Five Things

Posted on July 20, 2016 by 4evamaria

Hi all!

I’m feeling oddly accomplished today. I’m sure most people can commiserate when I say that work usually takes all of my energy, but I experienced a second wind! After forcing myself to do the mundane errands I had been putting off for a while, I came home to find a package at my doorstep (an early birthday treat!), and my mood instantly turned around. I know I constantly say that the little things are sometimes the best things in life, but it’s true! Just in the last hour after my surprise, I’ve managed to get dinner on the stove, catch up on some trashy Bravo tv watching, and get in a bit of writing as well. And here I thought this day was a bust…

And so, with my usual stream-of-consciousness introduction, I give you this week’s Five Things:

Having once worked in a florist’s shop, I can’t help but recognize a beautiful bouquet when I see one. These tulips are unique in that they have not one but three layers of petals. So pretty!

I celebrated a coworker’s birthday the other day at the very retro Ice Cream Bar in San Francisco’s Cole Valley neighborhood. Their Sunday Morning cocktail (strawberry lemon sorbet topped with Mumm champagne) hit the spot.

This past weekend, I went on my first visit to the infamous Cream, land of the ice cream cookie sandwiches. I got a mini chocolate chip ice cream sandwich with one of their seasonal flavors, and it was the perfect treat to end the evening on! (Yes, I know…two ice cream things this week. Can you blame me?)

Photo c/o S-curve Apparel

I’ll be the first to admit that I sometimes like to motivate myself with treats. When I find myself needing an extra push to get to ballet class in my limited spare time (lunchtime barre, anyone?), I occasionally buy a new pair of shoes or a leotard to get myself out the door. One of our former dancers at Smuin, the lovely Susan Roemer, is also the mastermind behind S-Curve Apparel & Design . I’ve been eyeing her unique leotards for quite a while now, so when her newest style was released, I snapped one right up.

I saw these new, eye-catching tic-tacs while waiting in line at the local Walgreens one day. I found them extremely amusing; from the banana flavor, to the fact that each entire package has a name. One catch: I just don’t think I could ever bring myself to eat Bob, Stuart, or Kevin.

Banana!!

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on June 2, 2016 by 4evamaria

Hello all!

It’s finally time for Five Things for the week! I’ve been scrounging around a bit for ideas and inspiration lately, which sounds silly given that I work in such a creative field. With so many ongoing shows, I keep finding myself spending more and more time occupied with work, which means a little less time wandering around experiencing and snapping pictures of random things! I certainly can’t complain, since “work” often entails things like attending ballet performances and hot-gluing jewels on costumes. Snapshots soon to follow! For now, I have just a few things from this past week to entertain you. On to Five Things:

Like many women out there, I have a thing for peonies. If roses had a fancy cousin, peonies would be it. Though short, I anticipate peony season every year, and unnecessarily pick up bouquets for myself at the local Trader Joes. Treat yourself!

Ladies and gentlemen: I finally made it back to ballet class. I notice that my mood is never quite right without dancing on a regular basis, so I packed my things and bowed out of the office for a bit on Wednesday. Everything hurts and I’m having trouble walking up stairs, but it was worth it!

I love that 20th Century Cafe (one of the most instagrammed resturants in San Francisco!) is so close to my office. They have pastries I’ve only ever seen in Europe, and their strudel is almost as good as the one my Austrian grandmother makes. Almost.

I like to have something to look forward to after a long workday. Last week, I met a few girlfriends of mine at Ken Ken Ramen in San Francisco for dinner. Now, I’m not too savvy when it comes to ramen, but this stuff was unlike anything else I’ve ever tasted. For a bowl of what is, in actuality, just soup, it was incredibly filling and rich! I’ll definitely be back.

Did everyone have a good Memorial Day Weekend? Whenever anyone asked what I was up to, I couldn’t help but recall this stylish Anne Taintor luggage tag I found on Pinterest. This could have accurately described my weekend, but in a positive and relaxing way. I had no concrete plans and all the time in the world. It was really refreshing…although nothing can quite beat a vacation. Soon!

Love,

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on March 31, 2016 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

The last two weeks have been interesting, to say the least. I feel like I’ve finally adjusted to whole “spring-forward” time debacle (who would have thought one hour would make that big of a difference?!), but I have no idea where the entire month of March went. Anyone? Has anyone seen my March lying around? If so, please return it to its rightful owner.

I’ve had a terribly hard time balancing my busy schedule. I’m very comfortable with busy, but when I suddenly have a day all to myself, I find myself going into total retreat mode, talking to no one and having no idea what to do with myself. I cured this this past weekend by visiting the local farmer’s market, baking some brownies, and being generally lazy. Laziness can be wonderful, in moderation, of course. This week’s Five Things are snaps from the nice, somewhat-lazy moments in my week:

I absolutely love lilacs, but rarely allow myself to buy them during the few times I find them in season. This weekend was different, and I’m so glad I did!

I’ve been on a horrible avocado toast kick as of late. I had the very same meal pictured several days in a row, something I almost never do. To keep things interesting, I like making toast with fresh mozzarella, sea salt, garlic olive oil, and tomatoes to accompany the avocado toast.

One of my favorite spots in downtown Oakland has to be Make Westing. I love their garden gimlet cocktails with fresh mint, basil, and cucumbers. It’s like salad in a glass!

I recently had the pleasure of attending the wedding of a former coworker of mine. The invite itself was intended for my mother, but due to a series of unfortunate events, I ended up going instead! I loved the little Tiffany and Co. themed favors at each table, each filled with customized M & M’S. Very cute.

I absolutely love my Nespresso machine (read all about it here!). I got to take advantage of the “self-selection” vault the other day at the flagship location in San Francisco. All I needed was my credit card and my Nespresso key-fob and I went wild! Helping yourself to all the different coffee selections can be quite fun. Let’s face it, it’s probably the only “exclusive club” I’ll belong to for a long while.

Until next time!

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on March 17, 2016 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

Five Things is back! I’ve missed sharing my day-to-day snaps of random things that pique my interest. Photography is not at all my strong suit, but I’m aiming to get better at it. Thank goodness for the nice cameras on the iPhone 6! Without further ado, here are the latest “things”:

I couldn’t help but take a photo of this beautiful display of flowers in a home decor store in downtown St. Helena. Real or fake? I leave it up to you.

I recently got a chance to catch up with some old co-workers of mine on the back patio of one of my favorite spots in Hayes Valley. We each ended up ordering a different color of wine. If you guessed that the Sauvignon blanc belonged to me, you are correct!

My world-traveling friend Rachel brought this little treat for me back from her recent jaunt to Argentina and Antarctica. While we knew it was a cookie, we had no idea what flavor. Apparently Tita is an Argentinian chocolate-covered, lemon cookie sandwich. You learn something new everyday.

My friend Emily was in town recently, and I dragged her all over the entire Bay Area in search of impressive food and drinks. We actually ended up making two stops at Trouble Coffee in West Oakland, if for the toast alone. Pictured above is their peanut butter and honey variety, but my favorite is easily the cinnamon toast. Nom.

Image c/o Pinterest

The boss lady and I have been pinning our hearts out on Pinterest lately, and enjoy sending each other things. The above image ended up in my messages one morning with the caption “For my traveler.”

Until next time!

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on January 27, 2016 by 4evamaria

Hello everybody!

Is it almost February, already?! I’m sure I would almost completely forget if it wasn’t for the fact that a literal “Super Bowl City” is being built right in the middle of my SF commute. It’s quite a sight, but I don’t anticipate ever seeing it in its entirety. As much as I love my city, I’m not one to brave massive, crazed crowds during the weekend just so I can see Chris Issak or Alicia Keys from 2 miles away. Now, if they were performing a club in Las Vegas, that might be a different story…

Luckily, in anticipation of being somewhat housebound these next two weekends, I’ve been doing a bit of extra exploring lately. This week’s Five Things is just a little glimpse at what I’ve been up to…

There’s a Whole Foods up the road from my office that I like to frequent. I can’t help but peruse all the pretty cakes in the pastry cases whenever I’m there. On my last visit I found this little “Fancy Cupcake” guy. He’s almost too cute to eat!

I was doing a bit of shopping in the East Bay over the weekend, and I was gifted these lovely flowers from Tumbleweed Floral Truck. They certainly helped perk up my house during these last few rainy days.

I have an incredible soft spot for Lush, and had to stop in to pick up some of their latest limited edition Valentine’s Day products. The boss lady and I used to joke that Lush should construct its own break-up worthy line of products, perfect for perking up your friends when they experience a bit of heartbreak. So, I was so excited to see a new Wash That Man Right Out of my Hair shower gel. Bye, Felipe!

I finally managed to treat myself to a long-anticipated manicure the other day. While I initially was hoping for something like this, I ended up with a neutral, sparkly ombre nail instead. I’ve really been enjoying them lately.

Photo c/o FashionUnited

I have a new shopping obsession: Kit and Ace. Founded by family members of the founder of Lululemon, Kit and Ace boats beautifully constructed, well…what I like to call “grown-up clothes.” Everything they offer is quite simple, with touches of rose gold detailing here and there. I very much want to get my hands on some of their super-soft technical cashmere tops and dresses.

Until next time!

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on August 13, 2015 by 4evamaria

Hello all!

Five Things is back! It’s close enough to Wednesday, right?

I was trying to get through the drudgery of my evening commute, catching up on my Bloglovin’ feed, when I stumbled across blogger and florist Keira Lennox’s latest post on her blog, A Pretty Penny. She’s right- blogging consistently is hard, especially with a full-time job and the rest of your life to manage. When do all you full-time bloggers have time to do your dishes?! I too have recently gotten hooked on The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix, and then there are all the amazing places to eat and cocktails to have around the Bay Area. I’m beginning to discover that I have a slight propensity to multi-task a little too much. As I write this, I’m also trying to balance watching re-runs, a video on Youtube, keep up a text conversation with one of my girlfriends, and whiten my teeth. Too many things, yes? Sometimes I find myself just wanting to lay in bed and stare at the ceiling for a bit. Luckily, I can only do that for so long before I find myself jumping up to do the next thing! We all need a break every-once-in-a-while, and it’s moments like those that prompt me to get up and write all over again. One day at a time, I guess! With that…here are this week’s Five Things!

I got to spend some time at a lovely evening farmer’s market this week. The whole thing was oddly picturesque- there’s just something about walking down the street with a big bunch of dahlia’s, you can’t help but be in a good mood.

It’s not a birthday celebration without a candle and little crème brûlée. This last year’s birthday was extra-fancy, if I may say. I’m already very much looking forward to the next one!

I spent my post-birthday weekend wine tasting in Edna Valley, just outside of San Luis Obispo. Apparently, at 28 you can only drink so much wine before you have to sit down. My good friend Maren and I lasted for about two tastings before we needed a nap. Pictured is Claiborne & Churchill Winery’s latest bottle of rosé , named after one of the founder’s daughters: Cuvée Elizabeth.

Ivette Ivens/ ivetteivens.com

Everyone I know knows that I have a mild obsession with French Bulldogs. When this article was published on Buzzfeed two days ago, I had a number of people sending me the link within hours. Photographer Ivette Ivens’ work pretty much went viral from all the cute. After all, baby + wrinkled puppy= instant happiness.

While it’s nice having a break from being in the studio every day, I find myself really missing ballet class. And having a hard time mustering up the energy to make it through an entire evening class. I do like popping in for the occasional barre, or taking yoga class.

Moral of the story: there really should be more hours in a day.

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on June 24, 2015 by 4evamaria

Hello all!

It’s time for Five Things, yet again. Quite honestly, life can get so cyclical sometimes that collecting my Five Things of the week acts as a time-stamp of sorts. Oh look- another week’s gone by! To give you all a quick, unbidden update, things have been quite interesting over the last few days. With the dance studio on summer schedule, I suddenly find myself working only one job. You know, a 9-to-5, like a normal person. What is this nonsense? I get to go home, and sit down? Highly unnatural behavior in Watch-Me-Juggle-land. It always takes a bit of getting used to, but the positive side is that I can sleep in two days in a row now, if I so choose. I can also check out that stand-up paddle boarding lesson off my to-do list this summer. I’m determined. It’s going to happen. Stay tuned for embarrassing photos of me falling off a surfboard.

In the meantime, here are this week’s Five Things as entertainment.

Once upon a time, I worked in a flower shop. I spent my days arranging flowers and even creating bridal bouquets. Though I found myself only with bunches of flowers and some ribbon (no floral tape, no pearl-topped pins) I made it work! There is something amazingly therapeutic about working with flowers, and I must do it more often.

In between answering phone calls, chugging coffee, and staring at spreadsheets today, I managed to find time to buy these spunky red flats from Topshop. They’re dead-ringers for Aquazzura’s Christy flats that retail for a whopping $675.

Did you know that my little island town is home to a winery? Because it is! Rock Wall winery has incredible views of the San Francisco skyline, and a mighty fine happy hour. While I’m not one to jump on the rosé bandwagon, their sparkling rosé is delicious.

I’ve found myself reminiscing over the goodies at Gayle’s Bakery in Capitola. A day trip is very much in store this summer.

Ever wonder how the marzipan in the Nutcracker get their multicolored shoes? Pointe shoes come in very few colors, and most companies have to special order their shoes if they need something other than the traditional pink satin. But, even then the options are limited. Two words: spray paint. It’s very high tech, I know.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on April 16, 2015 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

Of course I’m not writing to you today already in my pajamas, in bed, watching horrible TLC reality shows. And I certainly didn’t do breakfast-for-dinner today either. I’m much to refined for that.

In all seriousness, I’ve heard a number of people (including myself) say that it’s been quite the crazy week. Is it the weather here in the bay area? Something in the air (besides pollen)? I don’t know. What I do know is that it doesn’t feel quite the same without my Five Things. In the meantime, I’m sitting on a number of posts that are long overdue. Remember the 20th Anniversary Smuin Ballet Gala I attended last year? Well, yours truly worked at this year’s very same gala. I’ve also conducted my very first interview ever, and have done quite a bit of thrifting and cocktailing as well. In the meantime, take a look at these five things from my life:

I had my first pavlova ever at my family’s Easter dinner. At first an entirely meringue-based desert seems like it might be a little bland, but I was totally wrong. Topped with lemon and berry mousse, it’s like eating delicious air. Which means negative calories, right?

I scored some fantastic seats for San Francisco Ballet’s Program 7 this week. Go check out The List, if you’re not already on it. Who can say no to $25 ballet tickets?!

While dashing through life, this beautiful rose given to me by the boss lady somehow ended up in a coffee cup. I meant for this to be only a temporary vase, but liked it so much I decided to leave it be. I can’t get over how beautiful the colors look together.

I’ve been hearing a lot about these trendy Quay Sunglasses from Australia. I snapped this selfie the other day hoping to get a friend’s opinion on them, and I must say, I quickly realized they were a little too over-sized for my pea head. I do love how unique their designs are, nonetheless.

It’s been a while since my plus-sized cat, Buttercup, found her way onto Watch Me Juggle. I believe she made her first appearance on my very first “Five Things” ever. She’s so photogenic, I’m convinced she knows exactly when a camera is near.

Until next time,

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on March 11, 2015 by 4evamaria

Hello dear readers!

I can’t believe it’s already a week since the last “Five Things!” I feel like I begin almost all my blogs the same way, but it’s true. This week I’ve found myself inundated with choreography and planning a gala. That’s right- I’m helping plan a gala. Has there ever been a more hoity-toity phrase spoken? All the legitimate hard work aside, I’m quite excited. Stay tuned to see snapshots on Watch Me Juggle!

In the meantime, here’s this weeks Five Things!

I recently bough two bouquets of daffodils for no reason in particular. They’ve made my house smell so amazing! They’re quite cheerful sight when I come home after a long day.
I showed my new Alex & Ani mermaid bracelet off on Five Things a few weeks ago. I decided she was lonely and bought this starfish to keep her company! I love what it represents.
This may look a rather underwhelming blob of soap, but it’s so much more. This is the new “Honey I Washed my Hair” shampoo bar from Lush. I can’t say enough good things about it; it lathers like crazy, and smells like the most delicious honey toffee. I’ve even rubbed it on my skin in lieu of perfume! I’ve been doing some mild redecorating at my place, and decided that I would put a few of my most favorite pair of shoes on display. It’s an unabashedly girly move, I must say.

I’m a shameless hoarder of shopping bags. This wouldn’t really be problematic, except for the things I buy that live in these bags. I originally needed some very practical things at Lush, which then turned into me raiding the sale section at J.Crew. I like to leave my new things in the bags for as long as possible, to preserve that “newness.” Does anyone else do this?

Until next time!

EVA<3

Everyday is Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 15, 2015 by 4evamaria

Hello all, and Happy Sunday!

I hope many of you out there are out and about, enjoying your long President’s Day weekend. Earlier I jokingly tweeted that “I think I’m going to have to re-name my blog to ‘Watch Me Watchtoomuchrealitytv, Drinktoomuchcoffee & Shop online.'” Which is pretty much all I’ve done with my day thus far. It’s quickly become my pattern on Sundays, I start out with ambitious plans, only to laze about at home for a good five hours sustained only by coffee. Seeing as my Saturdays tend to be the day I get everything done, whether it be socializing, cleaning, or running necessary errands, I’ve come to enjoy the low-key start to my week.

Seeing as this last Saturday was Valentine’s Day, however, I took full advantage of the holiday with a little Valentine’s-themed shopping and dining. What started out as running routine errands quickly turned into a chocolate and handbag buying adventure. Which, let’s face it, is an all too typical event in my life.

I fell in love with this “Ballet bag” from Sam & Libby. I’ve been looking for a great tote bag to give my Longchamps Le Pliage a break, and this one fit the bill. It even has a little zip compartment at the bottom specifically made for your flats. Brilliant! I also picked up Essie’s iconic nailpolish in Fiji, and a few truffles from See’s.

I got many a homemade Valentine from my students this week. So sweet- they were my favorite by far.

These lovely tulips were waiting for me at my doorstep in the evening. A nice surprise.

And, lastly, Valentine’s day wouldn’t be complete without an homage to my boyfriend: coffee. I finally managed to pick up one of these witty coffee mugs at Target. I had my morning coffee in it today, with my Royal Apothic Hot House Peonie candle making my house smell amazing. ‘Twas a good day. Especially when I decided to smile extra big at the scruffy bakery guy and he doubled my order. I’m a big believer in paying it forward. If someone brightens your day, take it upon yourself to brighten someone else’s. Make everyday a little bit special- like Valentine’s Day.

EVA♥