Pay attention

I encountered this little work of graffiti in Chinatown. It was on one of those doors that open up to the basement of the establishment. I would just like to mention the awesome that are LEGOS. They're bandits. Neat-O.

Lesson: keep an observant eye out for LEGO bandits.

Something like this is not overlooked as often. I know this is new. I frequent SF often enough to know that this installment showed up within the last three weeks. It's still got fencing around it and there isn't anything to read about its origin, which I would like to know about. It's a nice pop of color in an area that's rather drab and sleepy because it's mostly office buildings.

Lesson: LEGO bandits are better.

My house

If I ever grow up and decide I have to be an adult, I'll probably have a house of some sort. I hear that's what adults do. If such an unfortunate event should ever occur, I would like fish bowl bookends. Although I question my ability to keep live things alive, I think future adult me would be more capable. If not, she can consult the books being bookended.





I saw these book bookshelves at a bookstore in Berkeley. It's a really cute place connected

to some cafe that always has a big banner about tapas hanging from the doorway.
He does a bunch of furniture like this, and he's based in Berkeley.

It's tetris shelving! But the blocks don't dissappear! How neat! And you can rearrange whenever you want! I don't know if it's just me or what, but I like to rearrange my furniture every so often. I get bored of looking at the same arrangement for too long. I usually like to rearrange my room at home seasonally.

Talk about multi-tasking. It's a staircase bookshelf! I love multipurpose things. Innovative.

If everything was multi-purpose, we would have so much more room for books,
and other stuff, but mostly books.
And I need more room for books. Most definitely.

Omigoshk! Where was this spectacular piece of furniture when I was 5? AND it's totally multipurpose! The bow is a toy chest and there are drawers on port and starboard. Some models even have bookshelves on the stern.
Why would any child want to sleep
with their parents if they have this?
Boat captains aren't scared of monsters under the bed.

I'm pretty sure this clever little number
would not be just for the kids.

Philosophy

This weekend has been longer than most, and thusly has been more action packed. San Francisco was a grand total of two days. J and I stayed for the tree lighting in Union Square on Friday. There's an ice-skating rink there, which I question because it could easily have been 70 degrees. Someone from Wicked sang for SF. I believe it's something along the lines of their homecoming (that's what the flyer said). J and I went to see The Devil's Disciple on Saturday. But as much as I tried to be productive all weekend, it's been at a crawl. I seem to have stumbled upon a new legion of blogs, which is really not conducive to finishing papers or projects at all. But here's a good way to stumble through life.

No car, no problem

Since the weather doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon, I opted to walk back from the grocery store. North Berkeley, is what I believe is often referred to as the "gourmet ghetto" by the students as opposed to "Asian ghetto" on the south side of campus. In no way an I advocating the referral of these respective areas as "ghettos" and they really aren't. It's not PC and they should just say "food." North Berkeley has a lot of higher end sit down restaurants, but south Berkeley is mostly take-out and to-go (don't ask me what the difference between take-out and to-go is). North Berkeley has these sorts of establishments I'm guessing because it's not on campus or close to campus. North Berkeley is also rather permeated with yuppie.

I spotted these excellently crafted pieces of shrubbery on my way back. The reindeer is being sold. But then wouldn't it grow out again? And then you would just have a bush? Besides the point... Sometimes it's fun to walk it instead of driving or busing or even biking. You can take the time to slow down and check out all the details and cracks in the sidewalk you wouldn't normally notice.

Does anyone else think it's weird that Gap is selling a bike?



It's argyle.
It's blue.
It's 500 dollars.

Indications it's that time of year

So it seems to me Halloween has arrived. It really is a wonderful time of year. Everywhere you go, you can hear the howling of the season as werewolves and vampires bask in the joyfulness of All Hallow's Eve.
There is never at any other time of the year this feeling of camaraderie and unity. When else do you see ghouls and goblins mingling with slutty nurses and bloody corpses? Children and adults alike take to the streets visiting every household with a happy greeting and warm message in return.









Bags bursting with delicious and wonderful gifts become too heavy to carry. What a sight and load to behold.Did I mention the free candy? And the candy on clearance the day after?

It's time to be a man.

It seems like just yesterday when you got a copy of The Dangerous Book for Boys and finally learned how to be a proper boy, doesn't it. Now that you're all grown up and going to college, I think it's high time you learned how to be a proper man as well. While the manboys you may currently know might get secret subscriptions to Esquire which I might add no real man should ever take as a guide since it's the male equivalent of Cosmopolitan- seriously, does any self respecting woman even act like what a "Cosmo" reader seems like?- even if it has some excellent writers on staff. Anyway, I would like to direct your attention to The Art of Manliness, a grown-up version of your beloved book. There are practical articles such as Nice Guys Don’t Have to Finish Last or others that are more up your alley in the seemingly useless life skills category: How to Land a Plane in an Emergency or even The Gentleman's Guide to the Calling Card.

Here's an excerpt from the article Your Grandpas's Babes, an article celebrating the women of yesteryear-
Your grandma? That sweet little old lady that makes you cookies and sends you savings bonds for your birthday? You’re damn right. Your grandpa thought your grandma was a total babe. She was the babe of all babes. Think about it, Jack. If he didn’t think your grandma was a babe, you wouldn’t be reading this article right now. I’m sure the first time gramps saw your sweet little granny looking all cute and perky in her bobby socks and saddle shoes, he gave her the look over, thought “hubba hubba!” and immediately took her to the nearest soda fountain to sip Coca-Cola from one glass with two straws. And even as your grandma got wrinkly and saggy, she stayed beautiful and alluring in his eyes. So here’s to you grandma for being grandpa’s greatest babe.-

Now all you need is to grow some facial hair and you'll be all set.

Vampires are scary

I'm under the impression that I can handle a lot in terms of fear. Rational ones such as rats, bugs, heights, etc. I can deal with well to a certain degree but the one thing I am deathly afraid of is vampires. I would die from fright before I'd even get bitten. My sister and I used to have this joke where we would have a house made of garlic with a secret underground tunnel to a church. The walls would be lined with more garlic, crosses and wooden stakes, of course. I finally watched Interview with a Vampire last week and it showed me three things.

1) A garlic house is useless against a real vampire. We really should just live in a regular house with UV lamps on the outside like Will Smith in I Am Legend.
2) It has me convinced that Tom Cruise is a vampire and suspicions that Antonio Banderas is one as well.
3) A new understanding of the lyrics in Decemberunderground


Any way, You should always be prepared in case of a vampire attack with a Vampire Killing Kit Crosses, wooden stakes, Holy water, this kit has everything you would need if you were to encounter a vampire. Now all you need is a bigger purse to carry it all in.

Freedom to read

Banned Books Week was September 27- October 4. Did you read a banned book? Does anyone else think it's a little silly to ban books?
It strikes me as a method to limit diversity. A lot of times it's through literature that we learn about other worlds and other opinions. Its a way to spread information and cultivate the imagination. When you prevent certain pieces of literature from getting through to other people, their horizon does not expand. The right to choose is a Constitutional one and to choose what books I want to read or not read should be up to me and no one else.

part deux

5)
Remember Nina's pants? I recall her saying you were with her when she bought them. (Her's are white) Susie Bubble has a black pair.

6)
Korean Spice Girls! aka the Wonder Girls via Disgrasian

Oooh, stuff from other blogs

So I don't have time for this thing. I haven't even had a chance to flip through photos from fashion week(s) yet and it's been a month. But, since it's midterms, I totally have tons of time. I'm going to try to write a bunch of timed post for the future but for now, I bring you stuff other people have already put up.

1)
The Clothes Horse has recently begun taking her labbit Nasha out on adventures and taking pictures of it too. Currently, she and Nasha are in Greece having a great time. Labbits are more my thing but I guess you'd prefer something like this.

2)
About a year ago, pictures of a stylish girl were popping up repeatedly on The Sartorialist but no one knew who it was.Eventually, word started to spread that it was Rei, the photographer behind Fruits, a Japanese street style mook. The girls over at Fashionation ecstaticly wrote a post about her. Now it seems that Rei has started posting some unpublished photos on a new blog. The above one is my favorite. She's wearing ankle socks, yet her legs don't look stumpy at all.

3)
The image on the right combines two of my favorite things to fawn over: cute little boys and elephants!

4)
I know fashion week(s) is(are) nearly over but I think thes are too good to pass up. Trait has more here and here although I suppose you can try to see all of them at the agency websites.

Speaking of cake

I had 7 eggs that were approximately 3 days past the expiration day. Let's say I'm not a big egg consumer, but they were 99 cents for a dozen over Labor Day weekend. How could I pass that up? Yes, that is when they made their first appearance in my fridge. However, we also had cake mix that required a whopping 3 eggs! Score!

It was Pillsbury German chocolate cake mix. There was also funfetti, but we decided to go with the chocolate for obvious reasons. I mean, there are certain things in life you should never have to live without and one of those things is cake. And if one of the options is German chocolate cake, you would be a fool to pass it up. Seriously. Why deprive your taste-buds? Seriously.

So apparently German chocolate has nothing to do with Germany. A man who went by Samuel German invented it. It's a baking chocolate with the sugar already added. He thought it would be more convenient. What a swell guy!

Speaking of swell men, has anyone heard of Coenraad Johannes van Houten? Perhaps you have heard of Dutch chocolate. C.J. was a Dutch chocolate maker who invented the cocoa press, which treats cocoa with an alkalizing agent and gives it a milder flavor. The Dutch process also destroys antioxidants, but what I'm really into it for is the yummy deliciousness!

Swiss chocolate refers to... you guessed it: Switzerland! Swiss chocolates offer no misleadings. Don't you love that? Straightforward and high class, just like Roger Federer. Being the pioneering chocolatiers they are, the Swiss have refined chocolate into a high class indulgence using only the best ingredients. Don't we love them for it? Manifest destiny!

Where was my life before Switzerland? In Belgium. Even the Swiss imported from Belgium. Belgian chocolate is best known for its quality ingredients and also its stubborn devotion to old world manufacturing techniques. In a fast paced world where it's all about mass production and automatic chocolate spitter-outters, it's nice to come across chocolate still made by hand in small shops using original equipment. And don't we love them for it!

Aren't we forgetting a neighbor? Not as renowned, but just as delicious is French chocolate - another source of Swiss chocolate (I guess Swiss aren't so original after all). Chocolate seems to be a secret the French have kept for themselves, and what a shame! Just like wine, the French have a standard for chocolate just as well - a definite preference for fine dark chocolate. Not only chocolate, but the French have a knack for creating unique masterpieces with their chocolate by mingling exotic fruits and spices with traditional scents and flavors. A variety of quality ingredients and pure dark chocolate make French chocolate more than an indulgence, it's an art.

Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet

Does anybody remember all those giant balls all over Museum campus that one Chicago summer? Upon closer inspection, it was found that they were in fact globes. Upon even closer inspection, it was found that each of these globes had a theme. All of them were created by different artists and organizations and they were all environmentally themed. Each globe was about a way to reduce global warming, live greener, etc. Neat, huh? I remember getting dizzy on the one that spun located between the Shedd and the Field Museum. I remember one with little lights - like the earth at night. I remember hanging off one to try to get a silly snapshot at night with a camera sitting on a bike because it had a high ISO.






















While touristing in August, I was delighted to discover these globes in SF (top at the Ferry Plaza, bottom at Pier 39)! I immediately recalled my Chicago globes. It was like a little piece of home had traveled with me. So I looked them up, and not only are they in Chicago, but also San Francisco, San Diego, Washington, D.C., and London!

CoolGlobes is a "non-profit organization established to raise awareness of global warming and inspire individuals and community leaders to embrace solutions." It was launched in Chicago during the summer of 2007. I really liked them and was sad to see that they had left. So I was glad to see their encore that following summer. But, alas, I was to depart my beloved city.

Cool art. Cool message. CoolGlobes.

Wild geese chase

On this the first of September, at the end of a three day weekend after a three day week of school (as it should always be), I decided it would be appropriate to do something about the overripe bananas bathed in their own ethylene on my kitchen counter.
Thus began my quest for Extreme Banana Nut Bread (that's really what it's called).
The day's journey began at Point E (refer to map). I made my way on the bus to Safeway (grocery store) at Point D. I picked up flour, sugar, eggs, etc... The lady at the checkout counter suggested zucchini bread.* And then I ran into my roommate from last year, whose place I was at last night, at the bus stop back, but that's besides the point.
We rode the bus back to Point A (where her apartment also is) and... drumroll please, Max, the Dollar Tree! I was looking for 9x5 inch baking pans. They did not have any. I proceeded to Long's Drugs (like Walgreens) at Point B. Nothing but empty aisles (not that empty, there were probably 2 or 3 other customers). Point C is where an actual Walgreens is. To no avail. Now I got on the bus again to Safeway. Do you remember? It was so long ago. Point D. And they weren't even the right size.
So the assembly line proceeded smoothly back at my current temporary residence.
Nothing disastrous this time. Not too shabby for a first banana nut bread. Although, I don't see how it's supposed to be extreme.

* Opening for a sequel?
Max lived on my floor last year. He's a drummer and he made his own drum set, multiple. He's setting up his drums in his basement. Little bit totally cool.
Kevin likes banana nut bread.

Dolls on Display

Success! Check out what I found!

And there were no crazy shop-owners hunting me and my camera down. They were totally chill about it. Went about business as usual. I was right in front of them at some point (but those pictures were discarded).








These are the most gorgeous jewelry stands I've seen! They were in some artsy store at the end of Pier 39 that I've looked over and passed just about every time I've been until now! I don't remember the name. It's under the stairs and a little obscure and out of the way in some dark corner where there is never a crowd. I don't think it's a very big tourist attraction. It isn't very appropriate for Pier 39, but I'm sure glad it was there!

Unremarkably tasty

I'm really not much of a foodie. My taste buds are not the most refined nor the most critical. But the thing I like about going out to eat is the rest of it. The restaurant ambiance and atmosphere, I guess they call it. It's fun to go someplace where it seems like they put forth an effort to make the eating experience pleasant. Decor is important as well as the food.

Here is the ceiling of this sushi place near campus. Sushi Ko. It's starry! That's so cool! Sometimes people overlook things above them. If you look up, you might find something spectacular. The food was good. I'm not very experienced with sushi, so it doesn't take much to make me happy. I had some yellowtail thing with mango and this other one, which I can't remember because all I remember is the delicious, delicious mango item.

Jupiter's on Shattuck is a pizza place, that is also known for their beers, but seeing as how I have yet to obtain a fake id and how I don't care for beer... There was focaccia and pizza on my plate. The focaccia was most delicioso, but the pizza was sub-par at best. Perhaps I've been conditioned to like only Chicago pizza or something, but nothing compares to Ricky-bene's. Never has, never will.

I guess we'll do the bad news first. There seemed to be flies buzzing around everywhere. It was to the point of annoyance. I don't think we should have to swat them away mid bite. And, perhaps it was the way the sun was shining, but it seemed like there was a constant shroud of dust floating in the air. I'm sorry, but that is not the most appetizing. These factors ruined what could have been a perfectly pleasant dining experience.

The outdoor patio was really nice. They had this fountain in the middle and I especially liked the bricked walls and benches. The building was open windowed. There was an upstairs and downstairs, but most sat outside. The red bricks made it feel like it could be set somewhere in a European village. It was cute.
Food was not great. Contributing outdoor elements were not cooperating. But decor was good. In this case, it did not make up for the food and everything else.

Things I Love This Month

1)
Red Bean Ice
I had some Kintoki the other day but it didn't even come close. Can you believe I haven't had this in over two years. I've been craving this deliciousness for awhile yet I haven't gone to get it yet. It's as if I'm scared that all the expectation will lead to disappointment.

2)
Art Deco Mary-Janes from Anthropologie
What can I say? I like fashions from the first half of the 20th century to the point where I would even cross-dress in a waistcoat. These are love.

3)

These masterblocks(located in the upper left of the photo) from Fauxkiss are stunning and I would love to have all three. Alas, I can't quite afford all three and having just one won't do so I shall have to settle for this one.

4)
This coat from Richard Chai for Target's Go International
Even thought I live within ten miles of 6 different Target stores, I have been unable to track it down and it's sold out in my size online. 'm just hoping they either restock it soon or the stores I went to have them hidden away to pull out once fall come closer.

5)
The Art of Manipulating Fabric by Colette Wolff
This is pretty much a fabric bible that absolutely everyone should have. It will lead to so much frustration and agony, but I want it. It even available on Google Reader!Here are some pictures from Purple Missus to show just what you can do with it.