Sunday, January 23, 2011

San Francisco Vintage Paper Fair

Kelly & I both enjoy scrapbooking and paper, so we went to the San Francisco Fair Grounds to check out the Vintage Paper Fair on a Sunday afternoon.
 We spent hours looking through all kinds of sheet music, playing cards, postcards, and checks. It was really fun to see vintage bottle caps, marbles, and other collectibles too.
Postcards were organized by category and location. I was amused that one of the booths had drawings on the dividers. The "Indian" divider had a drawing of an arrow. It makes perfect sense that the "gun" divider had a drawing that looked like a hair dryer. 
The paper fair attracted a wide variety of people. It was fun to see all the different booths and the collectors that ran them.
We had a great time looking through old ephemera and I look forward to May when the paper fair returns to San Francisco.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Eureka!

I love gelato.

I took up making gelato because I couldn't find Riso or Rice pudding flavor anywhere in California. Rick Steves suggested going to Vivoli gelateria in Firenze (Florence, Italy) to taste Riso gelato. Ever since I tried that free sample I've had Riso on the mind. Searching high and low for the past two yeas has been an experience.
Tonight while out with my friends I had that wonderful Eureka moment in a cute place called Holy Gelato! It is an eclectic place that offers a very wide variety of merchandise. From humorous cards, lunch pails, and ceramic mugs to relaxing teas, jewelry, free trade clothing and deliciously odd flavors of gelato-this is definitely my new favorite place!
The staff is knowledgeable, extremely friendly and doesn't scrimp on the servings. The employee explained that the Jerry Rice pudding is a seasonal flavor that they offer only during winter. I was thrilled we had a craving for gelato during this cold spell.
 
Kudos to the gelato shop for having non dairy gelato! Doesn't it look delish?
 
After sampling the goat cheese flavor, I chose Charlie Brown's Nightmare and Jerry Rice Pudding. I couldn't help buying myself a pint of the Riso gelato to go. I had a fabulous night and look forward to going back to 9th Avenue in San Francisco to try more flavors.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Broad Street Firehouse

This holiday season my family and I had the pleasure of visiting the Broad Street Firehouse in San Francisco. My grandfather, Charles MacCarthy, served as a firefighter at the firehouse. My Mom found out that the house was being sold and contacted the friendly owners. Marilyn & Robert purchased the firehouse once a new firehouse was built a block away. They have lived happily in the firehouse for over 33 years! You can read more about the history here.

Mom & Jenna in front of Engine #33:
Marilyn & Robert have made a lifestyle with their 1950's Mack firetruck. They offer tours through San Francisco: for information, check out their website.
The firehouse is decorated with all kinds of fire paraphernalia. This is a view on the way to the Captain's quarters. Check out the stained glass hanging in the window-Mom bought it!
Marilyn & Robert dress in themed attire for the San Francisco tour. We were so lucky to catch them right after they returned from their day. The wall behind them is dedicated to artwork of the Golden Gate Bridge.
This is my favorite photo from the night! Jenna found out that Marilyn was a childhood actress and tap dancer. We loved the dance studio she set up in their bedroom on the second floor of the firehouse.
They were preparing for an estate sale and we had so much fun looking through their extensive collections. We had fun looking at all of her photos in her scrap album.
The kitchen was Jenna's favorite part of the firehouse. It had a home like feeling. As expected, it was firefighter themed. Of course, they have a candy drawer for the kids that visit!
Just when I thought the tour of the firehouse was over, Marilyn & Robert took us down to the basement. How cool is the chalkboard on the broiler?
Overall it was a wonderful family outing and the experience made me feel closer to my grandfather. And to top it off, we have two new friends that we'll remember for a life time. If you would like to see more photos, check out my flickr set.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

New Years Tradition

Spending New Years Day at the beach has become a tradition for my mom and I. The rolling waves, colorful rocks and white sand were picturesque today. We met a friend at Moss Beach and spent a few hours taking photos while searching for glass. It was an overcast day with an occasional misting.

Low tide always makes for an exciting experience.
This part of the beach reminds me of Devil's Golf Course at Death Valley: looking south towards Mavericks.
The water was a beautiful color today and it was fun being a professional beach bum. The best way to start out a new decade!
In 2009, I chose the word simplify as my One Little Word. Instead of trying to keep up with a new years resolution I found myself reciting this word and trying to keep it alive through out the whole year. I took a year off but I am ready to play again. I chose a word that I find myself saying frequently.

My word for 2011 is balance.

I struggle with balancing my hectic schedule. My work life, family life, friends, and personal time. I want to find a happy balance and maintain it in a healthy manner. Since I started dancing recently I have noticed that my balance is not as strong as it can be. I want to improve that too. If you would like to learn more about One Little Word, take a look at Ali Edward's blog. She's always an inspiration!

I hope that I can balance my time and blog more frequently. I really enjoy this space as a place to share my photos, creativity and document what is happening right now. Here's to 2011!

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