Last night Kate and I enjoyed a celebratory dinner at Kirala (yum!) in honor of finishing my Right-Brain Business Plan book. (Wish we got a better pic. Oh well.) Kate is a fabulous friend plus my ultimate creative cohort – she designed my brochure and my Unfolding Your Life Vision Kit, she designed and illustrated my Right-Brain Business Plan e-Book, and she did all of the darling illustrations in my forthcoming book, hence the celebration.
In 2008-2009, Kate, her sister Molly, and I even did a fun, collaborative project together called Kiss the Paper (and we celebrated the completion of that year-long blog at Kirala as well, at the same table even!). Kate launched a new blog this month called eat 30 where she documents her new habit of eating breakfast daily. It’s been fun to get a glimpse into her mornings.
I feel so fortunate to partner with such a talented, loving, and sweet friend. Thanks so much, Kate! You’re the best. xoxo
On Sunday, I enjoyed book club with my dear friends. We should probably call it food club, though, since the incredible meals tend to overshadow the book discussion. And with delicious food like this, who could blame us?!
Our book selection this time was the Guersney Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I enjoyed the book and how it unfolded over correspondence.
Ahh, but enough talk of the book and on to the food… For appetizers, Christina made a fancy version of Scottish eggs (a quail egg rolled in chicken sausage and breadcrumbs and then fried to a yummy crisp). They were amazing!!
Our main dish was this scrumptiously rich dover sole stuffed with crab and shrimp.
And here’s the ultra-talented chef, Christina! Thank you, Christina for working your culinary magic. I love getting to hang out with the book club ladies! I’m guaranteed good laughs, great food and a grand old time.
I can’t believe that I’ve lived in Oakland for more than five years and had yet to visit East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse! Well, last Friday my friend Julie and I rectified that situation. We beamed with excitement as we read on the website, “Every teacher’s first stop and every artist’s second home.” Since Julie’s a teacher and we’re both quite crafty we knew this could be dangerous!
While I’m not one to rummage through garage sales and flea markets (I just get too overwhelmed), I was amazed at the random and fun things I found at the depot. You can buy scrap paper buy the inch, crayons by the pound, buttons by the bag and so much more! I picked up a handful of those bright yellow buttons, a bag of cool retro book pages, an old UC Berekely newspaper from 1974, some upholstery swatches, a few sheets of handmade paper and a blank book shaped like a tag. I’m looking forward to the creative ways I can use these goodies.
If you haven’t been yet, definitely check it out. And of course while you’re in the Temescal area, stop by Bake Sale Betty‘s for the fried chicken. Julie and I waited in a line that went almost down the block, but it was worth it for the delicious fried chicken salad, ginger cookie and lemonade. (We rationalized to ourselves that the fried chicken salad was much healthier than the famous fried chicken sandwich!). Also, my favorite yarn store, Article Pract, is nearby, too, as is my friend Danielle Fox’s beautiful new gallery Slate Art and Design. Lots of creative inspiration along this street!
I rarely cook, but when I do, I enjoy going gourmet. For our family Thanksgiving feast, I was in charge of appetizers. So my art for today was my delicious sweet potato galettes with turkey bacon, sage and rosemary with a dollop of sour cream. Yum!!
Before I go to bed, I’m going to finish my gratitude that I started this moring and will place it in my blessings box. Ahhh, I’m full of good food and lots of gratitude!
A quick watercolor tonight. Orchids are one of my favorite flowers. Simple, elegant and beautiful.
Earlier tonight, Kate and I took a tour of Oakland’s Art Mumur. Every first Friday of the month several art galleries near downtown Oakland have open studios. We’d never been before, so it was cool to see such a bustling creative community in the heart of the city. To top it off, Kate and I dined on some Louisiana style fried chicken and candied yams at a local dive. Yum! Definitely a fun night on the town.
