Finally, some useful technology...

Just when I thought my iPhone couldn't make me any happier, I discovered free apps that allow you to view the latest runway shows of all the big designers. Check out Fashion Network, Style.com and Chanel. There's also an app that will calculate sales discounts called onSale!

Shoes I Could Die Happy In...

If I am ever lucky enough to put these beauties on my feet, they are never coming off!

All Weather

I've been looking for boots that meet these very specific criteria:

1) Waterproof (no rubber allowed)
2) Warm
3) Flat
4) Lightweight
5) Comfortable to walk around in for hours

And of course above all, they have to be pretty.

I don't want to haul suitcases of shoes around for my upcoming trip to New York since I will be making a trek to Philly and back. I figure with a nice pair of comfortable waterproof boots, I will be covered for almost any weather and occasion other than dinner and the theater. These are the options so far. (They can all be found at Nordstrom.com except the first pictured, which is available through piperlime.com.)

Ruffles

I love Prada's fall runway shoes.

Fragrance Crush

I picked up a sample of Victor & Rolf's new scent, Antidote, a week ago at Saks. I've been crushing on it ever since. It's actually a men's cologne, but I wear it anyway. It has a very warm peppery smell. It kind of reminds me of Prada's original perfume.

In Honor of Warren

(Via FFFFound.com)

NYC or Bust

Tyler and I are both quickly approaching our biggest work deadline of the year. Tyler currently holds the family record for most consecutive hours worked in one day by one hour with a whopping 21 hours arriving home at 5:00 AM last Thursday. Three weeks and a few days to go. We are planning a trip to New York to relax post October 15th. I'd love to hear every one's favorite shops, restaurants, things to do, etc. so I can day dream about my trip to help get me through the last few weeks of crunching.

The other thing that helps..... thinking of these on second mark down.

Elizabeth Charles

My favorite SF boutique is Elizabeth Charles on Fillmore St. I haven't actually purchased anything there yet because of the hefty price tags, but I love going in to browse their beautiful clothes for inspiration. Some day....

The Short Story

I love a good short story. Novels are great too, but there is just something about the intensity and concentration of theme in a short story. I recently read an article in SF Magazine about the politics behind the short story and how it is nearly impossible to get published unless you are willing to write a novel. So I say bring back the short story.

One of my favorite books, The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri is a collection of short stories about the culture clash between the East and West. She went on the write The Namesake, a novel, which while very good just wasn't as strong as her short stories. Well now she is back with what she does best with her most recent collection of shorts titled Unaccustomed Earth.

The article mentioned a few online sources for short stories that I am interested in checking out.

Opium Magazine
Narrative Magazine
McSweeney's

P.S.

The release date is set for February 13, 2009.

New York, I Love You

I can hardly contain my excitement!!!

On My To Do List

I recently came across the San Francisco based service Envy Concierge. They offer personal assistance by the hour or project. I have about 4 months out of the year when I do nothing but work and try to squeeze in 8 hours of sleep and a shampoo. This service will do your shopping, run errands, or take care of other personal projects on your to do list. I think I might look into this more.

Teeny Tiny Parsons Desk

When I moved to San Francisco 8 years ago, believe it or not, I had a very hard time finding smaller more compact furniture for apartment living. It was back in the day when Pottery Barn was king and sofas were just getting bigger and bigger. It baffled me! The past few years have seen a trend of declining scale and a proliferation of affordable, modern furniture for those of us who rebel against putting down roots in a McMansion.

West Elm just came out with their new mini Parsons desks. I love the lacquered finish in black or white. Now I find myself asking, how small can they go?

Man on Wire

Tyler and I went to the Embarcadero Theaters to see Man on Wire this past weekend. It is a documentary about Philippe Petit, the French man who rigged a high wire between the top of the World Trade Center towers and walked across several times. And no he wasn't wearing a harness, a rope or any other safety mechanism. It was fascinating and made me sick to my stomach all at once.

Movie Snacks

My new favorite movie snack is Sahale Valdosta pecans which are mixed with black pepper, sweet dried cranberries and orange zest. You can get them at the Embarcadero Theaters, speciality grocers like Whole Food and Molly Stones or on-line. They have other blends that I would like to try like the Daphine walnuts with blueberries, bananas, coconut flakes, lavender and white pepper. Note: The Sing Buri blend with Cashews wasn't may favorite.

My McMansion

The Margarido House is my dream home. Click on the link to see the photo gallery.

Domino Loves

The new Domino is packed with tear sheets. Here are a few highlights:

Dressing Table from Ikea with Icicle Stool



Binders by Sugar Paper



Modern Globe from DWR




I especially loved the feature about books you love to display as well as read.

Melville House Publishing "Novella" Collection
Minimalist short story/novel hybrids.



Persephone Books "Originals" series
Plain grey jackets and cream labels they all look the same from the outside. On the inside, endpapers are chosen especially to match the date and mood of the book.



Penguin "Great Ideas" series
Slim, compact historic texts with letterpress fronts.



Overlook Press P.G. Wodehouse collection
English farce and social satire with illustrated dust jackets.



Harper Perennial "Olive Editions"
Contemporary books such as Everything is Illuminated and The Unbearable Lightness of Being in bright colors with striped backs.

Music Festivals

I really, really, really want to go to one of these....





Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in Golden Gate Park complete with performances by Radiohead, Beck, Jack Johnson, the Black Keys and Cake with a farmers market to boot.

Treasure Island Music Festival with a bunch of bands I'm not familiar with but look like they can really rock, a Ferris wheel, and a legitimate reason to make the trek to Treasure Island.

Now I just need Interpol to come back to SF or go on tour anywhere in the U.S. for that matter.

Worth It

Conventional beauty wisdom says that mascara is one of the products you can go drug store on. I've tried so hard, but just can't seem to make it work. I always spend the first few weeks of a new tube with thick clumpy lashes and the weeks that follow with dried out flakes and dark circles under my eyes.

Enter Dior Show. It only takes one quick swipe to get long lush lashes with even distribution and no flakiness. Considering that most women site mascara as the one product they cannot live without, I think the few extra dollars are worth it.

Crumpled Paper Container

Is it strange that I've been thinking so much about a rubbish bin lately? You can get it in black or red too.

Picnic on the Richardson Green

Katie, Jenny and I threw a bridal shower for our sister Stephanie earlier this summer. We chose a picnic theme with long tables spread with crisp white linens, potted red petunias and red lunch boxes filled with baguette sandwiches, Caprese salad and radishes. We used bakers twine to tie a set of wooden cutlery to a rolled red napkin. For dessert, we set up a buffet with stacks of homemade cookies and cream biscuits and mounds of freshly whipped cream and sliced strawberries.

Our party favors and hands down the most time consuming, stressful part of the preparations were mini individual lattice crust berry pies packaged in red and white gingham checked waxed tissue lined craft boxes, sealed with a red and green sticker and tied with a red satin ribbon. We stayed up all night rolling out pie dough, but the final product was worth well worth the effort.

The weather that week was a little precarious, but we ended up with a couple of hours of very nice mild breezy sunshine which did wonders for the effect of the white table clothes.

Jordan designed the letterpress invitations and labels for the lunch boxes and pie boxes. The inspiration for this party came from a spread in Martha Stewart Weddings a couple summers back.

Instant Party

One of the easiest ways to entertain by far is with a good cheese plate. I was recently in charge of refreshments at a church function for 250 expected guest. One hour of shopping and one hour of set-up later, et voile, 250 happy guests.

The party was part of a anniversary celebrating local history so I used some of my favorite local cheeses - Cowgirl Creamery's Mt. Tam, Cypress Grove's Humboldt Fog, and Point Reyes Original Blue. I placed the cheese on large square platters and piled high mounds of grapes and crackers. All of the cheese was gone by the end of the night, so not only was there no cooking involved, but there was also very little clean-up.

Half-Life of a Dream

I visited SFMOMA this weekend to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit. The exhibit is very moving. Frida was a very strong, passionate woman. Her surrealist art is packed with so much meaning and emotion. The exhibit also included an extensive collection of photos of Frida throughout her life.

After the seeing the Frida exhibit I popped into the galleries on the other side of the floor to see the Logan collection of contemporary Chinese art titled Half-Life of a Dream. This is an amazing exhibit that I fear might be overlooked with the ever popular Frida right next door. The paintings and installations are dream-like to say the least. One room holds an instillation of 20,000 plastic toy dinosaurs in the shape of the Asian continent marching like armies, upon which lies a bed with a cozy Chairman Mao sleeping and perhaps dreaming of his Chinese utopia.

Another favorite is a large painting with the several clones of the image of the artist charging forward on the backs of a herd of ostriches.

This is one of the most exciting exhibits I've seen at SFMOMA in my 8 years in the city. I will definitely visit again before the exhibit closes on October 5th.

(The painting above is by artist Fang Lijun.)

Spaghetti with Chicken and Peppers

I made this recipe for dinner last week. It was really easy, fast and delicious. The leftovers are great for lunch too. The whole wheat pasta and light Thai inspired sauce keep it healthy. I omitted the cabbage and used a rotisserie chicken. (Recipe and picture from www.marthastewart.com)

Serves 6

Coarse salt
1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti
1 1/2 cups canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
10 ounces cooked chicken breast, shredded (2 cups)
2 yellow bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed) , thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 head napa cabbage, cored and shredded, for serving (optional)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions; drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, bring broth, garlic, and red-pepper flakes to a simmer. Cook until garlic is tender, about 2 minutes.Transfer mixture to a large bowl, and stir in lime juice, ketchup, soy sauce, and sugar.

Add pasta, chicken, bell pepper, cilantro, and salt to the bowl, and toss to combine with the sauce. Serve on a bed of shredded cabbage, if desired.

Take a Seat

The Womb Chair is, without question, the most comfortable chair ever made. I want one of in the corner of my bedroom with a good reading light and a cozy blanket.

Coat Upgrade

I've been planning on splurging for a good coat this fall. It came down to these two Marc By Marc Jacobs coats. I finally decided on the wool coat in black, but I'm still torn between the two, so don't be surprised if I show up in the quilted jacket.

Party Inspiration

I love yesterday's Snippet & Ink inspiration board. Although, originally intended for wedding inspiration, I think this would translate well into a birthday party.

Lichtensteinesque Apron

Maybe I love this apron so much because I've been watching Mad Men for the past couple of weeks. It is a little hard to see in the picture (click on the link so you can zoom in), but it is covered in strawberries and the background is a grayish-blue dot pattern which reminds me of a Roy Lichtenstein painting.

Mad Men Opening Credits

This is by far the best show on TV in a very long time. Tyler and I just finished watching the first season on DVD. The second season starts July 28th on AMC. Paula, you were right!

CB2

The first time I saw products from CB2, the budget friendly modern spin-off of Crate & Barrel, I was somewhat interested in the design but doubtful about the quality and not completely convinced by their aesthetic. I received a new catalog in yesterday's mail and I have to say I like the direction they are headed. They are finally opening a store in Union Square on July 31st. I'm looking forward to seeing the products in person.

Summer Reading Update

I haven't been reading as much this summer as I would like, but here is my update:

Love in the Time of Cholera: Hated it! It's suppose to be an epic love story, but I just thought it was creepy and boring.

Into the Wild: This book was fascinating to me. It was a little weird getting into the head of someone knowing he will meet his demise, especially when it is a true story. It was fascinating seeing life from the viewpoint of someone who chose to live so far out of the mainstream and so differently from anything I would ever chose.

Jitterbug Perfume: So far I am loving it. I'm not sure what is going on yet and how it will all connect in the end, but that is part of the fun.

Why I am Looking Forward to Fall...

Fedoras and Ankle Boots

Dreams Do Come True

Everything at Barney's is on sale right now. At least it seems like it. End of season sales are the best because stores are trying to clear out mass quantities to make room for the new lines. Here's a sample of the best I could find on-line. The store is so much better. Everything from Prada and Lanvin to Rag & Bone and Marc Jacobs is 50% off. I will be eating beans and rice for the rest of the month, but I had to have the stone color Manolo's with the big ankle strap.

Anchor & Hope

A new fish house opened up recently close to my office in SoMa. Anchor & Hope is part of the Town Hall and Salt House group, two of my old favorites. I ate there for lunch last month with a co-worker. The space used to be a garage so the ceilings are very high and the room is open. The decor and details are super fun. They even had authentic Emeco Navy chairs. (These chairs have been made from recycled aluminum for over 60 years and they are practically indestructible.)

I'm torn on the food. I had an heirloom beet salad to start followed by a citrus glazed salmon and a strawberry crisp. The meal started off very well with the beet salad. The salmon was nothing special even though description on the menu made it sound interesting. Finishing with a strawberry crisp that was good, but again nothing special. That said, I tried some of my co-worker's fish and chips and it was phenomenal! The service was really good too.

In summary, they get points for the beet salad, fish and chips, service and atmosphere/decor. I'm definitely willing to try it again and get back to you.

(Picture from Jennifer Yin at sf.eater.com)

Super Versitle Modern Dining

I've been helping my friend Kim make the transition to modern design in her San Francisco loft. Here's what I picked out for the dining area. I've had my eye on this table for a couple years now and I'm so glad someone I know is actually getting it!

The Cross Extension Table designed by Matthew Hilton has two self storing leafs. Closed the table can comfortably seat 6-8. With each leaf, you can add two more people opening all the way to seat 12 guests. The leafs store in a felt lined compartment within the frame of the table that opens and closes very easily. It comes in the dark brown wenge finish shown above and a light oak. Kim's kitchen has dark wood cabinetry so the dark table helps divide the open great room and make a nice connection to the kitchen in an open floor plan.

The polypropylene Gas side chairs and armchairs are designed by Jesus Gasca. They are very lightweight, stackable and extremely comfortable. The chairs are available in several colors and materials including fabric and leather. We chose the white polypropylene for the cool opaque look it has and because it will be easy to clean up once her baby joins them at the table.

The dining area in the loft is situated under the staircase leading to the second level. This combination of furniture will open up the space with a table that isn't super wide but is still extendable to include several guests, two leaves that can be stored with the table instead of taking up precious closet space, chairs that have a low profile back, opaque look and can be stacked when not in use.

Wedding Shower Preview

Here's a preview of the wedding shower Katie and I threw for Stephanie. I need to get more pictures from my dad, because I certainly didn't have time to take very many! Our favor for the party, shown above, was an individual 5" lattice crust berry tart.

Opera in the Park

Last Friday I attended the free opera simulcast at AT&T park. It is things like this that make me love this city. Garlic fries and hot dogs with your culture? The weather even cooperated. It had to have still been 80 degrees outside at 11:00 PM.

When in Denver...

Rent a convertible (summer only, of course), stay at The Oxford Hotel in LoDo, eat breakfast at The Delectable Egg and visit the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA).

For my sister Jenny's wedding, we traveled to Denver for the weekend. The wedding was a couple hours away up in the mountains in front of a waterfall. The wedding was beautiful and we all had such a relaxing, fun time (once the bridal bouquet was finished!)

After the wedding we drove back to Denver and spent the next day strolling the streets of LoDo (Lower Downtown) which is the very charming, historical district of the city. In addition to the items mentioned above, we had lunch at Larimer square and visited the Museum of Nature and Science where we watched a beautiful IMAX film on Greece.

The picture above is a photograph of the roof top garden at the Museum of Contemporary Art. I love these planter boxes!

Weddings Part Une and Duex

I haven't been blogging much lately even though I have so much that I want to share. I've had not one, but two sisters get married in the past month. Being the crazy, take on too much person that I am, I decided to be responsible for custom letterpress invitaions, flower arrangements, a bridal bouquet, a dessert buffet, and an over the top shower between the two weddings. But that is just me.

All of this is hard enough to do from home where I know my resources and can do a lot of the work ahead of time. My sistuation was complicated by having to travel to Utah and Colorado for the events. In summary I didn't get much sleep, my husband has banned me from taking on projects, and I dropped a ton of money on shipping charges but wow that bridal shower was everything I ever dreamed a party should be!

Congratulations to Jenifer and Stephanie! You make beautiful brides!!

Letterpress Wedding Invitations

Several hours of preparation, 1,200+ impressions, 3 days off work, Jordan's incredible generosity, my husband's limitless patience and 600+ hand trimmed invitations later...

The Sentinel

I just got lunch from the new Dennis Leary (Canteen Restaurant) SoMa take-out counter, The Sentinel. It's a little dangerous that I can eat this well for lunch on a regular basis. In the past it was hard to do better than mass produced burritos and sandwiches unless you have 2 hours and $50 to spend on an everyday lunch. The lunches here range from $7.50 to $11. There are 4 sandwich/soup type items on the menu which changes daily and it is take out only. They also serve coffee and pastries in the morning. The coffee cake is on its way to becoming legendary.

Extra cool points go to The Sentinel because Dennis Leary actually prepared and handed me the food! (That is the guy you can see behind the counter.) How often do you go to a restaurant with a big name chef and know for sure that they actually had anything to do with the food preparation?

SoMa worker are in for a real treat. The bar for affordable, quick lunch has been raised very high indeed. The Sentinel is located at 37 New Montgomery across from The Palace Hotel.

Small Space Dining

I love the idea of transparent furniture for small spaces instead of chunky, solid pieces. These chairs and table would be perfect for a smaller modern space where you just have an open square room with no distinct separation of living and dining room. The chairs are can be stacked as an extra bonus.

Chrome and glass table: CB2
Philippe Starck's Victoria Ghost Chair and Louis Ghost Armchair: Design Within Reach

Letterpress

I took most of last week off work to letterpress my sister's wedding invitations. Letterpress was a dying art, but has seen a resurgence in the past few years. You can take classes at The Center for the Book here in San Francisco. After you complete the required classes, you can rent press time for $20/hour. I will post the final result next week.

Spring Jacket

I really like this knit jacket from Anthropologie

Priceless

Pretty people with pretty things in a pretty place.

Daily Interpol Obsession

Interpol blows my mind! This song is my current obsession.

Why Hide the Cord?

I am considering purchasing this lamp from MOMA. I have a really hard time finding floor lamps that I like, so why not go for something whimsical?

Snippet & Ink

My new favorite blog is Snippet & Ink. Kathryn puts together inspiration boards for weddings that make me wish I could get married again (to Tyler, of course!) My favorite is the Versailles Garden Party. I love the the picture of the chandeliers hanging from the rafters. It reminds me of the dinner party scene from the recent Marie Antoine movie.

The Home for the Holidays board caught my eye too since that's the time of year I got married.

Slow Hands :Interpol

Mark introduced me to Interpol on New Year's Eve. I can't get enough of their music! If I had to pick a favorite this song would be it.

Summer Reading

I love to read and I've been having withdrawals due to my lack of time to settle into a comfy chair and escape into a good book. I'm usually lucky if I can cab home from work, brush my teeth, and jump into bed in time to get eight hours of sleep before I start all over the next day.

Now that busy season is over, I get a little break. It even seems like I have more time after work than usual since the sun sets later. I've made a couple trips to the book store over the week and it's like being a kid in a candy store. It will probably take me a while to finish all the books I've purchased, but I just couldn't help it. I had to have them now!! Here's the list:

1) Love in the Time of Cholera
2) Persepolis
3) Jitterbug Perfume
4) The Woman in White
5) Tess of the d'Urbervilles

Any other suggestions or opinion about these?

Farmer Brown

How cool is this picture?! I used to live on Nob Hill just above Union Square and I always complained that the food in that neighborhood isn't very good. Well just in time for my move, Farmer Brown opened on the edge of Union Square and the Tenderloin.

The menu is packed with southern comfort. I had the fried chicken and mac & cheese. It was so perfectly crisp on the outside and steamy and moist on the inside. Tyler ordered the pulled pork sandwich and we shared a slice of the decadent pecan pie for dessert. The food was so rich and delicious. I didn't feel like eating until dinner the next day even after sharing an appetizer and dessert. Maybe it's good that I don't live close to this restaurant anymore, but I think we will find our way back occasionally. Just not before shopping for jeans!

Definitely Maybe

Tyler and I have both been pressing up against big deadlines at work over the past couple months, so we haven't had a lot of spare time to spend together. But we always try to leave work at 5:00 on Friday for a date. On one such evening last month, we saw the movie Definitely Maybe after an indulgent dinner at Farmer Brown.

I didn't have super high hopes because I'm almost always disappointed by romantic comedies, but we needed something light and it had a decent rating on Rotten Tomatoes so we gave it a chance. It was really good! I cried at one point and I almost never cry in movies. Tyler even enjoyed it despite the lack of guns, 30 minute battle scenes and violence. (Okay, so he is actually much deeper than I just let on. I'm trying to make the point that for a chick flick, he really liked it.)

Posy Flats

I love these shoes from J. Crew. The style is reminiscent of something you would see at Chanel. When you consider how much Chanel would charge, they are a bargain. (I'm very good at justifying my way into a pretty pair of shoes.)

Corporate Conscience

These rugs are made in Armenia and Tibet by a company who provides food, housing, schooling and health care for employees and their families.

Modern Floral

This bedding is so pretty. My husband would think it is too flowery, but I hope some lucky girl out there gets to sleep under this beautiful duvet.

Form & Function

West Elm has really great multi-function furniture which is perfect for city living and small spaces. It is very affordable too. The bed has six storage drawers and an optional head board. The desk includes a letter-size filing drawer and an adjustable shelve.

Glass Water Bottles

I first sighted one of these glass water bottles by Seletti in Domino magazine a couple months back. I finally kicked the bottled water habit at work earlier this year. I think I would have been inspired to do so earlier if I had seen these pretty glass bottles.

Spring and Summer Work Clothes

I went back to work last fall after a three year break. It was really fun to go on a work clothes shopping spree. Now it's time for another one to acquire some spring and summer pieces. I like this dress from J.Crew.

Floor Art

Design Within Reach has some really great rugs right now. I especially like the first one.

Opinions Wanted RE: Eero Aarnio Bubble Chair

So what do you think of this chair? My friend Warren is remodeling his home and wants one of these for the living room. At first I wasn't so sure, but now the idea is kind of growing on me. Definitely a statement piece!