The Wife of an Artist

The Ugly Stepsister.

2010-07-13T07:08:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don't obsess over reality tv shows starring people 10 years younger than you, that craptastic show called The Hills ends its infamous run this evening. After years of awkward pauses and episodes full of nothing happening (as reenacted here), it's finally coming to an end. It's obvious MTV has always favored their little California gang...I mean Spencer even looks almost, dare I say, not douchey in this photo from MTV's website. Everyone looks hot and tan and thin...just like you would expect any group of twenty-somethings famous just for being famous that live in Hollywood.

The stars of The City...well, apparently actually working for a living does nothing for your looks.

Are these really the best photos they had of each of the "characters" from The City? How did this happen? Whitney is naturally gorgeous and Olivia, with her stunning hair, is as well (even though she is a total bitch). In this picture, Olivia looks like she's actually dying, Whitney's pretty hair is in a heinous bun on top of her head and Roxy looks much crazier than she actually is. Apparently whoever is editing photos for MTV is a HUGE Erin fan because she looks quite pretty. Also, now that I look more at the logo, I'm kind of hating the C.

I've heard The City only has one season left in it. I'm not surprised...MTV apparently never gave it a chance. Still, I will miss Kelly Cutrone and loving to hate Olivia and her flawless hair and wardrobe.

A Cut Above.

2010-07-12T08:39:00.001-07:00

It's that time again. The hair has been going into a ponytail (a wee ponytail, but one nonetheless) which signals the immediate need for a haircut. I haven't had hair past my shoulders in years because I just can't deal with the maintenance. That and it makes me feel plain and average for some reason. My current cut is giving me the same blah feeling. I have naturally wavy hair that I usually straighten it. But I'm going back to an oldie, but goodie this time around that takes advantage of my hair's texture.

I remember seeing this haircut on Julia Stiles like 6 years ago and immediately fell in love. And I LOVED that cut. I felt sassy and unique and stylish &mdash three things I could really use a jolt of right now. I can't wait to sport the cut with smoky eye makeup and the leather jacket I might have ordered this weekend when we are in Buenos Aires!

Here She Goes Again...

2010-07-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

Photo by Hunter Freeman; found via Kitsune Noir.

(This image has nothing to do with this blog post. I guess the only thing they have in common is that they are both awesome...naturally.)

This blog officially turned one on June 22nd, but it seemed silly to celebrate considering the last 6 months have consisted of a mere 23 posts (wow, that's embarrassing to say out loud!).

I had a moment last night where I thought that maybe I should just close the doors to this here ol' blog. Maybe that constant nagging sense of "you should probably post something" just isn't worth it. I blog daily, twice a day actually (and three times today over there if you want to get technical), just not here. And for the past month, I was also working two "part-time" jobs while doing A TON of photography work for the Arts Commission. So I essentially gave myself a free pass on personal blogging...and working out...and being social...and calling my mom (essentially everything I had resolved to do. whoops!).

But this month is different. This week I officially started to work from home. And as fantastic as that sounds in theory (it does sound pretty fantastic, doesn't it?), it's a bit harder than I thought. And not in the "how am I going to make myself get shit done with a TV there and the internet here and no boss around" way. I'm pretty self-motivated so that's not an issue. It's more in the "wow...I've had no human contact that isn't digital in 3 days and I'm still in my pajama pants" way.

See, I'm the type of person that could easily be a recluse. It's not because I don't like people and it's not because I don't like being outside. Just sometimes, I can get lazy in that sense. Like I physically have to make myself leave the house every. single. day. or else I wouldn't leave the apartment for months. I'm sure part of it stems from my depression and maybe some of it is deeper than that. But regardless, I'm only three days in and it's hard. And then I had my a ha! moment.

Sure, it's hard to go hang out with people and be social during the day when the rest of the world is at work. But know what can happen? I can interact with my favorite fellow bloggers and read all of your wonderful comments! I mean, I seriously LOVE that part of writing here...especially that it is snarky comment free.

So, I will try to be here more frequently. And don't take this personally, but me being here is way more for me than it is for you. Until September...when school starts and I just don't even know how that's gonna go.

Photo by Michele Kraus; postcard design by moi.

P.S. If you live in San Francisco, I have my first photography show tonight! It's not crazy exciting, but it's still kind of exciting.

STILLmatic
Opening Reception: Thursday, July 8 from 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Exhibition Run: July 1-31, 2010
Flax art & design
1699 Market Street at Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Store Hours: Mon-Sat 9:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

This photographic exhibition documents the StreetSmARTS program, an innovative collaboration initiated by the San Francisco Arts Commission and the Department of Public Works to transform graffiti-stained walls into beautiful works of art. During the 2010 pilot year, local urban artists created sixteen murals throughout San Francisco including five public school sites. The San Francisco Arts Commission was fortunate to have a group of exceptional photographers volunteer their skills over the past six months. In documenting the creation of the murals and the community’s response, Michele Kraus, Diana Sánchez, and Jessica Watson have created their own works of art.

Hello My Lovelies.

2010-06-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

Robert Minervini's Art in Storefront Mural in Wentworth Alley, Chinatown.

I fear my blog has become the unfortunate poster child for what happens when you pile too much on your plate. This little blog was at the bottom of that pile, but fortunately I've eaten through much of that heap and it's back on my radar. Yay!

So, I believe I owe you all some updates. First and foremost, after much deliberation I decided to leave my current job so that I could focus most of my energies on grad school in the fall. But since I'm not a trust fund baby, I still need a paycheck. I figured I'd have to settle with some silly part time job, but man oh man, did I luck out! I only applied to one job and I'm starting said job today! I will be Project Coordinator for an amazing non profit called PhotoPhilanthropy! If you are a photographer and are interested in how photography can be used to promote social change, definitely check us out! I am beyond excited for this new opportunity and feel like my career path is truly starting to align with my passions and values.

Next, I've had the opportunity to continue photographing many events for the San Francisco Arts Commission. One of my favorite events, Art in Storefronts (Chris had a piece last round) is opening this Friday in Chinatown and it's going to be a great event! Um, food from the Slanted Door? Yes please!! I'll be there photographing the festivities...be sure to say hi if you come out.

Finally, some super exciting news! Guess who has two thumbs and is going to Buenos Aires in August? This girl! Chris actually has a show (as part of the Sanctuary City project) there sponsored by the Argentine consulate so we will be visiting the fine city for two weeks. And we rented the most fabulous apartment for our stay. I'll be photographing it for Apartment Therapy so I can't wait to share it with you. It's in this old neighborhood called San Telmo that's full of cafes, antique shops, tango dancers and 18th century architecture. If anyone has any recommendations on what to do while visiting BA, please share.

A few other notes...End of Lost made me cry. A lot. What the hell is up with Spencer and all of those crystals? Go Celtics. And seriously, can someone please fix the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico? I just can't even wrap my brain around the devastation that the region will fear for years to come.

Alright, I have to head to a meeting for the new job, but I wanted to let you know that you can call off the rescue mission. I'm no longer MIA.

Cheers!

Oh My God...There's Justin (Bobby).

2010-04-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

Via NYMag.

I don't watch The Hills, but if I did....Okay, who am I kidding? I totally do (and I'm inappropriately excited for tonight's season premiere, if only to research whether or not Heidi's face actually moves). This reenactment is pretty spot on from Audrina's ceiling eyes to everyone's long stares to Spencer's tendency to act like a 12 year old boy. Oh, and Barbie is a decent stand in for Heidi.

I Need This Print.

2010-04-27T10:25:00.001-07:00

Via Design*Sponge.

I may have made this pledge a long, long time ago, but I think it's worth having a reminder around the house. Perhaps I should send one over to James Cameron?

Something Blue.

2010-04-11T11:30:00.000-07:00

Dress by Michael Kors. Photo by Mario Testino.

I wish I had this dress, a warm, sunny place to wear it and Carmen Kass' body to fill it. The zipper on the shoulder is just genius. Love you Michael Kors! (By the way, for those watching Project Runway, how great were Jonathan's impersonations of Michael? Almost as great as Santino's of Tim Gunn!)

4. Collage.

2010-04-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

So, I lied. I tried to come up with my list of ten things that make me happy without listing collage, but look at this stuff. How can it not make you happy? If it doesn't make you happy, you must be a communist or socilist (that's how you spell it, right?).

4. Collage.
If you have yet to check out all the great design over at Society6, do it now! Chris and I are selling some posters over there (well, attempting to anyway) and received an endorsement from some guy named Matthew Billington. So, I clicked to check out his stuff and it was amazing.

How amazing? Well, these collages are all by Matthew Billington! I almost choked when I saw that he was endorsing my design work. Was he just being nice? Eh, it doesn't matter because I was so excited to be introduced to his stuff. I mean, it honestly blows my mind. I love the way he combines all of the elements...the retro imagery, typography, delicate illustration and perfect use of color. Check it out for yourselves. And if you love it as much as I do, his prints all sell for under $50! I know, right? Enjoy...I had a hard time editing down what to show you.

All images courtesy of Matthew Billington.

Ten Things That Make Me Happy:
10. San Francisco History.
9. Japanese Kid Playing the Ukulele.
8. Jonathan Adler Helix Rug.
7. The PS22 Chorus.
6. Typography.
5. Two Words: Congratulations - Admitted.

Thoughts of Spring.

2010-04-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Lori over at automatism for asking me to take part in her lovely Snapshot series. This month's theme is Spring...you can head over there to see my post now. And if you are visiting from automatism, welcome! So glad to have you here!

Hope you all get to enjoy a little sun and warmth today!

Birthday Weekend. Part Deux.

2010-04-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, we left Bodega Bay and headed down the coast back to San Francisco. Chris is passionate about his seafood which makes sense considering he grew up near Boston (I am lucky that my tastes have evolved beyond my initial predisposition toward iceberg lettuce, Chili's and Olive Garden that comes with having grown up in Phoenix). So when I mentioned that there might be oysters, really good oysters, to be found along the drive, Chris started salivating in some sort of Pavlovian response.

We stopped in a small town called Marshall. Calling Marshall a town is an overstatement, as its population of 50 is less than the number of people that live in my apartment building. But I digress. If I'm correct (and it's likely I'm not...I could research it, but I'm feeling a bit lazy right now), Marshall is also home to Hog Island Oyster Company and Tomales Bay Oyster Company. Unfortunately, we were not prepared to partake in either fine company. Each location has tons of picnic tables for oyster loving folks to bring mesh gloves, shucking tools and coolers full of additional food and beverages to spend the afternoon shucking oysters. We were on vacation and not only did we not have said tools, we didn't want to do the work.

Luckily, we found the Marshall Store and it did not disappoint. Not only was the food delicious, but 6 gigantic oysters, half a crab, fish tacos and shrimp cocktail all totaled about $40 (as opposed to that crappy meal we had at some Bodega Bay "seafood" spot that was about $60). We ate outside overlooking the bay and it was gorgeous. Chris made it known that if we lived close enough, we would be eating there daily. And that was my long winded endorsement of the Marshall Store.

We then proceeded down the coast through Point Reyes to hit up Cowgirl Creamery (if you don't live in California and haven't tried their Triple Cream, you have my deepest sympathy as it's DELICIOUS!!!). Point Reyes was cute and quaint, even if the vibe came off as "hippies" and new age folks with six figure incomes clad in North Face gear (no offense to North Face). We picked up the creamery's sample pack of cheese (triple cream, goat cheese, blue cheese and a delightful cheddar), some membrillo (quince paste) and some almonds and headed back home. It was a great weekend all in all...it better have been, otherwise I gained three pounds just because.

Birthday Weekend. Part I.

2010-04-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, my birthday weekend did not disappoint. Now, Bodega Bay is a sleepy town...like I think we drove through it in less than a minute, but the hotel we stayed at was fabulous with ocean views and a fireplace in our room. The restaurant there was surprisingly great and I will be craving their potato soup for months to come. Chris and my family treated me to a spa day while Chris golfed in pouring rain and crazy winds (I wish I had a picture of him when he returned...his clothes have yet to dry out).

More than all that, it was just so nice to take a nice long weekend with my husband. Not counting holiday trips to Phoenix, this is the first weekend we've spent together in a year. I kid you not. Our schedules are different and Chris is usually either working or at the studio one day a weekend (lately it's been both days). And when he's home, he's lucky if my laptop isn't attached to my lap for a whole ten minutes. I think we both learned we need to get out of town more often.

More pics to come on Wednesday. Yes, Wednesday as in two days from now.

An April Fool.

2010-04-01T06:16:00.000-07:00

Image via Damon Green.

Today is my birthday. The good ol' 3-2. Before you ask, no, no one ever plays April Fool's Day jokes on me. I think I got the first and best one in when I was born. I was due on May 15th, but was six weeks early so everyone thought my birth was a joke. Ha! Beat that suckers.

To celebrate, we are heading up north to Bodega Bay (or as Chris likes to call it, Bodego) for some good food, good wine and good times. Life has been ridiculously busy for Chris and me (hence my woeful neglect of this here blog) so getting out of town for 3 days is beyond exciting. I'll bring my camera along so hopefully I'll have some amazing pics to share that will also be used for an exciting project soon to be announced!

In the meantime, you can see some of what I've been up to here and here, as I've been playing photographer and designer for one of Chris' latest projects. Granted, this isn't anything new, but add that to my normal AT posts and my recent stint of 12+ hour days at work and, well, it's been a lot.

I can't promise I'll be back posting daily, but let's compromise. How's 1-2 times a week for now? I figure sometimes is better than never, right? Please humor me...it's my birthday after all :)

5. Two Words: Congratulations - Admitted.

2010-03-04T18:48:00.000-08:00

From CCA's website.

I recently revealed that I had applied to California College of the Art's MBA in Design Strategy Program. As soon as I hit publish on that post I broke into a cold sweat fearing that follow up post I'd eventually have to write revealing that I didn't get in. But luckily...

5. Two Words: Congratulations - Admitted.
I will happily admit that I've been obsessively checking my application status daily since the day I submitted it. And everyday I convinced myself that would be the day, well, until Tuesday. Tuesday I was distracted and checked out of habit. Lo and behold...something changed. Woo hoo! I will officially be a grad student this fall.

I know that doesn't sound that exciting, but I've been planning on going back to school since my Junior year in college (and that would be 10+ years ago..egad). I've looked into many programs and have talked about applying ad nauseum, but this was the first one that I truly felt fit. And I can't wait!

Oh, and that Project H meeting...super inspiring! I have a meeting next week and I'll let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, did you see Emily's super cute apartment on Apartment Therapy today? I'm kind of obsessed with the photos. I think they might just be my best ones yet.

Ten Things That Make Me Happy:
10. San Francisco History.
9. Japanese Kid Playing the Ukulele.
8. Jonathan Adler Helix Rug.
7. The PS22 Chorus.
6. Typography.

Posters. For a Good Cause.

2010-02-24T07:42:00.000-08:00

Hi folks. Just wanted to check in real quick to let you know that Chris and I are selling posters (that I designed...had to throw that in there lest you got confused that he might have) from his Art in Storefronts project on Society 6. All proceeds will benefit the San Francisco Arts Commission's Community Arts and Education Program. This program supports projects like Art in Storefronts as well as StreetSmARTS which aims to educate youth on the difference between tagging and graffiti art.

Poster prices start at $30 and are for gallery quality Giclée prints on natural white, matte, ultra smooth, 100% cotton rag, acid and lignin free archival paper using Epson K3 archival inks. There are four different designs available.

Oh, and just a quick, exciting update. I'm going to a San Francisco Team Meeting for Project H tonight! It seems that if you offer people your help, they will usually take you up on it. I'll let you know how it goes.

6. Typography.

2010-02-12T06:54:00.000-08:00

Dear Typography poster from thebirdsandthebeasts. Be still my beating heart.

I tried to get through this list without mentioning type. I really did. But I realized that wouldn't be very honest of me if I denied my love of type because it truly does make me happy...dorky graphic designer happy. So without further ado...

6. Typography
Instead of starting from scratch, here are a few of my favorite posts about type on this blog:

• Papyrus?!? Really?
• Bobby Knows Best.
• !!!
• Books. Check 'Em Out.
• Deviating from the Norm...Not.
• ABCs.

Ah...now isn't that a lovely way to move into a holiday weekend?

Ten Things That Make Me Happy:
10. San Francisco History.
9. Japanese Kid Playing the Ukulele.
8. Jonathan Adler Helix Rug.
7. The PS22 Chorus.

Blog It Forward: What Inspires Me?

2010-02-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Why We Should Teach Design Early from GOOD Magazine.

We interrupt our regularly (or irregularly as of late) scheduled posts on the 10 Things That Make Me Happy to take part in sfgirlbybay's Blog It Forward! And if this is your first time at this little blog, welcome!

Just a quick bit about me...I work full time for an affordable housing developer in San Francisco, but in my time away from work, I'm a daily contributor to Apartment Therapy, a photo intern for the San Francisco Arts Commission, an assistant to my artist husband and I sometimes dabble into being an artist myself. I'm also hoping (I'll know in a month!!) to start grad school this fall. Since starting my blog this summer and putting myself out there, great things have really started to happen and I've finally found a direction I'm excited to steer myself in. Here is more about the inspiration that is continuing my drive in that direction.

Volume Inc.'s proposal to deal with the large amount of trash bins in San Francisco as part of GOOD Design SF.

I'm a very visual person so normally I'm inspired by what I see, but lately I've been inspired more by what others are doing. About six months ago, I had an Aha! moment regarding design (my design background is primarily in web and print design). I attended a presentation at SPUR sponsored by GOOD Magazine where city departments gave problems to local design firms and the firms then presented their solutions. My working life has been spent wavering between design/art and public service. I had never been able to find something I could do that would satisfy my needs to both be creative and help the greater good. And in this presentation, design was used to create solutions to make San Francisco better and it was fantastic! It all made sense right then and there. Within four months I had applied to CCA's MBA program in Design Strategy.

Since then, I've been working hard to learn more about this movement to design with a conscience. Almost simultaneously, I came across this book, saw an interview with the author, Emily Pilloton, on The Colbert Report and was given the opportunity to interview her for Apartment Therapy.

The Design Revolution Road Show Airstream.

To call that interview inspiring is such an understatement. Emily is working hard to promote humanitarian design and to inspire the next generation of designers. She is currently on a 6,300 mile road trip with the Design Revolution Road Show taking 40 examples of this design to high schools and colleges around the country. And if that's not enough, she also runs a nonprofit, Project H Design, that is working to open a high school in the poorest county in North Carolina that combines design thinking, vocational trade skills training, and community citizenship to equip low-opportunity teenagers with critical creative problem solving skills for life. Wow, right? (If you want to help this initiative, be sure to vote for them to receive a $50,000 grant through Pepsi's Refresh Everything program.)

Some of the products in the Design Revolution Road Show.

Now, I realize not all of us are ready to move into an Airstream and travel around the country, but Emily put all of this into perspective for me. At the end of our interview she said, "We all have a different skill set and you can apply it to things that matter and you can apply it to things that don't." That's a philosophy I can definitely get behind!

Phew, if you made it here, thanks for indulging my lack of brevity! Be sure to check in with the window ledge tomorrow to find out what inspires her. If you missed Rachel's starter Blog it Forward post on Smile and Wave, be sure to read it now. And thanks again to Victoria of sfgirlbybay! I can't wait to read what inspires the 300 bloggers she pulled together for this awesome project!

7. The PS22 Chorus

2010-02-10T16:52:00.000-08:00

Pictures of You by The Cure

It kills me that we continue to cut arts programs in this county. Just imagine being 10 years old and taking part in this amazing chorus. Imagine the confidence that would be gained at such a young age. Imagine working as a team and being a part of something that is bigger than you. Imagine how it would have helped you as you grew up. And yet these programs continue to get cut in school districts around the country... Okay, I'm stepping off my soap box now to move on to what makes me smile today.

7. The PS22 Chorus

I recognize that I'm a little behind on this as PS22 has been taking over the internet for the last year or so, but I thought there might be a few of you out there that hadn't heard of them. These kids don't just sing the words, they feel them. Watch how incredibly expressive every face is, how they dance without concern for what others make think of them.

New York Magazine featured a great story on this chorus comprised of 5th graders(!!) that you should definitely read since my recap won't do it any justice.

Cheers to PS22's chorus director Gregg Breinberg! Your passion and dedication to these students is an inspiration to us all! And to the students that have been a part of the PS22 chorus, please don't ever stop singing!

Landslide by Fleetwood Mac (warning...tears will come to your eyes)

Viva la Vida by Coldplay

Just Dance by Lady Gaga

We Will Rock You by Queen

Ten Things That Make Me Happy:
10. San Francisco History.
9. Japanese Kid Playing the Ukulele.
8. Jonathan Adler Helix Rug

8. Jonathan Adler Helix Rug

2010-01-31T18:07:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be nice to make it through this list of things that make me happy without getting all materialistic, but I like things and some things make me happy. And I think things with triangles and varying hues of blue and gray are pretty awesome.

8. Jonathan Adler Helix Rug
This Jonathan Adler Helix Rug makes me smile, although I would be grinning from ear to ear if it was actually on my floor (if someone could also rip out our lame carpet and replace it with hardwood floors, I'd be eternally grateful). The $1,050 price tag...not so much.

Ten Things That Make Me Happy:
10. San Francisco History.
9. Japanese Kid Playing the Ukulele.

9. Japanese Kid Playing the Ukulele

2010-01-28T16:40:00.000-08:00

Crazy G.

So, I will immediately acknowledge that this is quite possibly one of the most random things you've seen that makes someone happy, but just wait til you watch. I discovered this little guy today (thanks to a tweet from Andy Roddick...if you are reading this Andy, you played great!) and I can't stop watching.

On to the next installment in my series:

I'm Yours.

9. Japanese Kid Playing the Ukulele
I don't know his name, but he is now 5 years old. He and his mom (??) started playing the ukulele a year ago and initially learned by following along with a television show. The kid can rip it up on a ukulele. He has one of the cutest giggles I've heard and makes the most adorable faces when he starts rocking out. Since he doesn't know English, he sings the sounds that he hears.

As My Guitar Gently Weeps.

Sorry puppies, but I think I've found something else to cure my gloomy days.

Ten Things That Make Me Happy:
10. San Francisco History.

10. San Francisco History.

2010-01-27T17:15:00.000-08:00

Scenes shot from a streetcar in SF in 1905. Music by Air...funny how a modern song fits this film so well.

Um, hi. Remember me? You probably forgot that I exist considering I've been missing for 2 weeks now. This blogging thing must be like going to the gym...you miss a few days and it's hell getting back (and you don't even want to hear how long it's been since I was at the gym).

Alison over at Lipstick on Your Teeth thankfully called me out and gave me an assignment. It's my turn to tell you 10 things that make me happy. And since I'm currently in the business of getting as many posts out of as little content as possible, I'll only be posting one at a time. It might be cheating, but at least I know what the next 10 posts will be. Well, sort of. I'm going to try to do this without mentioning ampersands, collage or typography. Ugh. Now on with the show...

10. San Francisco History
I've always been a fan of history, but usually leaned toward history primarily dealing with art. Thanks to Chris' recent injection of San Francisco history into his art (like our little train project), I've been learning more about it. It's so ridiculously interesting. We've totally started dorking out on it. For example, last night, we went to hear a lecture at this incredibly old San Francisco institution, the Mechanics' Institute. With a room full of septuagenarians and their glasses of wine (yes, they serve wine with their lectures! old people still want to party), we listened to SF native Charles Fracchia discuss his book, When the Water Came up to Montgomery Street, and the growth of San Francisco during the Gold Rush.

Let me reference my notes for some interesting tidbits (yes, I took notes. I did say dorking out).

Did you know that before the Gold Rush, San Francisco only had about 800 residents? It's estimated that 350,00 - 500,000 people migrated to California from 1848-1859.
There was a period in 1849 when the population of San Francisco doubled every ten days.
Prior to the 1906 earthquake and the subsequent fire that destroyed the city, San Francisco had already had 6 fires that virtually destroyed the city.
If you've visited San Francisco, the Embarcadero area and much of South of Market were not here 150 years ago. Those areas are all built on land fill, sand and debris from fires and the 1906 earthquake.

Map of San Francisco from 1849 and one from now. Click to see it bigger.

My favorite tidbit of the night was due to an epiphany Charles had about the unique nature of the City. If you've lived here or visited, there really is something magical about San Francisco. There's an air of limitless potential, hopefulness and inclusivity that you don't find many other places. Charles realized that it's probably due to the way the city was built. It was one of the only cities in modern history that's diverse population came together all at once. During the Gold Rush, people came from all over the world. Within a year, San Francisco already had immigrants from China, Japan, South America, Malaysia and Mexico as well as people of Italian, Irish, German and other heritages. Granted, other cities are just as diverse, but none had it happen virtually over night. Since it's inception, San Francisco has opened its arms to everyone and I love that you still feel that to this day.

Geez...you better hope I'm never away for a month or you will have a novel to read.

Helping Just Got Easier.

2010-01-13T10:55:00.000-08:00

Most of you have probably seen this, but if you are looking for way to help those affected by the devastation in Haiti, here's something that will take less than 10 seconds (assuming you are a proficient texter):

Text "Haiti" to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross efforts in Haiti.

The donation will be added to your next phone bill and 100% of it will go to relief efforts in Haiti.

My sincere thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti today.

A Bit Premature, Perhaps.

2010-01-12T13:31:00.000-08:00

All photos by Kevin Cooley, found via Kitsune Noir.

I know...two photography posts in a row. It's like I'm getting lazy or something (thank you for ignoring the fact that my last post was on Friday!). I'm becoming a bit photo obsessed since I've been out and about with my camera so much as of late. I had three different shoots this weekend...one for AT, one for Ohdeedoh and another for the San Francisco Arts Commission. It's fun and I'm learning so much with every shoot (and acquiring more and more camera gear along the way), but then I see stuff like this and, well, le sigh...I'm starting to sound like the Jealous Curator (which you should totally check out if you haven't before). But alas, that's why one of my 2010 resolutions is to take my photography more seriously.

Speaking of resolutions, I'm doing somewhat better than expected thus far. Here's an update (assuming you are even slightly interested):

1. Travel more. - Haven't left the city yet, but planning a trip to NYC in April.
2. Eat with intention. - Um, no.
3. Design and collage more. - Nope.
4. Take my photography to the next level. - Signed up for class, interning with SFAC!
5. Be realistic with expectations of myself and my time. - Working on it.
6. Collaborate with Chris on another project (or two). - Already met with a collaborator!
7. Be more confident in myself and my abilities. - Applied to grad school! Finally!
8. Read more books and watch less tv. - I have two design books I'm reading.
9. Actively pursue my career goals. - Yep, grad school! Yay! MBA in Design Strategy at CCA!
10. Run another marathon. - I guess running would be a good start.
11. Call my mom more often. - Does email count for something?
12. Spend more time in the kitchen. - That might require groceries.
13. Go on more dates with my husband. - We just had a lovely Sunday!
14. Always appreciate my wonderful life. - Definitely!
15. Cultivate my personal style. - That would require more clean clothes...
16. Regularly update my blog. - Crap.
17. Find a good synonym for more. - Additional? Supplementary?

I really shouldn't be patting myself on the back too much. It is only January 12th after all.

Blinded by the Light.

2010-01-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

So, getting back into the swing of things was a little harder than I anticipated. My first mistake was adding "finish grad school application" to my already ginormous pile of To Dos (more on that later). In hopes of a quick post, I've been waiting to see something fabulous all week and I finally found it!

Germany's Light Art Performance Photography takes these photos using slow shutter speeds and varying light sources as their paint. Click on each image to see it in its full glory or head over to The Daily Mail to read more about this dynamic duo.

Papyrus?!? Really?

2010-01-04T06:45:00.000-08:00

I finally saw Avatar in 3D this weekend. Sure, the animation was great and Jake Sully was easy on the eyes, but the war scene went on too long and the overall themes of the movie seemed a tad too elementary. But all this aside I have one main complaint: Papyrus! Wha?!?! How do you spend this much money making a movie and use that font? And then use it for all of the subtitles? Gross.

I wish I was as witty as Pr*tty Sh*tty, but (sigh) I'm not. So, please go and read An Open Letter to James Cameron from Papyrus. I hope Avatar's success doesn't legitimize this font and bring it back into mainstream use. If Mr. Cameron uses Comic Sans in his next film, he will never see another dollar from me. Never!

I Resolve to...

2010-01-02T10:23:00.000-08:00

Amble by Yelena James, found via The Jealous Curator. I think we are all jealous of this.

(in no particular order..simplicity of list inspired by Rachel of elephantine)

1. Travel more.
2. Eat with intention.
3. Design and collage more.
4. Take my photography to the next level.
5. Be realistic with expectations of myself and my time.
6. Collaborate with Chris on another project (or two).
7. Be more confident in myself and my abilities.
8. Read more books and watch less tv.
9. Actively pursue my career goals.
10. Run another marathon.
11. Call my mom more often.
12. Spend more time in the kitchen.
13. Go on more dates with my husband.
14. Always appreciate my wonderful life.
15. Cultivate my personal style.
16. Regularly update my blog.
17. Find a good synonym for more.

Here's to an exciting 2010!

For the Record, It's Twenty Ten.

2010-01-01T17:37:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a wonderful evening last night and a relaxing day today (and that you are finally hangover free).

I've been trying to work through all of the craziness that has been this past year to write some sort of pensive discourse on the year that was 2009 and how that will influence my 2010. However, I've been too busy relaxing and enjoying our new high-definition television (they don't call it vacation for nothing). The vacation officially ends tomorrow as I have blog posts and personal statements to write...and goals for twenty-ten (not two thousand ten...save yourself a syllable).

Until then, enjoy your long weekends kiddos!

Loving Love.

2009-12-29T06:44:00.000-08:00

My sister is currently on route to New Zealand (because of this). I am so incredibly excited for her and proud of her for taking such a chance for love. Still, everyone who knows Jen and Ed are pretty positive it's a safe bet.

I did really well yesterday saying good-bye to her. I barely cried and only left her with two minutes of older sister advice. And then I was on Facebook and saw this message from Ed:

Farewell my friends, I gotta go see about a girl...

Instant tears. And I'm crying again just typing this. Once a sap, always a sap.

Feliz Navidad.

2009-12-24T09:09:00.001-08:00

Just found this photo that I had to share of my brother and I visiting Santa when we were kids...before the younger sister entered the scene (I think). Holy long hair! What does a 6 year old do with all that? And seriously, are we wearing matching overalls? Yes, overalls!?! (I'm totally going to avoid the discussion of the creepiness of this Santa, his gargantuan hands and that doll on the right.)

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-23T09:47:00.000-08:00

This year, there are no presents under our tree (there are no ornaments on it either...we are simply excited that we found time to put up a tree at all...although it's artificial and hardly the same). Chris and I opted not to give gifts...it's amazing how much holiday stress that relieves. Instead, we donated our present money to a local family that needed it way more than I needed new shoes or Chris needed an Xbox.

We are headed to Phoenix tomorrow to spend the holidays with my family and hang out with my sister before she embarks on her next big adventure. I'm bringing the camera and the laptop so I hope to regal you with some silly stories while I'm away.

Hope you all have a lovely holiday and get to spend it with people you adore!

Bon Jour Paris.

2009-12-22T14:15:00.000-08:00

The Hidden Hotel via Remodelista.

Recently, I've been itching to go to Paris...the fashion, the romance, the bread, cheese and wine, the macarons, the shopping (you get the idea)! I suppose it'll have to wait til after my spring trip to New York City and Thanksgiving trip to New Zealand (fingers tightly crossed). But once Chris and I finally make it to the "City of Light," I hope to stay here. Something about staying in a comfortable and calming hotel after long days and evenings exploring the city seems to call my name. And the fact that it's on the rue de l’Arc de Triomphe doesn't hurt either.

Maybe Jen and Ed will move to Paris next?!? I take that back...I want them in San Franciso with me!

Cheers!

2009-12-21T11:20:00.000-08:00

Four years ago...ah, young love.

I was looking through recent posts and realized the majority of them involve me basically bragging about my husband's art career. I hope that's not what it's perceived as because it's really truly sheer pride and excitement. This is all very new to us and I'm just incredibly proud of him.

I met Chris in San Diego about five years ago. Now, San Diego is a near perfect place to live...lovely weather, beautiful people and gorgeous beaches. But because of this, it's easy to become complacent. I mean, what more do you need when you can work and then head to the beach and surf til the sun sets. Still, I wanted more for myself and Chris wanted more, too. His passion for his art and self-assurance that one day he would make it really drew me to him. Granted, it's also been known to drive me nuts, but that's another post ;)

So here we are, five years after we met and a short six months after he received his MFA and he's truly making it. Chris finally feels like he can say that he is indeed an artist. I mean, just yesterday he was featured in a New York Times article and last week he found out he's taking part in San Jose's ZERO1 Biennial next fall. And I'm telling you all this because Chris wants to make sure everyone (meaning my family, especially my brother) knows that he will be able to take care of me and support me one day doing what he loves. Translation: Don't worry...she's not wasting her time married to a slacker wannabe artist.

Anyway, thanks for reading about my journey these past few months. It's been quite a whirlwind adventure and having this online source of support has been pretty amazing. So much has been happening and I'm slowly learning how to balance it all (it all being two posts a day at AT). My posts here will most likely be a little less frequent int he new year, but I won't disappear again like these past two weeks (pinkie swear!).

This has been a pretty amazing year! I can't wait to see what 2010 holds! And I am so excited to read what great things all of you out in the blogosphere do!

xoxo,
Jess

Please Forgive Me.

2009-12-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

I should really be banished to the gates of blogging hell for abandoning you all for the past 6 days! Two photo shoots, an 18 hour trip to Orange County, a dinner party, a HUGE deadline at work, photos to edit from said photo shoots, etc. have made blogging and reading blogs nearly impossible. Don't believe me? I had 789 items in my Google Reader yesterday morning. Ouch!

The photo shoots this weekend were awesome though! I got to shoot my friend Thuy's ridiculously cute apartment as well as all of the odd and beautiful goodies within Paxton Gate!

I hope you are all having a fantastic week getting ready for the holidays. I promise to be back tomorrow with my Christmas wish list items and the reason why we decided against presents this year. Hope you have your hankies ready ;)

A Little Bit of This, a Little Bit of That.

2009-12-11T07:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning, I was perusing Facebook (because that's what all the cool 31 year olds are doing these days) and I came across an article written by the Mayor of San Francisco on his blog (yep, our mayor blogs...he also twitters). The article was about the Art in Storefronts projects and featured Chris' project!

I was very excited when I read it, but then I noticed under Gavin's name it said Huffington Post. Whaaaa??? I did a search on the HuffPo and sure enough, there was Chris' project in all its glory! Granted, they spelled his last name wrong and failed to give me credit for my photograph, but I guess I'll let Arianna slide this time. Chris' first national press! Very exciting!

Now, I owe you all an apology for being so flaky on the blog lately. There's just never enough time! So, I wanted to share an awesome link in order to make amends. You might have noticed that I love well-designed book covers. Well, I'm now adding DVD covers from the Criterion Collection to my list of loves.

Head over to grain edit to check out more DVD beauties.

I have a pretty crazy weekend ahead of me so if you don't hear from me, hope you all stay warm, get some shopping done and sip some hot cocoa!

Let It Snow (Well, Figuratively).

2009-12-08T17:02:00.000-08:00

From Benoit.P.

If there was any doubt in anyone's mind, winter is definitely right around the corner. It hasn't broken 50 degrees today. In San Francisco. Before you laugh at my weather feebleness, that's a whole 10 degrees below our average temperature. So I know it could be colder, but I do take public transportation and probably walked a good two miles outside (uphill...in the snow...both ways) today. Okay, so maybe I wasn't walking "in" snow, but I did see this:

Snow!

In honor of this cold weather season and gloves and ear muffs and wool and long johns and hot cocoa and fireplaces, here are some of my favorite "winter" photos I found on flickr. There is a stillness in this season that I think these photos capture perfectly.

(Click on the image below to go to my flickr favorites to be able to see each individual photo.)

From .bella.

From Christopher M.

From rikopin.

From TommyOshima.

Phew!

2009-12-06T09:33:00.000-08:00

The train attendant (aka my husband). Isn't he dreamy?

I'm still riding the high of yesterday's event (even though I'm riding it while feeling like crap). Everything went 100 times better than Chris and I could have ever imagined. It was fun, magical, interactive and absurd. The public really reacted positively to the project. Most never knew about the train so they were very excited to learn why so many buildings were built at such funky angles (the line used to run through the parking lot we were stationed in). And then when they found out they got a ticket...and we would punch it for them, well everyone got excited like kids again. It was fantastic!

Here are some more pics from the day, but if you want to see them all you can check them out here. I have yet to edit them in Photoshop, but I'm too tired right now and too eager to show them to you so you'll just have to deal ;)

Here's a little shout out to Southern Exposure and all of the other artists that were part of Passive/Aggressive. They all made for an amazing experience.

And a huge thanks to my readers for all of the kind words over the last few weeks. This entire process has just been awesome and having this online support has made it even better!

We Survived.

2009-12-05T07:17:00.000-08:00

Oh, being an artist and the wife of an artist is way more stressful than I anticipated, but we made it! We are packing our things up to head out for All Aboard today. Thanks for all of the support and sorry I've been missing this week.

It's been a long week of missteps and no sleep, but at the end of the day I'm truly thankful that this is what I'm stressed about...creating art with the man I love. I'm one lucky lady.

P.S. If you follow me on twitter, I'll try to post some iPhone pics today.

Checking In.

2009-12-03T00:33:00.000-08:00

Cheerio! (My sister is dating a Brit so I feel that I'm allowed to say that...and also add u's where they aren't needed as in colour or flavour.)

Anyway, I just wanted to check in and let you know I'm alive and breathing. I'm not really sleeping much. I took a personal day today to do other work. I love taking vacation time to work. Isn't that grand?

If the lighting was better (and using my flash didn't give me hives), I'd show you what I was up to today. Let's just say I've printed individually numbered, two sided tickets, cut them all out by hand and given each one four nice rounded corners. I know there are some of you that will appreciate the hell this was. For the other ones, it's taken 12 hours to make 90 tickets. 12 hours! It's a pain in the ass (sorry for the language but it's 12:37 and I need to wake up in less than 5 hours). Oh, and I still have 30 to go. Sweet!

But it'll all be worth it, right? It will. I know it will. The tickets look amazing. The vinyl is getting cut right now. Saturday will be glorious!

Thanks for letting me vent. And if you were curious, this is exactly what happens when bloggers have too little sleep and a glass or two of wine.

All Aboard.

2009-11-30T13:30:00.000-08:00

Chris and I were hard at work this fine holiday weekend. As I mentioned, our Southern Exposure piece is all about an old train line that ran through the Mission. And since I love you guys (and apparently love talking about myself), here's a sneak peak of what this Saturday will look like.

The first thing I've been finishing up is the design for the vinyl markers that will follow the old train route. The markers will featured a little blurb about the history of the route and also tell participants where the next "stop" is. The final stop will be a train depot that my handy husband built.

Mock up of vinyl markers as installed.

There, Chris (dressed in a great old vest and tie combo along with a pocket watch) will greet the "passengers" and give each of them a ticket. Chris has been busy drawing old trains and stations from the route. I then scanned them into Photoshop and played technicolor wizard to make them look like old postcard images. They will go on the back of the train tickets with a nice little anecdote about the line. There will be four different ticket designs. Two of the original drawings are below.

The front of the ticket will be fashioned after old train tickets. Chris will write the passenger's name on the ticket and then punch whichever "stop" that they boarded the train. Each ticket will be numbered and lettered differently so each ticket will in fact be an original. Who has two thumbs and is super excited to print and cut out 125 of these bad boys? This girl!

Click on ticket to see more detail.

So that's where we are at today. I still need to finish up the research, design the last two tickets, finish the vinyl, get the vinyl cut, print the tickets, cut out the tickets and prep the vinyl for install. Oh, and Chris gets to finish the depot. You know what I'm thankful for this year? Caffeine!!

Obsess Much?

2009-11-28T08:09:00.000-08:00

Nautilus Cowboy.

Are you ready to say uncle with my current collage obsession? It's getting to the point where I should start a side blog, "The Wife of an Artist Who Loves Collage." It would probably be quite tedious to type that in all the time though.

I think my obsession stems from the fact that collage is something I think I could be really, really good at... it encompasses everything I love about design that I'm good at, but also allows you to create imaginary, impossible scenes. There's something about flipping through magazine after magazine to accumulate all of the components for your piece and then being able to arrange and rearrange and remove and add. It's like Photoshop...but in real life ;)

I wish I had the time right now to really foster this art form. And perhaps I should just set a meager goal...one new collage a month? That seems doable. But until I'm able to give it the attention it deserves, I'll just search for inspiration online. The work of Able Parris seems like a good place to start. I love how Able creates scenes that I know I would question...do these elements belong together? But somehow he assembles them so that I can't imagine how the final piece would work if one of them was missing.

Sometimes I'm too practical for my own good. Maybe collage will help me find my imagination again.

Old Lady.

The Shapes of Numbers.

Intolerant.

Hands of Creation.

The Future is Bright.
All collages by Able Parris.

Passive Aggressive.

2009-11-27T06:30:00.000-08:00

Click on the image to see more detail.

I apologize in advance if my posts are few and far between for the next week. It's crunch time for next Saturday when Chris and I present the world (or the few folks that walk by) with our first collaborative piece for Southern Exposure's Passive/Aggressive Urban Intervention Day. Our public art piece is called "All Aboard." Here's a bit more info:

The train was once the main method of long distance travel that forced riders to sit, wait and take in their surroundings. This project follows part of route of the historic South Pacific Railroad line along Harrison Street with markers acting as “stations” inviting participants to "hop on board" while providing interesting facts about the railroad and its long history. The route will end at a train depot (NE corner of 24th and Capp Sts.) where participants will be greeted by a train attendant and given a uniquely rendered ticket, each featuring a different destination that the Southern Pacific Railroad served.

I'm going to be busy over the next week designing train tickets, printing and cutting said train tickets, designing vinyl markers for the sidewalk, installing markers and trying to keep myself from freaking out. It's going to be a ton of work, but once all is said and done it should be a fabulous project.

So if you don't hear much from me, that is why. I had to clarify so you didn't think that I got lost at the mall. I hope everyone out here had a fantastic Thanksgiving (or Thursday as it's known outside of the US). Thank you all so much for taking time out of your undoubtedly hectic schedules to stop by here. It means the world to me. And this little blog here will definitely be one of the best things I decided to do in all of 2009!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T09:36:00.000-08:00

From whorange via fabulon.

Wishing all of you a day filled with family, friends, fun and food (and football...if you are into that sort of thing)!

Watch. This. Now.

2009-11-25T08:44:00.000-08:00

As the guy at Peet's so eloquently put it, Animal's existential crisis is just so evident in the way he says, "Mama? Mama!"

Freaking Obsessed.

2009-11-23T16:00:00.000-08:00

Le Monde des Livres.

To say I have a preference for all things collage, retro-inspired and absurd with a bit of Dr. Strangelove and astrophysics thrown in (I stole that from Julien Pacaud) would be an understatement. I think infatuation is a much better word. So my design aesthetic is a little predictable if you've been around these parts once of twice, but can you blame me?

Case in point...French illustrator extraordinaire Julien Pacaud. Sorry Chad and Mark, but I just found a new obsession. Is genius too strong of a word? Damn these illustrators leaving me at a loss for words. Here's the first four I could come up with: I want it all.

Good Girl.

Memories of Tomorrow.

Cluedo.

World Construction Kit.
All images from Julien Pacaud found via Design Crisis.

About Inspiration at My Sparrow.

2009-11-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

The lovely Christina Fluegge of My Sparrow recently asked me to answer some questions regarding what inspires me. Inspiration is such a hard thing to pin down. If you want to know more about mine, you can read it here.

After you finish reading that, make sure to check out Christina's beautiful eco-friendly online store, also called My Sparrow. She also sells her jewelry on etsy and I need every single necklace in her shop.

The Dream Team.

2009-11-22T20:00:00.000-08:00

Image from Dr Curry.

Chris and I often talk of becoming the next power art husband and wife team. Okay, we delude ourselves over margaritas, but it's still a fun conversation.

Last week, the world lost one half of the world's most prolific art couples, Jeanne-Claude, the woman with the orange-dyed hair and Christo's wife. The duo, having worked together for nearly 50 years, was most well known for their environmental works. From wrapping the coast of Little Bay in Australia to creating a 24 mile fabric fence that spanned from Sonoma County to the Pacific Ocean to wrapping the Reichstag in Berlin, their work is unique in that it lasts only for a brief period of time. Of this Christo said:

Do you know that I don't have any artworks that exist? They all go away when they're finished. Only the preparatory drawings, and collages are left, giving my works an almost legendary character. I think it takes much greater courage to create things to be gone than to create things that will remain.

Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art (1968-69)

Running Fence, California (1972-76)

Reichstag, Berlin (1971-95)

Rifle, Colorado (1970-72)

Little Bay, Australia (1968-69)
Images from the New York Times.

There has been much controversy about their work. Critics equally lauded and denounced The Gates in Central Park. But regardless of its aesthetic value, there is something about their work that does indeed represent courage. Artists aren't great because they make things that are particularly hard to make. Artists are great because they make things that are hard to think. They don't know the word can't.

An artist's mind constantly astounds me. There is nothing that Chris thinks is impossible. Any time he presents me with an idea, my mind starts a running list of the logistics required to make it work. This is why I'm not an artist. I instantly see the hurdles. Chris just sees the finish line. But who knows, maybe together we will make something great.

3-D.

2009-11-19T15:30:00.000-08:00

Lo Res Shoe by United Nude.

These shoes were designed by scanning an image of a shoe into a 3-D computer model and then re-generating it at a low resolution. Blah blah blah, smart people with computers, I don't really care how they were made, I just want a pair.

Hi United Nude, this is my plea to allow us to buy these beauties in the US. Thanks!

(I was worried that you all were getting tired of these shoe posts, but then I remembered nearly all of my readers are women and to us, there's no such thing as too many shoes. Phew!)

Love to Wrap.

2009-11-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit OCD when it comes to holiday gift wrapping. I have a gift wrap budget each year. Paper Source and I have been BFFs the past few years, while Crate and Barrel and I have been pretty buddy buddy. But this year, I think I'm ditching my old friends for someone much cooler (don't worry...this is something I now only do figuratively. I grew out of it in middle school).

I am so ready to exchange Best Friends necklaces with TapeSwell decorative tape. Get me some kraft paper or fun tissue paper and I am good to go! How did I not know about this before? Oh, and they have tape for all occasions. I feel an unhealthy obsession coming on.

All images from TapeSwell found via Design Crush.

Doing the Guest Post.

2009-11-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

Today, you can find me over at simple blueprint with a guest post while the lovely Joanna is on vacation. If you've never been to visit her blog, stick around for a while as I'm sure you will find some amazing eye candy! Enjoy!

Inspiring Cargo.

2009-11-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

Thought.

Thanks to collective members like Chad Hagen and Mark Weaver, Cargo is my new go to whenever I need inspiration. I mean, look what I found over there today. Tanya Johnston is an artist, illustrator and designer. And I'm absolutely in awe of her "drawings" (this is how she describes them, but they look like so much more to me). I see influences of Chagall, Picasso, Basquiat and Miró. Thanks to her impeccable use of line and space, I think I'm in love.

To the Moon! and Taking Care.

Réal and Lucid Dreaming.

Because Buying Handmade is Good for the Soul.

2009-11-16T18:34:00.000-08:00

Have you made the Handmade Holiday Pledge over at Frenchie & Flea yet? The lovely lasses of F&F are encouraging their readers to buy handmade for the holidays this year. But beyond that, they are also offering 12 fantastic days of giveaways (I'm a little late posting this as days 1-5 have already occurred...Sorry!).

In honor of this fabulous giveaway and the pledge, I thought I'd share with you all a preview into some of my favorite Etsy stores. I went for variety here...paper goods, prints, vintage, housewares. I hope you enjoy and perhaps find that perfect gift for someone on your list. (By the way, how is it almost Thanksgiving already?!?)

fabulous paper goods by frenchieandflea

whimsical prints by laurageorge

sweet vintage finds from thebigheist

retro home wares from findingfabulous

amazing wood creations by naturedesign

perfects prints for the kitchen by evajuliet

gorgeous handmade dishes by atelierBB

Bon soir et bon shopping! (Look what 6 weeks of French does for ya!)

Walk In My Shoes.

2009-11-15T17:52:00.000-08:00

Sequin Pump, White House | Black Market, $88.

So far my holiday party schedule is pretty empty (save the obligatory work party) nor do I have any new party dresses, but that's not stopping me from looking for some party shoes. Since these are not in my near distant future (and since someone I know just ordered them for a much more important occasion than a frivolous cocktail party), I think these might serve as low cost solutions for flirty footwear. Would it be silly to get both?

Snow Leopard Pump, White House | Black Market, $98.

Stairway to Nowhere.

2009-11-14T10:35:00.001-08:00

Would it be strange to have a staircase in a flat because I'm really kind of digging this? While it's a great idea to take advantage of that underutilized space under a staircase, I'm not sure if it's intended to be a glorified bookcase. Oh, semantics.

Storage Stairs by MN*LS via Contemporist.

On the Mark.

2009-11-13T13:05:00.000-08:00

These people taking part in the Make Something Cool Every Day project are knocking it out of the park. First, I've unabashedly proclaimed my love for just about anything Chad Hagen does and now Mark Weaver comes along to battle for the title of Top Design Crush. I seriously have no words right now. This is the kind of work that makes me weep at night, disappointed that I will never be that good, but thankful that some people are.

I couldn't decide what to show you so I just chose at random. His stuff is so good that I couldn't lose. Okay, I'm done not doing it any justice. Just look for yourselves.

All images from Mark Weaver's MSCED Flickr Set. Found via grain edit.

There's Still Work To Be Done.

2009-11-12T10:23:00.000-08:00

All this writing about interiors has made me come to an embarrassing realization. My apartment is far from photo ready as it's a little lackluster and unfinished. It's probably 75% complete with a running list of projects that I will most likely never get to...wallpapering an accent wall, refinishing a desk, organizing that mess of a closet, creating a nice workspace for myself, putting up some sort of curtains and on and on. Okay, so maybe it's closer to 60% there.

There are some empty spaces on a couple of our walls in dire need of some sort of decoration. These prints are currently front runners. I love the simplicity and the graphic nature of the designs. At the end of the day, I'm really just a simple girl that loves her some fonts.

Ink Posters via Better Living Through Design.

Some Remy Love.

2009-11-11T15:10:00.000-08:00

My best friend Pilar and her beau Carlo have a ridiculously adorable daughter named Remy. I feel really bad for Carlo when she turns 16 (if you've seen her parents, it's no surprise why).

Pilar and I go back ten years to my first post college job where I managed an Express in a mall in exciting Burbank, California (don't judge. I moved to Los Angeles sans job, friends or place to live and couldn't be picky). I was her boss...and we went to bars together...and she was just 19. Whoops. And here's the crazy thing. We only lived in the same city for about 9 months and have maintained a long distance best friendship for the past 9. Come to think of it, I haven't lived in the same city as any of my best friends for the past 10 years. Maybe it's because they are all amazing women that I couldn't imagine my life with out.

But I digress. All of this was to get you to love Pilar so much that you couldn't help but vote for her daughter's nursery over at Ohdeedoh. Not that you needed any arm twisting...is this nursery not the cutest thing you've ever seen? I died when I saw the wallpaper and then died again when I saw the Ghost Chairs.

All images by Pilar Valtierra. Go vote at Ohdeedoh.

Legs Sold Separately.

2009-11-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

Distrito Capital Hotel by Joseph Dirand via Contemporist.

Sure, the Distrito Capital Hotel in the Santa Fe District of Mexico City is gorgeous, but the real question is: where do I find those shoes? Meow.

She's Got a New Attitude.

2009-11-10T07:20:00.000-08:00

hydrated by nolando.

Are you sick of me talking about being busy and tired? Me too! Since I have no fat to cut from my to do list, I realized this is my reality and it's time to get used to it. And really, who wants to listen to someone complain about too many things going on?

In honor of waking up on the right side of the bed (yay sleep!), here are some photographs from one of my favorite Flickr pools, Urban Flattened. I picked these images in particular because while they are void of humans and look like they are from an empty city, they are still bright and sunny. Makes me think there needs to be more yellow paint in our urban landscape (the aqua hues don't hurt either).

Beer Beer Beer by tom clearwood.

Visit crazy Switzerland by 8.59cc.

1250 by nolando.
All images from the Urban Flattened Pool on Flickr.

Drawing the Line in the Sand.

2009-11-09T06:34:00.000-08:00

Images by Annie Schlechter via the style files.

It was another crazy weekend of mostly work and little play. A few curve balls were thrown my way, but the one that I'm most upset about is that I missed the season finale of Mad Men! Egad! I can deal with cancellations and "sleeping in" til 7am and occupational drama, but missing Mad Men? That's just unacceptable.

In order to avoid any spoilers, I'm going to wiggle my nose in hopes of arriving in these pictures for the day. I long for a vacation where the most difficult decision is deciding what cocktail to order next.

When Less Is More.

2009-11-08T17:30:00.000-08:00

As a graphic designer, I subscribe in theory (but don't always follow successfully in practice..booo me) to the rule of thirds and the tenets that less is more and just because you can doesn't mean you should. I get incredibly excited when designers are successful in letting negative space speak as loudly as their designs. That is why I fell in love with all of these Slovakian binding illustrations I found over at A Journey Round My Skull. These are examples that should be shown again and again and again to Design 101 students. When I took some classes at the local JC, let's just say that at least 75% of the class could have benefited from the refined editing used on these covers.

I love this one as well simply because the colors are divine. I will forever be a sucker for jewel tones.

All images are from A Journey Round My Skull.

She's Baaaack!

2009-11-07T07:25:00.000-08:00

I apologize for it seeming like the lights have been out over here for the past few days. Getting adjusted to this new crazy schedule of constant writing, working and little sleep while still finding time for my blog and fun has been a bit overwhelming. Week one is done though and now that I've been through it once, I'm learning how to balance everything (with a cold too boot!!). So these dark days on the blog shouldn't happen again. The porch light is back on my friends! And now on to that fun I was talking about...

On the first Thursday of every month, most of San Francisco's galleries stay open late and people come out in droves to enjoy First Thursdays. This Thursday, two of our friends had openings so I surgically removed the laptop from my lap and stopped by both of their shows for a bit.

First, we stopped by 111 Minna to check out our friend Dusty Genard's work as part of The Novemberists group show. Dusty creates these beautifully crafted, yet completed macabre shadow boxes. They stand a mere 8 inches high, but the attention to detail verges on compulsive. Upon each look, I saw a new element I hadn't noticed before. They are eerily stunning.

While 180 degrees from Dusty's work, the technicolor photography of Kelly Nicolaisen also caught my eye. Her well composed whimsical portraits of suburban landscapes made me smile.

Next, we headed over to fivepoints arthouse to see Kevin Taylor's work as part of Paper Tigers. Kevin's paintings often portray members of the animal kingdom, but in anthropomorphic scenarios outside of their normal habitats.

One day, when we have money to support local artists, I will buy the above painting of the rabbit on the left. I have first dibs so please don't buy it. And Kevin, we are good for it (in a couple of years), I swear!

The Artist Formerly Known as the Wife of an Artist.

2009-11-04T15:11:00.000-08:00

Exciting news! Chris and I recently submitted a proposal to Southern Exposure to be part of Passive/Aggressive and its Public Art/Urban Interventions Day on Saturday, December 5th and just received the news that our proposal was selected! And when I say "we," I truly mean Chris Treggiari and Jessica Watson. Like my name is going to be credited and stuff. I'm not the wife of an artist this time...I am the artist (well, one of them)!

Southern Pacific train running on Harrison Street near 21st, 1905.
Image from the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library via FoundSF.

I'm super excited about this whole thing and this new collaboration with Chris. Our public intervention is pretty awesome if I do say so myself. I don't want to give too much away just yet, but it involves an old railroad that used to run through the Mission in San Francisco. Well that, and blaring "C'mon Ride the Train" by Quad City DJs throughout the streets of San Francisco. Ok, it doesn't involve that second part, but now I know what song we will all have stuck in our heads for the rest of the day. My bad.

After My Own Heart.

2009-11-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

French designer and illustrator, Tom Henni, via design work life.

As you are an observant bunch, I don't need to proclaim by love for the combination of turquoise and red (even though I just did). I keep thinking that it's time to update by masthead, but I do think it's quite lovely and it seems that I'm not the only one with an affinity for the aqua and ruby pairing. And yes, if all my friends jumped off a bridge, I would follow.

Photograph by Elle Moss via tell love and chocolate.

Stitch Design Co. via design work live.

Oy, just realized I owe you all an update on Chris' Art in Storefronts project. You can check out all the images here. It's been an amazing experience. He's never done a piece that's elicited such a positive response. The residents that frequent that strip of street have embraced it and vowed to protect it. It is not only another installation in the neighborhood, it is their installation.

Bobby Knows Best.

2009-11-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Bobby over at Kitsune Noir has a great eye. I must admit I often rely on him whenever I need some design inspiration. He definitely didn't fail me with his post on the ridiculously talented Minneapolis design firm, Florafauna. I'm already a sucker for great concert posters (in addition to typography and collage and photography and silkscreen and letterpress, oh and did I mention typography?) and these just about take the cake.

What About Bob?

2009-11-02T12:23:00.000-08:00

Artist Jenn Ski's home photographed by Bob O'Connor.

Now that I'm contributing to AT, I'm forced to quickly learn the art of interior photography and, let me tell you, it is a whole different beast. Each time I go do a shoot, I learn more and more, but there are so many AMAZING interior photographers out there that it can be a bit overwhelming. Take Mr. Bob O'Connor for example...his portfolio is ridiculous. I can only dream of reaching that level of pictorial genius. And don't even get me started with his styling skills....I lit-rally die.

Unfortunately, my posts will likely become less frequent (I'm hoping to still maintain one a day) thanks to that aforementioned AT gig. I'm now contributing two posts per day so most of my time not at work will be spent surgically attached to my laptop. I expect I'll be kissing my social life good-bye, but luckily it got a great send off last night when Chris and I spend the evening hanging out with the uber-fabulous Alison of Lipstick on Your Teeth and her lovely boyfriend, Mark. I do wish these kids lived in SF.

The Wife and the Lipstick. We are so coordinated in our matching stripes.

Everyone Is Talking About Chad.

2009-10-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

Chad Hagen has been all over the interwebs lately thanks to 20x200. And it's been for a good reason...because he's basically a bad ass. I've already waxed ecstatic about his designs once before and I'm sure this won't be the last time. He also has a project over on Flickr where he makes something cool every day (or MSCED) and it really, truly is cool. See...total bad ass.

Oh, and Happy Halloween! What are you doing? I'll be hanging out at home recovering from a fun night with Alison of Lipstick on Your Teeth. We'll be hanging out Sunday, too. Can't wait to see what sort of trouble we get into!

All Clear.

2009-10-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

Photo of the empty Bay Bridge on-ramp.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to photograph a designers' showcase in one of San Francsico's premiere condo projects. The rooms were amazing, blah, blah, blah, but the most awe-inspiring part was the ridiculous view from 52 floors up...especially when looking at the empty Bay Bridge and the quiet streets in the City.

Photo of the Bay Bridge and one lonely van.

If you don't live in the Bay Area, you probably don't know that the major artery into San Francisco from the East Bay (Berkeley, Oakland, etc.) is closed because a giant tie rod snapped on the bridge. Fun, right? The streets are now eerily quiet and I am incredibly thankful I don't commute into the city everyday.

Because We All Need a Reason to Smile.

2009-10-28T18:32:00.000-07:00

COMBO a collaborative animation by Blu and David Ellis (2 times loop) from blu on Vimeo.

Sorry for being Debbie Downer earlier, but I felt obligated to share. After seeing all of the photos it made me sad. This video, however, was a good distraction for 4 minutes. So just in case your head is caught up in the muck in the world, here is something pretty and fun and just because.

Don't Pollute.

2009-10-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

Photograph by Chris Jordan.

I'm not one to be preachy or political. I usually keep my opinions to myself (unless I'm speaking with someone with the same point of view) since I hate confrontation. But if you don't recycle, please start because I don't think I've ever seen a more compelling reason to begin.

If you are unsure of what you are looking at, this is a photograph of the skeleton of an albatross chick taken on Midway Atoll, a desolate island cluster in the North Pacific. Thinking of it as food, their parents bring back pieces of plastic from polluted ocean to feed to the chicks. Tens of thousands of chicks die each year on Midway due to chocking, toxicity and starvation. This image shows the contents of a dead chick's stomach, untouched and unaltered.

These birds were found on a remote marine sanctuary 2,000 miles away from the nearest continent and yet their deaths are undoubtedly caused by man.

To see more photographs Chris Jordan took on the Midway Atoll, visit his website here. Also, be sure to visit the Journey to Midway blog.

Give a Hoot.

2009-10-28T10:29:00.000-07:00

Two Hoots by Native Vermont Design Studio found via Design Crush.

I'm not really one for artwork involving landscapes or wildlife or nature for that matter, but if someone happened to give me this print, I'm 99.95% positive it would happen to find a place on my wall.

P.S. I promise to write more later. For reals.

Money Matters.

2009-10-27T06:41:00.000-07:00

Australian Financial Review via design work life.

I don't know about you, but if every financial magazine looked like this, I'd be an economist by now.

Enough Said.

2009-10-26T16:30:00.001-07:00

Via Quote of the Day on Busy Being Fabulous.

Hello Love.

2009-10-26T06:33:00.001-07:00

The Young Credenza by Kenneth Nilson via Contemporist.

I love me a good ol' mid-century modern credenza as much as the next gal, but this laser cut bronze patinaed steel paired with a continuous slab of walnut had me at hello.

Friday in the City.

2009-10-25T13:54:00.000-07:00

Hanging on the Frig.

2009-10-24T16:33:00.001-07:00

Michael Papasedero, who lives in the Tenderloin, poses in front of the piece. Photo by Michael Macor courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle.

My blog has now become my refrigerator. This post is my virtual version of hanging the San Francisco Chronicle article featuring a picture of Chris' installation on our frig. I'm one damn proud wife! Check out the article here.

The Loin.

2009-10-23T12:32:00.000-07:00

That's a crappy iPhone sneak peak of Chris' storefront. And this and this (and it's free wine) and this are why this post is only this long.

Just Because...

2009-10-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

Drawn by Aaron via Friends of Type.

...there is no such thing as too many yellow ampersands.

Fighting for the Neighborhood.

2009-10-22T06:45:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the launch of the San Francisco Arts Commission's Art in Storefronts program. Chris has been working nonstop to finish his installation which means a) our interactions basically involve me saying goodbye to a sleeping Chris in the morning and Chris saying goodnight to a zonked out me late at night and b) I've also had work to do. As they say, no man is an island and Chris couldn't do this without me. Oh, they don't say that last part...well, obviously you haven't spent enough time with Chris' family.

Photo by Billy Mitchell. For more photos, go here.

Chris and his partner were assigned a storefront in the Tenderloin, a notoriously gritty neighborhood in San Francisco. Taking inspiration from the area's boxing heritage, Chris built a boxing ring and Billy took photographs of the area's residents in boxing stances to encourage residents to continue to "Fight for the Neighborhood." And all I got was to design boxing themed posters. These are crappy images in awful lighting that I took with my iPhone, but regardless I am kind of in love with how the posters turned out.

If you are in San Francisco, I definitely encourage you to stop by between 5 and 7 pm tomorrow (Reception and remarks start at 989 Market Street at 6th Street, followed by an art walk along Market Street). Chris' storefront is at 144 Taylor Street if you care to see how all of these elements come together. And as usual, pics will follow.

Another Poster Post.

2009-10-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

General Dynamics Posters by Erik Nitsche from Chisholm Gallery Vintage Posters.

This weekend is the International Vintage Poster Fair down at Fort Mason. Unfortunately for me, poster prices are ranging from $100-$1,000. Still, I'm tempted to pay the $15 entrance few just to get an afternoon of design eye candy. This is of course assuming that I actually get out of bed, get dressed and leave the house this weekend. After the week I've had (and it's only Wednesday) that sounds like an awful lot of work to see things in person that I could see on my laptop from the comfort of my couch.

The Universe is Shaped Exactly Like the Earth.

2009-10-20T17:22:00.001-07:00

Vintage Russian Posters via grain edit.

I've been sitting here for 20 minutes trying to think of something witty to write. I give up.

The title is because I can't get this song out of my head. You can blame Alison for the song lyric influenced title.

Interventions.

2009-10-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Monsieur Cabinet via OK Great.

As trite as it sounds, it really is the little things. Imagine walking past these manhole and meter covers on your way to work every morning. How could you help but smile? I love artists that make it their responsibility to add a bit of whimsy into our seemingly mundane everyday existence.

Hmmm...perhaps I need to find some colored tape of my own and stage some urban interventions.

Have I Mentioned You Rock?

2009-10-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

typography set by a. favorite design found via poppytalk.

And just when you were feeling hopeless because it seemed my love for fonts was fading, I bring you these great note cards designed by yet another self proclaimed type zealot.

helvetica typography card by a. favorite design.

Forced Smiles.

2009-10-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Left brain Myopia by Kate Banazi.

I am not going to lie or pretend or put on a happy face. This week has been rough, but in that "wow, I really shouldn't be complaining" sort of way. The husband is preparing for this amazing show through the San Francisco Arts Commissions' Art in Storefronts program and I got this great new gig at AT, but um, wow, I'm scared we bit off more than we can chew. I feel so silly complaining about having too much work to do, but I'm tired (and most likely PMSing) and freaking out. Don't worry...I have this process I go through. I only allow myself 1-3 days to freak out and then I'm forced to deal with it. And since this is now day #3 you won't hear much more bitching. In preparation for that forced happy face, I'm positive the work of Kate Banazi is good enough to make you smile even if that's the last thing you want to do (thank you to Sweet Sweet Life for bringing Kate to my attention).

1950000 more virgin airmiles to go by Kate Banazi.

Cheers. It's a new week! Wow, that's the most excited I've ever sounded on Monday.

What a Drag.

2009-10-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

On the Street...Somerset House, London via The Sartorialist.

Sometimes, I wish I had the sartorial balls (and the required funds) to wear this much color and pattern in one ensemble. Then again, if I had balls I might not be wearing skirts and heels...unless I decided to be the world's most fashionable cross-dresser! Watch out RuPaul.

Balancing Act.

2009-10-17T13:47:00.000-07:00

Alili Cha-am Resort via Contemporist.

This will be the imaginary reward to myself when I figure out how to properly balance a full-time job, a blog, writing for AT, being an art assistant/manager to my husband, keeping the house from looking like a total sty, exercising, cooking on occasion, still having dates with the boy and not going absolutely bonkers. Moderation has never been my forte.

Desperately Seeking a Vacation.

2009-10-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

Parque de Retiro, Madrid.

You know how Don Draper just up and left his life for 3 weeks and couldn't be reached by cell phone or email or anyone? I dream about that, but with my husband in tow and obviously without the whole cheating on the spouse thing. I'll also take the crashing at the stunning home of some bourgeoisie hippie commune, but please hold the side of pool orgies.

Parc Guell and the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona.

But until a generous art enthusiast decides to make us rich (you can view my husband's art here) so we can pay a staff to take care of the never ending list of amassed work we will leave behind, I'll just continue to drink gallons of coffee and dream about returning to Spain in that 5 hours of sleep I get each night.

If you are interested in sponsoring my "Calgon take me away trip" (Calgon??),
feel free to email me.

Wild Thing.

2009-10-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

Image via Monster-Munch.

OMG you guys! You'll never guess what I just heard. They are making a movie out of the book, "Where the Wild Things Are." Isn't that like the coolest thing you've ever heard (...incessantly...for the last 6 months)? Jokes aside, I am very excited to see this film. It's honestly like any hipster/indie kid's wet dream....Spike Jonze, Dave Eggers, Karen O, Arcade Fire for the trailer and a book from our youth. Um, score.

In honor of the film, my favorite "mixed tape" maker, Bobby Sullivan of Kitsune Noir, has put together a mixcast of songs that fit the spirit of WTWTA. It opens with Arcade Fire which delights me to no end. I've had a certain affinity for that band ever since I had the pleasure of seeing them perform as a still undiscovered gem at The Casbah, a 200-person venue in San Diego. Their set blew me away as the soul-pumping percussion swept over the crowd and Régine's emotional vocals seduced us all. Scout Niblett opened the show and this tiny wig-wearing woman killed it as she moved from quiet vocals to riotous drumming. Good times.

But seriously, how many of you are planning to see WTWTA this weekend? It's playing at an IMAX theatre in SF! Can't wait! I love that they used very little CGI for the wild things. Now, that's CGI done right...as opposed to 2012. Have you seen that trailer? Awful.

Green Arrow.

2009-10-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

Chris and I both grew up with a strong appreciation for music. Ok, his appreciation is actually an obsession for bands you've probably never heard of, but concerts (when we have the time and can find a musician we agree on) are one of our favorite things to do together.

Music takes me back immediately to a certain place in time. When Chris and I started dating, so much of the music I held dear to my heart already had a memory attached. Somehow we both missed the Yo La Tengo boat in our life before each other and were lucky enough to discover this beautiful band together.

When I hear this song, I instantly see us in the loft he lived in when he first moved to San Francisco. I was still living in San Diego at the time and had visited for the weekend. It was probably a Saturday night and we sat down together at the dinner table in the vast, spare room to share a meal together while it rained outside. We listened to I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One and this song came on. It was the perfect song at the perfect moment...a song full of heart-breaking hope and melancholic quiet at a time when our existence was spent miles apart.

P.S. If you are a fan, Yo La Tengo is playing a small (meaning tiny) show at Aquarius Records this Sunday at 1pm before they head to the Treasure Island festival. We will be there.

P.P.S. This song is now on repeat in my iTunes. Obsessed.

Such a Tart.

2009-10-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

Pascal Rigo's Goat Cheese Tart with Pears via Serious Eats.

Um, looks like our meals will be solely comprised of desserts as that seems to be the only course I am excited to make. Pears, goat cheese, a shortbread like crust and caramel syrup, oh my! And lookey here, this tart is mild enough that it's appropriate for breakfast. So I now have breakfast and dessert covered...what to do for the rest of my meals?

Shut It Down.

2009-10-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

Oh Tay, can you please stop wearing incredibly chic (and wallet crippling) blazers? I was already excited that blazers were making a comeback, but then you had to throw sequins and leopard print into the mix. I literally (Or in Zoe speak, "lit-rally." The "e" is silent like in Zoe) die. Luckily for girls like me who can't afford Gucci bags or Louboutin over-the-knee boots, there are some economical and stylish alternatives...well, at least for the sequined blazer. All of the "frugal" blazers with leopard accents are from Chico's. And that would be bananas (and not in a good way) if I suggested those to my readers.

Fred Flare Sequined PYT Blazer, $88.

Bebe All Over Sequin Blazer, $159.

Free People Black Sequin Blazer, $168.

Check back next week when I discuss thrifty alternatives to Brad's short shorts and 17 ways to add some OMG to your wardrobe with bow ties.

Image from Bravo via B-Side Blog.

Family.

2009-10-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Me (age 7), Jen (age 6 months?) and Jer (age 4). Yep, my parents were nice enough to start all of our names with J. Luckily, the creepiness of that has been usurped by the Duggars.

I am incredibly blessed to have a brother and sister that I not only love (due to familial obligation), but I truly like and enjoy. My brother is the smartest funny guy I know. He works as a mechanical engineer and I could try to tell you what he does, but I would fail. He's that guy that everyone loves, and it's not just because he's a mean chef. My sister is a world traveling, Spanish speaking, History Channel watching, sarcastic lass. She's also my best friend and my biggest fan. I love them both so much.

Yep, this pretty much sums up my family (well, in 2002).

And if it's not obvious, all of this is a testament to my incredible mother who raised three kids by herself for most of our lives. I will never grasp how difficult it must have been or how much she sacrificed, but I know that the three of us are who we are today because of it. I love you mom!

I think this was 1992. We probably listened to "Ice Ice Baby" as we got ready for the first day of school that year.

Man, I'm seeming incredibly sentimental this week (and I'm not even PMSing), but in this crazy world it's so nice to realize how unbelievably lucky you are to have amazing people in your life. It makes me happy.

Dinner?

2009-10-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

If you've read my blog for more than a month, you may remember that once upon a time I cooked. Lately, I've been thanking my lucky stars for pasta and fried eggs and my husband's ability to work a microwave on his own when he gets home from the studio at 11:30pm (This is the point in the post where I deny eating Trader Joe's Lemon Bars for dinner 4 nights in a row. If I did do that though, I would've found them in the freezer section and they would've been delicious, or at least that's the word on the street).

I did see something today that made me think I need tear myself away from the computer and invest some time in that other room in my apartment.

Bite Size Bacon Caramels found on The Kitchn.

You had me at candied bacon, caramel and sea salt.

Smile.

2009-10-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

During my whirlwind trip to LA last Monday, I was able to spend some time visiting with my best gal, Pilar of snappy snap snap. I got to play photographer as I took some portraits of my unbelievably gorgeous friend. No offense to Pilar, but I hate taking pictures of people. This is probably because I hate getting my own picture taken (which must explain why Chris and I don't have a single photograph of us together on our honeymoon). I am much more comfortable behind the camera taking pictures of things that don't move, talk back or take offense if I take a bad photo of them.

In exchange, Pilar took a ton of photos of me. Most of them have me making silly faces to hide how uncomfortable I was. But if she can get this out of me, I'll let her take my picture all the time. (If you live in LA and need a headshot or portraits, contact her!)

Today.

2009-10-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite weekly posts is by Eric Baker on Design Observer. Once a week he posts Today, a selection of carefully curated, yet random images he finds while trolling the internet. And just think, it all started after he sent a friend 50 different images of cheese. See people...coagulated milk protein always brings good things! Now, go have yourself a slice of Gouda.

Click on the individual images to go to the original source for each image.

The New Math.

2009-10-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

New Math (the site seems to be down right now) via It's Nice That.

I'm sure Craig Damrauer's New Math isn't new to anyone anymore, but I still adore it so. And as a pseudo-art historian, I get such a kick out of this modern art equation.

Overdone.

2009-10-10T10:06:00.001-07:00

Angel Wing Necklace by CC Skye Jewelry.

You know mustaches are entirely too prevalent as a trend when you look at an angel wing necklace and at first (and second) glance, swear it's an overpriced mustache necklace.

Mind. Blown.

2009-10-09T17:10:00.000-07:00

As part of the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall, more than 1.5 million people came out to watch a performance of the France's Royal de Luxe street theatre company. The multi-day performance, entitled "The Berlin Reunion," chronicled the trying reunion of an uncle and his niece after years of separation by a wall. What is amazing is that this uncle and niece were portrayed by gigantic marionettes. Just looking at these photographs gives me goosebumps (I swear it's not the fever talking)...I can't imagine even being there to witness this.

I only included a handful of the 30+ images. Be sure to check out this article to see all the beautiful documentation of this mind blowing performance. I'm wary to show this article to the husband as I'm sure it'll just get his artistic wheels a-turning. I don't think our apartment or his studio are large enough to fit anything of this scale. Actually I'm positive they are not. Maybe this will have to be our little secret. Sshhh...

All images by David Gannon via Boston.com.

Wiped Out.

2009-10-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

Blegh...I'm home sick with the flu and have been holed up on the couch for hours catching up on Project Runway (thank you Michael Kors for the priceless "teal charmeuse disco pumpkin" comment) and weeping over Pam and Jim's wedding on The Office. Is it just me or do you tend to cry about all weddings after you've been married?

Cascade by Jessica Snow via 20x200.

Anywho, that's about the extent of writing I have in me so I thought I'd find some nifty affordable art for you to check out. I've featured the work of a 20x200 artist before and I love the concept of a curated art website that features art for collectors at all price points.

Fingerprint by Ky Anderson via 20x200.

If you don't hear from me later, there's probably a Real Housewives of Atlanta marathon on Bravo.

150.

2009-10-08T13:40:00.000-07:00

And no, this isn't my award nor is it a score I've ever achieved while bowling.

Holy crap! How is this my 150th post? I started this blog almost 4 months ago as a way to keep my creative juices flowing and give me an outlet outside of work (both the paid kind and the kind I do for Chris). And while not every post has come out as effortlessly (or entertaining for that matter) as I had hoped, the blog has forced me to put myself out on a limb daily and pick up my camera more!

I sincerely want to thank anyone who has taken time out of their busy lives to read this blog. I never expected anyone to even stumble upon my meager corner of the blogosphere so knowing that people actually return is unbelievably amazing!

That being said, next week I'm making a giant commitment to the greater bloggerdome when I become a regular contributor om Apartment Therapy San Francisco (check out my posts M-F at 5:45 pm PST!!!). So while I get adjusted to the daily posts there, be patient as things might slow down here for a few weeks.

Don't worry, as mature and literate as I'm sounding, my irreverent, inappropriate and sophomoric tendencies aren't going anywhere. To prove my point, my sister and I just spent 45 minutes dissecting Monday's episode of The Hills while discussing things like Kristin's obnoxiously throaty voice and the undeserved recurring role of Stacie the Bartender. And yes, I am 31 years old...and also watch Glee, Gossip Girl and The City. My husband is so proud.

A Love Story.

2009-10-08T10:25:00.000-07:00

From Simon Waterhouse.

At the end of this year, my younger (and only) sister will be moving far, far away to New Zealand. This makes me unbelievably excited for her, but sad for me. When I tell people new to her story about the move, this is usually how the conversation goes:

Oh, that's so cool! So, is she moving for school or work?
No, for love.
How sweet! Wow, how did she meet someone from New Zealand?
Well, actually he's from England.
Um, okay. So, did they meet in the US or in England?
Neither. They met in Spain.
Huh?

Confusing, right? Here's the quick rundown. Three years ago, Jen studied abroad in Madrid (Alcalá de Henares to be exact). Before starting classes, she spent two weeks traveling around Spain with my brother and friends. On her first day there, she met Ed, a young Brit who was traveling on holiday. Ed liked Jen and Jen liked Ed, but my brother was initially not so keen on the kid who kept his younger sister out all night and into the next morning. (Don't worry...Ed has now received the "Older Brother Stamp of Approval.")

Jen and Ed's phone conversations, emails and trips to visit each other led to them falling crazy in love. And even though she had to return to school in Tucson, their relationship continued to grow. Eventually, she made the decision to move to Manchester to be with Ed. Unfortunately, her visa expired after 6 months and she had to return to Arizona. Now, fifteen months later (and many long 14 hour flights to see each other), they are more in love than ever, but silly immigration laws make life together very difficult. After exhaustive research (and many frustrated tears), they discovered that they can spend a whole year in New Zealand to start their lives together!

From André Pipa

Now, we all know that the easy solution would be marriage, but they are young (she's 24 and he is 22) and smart and want to be 150% sure (rather than the 145% sure they are right now). Still, they both know that if and when they decide to get married, they have the full support of their family and friends. Their love story is pretty amazing and the fact that they've managed to make it through their college years on separate continents while growing into people they continue to adore is pretty much mind blowing.

As much as I hate having my sister live so far away, there are definitely worse reasons to move around the world than for love. And I have to admit that she makes pretty good choices about where she lives. She made for a great excuse to visit Spain and now she's a very compelling reason to visit New Zealand.

(Click on the image below to go to my flickr favorites to be able to see each individual photo.)

P.S. If any readers in New Zealand have any advice about where to live, what to see, etc., definitely drop me a line!

Art in Storefronts.

2009-10-07T07:29:00.000-07:00

Chris' storefront (as it is currently) at 144 Taylor Street.

On October 23rd, the San Francisco Arts Commission will unveil 13 projects along Market Street and Taylor street that are seeking to transform vacant storefronts into exciting public exhibition spaces displaying installations by local artists. The program is an attempt to revitalize the areas most heavily affected by the current economic downturn.

Chris, along with photographer Billy Mitchell, were given a space that they will use to highlight the Tenderloin's connection to boxing. Of course this means that my husband will be M.I.A. for the next couple of weeks, but there are worse reasons for him to be missing considering SFAC's project was even featured in Time Magazine.

If you are in San Francisco on October 23rd, mark your calendars and keep the time between 5pm and 7pm open. From what I've seen, there are some amazing artists taking part in this exciting project. There will be a reception and remarks at 989 Market Street followed by a public celebration that evening. And as always, there will be plenty of after pictures here.