Restructuring of Priorities. . .

(a.k.a. more work for the Boy.)
After having a bash at working in a tiny, cramped space I decided to do a little modification to my original room layouts. Since I moved all the way out here at semi-great expense and trouble to focus on my career as an artist, I thought my space should reflect that mindset.

So I rotated the rooms counter-clockwise. (That's where the grunt work came in for the Boy.) The studio is now our sleeping alcove, the living room is now my studio, and the bedroom is now the office/living room.

Ah, moving all that furniture around our cramped space was a joy, let me tell you. But we're done now, and I am very pleased with the results. Lots of room to work, no knocking over my sewing machine when I get out of my chair at the drawing table, plus I can open all the file drawers all the way. Pretty snazzy, eh? I also moved the cat tree next to my table, because what's the point of having a cat in a studio if it can't dash through your palette and track paint all over the house from time to time?



Hurrah, let joy be unconfined, etc.

Tea for Two

So, yesterday I went out to afternoon tea with a friend. We tried to go to the Sheridan Palace at first, but the website I found their hours on was off a bit. Saturday only (sigh). It has a beautiful lobby, though, don't you think?


So, troopers that we are, we regrouped and headed over to Samovar, which is lovely if you want Japanese style Russian tea. Or Russian style Japanese tea, I wasn't quite clear. The English Tea Service was a bizarre combination of Asian and British styling that didn't quite make it all the way to endearing. Not quite in the spirit of Her Maj, in my opinion. The quiche was good, though. So, to prevent future mishaps I sat down and made a Google map of all the tea shops I found in San Francisco so far, with (correct) hours. Good job, Jenna.

I would also like to clear up a misconception about low tea and high tea. All these places are serving low tea, not high tea. "High" does not refer to the fanciness of the occasion, but to the height of the table it is traditionally served on. Low tea, or afternoon tea, features little cakes and fiddly things on toast. It was developed in the 1800s as a way for the wealthy classes to pass the time with friends. The lady of the house poured, and the servants were sent away so that guests could talk without being overheard. It is traditionally served on low tables in a parlor, hence the name "low" tea.



High tea was the working classes' dinner, and was usually served around 5 in the evening. It consists of meat pies, treacle tarts and other knife-and-fork dishes and was served at the family dining table, hence "high" tea.

Are we quite clear? Good. Moving on.

Afterwards I went to Britex Fabrics. I can't believe I have waited this long to go, because it's four floors of awesome. The prices can't touch the fabric districts of New York or LA, but who can? It's less expensive than some places I've been to, and the selection of gorgeous fabrics is staggering. Ah. Drool. Can't wait to make some new clothes!

Why I Need More Closet Space

Ok, you wanted to know about all the amazing shops in San Francisco, so here you go. These are more area guides than shop guides, but I will point out a few of my favorites along the way.

The Haight:
Most of the best shops (a.k.a. the ones I like) are in the Upper Haight. Be warned: The window displays on Haight are all done by an outside agency and none of the displayed items are for sale. They are a ruse to get you to come into the store. Fortunately, most of the stores actually have nice things on offer, just don't be annoyed when you can't buy the fur-lined spats or the baroque jackets in the window.

The Lower Haight is mostly restaurants and studios. Except for Doe, a very cute shop with boutique label clothes and independent artists' work.

So, if you start up by Golden Gate park and work your way down, there are several excellent record shops (although I prefer to buy music directly from the artist if I can). Then there are several lovely consignment shops, including Wasteland, the best kind of vintage/consignment shop, where it smells decent and the clothes are skillfully curated. This is also in the midst of a number of other vintage shops in the Haight area, so if your shopping list includes an orange pillbox hat or a heavily beaded vintage gown you will not go away disappointed. Also stop in at Dollhouse Bettie, and check out their beautiful boutique lingerie. After you have had your fill, stop in at Indian Oven for dinner -- they have the most amazing curries!

Also nearby is Hayes Street, which has some lovely little boutiques and some really expensive shoe shops, like Bulo and Paolo. They are mostly between Octavia and Franklin. At Gough St. is the Absinthe Bar & Grill. Not to be missed. Seriously.

Want more? Go here. You should go there anyway, because Grace's blog is awesome.

Next time: mission The Mission. Have fun!

. . .And Now for Something Completely Different

I bet you are all wondering if I have found any fantastic treasures so far in this city that is packed so full of treasures you have to stamp them down to close the lid. Well, I have. Many. So many, in fact, that I have a whole post that I am still working on. For now, let me introduce you to the newest staples of my wardrobe: Luna Luz skirts (no, that is not me, and I would not wear this skirt with sandals):


They are so floaty and comfortable. The perfect balance of bohemian and victorian. It's all in the accessories, really. I have one in brown, and I just ordered a short charcoal and a long olive. I am also considering getting one in white and antiquing it with tea.




And my new Palladium boots:


Yes, I thought nothing could top my dKodes, (warning, their site has weirdly looping music) and truthfully, these don't quite do it. But they are really, really close. I am still waiting with baited credit card for dKode's fall/winter line to come out.


And the best part? They both go perfectly with the new Camp corsets I got on eBay (yay fan lacing!)

How the Other Half Lives

I thought I would post a few quick pictures that the Boy took from his office window. Ah, almost a view of the Bay. You can see a teeny bit between the buildings. San Francisco has such a pretty downtown!

The Rest of the Place

Here are some shots of the living room, looking towards the kitchen, and looking away from the kitchen.






















And from in the kitchen itself. Not too bad, eh?

And Everything In It's Place. . .

So I finally managed to squeeze all my things into my new apartment. I will not even tell you what I spent at Ikea on storage furniture to supplement my two tiny closets, because I am in denial. ANYWAY. Here are some photos:
There are three windows in the bedroom, which is nice. Except when the granite shop across the road starts cutting their new shipment with a wet saw at 7 in the morning. The three ceramic hands on my dresser are antique glove molds I picked up at the Alameda Flea Market, which is the coolest flea market I have ever been to.









And this is my way-too-cramped studio that I managed to be surprisingly productive in:













As you can see, it's tight, but not unbearably so, although I suspect that by the time my lease is up I will be more than ready to get into a larger space, possibly with more than 10 square feet of closet space. I'll be back with more pictures soon!