Five Things

Posted on November 2, 2016 by 4evamaria

Hello all,

Happy Wednesday! I’m back this week with a long-overdue Five Things! This past few weeks have been a doozy, to say the least. (Yes, I used doozy. I do not regret my word choice.) Luckily, there’s always a bit of silver lining to life; there are always lovely things to observe and share, if you look close enough. This week, I’m sharing a few of these bright spots with you, dear reader. Onward, to Five Things!

I recently was lucky enough to see Darren Criss in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” I can’t remember the last time I went to a musical, and I’ve decided that I need to do so more often! This show was particularly great: simple, slightly ridiculous, and splendid, all at once.

If you follow me on Instagram (or take peeks at my feed down below), you might have noticed my latest “treat yourself” purchase from Tiffany. This little love bracelet only recently caught my eye. It’s a bit big on my wrist, but I refused to have it re-sized right when I purchased it. It was the kind of day where I needed a little something shiny and special to take home.

As it turns out, my friend Stephanie and I are now Alameda famous! She spotted this photo of us in our town magazine. A few months back, we attended a really lovely benefit for Meals on Wheels at our local Rock Wall Wine Company. I had absolutely no qualms about supporting a great cause at one of my favorite spots on the island.

I spotted this display while perusing through a local boutique the other day, and I couldn’t have picked items that seemed more…well, me. I actually own this particular Voluspa candle, but haven’t gotten around to lighting it yet. It’s seems almost too lovely! One day…

I came across the above cartoon while exploring Instagram the other day, and it made me chuckle. In hard times, it definitely helps to laugh at oneself. I’m also incredibly reassured that shopping and alcohol seem to be the common cure for many issues. We are not alone, my friends.

EVA♥

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♥

Mini Adventures

Posted on May 28, 2016 by 4evamaria

Hello all!

Today’s story is all about my latest, new-car-buying adventures. I’ve been driving the same car since I was 16, and it served me really well. It was dusty and full of door-dings, but it got the job done. When my parents approached me saying I needed a new car, I shrugged at the thought. My car worked just fine, not to mention, I was oddly emotionally attached to it. I had passed my driver’s license test in it, drove it around my last summer in college, and took it on so many road trips. It was a constant in my life. But, I deserved to be safe and knew it would be a necessary purchase in future.

A little while later, this happened:

When I first entertained the idea of getting a new car, numerous people in my life suggested a Mini Cooper, straightaway. It was never something that I entertained before, but since I wanted a car smaller than the one I was currently driving it was at least worth a test drive. I didn’t realize how much I would like it! We ended up purchasing Mini’s newest model: The Clubman, which is a little bit bigger than your average Mini. I was a little hesitant until I coincidentally stumbled across someone who owned one right in my own little town. He had nothing but good things to say, and was incredibly enthusiastic about his experiences. I was sold.

Of course, buying a car can be really stressful, so here are some things to keep in mind:

Do your research.

There are a ton of cars out there, and the choices can be seriously overwhelming if you have absolutely no idea what you want/need. I recommend looking potential buys up on the Kelly Blue Book website. They even have reviews direct from car owners, so you can get a bit of perspective. If you don’t have to make a decision right away, take as much time as you can afford.

Stand your ground.

Car salesmen have notoriously pushy reputations for a reason. Some will want you to sign your life away immediately,”Which one do you want!? DONE!” And others might give you a load of grief during the paperwork process. I had a rather unfortunate experience at the dealership in San Francisco, and wouldn’t go back their had I had to do it all over again. Sometimes smaller dealerships can offer a lot in terms of experience.

And, in the end….

Go with your gut.

There are always going to be other choices, but what do you want? Don’t try to rationalize your instincts away (unless you’re trying to buy yourself a hot pink Bugatti for your commute, or something equally ridiculous). After all, you’re the one that has to drive your car everyday.

It’s been a good solid month now of zipping around in the Mini, and I can say that I’m really happy with it. Just the other day, I joked with my girlfriends “I don’t have pets, or much of a life, but hey! I have my mini!” Please keep in mind that this was after I waved and said hello to it on the street like a crazy person. Since I’m not allowed to have cats in my apartment, I guess I’ll become a crazy car lady instead. This car is probably the nicest thing I’ve ever owned, and I’m looking forward to having it for a good long while. As we all know, life sometimes doesn’t pan out the way you want it to, but there’s always things to be grateful for! Right now, I get to sit in my car, feel safe, and just a little bit snazzy.

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♥

So Fancy

Posted on January 20, 2016 by 4evamaria

Hello all!

Those of you who have gotten to know me in my non-internet life know that I somehow seem to find myself attending formal occasions; perhaps more than the average Joe. Between my large family’s love of black-tie weddings, and attending galas, I’ve accumulated a number of evening gowns. So many so that I have a section of my closet that I refer to as my “gown closet.”

It’s quite fun, once you get over how ridiculous trying to shut a closet door full of gowns is. With another fancy occasion looming, I thought there would be no time like the present to dust a few of them off, and make some decisions as to what to wear next!

(You’ll have to pardon the clutter around my closet.)

This is my latest acquisition. Vintage, 1960s silk with pearl beading.

I like to call this my “Belle” dress, BCBG laser-cut satin.

Another BCBG, mini-train not pictured.

I had a great purchasing this blue dress at the BCBG boutique in downtown San Francisco years ago. The style had just come in and I was the first to try it on and “model” it for the staff. The salesgirls were so sweet and helpful, I had a hard time deciding on a dress to take home, because I ended up finding so many that I liked.

A number of dresses have been left out of the picture, for the moment. I have a vintage, red Oleg Cassinni strapless gown, a heavily beaded magenta sari, two tea-length lace dresses trimmed with ostrich feathers, a rhinestone-encrusted silver gown in need of some alterations, and a slightly sheer black mermaid skirt that can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion. One would think that I would be set for life with my dress collection, but I somehow manage to run out of options when new occasions pop up. I’ve most definitely worn a few of them for multiple occasions, so I like to think I’ve gotten my “money’s worth” out of them thus far. Each dress also holds certain memories from the night’s I’ve worn them- most notably the yellow gown pictured above, which I ended up wearing on an impromptu visit to the top of the Empire State Building in New York at 1am. I’m hoping I’ll be able to add to my collection of stories as I add to my dress collection.

Which dress should I wear next!? Stay tuned…

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on December 16, 2015 by 4evamaria

Hello all,

It’s time for Five Things, again! Is it just me,or does this feel like an entire week of never-ending Thursdays? Tomorrow marks the beginning of my holiday-craziness, as I like to call it with the opening night of Smuin Ballet’s Christmas Ballet. Yours truly will be all but living in the theater, for the next two weeks. On the bright side, I’ll be able to get a substantial amount of Christmas shopping done,as our theater is mere steps away from San Francisco’s downtown shopping hub. I’ll also most likely be able to write quite a bit “inside the box,” as I like to call it. So, stay tuned for some behind the scenes blogs on the ballet. In the meantime, here are this week’s Five Things!

I stumbled upon this intriguing piece of art at SFO the other day. I believe it had some sort of creative name like “Heels to Heaven.” They were giant high heels, so I naturally had to take a picture.

I’m a firm believer in treating yourself every-once-in-a-while. I snapped up these beautiful rose gold Kendra Scott earrings at a recent Nordstrom sale as an early Christmas present to myself. (In case your curious, on my nails is OPI’s “Taupeless beach” nailpolish)

I came across this perfectly preserved cocktail dress from the 1950’s at Desert Vintage in Tucson. The photo doesn’t do it nearly enough justice; it was beautifully tailored, with curved seams and a very full circle skirt. My favorite piece in the shop, however, had to be a 1920’s navy and lilac lace caftan-style dress that looked like it could have been made yesterday. If you’re ever in the market for unique pieces that are well taken care of, Desert Vintage is the place to look.

I was really pleased to hear that the iconic Bay Bridge light show was making a reappearance for the holidays. After a long day at work, they considerably brightened up my commute.

I recently held an impromptu holiday photoshoot in my apartment inspired by this creative woman’s Christmas cards. This year, I’ve resolved to make my very own, semi-inappropriate cards to send out to friends. This is the first year I’ve made custom cards using Shutterfly, and I’m looking forward to finally getting them in the mail very soon. Hint: these are not your grandmother’s Christmas cards.

Cheers, and happy holidays!

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on December 2, 2015 by 4evamaria

Hello all!

I can’t believe it’s already December.

I’ve had a bit of an unfortunate start to the winter season; the cold has finally caught up with the Bay Area, just in time for my thermostat to stop working. Before you ask, yes, I hit my heater repeatedly in an attempt to fix it. No, it did not work. That being said, I’ve spent many of my evenings at home lately wrapped up in my favorite heated blanket, pinning things on Pinterest for a much longer time than is healthy. I’ll admit it, I’ve finally caught the Pinterest bug and an intervention might be necessary sometime soon (in the meantime, you can find my Pinterest page here). I don’t know about you, dear readers, but I’m just about ready to be done with this year. Hellooooo 2016! To start, I’ll just take a functioning heater.

And with that rambling introduction, I give you this week’s Five Things!

Those of you who know me, know that I spend approximately 50% of my life in active wear or a leotard. Although quite pricey, some of the pieces I have from Lululemon are my tried and true favorites. I still frequently wear the very first jacket I ever purchased from them six years ago. This top, the Swiftly Tech Long-sleeve Crew, is my latest find. And I love the color- cant’ you tell? I somehow ended up in their dressing rooms wearing all violet/navy things without meaning to!

The little island I live on might not have much in the way of nightlife, but we do have one of the very best tiki bars in the Bay Area. If you’re ever around, Forbidden Island is a must. From left to right, I give you the Monkeypod, the Boo-Loo, and the infamous and delicious Painkiller.

Commuting can shave years off of your life, but being able to hop on a ferry and see this lovely view every week certainly makes up for it. Why spend time underground or stuck in traffic when you can bob along in the bay? They even have doughnuts. Ssh! It’s a secret.

These drinks from San Pellegrino have become some of my favorites lately. Bonus: they come in many flavors, all tasty. It’s easy enough to find your standard lemon or orange flavors in the grocery store, but some of my favorites include clementine, grapefruit, blood orange, and this rare prickly pear flavor! This peach-colored can did wonders for perking up an otherwise dull work day.

Oh, hello beautiful shoes. Unfortunately, these were no where near my size, so I had to settle for admiring them. At more than 50% off I started going through the list of friends I could potentially call who wore a size 6 1/2. What a steal! Also, in case you haven’t guessed it, I am most certainly the friend that enables extravagant purchases.

Life is short, buy the shoes.

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on November 18, 2015 by 4evamaria

Hello all!

Five Things is b-a-c-k, back!

I’ve been accumulating pictures left and right, and yet life seems to get in the way, as it so conveniently does. I’ve been missing sharing the random round-up of photos from my life, and am looking forward to getting the backlog of blogs out of my brain and onto the interwebs. Of course, what would Watch Me Juggle be without a little spontaneity/chaos? On that note, here are this week’s Five Things:

I had my first pint of porter at Faction Brewing recently. Perched on the edge of the old navy base, Faction a local Alameda brewery with an amazing view of the San Francisco skyline. It’s very much no-frills- a trip to the ladies room requires crossing the brewery’s entire warehouse, but that’s very much part of its charm. I’ve also never had a milk stout quite like theirs before! I highly recommend.

I’ve been exploring San Francisco’s Hayes Valley neighborhood quite a bit lately, and have been enjoying it. You’ll find many interesting characters, restaurants, and bars there, as well as the occasional piece of “burner” artwork. Here’s If you take a peek past this artfully carved gazebo, you’ll be able to see another one of one of this week’s things…

I’m very much in love with Smitten Ice Cream, located just down the street from my office. It’s made-to-order ice cream is unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before. Pictured is one of their season flavors: sweet white corn and fresh berries. Delicious!

It’s no secret that I do enjoy perusing antique and thrift stores from time to time. I found this funny little collection of “mustache” cups recently. Perfect at keeping tea out of even the most dapper gentleman’s mustache!

Some friends and I had the chance to visit the famed Wilson and Wilson bar in San Francisco not too long ago. A secret bar within a bar, Wilson and Wilson boasts an impressive cocktail menu, handed to you in the form of a case file. It’s detective agency-themed decor reminded me of something you might see in The Maltese Falcon and their in-house infused liquors are really unique.

Cheers!

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on July 29, 2015 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

It’s been a long week, but we’ve made it this far! Happy Wednesday. Funnily enough, despite resting up sufficiently this last weekend, I somehow have enough energy to unnecessarily exhaust myself all over again during the day. Take today for example: all I had was a quick, 10 minute jaunt on the freeway to get to an appointment. What do I do instead? Take a wrong turn that includes a 20 minute detour in the complete opposite direction that I need to go. When I finally got to my destination, I managed to run around (literally back and forth across the street to find a functioning parking ticket dispenser) a bit while only being five minutes late to my appointment. Go me! I somehow adult my way through these things. Things like this seem to be the pattern recently- I’m taking the “scenic route” everywhere, both literally and figuratively. You would think I would have better things to do with my time- like peruse Instagram, have a glass of wine, or shop online for shoes. Well, in between doing these things instead of going to bed like a responsible adult, I lined up this week’s Five Things, just as random as always:

Here’s a little snapshot from Jessup Cellars in Yountville. I don’t know about you, dear readers, but if a tasting room supplies snacks, chances are I’ll be back. I loved finishing my red wine with a bit of dark chocolate.

A quick shout-out to #NationalLipstickDay today! The above is one of my favorite clips from one of my favorite movies, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I watch it at least once a year, usually around my birthday. There are still certain things you cannot read without your lipstick.

I snapped a clip of the snarky decor at Bunny’s Shoes in Santa Cruz on my latest trip. Stop by if you get a chance- they have a little something for everyone.

I recently stumbled across this spot for Boston Ballet and have been fascinated. It has minimal bells-and-whistles, but packs a punch by showcasing the dancers’ amazing athletic ability. Check out Dusty Button’s amazing extension at 46 seconds! Yowza.

I give you: one of my favorite pieces of art on the Yountville Art Walk. Yes, it’s a giant salmon sculpture with a broken tail. No, I have no idea why it’s there or who created it. But, there was just something about it’s bright colors and shark-like teeth that made me happy. It was either that or all the wine.

Who knows?

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♥