The Cask

One of the things I was REALLY looking forward to when I moved out here was having the chance to work (in person) with my good friend, Maureen. We've worked together at PRO @ EA for almost three years, but I was in Baton Rouge and she was here in California. Obviously we'd chat all day (J/K Matt and Rose) via IM, but it's just not as good a being in person. Well, when I told her I was moving she dropped the bomb that informed me that she I was actually replacing her here. She was leaving! #ugh #wtf #thischangeseverything

Well, since she lives so close we were able to get together in San Carlos at The Cask to enjoy fancy wines, cheeses, and spreads. I love downtown San Carlos - it's charming and quaint with surprisingly good shopping and eateries. We had so much fun catching up, gossiping, and (obviously) drinking. Luckily, since I have 11.5 days off for Christmas, we'll be able to do it again soon!

Skivvies Run 2012

Oh my.

I remember thinking when I first moved here that I was never going to like SF, how I wasn't going to be happy unless I was in NYC, and how there are no cute guys anywhere. Well, that has all changed, my friends. It only took me running around the city half-naked for the deal to be sealed: I love SF.

Supporting the SF AIDS Foundation, "the route of the Santa Skivvies Run begins and ends at Lookout (16th and Market) in San Francisco. The route is a spontaneous romp through the Castro district of San Francisco consisting of unplanned twists, turns, stops and hijinks".

#TheBest,thx

#IloveSF

#whatismylife
#MistleHOs

Street Car

What is SanFran most know for? The Golden Gate Bridge. And then...? The Painted Ladies! Ugh - okay the THIRD thing that come to mind when they think of SanFran is the streetcar.

To be honest, I've never actually ridden one; I've never had a need. I take the less glamorous Muni, BART, or Caltrain. However, when I visit my friend, Adam, in Castro I like to get a coffee in the morning and watch the streetcars turn around at Castro and Market. I usually don't stay too, too long because a lot of nudists and homeless people (or worse - a combination) like to park it there ("it" meaning their bare asses and shopping carts)

It's pretty cool because SF uses incorporates "Wheels of the World" so you get a glimpse of all different variations of the streetcar. Check it out.

...and don't even with the pants. I was about to go running.

Hunter Boots

Hunter boots are a must if you A) work on a farm/orchard on the upper east coast (most probably Massachusetts) B) attend a lot of dirty music festivals and are Kate Moss or C) live in NYC. Clearly I fit the bill for exactly none of those - I just like them.

Hunter boots are the perfect shoe option for those who walk/bike to work on rainy/snowy days. There's nothing more frustrating than going an entire work day having to endure wet shoes, socks, and pant legs from walking to work in the rain. (And yes, I understand umbrellas help, but not so much around the feet). They're easy to put on (no laces involved), can endure all weather conditions, and clean up is 100% effortless. 

Today was the first day that I rode my bike to work in the rain, and it wasn't bad at all. My Northface resisted the water up top and my Hunter boots kept my jeans dry. Perfecto!

Jacket: The Northface

Sweater: Levi's

Shirt: J.Crew Factory

Jeans: J.Crew

Boots: Hunter

(Merry)^10 Christmas!

Isn't this insane?

I ran past this house a few weekends ago, and I couldn't help but take a picture. You can't tell, but there are people right outside of the frame in what I can only describe as a power supply company truck's crane...thing putting up MORE stuff at the top. Like - these fools weren't messing around.

I'm used to seeing this amount of Christmas spirit strewn across massive houses and their yards (or small cities) but never this much this dense. It was nice though and it definitely put me in the Christmas spirit, but kind of made me a little sad that I didnt't have my own space to decorate but also a little relieved that I wouldn't have to take anything down either!

#that'sokay,right?
#charlieboewnchristmas
#leaveittothegays

Roommate Dinner

My roommates, Joan and Ernie, have been cooking for me a lot as of late...as in every night. Joan is an amazing cook who whips up some delish eats on the regular(after proof reading this, that sounds completely idiotic, but I'm leaving it because I want you to see how I write before I think things through), but I thought she would enjoy a  break and let me cook for them. After giving it about a minutes thought, I decided to make them pizza. I needed something that was quick (and really more "assembling" rather than "cooking") since I don't get home until late from work after you factor in Caltrain and bike riding. (Plus Ernie and Joan seem to not be on an eating schedule that I would typically be on. I would normally eat around 9 or 10 when they (as most people I'm assuming) eat around 7.)

Crust: Boboli Wheat
Base: Olive oil, garlic, goat cheese
Top: sweet Italian sausage, red onions, rosemary, calamata olives, and mozzarella cheese

Cheersies

In the words of the great (I mean she's okay) Rihanna: Cheers to the freakin' weekend. I'll drink to that. Yeahhh.

Friday is finally here! As it turns out, it'll end up being one of my busiest work days in the week thanks to certain California labor laws (I won't bore you...or myself with the details). Regardless, just a few more hours to go and I'm out of here! Last weekend I didn't do too much because of the rain, but this weekend, I'm expecting to head up to SanFran, get my Wiggle on with Adam, then go out, have a few several drinks, and then see where the night goes.

...A lot like Christmas

Every time I said I was excited about it, someone would comment on how much I was going to hate winter in NYC. They would say things like: "You think you're going to look cute, don't you? You won't. You'll look like ass just like everyone else." OR "Have you ever BEEN in NYC in the winter for longer than a week?" OR "You're going to be freezing with a million layers then how as hell in the subway and you're going to always have snot dripping from your frozen nose...". Fa la la la la. La la la la. I would always counter by saying I'd rather freeze my butt off than spend another hot/humid "winter" in Louisiana.

Well, good thing I basically did no shopping in NYC for winter gear before I moved. I'll be enjoying a winter wonderland on the other side of the country where I can look forward to cool crisp days and nice chilly nights, but nothing too extreme. No wait. That's summer. No...it's winter. Or wait...it's all year. Regardless, it's hard to not get in the holiday Christmas spirit regardless of the temperature (re: Louisiana) as long as lights are up, Christmas music is playing, and Starbucks is using their holiday cups.

The other night, I rode through downtown Mountain View in search of a new book after just finishing Tina Fey's Bossypants*. I rode my bike down, but when I got to the main street, I locked it up, got a coffee, and strolled around enjoying the season's decorations. I think it'll be a bit of a sad Christmas for me since I'm not going home this year, but I think it'll be one I'll never forget. I've enjoyed being alone, having time for reflection, and not feeling so anxious if I'm not constantly on-the-go. It's weird...but I like it.

*That's one of my I-moved-to-Cali-and-I-want-to-change-things-about-myself hobbies. I've always enjoyed reading, but found it difficult to find the time. Biking is another. Hanging out with Joan and Ernie would be a third.

I'm Sorry - Who the What?

This face says it all.

Over Thanksgiving, I was going to write a little post about how my dad went out and bought the-world's-best donuts from a local donut shoppery in my hometown of Covington, LA. I was excited because I had this excellent photo of all the fresh, warm, glazed donuts sitting there waiting to be devoured by me my family. Why that was exciting I'm not exactly sure. After writing (what I thought to be) a funny little post about how I'm a fat ass and I need to run blah blah, I went to upload the picture, but Blogger wouldn't let me. It displayed a message - something about how my Piscada album was full. Well, without giving it a second thought, I logged in and deleted the whole album.

I went about my business not thinking anything of it until I went to look up a recipe I had previously posted about. When I logged in, I found it a little odd that things like..say...the banner, buttons, and every single effing picture I had ever uploaded was a black box with a white "Mind the Gap" looking symbol (I don't know how else to describe it). Being the idiot...(no "idiot" is appropriate) that I am, I figured it had something to do with the fact that I was looking on my iPhone. When I got home and inspected the damage, there is no exaggeration that the picture above is a PERFECT representation of how I looked and felt at that moment. Similar to the feeling of getting punched in the ovaries right after taking a Jager-bomb while riding a roller coaster doing flips in a G6...and then crapping your pants. Or so I can imagine.

Not only was I furious at myself, but I was devastated to see the pictures from hundreds of posts simply vanish. Yes, I have the pictures stored on my computer, but having them on TMN (matched with the writing portion) basically told my life story. Vacations, DIY projects, Duke and Cooper, endless events, friends and family, recipes...and of course the filler posts. This obviously is a huge disappointment for me, but I'm trying to stay positive (or my medication is working) and I'm letting it roll off my sleeve. I can add the pictures back individually, so one long afternoon it'll be me, my computer, a decent WiFi connection, a vyvanse, 4 cups of coffee, and no human interaction for at least 8 hours. How exciting.

"The New Manhattan" Bridge

In SanFran it's The Wiggle (I know, right? - those hippie Californians) and in NYC it's the Brooklyn Bridge. It's that place where (if you're a runner) you have to check out at least once just to say you did it. I put off running the Brooklyn Bridge because I assumed that I was going to have more time in the city and running along the Hudson River was much more convenient. Plus - there are just too many damn tourists on the Brooklyn Bridge (cue eye roll). As soon as I decided I was going to move to SF, I got my sassy please-take-them-off running pants/tights and hit the pavement towards "The New Manhattan".

I didn't get as much out of it in terms of exercise because I kept stopping to take pictures. Regardless, it was a beautiful day to enjoy this NY landmark.

I live in LA

Until I can find something permanent in the city (SF), I'm staying with some family friends down in the Los Altos/Mountain View area (where Google is). My 70ish year old roommates (as I refer to them), Joan and Ernie are quite possible the nicest people I've ever met and I kind of love them. Since the weather's been so bad and because my main mode of transportation is a bike, I was a little limited in terms of things-to-do so I decided this would be a perfect time for a little roommate bonding time! It's also why sometimes I get dropped off and picked up from the Caltrain station #amIin10thgrade?

We did all sorts of fun things this weekend: we went to the library, we walked downtown Los Altos, and we went to a coffee shop. Please don't think for one second that I didn't love it. No offense, but who doesn't want roommates that cook delicious home-cooked meals every night? Like...EVERY night.

I really did enjoy my time at Peet's in downtown LA (Los Altos). I got to sit, RELAX, and enjoy a lazy rainy afternoon over two lattes and Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns). Seriously - best book ever. I've never laughed so hard (or cried from laughing so hard) from a book.

On top of all of this, I got a chance to catch up with some of my best friends. Facetiming with Ryan, gossiping with Michael (something that was LONG overdue - omg the stories) and conference calling with Johnny and Patrick (even though it made me forget my helmet on the train so now I ride illegally) really made me miss home. Life is great here, and I'm really enjoying my time with my roommates, but you know how it goes. It's hard to not look back sometimes.

Mended Furniture - Serpentine Dresser (Re-Post)

 

 

 

I've have a ton of traffic from Pinterest on this post so I thought I'd go ahead and re-post it. Enjoy!

I say this every time I finish a piece of furniture for someone, but I think this is my favorite one yet! As a reminder, through the Mended Nest, I sell furniture that I find and repaint OR I repaint other's furniture. In this case, this is a client's dresser who trusted me enough to let me go crazy and do whatever I wanted. Obviously, it's not too off-the-wall, but still young, fun, and classic.

It took a lot a work, but it was totally worth the effort. I started by painting the whole dresser in Annie Sloan's Paris Grey and the drawers (and the sides of the dresser) in Provence. I also added a border of Provence on the top of the dresser. After applying a few coats, I went over the whole thing with a mixture of French Linen and water, wiping the excess with an old shirt as I went. This allowed the original color to bleed through with a washed/cloudy effect. After it dried, I distressed it a little and applied both clear and dark waxes to seal the paint. Again, I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome; I hope my client feels the same way!

If you're interested in getting a quote for your furniture, email us at TheMendedNest@gmail.com!

London Boys

As I'm sitting in this Peet's Coffee (eww, chain. I know, right) sipping on my latte and finishing up some work that I didn't get to yesterday, I (obviously) took a Facebook break. Some pictures were added from my London trip, and as I was looking at them I realized that I didn't really talk about the awesome guys that I went with...

It was an great group: Ryan, Brian, Andre, Jeff, and Clark. All NY residents. All impressive career guys with jobs including words like "hedge fund", "consultant", and "MD" with some of the most prestigious firms in NYC...and then there was me. #ohwell #amitrashy?