Last weekend we decided to catch the tail end of the desert wildflowers in Anza Borrego Desert State Park. After a stop in Julian for a bison burger at the Miner Diner, we headed southwest into the park. We didn't do much hiking, just a walk through a trail leading to a number of palm groves (we made it only to the second grove), but it was a lovely, mild day in the desert. Julian was actually chilly, as a storm was predicted to drop rain on the mountain town.
The desert wasn't in vibrant technicolor, as I'd hoped/imagined, but cacti and other plants were flowering. Here are a few images from our day.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Simple, Well Made, Modern, Functional Design
Two new additions to our household--one a bit easier to accommodate in 900 sq ft.
Russell Wright Sugar Bowl--now that I'm using sugar in my morning coffee, I felt a sugar bowl was warranted. For years, I've coveted the sugar bowls and creamers he designed. I'd go to eBay occasionally and see what was being offered. When my sister asked what I wanted for my birthday, this year there was no hesitation. Luckily, she and I share similar design sensibilities, so there was no explaining what I was looking for. The Russell Wright stamped, cream sugar bowl with loop handle arrived within a week.
Vintage Danish Modern Table and Chairs--we went to Klassik, a vintage modernist furniture store in downtown San Diego, to look for a desk. Once we sat in the chairs of this dining set, all thoughts of desks left our minds. Matt was sold immediately and felt territorial when others came into the store. He later told me that he wanted us to move away from the table so that others wouldn't be interested in it. One of the aspects that we both loved was that the two extensions were housed in the table--one just pulls them out from underneath. Smart design works well when lack of storage is an issue.
We took just about 24 hours to decide--which is lightening quick for us. It helped that we have guests coming and family moving to town, and we only had a small, high, retro soda shop table, which maxed out at three people, to dine upon. We were able to do some negotiating, so we felt that we got a deal and supported a local merchant. The owners are nice and didn't charge us for delivery. They said they would just rather have us come back and buy more. We'd prefer that as well.
Russell Wright Sugar Bowl--now that I'm using sugar in my morning coffee, I felt a sugar bowl was warranted. For years, I've coveted the sugar bowls and creamers he designed. I'd go to eBay occasionally and see what was being offered. When my sister asked what I wanted for my birthday, this year there was no hesitation. Luckily, she and I share similar design sensibilities, so there was no explaining what I was looking for. The Russell Wright stamped, cream sugar bowl with loop handle arrived within a week.
Vintage Danish Modern Table and Chairs--we went to Klassik, a vintage modernist furniture store in downtown San Diego, to look for a desk. Once we sat in the chairs of this dining set, all thoughts of desks left our minds. Matt was sold immediately and felt territorial when others came into the store. He later told me that he wanted us to move away from the table so that others wouldn't be interested in it. One of the aspects that we both loved was that the two extensions were housed in the table--one just pulls them out from underneath. Smart design works well when lack of storage is an issue.
We took just about 24 hours to decide--which is lightening quick for us. It helped that we have guests coming and family moving to town, and we only had a small, high, retro soda shop table, which maxed out at three people, to dine upon. We were able to do some negotiating, so we felt that we got a deal and supported a local merchant. The owners are nice and didn't charge us for delivery. They said they would just rather have us come back and buy more. We'd prefer that as well.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Celebrating Presidents and Love in San Francisco
Blogger, Flickr, Facebook--so many place to upload photos. Will uploading them to only place work? We'll see.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Mariposa Bakery
Another reason to love the Bay Area is Mariposa Baking: "Our mission is simple -- create gluten-free baked goods that are indiscernible from the finest, high-caliber gluten-based products available."
I came across their gluten-free, sour cream coffee cake in a market in Mill Valley last weekend, and I was giddy at how good it was. It pretty much tasted like my grandma's recipe, which I've had great success at making gluten-free. Matt loved it, of course. But even our gluten-loving, Italian friend didn't miss the gluten. After taking a bite, which he clearly was not expecting to enjoy, he looked at me, eyebrow raised, and asked, "This is gluten-free?"
While Mariposa does sell some of their goods online, it's not going to be economically feasible to purchase many items. I just need to swing by their store in Oakland on our next visit to the area. In the meantime, I'll have to make Grandma Welling's sour cream coffee cake to fill the craving. The danger with that is neither Matt nor I can stop at just one piece. I made a batch last night, and we've devoured half the pan.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Low, Low Tide At Point Loma
Colorful barnacles revealed.
Matt had to take photos of the striations in the sandstone.
Life abounds in the tidepools! A tiny crab carries a shell and a hermit crab.
Matt traversing the slick stones. An egret waiting for a meal.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Things We Like
We recently bought a few things we love and have to share.
CB2 Link Side Table. Looks even better in situ.
CB2 Glass Trees. We bought them on sale, post Christmas in green and silver. I can't wait to put them out next winter. I might have to break them out for a 'Christmas in July' thing this summer. They are so stylish.
IKEA Dimpa Bags. We needed a disguise for the bag of recycling and bag of items to donate to charity that we keep by the front door. They never bothered me that much, but I could see Matt cringe every time he passed by. The solution was these über cheap IKEA bags. For some reason they are not showing up on the IKEA site--either too new or discontinued. I hope it's the former.
Our choices and other pattern/ color options.
CB2 Link Side Table. Looks even better in situ.
CB2 Glass Trees. We bought them on sale, post Christmas in green and silver. I can't wait to put them out next winter. I might have to break them out for a 'Christmas in July' thing this summer. They are so stylish.
IKEA Dimpa Bags. We needed a disguise for the bag of recycling and bag of items to donate to charity that we keep by the front door. They never bothered me that much, but I could see Matt cringe every time he passed by. The solution was these über cheap IKEA bags. For some reason they are not showing up on the IKEA site--either too new or discontinued. I hope it's the former.
Our choices and other pattern/ color options.
Working Girl
I haven't been the great about postings since we arrived in San Diego. I must say that looking for work was not the most inspiring topic to write about. But now I have a job! I'm two weeks into a position with a company, Target Software (now owned by Blackbaud), that I knew from public radio days. The company is based in Cambridge, MA, but I'll be working from home--the cats are very pleased with this arrangement. I will get to visit Cambridge a few times a year, which is great. I really enjoyed the snow and cold weather when I was there last week for training. I also wouldn't have minded if the company was located in Cambridge, England. So either this job will mean the end of the postings altogether or more posts due to my increased productivity. We'll see...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)