Author: mrsem

Rob and I spent last weekend at the super lovely Mendocino Woodlands Camp. We were there for three days of mountain biking along with 100 other riders and 20 children at the annual M5 retreat. Our little cabins lacked insulation, running-water and electricity, but made up for it with large windows, porches and stone fireplaces…

For day two of the Silicon Valley tech conference, I went with a full “can’t beat ’em, join ’em” outfit. I wore an outfit inspired by the classic male investor/founder uniform of a blazer, shirt, jeans and leather shoes. My feminine interpretation included a peacock blue blazer over a white linen tunic, skinny Madewell jeans…

Bay Area tech conferences can be challenging to dress for. You want to be comfortable, stylish and not too casual or too formal. Basically, the female equivalent of the jeans + dress shirt + fancy shoes combination (sometimes with a blazer, never with a tie) that most Silicon Valley guys wear to these things. Pockets are…

Turkish was the theme of our weekly dinner party last night, and a great excuse to do lots of layering: both with fresh bright ingredients and lots of different table linens. Menu Appetizer: “Meze” platter with imported Turkish dolmas, black olives and persian cucumbers topped with lemon and paprika.  Amuse-bouche: Tomatoes stuffed with kisir (tabbouleh…

Because we visited Turkey at the very start of our nine week trip, I only bought a few tiny souvenirs in Istanbul and Bodrum. Thanks to Etsy, picking out beautiful pieces direct from Turkey is as easy as a couple clicks. From top to bottom: Ainurscarf – Hand-decorated scarves with crochet, amulets and tassels from Istanbul.…

This week’s dinner party is Turkish-themed. I’ve had such a good time reading back over our trip to Istanbul and Bodrum in preparation. All those gorgeous layers of Ottoman tiles and paint inspired an outfit with layers of soft patterns for the rest of summer. Sundress – This Madewell sundress has a classic Turkish carnation design.…

This week’s dinner party was a pretty informal, impromptu affair. The guests were a former colleague of mine, Lauren, and my good friends Jackie and Pierre who just moved back from Atlanta to California. Menu:  Purple Haze goat cheese with crackers, nuts and dried fruit to start Wild caught coho salmon baked with champagne and…

A blazer plus skinny jeans is the unofficial office uniform for most Silicon Valley women. I wore the combo on a recent casual Friday: I’m wearing a white Gap sweatshirt I picked up on sale for $14, a teal Vince Camuto blazer I got on sale at Nordstrom for $50, Madewell skinny jeans I found free at a clothing swap, silver loafers on…

Last week’s dinner party didn’t go according to plan. Instead of spending the day buying fresh oysters and preparing to roast a chicken Zuni-style…Rob and I sat with a friend in the hospital emergency room for six hours. Shoot. I did manage to throw together a cheese plate with the last of the manchego, red…

One of the great side effects of spending half a year traveling is that the seasons back at home feel like a total surprise. How can fall already be right around the corner?! It hit me suddenly when we had pumpkin-spice It’s-It ice cream sandwiches on foggy Saturday night. Fall is my favorite season: Skirt…