Lovely 1920s Dresses



Image source unknown

Jay and I went to a showing of the new Woody Allen movie, "Midnight in Paris" yesterday afternoon. It is a true romantic comedy and if you are even remotely a Francophile, I think you will enjoy it for the sheer setting.

I couldn't stop admiring the 1920s wardrobe. My most favorite was the delicate style of Marion Cotillard's character. I just love her flapper inspired dresses.

Oh so adorable!

Weekend Wishes

Photo by J. Mears

Happy Friday friends! Better yet, happy long weekend!

It's amazing how one extra day off puts such a skip in my step! Jay and I are looking forward to our San Francisco staycation.

Tonight, we celebrate a good friend's birthday at the Presidio Social Club. But the rest of the long weekend is up for grabs! If the weather is sunny, I think a picnic in Dolores Park or a hike in Muir Woods is in order. It's the season of hikes and bikes!

Have a wonderful sunny weekend!

My Noe Valley Fave, Pomelo




Photos by K. Mears

When Jay and I first moved to San Francisco friends welcomed us to the neighborhood by taking us to Pomelo. It's still one of our favorite spots, over a year later! We find ourselves going back to repeatedly (admittedly, at least once every two weeks).

Pomelo has a destination inspired menu with dishes like Banda Aceh (spicy indonesian street style noodles) and Havana (cuban style fried rice), that change based on the availability of local in-season produce.

I've tried about 60 percent of the dinner menu, but always coming back to the Aosta (baked polenta and  gourmet mushroom ragù with madeira and cream) and the San Marino (spring risotto with smoked trout, artichoke, fresh peas & asparagus). I've sampled the San Marino every season with many different veggies. It's perfect for a chilly San Francisco evening!

But my absolute favorite item (unfortunately not pictured), the dessert that keeps me coming back, is their chocolate hazelnut mousse. I realize it doesn't sound like much, but I would go as far to say that it is in my top 5 favorite desserts of all time. Yes, of all time!

Definitely put this cute and cozy restaurant on your list for your next city visit!

Windy Day, No Problem!

Photo by J. Mears

Whoever claimed Chicago is the windy city should visit San Francisco in the spring. Many of our sunny days are accompanied by quite a bit of wind, which means keeping your long locks out of your face can be a problem. 

Luckily a close friend of mine who happens to be a city-living veteran, offered up a perfect solution, a hat from Goorin Bros! This fourth-generation family owned hat shop offers a wide selection of styles hand crafted for women and men. 

I've never thought of myself as much of a hat person but since being gifted a cloche-inspired hat, windy days have become a piece of cake! I love that this version (featured above) is casual but still maintains a feminine style.

Perhaps, I will venture in to try out a fedora next, to jazz up my look for the summer!

Weekend Wishes

Photo by J. Mears

Happy Friday friends!

This week has been a doozy, from visitors to photo shoots to work events. I cannot complain however, because I wouldn't have it any other way! I love the hussle and bustle (but am also working on my balance of course).

I'm looking forward to a weekend just as full of events, starting with tonight. Jay and I are headed to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to have a first glimpse of the Steins Collect, including pieces from Picasso and Matisse. It's our first rooftop museum party, I hope the weather cooperates!

Have a fabulous and artistic weekend!

New Purse = Simple Joy

Image from katespade.com

Thanks to Sage & Style (one of my favorite style blogs!) for sharing that the Kate Spade sample sale was going on today. I really had no idea, and when I read her post it definitely put a little more excitement in my day! 

I've been wanting to invest in a new work purse for awhile and I was hoping Kate Spade would have just the thing. After much back and forth (classic or trendy, color or neutral), I ended up choosing the Kent Nicole handbag in black (I went classic to guarantee a longer shelf life). It's the perfect addition to my work style!



Weekend Wishes

Image by J. Mears

Happy Friday friends! 

I just got back from a 2-day marketing conference in Las Vegas. I was literally indoors in the MGM Grand Hotel for over 36 hours. Major sensory overload. 

It feels wonderful to be back in the city by the bay! I'm especially excited for the weekend because I have a dear friend visiting from Michigan. I cannot wait to show her our home and neighborhood! 

Also on deck for Sunday, is the Bay to Breakers 12K. Wish us luck, it's our first time running this infamous race!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Anthropologie in India


Images from anthropologie.com

I noticed that Anthropologie's May 2011 catalog was shot in India! Which is exciting since I remember growing up in the Midwest in the 1990s, when being different or South Asian wasn't exactly celebrated. Happily things have changed. I love that India is being recognized for its beauty and up and coming designers like Anupama Dayal.

The catalog photos remind me so much of my family trips of the past and make me want to visit again as soon as possible (which unfortunately won't be for a few years). Until then, I'll have to watch this gorgeous video released of the catalog outtakes, have a look!

Shared Closet



Photos by J. Mears

Our bedroom closet has been bothering me for quite some time. So over the weekend, I finally took action and began part one of our closet clean-out project.

When we lived in Michigan, Jay and I had separate clothing closets. His clothes were organized with wooden hangers while I used white plastic hangers. It looked fine in our individual closets, but when we combined our clothes in our shared San Francisco apartment closet, it was an utter mess (as you can see in the first photo above).

A simple solution for closet organizing is: get all your clothing on one type of hanger. It's such an effective and inexpensive solution. Using the same type of hanger on each piece of clothing ensures that the space between them is standard and if you use slim hangers without a bend, a space saver too! If you want to take it to another level, organize by type of clothing and color as well.

I personally love the look of wooden hangers so I recycled my white plastic hangers and replaced them with natural wood hangers from Target. And while I was transferring clothing from one hanger to another, I also used this time to edit. I ended up taking over two bags of clothing to our local Salvation Army. This entire exercise took just a few hours, but the results are really gratifying. 

Now that the hangers are in order, it's time for a complete overhaul. If Jay and I are going to continue sharing a closet, we need to bring in a more California Closets type of layout. Stay tuned for closet clean-out project part two!

Google Letterpress

Image from google.com

I don't typically pay too much attention to Google's homepage, I know that they change it often. But on Sunday, I couldn't help but notice Google's letterpress-style logo for Mother's Day! Very cute! Seems that there are more and more letterpress enthusiasts out there (myself included)!


Happy Mother's Day, Mom!


Photo from Desai Family Archives


Photo by J. Mears

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! Today we honor you!

Thank you for loving us unconditionally. No matter where we are, we always know that we have you close, encouraging us. You forever have just the right thing to say, because you know us so well. A hug, a kiss, a patient ear, sage advice, you have helped us grow to be our best.

"You are a piece of my heart", these are your words that echo in my ears. Mom, you are a piece of our hearts too. We love you so much, you are the core of our family. Wishing you a beautiful day and many more to come!

Love,
Dad, Manan & Kavita

Weekend Wishes

Photo by J. Mears

Happy Friday friends!

I was just thinking that this week has gone by extremely quickly, but even more so, this year is beginning to move at hyper-speed (slow down, please!).

The spring season will be ending soon. And this thought has triggered an intense desire for additional spring cleaning and apartment editing. I'm also hoping to start some more apartment improvement projects in the coming months, so stay tuned!

Have a beautiful weekend! And don't forget to send some love to mom on Sunday!

Mr. Pollo. Where do I begin?!




Photos by K. Mears

I confess, I judged a book by its cover and that's why it took me so long to finally try Mr. Pollo. That and I have selective hearing.

Jay and multiple friends have told me that we must try Mr. Pollo. That a meal from Mr. Pollo was among some people's top 10 favorite meals of all time. And that's saying a lot in this city. 

Image from foodhoe.com

Yet, I could not see past the beat-up yellow Mr. Pollo restaurant sign that looked like just another taqueria in the Mission (I'm sorry, I know). And somehow I missed the fact that everyone was talking about not a taqueria, but a Latin restaurant with a four course chef's tasting menu (for an unheard of price, $15).

So last weekend, when I realized my judgement mistake, we headed right to Mr. Pollo to correct the issue. And what a fool I have been! Mr. Pollo is fantastic, superb even!

We of course ordered the tasting menu. Each plate was so delicately prepared. And each course was better than the next. It was amazingly delicious! My only regret is not having gone there sooner! Lesson learned.


Cheese Flights, Yes Please!


Photos by K. Mears

I am thoroughly familiar with a wine flight, but a cheese flight was something I had yet to experience. Recently, a cute little spot called Mission Cheese opened its doors offering such a thing!

There are several flights to choose from, categorized mainly by the region. My cheese loving friend and I tried the Vermont flight, we were not bold enough to go for the Monger's Choice flight. I may have to return at a later time for that one!

I cannot recall the names of each cheese we tried, but we sampled a variety from both cow and sheep's milk. We really enjoyed each one for different reasons, pairing them with fruit and bread (and wine!). One sample in particular was like butter (possibly the Camembert Vermont or Constant Bliss). I feel that I need some more tasting to do, so this may not be the last that you hear from me on the subject of Mission Cheese!