The Bugs.

Posted on July 31, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everybody!

Alright, so today, I’ve decided to do something a bit unconventional (at least thus far) on Watch Me Juggle. It’s my first official, random series. It was all inspired by my initial lack of inspiration that I documented a short while ago, aptly entitled: Brain is Cobwebs. First off, I just have to say that you, dear readers, are pretty dang funny. While my total dissatisfaction with my latest content was leaving me frustrated, you were coming up with ideas for me, and were oddly fascinated by the emptiness/randomness that was my brain recently.

Bless y’all. That’s all I’m saying. So, without further ado, I present you with Part I of the “Cobweb” series. Please enjoy the irony, in that I’m writing about bugs today. It’s unintended, I assure you.

That’s a huge freakin’ moth, in my humble opinion.

Now, I realize that in many places in the world, there are much larger bugs than this. But, when you leave your house early in the morning with your car keys in hand, the last thing you expect to come in contact with is a powdery bug the size of your fist hitching a ride on the back of your car. Now, I’m not the usual girl who screams at the mere sight of a spider. I admit that they disgust me in almost every way, but the happy pacifist in me will also scoop one up in a tissue and set it free outside anytime. With well disguised revulsion, of course. For those of you that are less inclined to practicing your poker face, or remotely getting near a spider, may I recommend hairspray and a kitchen pot? This is particularly effective with cane spiders, although I luckily don’t have the firsthand experience.

Despite the fact that I can handle most spiders with ease, there are bugs out there that have made me scream, cartoon-like, and clamber up on any available surface. When I first moved back to the Bay Area, a conscientious roommate of mine would regularly compost. While said roommate was out-of-town one weekend, our kitchen compost bin stood unnoticed and neglected- that is until I glanced down one evening and saw a single maggot crawling near my foot. There was screaming, some hysteria, and I may or may not have brandished a spatula frantically at another roommate while simultaneously trying to climb atop the microwave that was occupying most of the counter space. This was a proud moment for me, clearly. In short, I’m sure there’s a deep, intrinsic fear of insects embedded in all of us, yet, to make a long story short, it’s ok if you just think they’re icky.

Before I go- Big shout out to you, Emily. You gave me complete justification to write about the most random things I could think of….ever.

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on July 30, 2014 by 4evamaria

Happy Wednesday all!

We’re exactly halfway through the week, yet I remain convinced it’s Thursday. Don’t you hate those kinds of weeks? They just seem to drag on forever. Between all the work-related gigs, Taco Tuesdays, thrifting, and requisite summertime fun, I’ve been frantically searching for new content and topics to write about. Funnily enough, it’s always the minute I stop making a concerted effort that I have the most prolific ideas. Everyone has a different creative process, I guess. Enough chatter- on to the weekly Five Things!

If you happened to be anywhere near a beauty blog yesterday, you’ll have been made aware that it was #NationalLipstickDay. In a nod to many people’s (myself included) love of lipstick, I recommend that you check out a piece on the lovely Joanna’s blog, A Cup of Jo, where her new editorial assistant executed a “Lipstick Challenge.” Digging in to the depths of her lipstick drawer, she wore a new shade every work day over several weeks. I might just be a huge beauty junkie, but I found this weirdly fascinating. And also now want to own blue lipstick. Yes, it sounds strange, but just check out her look on week two! So pretty.

Yes, here’s a gratuitous sunset shot for the week. We’ve been having the most spectacular sunsets in the Bay Area as of late, so I naturally have to document them as soon as I get a chance.

If you’ve ever been to Starbuck’s, you are totally familiar with the baristas propensities to utterly screw up the most basic names in existence. I get a lot of Ava and April, but never before have I seen a “Hayva.” Extra points for creativity to that one. For more funny misspells, check out Buzzfeed’s 27 Times Starbucks Failed So Hard It Almost Won.

Photo c/o Daybreak & The Bold Italic

Did everyone know that the early morning dance party is now a thing in San Francisco? I happened upon this latest trend while perusing the Bold Italic this morning. For those people who genuinely enjoy dancing, but don’t always have the energy to go out-and-about every Saturday night, you can attend this dance party on a random Tuesday, right before work. Lasting from 7:30-9:30am, next week’s fun offers atypical fare- no cocktails, but coffee, tea, and breakfast treats in abundance. This is way better than running on the elliptical at the gym for an hour. Just saying.

With the big birthday fast approaching, I’ve been frequenting Sosh, an app that I can best describe as a more personal Yelp that’s strictly for social events and activities. While only available for certain US cities at the moment, Sosh allows you to search by the activity you’re interested in- be it happy hours, fitness classes, concerts, or restaurants, within your neighborhood of choice. You can also write reviews and bookmark activities and events you hope to attend in the future. I have 33 events bookmarked currently,inlcuding Dim Sum at Yank Sing, cocktails at the “Vegas inspired” Drake lounge, and an outdoor movie screening in Washington Park. I’m looking forward to chipping away at them very soon!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Wednesday!

EVA♥

Art & Wine

Posted on July 28, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve been slowly chipping away at my Summer List, very slowly but surely. I have yet to do some of the little things- buying a new swimsuit, going to yoga more often, but I’ve certainly been trying to cram in as many summer activities as I possibly can. Unfortunately, this seems to involve more eating ice cream, and less outdoor activities.

As a few of you know, this last weekend was Alameda’s annual Art & Wine Festival. Having always taken place in the end of July/early August, I was convinced as a child that this particular festival was solely in honor of my birthday. I admittedly did not get as many pictures as I would like, but when you have delicious fair food in one hand and a drink in the other, it’s quite hard to navigate crowds and take photos at the same time. What makes the festival a little extra fun for the adults is that it’s one of the few weekends out of the year that open container laws are waived, leaving you to enjoy your glass of wine or pint of beer in the sunshine, while perusing the many local artists’ booths and restaurants up and down the downtown area. In the past, I’ve frequented the Bend Soap Company’s booth, and have purchased some of my favorite pieces of hand-blown glass jewelry here. As kid, I was more than happy to rock the flower crowns that they sell here, too. What can I say? I was ahead of the “festival fashion” game at a young age.

Navigating the crowded Alameda streets often felt like salmon swimming upstream. I feel as if this year was exponentially more crowded than years past. Good for my little town!

Some beautiful metalwork on the streets.

A much-needed summertime drink: Strawberry lemonade.

I was really impressed with the many food choices at this years’ festival: barbecued oysters, roasted artichokes, and crab cakes were readily available, along with your standard fair food of kettle corn, sausages, and funnel cakes. Despite having reapplied sunscreen (SPF 8, shame on me) and having spent time in the sun earlier that day, I got a wicked sunburn on my upper back in the hour that I was out and about. I can usually spend hours wandering and the four-or-so city blocks filled with booths, yet with Sunday’s heat, it was best that I didn’t. I would have been as red as a beetroot after, I think .

Happy Monday!

EVA♥

Brain is Cobwebs.

Posted on July 24, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everybody!

So today after work, I spent exactly 2 hours wandering about both my home and my neighborhood, all while chatting with a friend of mine on the phone. Mother, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry about the phone bill and all. Anyway, after we caught up with each other, said friend, Emily, and I bounced some ideas around for the blog. Being a lucky dog who gets paid to edit content and churn out blog for a variety of companies, she’s a pretty good judge of what strikes a chord with all of you on the other end of this internet machine.

Meanwhile, like today’s title indicates, the interior of my brain is essentially a mass of cobwebs. If I could draw a crude depiction of what was in there now, I would go with one of those little blank faced emojis- you know, the kind with a hyphen for a mouth- and some generic, dust-covered linoleum tiling. I’m entirely stumped. Sure, I have some vague ideas of what I would like to write about, but nothing seems to stick around long enough to come to fruition. Apparently, the summer seems to bring on a universal topic-drought for bloggers everywhere. It wasn’t until I came across Whitney’s post on I Wore Yoga Pants to Work that I felt comfortable sharing my recent ridiculous ideas, or lack thereof, with you:

There was a very large moth on my car the other day. So big it covered half my license plate…the end.

I live alone, and sometimes this leads to socially awkward behavior. Like spontaneous singing. Is it just me?

When your boyfriend can’t dress himself, aka adventures in makeshift personal shopping.

Weird dreams I’ve had over the last month.

Maybe I’ll just do a collage of fancy coffee I drank this week? That’s a thing, right?

I suck at numbers so bad and I’m not sure how to manage my 401k.

Dear God, I’m almost 27. Maybe I should post a list of things to do before I turn 30? Nevermind, too stressful.

I took the Enneagram Personality Test yesterday. My results were absolutely accurate. This might actually have some potential- to be continued.

Odd rituals I find comforting in times of stress. This often involves TV Land reruns. Also, some potential here…

and

I haven’t taken a dance class in two weeks. I think I’m experiencing something akin to cabin-fever. Rolling around on the ground is like dancing, right?

I hope you find the idea of even beginning to write about these topics as amusing as I do. That moth, though. I literally had to stop myself from posting a photo of this thing for the last two Wednesdays’ blogs. Also, is blogging about blogging a faux pas? If it is, I’m horribly gauche.

I’m still totally surprised/amazed/so flattered that anyone actually reads my blog. I love you all for it, and it makes me absurdly happy. Thanks for reading.

EVA ♥

Five Things

Posted on July 23, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello all,

Get ready for the most random barrage of imagery you’ve ever seen! I realized today that my weekly Five Things has intermittently become a dumping ground for the photos I have sitting on my laptop, waiting to be used, but completely without context. It’s not a bad thing necessarily- unless it’s driving you nuts, dear readers. Those of you who know me outside of my blog, know that I like to talk about whatever pops into my head during any available moment of silence. I realize that this results in the most disjointed conversation ever, so much so that I like to preface some of my statements by explaining how I got there. This isn’t at all strange, I’m sure of it.

Unfortunately, I can’t really preface this week’s things with any kind of explanation, other than the fact that they’re a conglomeration of things I’ve come across in my immediate, everyday life that have stood out to me. Now, I realize that many bloggers out there have similar routine lists on their blog; it’s reassuring for me to recall how much I enjoy reading those, and hope you find my posts equally amusing/intriguing/entertaining, or whatever adjective floats your boat!

First off is a shot of the LA sky through the vine and fairy light covered gazebo that housed my friend’s birthday party for the majority of the day on Saturday. Downtown Los Angeles isn’t particularly green, so this was such the refreshing touch to an otherwise concrete patio.

Photo c/o Shopbop. Click on the link below to check it out!

I would like you to meet my new boyfriend: Mini MAC. Rebecca Minkoff states that M.A.C really stands for “Morning After Clutch,” but I enjoy taking this guy out all day. Having been on my wish list for ages, this purse was such an excellent find at the Nordstrom sale the other day I couldn’t pass it up! More than 50% off, mind you. I thought there had been a mistake, that’s how good of a deal I got. It’s my new favorite.

In a little nod to the ever-popular Instagram trend of #ThrowbackThursday, I wanted to post a picture taken what seems like ages ago. This was at a birthday party in San Francisco, and is one of my favorites of our little crew. I’m in a Rachel Sandwich!

So, I was admittedly tooling around Instagram at work the other day and came across this cocktail special at the W Hotel. It’s some sort of birthday concoction that they began serving this last week, for a limited time. I believe it contains vodka, Chambord, and Canton ginger liqueur. Oh, and whipped cream and sprinkles, of course! Though it’s not really my birthday yet, I’m tempted to stop by and ask them for this thing. It’s like the cocktail equivalent of a cupcake!

And, possibly the most random thing of all….

The Enneagram Test

Last weekend’s birthday girl (who also happens to be studying for her PH.D in clinical psychology) introduced us to the above test. It’s supposed to be accurately indicative of all aspects of your personality- how you handle stress, how you see the world, etc. It’s quite an in depth test, but I’m itching to take it and to see how I feel about the results. I know it’s an oddly cerebral thing to include on here, but let me know what you think! It’s certainly got me thinking.

Happy Wednesday!

EVA♥

SLO & Co.

Posted on July 22, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

Today’s post chronicles Part Two of my latest weekend adventures. Day 2 in my LA involved brunch at Urth Caffe, (a place I will absolutely be visiting the next time I’m in Southern California) and some daytime tooling around Griffith Observatory. Despite the ridiculous crowd migrating up the hill to take in the famous view, the Observatory itself was pleasantly open.

A photo from the observatory deck. Does anyone know why the famous Hollywood sign came into being?

LA is ridiculously populated- buildings as far as the eye can see. It’s also, unfortunately, the city with the worst pollution problem in the US. There are apparently mountains in the background, but we couldn’t see them, which makes me a little sad.

After enjoying a little bit of the sunshine, it was time to head back. I know I shouldn’t be taking photos behind the wheel, but the sunset while driving up the coast was just stunning. My amateur phone photography isn’t quite doing it justice.

I’m glad I made the extra stop in San Luis Obispo. Not only did I get to visit some of my favorite people, I got to see the progress of their beautiful garden since my last visit in November. It’s flourished, to say the least. Extra points to them for supplying me with a basket of home -grown veggies and eggs for the ride back.

Here you have some kale, zucchini, cucumbers, and peppers, all shadowed by a huge tomato plant in the background, as well as some blackberry bushes. Behind me is a continuation of the garden with melons,corn, and an orange tree. If you look closely, you’ll see the hottest pepper in the world, the ghost chili, in the bottom right hand corner. I’m not sure what they’re going to do with that, but good luck to them. I figure it would be a good way to enact revenge on people you really dislike…?

Did I mention they have three cats, four chickens, and a dog as well? It’s a bonafide animal menagerie! The chickens aren’t nearly as cute as the other members of the household, and have a tendency to peck at your toes and be generally stupid.

The newest member of the clan is Jeb, the three-legged dog. He’s the ultimate example of a grateful rescue dog; all he wants in life is some food and gentle pets. Despite his rather tumultuous background, he is surprisingly unsuspicious, and laid his head in my lap about three seconds after initially meeting me. He reminded me so much of a well-loved stuffed animal, with his snaggle tooth and his snuffling- I joked that all he needed was a patch on one of his hind legs to complete the transformation.

Happy Tuesday! Watch Me Juggle will be back tomorrow with it’s weekly “Five Things.”

Until then…

EVA♥

California Love

Posted on July 21, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

I’m still here, I promise! I have to admit, it’s darn hard to make time for writing when the sun is shining outside. Perhaps it’s finally time for me to upgrade the battery on my ancient HP laptop (she’s over eight years old!), so I can write while out and about as opposed to being chained to the wall for every post. Currently, this is my running excuse to sit down and watch “The Bachelorette” every Monday night. Don’t judge me.

I digress, as is usual. I spent this past weekend driving up and down the coast of California, specifically to celebrate my dear friend Rachel’s birthday. Yes, I have two “dear-friend-Rachels” in my life. I got to spend time with both of them this weekend, just to make things confusing. After her relocation to the LA area, I haven’t been able to see Rachel as much as I once used to, but her birthday made for the perfect occasion to pay her a visit. It’s a rather long drive to LA to have to navigate solo, so I made one trip into two, and paid my friends Maren and Xela a visit at their lovely home in San Luis Obispo as well. I’ve grown to know and love that town over the years, so it deserves a post all to itself in the near future.

Aside from a really annoying mishap with Google Maps that took me roughly 90 minutes out of the way from my final destination, my LA visit was pure, long-overdue fun. In a nutshell, there was a penthouse, a rooftop party, and some late night dancing at a speakeasy-themed cocktail lounge. All very exciting things.

The rooftop view of downtown LA.

So excited to push this button.

One good thing about the overcast sky: hot tub time! Undoubtedly the best view from a hot tub, ever! Rumor has it, Johnny Depp lives in that art deco-style Eastern building.

Blue velvet birthday cake. Yummy. I spontaneously broke into a warbling version of Lana Del Rey’s “Blue Velvet” many times that night.

Go through the parking lot and stand in line in the alleyway to find Honeycut. In case you didn’t know, the dancing is that way…

We made a lot of friends. This gentleman in particular had some snazzy sunglasses he shared with the birthday girl.

I drank something called the “Babyface,” which was reminiscent of a smoky strawberry margarita. Even better than the cocktails, though, was the light-up dance floor. Add in a little Amy Winehouse, 70’s/80’s music, and a splash of Lil’ Wayne, and you have a party. To top it all off, I wore my “Ain’t No Wifey” shirt from Dimepiece LA and got a ton of compliments. I even bonded with the club’s bouncer over it. As uniquely strange as I found LA to be in some instances, I apparently fit in rather well. This shouldn’t really be a surprise, since I’m rather strange myself.

Good times.

EVA♥

Vintage Gems

Posted on July 15, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone.

So, it’s no news to anyone here that I enjoy vintage clothing. I have a number of fantastic vintage pieces, some of which you have seen here. There’s just something amazing about finding pieces that are so beautiful, and in beautiful condition. It’s absolutely like finding a gem from years past, and what’s even better, is that they generally sell for next to nothing. I’m the proud owner of a silk Oleg Cassini gown that was purchased for $10, which I wore to a San Francisco Ballet Gala years past. No matter what the occasion, you’re guaranteed to be the only one in your outfit. While I haven’t necessarily found many of my personal pieces here, Juniper Tree Vintage in Alameda is one of my favorite stores to browse through. If you ever want to recapture that childhood awe felt when going through your mother’s clothes, this is the place for you.

I walked in, saw this beauty, and made a beeline for the dressing room. Sadly, true to vintage style, I could only get the zipper halfway up. Sizes have changed a lot since 1950, so don’t take it personally ladies!

(Look closely for my ghost-self mirrored in the display case.)

These rhinestone pieces have been my favorites since I was young- “Princess jewelry,” I would call it. My mother had a vintage piece in this style and I would frequently put it on my head and pretend it was a crown.

I miraculously found this 1960’s dress on the half-off rack. It was in almost perfect condition, except for the fact that they zipper was non-functional. And, the fact that I could only get the dress just past my knees. If it weren’t for these two minute details, I would have taken it home with me. Such a shame!

I definitely have a passion for vintage fashion. I think it goes hand in hand with my deep admiration for Audrey Hepburn, and the fact that I sometimes wish we still dressed up as much as past decades. As long as I can mix my Americana love of denim, with full skirts and beautiful jewelry, I’m a happy girl.

EVA♥

There is TOO stuff to do here…

Posted on July 14, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone and happy Monday!

I’m pleased to say that I already checked one thing off of my ‘Summer List’ this past weekend!

After a few failed attempts I finally managed to book a tasting and tour at St. George Spirits, our local distillery right here in Alameda. For those of you that aren’t familiar, you’ve probably come across Hangar 1 vodka: these are the guys responsible. What I didn’t know is that, in addition to their more well known vodka, whiskey and absinthe, they also make brandies, liqueurs, rums, and gins! The whole shebang, as it were. Now, I’m going to say what most Alameda natives don’t want to hear: the island, while lovely in a quiet, suburban way, doesn’t have too much to do in terms of entertainment. Ok…we finally have a movie theater. And there’s all the food you can dream of eating. Being San Francisco adjacent makes it seem rather quaint in comparison, but it still has its hidden gems. The abundance of alcohol-related fun to be had on our old Naval station is one of the many perks. We have Rock Wall Winery, the new Faction Brew Co., and St. George Spirits all within walking distance of each other.

With all three right on the water, you can’t help but linger and take advantage of the view, as well as the good food. Please note that food is essential when planning gin/rum/brandy/absinthe tasting in the middle of the day.

Corn hole next to the San Francisco skyline anyone?

Get a designated driver, everyone. Preferably a well dressed man who will feed you. I find the elementary school French flashcards Scolari‘s gives you rather amusing. L’avion va très vite!

A little bit of summertime in a salad. The perfect thing to eat with the sun at your back. Not pictured are the Parmesan truffle fries that were previously inhaled. They were so delicious, I forgot to take a picture.

Where the magic happens in the distillery proper. With all the chemistry, and stuff way beyond my comprehension.

Yes, that is a shark guarding the brandy barrels. Specifically the one from the movie “Deep Blue Sea.” It’s a story you need to hear from the St. George people firsthand. Let’s just say that one of the perks of a job there is getting to quality control their product as well as go on gratuitous shark rides.

Pear Brandy, reminiscent of what my family makes at home.

This took me a few seconds to comprehend. Sneaky people…

If you happen to visit the distillery anytime soon, spring for the Advanced tasting, which includes the tour. Our tour guide was both knowledgeable and hilarious- a key combination if you’re going to attempt learning anything after multiple swigs of hard alcohol. For example, did you know…

…The only requirement that a ‘gin’ needs to have is that it contains some amount of juniper…

…When in Scotland, never ask for “scotch.” Just ask for whiskey. “You don’t go to Mexico and ask for Mexican food”…

…Absinthe’s popularity at the turn of the century was due to the grape population being decimated, making wine expensive and scarce…

…Back in the day, absinthe was also made in lead-lined copper pots. Anyone who drank it, with the popular addition of laudanum, was giving themselves lead poisoning, getting drunk, and freebasing heroin simultaneously…

…Making alcohol seems horribly complicated. Each batch produced needs to be systematically separated, lest the drinker get a mouthful of almost pure ethanol instead of a delicious brandy…

…We have the British navy to thank for the term ‘proof.’ Initially, this was soaking gunpowder in rum and lighting it on fire to prove that what was in any given barrel was at least 50% alcohol…

See, you can have your cocktail and learn things too. Aside from the usual life lessons…

EVA♥

Summer List

Posted on July 11, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

Now that we’re officially into summer, and a little more than half way through our year, I thought I would share my Summer “To Do” List! This is partially for fun and partially so I’m somehow held accountable for them. Without a doubt, summer is my absolute favorite time of year and I plan on making the most of it. Some things on my list, like swimsuit shopping, can be considered typical summer activities, but others are a little more personal. I’ve seen beautiful pictures of the view from the “Hippie Tree” in Tiburon, but have never gotten a chance to go. And Alameda is the perfect place for kite boarding and paddle boarding, but I’ve never made the time to go! I’m hoping that by the time September rolls around, I will have checked most of these things off my list. If not, you, dear readers, will be the only ones who know, so go easy on me!

…Buy a new swimsuit…
…Visit Off The Grid, at least once…
…Attend more Saturday farmers markets…
…Go stand up paddle boarding…
…Make a Vegan dessert, à la The Simple Veganista
…Attend the Alameda Art & Wine Festival…
…Visit St. George Distillery…
…Have dinner at Foreign Cinema…
…Catch a baseball game at AT &T Park…
…Go to more yoga classes…
…Spend the day in St. Helena…
…Host a mimosa brunch…
…Visit the “Hippie Tree” in Tiburon
…Wear as many sundresses as possible…
…Dance as much as possible (nothing new here)…

What do you think? I tried to make it as well-rounded as possible, after much mental note-taking. Last summer was pretty incredible- I got to celebrate my 26th birthday in Hawaii, and spent some wonderful time with friends. Now, I can’t necessarily go to Hawaii for every birthday (or can I?), but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy my summer in a totally new way.

Have a great weekend all!

EVA♥