Travel to Make the World Smaller

A hastily (but carefully) packed duffel bag or carry-on suitcase, a laptop and a bunch of small items hidden within a sleek tote, an electronic boarding pass getting scanned from my phone - for me these are the hallmarks of travel. I like to think I'm pretty good at packing a bag and living temporarily on the go. Not that that is a vital part of travel, but it really really helps.

Inspiration: Home Design

from pinterest

This year marked three years of living in San Francisco, and it's been the longest time I've spent in the same apartment. Someone recently asked my husband and me if we were indeed still in the same spot, and we said, "yea, same place, but we did just rearrange our living room furniture, so it feels kinda new!" It really is the little things, sometimes. 

I've loved interior design since I was a kid but also had limited ways in practicing it. A few throw pillows here, an accent wall there - generally things a young adult on a tight budget would do. (This post on home decor to get rid of by your 30s actually came out on my 30th birthday, and my husband and I had a laugh reading it.) Being a little more settled now has allowed us to spend our time and effort on building a home, albeit in the confines of a city apartment that we probably don't spend enough time in. All the more reason to have it look like we want it to (within reason), so that we can fully appreciate times when we can be homebodies.

Our apartment is pretty open-plan, so you can walk in and see most of the place right away. Originally we floated the couch to create more of an entry-way, but it also closed off the room a bit. By switching up the positions of the couch and a chair/ottoman that had been against the wall, we changed the flow of the room. I know, deep thoughts, right? I can't point to one single photo that led me to consider this layout, but that's not how inspiration needs to work, at least not on me. Here, a few rooms that speak to my influences...

Life and Links Lately

This time of year is always busy at work for me, and with daylight savings it feels like I have less time to get everything done (I've spent the last two days practically glued to my computer). But, I'm getting through it and looking forward to some fun stuff coming up. Here's what's caught my eye in terms of good reads around the web:

This article on Daria is great for showing what a smart cartoon I was watching as a pre-teen and for pointing out that the show is available online!

Hooray for Steph Curry getting a wax figure at Madame Tussauds. The behind the scenes video for having a figure made looks pretty cool (and only slightly creepy):

In another Bay Area feature, artisanal businesses are moving into the Bayview. This article in San Francisco Magazine interviews how people feel about it, and it's a pretty balanced take.

This feature on How Women Define Success is fun (famous people!) and insightful (pretty good takeaways).