Five Things

Posted on November 13, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

Congratulations are in order- we’ve made it halfway through the week! Although, some of you have been lucky enough to have a long weekend in honor of Veteran’s Day, so your week may just be starting. I, for one, am jealous, but also can’t complain because I’ve already enjoyed the random weekday off.

This weeks Five Things features quite a lot of coffee- I didn’t intend it that way, but there you have it…

I enjoyed one of the best mocha’s I’ve ever had at the popular Jane Cafe on Fillmore st. on Sunday. I’ve never had marshmallows in my coffee before, but it’s a brilliant idea!

It was my fabulous friend Sarah’s birthday recently, so we’ve made plans to have a girls’ weekend in the near future to celebrate. Stayed tuned, as you’ll undoubtedly see this on the blog soon! Also, please forgive my thumb in the frame. Selfies are harder than they seem.

Here’s a little throwback to last year’s Thanksgiving festivities. Our resident baby, Ewan was busy being adorable, so it’s only a natural response to want to eat him, which you can clearly see. I’m so looking forward to spending some time in San Luis Obispo this year for the holidays.

Oh look! More coffee! Did you know that our local artisan coffee roasters Blue Bottle have a book out? I certainly didn’t.

I give you: the Corpse Reviver from Sens San Francisco. I ended the last week with a much needed cocktail with friends. How they get their logo on the egg white foam of this drink, I’ll never know.

Hope you’re doing well, dear readers. See you again for next week’s Five Things!

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on June 11, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday. Where has the week gone? Oddly enough, I keep plodding along under the assumption that today is somehow Thursday, and therefore the weekend is much closer than it actually is. In the meantime, our Wonderland show is progressing beautifully with only 10 more days of rehearsal left to go! Yours truly is performing in a very slick-looking green unitard, which has proven to be the ultimate motivation. Speaking of costumes, this show is going to be visually stunning, with a signature Dance Arts Project style, of course. Here’s a sneak peek:

All the best ballerinas have a little edge. Hence the Dr. Marten’s on Alice. With Sparkle laces, of course.

A glimpse of some beautiful street art in Portland. I love how inadvertently monochromatic this particular photo turned out.

I’ve been incredibly in to braided hairstyles lately, and while my job sometimes doesn’t allow for me to have my hair hanging in braids (too much of a hair explosion liability), I love checking out the creative styles some of my students or my favorite beauty bloggers come up with. Hint: check out Instabraid on Instagram.

Forgive the ambient blur, but I apparently couldn’t hold still long enough to capture these delicious kumamoto oysters. I’m a relatively new fan of oysters, and the many types of oysters available often intimidate me. Kumamoto oysters are some of the few I know I enjoy.

I have too many shoes. Said no woman ever.

I must admit that I have a few pairs that I haven’t gotten a chance to wear quite yet. Like the above beauties I purchased on super-sale at J.Crew. They’re bright and fun- perfect for summer.

EVA ♥

Five Things

Posted on June 4, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

It’s Wednesday already, and time for my weekly ritual of Five Things. Unfortunately, I’m horribly predictable and this week’s theme seems to be food, coffee, and cute things. I’m perhaps doomed to be a horribly girly individual for the rest of my days. I’m hoping that some of my readers, like me, will appreciate the little things in life. Like latte art. That’s totally relevant to being a 20-something urbanite, right?

This, unabashedly, was my dinner yesterday. Flourless chocolate cake covered in creme anglaise. I came late to a birthday dinner, missed the meal, and thought, “Screw it! I’m having desert anyway.”

I found myself sharing this amazing little guy from Instagram with many people yesterday. Having a bad day? LOOK AT THIS. I dare you to be upset while staring at this winking dog. The cherry on the sundae was when one of my teenage student’s exclaimed: “Where’s his eye?!”

I attended my dear friend Devyn’s wedding this last weekend (post coming soon!) and couldn’t stop admiring this little girl. Possibly one of the most beautiful toddlers I have ever seen- like a real life Precious Moments doll. Remember those?

When Portland’s Salt and Straw is closed in the morning (and hence not a possible breakfast option) make a dash to Barista, the coffee shop across the street. Road trip fuel!

It’s that time of year again! When my favorite salad in the whole world is back at Panera. I look forward to their massive Strawberry Poppyseed Chicken salad every summer. It’s the freshest, most delicious thing I can think of for lunch on a hot day.

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on May 28, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

I want to start out by thanking everyone that has read my previous post. The outpouring of kindness has been a bit overwhelming, but wonderful. While I was on the fence about doing “yet another” Five Things this Wednesday, and while I’ve been feeling a bit down lately, I think it’s really important to simply acknowledge this and carry on! I was especially saddened to hear of the great Maya Angelou’s passing this morning. She was a pillar of strength- a bearer of things artistic, compassionate, and quintessentially human. I feel I speak for all of us when I write that she will be sorely missed.

One of my favorite poems of all time.

I wanted to share this silly little photo with you, dear readers. It commemorates my last summer living in Isla Vista, directly on the beach. This was my view every morning (complete with the requisite ratty old couch). Add a big bowl of Golden Oh’s and what more could you ask for?

d c/o philosophadam.wordpress.com

I came across these 40 Amazing Facts About the Human Body the other day. They’re fascinating, to say the least. I also find it particularly amusing that we share 50% of our DNA with bananas.

I wanted to commemorate my favorite late night meal (with one of my favorite people) on the blog today. For those of you that are not familiar with Santa Barbara, it is home to the infamous Freebirds restaurant. Open 24/7, you can find orders of steak nachos so big, they can be split between three people and still be too much food. It is also home of some of the most entertaining people watching around 2:30am on a Sunday morning.

And lastly,

I rarely do this sort of thing on Watch Me Juggle, but I also wanted to take the time to ask you, dear readers to go to http://everytown.org, and consider fulfilling the request of Richard Martinez, who lost his only son this last Friday. He has asked the following of us, and I believe it’s well worth everyone taking some time out to consider:

“Today, I’m going to ask every person I can find to send a postcard to every politician they can think of with three words on it: Not One More. People are looking for something to do. I’m asking people to stand up for something. Enough is enough.”

Love,

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on May 21, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone and Happy Wednesday!

You’ve made it to Wednesday on the week before a long weekend! Which means, it’s really Thursday, if my math serves me correctly. In other news, pervasive fatigue seems to have taken over all of my people. Everyone is dragging, including myself. Honestly, I think this may have something to do with the fact that my boyfriend is broken. By boyfriend, I mean my coffee maker, and broken referring to the fact that all it seems to do now is crank out espresso like sludge. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s quite distressing. I think everyone is long overdue for a little vacation. I’m getting ready for a road trip up the coast to Portland and Seattle at the end of this week, so look for those adventures soon on Watch Me Juggle!

Continuing on to this week’s Five Things, I’ve been loving the articles on The Bold Italic lately. It’s quirky, San Francisco-specific pieces make me laugh and give me a little something to think about at the end of the day. Where else would you find trite little gems like this?

Photo from Chris Michel, c/o The Bold Italic

Yes, they are Haikus inspired by all the different neighborhoods in San Francisco. Concise and accurate, my favorites have to be those depicting the Mission, Fisherman’s Wharf, and North Beach. Click the picture above to read them all!

I’ve featured my beloved glass Camelbak water bottle on Five Things before, however, the fabulous boss-lady liked mine so much she purchased its twin at Athleta recently. So now we can mix up our water bottles as well as our coffee tumblers (which are also matching).

Excuse my giant man hand.

Word has gotten out that Miss Eva likes candy, specifically gummy worms/bears. I have received multiple packs of gummies from my students over the last weeks and couldn’t be happier. Pictured above are Gummy Rattlesnakes, delivered by one of the fantastic mothers at my school. So thoughtful! I was very amused by the level of detail on this little Haribo candy- look closely and you can see the eyes and a little squiggle design on the body. Too bad I had to eat it.

Speaking of cute things, I was tooling around Baby Gap the other day, buying a little something-something for the little chunk I’m finally going to meet in Seattle this coming weekend, and I found this! It’s a knit crab hat. I just about died. Too bad I don’t know a child with a head small enough to fit in it, or I would have bought it in a heartbeat.

I’m excited to announce that it’s peony season once again! I celebrate peony season the way other people celebrate football season. It’s just really exciting. I love those gorgeous flowers, especially the deep, wine colored blossoms. They’re the Scarlet O’Hara of the flower world. Yes, I just wrote that. I’m not ashamed.

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on May 14, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone! It’s that time of the week, again! It’s also the hottest day of the year here in the Bay Area. Hooray! I’ve been listening to countless people complain about the “heat.” All I have to say to that … Continue reading →

Five Things

Posted on May 7, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

I can’t believe it’s Wednesday already! I decided that, for this week’s Five Things, I would add a little theme. I know a common therapeutic exercise for when you’re feeling down is to create a simple list of the things you’re grateful for in life. For most people, it becomes quite obvious just how many things you have in life to be happy about. So you can stop crying about how some boy doesn’t like you (or whatever inane problem you have at the time) and live your life with a sense of contentment. Problems solved, ladies!

If any of you know me, even remotely or just through my blog, you already know how grateful I am for food. This afternoon, I cooked up a big bunch of chard straight from the garden to serve alongside some pasta. I love food for all the practical reasons, (sustenance, energy, etc.) but also for the fact that food is comforting, delicious, and can bring people together.

I’m so grateful to have a job doing what I love. I recently had a dream that I was a victim of some horrible accident that left me unable to dance. Morbid, I know, but I can’t tell you how relieved I was when I awoke to find that it was only a dream. Not only do I get to do what I love, but I have amazing coworkers, and I get to see these little dancers and their antics every week. Ok, now this is just a humble-brag, but whatever. It’s true. I’m living life as an artist and I’m very lucky.

I have some very gorgeous, fabulous friends (unfortunately, not all of them are pictured here). They hold me up no matter what, and they’re more like family to me, really. The only unfortunate thing is, I’m not sure I could ever be grateful enough to have them in my life. They’re a pretty fantastic bunch. Thanks for being around, ladies.

I’m grateful that I’ve gotten to travel to some obscenely beautiful and amazing places. I’ve been able to fly around the world, hike up many a dormant volcano, dance on the Great Wall of China, and spend Christmas stomping through the snow in Austria. I’m just getting started! Up next is wine tasting in Mexico, walking on the beaches of Thailand, and learning how to make bread in my grandmother’s kitchen. On her wood-burning stove in Austria, of course.

And lastly, I know it might seem silly, but I’m grateful to have a morning cup of coffee in a place that finally feels like home. Bonus points for my home having a little purple bathroom I can call my own! I moved around so much after college, it got to a point where I was afraid to settle down, to unpack my suitcase, and be content. I literally spent over a month sleeping on an air mattress because I was too frightened to go out and buy real furniture. True story. I’m so grateful that I learned to let go a little, and that things often do work out for the best.

One of my most favorite people of all time, Miss Audrey Hepburn, favored a little poem by Sam Levenson entitled “Time Tested Beauty Tips. So I leave today’s blog/exercise in being grateful with this:

” Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of each of your arms.

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.”

EVA ♥

Five Things

Posted on April 30, 2014 by 4evamaria

Happy yet-another-Wednesday everyone!

I can’t pretend I’m not enjoying the unseasonably warm weather here in the Bay. It’s a beautiful day out and it seems everyone is out and about. This unfortunately meant I couldn’t make my ballet class this morning, yet I’m still optimistic about getting some dancing in today. So, without further ado: 5 things!

It was such a nice day out yesterday, so I decided to treat myself to the most sophisticated popsicle I could find: Gelateria Naia’s Bar Gelato. My new favorite is undoubtedly the Blue Bottle Coffee. It’s the adult equivalent of a pacifier. If only I had someone to shove one of these in my mouth when I woke up every morning. It might actually make me a morning person.

On my “lost” adventures in San Francisco last week, I stumbled upon a really curious fragrance line by the name of “Replica.” It’s goal is essentially to produce fragrances that replicate specific environments and the sense memories associated with them. My favorite had to be Beach Walk. Delicious.

A t-shirt, also discovered during last week’s wanderings about. Light as a feather, and so random…

Look! It’s a beautiful sunset with the beautiful city on the horizon.

Ending on a lighthearted note, I leave you with this:

I adore comedian Jim Gaffigan. I also agree with many of his food-related tirades. If you enjoy this, I highly recommend you watch his stand-up “Beyond the Pale.” He’s the kind of non-offensive comedian you can tell your parents about and not be wildly embarrassed. Even better, if you have cool parents, they’ll understand.

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on April 23, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello all!

It’s another Wednesday, which means another Five Things from yours truly. This last week, I’ve finally caved and committed to an Instagram account. Which means you can now Instagram-stalk me under username “Watchmejuggle.” It’s been rather fun so far, and I do believe I’ve found the one corner of the internet in which selfies are totally acceptable. I’m still going to stand my ground, however, and say that they are not acceptable in the following places: the bathroom, funerals, in the middle of class, or in the midst of any natural and/or man-made disasters. All those filters, though; they sure are fun to play with…

My festive Easter dress & hair. After posting this photo, I quickly discovered @instabraid. So fun! Back in the day, the braid was my go-to hairstyle. Who doesn’t like them? They’re relatively easy to do and look beautiful. Meanwhile, it took me ages to master the above fishtail.

I’ve been on a crepe kick recently. I had them on Sunday for breakfast, and for dinner last night! Granted, it was Taco Tuesday, but they’re like French tacos, right?

There’s no better way to spend a ‘mental health day’ than with a good friend and good breakfast. Should the cafe you go to have giant coffee cups, even better.

These are, hands down, the most beautiful garden roses I have ever seen. Snapped on the streets of Berkeley. I love their soft, cabbage-like shape. They remind me somewhat of peonies, which also happen to be one of my other favorite flowers.

Lastly, in fashion news,

@BarbellApparel

Welcome Barbell Apparel! I came across this article on the Huffinton Post the other day and FINALLY! “Anti-Thigh Gap” jeans! This is such a brilliant idea and I’m so glad their Kickstarter campaign made this happen. I can’t tell you how many pairs of jeans that I’ve purchased have either been too tight on my thighs, or too loose in the waist! I’ve actually split my pants before, because they fit my hips and waist, but not my legs. It was embarrassing, to say the least. I’m really excited to see these guys on the market, and will definitely be keeping an eye out for them!

Until next time!

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on April 16, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

It’s Five Things Wednesday again, and a beautiful day in the Bay. Despite all that, I’m wishing that I could find myself on vacation tomorrow, preferably somewhere searing hot and with a beach. I’m well aware that I’m already spoiled enough at my current job, but I can’t help the fact that I’ve been wishing that my entire life could be a perpetual vacation. I blame tax day. And also the fact that my cousin keeps posting photos of her on the beach in Hawaii. At least I can live vicariously through her on Facebook while looking at photos of my Hawaiian birthday adventures from last year. Speaking of Hawaii…

I’ve been craving this all week. An acai bowl topped with strawberries, apple bananas, honey, and coconut. Best breakfast ever. Am in awe of both the food, and how tan my hand looks.

Back in the Bay, I managed to get my hands on the The Girl & the Fig cookbook! And also this tomato that happened to be shaped like a heart. I couldn’t eat it. That’s just how I am.

I would love to be the kind of adult that owns cups with saucers. I love looking at all the mismatched patterns. It somehow works.

This is what I do at work sometimes. I’m also wearing pink tights and pointe shoes, so I clearly needed to document this rare occasion.

I love this. So much. Self explanatory.

Happy Wednesday!

EVA♥