A GIRL CAN DREAM...

Each time I drive to San Francisco I miss living there more and more. While I enjoy living close to family having a large backyard and bike trails near my home, I miss the excitement of city life. I love meeting strangers and potential friends, having long conversations in bars with old friends and just exploring the pockets and corners of the city. The smell in the air, the happy couples walking their dogs and endless sidewalk entertainment just feels so alive to me. I realize that we made a smart move by moving out here, but my heart will always pull closer to the Bay. I'd be happy living anywhere near Berkeley, Piedmont or San Francisco and am always surprised when people say they would never raise their children in a city. In my opinion, cities (especially San Francisco) have so much more to offer growing children that the suburbs do. Not only are there a variety of fascinating weekend activities to choose from, cities give kids the opportunity to learn about different cultures, experience foreign culinary styles and not to mention all the gorgeous parks, festivals and sights to see. I do hope we eventually end up back in San Francisco, in some sort of three bedroom Edwardian with a small city backyard, crown molding and original hardwood flooring. Every now and then when I'm lazy or bored or both, I look at the real estate listings in San Francisco in part to torture myself and in part to stay aware of the changing market. I've obviously fallen in love with many apartments and condos during these searches, but think that in exchange for what the city has to offer, the housing prices are well worth it. These are my top neighborhoods where I would like to own a home in San Francisco. There are the unrealistic options (Pacific Heights, Ashbury Heights, Marina, etc.) but I've managed to narrow down my list to more do-able and affordable standards.

1. Noe Valley
2. Cole Valley
3. Upper Haight
4. USF/Panhandle
5. NOPA

I wouldn't settle for anything smaller than a three bedroom only because even though I like small and cozy, there is such a thing as too small, especially in the city. I wouldn't be too picky though, a balcony wouldn't be necessary, two full bathrooms wouldn't be all that important to be either, but somewhat of a view, lots of natural light and at least one parking spot would be a must. Today, I found these charmers. They may not be multi-million dollar homes, but I could see myself building a family life in any of the following residences.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/reb/2396014975.html
$799,00 / 3br - Top Floor 3bd/1.5bth/2pkg - Noe Valley

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/reb/2407794231.html
$769000 / 3br/1.5bth - Cole Valley

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/reb/2406487903.html
$989000 / 3br - Haight Ashbury

A girl can dream, right?

NEWEST ADDITION: Beauregard Vander Heath

I'm proud to introduce our first dog, Beauregard Vander Heath, a.k.a. Bo.

Bo is a purebred Yorkie Terrier puppy that Matt picked up yesterday from the woman who originally rescued him from a puppy mill. If you don't know what that is, do NOT Google it because you don't want to know. Bo was born on July 20, 2010 and is nine months old. He is very sweet natured, calm and such a cuddler. The poor thing is still adjusting to the new house, new smells, new people and all the commotion that comes along with re-locating. He is not potty-trained or fixed yet, but we are on top of it and will give him the best home and love he could ask for. He is however, a daddy's boy already and follows Matt around everywhere he goes...it's pretty cute to watch those two together. Matt's a great disciplinarian whereas I on the other hand, partially due to the fact that I never had a dog growing up, want to just give him treats and kiss him every moment.

We lucked out with Bo thanks to Matt's Aunt Robin who had heard of a woman who was looking for a home for her Yorkie. Matt has always wanted a Yorkie so Robin went through a lot of effort finding the contact to inquire about the puppy. We are both very grateful to her for helping us with getting this puppy and can't wait for all the fun adventures we will all have together.

SNEAK PEEK: THE MOST PERFECT PICTURE FRAME IN EXISTENCE

Ok, so maybe I'm slightly exaggerating, and perhaps there is a better distressed frame somewhere in a parallel universe, but in my opinion I've taken the most perfect picture frame in existence off the market. My heart literally skipped a beat when I found this frame in a box amongst other lovely, but not perfect frames, at a garage sale organized by a woman who once owned an antique store. This frame screamed "Anthropologie!" to I had to take it home with me.

While working on Grant Street in San Francisco, I often walked by and drooled over Anthropologie's ever-changing window vignettes but the one that sticks out in my memory was comprised of empty vintage frames strung from the ceiling in multiple lengths. This was such a stunning and creative display that it continues to inspire me on many of my treasure hunts.

There is something so unexpected and wonderous about empty picture frames that stops you in your tracks whenever you see a collection. Your eye naturally expects to see some medium of artwork in a frame and so when all you find is emptiness, it is not disappointment that fills you but creativity. I have been collecting picture frames for many years now and yes, it has grown out of hand. Although to an outsider my collection would appear to be that of a hoarder's, I continue to defend my accumulation and know I'll be able to put it to good use someday. I have started hanging an array of frames on the main wall in our entry way, but it is still far from what I imagine it to be. My perfect picture frame is the centerpiece and now that I am finally finished with school I plan on jump-starting a few of my projects. This includes finishing my empty frame collage which I would love for the end result to resemble something similar to these arrangements:

via Sweet Home Style

via Emma Thompson

via Birdy Birdy Num Num Granted, I still need many odd shaped and colorful art frames, but with the warm weather rolling in and people rolling up their garage doors, I'm bound to find all my supplies locally at garage sales and estate sales because they have yet to let me down.

"IF IT ISN'T MAKING DOLLARS THEN IT ISN'T MAKING SENSE..."

Ever since I can remember Matt has stored all his change in an old jar. After a few years it's been pretty beat up and dingy. Not only that, but wherever you put it it just never looks nice since it is what it is...an old, dirty jam jar. About once every six months he remembers about it and takes his coins down to Coinstar. It's like a pay-day because he always comes back to the car with a grin and a receipt and asks me how much I think he's earned. Well, after lugging the old coin jar back and forth between every apartment we've lived in, you can imagine how heavy and breakable this thing is and just how much I dislike it.

Yesterday Kelley and I turned a random corner and there was quite a large garage sale in a long driveway. The house was nicely manicured and it was an older home which was a good sign. There were many antiques and trinkets but I settled on a small gold art stand since I always buy them to display decorative picture frames on. It cost me a whoppin' $0.25 and then I went to go meet up with Kelley who was sifting through some antiques. All the sudden she found a treasure in the form of an old post office mail safe! It was perfection and we immediately knew that we had to buy it for Matt. I was beyond thrilled because finally he could save his change in something that was practical and easy on the eyes.

The inside is still functioning and none of its parts are missing. Someone built the antique safe into a wooden frame, but it has a coin slot on top to put coins through and you can turn the lever to open the safe. On the back there's a document of authenticity which states that this safe is from an Texan post office in 1870.

It was a very rare find and Matt and I have always been obsessed with old postal equipment. Now we have a new storage solution for Matt's change...and the best part is that it fits in perfectly with our home.

"THE HARDEST BUTTON TO BUTTON..."

About twice a month on Friday I sit down with my laptop and open up a Craigslist tab, a new Microsoft Word page and iTunes to compile my bi-weekly Garage Sale Hoppin' list. It's comprised of what I think will be the best of the best garage sales the following morning, and since time is of the essence when it comes to garage sales, I don't like wasting gas driving around and looking for the jackpot. Many of the garage sale postings are a waste of time and effort, and from the ones which include photos you can generally tell the good from the bad. If there are pictures of a lot of electronics, tools, or baby things I skip those since I'm not in any position to buy anything from those genres. I use my go-to keywords: antiques, vintage, old to filter out any sales that won't interest me and can usually narrow it down to the few that I feel are most worth my while. Although I always prefer estate sales over garage sales, they are harder to come by the further away from the Bay you are located and even if you do score, the items are generally pretty cliche and beat up. This isn't to say that I haven't gotten lucky before in my area, but we all know the best estate sales are in Berkeley, Oakland, Alameda and Piedmont. This is no secret.

This morning, and by morning I mean 7:30, Matt's mom and I met to go garage sale shopping in town. She was a woman on a mission whereas I never really know what I'm looking for until I find it. Here's my mental list of things that I am always looking for because you can never have enough of the following, and any other antiques that I find are cherries on top:
1. Antique buttons
2. Doilies
3. White candles
4. Distressed picture frames
5. Mason jars

I can pretty much do anything with any of the above items and am always happy when I come across some unused white candles or beautiful antique buttons (more on this project in a future post). But today was very special because I found a button that should be on a Top 10 list of antique buttons. Call me crazy, but there is something so sentimental about buttons that I truly love. I do have a craft project in the works with buttons but still need many more until I reveal it. For now, I will show you my most prized button...I paid a whole quarter for it.

This button was in a massive pile of random buttons, pins, earrings, pendants etc. But I didn't care, I stood there and sifted through all the junk to find this treasure. Of course, I have no idea who the woman in the photos is, but it's extremely aged and I'm very curious as to how the button was made.

I know, I know, why do I have an entire blog entry dedicated to one button? I can only justify this by saying that it's very rare to find such a tiny, nostalgic photo, much less trapped in a button forever. I'll put this little one to good use and file it under one of my favorite garage sale finds to date.

WORK IN PROGRESS: OFFICE HUTCH

Last year my mom and I were browsing at one of my favorite salvage yards, Hidden Treasures. Amongst all the antique dining tables, fainting couches, salvaged windows and vintage armchairs, in a dark hidden corner we saw the most ugly beautiful hutch I had ever seen (no exaggeration). It was missing some hardware, chipped in a few spots and worst of all, made from an unattractive dark brown wood veneer. I was instantly attracted to the carvings in the bottom cabinets and the shape of the windows at the top. I didn't care how we would get it home...it belonged in my apartment. The shop owner sold it to me for $30 and even helped carry it out to our van. Mind you, this was after we drove back home to Livermore in our small car to pick up the van and drive back to Hidden Treasures. It was a whirlwind but the hutch made it home safe and sound. I had tucked away a pair of antique knobs that I had found a few weeks before and was so excited because they were a perfect match for the project I was about to tackle. After going back and forth between what color I wanted to paint it, I eventually settled on a cloud gray. It looks very white but it does have a hint of gray which is exactly how I wanted it. The painting process was painstaking because I wanted the finish to be perfect without any brushstrokes, bubbles or drips so needless to say it took me a few days, but when I finished I realized it was worth all the labor. Now the hutch lives in my office (which is also a work in progress) and is waiting to be redecorated. I have started to pick out a few items to put in it including my favorite container that I store receipts in, my Elle Decor and House Beautiful magazines, and a few chosen interior design books. It's a small stack to say the least, but I'm confident it will grow up to be something special one day. The antique mirror is actually from a garage sale last summer and can be used in a variety of ways (to place perfumes on, as a standing bathroom mirror, etc.) and I only recently found the ring holder which is VERY me. I have high hopes and big plans for my office hutch. Luckily the color still matches my office decor so I don't have to repaint it. I definitely need more items in the top portion for depth, color and interest, and am hoping to find them estate sale shopping this summer. Besides bookcases, hutches are so much fun to decorate and the best thing is that they serve a functional and decorative purpose. Win. Win.

"MY SUMMER WINE IS REALLY MADE FROM ALL THESE THINGS..."

Whether it's white wine, red wine or port wine, wine bottles must all have a place to call home. When we first moved in, our wine was stored just as any other wine is stored: in a cabinet. I quickly grew frustrated with this "storage solution" because every time I wanted a glass of wine I would have to take out each bottle until I found the one I wanted. Frustrating as it was, we did't have the counter-space for a mini wine fridge or even wall space for a hanging wine rack. Not to mention some of them are downright hideous and/or expensive and the wine racks that I did find never felt like a perfect fit for our kitchen. Matt is not a wine drinker, but I like to have my wine, at the very least, to be accessible.

After scouring the Internet for endless hours I had finally given up my hunt for "The One." I have a tendency to go on long-winded searches for what I call "The Ones," or in other words: that-one-perfect-piece-you-have-waited-for-all-your-life. This can apply to any home decor item and while I don't usually have a premeditated image of what I want, I know exactly when I find it. Yes, you know and feel when you find "The One" because you loose all sense of reason, don't look at price tags or care if practical. All you know is that you must buy this thing otherwise you will never be complete.

In my 25 years I've pursued many soul-mates in the form of an armchair, coffee table, upholstered bench, area rug etc. This time I was determined to find The One wine rack that I needed in order for life to go on. I finally came across it at Homegoods, which for those of you who are familiar with this store can agree is a synonym for Heaven. I spotted it out of the corner of my eye because of its unusual shape AND the fact that it was made out of what looked like bicycle chains. I gravitated towards it and realized that it WAS made of bike chains...recycled bike chains to be exact. And they were beautiful! Oiled, greased and aged to perfection in all the right places. It was made in France from old bicycle chains and now it would live on in my kitchen. Of course, I couldn't leave the store without it and when I brought it home Matt loved it just as much (he is an bicycle enthusiast). Score!

Now that I have found "The One" wine rack I can move on to other things; barstools, end tables, picture frames. And yes, this is only the beginning.

"TRACK HOME KITCHEN BEFORE AND AFTER...AND STILL IN PROGRESS"

Kitchens are probably my very least favorite to decorate. There are always too many variables to consider; countertop, appliances, backsplash, cabinets, counter-space, and so the list goes on. While we were house-hunting, I was never too particular about the size of the kitchen so long as it didn't have a tile, laminate or Corian countertop or oak cabinets. I'm extremely picky when it comes to decorating...not as picky when it comes to food. So after viewing about 30 homes with white tile countertops, linoleum flooring and cabinets in all colors of the rainbow, I was ready to just throw in the towel and be content with whatever kitchen we could settle on until we saved money for a remodel.

When we finally found the right home, I was pleased with the granite countertops and backsplash. Both had been recently updated and although the countertop color wouldn't have been my first choice it was still better than anything we had seen. Our cabinets are not what I would call "quality" cabinets, but after going back and forth between whether we should paint them or not I've decided to just wait it out to see if they grow on me. Seven months into it, they still haven't found their way into my heart for a variety of reasons. The maple wood is far too light for my taste which is completely unreasonable since my favorite cabinetry is white. But putting that aside, these cabinets are much too bright and yellow in contrast with the rest of the kitchen. Since for now we won't be painting them, naturally we had to upgrade and customize them in some way to take the focus away from the wood itself. One trip to home depot later we had chosen some oil-rubbed bronze handles and two hours later Matt had them all installed. Instantly the kitchen took on a new persona and I'm happy to admit that the first thing I look at in my kitchen is no longer the wood but the hardware. It's a perfect compliment to our furnishings and fixtures and until we can paint, I'll just have to learn to live with it. As much as I hate having to learn to live with things, I'm optimistic that perhaps this summer we will be able to make more progress in the kitchen department.

"MY ONE NIGHT STAND...AND DRESSER"

The first step towards recovery is to admit you have a problem. Although Matt has pointed out on numerous occasions that I change my mind far too much and suffer from buyer's remorse, I've never been willing to acknowledge these claims until recently. Each time I organize and clean our bedroom I have an urge to rearrange our vignettes and/or redecorate our entire bedroom. Do I have a problem, well...the short answer is yes. While financially no one could possibly be able to afford to redecorate their home every time a new color becomes trendy or they fall in love with a contemporary style, I stand by my belief that you don't have to spend a lot of money to change the look or feel of a room. As I read other blogs, thumb through magazines and watch interior design shows, my mind is simultaneously brainstorming new ideas and reconsidering past choices. I spend a lot of time conceptualizing anything from how the photo frames in our entry room are arranged to exactly how I'd like our nightstand and dresser displays to look. While I don't enjoy too much clutter on bedroom furniture, I think that each should display some key items: lamp, books, picture frames and some sort of trinkets. I've always loved pulling colors out of a focal piece of art and accentuating it through toss pillows, book spines, throw blankets, candles and flowers. Since we currently don't have any art in our master bedroom (I know, big FAIL on my part) I had to use as a source of inspiration. Our bed-sheets and shams are gray and our furniture hardware is chrome so I decided that the main colors of our nightstand and dresser vignettes would be gray, mauve, silver, white and brown.
The swing arm lamps were a birthday gift from Matt and lend our bedroom a special kind of hotel room/weekend getaway feeling. At first I was going to find a pair of stationary lamps for the nightstands but soon fell in love with the swing arms at Home Depot. They have been a great addition to the bedroom especially for late-night reading or watching movies on the iPad.
The other accessories are a result of my hoarder-like tendency to accumulate books, a photo taken by a friend in high school of my favorite songwriter, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, and a small set-list from The Wooden Birds show at the Rickshaw Stop. No, I didn't elbow or push anyone to get it...it just happened to be laying on the stage after their performance and I casually took it as a memento. As for the clear potpourri jar, I have been searching for those little pastel breath mints in white to combat morning breath, but have yet to find them. The skeleton key was a treasure I found at Ross for a bank-breaking $3.99 and the jar was $0.50 at a thrift store and has a very unique, Anthropologie-ish design on the top.
I've always had an extremely difficult time finding the perfect photos for my ever-growing collection of picture frames. That is why you see two empty picture frames (which I'm terribly embarrassed of). If you're wondering about the JFK sculpture, ever since I can remember my mother has been obsessed with all things Kennedy and this head was gifted to me. I used this dresser as an opportunity to incorporate some bright colors into the room and settled on artificial magenta peonies and a pink candle. It's not exactly the right shade so I'll be replacing it as soon as I find the right color. But my favorite piece is our framed John Vanderslice set-list which he signed with my favorite quote, "There's a sweetness in the worse things." I'm not too sure about how long these particular displays last as I already have my eye on some other photo frames and will more thank likely find some new accessories to replace the current ones with. It's not like I enjoy changing my mind all the time, it's just that there are too many beautiful things out there ready for me to find and fall in love with.

WORK IN PROGRESS: SALVAGED PIANO WOOD MANTEL

A few months ago Matthew and his best friend Brian dismantled an antique piano. It was very time consuming but after all was said and done, there was a lot of beautiful left-over wood with tons of character and if there is one thing that I'm a sucker for, it's anything with character.

Our poor living room in the front of the home has been completely ignored since we moved in and the only items that I have purchased for it are an area rug and upholstered chair. Matt and I always knew that we had to have not only a functioning fireplace but a fireplace with a mantel.

To our dismay, this updated fireplace has no mantel but we figured that we'd be able to think of something along the way. Well, it must have been fate that we ended up with all these rustic wood pieces in the garage because Matt has started to build a beautiful mantel for above the fireplace.

We want it to look imperfect, worn, aged and salvaged. After Matt measured all the dimensions, we picked out our favorite pieces and he got to work. It's difficult working with aged wood because if something goes wrong we don't have a replacement piece. I absolutely love that there is an old handle still attached to one of the piano pieces and we hope to incorporate it into the mantel for, yes, character.

Since our home is only five years old, there is nothing "old" about it, so we have to make due with what we have. But one thing was for sure, we absolutely could not get by without a mantel, much less a recycled piano wood mantel so hopefully you can visualize the final result. I have always wanted to decorate a mantel and have already been brainstorming some mantel decor ideas. Since we won't be hanging a TV above the fireplace, I will have to be inventive and find some eye-catching art and frames. Oh possibilities, why must there be so many of you?

"GETTING COLDER WITH EVERY STEP I TOOK TO YOUR APARTMENT, DEAR."

I often look back and think about our past apartments. Since Matthew and I first moved out, about three years ago, we've have three apartments and one house. I'm not sure whether I ever truly felt like I had a home when we were renting mainly because I always knew it was temporary. I have such a deep fondness of San Francisco architecture that had we stayed in the city, I would have attempted to persuade Matthew to move just once more to Noe Valley. We only had the opportunity to live in two districts which were almost one in the same since they were just a stones throw away from each other: Ashbury Heights and Upper Haight.

While there were pros and cons about both, I'd move back to either one in a heartbeat. What I remember most about our time spent there is the immense energy I had every day. I never felt like I was just living each day to get to the next, and I found beauty in everything around me. In every nook and on every street there was a quaint Victorian home, a lovely dog park and hole in the wall shops that given the time, I would have explored each and every single one of them. I never found city life to be as fast paced as some people assume or claim it is. In fact, for whatever reason, I feel like I had more time in the day to do things for myself: workout, have dinner with my friends and just enjoy the few hours before and after work. While our apartments were by no means luxurious or extravagant, we did our best to decorate and make it feel welcoming. What mainly attracted us to this studio apartment was the crown molding and location. It was beyond stunning and immediately cast a spell on me because I had always envisioned myself living in a San Francisco apartment with that exact moulding (not to mention the incredible stove!)

Our view wasn't the greatest thing in the world, in fact far from it, but the ability to step out on the patio and see the backs of some beautiful houses with peaks in the background was a luxury to us. Although we had a garden, we never got to use it because we moved in in the winter and moved out before spring (it was a short term lease). I'm sure had we stayed we would have had many-a barbeque festivities and late nights in the yard. However, what I miss the most is our navy blue state-of-the-art kitchen (the previous owner was a chef and owned her own restaurant). It had hardwood floors, amazing windows and so much natural light. If I could copy and paste that kitchen into every place I live, I'd be a happy woman.

But sadly, we had to move after a few months and find a new apartment. We randomly stopped by an open house on a Saturday morning just two weeks before we were supposed to move out and were panicking. This little apartment happened to be just three blocks away and absolutely perfect. Although I'll always miss the location of our first place, I will never, not ever, miss having to trudge up the awful hill on Ashbury Street.

"IF BEDS COULD TALK, IF WALLS COULD HEAR, IF WINDOWS SEE..."

I'm very excited about starting to work on my first interior design project. Matthew's aunt Robin recently asked me to help decorate her guest bedroom and I jumped at the opportunity. Not only am I going to be doing what I love most, I'll also be learning in the process. There is nothing more fascinating to me than the design process. From conceptualization to realization, decorating is so much more than just picking a wall color and pillows. Whenever I'm asked to design a room as part of a school project, I always start with a work of art. Whether it's contemporary canvas art or a framed Klimnt, there is so much life and color in artwork that I am instantly inspired and start brainstorming. Artwork helps point you in many directions including bedding (patterned or plain?) and accessories. In Robin's case, she fell in love with this painting from Cost Plus and wanted to center the design concept around this. She has some existing furniture that we will be able to reuse in the new room and will not be purchasing any new furniture. The main work will lay in painting the walls, reupholstering some of the existing cushions (on a chair and bench) and framing some other artwork. Below is a VERY rough color board that I threw together during lunch today. It's a start but still a far cry from what the room will evolve into. The bedding may have to be neutralized a little since this pattern may be a little too bold and busy. Like I said, just some basic ideas of what we're getting ourselves into. I am thrilled to start putting it all together with Robin, but before then, there is a lot of prep work to look forward to.

"I TRIED MY BEST TO KEEP MY DISTANCE FROM YOUR DRESS..."

I'll be the first to admit that I have a truly indulgent and terrible habit of buying dresses that will only be worn once. I'm not celebrity, but I try to abide by the red carpet mantra that no dress should be worn twice. Over the years I've accumulated dozens of "one-time-wear" dresses that are hanging in my closet. Some I can still fit into while others are just getting lonelier by the year. Regardless of their impracticalness, I continue to fall in love with dresses that I know I'll never have the opportunity to wear or I may never have to guts to wear. The dress above stole my heart this past Sunday and even though I generally omit any dress with a single shoulder, this one was up there on my list of Dream Dresses. Paying homage to the always adorable Zooey Deschanel, I call this color "Zooey Blue" and if you personally know me then you are familiar with my fixation with her (just like every other 20-something year old). The actual color of this dress is much brighter as you can see and is very similar to something she would wear.
But, I must draw the line somewhere and stop giving into every dress that calls my name. I probably wasn't doing myself any favors by going shopping again after work and falling in love with two more. Sure, some of them may be outrageous, some might call them ugly or tacky, but in an idealistic world I would have a collection of all the stunning dresses that I've lusted over over the years. Oh, and simply because I couldn't help myself, here are two more I drooled over at the store today. Yes, both are impractical and yes, both are way overpriced, but that never stops me from buying them.
What is your opinion of dressy dresses? Can they be worn more than once?