Mid-Century Love

Hello everyone...Here are a few Polaroids of our beautiful 1960s-era apartment building...For some reason my scanner made the photos black and white:



I'm especially in love with the lobby, with its funky hanging lamps:



and the exterior awning...



and, of course, our apartment:



I can't wait to move in!

Drowning in a sea of paper...

Over the past two days I've been trying to clear out our garage. There's so much paper: old bills, newspapers, xmas cards, photographs, letters. Stacks and stacks of books and magazines...
It's stressing me out!

Maybe there's something to living a paper-free life.

What do you keep and what do you toss? And what about books? Do you keep them forever or give them away after you read them? I have a friend who leaves boxes at the backdoor of her favorite used bookstore late at night. She calls it stealth dumping!


(Photo found on the Internet, somewhere.)

Moving!

Hello everyone,

We're moving! We put the house up for sale and we found a gorgeous garden apartment, very 1960s mod. At the moment I'm trying to clear out 10 years worth of accumulated junk. I'm looking forward to a simpler life -- less stuff, smaller living expenses and more money to travel...

I promise to post photos of our new place in the coming days!

I'll miss our little rose-covered cottage, but mid-century modern seems so chic...


PS-- The winner of the vintage Japanese box is CHELSEA HAYWOOD!

Happy Weekend

Driving along Interstate 5 on the way back to Los Angeles. Already missing San Francisco! This weekend I'll be doing lots of laundry...

What about you?

Thursday Giveaway: Vintage Japanese Music Box

This little vintage box -- found in a San Francisco thrift store -- has the charm of Asia and the romance of the Viennese waltz that plays when you lift the enameled top. The tune will make you think of glittering ballrooms and floor-length dresses. And it's the perfect place to stash small treasures heavy with memory. In our souls, we all know how to waltz.

Please leave a comment here to enter. The winner will be announced Monday!

PS: If you have a chance, please let me know which zines you read (see two posts below!) I'm putting together a list!

Thank you! Have a wonderful Thursday.

Mission District Murals

San Francisco's Mission District is known for its colorful murals, a tradition fostered by the city's Mexican-American community in the 1970s. A walk along 24th Street between Valencia and York is especially wonderful, with vibrant Frida Kahlo-esque designs.

The Precita Eyes Mural Arts and Visitors Center at 2981 24th Street is the perfect place to start an impromptu tour. And you'll find more than 30 murals on Balmy Alley one block away. I wish I had brought more Polaroid film to photograph it. Next time!

(Photos above by Brooklyn-based home writer Jen Jafarzadeh L'Italien. You can find more on her lovely blog, Haystack Needle.)