Summerized

Summerized Jewelry now for sale at Love & Luxe

I'm very excited to announce that Summerized earrings are now available at Love & Luxe, a fabulous jewelry store in San Francisco's Mission district (1169 Valencia Street at 23rd).

Betsy, the co-owner and creative director, is a talented jewelry designer, and has created a very well-curated boutique. I'm happy to be included.

She shares my interest in diamonds, as evidenced by this greeting card for sale at the counter...

And this amazing, massive metal diamond in the window display!

I believe they're open Tuesday through Saturday.

Rhythms, Ruminants and Raw Food

Yesterday, I had the most fabulous day in Marin County. Waiting for 5rhythms dance to start, some people were playing guitar and singing outside, and I had a nice chat with a fellow dancer. Once inside, it was an amazing dance, with lots of energy and beautiful expression.

After, I went to a favorite lunch spot, and ate with some new friends. Stopping at the organic fruit stand on the way home, I picked up some great produce and homemade pickles made with apple cider vinegar. Pickled unripe strawberries are especially delicious.

  

A petting zoo happened to be across the street; I got to snuggle with some friendly goats, sheep and piglets. I refrained from doing my sheep/goat imitation.

 

Sailing off Sausalito

 

Last weekend, Kat and Brian came to town, and we went sailing with Krisztina, Autumn and Berndt.

It was my first experience on a sailboat.... and it was pretty noobish.

But it was a lot of fun just to be out with everyone on a beautiful day.

The blanket of fog rolled over Sausalito like something out of Mordor... and was moving so fast you could watch it billow and tumble.

Inspiration at Outside Lands (and unsolicited hair petting)

 

I went to the Outside Lands music festival last weekend. Really, how could I not -- it was walking distance from my apartment. The fest was in Golden Gate Park -- so you could wander through the trees between concerts -- terrific venue.

It was fun to see MGMT, Girl Talk and some others. Actually, my favorite part was dancing to Miguel Migs deejaying in some igloo-like tents.

They really put some effort into the props and "furniture" for the event, including these latticed windmills.

 

There were art installations in the trees, including this kind of steampunk tree house with a rustic diamond. Reminded me of my diamond earrings.

 

At the Girl Talk concert, drugged up 20 year olds petted my hair and backpack, and remarked on how soft they were. This was my cue to leave.

And I was rewarded for doing so. We went to an after party at the Boom Boom Room, where Gypsyphonic Disko was playing. Amazing! Their sound is a crazy Balkan-Urban fusion, with an accordian, Balkan horn, a drumbeat, and a dj. Super fun, boisterous and danceable.

Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard's Mad Men-esque offices

 

Before the holidays, I visited Alysha at HP Labs. Her building is home to Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard's corporate offices, which are kept in their original state for visitors to see.

 

The offices are quintessentially modernist, and huge. There is even a little Japanese garden outside sliding doors. The furniture and linoleum floors took me back to 60's-style bank interiors I saw as a little kid, doing errands with my mom. As did this wood paneling and wall clock.

The offices are open for viewing by the public I think; there were some Japanese tourists viewing them when I was there. They're a great addition to a tour of Silicon Valley fabulousness and geekery.


 

Now I know where to do my photoshoot to enter the Mad Men casting call!

Stilt house and a gaggle of geese

Last weekend, I visited my friend at her stilt house in Marin County. It was overcast, but still beautiful, and there was lots of wildlife on the water.

I'm fascinated by all the communities of people living in houseboats or stilt houses, on various shores here in Northern California -- there seem to be a lot of them (several weeks ago, we went to a party on a Sausalito houseboat, which was very cool -- the houseboat was floating right in the San Francisco Bay). In contrast, my Marin friend's home is in a community perched atop a pretty marshland, and facing out onto a river-like finger of San Rafael Bay (no, that's not it in the picture below).

You walk down a long wooden boardwalk to get to her home. There are several blocks worth of boardwalk, and each home has its own mini boardwalk. As with the Sausalito houseboats, and each home has a different architectural style, and they are in varying states of repair. There are several geodesic dome type structures and A-frames.  My friend's place was originally a small home in San Francisco, built at the turn-of-the-century.

 

A neighbor fed the geese and ducks.

Kitties stalked.

The birds were unafraid.

 I 

Just got back from Berkeley

Whew, I just dropped off the Speedo Mandala Clock at the Play Berkeley Digital Media Conference. there was a little debacle over the display case, and I ended up buying an acrylic one at Tap Plastics at the last minute.  

What a beautiful campus! I've never really explored UC Berkeley before, and it looks lovely.

Bambi on Market Street

Slytherin Coven?

Someone's a little too into Harry Potter...

Dolores Street

Yesterday, we saw a small grey rat walking in brisk circles on the sidewalk. "A rat!" cackled a wheelchair-bound woman with large, pink bare hands and feet, and cat-lady hair. "Someone must have poisoned it. I wish I had something to hit it in the head with."