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Hello hello lovelies….

It’s been such a long time since I’ve posted and I’ve really just stopped by to say that I think about the blog almost every day and miss blogging so much, but I’m also so busy that I can’t commit to it right now. Maybe when I get myself settled a bit more I can get back to it, but as readership really drops without content, I don’t want to lay out any rigid schedules for posting.

So, I may be posting here and there, and I will most certainly be working on improving the design and functionality of the blog.

I hope you’re all doing super!!

xo

Image: Stylesite Blog

On a side note…..Lady Gaga’s body is CRAZY…..talk about some 2012 exercise motivation.

Also, go here for some decent music :-)

My friend Kaitlin and I had some insanely yummy cocktails the other night before dinner–I loved them so much that I had to learn how to make them at home. Gimlets are always good–give me a decent gin with some lime and I am happy–but the addition of cucumber takes it to a new level of deliciousness. I really, really recommend Hendrick’s gin with this cocktail, as it has hints of cucumber. If you can’t get your hands on it, use the best gin you can find. I did a lot of online research, and mostly sourced the recipe from Crumpets & Cakes.

Ingredient List (2 cocktails)

• 4 oz Hendrick’s gin
• 1 cucumber (2/3 removed of seeds and roughly chopped, 1/3 cut into chunks or slices)
• 3 limes
• 3 oz simple syrup

To make simple syrup, measure one part water to two parts sugar. bring water to a boil and add sugar, stirring constantly until dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. If you’d like, add a dash of vodka–it will help the syrup preserve. Syrup can be stored in the fridge for up to 6 months.

Squeeze juice from limes and reserve.

Puree 2/3 chopped cucumber in a blender, food processor or using a hand mixer. Place fine sieve (I typically use a very fine strainer) over a bowl and press cucumber to squeeze out juices. Discard remaining cucumber and reserve juice.

The cocktail can be served over ice or, if you wish, shaken and served in a chilled martini glass. If you opt for the former option, fill a tumbler with ice and pour 2 oz gin, 1.5 oz simple syrup, about 3 oz of cucumber juice and 3/4 oz lime juice. You can manipulate the cucumber and lime juices depending on your taste and how strong you’d like the drink.

Throw in a few chunks or slices of cucumber.

And, a mini soundtrack to listen to while you sip :-)

Have a fantastic NYE weekend, we’re off to Monterey after Tate’s 15th month in the morning.

xo

I was doing some research shopping last week and picked up a poster for Tate at Maido, a Japanese stationery store in the SF Centre. I wanted to share the find but have had a difficult time locating prints by the artist, Norio Kaneko, online. I managed to find a few prints for sale on a French website, which also has amazing prints by other artists (including Ruka Ruka and Blanca Gomez, who both hang on Tate’s walls already).

Check out all the posters at Mes Habits Chéris here. So cute!

If you’re anything like me, you put holiday shopping off until the last minute. You still have two weeks! Here are some fun ideas to get your wheels turning…

• Eco-Friendly Reusable Lunch Bag – $18
• WTF Self Inking Stamp – $8
• 3 Fish Studios Hand-pulled Limited Edition Linocut Print – $20
• Sara Paloma White Matte Bottle Trio – $150 
• Signed Copy of Fahrenheit 451 – $90 (fine more signed editions here)
• Organic Mulling Spices – $10
• Mulling Spice Ball – $11
• Ira Glass Button – $1.50
• Letterpress Calendar – $24.50
• Travel DIY Globe Art Kit – $25
• Needle Felting Owl Kit – $24
• Adopt A Buddy Print – $15
• People Turn Around Tank – $34
• Pipe & Washer Necklace – $26
• Black Mission Fig w/Fennel & Honey – $12
• CC Mt Tam – $35
• Rickshaw Messenger Bag – $90
• Set of 4 Linen Coasters – $32

2012 is shaping up to be a busy year! I am hoping to push forward with the shop and I think that if I can manage some decent promotion I will do pretty well (I’ve already sold 4 prints!). I really don’t know why I am insisting on the shop, as my work is plenty creative. But I still enjoy doing something just for myself.

Lots of travel for the new year is brewing–Todd booked our flight to Italy in September, I go to NSS for work in May. I am thinking of maybe flying up to Toronto to visit a friend who moved there over a year ago. Todd and I are going to NYC after Italy so I can visit with friends then. Aside from that, probably just long weekend trips. Possibly PDX. Our 6th year (!!) anniversary is in February and I’d love to go to Bodega Bay for the weekend; it’s the first place we traveled overnight when we started dating :-) We’re spending NYE in Monterey with Todd’s family. I’m really excited to take Tate (and his cousin) to the aquarium. Todd’s mom and I have purchased a lot of yummy prosecco for midnight toasting!

I miss blogging, I really do :-( Work is insanely busy. Insane. But I’m still loving it. I am sooooo excited for next weekend. I am going into the city Friday night because the other art directors and myself are going to Renegade on Saturday. So, I asked my friend Kaitlin, who I never ever see and who I figured needed a bit of a break (she has two kiddos) if she wanted to come in for the night for a sleepover. We’re going out to eat–cheese at One Market followed by Prospect for dinner. Then we can sleep in our OWN DOUBLE BEDS. And sleep in! I can’t wait. Todd, Tate and his parents are coming into SF that afternoon and we will stay another night–we have a family party in the bay on Sunday. It’s Todd’s dad’s birthday, so on the way in on Saturday they are stopping in Berkeley to have lunch at Chez Panisse. I can’t believe I am missing out–Tate gets to eat there before I’ve had a chance!

I love being busy, but I also feel like I have aged 10 years in the past 15 months. I also need to commit to being more physically active in the new year as everything is starting to……head south, shall we say. I knew my blessed metabolism wouldn’t last forever, but I’m not happy about it.

I’d love to hear about your holiday plans–have you done any shopping? NYE plans? What are you thinking about for 2012? I suppose we can talk resolutions later ;-)

I am hoping I can pull together a last minute gift guide post tomorrow. Luckily I don’t have to buy much. We “adopted” a family and I shopped for the 6 year old girl who loves Hello Kitty and ballet. I bought her tons of clothes at H&M and I had so much damn fun pretending that I had a little girl!

xo

Todd, Tate and myself are leaving for PDX early tomorrow morning–we’re returning early Monday but we have a meeting in the afternoon with a financial planner (oh….joy). Since next week is guaranteed to be insane as I prepare for Thanksgiving and a work creative, I thought I might send you my wishes for a lovely Thanksgiving a bit early.

This year I’ve been tasked with cooking, which I love but becomes more difficult when you are juggling work and a baby. I was determined to keep it simple this year….of course it didn’t quite work out that way :-)

My uncle is Mr. Meat and always makes a delicious ham for Thanksgiving and Christmas. He also sometimes deep fries a turkey, and will this year–I feign horror but can tell you that there is nothing like a fried piece of turkey skin….yummy. I will also roast a traditional turkey, so there will be no shortage of meat leftovers :-)

I will try my best to take some photos, although it’s hard when you are also cooking. I fall firmly into the early prep camp–I blanch and chop and even make my mashed potatoes the day before. I am going to stay over at my folks’ house Wednesday night and am looking forward to puttering around the kitchen and maybe watching a movie with my dad.

If you’re interested in trying any of the recipes in the menu above, you can find them here, along with some additional dishes.

Following are some links from PL blog that you might find useful as you prepare for the holiday:

• If you’ll be a guest this year, make sure you arrive with a bottle (or two) in hand–check out some wine recommendations ranging from $4 to $20 here.
• If you’re planning on bringing an appetizer, the mushroom with grilled polenta cakes and arugula and fava bean crostini are two light and yummy options.
• For an alternative to pumpkin-themed desserts, try making an almond financier (just sub out the strawberries for a more seasonal stone fruit). You can make it ahead and it’s just as good left over.
• And, for all of you non-meat eaters, I highly recommend my favorite lasagna loaded with roasted vegetables! You can even throw in some chard or kale to make it more robust and seasonal.

I also have some additional wine recommendations for this year:

• Dry Creek 2010 Chenin Blanc – I am usually not a fan of this variety but it’s got a heft that I love. It’s more of a summertime wine but also perfect for sipping before dinner.
• Marques de Riscal 2006 Tempranillo – I haven’t had this particular wine, but I have had others from the winery. Tempranillos are perfect for white drinkers like myself….very smooth and light.
• Zardetto Prosecco – I had a glass of this at my birthday dinner a few months back and it was soooooo delish. I have gotten more into prosecco of late; it’s just slightly dry, not like the super dry bruts you usually get with sparkling wine/champagne.
• Bogle 2010 Chardonnay – I am not unfamiliar with this wine, I buy it all the time. It’s local and it’s quite possibly the best value chardonnay available. I can get it for $9 but it may be more pricey out of the area.

Some additional reading, ideas and resources:

• What can I prepare ahead of Thanksgiving? { via NYT }
• Festive cocktails for large groups { via NYT }
• American wines for Thanksgiving { via Serious Eats }
• Bargain Thanksgiving Wine Picks { via SF Chronicle }
• Thanksgiving Wine Choosing 101 { via The Kitchn }
• Carving the Thanksgiving Turkey { via NYT } — PS, my dad has used this method for the past few years and it’s fab!
• SF Chronicle’s Thanksgiving Guide { via }

What are your plans for the holiday? Are you cooking? A guest? Any family traditions? Any adopted families? Are you a Black Friday shopper?

PS, I am working on a project at work focusing on friendship cards and I would love if you would participate in a short survey. We’ve received some great insight so far and are eager to see more.

xo

Well hellooooooo strangers :-) Life has been beyond insane for the past few weeks, whew! Work is intense but I still love it. I’ve been doing considerably more art directing than I was anticipating–in fact, that’s about all I do–which is great fun. I’m starting to see some of my design proofs come in which is really cool.

Halloween came and went fast; I had nothing planned for Tate so I gave him the kitty ears I’ve been wearing for the past few years and attempted to draw a cat nose and whiskers on his face with eyeliner (didn’t get too far, of course). We took him out around the neighborhood so he could see the other kids, but not before he gave Sierra a big Tate kiss. A Tate kiss involves a face dive into either animal with a wide open mouth.

I had a birthday a few weeks ago–no time for anything super special, but Todd made me dinner. Last weekend we went to Santa Cruz with my parents–a belated birthday trip for my mom–and it was so much fun. We rented a nice place right across from the beach (and the boardwalk), Todd bought some new board games and we bought fresh crab and shrimp and petrale sole for dinner…..yum. I will post some photos soon. I’ve managed to get a few more things up into the Etsy shop. It’s a work in progress, but I’m enjoying moving slowly on the project. I’ve been taking my time ordering paper samples and trying to find the best stock for prints.

Tate has not adjusted well to the time change and is waking up in the middle of the night, which means lots of Red Bull for mom. Tonight Todd and I are having dinner with some friends and staying in SF. We’re going to Foreign Cinema, and I am super excited. I’ve been for lunch but never at night when they show films! I’m taking the day to do some market research in the city for work, and I’m hoping to finally make it to a few shops I’ve been eying, like Urban Nest and BellJar. Then, of course, there are the old standbys–Britax Fabrics, Gumps, Flax…..I LOVE FLAX.

It’s going to be raining today and I can’t wait to get into a bath at the hotel with a glass of wine (and maybe watch Breaking Bad on my laptop) and wait for Todd to get in from his conference. I’ve started thinking about some fall shopping, and I’ve been gathering some things I like on Pinterest. I haven’t done any proper shopping in such a long time, and I am so excited. Have you made any purchases yet? Loving any trends?

Hope you’re all well, miss you bunches!

xo