May Wrap Up

sunset at Bodega Bay

Some favorite moments of May: witnessing dear friends celebrate marriage; having my best friend visit from out of town; celebrating my husband's birthday with a weekend getaway and hiking among redwoods; and as always enjoying San Francisco during meals with friends and meandering through the Mission. I'll be at a music festival this weekend, which is the best way I could think of to start the summer.

Whiskies & Weekend Walks

This week I had the absolute pleasure of attending Whisk(e)y 101, hosted here in San Francisco by Women & Whiskies. More and more women are drinking whiskey (or 'whisky' if you're in Scotland, Japan, or another country without an "e" in its name, as I learned) and smart companies are taking notice. While I've attended tastings for Jameson and The Macallan, this event was the most educational/enjoyable for me by far. Hosting ~20 women in a fun, nicely decorated venue, with a Bi-Rite spread(!) shows the Women & Whiskies team knows what they're doing. For this class we had the chance to taste Scotch, Canadian, and American Whiskies... and now I definitely feel more knowledgeable about the different kinds. I already ordered a bottle of my favorite from the night. 

Also recently... The weather has been awesome and I've tried to be outside during my free time as much as possible. My legs were sore from this picturesque hike just north of the Golden Gate, and I've been checking out the architecture in North Beach and the Financial District. There is nothing I love more as a city-dweller than being a tourist in my own city and admiring everything it's made of:

The Sentinel Building in North Beach, in the shadow of the Transamerica Pyramid

The Shell Building (1929) reflected in the Crown Zellerbach Paper Company Building (1959)

California Commute

I've been doing a reverse commute out of San Francisco down the Peninsula for the last couple years. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't tiring, but at least it offers some nice views:

view from the train, 6:45ish am (pre daylight savings)

Palm Springs

the PSP equivalent of an ocean view

Palm Springs - a bucket list destination since I moved to California a few years ago. I finally went with a group of friends for a weekend party and was not at all disappointed. I came home and immediately started planning a return trip. Some more pics...

Mardi Gras in Nola

My first Mardi Gras in New Orleans was in 2007, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was way more than the hot mess on Bourbon Street that the festival seems to be known for. It's more like a city-wide block party with good food and drinks, and fun parades with elaborate floats, costumes, and marching banks. And after a couple more visits, New Orleans has become one of my favorite cities in the country. I went back for Mardi Gras weekend this year, and I learned that yes, I am definitely eight years older and no, my body cannot take three straight days of partying anymore. But I could still appreciate the fun spirit in the city while attending the parades and parties! Here's some photos:

showing off my parade swag!

San Francisco Architecture

I've always liked the unique architecture around San Francisco. I'll always love the classic Victorian homes and earthquake cottages, but there are some zany designs out there that just add more character to the city. When I first arrived, I saw a building in SoMa with furniture attached to the outer walls, like they'd been thrown out the windows... turns out it's a work of art that required more than 100 volunteers. Here's a couple fun buildings I've seen recently while wandering around the city:

Folsom Street

Hayes Valley (couple blocks from the Aether shipping containers)

(Reminds me of a cheese grater)

Urban Hiking

I always love seeing the Golden Gate Bridge peeking above the city landscape. (View from Buena Vista Park)

That hill in the distance is mine :) (View from Corona Heights Park)

Christmas Cheer

How I celebrated:

Above: family time around the Christmas tree and hearth; fun decor and lighting at NYC's Chelsea market, and wrapping presents for the little ones in the family.

Below: displaying all the Christmas cards we received from loved ones

Junk

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Succulent terrarium made at Workshop SF with Home Sweet Flowers