Academy of Science

The Academy is my favorite place on a cold day. The aquarium rivals Monterey Bay and the steamy rain forest makes you feel like you're in Hawaii. I will miss living a few blocks away. There's nothing like it and my daughter loves the playroom. Love to the people who put it together.





Under water ballerina...

Kara's Cupcakes in the Marina district, San Francisco

Mmmm Kara's Cupcakes

Kara's Cupcakes in the Marina district, San Francisco
Originally uploaded by beastandbean

If you're ever visiting San Francisco, Kara's are the best cupcakes in the city. I have been on a cupcake kick and they have the most delicious coconut cupcakes in my opinion. They have mini ones that keep me guilt free.

Don't just sit there

Hipster
Originally uploaded by Joel Bedford

Photo by Joel Bedford

If you're just sitting around this weekend, you'll miss out on some great music at the Hardly Strictly Blue Grass Festival in San Francisco. I went earlier this evening, and listened to Lyle Lovett croon on the Banjo stage. My little Olivia ate fresh corn on the cob and organic hot dog. She up-chucked on the way home, but had a ball eating the foot long corn stick. Go if you can!

Upcoming Bay Area Dance Performances

Tango Dancers
Originally uploaded by -N-Root-

The dance season is coming underway and I am very excited to see some wonderful talent in the bay area in the next few months. Lines Ballet, ODC, Company C and Margaret Jenkins are a few companies that will take the stage soon in addition to SF Ballet. In the meantime, I thought this shot of tango dancers interwined is inspiring and so sensual.

Ranunculus

Happy Friday! Sending you a vase of fresh flowers!

Ranunculus
Originally uploaded by Craft & Creativity

I love these vibrant hues. The brighter the better. What are you up to this warm weekend? I can hear Outside Lands Festival beginning, literally through my cracked window. It is an all weekend music festival in Golden Gate Park and though I won't be there, I will hear it pretty clearly. Have a fabulous weekend!

Summer Days

It feels as though summer is being squeezed out by the on coming fall and we've only had a handful of lovely beach days in San Francisco this summer.







I don't mind, I am itching to buy some new boots and embrace the new season. Maybe I've been in the gray summer days of the city and feel used to the mild air already. I wore a wool coat and scarf just today. Well, Labor Day is coming soon and that means one more search for the sun and the last taste of beach sand for Olivia, and then we'll have to sharpen our pencils and buy some note books. Our summer will come...we'll relish in it late September-October!

The Meatballs at Bar Bambino

IMG_1522
Originally uploaded by ultraclay!

I have to say, Bar Bambino is my new favorite place in San Francisco. I am still dreaming of the meatballs. They were perfect. I went to dinner with a girlfriend on Friday night and tried to make the meatballs myself on Saturday. I wanted more! My meatballs were awful in comparison. Everything about Bar Bambino was delicious and well done.

Salumi bar at Bar Bambino

IMG_1514
Originally uploaded by ultraclay!

Bar Bambino had the most wonderful salumi bar and the little appetizer bites like fresh tomato bruschetta were incredible. I had the most diverse plate of olives as well. This place was oh so good!

Bar Bambino, San Francisco

Bar Bambino San Francisco 001
Originally uploaded by Italy in SF

The leather tether that wrapped around the napkin was a great little detail at Bar Bambino, a place in the heart of the mission district of San Francisco. And the leather covered menu was a nice touch as well. It added to the rustic quality of the food served. The interior of the tiny restaurant was anything but rustic, it was simple and chic.

Swan Lake at Stern Grove

Ballet Nacional de Cuba
Originally uploaded by rayparnova

We went to Stern Grove festival this afternoon to see the San Francisco Ballet in all its grace take the stage at the free outdoor festival. It was the most crowded I've ever seen the festival and still was a treat to see three different pieces danced, one being Swan Lake. The dance company is beautiful to watch and the grove is like a breath of fresh air with trees surrounding you and people relaxing or taking a picnic. It was Olivia's first ballet experience and she squealed with delight after the first pause to clap. I think she liked it even with her toddler attention span. Just being outdoor and people watching was good enough for her while I was able to see supreme artists do their thing.

Toddler Ballet Class

My daughter Olivia is just 15 months and just took her first ballet class. I know some people may think I'm nuts, that she's too young, but I think not. She loves to dance at home and if you say the word dance, she starts to move. The whole experience was sweet. She wore a baby blue leotard and matching skirt, with pink and navy stripped Juicy Couture leg warmers. Olivia knew something special was about to happen, and was excited just to wear her ballet dress. Then there were the other kids dressed alike and she was in heaven. The Tutu school looked like a little girls dream land with lavender walls, bamboo floors and various tutus gracing the walls. The teacher, Miss Abby, wore pointe shoes and was dressed in black and pink ballet garb. With her encouraging smile and miles of patience and guidance, Miss Abby completed the whole ballet magic of the class. They danced to Stravinsky's Firebird in a large circle and ran around. It was a delightful Saturday morning and when we came home, she went straight to sleep for a long nap!
Stay in line, girls!
Originally uploaded by Sonic Armin

The Dahlias at Ferry Building, San Francisco

I picked up a fresh bouquet of gold sunflowers while at the ferry building this sunny afternoon. We breezed by many other notable blooms and my favorite were the wild dahlias. These blush colored flowers were so sweet and feminine. I was overwhelmed by the beauty and couldn't decide which to get, so I went sunflower instead.


dahlias | ferry building
Originally uploaded by nchoz

Goldfinger at Dolores Park

The Breakfast Club at Dolores Park, San Francisco, July 26, 2008
Originally uploaded by /\/\ichael Patric|{

Summer in the city means that movies in the park will begin. Saturday night's free feature is Goldfinger. Truck over to the Mission District to see James Bond on a giant screen. Grab a blanket or two, some of your favorite nibbles, a bottle of wine and go! Dolores Park has a nice slope that simulates stadium seating but with a well lit up backdrop of downtown and the bay bridge. Last year the fog rolled in, as did the teen angst of the Breakfast Club. We'll see what happens tomorrow night as we watch 007 in the fresh night air.

Masala Dosa

dosa fillmore in San Francisco - Masala Dosa
Originally uploaded by Bonnibelle78

One of the many dosas on the menu. The dosa come in different shapes and stuffed with different ingredients. This one has cabbage, pea and carrots. The sauces are sambar, coconut and tomato chutney.

Chandelier at Dosa Restaurant

Chandelier - Dosa restaurant Fillimore San Francisco
Originally uploaded by ShashiBellamkonda

The romantic chandelier at Dosa on Fillmore, a top 100 restaurant in San Francisco.

Dosa on Fillmore

Dosa on Fillmore
Originally uploaded by Premshree Pillai

A few of the lovely things they have at Dosa.

Dosa on a Tuesday

dosa on a monday
Originally uploaded by lcrisan

We went to dinner last night at Dosa on Fillmore. It is South Indian cuisine, which is something I am not schooled in. The restaurant was beautiful and contemporary with sleek dark wood, a communal table and many tea candles. All the lighting and wall fixtures were gorgoeus. The first thing I saw was a chandelier that looked like a lit up feathery animal or sea anemone. It was very romantic and a wonderful place for a date. And yes we date, even though Cain and I are married. I would go back for the libations alone. I ordered the bowler, which had pisco, mango and lime. It tickled my tongue, literally.

If you've never had a dosa before, it is the Indian version of a crepe that you dab with special sauces. Mine was filled with peas and home made farm cheese. It was delicious. We also had chile rubbed prawns and chicken korma with coconut aromatic rice. My senses were alive after the meal. I will go back with anyone that wants to go because It was unbelievably tasty. The restaurant is also a green establishment from the ground up to the food on the table. One more reason to go back, as if you need one.

ODC Ballet

Ballet Dancer & Ballet Jumps: Grande Jeté "Ballerina in Flight" - Dance Portraits in Columbus, Ohio
Originally uploaded by WB - CMH

This weekend I took a tough ballet class from Augusta Moore at ODC Commmons www.odcdance.org in San Francisco. Having not a lot of time lately for dance, I was not in top shape but managed to power through the inventive class armed with my technique. Moore's modern style and inspiring choreography kept me pointing my toes through and through. I survived with just a little muscle soreness and came out with better posture. Can't wait to dance again! It is my crack.

I came across a funny article recently. The members of the ODC Dance Company challenged Cal Berkeley's athletic department to a toe to toe competition to see who is more fit, the dancers or the athletes. The dancers went against members of the men's water polo, volleyball, soccer, track & field, golf and swimming teams. This is the third year that they've competed and I really want to attend next year to see it myself. It turns out that ODC beat CAL again this year when it came to strength and agility. And I see why, their bodies are fine tuned artistic and athletic machines.

Land's End

It was a warm and sunny June afternoon. When visibility is as clear as it was today and the clouds are sparse, I like to head to Land's End. It is breathtaking on a cold and dense day in a romantic yet haunting way. That was not the case today as summer has officially begun and we got a little feel of it. Despite the sun, I was dressed in layers as I toddled with my 13 month old newbie walker on the path that overlooks the bay and the Pacific. With a little one, the new parking lot means easy access and a calm stroll on a marked path. You can go off road a half mile or so into the walk as the path turns into a dirt and rock meandering hiking trail that has sweeping views of the deep blue bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. Needless to say, we turned around at that point. The cliffside and rocky terrain was too interesting for a young curious baby to steer straight. We took in the rays, the Golden Gate views and my little girl, of course, tried to eat the gravel.



Photos by Lena Watanabe