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!

Thoughts of Spring.

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.

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 :)

5. Two Words: Congratulations - Admitted.

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.

A Bit Premature, Perhaps.

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.

Please Forgive Me.

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 ;)

Let It Snow (Well, Figuratively).

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.

She's Baaaack!

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!

After My Own Heart.

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.

What About Bob?

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.

All Clear.

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.

Friday in the City.