Month: March 2017

ceramics in the city.

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San Francisco parking can be tricky, but if you’re lucky, while you drive around searching for a spot, you’ll discover some new places you’ll want to check out or discover some places you’ve been wanting to check out are right there! On my last visit to the City I spotted Heath Ceramics and stopped in for a peek. There were shelves of dishes, stacked and color coordinated. My OCD rejoiced! I love the simplicity of Heath Ceramics, and their earthy feel. In shop they also carry other kitchen and home goods like aprons, tote bags, cutting boards, and lavender sachets. My favorite part of the showroom was the tile section. How lovely it would be to have a kitchen I could purchase tile for? Backsplash goals. 😍 What new places have you stumbled upon lately? Share below!

bunny butts. 

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A pom pom DIY for Spring! Materials and tools: Cardstock Yarn Hole punch Paper scissors Pom pom maker (I like using the Loome tools. You can also use a fork or make your own out of cardboard.) Fabric scissors Make a pom pom: wrap yarn around your tool, tie tightly around middle with a separate piece of yarn (it’ll resemble a donut, sort of), cut the loops (a fuzzy ball!), and give it a hair cut (don’t be shy; cut a lot!). Make sure to leave the tie yarn long. Cut a bunny shape and punch two holes to attach the pom pom. Tie on a pom pom. Bunny butts! These make cute table settings or Easter basket notes, or a fun surprise for your favorite bunny fan. Try it with different colored paper and yarn, too. Happy making! 

spice girl. 

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Tell me what you want, what you really really want. I wanna (hah), I wanna (hah), I wanna (hah), I wanna (hah), I wanna really, really, really wanna…go to Oaktown Spice Shop and buy all the things. 😋 I’ve heard lots of great things about the Oaktown Spice Shop, and it lives up to the hype, y’all! If you weren’t a fan of cooking before, this has to be the store that turns you. There are so many kinds of cinnamons, peppers, salts, vanillas, herbs, and spice blends…so much inspiration everywhere. It’s like the Berkeley Bowl of spices. #eastbaylove The aroma is rich. As soon as you walk in you will be enrobed in a patina of fine spice dust. Mmm. You can purchase individual bags or jars of spices, or pick up a prepackaged gift box – think curry blends, BBQ rubs, or chai time mixes. Aside from the quality products, I love the displays of jars and baggies. Don’t you wish your spice cabinet could look like this? This is definitely a stop for …

jasper and gold. 

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Michaels held a free collar necklace making event, and the first fifteen guests scored a free gift. I’m a sucker for freebies so of course I went. Plus, I was hoping to pick up a jewelry tip or two! I might have arrived early to shop and be one of the first in class to snag a seat and a prize. They gifted us a Glam and Go bag and a create necklace – perfect for all crafty days! It ended up being a small class so they gave each of us a freebie second helping. Double score! I dabble in jewelry making, but I never officially learned, nor have I ever made a bold statement piece like a collar necklace before. This class was a good introduction to larger bead/stone use. I chose the above green stones, which we’re guessing are of the jasper variety. Michaels provided the rest of the materials and tools for our projects. Our instructor for the evening was Cindy, an avid beader and overall fun lady! She’s got an awesome collection of …

sugar rush.

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My friend and I went to a cupcake tasting with Angel Cakes and we had way too many cupcakes. Yes, there is such a thing! When we signed up we were thinking “oh yea, they will probably have five or six flavors they want us to try and we’ll rate our favorites.” The day before the tasting they announced that there would be twenty flavor combinations to try, plus an additional sixteen gluten free and vegan varieties. I’m assuming they didn’t expect everyone to try every flavor because twenty mini cupcakes apparently equals eight normal sized cupcakes, but um, food enthusiast here! My friend and I were determined to try all the flavors so we could accurately report on all of them! The flavors: Mexican Chocolate Chocolate cake with cinnamon and chili, chocolate buttercream Strawberry Vanilla Strawberry cake, vanilla strawberry buttercream Turkish Coffee Coffee and cardamom cake, mint buttercream Rose Cardamom Rose cardamom cake, vanilla buttercream White Chocolate Raspberry White chocolate cake, vanilla buttercream, raspberry Red Velvet Red velvet cake, cream cheese frosting Rainbow Sherbert Lime orange cake, raspberry …

an ode to nissan. 

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Many of you know by now – my long time roadside companion had to be retired. There were too many things missing and needing a fix after he was recovered so my insurance company ‘totaled’ him out. Poor Nissan. I remember when my Dad brought Nissan home the summer between fifth and sixth grade. That was 21.5 years ago! OBD, that’s “Old Dirty Blue,” you will be missed! Thanks for the memories! Mini road trip adventures to Lake Tahoe, Monterey Bay, Morro Bay, Murphys… A frequent photo taking spot. My craftmobile and present-delivery mobile. Our wedding car. Fits three lovely friends in the back and a handsome hubby in the front. Plus all the flowers. Nissan is at Insurance Auto Auctions in Bay Point, CA if anyone wants to buy him and fix him up! 🙂 Give a shout out to your first car below!

good morning. 

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Hubs and I have started a coffee shop tour! It’s easy to get stuck in a routine, or stay home because pajamas, but it really does feel good to get dressed for a coffee shop date and some strolling. Also, it’s nice to go somewhere together when it doesn’t involve errands or getting something done. We get to sit and talk with each other without distractions or responsibilities (even though some of the conversation might be what needs to get done when we get home. Ha!). Explore along with us! Hal’s Office in Albany, California We ventured to Hal’s, a new kid on the block. Sit by the window on a sunny morning and take fancy pictures, people watch, dragon watch (yes, we saw a dragon pass by – it was Lunar New Year weekend), dog watch. The workers get excited when you order mochas “for here” because they get to practice their coffee art skills. Check out this beauty. We tried the cherry pastry and the sausage & cream cheese croissant, both by Firebrand. And to …