Be Gone: Part 4

This is probably the easiest organization tip with the biggest impact which you will ever get from me. Get off the credit card offer circuit by calling 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) or going to OptOutPrescreen.com. You can opt out for 5 years in a couple easy steps or permanently by mailing in a form with your signature. Opting out will prevent the 4 major credit agencies from selling your info to credit providers. Between the two of us, Tyler and I use to get several offers almost everyday. Now we only get a couple a year. Cut down on mail piles, extend the life of your shredder and protect yourself from identity theft for 2-3 minutes of effort.

Frascati

I'm way behind on restaurant reviews, so you get two in one day. We went to Frascati a couple weeks ago for a work function. To sum it up, they really know how to cook! The menu is pretty traditional with a Mediterranean influence. I was particularly impressed with the scallop risotto appetizer. For my entree, I had the very delicious maple leaf duck breast with herb spaetzle. The dessert menu included traditional desserts such as apple crisp and chocolate bread pudding. Everything was prepared really well and the atmosphere was especially charming. Sans the business aspect, I can see this place as having some serious romance potential if anyone has an anniversary or special occasion coming up.

Swan Oyster Depot

Stephanie and I had lunch at Swan Oyster Depot last week. In my opinion they are the best shell fish establishment in the city. They get their fresh shipment of shell fish every morning and only stay open until they sell out. Plus the ambiance is fun. You sit at a bar that runs the length of the restaurant, the temperature is a little brisk, and the fish is so fresh you can still smell the salt water. It makes me feel like I'm actually on the ship. My favorites are the oysters and half crab. The line for lunch can be long so get there a little early if possible.

Space Planning

I have been using Icovia Space Planning Design Edition software for an interior design project. You can type in your room dimensions and then click and drag furniture into the room and re-size the furniture to scale. It is also a very useful tool for remodeling projects. You can try a free trial or save your work for $29/month. It's a good way to see if the sofa you want is going to overpower the whole room. Speaking of sofas and space planning, the general rule is that you don't want your sofa to take up more than 25% of the room.

Tulane Sofa

I'm helping a friend decorate her new house right now. We might order the Tulane sofa from Room and Board. I really love the vibrant color with the modern design.

Brian Regan

I've been having so much fun with my sister this week that I've hardly had any time to touch the computer. We are going to see comedian Brian Regan tonight at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga. If you are feeling spontaneous, tickets are still available. I'm looking forward to a good laugh!

Sister Time

My baby sister is visiting me this week for the first time without our parents. We have a fun week of girl activities planned. We spent today shopping on Fillmore, Union, and Chestnut. We lunched at La Med and had dinner at my current favorite restaurant, Terzo.

Pink Martini

Pink Martini is performing with the SF Symphony tonight and tomorrow. Tickets are sold out, but they will be coming back to the Bay Area in Septmember.

Dreaming of Choos

I love these Jimmy Choo shoes from the fall line. Bloomingdale's has all the summer Jimmy Choos on sale right now for 50% off.

Independence Day

July 4th might be my favorite holiday. We enjoyed an unusually warm day here in SF and we are all sunburned to prove it! The day started with shopping on Fillmore with Kim. Then we picked up lots of goodies from La Boulange and met the guys for a picnic in the park after their bike ride. Later we joined a big group of friends near Fort Mason for fireworks.

Josh Rouse - Winter in the hamptons

I've been listening to a lot of Josh Rouse lately. Tyler came across his music by accidently purchasing the wrong cd from a listing station at Virgin, but now he's a favorite. His best albumns are 1972 and Nashville.

Partners in Crime

I can think of at least three things a girl should never shop for alone - jeans, lipstick and sun glasses.

Raina helped me choose some Chanel sunglasses today. I didn't get them, but now I know what to dream about as I put my pennies away for our San Francisco hovel and since holidays and gift certificates are still 6 months away.