I am away on an adventure where 'my' modern technology = a postcard + stamp. That's right, you won't find me around here, but rather eating pain au chocolat, exchanging 'bonjours!' and soaking in the Provençal way of life in <insert announcement trumpeting> France! Should you need to contact me, please send correspondence via email and I will do my best to promptly respond to your message upon my return in mid October. À bientôt!
♥ Miss Bojambo
In the meantime, might I recommend enjoying Peter Mayle's, A Year in Provence. C'est fantastique!
Enjoyed a night out at The Independent in San Francisco to see Little Dragon. Fun show, great live music. I totally appreciate that they play their music live without back tracking. They really sounded great live. That said, I found a good quality video, that is not from the show I was at, but is live and is of one of the songs I loved - Happy Listening, my friends!
Yesterday the city of San Francisco was showered upon by big chunky raindrops from lunchtime on. Boo. My B and I escaped the madness of the wetness by dashing from our car to the SFMOMA for an afternoon of semi damp clothing, squeaky shoe soles, people watching and some damn fine artwork.
We were finally able to see the truly interesting exhibition, "How Wine Became Modern" as well as the more edgy "Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance And The Camera Since 1870."
Harry Callahan, Atlanta,1984; dye transfer print; 9 7/16 x 14 5/16 in. (23.97 x 36.35 cm)
We enjoyed shuffling with the crowd to feast our eyes on these works of art. What a perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon. Rainy days, for me, are meant to be spent walking through a museum or watching Gone With the Wind with a cozy blanket and pot of tea.
I am equipped with the following Lonely Planet guide books: Peru, Provence, and Tanzania because they are all places that I dream of visiting!
Machu Picchu, Peru
I began playing the flute in the 4th grade and went through a pan flute phase. When I think of Peru, I hear a pan flute playing music from the Andes. I never ended up with a pan flute, but would be more than delighted to hear live local music in Peru! I dream of exploring the Inca trail, soaking in the vibrant culture, and finding me some pan flute action!
Provence, France
I'll be honest, ever since my first French class in the 7th grade I have been madly in love with France and terrible at French. I imagine visiting Provence and eating exceptional food, drinking rich wines, and swimming in seas of lavender. I can't imagine a more romantic and moving place. I dream of indulging myself in the same vistas that inspired so many great artists, too many to name.
Tanzania
When I was a little girl I dreamed of living in Africa with the animals. I wanted to wake up one day and be a big, beautiful wild cat. I know that I am never going to magically transform into a wild cat, but going on safari in Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania could pay tribute to my childhood desires and be my greatest adventure!
While in Portland, Oregon this past weekend, I stopped in a little shop by the name of relish. Although they primarily deal with interior design, the store has a wealth of home decor items and gifts within its colorful walls. That's where I found this gem of a terrarium by Space Design Botanicals.
I downloaded an application onto my iphone thinking it would enable me to take photographs that I could share via twitter throughout my bf's, mine, and our two cats journey from San Francisco, California to Seattle, Washington. I was wrong, but I do think I will share a bit of the journey now - I mean, I've got the photos!
Simone and Roux
We left San Francisco at around 7:30ish am, after stopping for a light bite and much welcomed coffee, we hit the open road. Roux and Simone were packed forward between the driver and passenger seats in their "to the vet" carrier with a puppy training pad - just in case. They were a little uncomfortable at first, but slept through most of the 14-15 hour drive, and eventually molded themselves into one giant ball of cat.
Driving through California took a while, but I was thoroughly entertained by Mount Shasta. It just kept getting bigger! The first photo is while we were approaching the mountain and the second photo was once we had passed the mountain. The third photo is of a group of horses. I love horses, but I was also bored and have way too many unidentifiable photos.
Once we made it to Oregon things started to get a little slow. There just wasn't much to hold my attention for hours at a time! We blazed through Portland and I managed to capture the "Entering Washington" sign. The home stretch was intense. There was a beautiful sunset, but the sky was black by the time we actually made it to Seattle. I didn't want to simply take squiggly light photos from the car, hence the no downtown Seattle photos at night. We made it home around 10:30pm with sore butts, sleepy kitties who perked up once they were rid of the cage, and a lot of unloading to do!
Golden Gate Bridge - Photo taken from our moving vehicle
This Saturday, the BF and I vacated the fine city of San Francisco to drive up North and taste some wine with his parents in wine country- just for an afternoon. We specifically wanted to taste whites because we've been conducting our own tastings as of late with ... you guessed it - white wines!
We went to two different wineries: Ferrari-Carano Vineyard and Winery and Dry Creek Vineyard, both of which had beautiful gardens and yummy wines. While at Dry Creek Vineyard, the BF and I were split in our taste preference between two Sauvignon Blancs, a 2008 Fumé Blanc and whatever it was that he liked, neither of us can remember! In any case, we ended up leaving with a deliciously rich 2006 Chardonnay that we both liked. That said, my Sauvignon Blanc recommendation is the $12.00 2008 Fumé Blanc from Dry Creek Vineyard. It was delicious - give it a try!
We had a lovely time tasting wines, enjoying the beautiful vistas, and gardens. I was very impressed by how well manicured the gardens were and feel inspired to shape up my own little slice of earth. Oh, and I loved seeing the allium and wisteria in the garden at the Ferrari-Carano Vineyard and Winery. I would like to incorporate these into my garden somehow. On that note, I will leave you with wishes for a wonderful week and a few lovely little floral photos taken during my adventure.
Allium Purple Sensation at the Ferrari-Carano Vineyard & Winery
Allium Purple Sensation at the Ferrari-Carano Vineyard & Winery
Wisteria at the Ferrari-Carano Vineyard and Winery
Happy Valentine's Day, my friends. On this fine day, I wanted to share with you a few lovely floral arrangements, however, I temporarily do not have access to the photo's. But what I do have to share are a few snaps I've captured while in Italy, this past fall. All Valentine's Day approved!
Though this wasn't the romantic gondola ride that I shared with my shweetheart, I captured this gondolier and his boat while in Venice on the Grand Canal. The city of Venice is like a museum and is definitely worth seeing at least once! Make sure you have a friend or special someone to share a gondola ride with!
While in the quaint town of Amalfi on the Amalfi Coast, In Southern Italy, My Bf and I walked through though the vender filled streets and happened across this stand of hot peppers. Hot red peppers to spice up your life!
Lastly, I will leave you with the lovely photo taken in the romantic gardens in Ravello; A sleepy town atop the rolling hills of the Amalfi Coast. DH Lawrence, Truman Capote, and Virginia Woolf have all spent time in Ravello; finding inspirations from its beauty no doubt. Italy is such a wonder. Enjoy your Valentine's Day, my friends!
The weather in San Francisco, as of late, has been very chilly and I'm loving it! Case and point. Today, after bundling up, I met a girlfriend for a late morning bite at a local cafe. We enjoyed our warm pastries outside, while our cheeks turned rosey pink and steam danced above our espresso. As soon as we polished off our warm treats we were off to partake in a knitting store adventure!
There is something so satisfying about being chilled to the bone and then walking into a warm, cosy space. And I think a store covered from floor to ceiling in a variety of yarns is the perfect place to escape from the cold.
While at the kitting store, I came across a beautiful blanket that a staff member had made. The construction was very interesting as there was a wave pattern throughout the blanket and a wealth of different colors, yarns, and textures. I have been wanting to knit either a cream, rich purple, or moody grey wool throw for a few months and this blanket inspired me to better define this throw I am fantasizing about making. I am envisioning a monochromatic throw made with as many different yarns as I can find. I'm sold on the texture that is sure to manifest with all of the different yarns.
There are so many things that are more fun to do in this chilly weather, like drinking spicy teas, wearing socks and scarfs, knitting anything, sending and receiving packages with friends (actually, that's always in style!) and making, baking, and eating yummy treats! I'm going to go out on a limb here and declare this weather a treat!