picnic wines

One of Daniel's friends from high school just started his own wine label. I guess that must happen a lot when you grow up in Napa. Anyway, their label is called Picnic and they had a party last night to celebrate the release of their first wine, a chenin blanc called Blue Plate.  

The party was at Coup d'Etat in Potrero. I love Potrero. Every time I go there I have fantasies of moving into a large loft in an industrial building and filling it with expensive furniture. We had an early dinner at Axis and then went to the party. Coup d'Etat is a ritzy design/furniture store where they sell things like hammocks made out of fur. It's kind of amazing. 

Daniel ended up buying a case. I can't wait to drink it up!



Coup d'Etat
111 Rhode Island St
San Francisco 94103

take me back

It's Tuesday, but I'm still stuck on the weekend. I want to go back.

The weekend was full of flowers

and chocolates

and trips to the farmer's market, and Easter brunch at Nopa, and walks through Alamo square. Also, impromptu cocktail parties, braised lamb shanks with mint and lemon, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels on TV. 

It was lovely.

And now it's Tuesday and Daniel is working late almost every night this week while I myself am impossibly busy and it's no fun at all. Take me back to the weekend, please. 

this is just how my face looks

Teehee. I myself sometimes have this particular problem...

image: kris atomic

kombucha

Random, and probably wholly uninteresting to anyone but myself, but I am currently obsessed with kombucha. More specifically, GT'S Synergy, which has a teeny bit of fruit juice added to it as well.

Really random, I know. But I've started drinking it recently and I'm sort of hooked. It's tangy and slightly effervescent, which is a winning combination in my book. Plus, it makes me feel virtuous because of all the new-agey hoo-hah about the benefits of probiotics and raw food. I love when I can find foods that make me feel smug. I usually avoid stuff of this ilk because I think a lot of things termed health foods are nauseating. It's a little like the line in Woody Allen's Sleeper where he says "This stuff tastes terrible. I could make a fortune selling it in my health food store." So it's nice to find something that's touted as being healthful that I hands-down love the taste of.

Granted it's not for everyone. I gave Daniel a sip of one last week so he could taste it and he immediately cringed and looked at me like I was trying to poison him.  I guess I can see how the idea of fermented tea that has large chunks of bacteria floating around in it might not have instantly won him over. Oh well. More for me!

the krank press produce calendar

OhmygodhowbadlydoIwantthis?!?

It's a letterpress calendar that gives little lists of which fruits and vegetables are in season during which month. It also makes a list of which f & v are good to plant. I covet this. I long for it. How useful! How charming! Too bad my birthday was last week...looks like I may be forced to buy this for myself!

scenes from a bridal shower

This weekend, Daniel's mother threw a bridal shower for Molly, one of Daniel's childhood friends, at their home in Napa. 

I acted as general assistant and sometimes photographer and the whole party spent a lovely Sunday morning sipping kir royales and brunching on the deck. The weather was soft and warm and the wisteria was in bloom, a perfect spring morning. 

divisadero art walk

Yesterday evening, we went to check out the Divisadero Art Walk.

The basic premise was that painters/photographers/etc. would display their work in the stores/restaurants/bars all along Divisadero and then the public could pop in and see it. Pretty cool.

We met up with friends at Madrone. They had photographs up on all the walls and a piano player.

{Madrone Art Bar}

{Lauren & Ashley}

Really, there was more beer than art, but that was okay too. I love our neighborhood so much.

thursdays to myself

So it is Thursday. I am very happy about this. These days, I have been consumed with work but I always make a point of taking Thursday evening off to relax a bit. I think it's pretty necessary, just to keep myself sane.

Anyway. Happy Thursday. Hope everyone can find the time to take a few deep breaths and relax.

(Oh, also, the above photo is from Daniel. He's out doing butterfly surveys for work- I know, sounds nice doesn't it?- and he sent this to me from the field. Charming, I think)

twenty & five

As I mentioned before, it was my birthday this weekend.

I'm not one for big parties or anything like that, but I do enjoy celebrating birthdays in small, lovely ways. Today that meant breakfast from the Grove St. farmer's market.

Followed by visits from friends and the a drive up north to Point Reyes.

One of the things I love about San Francisco is how easy it is to get out of the city and find yourself somewhere glorious in the matter of only an hour or so. Also, I love driving across the Golden Gate Bridge. It's exciting every time.

We stopped at Cafe Reyes for a late lunch.

After lunch, Daniel took me horseback riding on a hundred acre ranch out by Tomales Bay. His horse was named Summer. Mine was Rabbit.

Rabbit was sort of a pill. The bastard would not go, no matter how hard I thumped him with my heels. Finally our guide gave me a little makeshift riding crop to poke him with from time to time to give him the idea that he should actually be moving forward rather than just cooling his heels looking at the view. That worked pretty well. But really, I couldn't blame him. 

The weather couldn't possibly have been more beautiful and the views of the hills and the water were marvelous. I guess I'm pretty lucky to have been born at this time of year.

After the ride, we wobbled back to the car and drove to Point Reyes Station. We wandered around for a little before going to dinner at Stellina.

Dinner was champagne and oysters, a fennel and blood orange salad, and mussels in broth. We savored our meal and then drove home to San Francisco listening to Nina Simone sing "Wild is the Wind." I was in heaven.

So another birthday comes and goes. It was a pretty fantastic one. 

Cafe Reyes

11101 SR 1

Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

Point Reyes Arabian Adventures

11925 Point Reyes Station

Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

Osteria Stellina
11285 Hwy 1
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

my birthday

It's my birthday this weekend!

I like birthdays a lot. Probably because I get spoiled with flowers and champagne, special dinners and amazing presents. It's pretty awesome.

Hope everyone has delightful weekend plans!

le croissant du jour

Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves

                                                                 -Dorothy Parker

chicks

On Sunday, Daniel and I drove to the outer Richmond to visit some chickens.

Daniel's former roommate Morgan and his girlfriend Joanna have decided to go into chicken husbandry, as it turns out that their apartment is in fact zoned for up to four (!) chickens. Last weekend they drove out to Marin and picked out five chickies (just to be safe) and now they are raising them in a little box in their apartment.

They have two Araucaunas, two Speckled Sussexes, and one Bantam.

The bantam was my favorite, probably because she's the smallest and looks the most like the prototypical Easter chick. Her name is Shark. She was the speediest and managed to eat all three of the worms that Morgan dropped into the cage.

I believe the chick to the left is Judy Dench. The one to the right is Nately.

This is the far more stately and elaborate abode they will be moving into once they have matured a bit. Morgan has been building it in the garage, but soon they'll move it to their backyard.

I have to admit, I am a little jealous.

the park

Today was glorious.

Because the weather was so good, we drove out to the Park Chalet for brunch.

Afterwards we walked through Golden Gate Park.

We also went to visit the bison. 

It was the most beautiful day. I'm so happy spring is here!