Playing With Pumpkins

Happy Autumn friends! We in San Francisco are just starting to feel the chill of fall coming our way, and with just a week left of October, it was time to carve some pumpkins, and eat (way too much) Halloween candy!

Shirt: Old Navy, Jeans: Rich and Skinny (old) Boots: Banana Republic Sunglasses: Kate Spade (old) 

Hope you are all enjoying the change of seasons as much as I am!

~ LO

Have you HeardAbout it?

A bit belated, but I have to give a HUGE shout out to one of my very best friends who recently launched his first business. An idea that has taken several forms since it's inception in December, has resulted as the site to go to for dining suggestions in the Bay City. Combining the taste palates and writing styles of several local food bloggers, HeardAbout challenges its fans and followers to step outside their same-old, same-old dining routine and try something new. The website features "one delicious dish per day" from many of San Francisco's favorite neighborhoods, and often with a coupon, free to download! So just think about it, a chance to break your "norm" and try great food recommendations from trusted and witty San Franciscans, and likely at a discounted price... wait, what's to think about?! Now check out the website and check out the pictures from HeardAbout's launch party at its first featured eatery, The Brickyard.

Friends and family were able to make it out for the event!

Loved the special, made for the evening, appetizers!

The ambience at the Brickyard is the best! 

Guests received tasty Nosh This balsamic caramels to remember the event!

And what is a launch party without free Swag!

BTW... not a SF Bay local? Not to worry! Drop a location suggestion to the HeardAbout team and they just may be hitting the pavement in your hometown before you know it! 

The World Is My Oyster

Well, at least one day this Memorial Day Weekend, my world revolved around oysters! Eager to get out of the city for a day, my friends and I woke up super early Saturday morning and hit the road by 8:30 AM. We traveled over the Golden Gate Bridge, through the red woods, and made a stop in a very quaint small town to gather up groceries. By 11 o'clock we arrived at Tomales Bay Oyster Company. It was smart to get such an early start and we scored a picnic table close to the water and right next to the speakers,  which blasted latin beats all day long. It was a warm day filled with sunshine and cooled with the Northern California breeze. Together we shucked dozens of fresh oysters, most of them local to Tomales Bay. We also sipped wine and beer, grilled hot dogs, and roasted marshmallows for smores! This was the first 3-day holiday weekend that I didn't have to work, and I couldn't think of a better way to have spent it. With best friends, great eats, and beautiful scenery... who needs pearls? ha.

Gorgeous day!

Time to buy some oysters!

Cheers!

BBQ'n some oysters!

Happy Memorial Day!

Bay to Breakers

Forget sitting on the dock of the bay, on the weekend of Bay to Breakers, thousands of San Franciscans begin a 7 mile trek across the city starting on the Bay side, and ending on the Ocean side of the city. What starts as a race, is followed by a parade of costumed, and intoxicated friends and free spirits. I dressed up with some friends in 80's inspired workout gear, and met up with some new friends whose theme was "The Royal Wedding." Though the weather forecast had predicted rain, it actually turned out to be quite a nice day!

Gotta love neon colors and leg-warmers!

Me and my KD sorority sister Meredith!

Bay to Breakers ROCKED, can't wait for next year! 

Twenty-Seven

This was, without a doubt, the best birthday I have ever had. I was surrounded by amazing friends, both new and old, and together we consumed plenty of alcohol and cupcakes. I can't say I ever pictured what life would look like at 27, but I've got this feeling that it's going to be a great year. One way or another, the kick-off was amazing!

This was what my desk looked like when I showed up to work on Friday! 

Dinner at The Republic with some of my favorite people! 

D surprised me with a Kara's Cupcake! Chocolate & Peanut Butter! LOVE!

Beautiful Tulips and Champagne to kick off the actual day from D!

And an afternoon of wine and cheese to close out the weekend! 

Thank you so much to everyone who made this birthday so very special! 

Marina Girls on the Move: Coit Tower

Ever since I joined the "corporate world" I have been able to enjoy this crazy little thing called weekends. Having worked a retail schedule for the past 5 years, the idea of having set days off, and that all of my friends also the same set days off, is really quite a novel concept. Now that D and I are finally on similar schedules, we have decided to make Sundays our time to go out and explore the City we love. Today, sporting the typical "Marina Girl" weekend attire, yoga pants, sunglasses, and lattes from Starbucks, we put one foot in front of the other and hiked our way up to Coit Tower. The views were breathtaking, which was a bit of a struggle since the climb had literally just taken our breath away. Ha. 

Almost to the top! 

A view of the bay. 

To reward ourselves for surviving such a strenuous workout, we stopped at the La Boulange Bakery on Polk Street to split a sandwich. We opted for a favorite, the Tuna  Melt, which is perfect to share, and for a sweet treat we tried two Macaroons: Pistachio and Passionfruit Mango. Delicious! 

Tuna for Two!

My new favorite treat!

MOMA, mia

I have been wanting to check out the SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) ever since I moved here and this Saturday a friend and I finally made it happen. In college I took a few art history classes, and while I am more partial towards the Impressionists, I appreciate all forms of art. I have been saying this for years, but the next time I am in New York, I am definitely going to the Guggenhiem and the MoMa. The SFMOMA had a great sampling of works of art from the modern era, and the following are some of my favorites.

Femme au Chapeau by Henri Matisse (1905)

Guardians of the Secret by Jackson Pollock (1943)

No. 14 by Mark Rothko (1960)

Rouen Cathedral Set V by Roy Lichtenstein (1969)

After four hours of touring the 75th Anniversary Collection and an exhibit called Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance, and the camera since 1860 we were officially on information overload and in desperate need of sustenance. The roof-top cafe only provides coffee drinks and pastries and we needed a little something more. Luckily there was a great little venue just a few blocks away called Thirsty Bear Restaurant & Brewery. We each had our own beer sampler, and I have to say it is near impossible to pick a favorite, they were all so tasty! Everything on their tapas style menu looked delicious, and I was not disappointed by my choice of mini-burgers with fingerling potato salad. The brewery has a great ambiance and pool tables and dart boards on the second level. I'm excited to get a crew together and go back sometime. I didn't have my camera on me, believe it or not, but here are a few shots taken from my phone.

Mmmm, I was definitely a Thirst Bear ;-)

Sliders are always a great choice!

Dreaming of a White Christmas

There are very few Christmas' that I have experienced without snow. Growing up in NY one could count on it to be frigid cold, and usually with snow and icicles by Christmastime. The two years I was not in NY, I celebrated the holiday in Denver, CO and it snowed the whole day long. This year I live in San Francisco, and thanks to a career in retail I am yet again unable to join my family back East. Californians swear that snow is not possible in SF, so this December I have chosen to embrace the rain as the closest form of snow I will get. The pictures that follow are from two different nights. The first; a night out with D to sip wine and soak in the holiday spirit in our new city. The second set are from today, a rainy Christmas Day in the city.

Christmas Tree in Ghirardelli Square

D has a wine membership at Celler 360 in the Square

Tasting the Zinfandel that D bought me for Christmas!

Union Square

Not exactly Rockefeller Center, but close!

A bird's eye view from the Cheesecake Factory on top of Macys!

Festive Trolley Car!

Reindeer about to take flight along the Wharf

The Pier 39 Christmas Tree! It smelled SO good!

City view of Pier 39 Tree!

But, of course, there is no place like home...

One year ago, I was sitting alone in my apartment on Christmas Day with nothing to do, and I started this Blog. It's a year later, and I find myself again sitting alone in my apartment. I am proud of what I have accomplished and experienced this past year. I take the good with the bad, and am always learning and growing. I have faith that 2011 is going to be exceptional. This time next year I will be writing to you from Niskayuna NY before I sit down to dinner with my most amazing family. 

Merry Christmas 2010 Everyone!

Day N Night

It's sometimes hard to find outfits that you can wear to work, and then to the closest happy hour afterwards. I work in a very casual retail environment where I am on my feet and moving around all day long, so I need to be comfortable and still cute. In Denver I could get away going out in super casual looks, but SF is another story. In the neighborhoods I mostly hang out, the pressure is on to look your best. Last weekend this was my ensemble of choice, a cute simple brown dress from Old Navy, colorful silk belt from Anthropologie, jean jacket from J Crew (did you know that my J doesn't mean anything in J Crew... random factoid) and my die hard Jack Rogers sandals. D and I bounced around meeting up with friends in Union Square, the Mission, and Marina, and I'd say this outfit was an acceptable choice for all three.

Just a walk in the Park

... Golden Gate park that is! With a thirst for adventure, and lattes from Starbucks, D and I explored the park today... well at least 1/5 of it. It's a pretty big park. With the occasional re-directional assistance from D's i phone, we spent hours wandering and taking in the sights. We saw cute couples picnicking, turtles, lots of different trees and plants, statues, and a super sweet gathering of talented roller-skaters. Seriously you have to give props to the people of the city who take the time to practice and share their passion for roller skating. I admit I wish it had been a bit sunnier, but it was nice to stretch the legs and breath in some (sort of) fresh air! 

Pretty view looking back at the Botanical Gardens

Me trying to imitate this funky tree. The name: Monkey Puzzle... awesome!

D looking pretty, rockin her new sunnies from Old Navy!

Me, my new sunnies from Old Navy, and the fake waterfall. 

The Little Mermaid... but where's flounder?

My new boyfriend Rob. He's an Irish Patriot.

Roller-skaters zipping around to some fly tunes. Oh yeah, I said fly.

 

DNL, over and out... for now anyways.