Rainy days and biking the bridge

It’s been raining off-and-on in the city for over a week now. Lots of excuses to stay indoors, to stay in bed, to find any way to stay warm and dry.

So when the forecast promised a sunny Saturday, plans were set. Bicycles tuned up. Breakfast reservations were (mentally) made. And then at 9 o’clock on Saturday morning, it started raining again. But we went out anyways. A morning bike ride through the park, over the the bridge, and into the little town of Sausalito for late breakfast. No raining on this parade! It was my first ride over the Golden Gate Bridge–my feet were soaking wet in my shoes, but I had a big smile on my face the whole time.

Oh yes, and I signed up for a 500-mile bike ride over the weekend–San Francisco to Los Angeles for the AIDS/Lifecycle. Crazy? Maybe. Exciting? Definitely. More on this soon…

How are you fighting back against this January weather, wherever you are?

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Sunny space by the windows

In the past three months, our San Francisco studio apartment has been transformed in bits and pieces–one project after another. Each step makes this new space more comfortable, happy, and bright for everyday living and working.

From the very start, this space under the bay windows was destined for coffee drinking and quiet reading–and is perfect for soaking in the late afternoon sunlight. The green armchair is one of my favorite things, an early-LA find on craigslist–and its DIY refinishing and reupholstering was a longggg labor of love.

And there are a few new favorite things here, too. First, a matching armchair tucked under the other window, which is an upcoming upholstery project. And then, the just-the-right-height industrial wooden crate to shelve our window garden. Both were found by chance on the streets of San Francisco. (This city may be renewing my love of curbside finds!)

Listening to: Bootless Man by Gwyneth Moreland (listen)

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Cheers to greatness!

For New Year’s, I escaped from the city with friends, and we headed north to a little cabin in the Trinity National Forest. It was a perfect long weekend of good company, delicious food both at the dinner table and on the hiking trail, and lots of fresh air to welcome in the new decade.
Outdoors at campHiking lunch

At midnight on New Year’s Eve, we gave thanks for everyone’s transitions in 2009. And then we gave a big cheers to greatness in 2010!

Did you have a memorable toast for the New Year? Have you set any special intentions or resolutions?

Listening to: The Gardener by The Tallest Man on Earth (listen)

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Hello New Year!

The last month has been a whoosh of work, travel, family, friends, food, and celebrations. Lots of adventures to catch up in sharing here – and lots of new plans and ideas to get started for the new year. At the moment, I’m settling back down at my desk on this somewhat-sunny Monday morning, ready to start this week and this year off right. Cheers to 2010!

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Winter on its way

Winter sky
The year is quickly slipping away. December is nearly halfway through. Winter is almost here–and we’ve started to feel it coming with crisp cold days here in San Francisco. Even with the steam heat pumping in our old apartment building, the chill still creeps in around the windows. This is the kind of weather that makes you want to stay curled up in bed all morning–but if you manage to make it out the door, the bay breeze wakes you right up and the bright morning sun warms you.

In the kitchen, we’re testing out our sourdough starter today, hoping for a fresh loaf of bread with dinner tonight. Nancy Silverton’s La Brea Bakery Cookbook is our guide. The damson plums from Mendocino are now in secondary fermentation, gurgling in a big one-gallon wine jug. We’re scheduled for an intro course at San Francisco Brewcraft next week. Today, awaiting our next produce box from Farm Fresh to You. This week, settling into our cheery and bright studio apartment, and on Friday, gathering new and old friends for a happy housewarming. Cheers!

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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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