balance

 Another walk to the Golden Gate Bridge to take in the view. Here are a few photos taken from Fort Point and then a cheers to SF with "bright green" Juice Shop juice followed up with an Americano pizza from Tony's Pizza Napoletana for balance.

no point in pretending

East Bay friends started a movie night tradition where the backyard is turned into a movie theater with blankets laid out and a few couches brought out of the garage that doubles as the movie screen. Spaceballs was the chosen flick and dictated the food theme of ball food, meatballs, mellon balls, and a few other were taken and I've been the dedicated popcorn person so naturally I made these fancy caramel pretzel popcorn balls. I added a few spices and chocolate chips to one batch (I made 3!). I spent a little of the day at Green Apple Books and City Lights. I came across another sidewalk poem/words of wisdom and the artist at work. I was finally able to pass off a few sharpies I'd been saving for him as a token of gratitude.  

fancy candy

The Candy Store is a great neighborhood shop with a wall of shelves lined with clear glass jars filled with bulk candy from near and far. The glass counter holds some of my favorite fruit jelly candy and then chocolate bars have their own little area. This time Mikayla and I both bought French treats... I still haven't opened the pale purple "Fancy" violet marshmallow. Here are a few tiles and colors from my walk home and around from the candy run. 

new favorite ice cream in SF

It was cool and windy outside, but that didn't keep us from ordering ice cream. After tasting a few flavors I felt like the decision only became more difficult as I wanted all of them. I ended up with a scoop of earl grey and a scoop of lavender with a cherry on top... the perfect lunch. Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous is as charming as it is delicious. After poking our heads into a few small shops it was time to warm up with a cup of spicy housemade chai at Piccino before walking home along the bay.

We made a pitstop at the Jewish Contemporary Museum for the Allen Ginsberg exhibit. Ginsberg is an impressive and inspiring artist. I was able to see this print of Jack Kerouac that I admired when I was in high school and kept a postcard copy of it in a volume of On the Road while learning about the Beat Poets. Ginsberg's handwritten captions lent even more insight into the intimate portraits.  This portrait of his grandma, Buba, below was one of my favorite photos in the exhibit, here's the caption below.

Rebecca Ginsberg, Buba, wife of Pincus, laundry-man, later tobacco store owner, my paternal grandmother (b. Russia, near Kamenetz-Podolski, b.May 1869-d. July 19620, visiting her elder son's house, here 84 years old at the table for Seder preparations. She'd attended adult education English classes in Newark, 14 years earlier, and written a patriotic essay declaring "God Blast America!" Younger son, uncle Abe, & daughters Aunt Rose, Clara & H.S. teacher Hannah were her children. Dining roon 428 East 34th Street, Paterson, New Jersey, 1953. 

day(s) at the museum(s)

I woke up early and raced to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to absorb as much as I could before they closing their doors for the next 2.5 years as they expand. I was surprised to see a line had already formed for The Clock viewing with over one hundred people in line and it wasn't even 8 AM yet. I joined the line and after a long wait I was lucky enough to be one of the last few people allowed in the theater for the 24 hour viewing of the 24 hour long movie. I stayed until close to noon before leaving to recharge and keep my tummy from rumbling. I was given a clock stamp on my hand to allow me to take a 15 min break before waiting for another person to leave the theater so I could step back in. I opted to let everyone else experience the movie and explore the rest of the museum in the last 48 hours. I had a piece of Rothko toast at the rooftop sculpture garden, most of the sculptures have already been placed around the city, but the "Please do not touch the artwork"stencil remains. The figure by Jenny Saville was a commanding presence in the room and I kept coming back to this piece. While some visitors stayed all day and through the night with the museum open for 24hours as the countdown continued... I went home and then came back for one more visit before they turned off the lights. 

with my second day in a row at SF MOMA, this time with a friend, but still a little bit faster we raced around taking in favorites before I raced to the De Young Museum for the final day of the Dutch Paintings exhibit with the Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer as the central piece where eager museum visitors where lined up to take a peak at through thick glass. The floral and food still life pieces are my favorite. Lucky for me the rest of the museum was pretty empty so I took advantage of the quiet space to reflect on the art, even Rothko was alone, which seems to never happen at MOMA. After so many hours between two museums I was seeing similarities/art everywhere. I strolled through the rose garden, and ambled through the Union Street Festival before walking past pretty tiles and sidewalk chalk notes for a garage sale that looked more like inspirational art on the steep SF hills before making my way home

balance... donut for breakfast and green juice for dinner

caught up with a friend early in the morning over a chocolate cardamom rose donut and fancy coffee and balanced it later with some green juice from Juice Shop while turning a berry stained white hooded sweatshirt into a galaxy of stars while taking in the sunset

gleaned and foraged flowers

love for Heath Ceramics

I woke up super early and made my way to Heath Ceramics studio in San Francisco for Heath Open Studio with a factory tour and tile glazing! I've been to the original Heath studio in Sausalito numerous times and on the tour a few and always see something new. This SF tour was a little different as it's in their new 2nd studio located in the industrial section of the Mission District. The tour was lead by one of the two owners and their friendly dog. This space was full of energy and light and hearing about the passion behind Heath and their commitment to the community and craft was well, incredibly inspiring. It's a challenge for me to leave the Sausalito Heath store without a new treasure or two and learning more about the company has me wanting to support them even more. Part of the SF space is home to other local artists and really I'm still beaming when I think about the tour, Heath, and their amazing way of living and building a business where everyone can thrive and be happy. This surprise glaze your own tile station (my creation bottom left) had me jumping for joy.

Peko Peko

picked up some morel mushrooms, beef curry bento from Peko Peko, and a few of my favorite Hayes Valley views, like this little pig and acorn brown tiles.

nature friends tourist club

a little hike to the Tourist Club for cider above the trees

collectors strand

I'm a little bit in love with this "collectors strand" of hand carved stone beads from Africa at Yone Bead Store. I kept picking it up to admire it and they even let me take it outside for a photo. Hermon (90 year old storekeeper) told me that the people use to collect stones that naturally had a hole through the center or carve stones with hand tools and string them together and sell them to tourists many years ago. I have a feeling Hermon doesn't really want to sell this as it's valued much more than my first car and rests behind glass like a coiled snake.

fog, flowers, and fancy ice cream

Rhubarb crisp ice cream at Smitten ice cream before the fog rolled and a cruise around the city with a quick stop at Louesa Roebuck, before settling in at the Sutro Tower lookout to watching the fog roll in over the city in waves.

tropical field trip

 a trip to Flora Grubb Nursery is always like a mini vacation. I brought the little persimmon cactus dish home. The orange vessel is by Steel Life out of Oregon and the purple/blue ceramic dish is one of my favorites by Judy Jackson, in Brooklyn. This cream heated outdoor bench is a new addition and perfect for cool nights. On my way out I spotted a tiny tillandsia (air plant) nestled into an orchid blossom, genius.