San Francisco Part 2: Old Stomping Grounds

We arrived in San Francisco as the sun was setting and the misty fog was rolling in, preparing to cover the Outer Sunset.  We stayed with our most lovely friends, Scott and Cissa in their magical house (pictures to come).  We rested, ordered take-out and played catch up.  The next day was all about enjoying our old stomping grounds, riding bicycles out to Java Beach Cafe and along Ocean Beach.  Our first apartment was just a couple blocks from that often chilly, overcast and soulful beach & two blocks from the magnificent Golden Gate Park.  Being close to our old neighborhood incited lots of glimmering nostalgia and warmth in my heart-for the 20 year old Benicia, so carefree with wide eyes taking in all the beauty that exists here and stumbling around trying to find her place in the world.

We lucked out with weather and were delighted to see the sun as we took off from Scott's house towards Java Beach Cafe.  Java Beach sits at the very end of Judah St., usually shrouded in fog and filled with warm bodies.  Toby and I walked here all the time on many an early morning.  We ordered coffees, pastries and bagels.  We then rode along the beach path toward Irving Street to visit one of our favorite places in the City: Mollusk Surf Shop. 

Mollusk is a treasure that lies hidden in the depths of the Outer Sunset.  Now, lots of people know about this whimsical, community driven surf shop.  A collective of like-minded artists, surfers, musicians and creatives run this DIY shop, with handmade screen-printed t-shirts and one-of-a-kind displays.  It is a breathtaking spot and I am always mesmerized with the beauty that one can find here.  They always have art and music shows here, filling the space with all sorts of stylish people who also seem to have a boundless appreciation and love for this quirky beach-bum vibe neighborhood that most people overlook when visiting the City.  I went absolutely nuts taking photos, so please forgive me!  But, I really wanted to capture the charm of this place and hopefully inspire some of you to explore this vibrant neighborhood next time you are in San Francisco!

Inspired By: General Store

My San Francisco trip left me deeply inspired, invigorated and refreshed on so many levels.  It blows my mind to see so much creativity and such passionate individuals making things happen.  I was especially taken with all the new parklet's or outdoor mini parks I saw all over the city!  And all the amazingly designed and highly functional bicycle parking made me smile as well.  Both things made me miss living in a larger city and I yearn so badly for people in Ventura to one day embrace some of these city elements, on a smaller scale of course.

This trip reaffirmed some dreams and desires that both Toby and myself have been kicking around lately.  It's much too soon to even really talk about them, but I am so happy about our future and its possibilities.  Lets just say that Santa Cruz especially stole our hearts.  Both Santa Cruz and San Francisco had some wonderful little places that I fell in love with and was so inspired by, I just have to share!

First up is a little place in my old neighborhood in the City called General Store.  Tobes and I lived by Ocean Beach the whole time we lived in San Francisco.  We loved the small beach town vibe, the stillness of the morning fog, the empty beach with an abundance of sand dollars and the quirky little shops, cafes and restaurants that were there.  Since we have moved, more amazing local, one-of-a-kind shops and restaurants have sprang up.  We would always stop into Java Beach to grab coffee, which is located on Judah Street, where the Muni train ends at the beach.  Judah has blossomed and now has a fun stretch of shops & eats right by the beach and in earshot of the fog horns that I love so much!

General Store is located right next door to Trouble Coffee (yummy local coffee) and beckons you to come in with their simple shop window logo.  I like how the shop reflects its surroundings, taking inspiration from the beach neighborhood.  Lots of the local artists hold true to this same aesthetic, often times using found wood and other materials from the neighborhood streets.  The shop is carefully and beautifully curated with all sorts of small scale craft goods, designers and unique vintage oddities.  The design of the shop itself will blow your mind!   On the morning we rode by, the shop was closed (major sad face) so I could only drool over all the loveliness from that light filled window.  The whole vibe reminded me of another San Francisco treasure in our old neighborhood, Mollusk Surf Shop (which we did go into & I will be featuring it this week).  If you find yourself near Ocean Beach while visiting the City, please stop into this little gem of a shop & relish in the charm that is the Ocean Beach community.

I was so smitten with the lovely changes in my old hood that I have a few more great spots to share with you in the upcoming weeks!  So, come meander with me in the Outer Sunset...next stop, Mollusk Surf Shop.

 Photos 2 & 3 Source

City Essentials

I am spending the rest of this week getting ready for our trip to to San Francisco and packing is on the top of the list.  The City is known for its foggy, overcast and chilly days when summer comes around. That usually means you gotta wear layers, especially if you intend on moving from one neighborhood to the next-it may be bundle up weather by the beach but warmer once your feet hit the Mission neighborhood pavement.

We are staying with friends who have a house in what locals call the Sunset district.  It's usually always overcast out there, but we plan to make our way downtown, to the Castro and Mission Districts and beyond.  So, I always bring pieces of clothing that can be mixed and matched-one layer at a time!  And I will be packing as light as possible since I have to make more room for baby gear.  I will be bringing classic basics in easy fabrics with an emphasis on comfort (for all that city walking) and a hint of summer style.  Anyone else heading off to the city?  Here are the essentials for your luggage bag!

      City Essentials 
             click above to see where to buy these goodies


Must bring... 

     A hat, a basic sweater t-shirt for comfort, a pair of t-strap espadrilles in honor of summer, but a bit more coverage than sandals, a spunky flowy top, a pair of bright sneakers so everyone can see you when you cross those busy streets, a coral hued cardigan for layering, a pair of trusty sunnies, a canvas backpack that doubles as a diaper bay & is perfect for lugging around while walking all day, a light army jacket, a worn in pair of jeans and a classic striped stretchy skirt.  

My Littlest Loves: Stormy Hearts

Sunday's are truly one of my favorite days of the week.  It's the Hub's day off, so we usually sleep in a bit, snuggle in bed and then eat a big breakfast (we had waffles & bacon this time!).  We usually have lots of chores to catch up on (there are just some things this big bellied lady can not do anymore, like wash the dog), but lately I have been making sure we fit in some quality family time doing something relaxing and mellow.  This little ritual has become especially important to us as we get closer to our due date (just a week away!!), as it's a time to be present with each other and enjoy some selfish "us" time before little babe makes his appearance.

So, yesterday we set out with burritos in hand at lunchtime, to the beach.  The colors of the sky and the ocean were pretty spectacular-everything looked washed out in muted tones & the sky was perfectly stormy.  The water had this beautiful green-jewel tone to it-just couldn't capture how awesome it looked!  We walked a lot (I'm trying to get this baby to move down), combing the sand for interesting rocks, shells and what-not.  Miya dog played her heart out, laying in the water to cool off, chasing birds and making little children cry as she kissed them (she's so sweet, but so big that she scares unsuspecting little people-oops).  The Hub and I enjoyed being together, simply and calmly taking in our surroundings, talking and people watching.  It was the perfect little adventure-uplifting my spirit and reminding me how lucky I am to get to spend time with my family in this beautiful place.