Here She Goes Again...

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.

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!

Birthday Weekend. Part Deux.

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.

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.

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 :)

Blog It Forward: What Inspires Me?

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!

Helping Just Got Easier.

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.

I Resolve to...

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.

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!

Feliz Navidad.

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!

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!

Interventions.

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.

Balancing Act.

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.

Smile.

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!)

Wiped Out.

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.

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.

Tomfoolery.

Emily and Meeko's wedding on Saturday night was a blast. I can't wait until Emily starts posting details so I can send you all over to frenchie & flea to check out the pics. In the meantime, here is some documentation of the nonsense that occurred as the night progressed and margaritas flowed freely.

6:54 pm - Jess and Thuy.

9:03 pm - Jess and Chris.

9:04 pm - Jess and Chris (now with wine on his shirt).

9:06pm - Jess and Chris (wine is still there).

10:10pm - Jess, Emily and Thuy (the original BC-ers).

All photos were taken by Magnolia Photobooth Co.

Monday, Monday.

Book covers by Dick Bruna via grain edit.

Ack, I'm getting ready to head to the airport for our big ol' 18 hour trip to LA so I'm taking the easy way out on this blog post. Luckily for you all, it just so happens to be aesthetically pleasing and design swoon worthy.

Hope you all have a marvelous Monday! I'll try while seeing my best friend, eating some pizza at Mozza, catching up with my little (and tall) brother and hanging out with Thom! I don't mean to rub it in again, I'm just a tad bit excited.

Merci Beaucoup et Bon Week-end!

Just wanted to send a quick thanks to everyone to all of your support this week about my trial run on a certain favorite website. You made me feel like I wasn't a giant fool for applying for something that felt entirely out of my league. I guess you were right because it looks like you might just all be seeing my contributions there very soon :) (And a big, HUGE thanks to Thuy, Melinda and David! Your collective senses of style made me look better than I ever could have done myself!)

Thom Yorke image via fb42.

This was a perfect start to what is sure to be an amazing weekend! Emily's wedding tomorrow followed by a quick trip with the husband to LA to visit with my brother, my BFF Pilar and her gorgeous daughter and then a little concert by the one and only Thom Yorke! As Napoleon Dynamite would say, "Yessss!!!!!"

Cheers!

The Path to Happiness.

By Blog.H34 via TypCut thanks to Lori at automatism.

So true, so true! And even though it's simple, it still manages to map out the path to happiness perfectly. I need to bookmark this or better yet, wallpaper my house with it. There are many days where I need to remind myself that it really is this easy.