:: SAN FRANCISCO :: NoPA, Eat Your Heart Out!

No really.  Prepare to stock your kitchens and stomachs with some of SF's finest foods.  And don't forget the beverages!  Here's what's new to the up-and-coming neighborhood of NoPa (North of the Panhandle) this season:

Wine Kitchen :: now open!
With it's doors opening early last month, Wine Kitchen has quickly become a Divisadero hot spot, and for good reason.  One of those reasons: wine on tap.  I'm not exactly sure what the actual benefits of wine on tap are, but I do know that it's another way to get the wine to my mouth and I fully support that.  Specializing in (duh) wine, the staff is incredibly knowledgeable and helpful if you're like me and all you know about wine is that it tastes damn good.

Another reason for the non-stop nightly crowds: the bar-sized menu of very un bar-like food.  As much as I don't mind rejoicing in some greasy, I'm-gonna-pay-for-this bar food every one in a while, why not enjoy my libations (yes, they have beer too) with some delectable speck or frisée?  I can already recommend the soft egg and kale combo, and since it's only a couple blocks from me, I plan on working my way through the whole menu in no time.

As for the scene, it's small, dark and intimate -- just as good for a date spot or grabbing a table with the girls.  My favorite part about Wine Kitchen is that it has that great, neighborhood feel to it.  It's not too flashy for Divisadero, nor is it reserved for only the hippest of hipsters.  It really feels like a spot where everyone is welcome and that everyone can enjoy, and I think NoPa should be proud to claim ownership of this new neighborhood-anchoring venue.

{via winekitchensf.com}

The Mill :: reopening February 12th
Apparently The Mill has been quite the thing on Divisadero since last July, but in a rather obscure nature.  Maybe I simply passed by it without recognition because it was less of a store front than it was a temporary booth serving only drip coffee and toast.  However, it closed its doors (err, tarps?) in mid-January for a total makeover and will soon become an actual coffee shop.

I only recently took notice as I was passing the construction site one day and saw the tell-tale sign of a modern business with a classic sensibility: a white subway tile facade.  I mean, setting the scene in any eatery is half the battle, and going with the classic, timeless look of subway tiles circa 1906 San Francisco is this new establishment's way of brightening up the hood while holding on to it's historic roots.

Given that The Mill is a collaboration between local favorites Four Barrel Coffee and Josey Baker Bread, I think it's safe to say that this will be a huge hit beyond just the decor.  And given my eternal desire to be Parisian, I'm always excited about a good ol' cafe bakery.  You better believe I'll be there for the opening, and I'll be sure to provide an update with a review.


Bi-Rite Market :: opening March
There are a few local spots that others may use to gauge how San Franciscan you really are based on your familiarity and regular attendance of them.  One of those is Bi-Rite Market.  With it's origin in the ultra-hip(ster) Mission, I would say it's only one part cult favorite + three heaping parts really great market.  Featuring tons of local vendors, they really demonstrate a stewardship for the smaller, hard-working vendors.  Prices may be on the higher side, but provided their mission, "Creating community through food," you know where your money is going when you shop here and you can feel good about showing your support.

Now you're probably asking yourself, what about the creamery?  And my tastebuds are happy to tell you that the market will be large enough to include not only the famous Bi-Rite Creamery (sans lines around the corner in the biting cold), but also a full-sized cheese counter.  Of course, neither of those are really allowed on my current track towards my goal body, but I feel better knowing that, in a time of  emotional crisis, temporary, delicious self-destruction is only a couple blocks away.

{via biritemarket.com}

What do you love about our great city??  To keep up with more exciting SF news and places, follow me on Pinterest!

*c

:: LIFE:: My! My! How the Time Flies!

Funny thing happens when someone with self-diagnosed ADD starts a blog...  Something else usually comes along and demands whatever attention is left in the reserve.  And so I find myself here: attempting to resuscitate my blog after two years and eight months of being in a social coma.  Whether it was my blog of myself in the actual coma is debatable, so let's forgo the technicalities and move on what really matters.

What the hell have I been up to since my last post, you ask?  If you're completely new to :: a girl in the life :: and/or didn't know a thing about me two and half years ago, I recommend catching up by reading my first post.  Though many of the details have drastically changed since then, the voice is still a surprisingly accurate depiction of who I am today.  I say "surprisingly" because I feel as though every year of my 20s has been rife with personal transformation and revolution.  All good, of course, even if the means to get to this point hasn't always been fun.  But I'm pleased to find that I'm still the same ol' girl at heart.

Now as far as those details though...

I am happy to announce that shortly after I stopped posting the last time around, I did, in fact, make the move from my parents' house in San Jose to the amazing city of San Francisco, where I have a cozy studio apartment all to myself.  Although small, it's in a beautiful 1900s building with that undeniable San Francisco charm, and I'm in the same neighborhood as the historical Painted Ladies (yep, that's my a view from my block).  A couple of the major selling points for me were the two walk-in closets.  Unfortunately, my wardrobe and shoes still prove to produce containment challenges.  It might have something to do with that pesky shopping problem and the ever-growing inventory, but I really think people just need to be making closets bigger.

The most recent big life change is that I'm newly unemployed.  I had been working for an amazing company for the last two and half years, where unfortunately things started to go awry for my department and I was laid off.  To sum it up, I'll just say this: politics, egos, shady practices, egos, pathetic managers, EGOS, and pusses.  I'm not a "yes man," or someone who let's slackers get away with shenanigans, so I wasn't surprised when the news was delivered.  While I loved what I did and most of the people I worked with, my job had become a major downer and was sapping my energy in more areas of my life than I had realized.  So it was really the best thing that could have happened, and I am SO enjoying my free time.  Hence, my blog revival!

Last but not least, I am single again.  Again, shortly after that last post, my ex and I called it quits as a result of being in a long distance relationship and generally just being on different pages.  It was a rough period for me, and I went through so many phases during the first few months.  I found some ways to distract myself, which led to some interesting experiences... But all it all, I've learned a lot about myself and relationships in general and I have my ex to thank for being a major contribution to my personal growth.  He's still living in Texas so we don't ever see each other, but we communicate occasionally and I would definitely consider him a friend.

So here I am today, with a total freedom and a world of possibilities in front of me.  It's funny how sometimes the things that are out of our control or that are not as we planned are the things that end up having the biggest, positive impact on our lives.  I've found that to be a major trend in my life, and somehow I've always managed to come out doing better than before.  I recently came across this print, which I immediately ordered because I felt it pretty much hit the nail on the head.  I'm filled with nothing but excitement as we kick off the new year and I get to discover what challenges await me!

Stay tuned while I tune up :: a girl in the life :: and begin to deliver, yet again, some little bits from this girl's life, along with things that I find inspirational, fun and fabulous from others.  Happy New Year!

:: LIFE :: Goal Tracker Update 2/9/10

Before I get to the goals at hand I just want to say, it’s official: I’m a working girl!  As I sit typing, I’m on the train to work (desperately hoping it’s the right train) and uber excited.  I know this week is going to be a HUGE shock for me – going from days on end with no place to be, to working 9 to 5, five days a week – but I am actually thrilled to be working again.  I even get a desk!   Yesterday was my first day and I had A LOT of information thrown at me, but I was less overwhelmed than I thought I would be, which is a good sign I guess.  While they knew I wasn’t that technically inclined when they hired me, I am working for a web-based company so my capacity for technical knowledge will have to go into ultra-super overdrive now.  I’ll be sure to let you know how the rest of my first week goes.  And now, back to the remaining goals…

:: move to San Francisco           

I had a wee bit of a rude awakening regarding this goal last weekend as I consulted with my mom about the future.  She reminded me that while I will be capable of moving out once the money starts rolling in, I do have some credit cards that need to be paid off and she suggested that I get those down before I do any relocating… L.   Still, it won’t be too long before I move, but I think the more likely move-out date will be closer to April 1^st rather than March.  I suppose I can deal.  I mean, it is my fault I have the credit cards to pay off anyway.  But true to form, I still look at apartments online just about everyday – it’s motivational ;).

:: read more books

I’m getting close – so close to finishing Eat, Pray, Love and it’s so good!  I kept telling my mom that she had to read it, so yesterday we stopped at the bookstore and bought a copy for her and my sister, at my urging.  And for someone who hasn’t been much of a reader in the past, I walked out of that bookstore with some new material of my own; four new books, to be exact.  As I’ve explained before, I have a bit of a shopping problem, and books are no exception.  But I am really excited about my future reads, one of which being Committed, Elizabeth Gilbert’s follow-up to Eat, Pray, Love.  I’ll be adding the rest of my new books to my GoodReads page today.

:: learn to meditate

So one of the many things that Eat, Pray, Love has inspired me to do is meditate.  I’ve always been curious about it and have wanted to do it, but this book really made me want to make that a priority, so I’ve added it to the goal list.  I’m going to have to do a little research figure out which style would suit me, in addition to where I can learn more about the ancient practice and how to do it.  While I'm at it I would also love to get back to my beloved Bikram yoga.  Should be a fulfilling quest…

:: lose 15 lbs.

So yeahhh…  This goal, not surprisingly, is by far the most frustrating.  I’ve been working out more than I ever have in my life and I can’t seem to lose any weight.  And the lack of weight loss is definitely not due to muscle gain because those fleshy little love handles haven’t even gone away, and those are usually the first sign that I’m making progress.  I’m not sure I understand this evil resistance to calorie burning that my body is experiencing, but I will get to the bottom of this!

:: relearn French

I’m beginning to doubt my inclusion of this on my list of goals because I’m not making any progress as of yet.  Unlike the previous goal, I haven’t even tried, mainly because between the working out, the reading, the baby shower and my new job I’m not sure when I have the time to review my old college textbooks on the subject.  On the bright side, now that I have this bonus time on the train every morning and night, I think I’ll come up with a schedule for how to utilize it: i.e., Mondays – blogging, Tuesdays – reading, Wednesdays – French, and so on and so forth.  By George, I think that just might work!

So you see I’m creating quite the busy life for myself these days, which is actually something I’m cool with because there’s just so much I want to do and it’s about time I hopped to it.  I don’t want to feel like I’ve wasted time in this life—well, more time.  I’m a recovering procrastinator and this goal tracker is like my AA or something – you know, like steps to take to help me break the habit.  I have no doubt keeping a full-time job will make this all a little harder, but you can’t really call it “achievement” if you didn’t have to work to get for it, right?

:: HOME :: Wishful Thinking

Because I am who I am and have already started scouting possible apartments in the city even though the projected moving date is at least a good month away, the wheels in my head have started turning, too, with design ideas and wish lists for my future apartment.  Here are just a couple of bits of inspiration that I'm keeping in mind for when that joyous day actually does come...

{via coco + kelly}

{Kishani Perera via coco + kelley}

{Shine Home via coco + kelley}

{Skona Hem via decor8}

{via design*sponge}

{Emily Henson via design*sponge}

I find these living rooms/sitting areas to be utterly fantastic.  I love color, but I love the brightness and airiness of white, too.  I also love grey in all shades!  If I could make the main room of my future apartment look half as beautiful as any of these bold and peaceful rooms, I would be content.

{Emily Henson via design*sponge}

{Polly Wreford via desire to inspire}

I selected these simple and fun dining areas keeping in mind that my first San Francisco apartment isn't likely to have much space for dining.  Both of these examples would be happily at home in an eat-in kitchen or, at the very least, a small alcove near the kitchen should an actual dining room be lacking.

{Kishani Perera via coco + kelley}

{Stella Nicolaisen via desire to inspire}

{Emily Henderson via desire to inspire}

{Canadian House & Home via A Great Full Day}

Along with grey, I also love green, and the first bedroom is amazing!  The deep, dark green makes this bedroom look very sultry and comforting -- heavy like a big down comforter.  I find the neutrals in the second bedroom give the same feeling of comfort without the divineness of the green room.  It's rustic and lived in.  And the last two bedrooms are just so happy and, dare I say it, girlie.  I'm not one to go overboard on the "girlish" decor... actually I tend to stay away from it when possible.  But something about these two bedrooms would make me feel very in tune with my femininity, in a European "I love being a girl" kind of way.

{via desire to inspire}

Last, but definitely not least, this example of open clothes storage from desire to inspire is what I have always longed for.  It's like the clothes have their very own home and you get to invite yourself over to play dress up with them.  It would be a dream to have an extra space -- be it an alcove or a tiny room -- to house my wardrobe and be able to see my fabulous friends together all at once.  I think seeing all the facets of one's wardrobe at once is key to inspiring great outfits.  My only question about this picture is... where are the rest of the clothes??

And while checking out my favorite blogs for inspiration, I came across this ingenious project from design*sponge.  It's a handy, dandy, DIY Take-Out Menu binder to store and organize all those pesky menus that you inevitably collect over the years whether you actually use them or not.  I happen to love to eat out just as much as I love to cook -- sometimes things do just taste better when someone else makes them.  I'm also a little OCD and if I can alphabetize something, you better believe I'll do it.  So seeing that I'll be moving to what I consider the best food city in the country, and will have at least a dozen eateries within walking distance of my future apartment, I thought this would be a great project for me to do and share with you!

{via design*sponge}

And of course, I'll also be rifling through my sister's blog, Today and Yesterday, for more ideas and great tips!  Not only does she have fabulous inspiration but great design resources, too.  Can't wait to get crackin'!

:: GOAL TRACKER :: Update 2/2/10

:: get a job!
In case you missed the announcement last week, I have a job!  I will be working for a cool tech company in Palo Alto starting next Monday.  So this week is officially my last week of unapologetic freedom.  I'm going to try and enjoy myself as much as I can, but I also have baby shower duties to tend to for my sister's shower, as it is coming up faster than I even realized.  Let the cutting and gluing resume!

:: get a job! - DONE and DONE!

:: move to San Francisco
Anyone who knows me (and you don't even need to know me well) knows that as soon as I got the call that confirmed my new employment, I was online looking at apartments in the city.  Actually, I've been looking at apartments since about the time I realized that I was less Orange County, where I lived for 4 years, and was more Bay Area, where I grew up.  Specifically, I was more San Francisco.  I think it's my ridiculously romantic, head-in-the-clouds ideals, but I've been craving city life for a long while now.  I just imagine myself in my 1920s, Victorian-style apartment with hardwood floors, decorated with panache, drinking tea from the kettle while snacking on a fresh baked croissant, reading the paper (which I don't even do now) and looking out at the tops of the Golden Gate Bridge reaching through the foggy ring around the city as the sun lightly taps each peak as if summoning them awake from the previous night's chilly slumber.  I want to be able to walk to a farmer's market every weekend and bring home fresh flowers to sit on my antique kitchen table.  I want to have my double-hung windows constantly open with the freshest California air filling my home and letting my French music filter out to the streets as a fellow Francophile walks by and is immediately lifted in spirits by the mysterious melody that seems to have come from the sky... *sigh*


:: read more books
Still actively working on this.  I am getting so close to finishing Eat, Pray, Love and it's definitely keeping me inspired and motivated, which is something I can definitely use at this time of serious transition.


:: relearn French
Eh...  I still haven't quite applied myself with regards to this goal.  But at the very least I do listen intensely when Conor's French roommates speak to one another.  They always say immersion is the best way to learn a language, right?


:: lose 15 pounds
I don't want to talk about it...  No, I want to report my progress to you but it's hard when you spend a weekend in Tahoe eating Creme Brûlèe Cheesecake and sipping warm, chocolaty coffee drinks.  I did get back to my routine today, though, starting with a 6:30 am wake-up call to walk with my mom and then my usual 2 mile run on the treadmill.  Between my interviews, being completely out of FRS and preparing for Tahoe last week, my routine took a dive...  actually, it just up and keeled over.  But I revived it, and my new supply of FRS just arrived, so I have high hopes for positive progress reports in the near future.

:: GOAL TRACKER :: Update 1/19/10

So I don't think it's enough to just have my goals hanging out there on the side of the page.  I should probably be talking about them and updating you if I'm ever gonna give myself the chance to stick to them.  So here goes...

:: get a job!

While this goal has eluded me for the last 6.5 months that I've been back up in Nor Cal, I refuse to continue on like this; penniless and ineffective.  On the bright side, I do have two (that's right, TWO) interviews this week.  One is courtesy of a staffing agency that I teamed up with last week and, while it's just a part-time gig, it is a step in the right direction and could lead to bigger things.  The other found myself by just checking out websites that I liked and seeing if they were hiring.  And I'll be hearing back soon from an internship that I applied for back in November.  I know an internship isn't exactly going to get me out of my parents' house any sooner, but it would be a really amazing opportunity and I'll be working from home so it's something I'll be able to do in addition to a full-time job.  Fingers crossed!!

:: move to San Francisco

This is goal is entirely dependent on the first one, so I don't really have much to report here.  But it is becoming seriously imperative that I accomplish these two goals quickly, folks.  Besides just wanting to have my own place again, I am struggling with my living conditions right now.  My parents' have a decent-sized home, but when my sister and I were finally both out of their hair they kind of stretched their arms and used the extra space for what suited them, and who can blame them?  But now that I've moved back in, with all my crap, the house that once felt like the 4-bedroom that it is now feels like the size of my old 1-bedroom apartment.  My computer and printer is set up at the kitchen table, my closet is split up between two rooms and the garage, and 3/4 of my possessions are neatly packed away in big plastic bins at a storage facility.  It's the pits.  So I'm really hoping to see one of these jobs work out...

:: read more books

So I've been reading Eat, Pray, Love and A New Earth for waaaaay too long now.  It's an amazing book, but for some reason I just can't seem to properly dedicate enough time to it.  I always think of something else that I can use that time for, which is usually no where near as satisfying as completing a good book.  But as my list of books I want to read grows, I realize that I better step on it if I'm ever going to get to the new ones.  And with the helpful suggestion of my friend Sarah to join her in the book club The Book Lushes (hint: one of my interviews is for a company related to this group), I have even more reason to make reading a priority.  After all, I'm going to feel awfully pathetic when I have to click "Leave The Book Lushes" link at the bottom of my settings page because I couldn't read the one book we're assigned each month.  Oh the shame!

:: relearn French

As an Art History major, which I was, you have to have 2 years of either French or German (I know right?  Where's the Italian option?).  I chose French because I have a ridiculously romantic heart and a love for all things French.  It's hard to learn a new language when you're 22, but it's even harder to remember it once you've thrown out your book bag and sack lunches for the last time.  So I've armed myself with both CD and CD-Rom versions of a French teacher.  By the end of the year I hope to be singing along with (and understanding) my entire collection of French music!

:: lose 15 pounds

I know it's not always good to use your weight as your indicator of progress, but when I saw the scale read... well let's just say it read the number I used to weigh plus 10 when I checked it after the holiday shuffle, I was a little disappointed.  I knew it was fat and not muscle adding the pounds because I certainly was not working out.  So if I can just get back down to my old number and then some, I should be a pretty happy camper.  So far I'm doing great!  It's my third week of my new routine and I've only missed this last Saturday because I flew to Newport for my sister's birthday.  But I was back on schedule again today and still feeling awesome about it!  And, my weight has already come down two pounds.  Not a huge success, but I'll take it.  On the other hand, my beautiful baby Belle has gained 2.5 pounds, and all since moving in with Grandma (my mom) who has gotten pretty good about sneaking bits of chicken and fish into her food bowl when I'm not around...  What an interesting correlation.

 

Must. Start. Blogging...!

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Carrie, and this is my life.

I'm just a girl. I currently do not have much to grab you with, except maybe that I'm 25 and I'm living with my parents - yowza! Now look, I'm not one of those free-loading offspring who never leaves the nest because Mommy makes me smiley chocolate chip pancakes every morning. The unfortunate truth is that I moved from Orange County back to San Jose, and in with my parents, after graduating college so that I could save money and move to the amazingly beautiful city that is San Francisco. The only flaw in my plan was that one must have a job to save money. Ahhhh yes, note to self: have job first, save money second. Well six months after the dreaded move I am still jobless, with only a computer and my cat to my name... and a closet that is probably larger than it should be for an unemployed graduate (yes, I have a shopping problem but we'll get to that later). So here I am, starting a blog, after literally years of talking about it, to help myself sort things out while I make this transition through life.

I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, because I have to admit I've got it pretty good. I mean, my parents were more than happy to take me back, and rent free too! I have my trusty '99 4Runner, which I call my baby. I'm the proud mother of a little kitty who is the nuttiest little thing you'll ever meet. I have a fantastic group of friends who, even though we don't get to see each other on a regular basis, are basically my life support. And, most recently, I have an amazing boyfriend, who I'm hesitant to even mention since it's still pretty new and I'm afraid I'll jinx it. (Babe, if you're reading this, don't get any ideas...)

Basically I'm just here to talk about my life; the things I like and what makes me happy; the things I don't like and what makes me mad; things that inspire me; my ambitions and endeavors; my goals and my progress. My hopes are that it will end up being like a type of cathartic journaling. But it's not all for selfish reasons. Maybe you'll have advice for me (wait, still selfish). Maybe I'll be able to help some of you. Maybe we can compare lives and just relish in the joy of knowing that there is someone else out there with the same cockamamie tendencies. Anyway, I just want to share with you and allow you the chance to share back. Because if there's one thing I've learned in these last six, fruitless months it's that blogs are amazing. And even though they can suck an entire day right out from under your feet, it's almost o.k. because they are full of thoughtful, creative, inspiring little bits and I'd probably be a level forty on Farmville without them.

So as I sit here with my bowl of pistachio gelato, about to get ready for bed at 9 o'clock in the evening (did I mention that I'm 25 going on 80?), I'll seriously contemplate the future of my blog so as not to let you, or myself down. And while you anxiously wait for my next oh-so-riveting installment, check out my blogroll for my absolute favorites that might just inspire you to do something new and exciting too...

See you again soon!

{making friends with San Franciscan natives}