the Weekend Store

One of my favorite places to visit when in San Francisco is the historic Ferry Building...and not only for the gourmet treats inside but for the wonderful Arts and Crafts market across the street. The jewelry is my favorite as they are many talented artisans in SF with a knack for creating unique and simple jewelry. I've been on the hunt for some simple turquoise jewelry for awhile now and finally found something worth purchasing (see above picture). The vendor's booth was called the Weekend Store and she also has a website too. I really liked elements of many of the pieces she had on display yet didn't love any of them. So I asked her if she could combine elements from two pieces and she was more than happy to do it right there. She was very accommodating...so if you see something you like on her website but want to change it up a little, feel free to email her and I'm sure she'd make you something individual.
If you want 20% off your purchase on her website enter in "thank you" in the Checkout.

One more thing...isn't her marketing/branding fantastic??

a Tough Life

Wouldn't it be grand to be a baby? Sleeping, eating, cuddling, bouncing, etc. Tough life!
Here is little S at 5 1/2 weeks of age enjoying this wonderful stage of her life :)

Wolfgang Yuck

You hate to say anything bad about the famous Wolfgang Puck after all he's done for the culinary world but gees, he really sold himself out on this frozen pizza venture. Why is it that everyone who makes a name for themselves on the Food Network or at renown restaurants (Puck's Spago) ends up selling themselves out? It's so sad. Alice Waters stay strong.

To all potential frozen pizza consumers: don’t be fooled by the fantastic packaging on Puck's pizzas or the fact that it looks like the most appetizing pizza ever. It truly is yucky.

Filbert Steps

We enjoyed our walk down (and up!) the 350 Filbert Steps so much. It was such an intriguing part of the city to us as neither Ben nor I knew they even existed until this trip. One could truly live a completely private, quiet life off these steps. Who would've thought that could be found in such a vibrant city like San Francisco? What I want to know is how in the world do you have anything oversized delivered to your home/apt if you live off these steps? That's one stellar delivery man who carries a Pottery Barn sectional up a few hundred wooden steps!

What's Her Address Again?

I'm in the market for a new address book this month. My adorable pink leather one from Target went m.i.a. and I'm mourning its loss. I need to fill the void a.s.a.p. Here are a few that might fit the bill:

barnesandnoble.com

paper-source.com

paulinespaperie.com

katespaperie.com

Better than 31 Flavors

One of the tastiest treats in San Francisco is the gelato. If you can't make it to Italy, this is the next best thing. You'll balk at eating at Baskin Robbins after introducing your palette to gelato. Yum! We tried a new place this time called Naia in North Beach. It was pretty good! The decor was very Italian--as in modern Italian. I especially enjoyed the toppings (aren't those cows adorable?) placed on top of the gelato tubs...just like they do in Venice.

Our favorite gelataria is Tango Gelato on Upper Fillmore. Choosing amongst all the exotic flavors was quite difficult, however Ben finally decided on Lemon Basil, Passionfruit and Strawberry. I enjoyed fresh banana and chocolate gelato. Gosh I'm salivating just thinking about all the other flavors we didn't get to this trip. Next time...

a Feast with the Kok's

Sometimes in life we are lucky enough to find friends we'll have for the rest of our lives--despite where we live, what we do, or how often we see each other. Our dear friends Mark and Paula Kokanovich are those kinds of friends. This past weekend we were able to hang out with them on two different days--not bad for a 3 day trip!

We share much in common with the "Kok's", including our love for excellent food. That being said, most of our "hanging out" is done while eating! On Saturday night we searched the local neighborhoods for the best Thai (mildly successful--should've headed to Thep Phenom in the Haight) and then finished off Sunday with an amazing feast from Tartine Bakery in the Mission. Mark and Paula were kind enough to schlep around the city on Saturday gathering cheeses, breads, desserts, etc. at multiple places--with two kids in tow! Amazing! We rolled out of their apartment in North Beach on Sunday afternoon after saying goodbye and spent the next few hours trying to walk off the chocolate tart, ham and cheese croissants, quiche, chocolate pudding and berry bread pudding. Thank you so much Mark and Paula for going all out--we can't wait to get you back this summer!

the Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

Some of you may remember an indie film a few years back called the Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. I remember being intrigued given its SF location and that it received outstanding reviews; however, I have yet to rent the DVD.

This past weekend we took a walk down (& up!) the Filbert Steps in Telegraph Hill..350 steps in total...and had the opportunity to come into contact with these wild parrots. They were beautiful.

Here is a synopsis of the film in case you are interested:

In San Francisco, there are at least two flocks of largely wild parrots who flock around the city. This film focuses on the flock of cherry-headed conures (and a lonely blue-headed one named Connor) who flock around the Telegraph Hill region of the city and their closest human companion, Mark Bittner . Through his own words, we learn of his life as a frustrated, homeless musician and how he came to live in the area where he decided to explore the nature around him. That lead him to discovering the parrot flock and the individual personalities of it. In a cinematic portrait, we are introduced to his colorful companions and the relationship they share as well as the realities of urban wild life that would change Bittner's life forever.

Here is a link to the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes:

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wild_parrots_of_telegraph_hill/

Vistas

One of Ben's favorite things to do in the city is to walk around and take pictures. He loves to explore new neighborhoods and to also rediscover familiar ones as well. It's interesting how the views (and weather for that matter) change block to block. Here are a few pictures we took during our many walks and drives:

Above Crissy Field (view from Presidio)

Bay Bridge view from Telegraph Hill

Bay Bridge & Treasure Island from the Embarcadero

Transamerica Pyramid from top of Kearny on Telegraph Hill

View of North Beach and Financial District from Kearny

This Week's Posts

After uploading 97 pictures from our weekend in San Francisco, I decided to dedicate this week's posts to our trip. If you are heading to San Francisco in the near or not-so-near future, check back for some fun tips on making the most of your time in the city. Enjoy!

Mama Mia it's Mamas!

I love breakfast...always have. As a teenager I often cooked Saturday breakfast for my family--I loved muffins and pancakes especially. I'd scribble the menu on a piece of computer paper and then tape it to the kitchen door. Some of my fondest memories of my childhood are the creation and partaking of those breakfasts. I've heard of people who express their love by making food for people to enjoy--I think I may be that type of person...

Mamas in Washington Square is my favorite morning eatery...hands down. We enjoyed some amazing Benedicts (Ben's-original; Mine-Dungeness Crab per my friend Merrilee's recommendation) as well as fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Yum! While waiting in the hour long line we enjoyed fresh focaccia bread from Liguria Bakery right across the street. Our morning in North Beach pretty much set the tone for the duration of the trip--eating, eating and more eating.

Bottom line: if you ever visit San Francisco, do not leave without eating breakfast or brunch at Mamas! Their menu is superb!

Inside Mamas

A sampling of the tasty baked goods

Two of the chefs in front of the many breads they turn into French Toast...Imagine

cranbery orange bread turned into French Toast...Apple Pan Dore with Lemon Butter...
Are you drooling yet?

Servin' it up

The creation of the heavenly focaccia bread

Check out the simple menu

S in front of the Easter kitsch

B waiting in line outside Mamas

A Well-Needed Getaway

We are heading to the City by the Bay this weekend to pick up our hearts (we left them there) and to also spend some well-needed time together. It's been a few years since we've had a getaway together so we decided to take a trip to our favorite city! I'll post pictures of our trip next week.

I'm particularly looking forward to:

1. a king-size bed
2. breakfast at Mamas
3. #27 at Little Thai
4. Paper Source
5. H&M
6. People drooling over Baby S. (babies are a hot commodity there)
7. lunch at Boulange de Polk
8. a walk along Crissy Field
9. a banana split at the Ghirardelli chocolate shop

A Few Pictures from Our Trip to the Park Today

E's "Books"

The current favorite pasttime of my sweet E is making "books". Making books involves cutting up pieces of computer paper, stapling them together and then of course coloring. The wavy scribble (you know, you did it too when you were little!) is the text, although if you asked E what it said she would give you a long, complex story of what it "says". The scenarios she comes up with are very interesting. You should ask her about them sometime!

I've attached some pictures of her latest "books". Please note the Picture Book, spelled PIXR BOOK--this one is my favorite. I wish you could see the inside pages!

Truly the Hostess with the Mostess

Today at my favorite family lunch spot I spotted this fantastic apron. It is stunning and certainly pretty enough to wear around dinner party guests. I googled the designer's website when I arrived home and found out that Jessie Steele hostess aprons are the hot ticket these days in the world of domestic goddesses. Apparently they've been featured on Regis, Oprah, Desperate Housewives, and in People and Elle mags. And I found it at Kneaders! Random!

Here is the website you must look at: http://www.jessiesteele.com/index.php

Seriously, go look at it. You can also look at it here: www.laylagrace.com. This web-based business is managed by my friend's sister. It's super cute.

Here is a picture of the apron I picked up today:

The Trio

E was all excited she could hold S and wanted me to take a picture of her with her new little sister. We thought we'd make it a complete shot with L too. They just kept saying "cheese" in unison shot after shot after shot. I am not sure what this says about them but they LOVE having their picture taken. Hmmm....anyway, it was fun to do before they headed off to bed tonight. Sweet Dreams!

Spring Coats

Aah...so many choices this Spring for a little coverup to tide us over until the really good weather starts. I've never really owned a "spring coat" but with the slight chill in the air these days and the possibility of snow any minute, I think it might be about time. I'm especially in love with the Audrey Hepburn-esque styles we are seeing everywhere now. Here are some fun choices--most of them VERY easy on the wallet (all coats are under $50 except the Marc Jacobs) and easy on the eyes too! So the question is, which one are you going to get?

Target

Forever 21

Target again

and again

Nordstrom, Brass Plum

La Redoute

Nordstrom (this little ditty by Marc Jacobs is not so easy on the wallet but oh so fabulous!)

Darlybird

A blog I read this afternoon mentioned this website, Darlybird, started by a Mom in San Francisco. I thought I'd take a peek and boy was it fabulous! Tons of fun stuff! I've posted pics of my favorites...www.darlybird.com.

a dainty retro hair barrette for little girls

beautiful vintage earrings for Mom

adorable...I mean ADORABLE booties for baby

a very happy backpack for boys and girls (I find this particularly refreshing as it is
quite difficult to find a backpack for boys sans SpongeBob, StarWars, Batman, etc.)