Yesterday I attended an iPhone photo editing workshop by Seattle-based photographer David Perry. The workshop was sponsored by my local chapter of the Garden Club of America of which I’m a new member. I can tell already that this will be a fun group to hang out with—garden ladies are the best! I thought I’d [...]
One of my favorite Bay Area landscape designers is Keeyla Meadows. I first met Keeyla when I was scouting gardens for a major garden tour that served as a fundraiser for our children’s grade school. That was twenty-some years ago and over that time I’ve watched her garden evolve from a colorful but simple field [...]
Tonight we’re having friends over for a (somewhat) formal dinner party. Something I’d like to do more often but after a week of planning, shopping, prepping and cooking I remember why this is a rare occasion. It’s a whole lot of work! I know, I know. It doesn’t need to be this way. I could [...]
Recently I was invited to dinner at the offices of my niece’s hi-tech start up in the booming South of Market area of San Francisco. The on-site food was some of the best I’ve had and the interiors more upscale than many tech companies I’ve visited. But during the after dinner tour of my niece’s [...]
When I was a kid the biggest event of the summer happened one town down the line on July 24th. Known as “Pioneer Day” or, more pragmatically, “The 24th,” this county-wide celebration commemorated the day that Brigham Young entered the Salt Lake Valley after leading his people across the plains. On that fateful July 24 [...]
If this year’s San Francisco Decorator Showcase is any indicator, color is making a comeback. The hushed neutrals of the past have been replaced by sumptuous hues and bold graphics that feel fresh and invigorating. For example, in Cecilie Starin’s black and white dining room the abstract murals by San Francisco street muralist Ian Ross [...]
Plans for the outdoor spaces continue to evolve as I gather information and consult trusted experts. One of those experts is Berkeley artist and landscape designer Keeyla Meadows. I first met Keeyla twenty-some years ago when I was scouting gardens for a garden tour fundraiser for our kids’ grade school. Someone tipped me off to [...]
Too late for this year’s Chaise Lounge Awards I saw the oh-so-lovely Mr. Turner. The movie is a long series of vignettes about the 19th century English Romanticist landscape painter J.M.W. Turner. It garnered a 98% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes but only a 60% audience rating. With good reason. Unless you’re really into color and light–like [...]
As promised, the second annual FOG Design+Art fair is FUN. I attended the opening gala last night and was thoroughly entertained by both the furniture and fine art as well as the artfully dressed crowd. True confession: this was my first art fair (though I’d read this helpful primer beforehand) so I can’t really weigh [...]
It’s always fun to take a peek behind the scenes, don’t you think? Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit the San Francisco headquarters for the online stationary company Minted. You may remember that I’ve touted Minted’s high-quality papers and sophisticated designs before. No surprise, their offices were just as aesthetically pleasing as their products. [...]
