Everlane Open Studio

A couple weekends ago I got a chance to visit Everlane for one of their open studio events.  While sipping on a cocktail, I perused the racks of their new styles and colors.

Their studio/office space is a bright and airy loft in the heart of the Mission district that’s simply furnished with modern pieces.  It was filled with dreamy, natural light that really brought the space to life.

The men’s new knit blazer – available tomorrow!

Guests could also take a peek at the creative work space with inspiration boards, fabric swatches, and sample pieces. It was personally inspiring to have even the slightest glimpse at the work that goes on behind the company.

Are new women’s sandals in the works?!

If you’re in San Francisco and another open house is announced, definitely be sure to stop by! It’s a rare opportunity to get so up close to a clothing brand and it’s a neat experience.

Photos by Robin for Dressed In Orange

 

New Apartment

Well it’s been an exhausting search, but I can finally report that I have a new apartment! We caught a break when Eric spotted a great listing on Craigslist that matched our criteria within hours of its posting, and we were the first to tour it the next day. Although walking around San Francisco in the blustery rain to see apartments was pretty miserable– trying to keep rental applications and our W-2s dry all the while– it ended up paying off because within a week of touring/applying we signed the lease, got the keys, and moved all our furniture into the new place. I definitely don’t recommend trying to rent and move all in the same week, but getting to move over President’s Day weekend meant we could have an extra day to unpack and get settled, so the time crunch seemed to be worth it.

Thankfully we now only have 2 small boxes left to unpack, so the fun can begin of arranging art, buying rugs, and generally decorating this little 86 year old apartment of ours. Here are some “before” shots I was able to take on the walk though last Saturday– I think with a little restoration (I’m looking at you, paint covered hinges and glass doorknobs), planning, and patience this place will be perfect for us. And of course, I’ll try to keep you all updated as I “finish” decorating rooms along the way. :)

Sorry– clearly I couldn’t wait to unpack and didn’t get a good shot of the kitchen without this box in it!

Shop Spotlight: Pretty Penny

A few months ago I learned that my go-to hair salon was closing.  While I was mourning the loss, I noticed a sign in the covered windows that said “Coming Soon: Pretty Penny Clothing”. Intrigued, I looked them up. A vintage shop just down the street from my apartment? I almost forgot about the salon.

I contacted Sarah, owner of Pretty Penny (and owner of the former salon it turns out), about coming by to check out the space. She kindly invited me to her grand opening party on Valentine’s Day.  Seeing as my only plans were to watch House of Cards, I decided to pop in and snap some photos.
This is Pretty Penny’s 2nd location – they have another spot in the Rockridge District of Oakland.  All their items are well curated and organized and their prices are fair.  I had a great time looking through the sections and trying on some unique pieces.

And if you’re looking to sell, Pretty Penny buys clothing, jewelry, and accessories, offering 30% in cash and 40% in trade.

This dress came home with me.

If you’re in the Mission (or Oakland!), stop by Pretty Penny at 1201A Guerrero St. for a vintage fix. I walk past the store every morning and night on my way to and from work, so I’m bound to return soon.

More Petals & Penmanship

Petals & Penmanship title by Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls

After a bout of calligraphy in the first half of the Petals & Penmanship workshop, we moved on to a lesson in floral design.  This second half of the workshop was led by Kiana Underwood, owner of Tulipina, a San Francisco-based floral design studio.  I wasn’t familiar with Kiana’s work before , but I started following her on Instagram shortly after signing up for the workshop and I was immediately smitten with her aesthetic. Her designs are refreshingly nontraditional and they have a breezy and organic quality to them that is so appealing.

Jasmine, Geranium, Juliet Garden Rose, Poppy, Hellebore, Ranunculus, Kumquat, Anemone

Each person was provided a bucket of flowers (above), a vase, and a pair of garden shears.  Even the bucket of untrimmed, un-arranged flowers looked gorgeous, don’t you think?

Kiana demonstrated how to design a beautiful centerpiece in her signature style – asymmetrical and unfussy. One of her pointers was to use the existing curves and shapes in your materials to create a natural flow. With a quick trim and the right placement, a droopy looking hellebore can actually help shape the bouquet. 

She encouraged us to make use of flowers, branches, and vines that are accessible in our own gardens.  A beautiful bouquet doesn’t have to cost a lot – just keep your eyes and mind open.

One of Kiana’s favorites is the Juliet garden rose, which she grows in her personal garden.

Even the scraps looked beautiful

And here’s my final centerpiece!  I proudly displayed it on my dining room table.  It somehow made eating dinner at the table seem so much more special.

Thanks again to Maybelle, Kiana, and Angie for putting together a lovely workshop.  It was inspiring to be around your creative energy and I’m looking forward to the next one!

Photos by Robin for Dressed In Orange

Petals & Penmanship

Petals & Penmanship title by Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls

Since I took a calligraphy workshop a few months back at Makeshift Society, I’ve been practicing, practicing, practicing.  I’ve definitely seen some improvement, but I have been dying to take another class with Maybelle.  She’s a great teacher who is incredibly sweet and personable (plus, I secretly want to be her best friend).  When she posted about another calligraphy workshop combined with floral design (are you kidding?!) on her Instagram, I signed up immediately!

Maybelle shows us The Language of Flowers

The workshop was a joint effort from calligrapher Maybelle and floral stylist Kiana Underwood.  Their inspiration came from a unique find at the Alameda Antiques Faire –  a vintage copy of The Language of Flowers. Perfect, right?  They held the workshop in photographer Angie Cao‘s beautiful studio in the Sunset neighborhood.  Despite the rain and dark clouds outside, the studio was full of beautiful light and life.  As soon as I walked in, I was enamored with the styling of the abundance of flowers and calligraphy supplies.

Maybelle’s journal of all her workshops and attendees. 

In the last workshop we practiced the alphabet, but in this class we jumped into flower names – some of which were flowers we would be using during the floral design portion.  Seeing and writing such pretty floral names in calligraphy was inspiring and relaxing.

This was the first workshop of its kind, but Maybelle and Kiana are planning to host another session in the fall. Sign me up!

Check back tomorrow for a recap of the floral styling portion of the workshop!

Photos by Robin for Dressed In Orange

Moving in San Francisco

Recently it’s become clear to me that the time has come to look for a new apartment here in San Francisco. While I have always known we would eventually want to move– Eric and I never loved the dusty brown wall to wall carpet, or the faux wood and laminate finishes in our dark kitchen– we have really come to like living in SOMA, and know that finding a new apartment that we adore will be an intense process.

In our place we have done a lot of work to improve the 1980’s builder-grade apartment that we moved into (sight unseen!). We made the most of our asymmetrical windows by balancing them with bookcases, painted the walls of our large white box a soothing grey, defied a giant cement wall with a handful of Command adhesive hooks, and installed dimmers in the harsh track lighting. Over the course of two years we turned a ramshackle grouping of furniture from college and some flea market art into our first adult home, and it will always have a special place in my memory (excluding the popcorn ceilings and our neighbors weeknight 1am Rockband sessions.)

While living here initially started off on a dare (“can we really live in the city for a year? and actually enjoy it?”), two years later I can honestly say that living in San Francisco has become second nature to us, and we are looking forward to moving to a different neighborhood in the city to be closer to friends, restaurants, parks, and general life. While we originally picked to live in SOMA for its quietness, and proximity to the ballpark and downtown, we are hoping that a move further inland will provide a happy medium of energy for us: less crazy Giants traffic and gridlock around the Moscone Center, and more people and things to see on weekends instead of our current ghost town on non-game days.

I’m excited to see how this all turns out in the next month– after submitting our notice to move tonight, we will have until March 5 to make it all happen! I’m praying hardwood floors, lots of molding, and even more windows are in our future. Padmapper and Craigslist have already become my best friends, and now it’s just a game of searching, open houses, rental applications, and waiting. Hopefully on the other side of this I’ll have an awesome space to share with you all, but until then please send good wishes and any tips you have my way! (I’ll definitely be needing them in SF’s infamous rental market…)

Onwards and upwards!

Grace

Photo by Colin Price for this Design*Sponge Sneak Peek in San Francisco.

Winter Flea Market

Over the weekend, Grace and I took a quick drive to Treasure Island for its monthly flea market.  Lattes in hand, we were ready to tackle the early morning crowds and hunt for the best deals. Truth be told, we were a little disappointed in the selection and number of vendors. We’ve been to this flea market before and had great luck, but learned winter months’ markets can be slower and leaner.  Still, we had fun browsing and each went home with something – Grace scored a ginger jar and I got a couple great LPs for a steal.

Calligraphy with Maybelle

Over the weekend, Grace and I attended a calligraphy workshop at Makeshift Society.  Our instructor was the charming Maybelle Imasa, an Oakland-based professional calligrapher who travels the world teaching the art of calligraphy (what a dream!).  The workshop covered modern calligraphy basics, perfect for beginners.  I highly recommend taking a class with Maybelle if you’re at all interested in calligraphy.  She hosts workshops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Brooklyn, and Sydney, with a few more international locations to be added next year.  If you’re in the Bay Area, she will be teaching another class next month with all proceeds going to typhoon relief in the Philippines.

Maybelle’s class notes.  Start with compound curves, ovals, and flourishes. Then move on to letters and numbers.

Maybelle’s husband created these wooden ink well holder/pen rests specially for her workshops and she personalized each with our names. Such a lovely element of her class that you can take home with you.

Thank you, Maybelle!

Golden Gate Glow

After a few days spent in DC for work and play, I’m glad to be back in San Francisco.   Fall on the east coast is absolutely beautiful, but admittedly I was missing west coast sunsets.  I snapped these on my way back from Marin just as the sun was coming down.  The skies were such a pretty pastel, the clouds looked like cotton candy, and the bridge was bright and glowing.  Have a lovely weekend!

 

Happy Independence Day!

 

Happy Independence Day!  Grace and I will be spending tonight with friends picnicking by the water and watching the fireworks over the bay.  Then tomorrow we’re off to Half Moon Bay!  What are you doing this holiday weekend?

Happy long weekend, friends!