Yearly Archives: 2006

The San Francisco Opera is hosting a free simulacast of Madame Butterfly on Saturday night. It’s opening night for their summer season. It’s not as fun as getting dressed up for the real opening night, but it is certainly much cheaper. There is something very “bohemian” about watching from outside the opera house! Bring a…

You’ve got to love Pottery Barn Teen. It’s like the perfect offspring of Pottery Barn and Urban Outfitters. Fun and quirky, but with quality. Por ejemplo: this lovely carved wood mirror with a shelf. It comes in green and white. At $29, I think it would be a great item to put outside your house…

I rarely wear my hair straight these days. It’s naturally curly and usually takes advantge of the wind and humidity in San Francisco to become completelty unrully. However, this morning I was feeling brave and straightened my hair for the first time in months! It’s so much longer than I remembered! It looks very “Nicole…

Is it possible to overdose on artichokes? I am in about the third week of my all-consuming obsession with this vegetable (flower?). About four days a week, I run down to the produce market to pick up a handful of these lovelies to go along with dinner. This week’s menu: salad and artichokes, pasta and…

The Met catalog always has the coolest stuff. I remember drooling over the jewelry sections growing up. And my first real pair of dangly earrings? Purchased from The Met when I was 13 (and rediscovered a few years ago as still being remarkably cute). Check out this Parisian Buckle Bracelet from their current site. According…

I finally heard back from the Girl Scouts today! I applied to be a volunteer a few months ago and passed my background screening in March but hadn’t heard anything. Now it looks like I may get to start volunteering with a troop in the next few weeks. How exciting! Which badges should I pick…

Late last night, I was picking up the house in preparation for the housekeeper’s visit today. With the windows wide open and a lavender candle from L’Occitane burning, it all felt very provencal. All I needed was a set of fancy French tea towels and a batch of pastries in the oven. This lavender candle…

This is only of my all time favorite summer reads. Our Hearts Were Young and Gay follows the hilarious adventures of two young women in the 1920’s on their first independent trip around Europe. Anyone who has ever traveled with a close friend will love reading about Emily and Cornelia’s adventures. They get bed bugs,…

I had a vivid dream last night about being on vacation in southern California. Maybe it’s all those Miramar memories bubbling up to the surface. Anyway, my dream was full of big bougainvillea and hibiscus bushes. The kind of bright, tropicals that don’t live here in San Francisco outside of the conservatory. Here are a…

I’m wearing my brand new pair of Franco Sarto pumps today. I bought them on sale at Macy’s last weekend and I adore their thick vintage heel. It’s very 1940’s. Plus, they are way more comfortable than the clunky wedges that are in style. Shoes with substance are back in style this summer and a…