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 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:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcI7jgkwdCM

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♥

Things I Wish I Knew About in College

Posted on April 21, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

I hope I’m finding you well on yet-another-Monday.

What’s with the random collage, you ask?

Well, today I wanted to write about a few things that I have discovered in my post-grad years that I wish I had known about in college. I’m convinced my quality of life, while pretty good, would have been exponentially improved with these everyday additions.

1. Lululemon

Now, my identity as a college student was primarily “The Dance Major.” Being a part of such a rigorous program and having multiple dance classes daily, I always found myself dashing off to my academic classes in my dance clothes. I would sit down, sweaty and red-faced in the lecture halls with my hair in a bun, in some sort of leotard-pink-tights-sweatpants-tank top combination. Slap on some Ugg boots and you had an outfit that had most people thinking that I had just run straight from my bed to my seat in class. Lovely. Long story short, I wish I had had the means to discover Lululemon earlier. Now, I know they’ve had a bit of a bad rap as of late, but the many Lululemon pieces I own have undoubtedly withstood the test of time. I’ve had the same little jacket for about 5 years now, wear it sometimes multiple times a week, and it’s still in amazing condition. Even when I’m not feeling my best, throwing on a couple of pieces makes me feel instantly put together. I can’t say how much money I spent amassing cheaper activewear in college, but had I known that investing in what I wore to class everyday would have made such a huge difference in my demeanor, I would have done it in a heartbeat!

2. Dry Shampoo

Dry shampoo, without a doubt, is my new must-have product. I hate washing my hair everyday. Not only is it time-consuming, but the consistent blowdrying and styling inflicts some serious damage. Besides, who wants to get out of bed an entire hour earlier than usual just to wash their hair? Not me. To top it off, I have the lovely kind of hair that deflates overnight, even when it’s freshly washed. With dry shampoo (Batiste is my favorite, bonus points for the amazing scents in comes in) all you need to do is spray, run your fingers through your hair and go. It instantly mattifies and gives your hair volume. I’ve even used it on freshly washed hair for a little extra ‘oomph.’ I may have a slight addiction. There are worse things.

3. Target

Ah, Target. Possibly one of my favorite post-grad discoveries. Granted, Santa Barbara did not have a Target readily accessible when I was a student there, but my roommates and I did make the hour-long roadtrip on the weekends simply to shop at the nearest one in Ventura. It’s my one-stop-shop, and I go to it for almost everything. It’s well organized and affordable, and you can find almost anything you might need. Need bandaids, cereal, and a cute new bikini? Target. What about vitamins, the latest bestseller, and a Philip Lim-inspired dress? Target has all those things. Now that they’ve even added a grocery department, I’m able to pick up that milk I keep forgetting to buy as well…

4. Decent Beer

I realize this seems counter-intuitive given that the collegiate drink of choice seems to be beer. You will find beer everywhere, no matter what college campus you are on. The one problem that you will often encounter is that it’s horrible, horrible beer. Beer so bad, so cheap, I don’t think it can even legally be sold under the label “Beer.” Oh, Natty Ice. It’s perhaps the equivalent of drinking Arbor Mist and claiming to be a wine connoisseur. No. Just no. It wasn’t until I was in Seattle for my dear friend Brooke’s wedding that I discovered the more complex subtleties of beer, the varieties, the flavors, the unorthodox ingredients. Yes, some beers are absolutely disgusting, but others are rich and amazing. I enjoy drinking them. Who knew?

…

The list could go on, yet these are undoubtedly the things I find myself coming back to again and again. I could also include swiffer sweepers, bronzer, glass water bottles, and kombucha. And I’m sure next week I’ll have even more additions. Post-grad life can be not so fun at times, but these things are odd concrete proof that things just keep getting better. Or something…

Love,

EVA♥

I Have a Problem

Posted on April 10, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

My name is Eva, and I have a problem hoarding bath products. Specifically from Lush.

This isn’t even all of it…

Most of you already know this, but I thought I would come clean. (Get it, clean? Am horrible person, I know.)

I find FULL BAGS of things I bought months ago, hidden in my house for “later.” I have a drawer in my bathroom, composed entirely of bath bombs, bubble bars, and spare soap. Yes, spare soap. If the world’s supply of soap is devastated in some sort of freak accident, I will have enough to last me a whole year. I kid you not. My shower has also been taken over. Because, let’s face it ladies: you have some days where you want to smell like rose shower gel, and some days where you want to smell like lavender shower gel. In my home you will also find little scrubby bars, “body conditioner,” facial cleansing products, moisturizer, and massage bars. Some things I will decide are way too cute to use (anyone remember the Halloween pumpkin?) and just keep to look at them. Why? WHY??

Like this little guy, the Bunny:

Sadly, he met his demise yesterday, but I was left with a pink, shea butter-y bath filled with cornflower petals.

I find that there’s just something wonderfully therapeutic about having nice-smelling things to indulge in every-once-in-a-while. Sure, consistently buying whimsical little bars of solid bubble bath can get a bit pricey, but they’re also about the same price as a happy hour cocktail while being much better for you. I additionally appreciate the emphasis the company places on doing business ethically; their products use only fresh, environmentally friendly and cruelty-free ingredients. They promote charitable giving and are actively involved in a number of ethical campaigns, often to the point of designing products specifically for the purpose of bringing awareness to consumers. There was the ‘Shark Fin soap,’ to encourage the ban on the fin trade; the ‘Jungle soap’ to raise funds for the Rainforest Action Network ; even the ‘Freedom Foamer’ bubble bar for the Freedom to Marry campaign. It’s just cosmetics, really, but it’s so refreshing to support a company that has both fantastic products and something distinctly positive to say.

They’re my favorite.

Ok, so it’s to the point that the store employees know me whenever I go in to “stock up,” but there are much worse things I could do.

Just saying.

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on April 2, 2014 by 4evamaria

This gallery contains 4 photos.

Hello ladies and gents! It’s my first attempt today to post via my iPhone, so let’s hope this doesn’t go too badly! I’ve been attempting to take advantage of my week-long spring break as much as possible and have scheduled … Continue reading →

Weekend Discoveries

Posted on February 24, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

I daresay I’ve missed you all this weekend! I’ve been in quite the routine blogging just about everyday, so taking Saturdays and Sundays off somehow seems like an eternity. It’s been serving me well, because I get to go out and have the many experiences that I share with you here. Speaking of which, this last Saturday I got to go to the monthly Treasure Island Flea Market for the first time. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. Aside from the beautiful views of the city, there was an abundance of parking (because you never know with being near San Francisco and all), as well as an abundance of people to watch and treasures to find. Hooray for two of my favorite pastimes in one!

What do you get when you combine food trucks and a flea market free-for-all? A good time by my standards, that’s what!

There was a band, a full bar serving cocktails around every corner (the Moscow Mules were delicious!), adorable dogs, and young hipsters in their hipster costumes as far as the eye could see. I spent perhaps the majority of my time there wandering about, taking in all the sights. They tout themselves as a dog and family friendly event, and they were not kidding. We brought Maddy along, but unfortunately she was terribly overwhelmed by everything and not quite herself. It’s strange to think that such a large dog is scared of so many little things. On top of the delicious food and drink, I found some brand new Kate Spade espadrilles and a beautiful print ad from 1929 advertising costume jewelry. Evidently at that time you could buy quality pearls for $8.50. It was clearly a social event for many of the young people there, which was amusing, to say the least. Hoards of them marched around in their Ray Ban sunglasses and carefully planned outfits, chit-chatting with each other as if it was last-call at Elbo Room. I saw so many inspiring things, I was tempted to return for the “show” on Sunday. I’ll be back next month, without a doubt.

I hope everyone had as much fun as I did this past weekend! I’ll see you at the next flea market.

Love,

EVA ♥

The Joys of Thrifting

Posted on February 17, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello lovely people!

Hope everyone out there is having a wonderful President’s Day. I know a lot of you have had a little bit of time off this weekend. I’ve had an awfully long and productive weekend, and by productive, I mean I ate a lot of candy. And cleaned my kitchen. While listening to Martin Garrix. I know, I know…

One of the many highlights of my recent week has undoubtedly been the Oakland Museum’s 55th Annual White Elephant sale. For those of you that are not familiar, the White Elephant Sale is a massive warehouse sale composed of entirely donated goods, benefiting the Oakland Museum. You can find everything there: from vintage furs to Christmas decorations. Imagine the biggest, best, and most organized Salvation Army you’ve ever been to- that’s the White Elephant.

My favorite section. Vintage Clothing.

A bit of history…

The best sign ever. Good for them!

Beautiful and delicate teacups.

Antique household knick-knacks.

More knick-knacks. Or is it Brick-a-Brack?

Flamingo. Guarding the Ladies Shoes. Why? Just Why?

Every time it comes around, I find myself spending hours just strolling through their warehouse, most of the time not looking for anything in particular, but finding treasures nonetheless. My mother has been going for years, and first took me when I was very small, maybe five or six years old. I was not a fan of it’s organized chaos as a child. I was a fan of retail, and found the endless searching both frustrating and boring. I’ve certainly come a long way. What appeals to me about thrifting is finding something entirely unique. Things at thrift stores aren’t sitting around in mass-produced quantities, and good finds are generally few and far between, so when you find something that appeals to you, it’s all the more special. Don’t get me started on the ridiculous prices. I recently found brand new, leather Tory Burch sandals for $1. ONE Dollar. It’s like they’re paying me to take things away, rather than the other way around.

Here are some of my most recent finds (often kindly sponsored by my mother). Let’s just say I’ve met my shopping quota for a while.

At the top, we have a pair of Michael Kors heeled suede sandals (from our local Salvation Army). Next to them are my $1 Tory Burch sandals. I’m excited for warm weather, can’t you tell? I also found a red 1980’s Barry Bricken skirt that’s beautifully tailored (also from Salvation). The black pencil skirt is Moschino Cheap and Chic, and the black suede boots are Via Spiga Dacias, which were an amazing find by my lovely boss. She has the best eye ever.

I’m perhaps most excited about the vintage lace dress I picked up. It needs a little love, as some seams have come undone, and the lace is a little tattered in some spots, but it’s an altogether beautiful find. It has a little strapless lilac lining that you can’t see too clearly in the picture below, and one of those fantastic metal zippers. I’m guessing it’s from the late-1950’s, early 1960’s, due to the construction. A big thanks to V is for Vintage, for their fantastic zipper guide. Because I’m a dork and I get excited by things like zippers.

Isn’t she pretty? Now I just need a place to wear her.

Hope you had as much fun as I did this weekend. Call me if you ever need a hand at your local thrift store. You never know what gems you may find.

Love,

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on February 12, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

Wednesday is here already! It’s been an awfully long week already, but the weekend is in sight! Sort of…

I’ve been looking forward to today this whole week because I have this fabulous performance to go to tonight!

San Francisco Ballet is hosting the Hamburg Ballet for two nights only. They’re performing one of my favorite ballets of all time: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” choreographed by John Neumeier. His version of “The Little Mermaid” blew me away years ago, so I can’t wait to see what he’s done with this Shakespearean classic. I can tell just by the short video blurb that it’s going to be visually stunning. Only legitimate ballerinas can pull off holographic unitards. A review to follow!

In other news:

(My latest bookstore purchases. Random, just like me.)

Here’s the latest I’m reading! I have a CBEST study guide (boo! I don’t know what I’m doing with that, we’ll see), Allie Brosh’s new book, and a gem of a biography on Jackie Kennedy Onassis. This last one fell in my lap as I was searching for something completely different at the bookstore. It chronicles her lifelong love of books and the influence they had on her life. I’ve always looked up to JKO, but something in this biography “clicked” for me. She was an incredible patron of the arts and the ballet, and made a name for herself in the publishing world. Both things I ultimately aspire to. I can’t put it down.

(Target decor. On sale!)

I stumbled upon these guys the other day and it took all my willpower not to purchase them. My favorite has to be: “Dear Coffee, I love you. That is all.” It’s absolutely something I would say.

(Here’s the part where I show you pictures of my weird cat!)

Imagine waking to this face staring at you. She’s an odd duck, she is. In this moment, she was perched on my lap, upright, and we were staring at each other. I swear, we’re two peas in a pod sometimes. Oh, and I’m a cat lady. Just so you know.

(My favorite donuts in SF)

I have had the worst hankering for donuts this last week. I blame the dreary weather. From left to right, you are looking at a Caramel de sel, chocolate rose, strawberries & cream filled, hibiscus beet (Yes, BEET), passion fruit milk chocolate, and orange cardamom donuts. I’ll let that sink in. Hopefully it will sustain you for the next week.

Happy Wednesday!

EVA♥