... week one under my belt

It’s been a week in San Francisco. The cats have somewhat made the adjustment. Hubby made it across country and even managed to swing through Colorado Springs to see our son. As for me, I’ve managed to get around San Francisco quite easily via bus. Now I’m ready to stretch a bit further to areas I don’t know how else to get to.

Getting back and forth to the area where I set up mail service and meet our realtor takes a bit longer by public transportation but couldn’t be easier or safer. I find asking a middle schooler directions works best but that only works after school lets out.

I’ve now seen all the houses available in our price range in the area we’re interested in. Not much on the market just before Christmas so now we just wait it out for more sale signs. It’s good to be non-contingent with full financing ready and waiting. Perhaps we can give some lucky homeowner a great Christmas or Hannukkah. 

With a bit of free time, I spent the day looking for the downtown Flower Market and shopping for the sofa we will eventually be needing for the new house. We lightened our moving load by getting rid of our sofas and beds before the move. I found both and can only say, “Wow!”

Which one is Rudolph?

orchids galore

Christmas apparently is a year-round event at this place

Name your color

Ribbon, ribbon, ribbon, ribbon

... let's call it Day 1

We packed the car to the hilt. Okay the husband packed the car to the hilt. I packed most of the rest of the house. Okay my best buds showed up and packed the entire kitchen. And in under two hours flat. But I did pack most of the house myself. It took most of each and every day between signing the contract and when the movers showed up (two hours later than expected) to move it out on the day of settlement. Whew that was a day.

But it’s behind us now and onward west ho. Hubby dropped me, the two cats and their happy pills off at Dulles International Airport bright and early the day after settlement. And less than six hours later, the three of us become officially unofficial California residents.

Sadly I didn’t think to get a photo because a picture in this instance would be worth a thousand words. Me, a piece of rolling luggage, my purse, an oversized pet kennel, two small under seat pet travel cases and a very valuable collapsable trolley to load most of it on. 

Now close your eyes and picture me getting on the BART (San Francisco subway system) with everything to get downtown where I reload into a cab for the last part of the journey to our new lodgings now known as Home Sweet Home until the real deal comes along. Yep it was all that and more.

I am dependent on public transportation completely until the husband can complete the cross country drive with the car and all the must haves that couldn’t go into storage. 

Surprisingly the bus is a snap to get around on. It takes a bit longer but it gives me time to enjoy the sights and get my bearings. Plus the temporary home is walking distance to about everything you need to get along in the life. I just need to remember not the get more than I can carry at any given time.

The great adventure has begun and we couldn’t be more delighted.

... it's about time

It took nearly 18 months, but it happened -- finally. The house sold and we’re moving to San Francisco. Now the real works begins and the clock is ticking. We’ve got less than a month to secure movers, pack, find temporary lodging on the other end (until the perfect home comes along), transfer our mailing address and all that comes with that, and, of course, say au revoir to family and friends that we hope to see again real soon.

Did I mention that this happens before Christmas. I said it was going to be an adventure and as it turns out, that’s an understatement.

Let’s start with the sale of the old homestead. Despite an economy that has been a bit less than healthy, people and their lives do go on. Situations change and we all adjust. Enough said.

Picking a moving company, as it turns out, is a bit easier than expected. With the consolidation of most of the biggies, a struggling economy and the movement of DIY movers with PODS, prices are relatively uniform. Since we had secured an entire garage worth of boxes and packing material from a friend of a friend, our price was significantly less. Let the packing begin and pass the Aleve.

On to the next challenge, finding temporary lodgings that come furnished and allow for cats. Not such an easy task as it turns out. First there are the renter laws in San Francisco that don’t allow for temporary lodgers to exceed 28 days. Okay we can manage that. Then there’s the cat issue ... 

All is well that ends well. Hooray there’s a place in the Marina District near the Palace of Fine Arts and uber trendy Chestnut Street shops. Okay it’s small. Really small. Really, really small -- tight quarters. And the noise level of Lombard Street is less than ideal, but it works -- for now.

Courtyard view from the bath and bedroom windows

Spaces appear tighter in real life

View of Lombard Street

Securing a temporary mailing address isn’t a ready, set, go either. Did you know you have to have a local address to rent a USPS post office box in another state? Nuts, right? Thanks UPS Store. We’re going to be BFFs.

Also on the list is tending to the cat issue. That’s the issue of getting the cats across the country. We determined that flying would most likely be the easiest on all of us. Better living through pharmaceuticals. A quick nap and presto we’re there -- sort of. A bottle a wine for me on the other end not so bad either.

More to come once the big move has happened.

new theme song? ...

source

I came across this recently and think it might just be my new theme song:

http://www.vimeo.com/couchmode/costrama/videos/sort:date/29874457

There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home ...

It’s been said that home is where the heart is. Well I say that your heart lies in what you like to collect.

Some groupings can represent several collections; brown transferware and antique pitchers

While your collections may bring you a sense of well-being, they say oddles more about you. And it really doesn’t matter what the size or cost is. The real value is in the joy it brings. 

Personally I’ve chosen my collections for the sense of history and warmth they bring to my home. Mostly they are also things that have a utilitarian function. I suppose that says quite a bit about me.

Pieces from a collection of vintage matte white pottery

Pieces from a collection of Fostoria American depression era pressed glass

Who wouldn't love an alabaster lamp?

Much has been said in recent times that homes sell better if the current homeowner pares things down and de-humanizes the home. Hmm. Maybe to a point. I’d like to hear what you think. For now I have packed up a great deal of our collections; ready for transport to a new home and to be re-discovered in the near future.

A kitchen collection of vintage trays

A mantel display of cross-section from other collections

courtesy photo

What do your collections say about you? Are they something that visitors consider eye candy? Or is your collection so large that it permeates the entire house and perhaps overwhelms? What is a collection anyway? 

The official definition is that a collection is a grouping of at least three of something. I see that as being a shape, color, texture, category, use, season; well the list goes on forever. Point is that YOU determine what your collection is, how to display it and when.

so many colors, so little time ...

One of the by-products of growing older is that styles and trends come ‘round again. Such is the case with the current craze to revisit the 1970s - through either fashion or interior design. 

As I hear it, apparently it was all about color. And sometimes about no color at all.

courtesy photo

Gee I remember it being all about harvest gold, avocado green and lots and lots of earthtones. I certainly don’t recall pinks, purples and lime green. Okay orange was around (remember earth tones) only it’s now called mango. I can get onboard with that - I like mango.

courtesy photo

I sort of recall color blocking as well. But did it really ever go away? 

And aren’t the groovy combinations of pinks and reds together more of the 1960s era? Pair it with camel and viola - now it’s as modern as modern can be.

Personally I love the geometric patterns and just about anything Missoni. Thanks Target for bringing it all back to mainstream America. The mango too.

While the completely all-white look is still relegated to the inside of the high end decorator magazines, today’s take for the masses is more Restoration Hardware, the opposite end of the spectrum.

courtesy photo

This year’s hot Pantone color interior design and fashion has been a saturated, yet soft, coral known as honeysuckle (18-2120). Before that it was turquoise. And before that mimosa (hot yellow). Betcha didn’t know that. The hot color for next year may be anyone’s guess but tangerine seems to be a standout for now.

courtesy photo

As for me, I'm all about the green.

courtesy photo

courtesy photo

Who wouldn't want a green front door?

Note the sassy vintage Murano glass lamp

Okay,  maybe a bit carried away.

Meanwhile back at the ranch ...

Well the house-selling process is taking only slightly longer than expected. While we’re waiting, I’m taking advantage of the gift of time by editing the household inventory. It’s amazing how much ‘stuff’ we acquire, store and cart around. Time to lighten the load!

With the advent of the Kindle it seems that books are no longer of much use for one thing. Therefore, I’ve been editing the shelves of books no longer of much use. During the process I’ve unearthed a few precious finds and found good homes for others.

Also on the hit parade is the editing of clothing and accessories. You may or may not realize how much time it saves you daily in looking for something to wear when only useful stuff is left. Goodwill has been the main beneficiary of my purge. A few select items have found their way to a local consignment shop, Honeysuckle Consignment. Might as well make a few dollars for my time. Mostly though I’ve managed to turn my account right around without leaving the shop. Apparently lots of other people are doing likewise. But seriously I’ve returned home with real treasures. Really!

My past couple of yard sales have also been very successful and I’ve managed to lighten the moving load quite a bit -- finding new homes for couches, daybeds, tables and the like. The echo the house has taken on sounds good and the refreshed feeling it gives is oddly liberating. Perhaps the most notable fact is how the purge has given me the freedom to update my style. 

Painted furniture is my newest obsession. Not for everything but for quality pieces that have lovely lines but are dated. I’ve been sending them off to Paint My Furniture who has been refinishing them to brand new condition - with color and pizazz. The results have been stunning as each piece is coated with a final silky lacquer finish. For instance I’ve traded in the traditional farmhouse dining table in for something a bit more quirky. And yes it is very traditional, but as a painted piece it also takes on a rather fresh image.

I’m planning on new everyday dining chairs as well. This time I’m thinking of unique upholstered pieces and am on the hunt. I’ve been checking out Cornerstone Antiques in Timonium, Md., regularly. Can new fabric selections be far behind?

As you may notice, my palette is becoming increasingly more neutral and modern. 

As a seamstress of sorts, I’m always squirreling away fabrics many of which, like the chairs above, have come from Interior Alternative in Delaware. I SHOULD be set once we finally land in a new home. Famous last words I know.

So you want to see San Francisco ...

There are a lot of things in San Francisco that tourists don't typically have an opportunity to see when they come to visit. 

Most people go to the typical tourist destinations like Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf. But how many go to Chestnut Avenue or 24th Street to shop and eat? Or Golden Gate Park for a run. If they did, perhaps they would see more of how San Franciscans live and maybe even understand more of why they’ve chosen to live inside city limits.

One of the best ways I’ve found to discover the ‘whole’ of the city is through the 49-Mile Scenic Drive. Although I might note here that it does miss some  areas, in particularly one big area that we’ve chosen to live in. But what the self-guided tour does is to provide a fantastic overview of the city and all its interesting parts.

The 49-Mile Scenic Drive first began back in the fall of 1938 as the brainchild of the Downtown Association. The route was designed to highlight the best of the best San Francisco has to offer. The timing coincided with the opening of the Golden Gate International Expo, beginning at City Hall and ending at Treasure Island, site of the upcoming 1939 world’s fair. 

Over the past 70 plus years, the blue and white seagull signs that mark the trail have been relocated only slightly to accommodate the changing neighborhoods and development. A true testament to the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” attitude and its staying power.

What’s great about the Scenic Drive is that it is a complete loop that can be driven by car in about a half day’s time (without stopping of course). Or it can be broken down into pieces, allowing for exploration time at select destinations depending on the amount of time you have.

Margaritas anyone?

Happy Cinco de Mayo! 

Can anyone out there tell me why Americans celebrate Mexico's independence? Just wondering. But then any excuse for a good margarita is good enough for me.

But back to Northern California. Haven't seen much evidence that Mexican culture is more part of day to day life in San Francisco than anywhere else we've ever lived for any time. But we, I should really say the other half, has discovered that's where perhaps the tastiest Mexican food ever is to be found. And I mean ever! It's absolutely a piece of artwork too. Guess the chefs like to play with their food.

Oddly enough you can find this restaurant located within a golf range clubhouse nearby to San Francisco International Airport. Apparently air crews have known about this place for years as its within walking range of most crew hotels. Many of the domestic airlines have a presence there through various decorations adorning the place, including a 3D caricature of a pilot and pilot wings - courtesy Southwest Airlines. Come on Virgin America. Step it up!

These two dishes were as good as they look. I hope to eat our way through the menu in the years to come.

were you wondering too?

So really, what is the color of the Golden Gate Bridge? It's that thing poking out of the fog. You were wondering. I know you were.

Well thanks in part to NPR we all now know it's called International Orange. That translates to PMS #173 or 0% cyan, 100% yellow, 69% magenta and 6% black at the paint store - just in case you want to paint an accent wall at home.

For a little background info check out:
http://www.npr.org/2011/04/26/135150942/the-golden-gate-bridges-accidental-color?ft=1&f=1001
http://goldengatebridge.org/research/factsGGBIntOrngPaint.php.

It's all about the details

If you could look inside my brain, you might see images of architectural details from my recent real estate excursions to San Francisco. It's been such a smorgasbord of details, I can hardly keep straight which details go to which house. If only I could build a montage from all the best I've seen...

You might say that the devil is in the details. What do you think? A sign?

A room with a view would be at the top of the list, of course. But I'm not all about living on top of the world. I'd be afraid to drop something for fear it would roll downhill for a couple of hills. And that thing might be me. Good thing the Pacific Heights district is a bit too pricey anyways. Where we've chosen is a bit more of a compromise.

Bet you didn't think there were houses like this in the City of San Francisco. Obviously there are.

It seems as though the bulk of the city dates back to the early 1920s which makes sense when you think that the city burnt to the ground following the The Great Earthquake of 1908. I guess it took a decade to rebuild. I wonder about New Orleans.

While most East Coasters associate San Francisco with Victorian painted ladies, you also find a lot of mid-century modern, houses like above and quite a bit of Spanish Colonial Revival with details like arches, wrought ironwork, ornate oak woodwork and plaster.

Pretty much everything I've looked at to date has had a yard of some type. Yes, a yard. Some angle upwards, others down the slope and some are flat. 

And with a moderate climate, flowers are abundant despite these particular photos. 

You might also notice a lack of fog in these snapshots. I've managed to see far more sun than fog during my trips. Judging from the amount of bougainvillea and roses, I think that generally this is the case.

Okay, not all the yards are big and bright. But this house had views to die for. You can't just have everything I guess.