As I shed things I no longer need in anticipation of our move, I’m relishing the signs of rebirth that happen every spring. When I need to take a break from digging into dark corners, bundling up clothes that don’t work for me anymore or books I’ve already read, I make my way to the [...]
On my way to meet a walking buddy this morning I noticed an unexpected hitchhiker on my car hood. A good sized snail was stuck mid-slime trail on the other side of the windshield. I’d missed it in the early morning fog, otherwise I would have flicked it to safety before I took off. As [...]
San Francisco’s McRosky Mattress Company has been promising a good night’s sleep to their customers for 115 years. Recently, they asked designer Brian Dittmar to create an eye-opening bedscape for their Market Street store window. “With Twitter and other tech innovators nearby, they wanted something that would attract the younger crowd that’s rejuvenating this area [...]
While I was in Jackson Hole last weekend, I had a few hours between wedding events to check out some new-to-me sights. First up—the National Museum of Wildlife Art. This hillside museum features American and European wildlife paintings and sculpture–the kind of art you might find covering the walls in National Park Lodges or Sun [...]
On this rainy Tuesday, I’m loving these cheery photos of The FloraCultural Society that Liessa Johannsen shot for my Gardenista post about this lovely new flower shop in Old Oakland. Florist Anna Campbell opened the shop as part of PopUpHood, a group that seeks to revitalize urban areas by taking vacant spaces and linking small business [...]
Quilts are more than bedcoverings, they’re also works of art. Marie Strait, President of the Board of Directors for the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles recently told me that “quiltmaking has always been a way for women to practice art while doing something practical.” Strait, an avid quilter and quilting teacher, was one [...]
Reading this essay about a woman asking for a better table when given a crummy one made me think about a recent failed attempt at being more forceful. Claire was in town from the frigid East and wanted to spend every minute of the weekend out in the sun. So we drove over to Point [...]
A month into house hunting my weeks are taking on a steady rhythm. On Friday we scan the MLS listings and plan what open houses we’ll attend that weekend. Saturday and Sunday afternoons we tour. Monday morning three a.m. I’m wide awake redecorating the most recently seen possibilities. Tuesday middle-of-the-night doubt creeps in. Wednesday morning [...]
At the end of a rainy Friday, I left the house to run a quick errand and found myself chasing rainbows all the way home. I spotted the first one as I rounded a corner in downtown Oakland and immediately pulled over to admire it. Hoping to find a more open vista I drove a few [...]
There are just a few more days left to see some of last year’s fabulous set designs on the big screen. If possible, check out “American Hustle” or “Her” in a theater and rent “The Great Gatsby” before the Oscars are handed out on Sunday night. These three movies topped my list (and the Academy’s) [...]
