Inspiration for February

February desktop

When I’m working from home these days, I’m most often found at my desk by the windows. My workspace is slowly evolving, including functional additions like this and this. I’ve downsized my calendar from the enormous Typography Calendar by Pentagram to the wholesome illustrated calendar by Nikki McClure. It’s a good change for the new year.

My inspiration board changes with the seasons (remember it back in November?). The month of February is all about bringing love into the middle of winter–so I’m warming up and smiling with thoughts of sweet peaches and hearts and glowing suns, lots of reds and oranges. Spring will be here soon enough!

February desktop - closeup

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Going public

Last month, I started commuting a few days each week to Fairfax, a small town about 20 miles north of San Francisco. I’m working with a sustainable new media agency, and I’m happy to spend some time at their office and in the town of Fairfax–but without a car (mine is for sale!), my commute is a bit of an adventure.

By public transportation, the trip involves a brisk one-mile walk and two well-timed buses–plus many books and podcasts en route. All together it’s about 90 minutes each way. And after walking in the rain and missing the bus recently, I’m well aware that public transit is not always the easiest choice. Maps look complicated, fares get confusing, and you aren’t in complete control of your travel. Sometimes the bus is late. Sometimes you get wet.

But then I sit back in my seat as we drive through the foggy morning–and I’m reminded of all the simple benefits of transit. A dose of fresh air to start and end my workday. A peaceful morning drive over the Golden Gate Bridge. Saving money. No traffic or tolls or parking for me! Reducing our footprint. Plus small interactions with real people (riders and drivers alike!). And committing a piece of each day to reading, thinking, and watching the world go by. And all that is worth the extra effort.

What’s your favorite part of the ride?

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Pizza night


Last Saturday, I made pizza dough for the first time, and it was a delicious success! Not sure how I’ve gone so long and made so many pizzas never having made the dough from scratch. (In the past, I’ve been a big fan of Trader Joe’s whole wheat pizza dough.) But now, I can imagine it becoming a weekly staple.

For this first time around, I used a basic recipe and methods combined from my three go-to cookbooks of the moment: Alice Water’s The Art of Simple Food, Isa Chandra’s Vegan with a Vegeance, and the standard Joy of Cooking. The ingredients don’t vary much, but I like getting a few different opinions on techniques and timing–especially when it comes to yeasts.

Once the dough was prepped, I headed to the refrigerator to gather toppings from what we had on-hand. First, a pie with herbed potato, carmelized onion, and goat cheese with a thin spread of tomato. And second (inspired by Antonio’s in Amherst), a spicy Mexican pie with black beans, avocado, diced jalapeno, and goat cheese with a splash of hot sauce!

Any suggestions for your own favorite (and maybe unusual) seasonal pizza toppings?

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Around the city

This weekend took me around the city, soaking up the sunshine, including:
- My neighborhood farmer’s market at Fillmore and O’Farrell for garlic & onions, tangerines, and other non-CSA goods–and lots of tasty food sampling with Charlie
- A trip to the library for a new book from my ongoing reading list of business books
- Midafternoon iced coffee at Four Barrel,  one of the best coffee shops & roasters in the city
- A visit to Needles & Pens, a new-to-me DIY shop in the Mission–plus revisits to The Curiousity Shoppe and Little Otsu
- Biking through Golden Gate Park – which is car-free every Sunday!
- A first trip to Green Apple Books (a new favorite book store) and a walk to Ocean Beach
- Good people, live music, and Lagunitas on tap in San Rafael on Sunday night

And now it’s Monday morning. Back at my desk, ready to start the week!

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Buying in bulk & more loving of glass jars

Bulk food jars

I love jars. I love food. And I doubly love food in jars. So as you might guess, this bulk storage situation in the kitchen makes me very happy. Two cheerful rows of glass jars, filled with dried goods to keep our bellies full.

Each jar was scrubbed clean and then later hand-labeled–because in a hungry moment, oat groats can be mistaken for rice, and that is unfortunate mixup to make at dinner time. Lesson learned.

To fill up the food jars, my favorite grocery store (and perhaps one of my favorite places) in San Francisco is Rainbow Grocery. They have the best bulk food selection in the world. Teas and spices? Maple syrup? Pastas and chocolate chips? It’s all there, sold by the pound. Awesome.

And this week, I was delighted to find the website of Unpackaged, a London shop that specializes in selling package-less foods. (Thanks, Alex!) I’m loving all this love for bulk food.

What do you buy in bulk? What’s your favorite thing to store in jars? (Jars of coffee beans make me very happy.)

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  • about lillie

    I am a designer, creator, and maker living in San Francisco. Looking for inspiration in the world and on the web. Visit me on twitter, flickr, or my design studio.

     
         
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