Category Archives: San Francisco

A little Staycation

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It’s easy to forget how gorgeous California is…
… except when you decide to get out of the city one weekend, and it slaps you in the face.  Uh… we live here?!  I totally forgot!
Last weekend Kris and I decided to get out of San Francisco… well we crossed a bridge… and after the 10 minute drive (yes, 10 minutes door to door) we were here.  
Paradise.
Fort Point is located off the first Sausalito exit once you cross the Golden Gate Bridge, and in my opinion is one of our city’s best kept secrets.  It has a lovely little beach, surfing (Kris was like a fat kid at an ice cream parlor), and a beautiful hike up into the Marin headlands.
Originally used as some sort of military base (we didn’t actually read the historical markers) I think it was probably used to shoot at the bad guys trying to invade San Francisco at some point in history… I’m guessing it was built less out of need and more out of Cold War paranoia, but I have no clue… next time I will definitely read the historical markers…
These hidden bunker type thingys were ALL OVER the place… and pretty cool, if I do say so myself.  Some were all shut up, and looked very much like The Tempest Bunker from the show Lost.  No?

And… this is what heaven looks like.  This little beach was completely uninhabited since there was no way to get down the cliff.  I suppose you could access it by boat, but I digress.  My point is, look how gorgeous it is!

So gorgeous in fact that I got a little photo happy…

It was getting a little late in the afternoon by this point, and the wind had kicked up – hoodies required for sure – but it was so darn pretty.

… and after a day in the sun, we drove back to our beautiful city by the bay…

I’m thinking that as the weather warms up (well as the weather OUTSIDE San Francisco warms up), this might be a staple for our weekends…

Happy Monday!

Weekend Finds

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What a great weekend!  The weather here has been warm and sunny, and it’s days like these that remind me how much I love this city.  We went to the beach on Saturday – Kris to surf, me to run, and you’d swear we weren’t in San Francisco, but in southern California!

Anyway, after my run, I met up with my friend Lindsay, and headed over to Union Street in the Marina for some lunch and a little shopping.  I’ve got the normal stores I go to for clothes, and there is a ZGallerie there too, but I had never noticed this little antique store.  We wandered in to check it out, and it ended up being much larger inside than I would have guessed – two full storefronts packed with pieces ranging from Art Deco mirrors and chandeliers, to mod ’60’s chairs, and tables, lovely turn of the century buffets, and lots of cool small accessories – trays, vintage jewlery, art, lamps, and fur throws (I’m assuming they were real… not faux).
What did we stumble upon before we left???  A vintage bar cart!
I had JUST been saying how much I wanted one, but never in a million years thought that I’d be able to find one in my price range.  The idea of getting a new one sort of took away from the allure – I wanted the character of a vintage piece, so I was absolutely SHOCKED to see that this little guy was priced at just $220!  
I LOVE the bamboo shaped brass, and the teeny casters at the bottom.  There was a bit of damage on the top piece of brass at the top, so I didn’t walk away with it (I’m not one to make an impulse purchase like that) but I am definitely going back this week after work. I want to take a better look at the damage (is it fixable, or does it add character) and also want to check that it feels sturdy.
What else did I find, but an immaculate Dorothy Draper chest of drawers.  I am so in love with this piece, but at nearly $2,000 it’s something I’ll simply lust after for now.
Look at the details in the beveling, and the pretty brass pulls.  Also, the set of champagne glasses on top were fabulous (would look great on my new bar cart, ha!)

I’ve Been a Busy Bee

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Holy moly – does anyone else need a weekend from their weekend?!  I definitely do!  I got together with an old friend for brunch and mani pedis on Saturday, celebrated my mama’s birthday with a big dinner party that night (more on that later), and on Sunday, we headed up to Mount Tamalpais in Marin county for what turned into a very tiring hike.

This is the view from the top… you can see San Francisco wayyy in the distance… and all that fog??  Yep, that’s where the ocean should be!
Between all of that, I swear I have been making progress on our little hallway in the last week… proof??  Here is a sneak peek at the freshly painted and “antiqued” console table… excuse the wires in the background – the console has made a temporary home in the middle of our living room while the hallway gets painted.

Dinner with Sissy

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Burrata and Wine from the Tap – Delfina
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I have affectionately referred to my sister as “sissy” for as long as I can remember.  As a name… “I miss you Sissy”, or as a noun… “That’s MY big Sissy!”  You get the idea 🙂

Well, Sissy came to visit on Tuesday night this week, and I could not have been more excited.  While it was primarily a matter of convenience, (the passport office is located in San Francisco) it was just nice to see her, and spend time one-on-one.  I love her husband to death – he is funny, sarcastic, and just fun to be around – but I do miss having just ‘sister time’ with her.

Anyway, with just one night to hang out, we walked to one of my FAVORITE restaurants in this city for dinner (and several glasses of wine).  Delfina is a fabulous pizzeria in my neighborhood, that boasts the most fabulous thin crust Neapolitan style pizza.  It’s loud, and small, but feels cozy, and kind of fancy (even though it’s NOT)… and did I mention that the food is out of this world??


Salsiccia Pizza – Delfina
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We sat up at the bar that looks into the open kitchen – my favorite spot.  I love to watch them flip the dough, and make your food right in front of you.  Everything is SOO fresh, and the fact that they have wine on tap (yep, ON TAP) makes me love this place even more.


Deep fried Zucchini blossoms – Delfina
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My favorites?? The fresh burrata from the ‘starters’ menu – they serve it with peppery arugula, toasted crostini, and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top – heavenly.  I also LOVE the meatballs, but last time we came here, we went a bit overboard on the ordering so we held off on their meatballs for another night. Instead, we got one of their new additions to the menu – the stuffed zucchini blossoms that are overflowing with cheesy deliciousness.  These bad boys got battered and deep fried – I don’t even want to know the calories – and the deep fried basil put this dish over the top.  Amazing.

For the finale, we got the salsiccia pizza – I could eat it every night and never tire of it, but I also love their panna pizza, the margarita, and the prosciutto pie.  Look at the full menu here – you will see how amazing (and reasonable) looks!!  If ever in SF – I highly recommend this spot.

A word to the wise – don’t come starving.  They don’t take reservations, and the wait can be pretty long on weekends, but trust me when I say it’s worth it.  Order a glass of wine (or two) from the hostess, and you’ll be fine 🙂

The House

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Doesn’t this look so good?  We had lunch today at a restaurant called The House.  Located in Northbeach, you’d never notice this un-pretentious restaurant, but the food is phenomenal, and the prices are totally reasonable.  I’d describe it as asian fusion – there is a ton of seafood on the menu – all super fresh, and they use really interesting flavor combinations.  So amazing.  HIGHLY recommend!!

Anyways, I have been totally MIA this week – so busy with work!  (why do the short work weeks always feel the longest)?!  I am so looking forward to the weekend already – some warm weather, and a little field trip to the south bay for my best friend’s gender reveal party.  Have you heard of this new phenomenon?  Pregnant women throwing parties to reveal if they are having a boy or girl?
I hadn’t heard of it, but I am so excited to see her, rub her belly, and catch up.

Happy Thursday!

Date Night

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Photo courtesy of Dipity
Tonight, Kris and I are heading out for a much needed date night – nothing over the top, just dinner and a late movie.  Kris has been working such long hours and I’ve had back to back client events every night… it feels like we are ships in the night!  Well, I’m putting a stop to that.  Date night it is…

I have been dying to go to Out The Door – the cost efficient sister restaurant to The Slanted Door. Take a look at the menu – everything is amazing – the crab cellophane noodles are TO DIE FOR, and the shaking beef?? Don’t even get me started.  It’s a short walk from our apartment, and is totally on the way to the Kabuki movie theater – possibly the best  theater on earth (you can reserve your seats in advance, there is a bar in the  theater, and the seats are sooooo comfy – my biggest complaint about other theaters).

I can’t wait for some romance!  Happy Saturday night!