Oakland Museum of California & Gift Shop

The Oakland Museum of California is a gem of a museum. I'm sure I use that word a lot, but that's what I'm on the hunt for these days. GEMS - precious and rare. It was established in 1969 as a "museum for the people" and it tells the story of California, through art, history, and natural sciences. The museum's mid-century modern architecture alone is unique, designed by Kevin Roche as a "museum that also serves as a vibrant urban park and public space."

Open daily 11-5, except Wednesday 11-9, closed Monday and Tuesday. One block from Lake Merritt BART in Oakland, East Bay. Check out their website here.

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On Fridays from 5-9 PM, they host the "Off the Grid" food truck party, with half price museum admission, live music, and extended museum store hours. Also, they have an upcoming exhibit named "we/customize" from Feb. 9th- June 2nd. It's about maker culture and how "people are customizing mass-produced objects," along the lines of IKEA hacks or DIY projects. How very on-trend of them! That's what I love about this museum - the innovation and quest for relevancy as well as the focus on local culture and history! Needless to say, I can't WAIT to go to "we/customize."

I'm aiming to become a Museum Ambassador, twice a month, so today I went to a volunteer info session, where I had the pleasure of learning more about the museum and even got to participate in a short mock tour for our "fourth grade group." Here are some pics I took - again, with my camera phone and Instagram. I need to start brining my camera with me.

The short tour related to the Gold Rush of California, where we could spin a "wheel of fortune" to see what our fate was, after the gold was gone. Most involved dying or going broke, but it was a fun, interactive way for kids to learn about California's history.

Along the way was an original miner's cabin, with an interactive woman seen on a screen through the open cabin door. Children could pick up a phone and speak with her, to hear her story. 

There was also a John Hook street sign, introducing the modern controversy of immigration to California, as well as a "garage" exhibit, in homage to the birth place of much technological innovation in California.

At the entrance/exit:

Here's one half! Vive la France!

I could have visited this gallery alone ALL day. In order to motivate myself to move on, I decided to visit the museum gift shop. I ADORE museum gift shops - you can always find the most creative gifts there, although you usually pay the price. This shop was great. Of course, they had a very unique selection of locally made gifts (hooray!) as well as a great deal of SALE items. (Did you say SALE??)

Everyone at the museum was very kind, personable, and helpful. The attendants in the museum shop were interested in my story and went the extra mile to help me. They even forgave me for breaking a porcelain origami crane ornament... I bought another, I promise! But goodness, I don't know what's wrong with me these days, breaking ornaments left and right. 

Some particularly neat gifts I found were:

A print of Oakland's neighborhoods, $24.00

Grow your own mushroom kit. Another inspiring local story. Reminds me of the Tom's story, too. Post a pic with your fully grown kit on their Facebook page and they'll donate a kit and sustainability curriculum to an elementary school classroom of your choice! 

They had several DIY camera kits - a twin lens camera that you assemble yourself that takes lovely flare and saturated low-fi images. HOW COOL IS THAT? One was $11.00, the other $42.00. 

Finally, a sweet $8.00 birthday music box. You turn the handle and it plays "Happy Birthday" to you.

Better, and more original than a card, I think!

I made it out of there, SCATHED, with the aforementioned ornament, a Dios de los Muertos shirt from 2012 (I love local tees and hope to participate in this year's celebration at the museum), and a California flag necklace from the Yellow Owl Workshop, based in the Mission in San Francisco.

A Walk Down Maiden Lane

There is nothing that makes you feel more like a San Franciscan version of Carrie Bradshaw than taking a walk down Maiden Lane. I had the great fortune of doing this yesterday, sans legitimate camera. When I walked by the street, it beckoned me to linger, with its gorgeous lighting and serene atmosphere, and I knew I had to share! I also decided to take my first dip into the Instagram album pool. Forgive my doggy paddle skill with these low-res cell phone photos.

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Located in downtown San Francisco, adjacent to Union Square between Stockholm and Kearny streets, this cute two-block pedestrian street is most easily accessed by the Montgomery Street or Powell Street BART Stations.

MAIDEN LANE FACING UNION SQUARE

The poor reputation of old Morton Street (now, Maiden Lane) as a red light district was eradicated by the 1906 earthquake and now posh, upscale boutiques and art galleries are the only sins you'll find here. Upon street renovation, a jeweler (with a keen sense of marketing) changed the street's name in order to evoke the cheerfully intimate Maiden Lanes of New York and London.

The lane even has its own website! And there's nothing more posh than that.

I've seen an opera singer singing at the gate entrances before. Click the link above for a short blurb about that.

From 11-5 daily, the street is blocked from traffic with Chanel-funded wrought iron gates, which are reopened in the evenings.

SHOPS:

Some particularly up-scale shops can be found on this street, including, of course:

CHANEL

Note the vishies working in the window. NOT akin to my visual merchandising experience, I'm sure.

Open 10-6 daily, Sunday 12-5.

This San Francisco institution's website says it all, "The legendary destination for unique gifts, fine jewelry, luxurious home decor, and one of a kind decorative objects. Since 1861." I once accidentally broke a $50 glass ornament there while trying to make my way through the chaotic holiday crowds. Needless to say, they were absolutely charming about it. Check out their website for adorable stories submitted by Gump's enthusiasts. Also check out their shop for unique San Francisco souvenirs.

Open 10-6 daily, Sunday 12-5.

BRITEX FABRICS

"The latest styles in fabrics can be found here: yet the atmosphere of this independent business is a throwback to an era when service was as important as value."

Since 1952, this is another San Francisco institution, with four breathtaking floors of merchandise.

FLOORS

4.) remnants, faux fur, felt & fleece, net & tulles, vinyl & leather

3.) notions & accessories, buttons (over 75,000!) & bridal, ribbons & trims, buckles & tassels, patterns & books

2.) home decor, cottons & linens, rayons & polyesters, velvets & lycras, metallics & sequins

1.) woolens, silks, brocades, couture laces, linings

What really stood out to me was that the staff is from another time - impeccably professional and expert. I went into the store looking for bow tie fabrics and immediately become consumed in the quantity and quality of options, gawking and drooling like a kid in a candy shop. The sales staff had to put me back on track. At the checkout desk, they offer free Britex post cards, with the outline of famous San Francisco landmarks including the Britex sign. Yes, I will, thankyouverymuch.

Open 10-6 daily, closed Sunday. www.britexfabrics.com

BRITEX INDOORS

ALLSAINTS SPITALFIELDS

Also on the lane is British fashion retailer AllSaints Spitalfields, with its ubiquitous vintage Singer sewing machines in the window. Where did they get them all?

Open 10-8 daily, Sunday 11-7. 

HERMÈS

Hermès' interesting window display, combining a red, simplistic wooden human mannequin portraying a security guard (?) with several cups of coffee and a security system aimed at the merchandise.

Open 10-6 daily, closed Sunday. 

CHRISTOFLE

This store reminds me of my grandmother and her high regard for this manufacturer of fine silver flatware and home accessories, based in France since 1830.

Hours not listed online.

OTHER CUTE SHOP WINDOWS OF NOTE:

Very "Black Swan," to me, yet cheerful.

Apparently there are Super Bowl fans on Maiden Lane!

... and the next fabulous boutique space can be yours! 

ARCHITECTURE OF NOTE:

XANADU GALLERY

San Francisco's only Frank Lloyd Wright building is located here, at 140 Maiden Lane. It was originally designed in 1948 as the V.C. Morris Gift Shop, and it now houses the Xanadu Gallery, selling fine Asian antiques. Inside, there is a spiral ramp reminiscent of the Guggenheim Museum. The entrance is an updated Romanesque arch, which beckons the passerby rather than vulgarly displaying merchandise on the sidewalk, according to Wright. The interior has a very prominent bubble theme, which I failed to take pictures of, although the kind doorman allowed me to. 

As I took the above picture from across the street, the doorman opened the door for me, invited me in, showed me the informational booklet located at the front desk, and was overall very generous and polite. This store is accustomed to admirers and welcomes them inside, which was an unexpected and wonderful service. 

Courtesy http://www.xanadugallery.us/

From the informational booklet, I learned that the wooden built-ins shown above are original. I also learned the significance of Frank Lloyd Wright's signature red tile on the wall outside the front door. The architect began placing a signed, single red tile on the outside of his buildings whose final outcome met his standards. He began this practice after completing the V.C. Morris Gift Shop, but came back and added it because he was so proud of the space.

Open daily 10-6, closed Sunday and Monday.

F.LL.W'S SIGNATURE RED TILE OUTSIDE XANADU

DINING OPTIONS ON MAIDEN LANE:

If you want to dine at an outdoor cafe as though you were sitting in a hidden, quaint street in a chic European city, well then this is the place to be. 

I saw two cafes on the street, Mocca and Bistro 69.

MOCCA - Cafe and Italian Restaurant - Counter service, cash only, tri-tip sandwich comes highly recommended.

Open 10:30-5:30 daily. No website listed. $$. 3.5 stars out of 5, on Yelp.com.

BISTRO 69 - Eclectic menu. I think I walked by during their 16th anniversary free cheeseburger and fries lunch celebration, unbeknownst to me. Drat.

Open 8:00-3:45 daily, closed Sunday. www.bistro69sf.com. $$ 3 stars out of 5, on Yelp.com.

ME

All in all, this fantastic hidden-yet-magnificent European-style fairy tale street is just another reason why I love this new city. I can sympathize with Carrie when she says, "If you can only have one great love, then the city may be mine. And I don't want nobody talkin' sh*t about my boyfriend."

Dawning of the Age of ...

... today's project: Aquarius constellation embroidery hoop art, in honor of my birthday month/astrological sign month. This project was inspired again by the great Honey and Fitz blog. She drew inspiration from an adorable Etsy shop and even created an AWESOME DIY Anthropologie-Hack Star Chart Cardigan. Finally I'm chipping away at the mountain of great DIY expectations I created for myself. Do you ever feel like you've put too much on your plate? My philosophy: one step at a time.

Tools needed for this project:

18" x 21" navy fabric sample from a big-box store : $1.00 - $2.00

6" wooden embroidery hoop (I prefer the natural look and feel of the wood for this project, rather than plastic) : $1.29

white embroidery floss : $0.40

Total : under $4.00!

I began by ironing the fabric sample, since it had been creased into a square in the packaging. Next, I measured and cut a 7" x 7" square (leaving 1 inch overlap around the circumference of the embroidery hoop.)

Then, I separated the embroidery hoop into two pieces, centered the fabric, and placed the outer ring over the inner ring and tightened the screw at the top of the hoop, pulling the fabric taught.

Next, I searched Google Images for my desired constellation - Aquarius, in this instance, but you could use any constellation. I recommend printing a copy of your constellation, as a reference, and scaling it down (or up, depending on the original size of the image) to have a picture around the same size as your embroidery hoop. You could also eyeball it, sewing directly onto your hoop from the image on your computer screen.

You may have a better method than I did for this next step. I cut the photo of the constellation in four, centering the essential part onto the fabric. In order to ensure proper alignment of the stars, I placed the paper over the fabric on the embroidery hoop and punched my needle through both the paper and the fabric to make a place marker hole in the fabric. I used this as the starting point for my three-part cross stitches, which acted as the main stars on my constellation. I continued in this fashion, aligning the paper with the existing stars and punching a hole to place the next star, estimating if necessary.

Finally, I added little French knots (which I learned from this youtube video, suggested by Honey & Fitz), simple stitches, and cross stitches to fill in the other stars in the night sky. I was creative with their placement.

After the night sky was completed, I turned the embroidery hoop over and cut the remnants of the blue fabric into a circle, about 1/2 inch from the edge of the hoop.

    

I used some fabric glue I had lying around to glue the edge of the fabric to the back of the wooden hoop. You could probably cut the remaining fabric flush with the edge of the hoop, instead of gluing it.

And voilà!! 

My fabric is pretty thin, so from certain angles, you can see through to the embroidery floss on the back spanning between the stitches. Once it's hanging on the wall, however, this view is obscured. 

I'd like to make another one, this time with the Virgo constellation (my husband's astrological sign) and hang them side-by-side. It has been impossible to find another small wooden embroidery hoop ANYWHERE! Perhaps this was a popular holiday gift idea and the stores that sold out haven't re-stocked yet? This could also be a cute nursery decoration or personalized (and inexpensive) gift for a friend! 

Stop While I'm Ahead

Last night, I came to the realization that I have a tendency to, depending on the situation, toe the line or  push a little harder, with hopes that the extra effort will make the difference/pay off somehow. Timing is an art that I have not yet mastered, but which I admire very much in others.

I had this moment of introspection while cooking from a great recipe by Martha Stewart (there she is again!), Quinoa and Apple Salad with Curry Dressing.

Photo by Carl Carter for marthastewart.com

In the recipe, Martha asks for 1/4 cup whole almonds, lightly toasted until fragrant. Either I haven't developed "the touch" yet or my subconscious can't compute the word 'toasted', and I lightly charred the almonds. Also, during a phone interview yesterday, I started and ended the conversation insisting on my computer literacy. Perhaps only once would have sufficed? Oh well. Work in progress. 

By the way, the reason I picked this recipe was because I wanted a new way to use the apples from our AWESOME CSA we've joined here in the Bay Area called Farm Fresh to You. If you want to check them out, they have a retail store in the San Francisco Ferry Building. We first joined a CSA in San Diego and had such a great experience that it was at the top of our list of priorities after our move. I love the idea of eating fresh, seasonal organic fruits and veggies from a local source. You're supporting the community and staying healthy! Win-win! It also forces you to try new foods that you may not have tried before and find creative ways of cooking them!

REASONS WHY FARM FRESH TO YOU ROCKS:

1.) You can choose the size of box that fits your appetite, or your family. 

2.) They deliver the CSA box to your doorstep! You can't get any more convenient than that.

3.) You can choose the frequency of deliveries. Weekly, every 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th week!

4.) No commitment required. You've moved/changed your mind? It's no hassle to cancel/suspend delivery.

5.) Customization options available, if you loathe one thing or want more of another.

6.) It's affordable!

New Year's Eve...ntually I'll Get to Everything

Happy New Year to all! For me, 2012 began with no hint of how it was to end. I was living in San Diego but celebrating the New Year in Boston, toying with the idea of moving back. By the end of the year, I was living in San Francisco and had recently closed one big-ol' door in my life, eager to open new ones. Who knows what 2013 will have in store!

I've begun 2013 by putting (too?) many projects on my own plate. I have a blog post in the works about my recent trip to Geneva, which is proving to be more time consuming than I had anticipated. I'm extremely invested in getting it right, since travel writing is my job fantasy. Stay tuned.

Today, I'll begin with dessert:

FROZEN CHOCOLATE WIND AND STRAWBERRY RAVIOLE:

FROZEN CHOCOLATE WIND

85 g dark chocolate

1/2 cup H20

1 sachet soy lecithin

Combine the dark chocolate, water, and soy lecithin in a pot, stirring until boiling. Let cool 15 minutes in the fridge. Use an immersion blender in a wide-brimmed bowl to create foam from the cooled liquid chocolate. Carefully scoop the chocolate foam into a separate bowl. Place in the freezer 45 minutes, and you have frozen chocolate wind. 

STRAWBERRY RAVIOLE

2 cups strawberries

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp calcium lactate

1 sachet sodium alginate

3/4 cup water

Medium-sized mixing bowl filled with cold tap water

(This was complex, to say the least.) Use a blender to liquefy strawberries, sugar, and calcium lactate. Separately, combine water and sodium alginate in a bowl to create a "bath." Refrigerate bath for 15 minutes. Then, slowly scoop half-teaspoon size portions of the strawberry mixture into the sodium alginate bath. (They fall apart easily.) Let sit 3 minutes. Gently scoop strawberry "ravioles" out of sodium alginate bath into the bowl of tap water. Stir to rinse. Carefully scoop ravioles out of water bath onto serving spoon or nested in the chocolate wind. 

THOUGHTS: The chocolate wind was divine. Light, airy, delicate. Don't scoop too much foam into the same container when it rests in the freezer, as the weight of the top foam will crush the foam at the bottom and cause it to liquefy. The strawberry ravioles were a different story. The texture was gelatinous, almost like slurping a poached egg yolk without breaking into it. The flavor was under-whelming (although that may have been due to the quality of strawberries) and the process was tedious. The ravioles were difficult to scoop out of the two baths and broke apart easily, ruining the consistency (and, undoubtedly, the appeal) of the final product. In the Cuisine R-Evolution recipes DVD, they show a beautiful red sphere sitting prettily in a sterile white spoon. That's what happened to me, never.

OTHER PROJECTS GOING ON:

LAMPS

I've decided to make more lamps. Yes, it's a peculiar hobby of mine (with help from my husband!!), as can be seen on my Etsy shop. The following teaser photos are part of that project: 

And a dramatic before/after shot from a silver pitcher made in India, found at a local Goodwill. I, for one, was not aware of the magical alternate uses of toothpaste.

AFTER

BEFORE

And, finally:

That's all I'm going to share about that project for now, but stay tuned! More to come!

STRING ART

This wood panel used to be part of a shipping crate found discarded behind a warehouse in Berkeley. The wood originated in Brazil, according to the convenient lumber grade stamp located on one of the slats. Again, to be continued... 

EMBROIDERY HOOP ART

Do I know the first thing about how to use an embroidery hoop? Nope. Am I going to teach myself? Abso-flippin-lutely. I want to try my hand at the CUTEST DIY project I found recently, which I'll post soon. 

By the way, I'm not sure how I ever accomplished ANY kind of DIY/craft project without the Martha Stewart Crafts 18 x 24 Inch Cutting Mat. No, I'm not hired to advertise this product (although it certainly wouldn't hurt...) I recently got it from Michael's, using their ubiquitous 40% off coupon. (Thanks, mom!) I briefly hunted around online to find the best bang-for-my-nerdy-craft-monster-buck, and decided that this one would do the trick. No more eyeballing or using recycled cardboard as a protective layer between my project and the kitchen table for this gal! I have to say that it's pretty large, so you need to use it on a large work space. Also, it comes folded in half, so there is a little bit of warping on the center seam, preventing it from lying perfectly flat. After a couple of days flattening it (with my laptop), it's like a crêpe. Perfect! Now, I impulsively find myself straightening or lining up anything that finds its way onto its infallible grid. 

In the spirit of the New Year et cetera:

"The beginning is the most important part of the work." - Plato