My Flavor Faves | A Few Things Currently on My Favorite List

You just never know how good it feels to spend two straight days with your hubby until he works for one year, six days a week, and then finally gets two days off in a row. I admire Alessandro in so many ways. He's so level headed, composed and knows how to keep his nose to the grind stone and never once complain. 

That said, it's great to be back in the office today and to celebrate the good spirit I'm in, so I thought I would share a few of my favorite things:

$96 Caudalie eye cream - and worth every penny.

Tim McGraw - my music star crush.

VC Signature Sandals - they magically revived my everything-is-from-five-seasons-ago closet.

The Patemm Pad - I'm about to order two for my new mommy friends over seas. If you read this Sabine and Elisa, act surprised!
Feathers - from earrings to my new packaging, I can't get enough! Kinda makes me wish I had kept my roller skates, though!

L'Occitane Lip Balm - keeps me kissable.

Cocoa Butter - it's the least expensive moisturizer on the shelf and reminds me of my childhood and cool summer nights after being at the beach.

Eyebrow Threading -  last week I went in to have my eyebrows strung and ended up purchasing a week long ayurvedic cleansing treatment called panchakarma as well - should be an adventure!

Beard Papa Cream Puffs - now these are not necessarily my favorite thing to nosh on, but they make Alessandro happy and that's why they landed on the list. This week, I surprised him with a box full - a simple way of showing my appreciation. : )

Remembering….

Today, on this Memorial Day, I'm remembering the men, women and their families who sacrifice for our freedom, especially my father, uncles and grandfathers. God bless our service men and women. 

It is not enough to say we must not wage war. It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it. 
Martin Luther King Jr.

Seesaw San Francisco Studio + Events

There are some women that you meet who are just dynamic. Smart, warm, sassy, intelligent. However, Sabrina, owner of Seesaw SF in Hayes Valley, is dynamic in 3D omni theatre style. That's because she is a Child Psychologist and runs this really cool, hip, fun place for children and families to learn and focus on their well being. Her studio holds classes for all age ranges of children from things like language classes, arts and crafts, writing classes, teen support, grief management. Plus, the space is also a popular place for events like birthday parties and workshops. The list of activities is so long and diverse, I encourage you to check out the Seesaw SF website where you can download a pdf file of the current calendar. Or better yet, pop in and meet Sabrina in person! The baristas will whip up a delicious espresso drink for you while you snack on yummy treats imported from Korea and Holland.

We took these photos because recently Sabrina has been receiving all sorts of inquiries from publications like Vogue Bambini and Martha Stewart magazine that she figured it was time to freshen up her PR kit and take some new photos.

As you can see here, her beauty matches her brains! Thanks for a lovely afternoon, Sabrina! I had so much fun with you!

Sofia | Palo Alto Portrait Session | Part 2

A few more of Sofia's session. A model in the making, don't you think?!

Sofia | Palo Alto Portrait Session

Some children touch my soul and fill my heart in such a way that it feels like heaven is hovering closely above us creating a soft wind of inspiration, trust and friendship. Sofia was not only lovely to photograph, but ever since her session she keeps telling her mom that when she's famous someday, she's going to let everyone know that I'm her favorite photographer. Really? I'll take that compliment! She has dreams as big as her hazel eyes, and I hope every one of them comes true.

Hair and Makeup: Monina Wright/Moderne Beauty

Form Meets Function | My Home Office Packaging Station

I'm not sure who was the bigger neat freak while I was growing up, my grandmothers, my father or my mother. Being organized was ingrained in us from an early age. As my father used to say, "everything has a home." He was big on putting things back right where you found them. And my grandma Burnett had a closet just for my sister and I where she stored all the toys, board games and craft projects we could possibly want. We knew that once we were done playing, everything had to go back in the closet. That simple.

So, while setting up my home office and simultaneously finessing my brand, the form and function of my style played into one another hand in hand. I'll explain how. 

I used to package client orders with hand made papers as seen here and here. Papers that would be measured and cut down at my desk. Guess what. That was time consuming, storing the papers was a pain, and because I'm also whimsical I would end up buying different papers whenever I fancied. As cute as the packages were they did not reinforce my style or my "look" and they were inconsistent, not to mention pricey. 

Turns out, if I look at a few key elements such as how I dress and the colors I've chosen for my website and logo, they're all neutral colors, a mix of soft, subdued, earthy warm and cool tones. When I realized this, I thought about my very favorite place to buy gifts, Columbine in Corte Madera. The cutest boutique shop ever! Well, they have this really sweet way of packaging gifts, so I took a few cues from them and tweaked it just a little to make it my own. I did this not only because it would match my brand, but the packaging would be much cheaper and much easier to do. In fact, I cut my packaging and shipping costs by over 60%. 

So, in my trusty IKEA credenza that has been multi-purposed through four homes that we've lived in - I have everything I need at my finger tips: Glass jars hold the fearthers, tulle, and ribbon; cabinets store the various size flat boxes, and the drawers store scissors, stationary, favorite gold writing pen, tape, CD holders and back up supplies. The unsightly items like mailing boxes and excelsior live in a corner behind my desk that no one can see. Although, I'm sure with time, I'll come up with a good solution on how to store those, too.

And there you have it - an example of form meets function!!

Saying Adios. My Spiritual Mentor Leaves the West Coast.

There are some people that come into our lives and enrich them in ways we never dreamed possible. It was twelve years ago almost to the day. The car was running outside of my apartment building on Pacific and Van Ness. Dianny and Talitha were waiting for me. I hopped in the back seat and immediately the chatter began about what each one ate for breakfast. Until it was my turn. It was 9:30am, and all of a sudden I was ashamed. I hadn't so much as had a sip of water or juice, although I was hungry and realized it as soon as I sat in the car. I had only given myself enough time to wake up, take a shower and get dressed before they arrived. 

It sounds like such a simple thing, doesn't it? Breakfast? I'm sure many take for granted something so mundane, so benign. Well, twelve years ago that's how much I needed to learn about self love and self care. I didn't have a clue. That is until I met Dianny. 

I asked her to be my spiritual mentor, and to my surprise she said yes. I felt like I had asked the coolest chic in high school to be my friend and she said yes. Only it was better because it had nothing to do with high school. It had to do with life and getting mine back on track spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. I needed some help and she embodied the kind of peace that I wanted in my life desperately.

Fast forward to twelve years later, and I can't imagine what my present life would be like had I not hung on every word, every ounce of support she graciously and patiently offered up to me. For five straight years, she mentored me on a weekly and sometimes daily basis. Today, our lives have become busy, a little too busy to keep in touch the way we once did, but not a day goes by that I don't carry her wisdom on my shoulders and apply it to my life in big and small ways.

Yesterday, I learned that my dear friend is moving to the east coast and I can't explain the emotions that have welled up inside of me. She knows the weight of my sadness and the lightness of my joy more than any friend I have, and to her I will always be indebted for her grace, love and support. 

Good luck in your new adventure, Di! You are such a gift in my life and I am forever grateful to you!