photo copyright Yves Marchand & Romain Meffre
This is one of many hauntingly beautiful images from photographers Yves Marchand & Romain Meffre of downtown Detroit in a series called The Ruins of Detroit. I don’t know why but this looks to me like something out of East Berlin. (ah I just now noticed they also did a set on East Germany so there you go).
These photos are gorgeous but one can’t help but feel really depressed to see these buildings in such sorrowful neglect.
{Photo from Lindt used without permission but I don’t think they will mind.}
Can’t get enough of this dark chocolate bar with a dash of sea salt. The salt is subtle and makes every bite extra special. Crazy good. I get mine at Raleys.
Lately, I’ve been feeling a bit confused about which problems should be addressed, and in what order, in my life. I sort of pinball between focusing on work, then health issues, then trying to get more joy in my life and then I come through the front door of our apartment and am met with dishes and disarray – “oh yeah… housework,” I sigh.
I read self-help books (to which I may have a slight addiction) and am reminded to practice self-care, eat fruits and veggies, put money in savings, do work I love, be creative, make time for my husband, etc… and it all becomes a huge list of things I have to remember but always seem to forget (or avoid). If I “plan my day in advance”, more things from the list seem to get done… but then I read some Eckhart Tolle and I chuck it all out the window to just “be here now”.
So my goal, for lack of a better word, for today is to put down the self-help books and just try to make the most loving choices for myself in each moment of the day. I don’t mean treating myself to a Leatherby’s hot fudge sundae (mmm, leatherbys), but rather, asking myself what would be the kindest option for me as if I were my own parent. Okay, I know, it’s a little self-help-ish… but sometimes it does help to reframe my thoughts in this way.
Hope you all enjoy the first day of Spring!
The weather is nice and you are stuck inside, trying to do your work but instead staring longingly out the window. Well, here are some ways for you to distract yourself while waiting for quitting time to roll around:
Luxe Home Swap – okay so you already know about these vacations where you trade homes with someone who lives in another country from watching The Holiday with Kate Winslet, but this site is like drooling central for looking at photos of pretty houses and daydreaming.
365 Secrets of Happiness – I follow this guy on FB and his posts on how to be happy are always charming, smart and (happily) brief.
The Naked Bee products – my friend bought me the Hand & Body lotion (orange blossom honey) and I have been in heaven ever since. 70% certified organic, paraben-free and phalate-free fragrance. I’m pretty sure you can pick some up at Sacramento Beekeeping Supplies on X street.
Steampunk Home – I had never heard of steampunk before this week, but now that I know, oh my goodness… I may have to steal my husbands collection of HG Wells books and get to reading. The Steampunk Workshop blog has a great tour of a couple in Massachusettes who restored their Victorian in steampunk design. It’s cooler than you think it’s going to be.
The Daily Connoisseur – this is one of my favorite blogs. You may not be into it, but I really like her calm, thoughtful posts about trying to live a more elegant life. She may have more money than I do, but I never get the sense that her lifestyle is unattainable or in any way eye-roll inducing.
Capitol Actors Theatre – a friend of mine is launching a new theatre group in town. Check it out!
For partly financial reasons, we live out in Carmichael. Not really a hotbed of romantic things to do, but in an effort to save money and gas, I’ve been trying to come up with fun dates closer to home. Here are a few ideas for an inexpensive Saturday day out in Carmichael:
Breakfast at Lido café
The Lido is one of those hole in the strip mall places that actually has really good food. It’s small but they have a few booths and the wait staff are friendly. I got the cinnamon roll (which was raved about on Yelp) and it was very good, especially if you like yours really sweet. We also had the sausages which were banger-size and had a little kick to them, some toast and tea.
Soccer (football) at Ancil Hoffman park
Since my husband is English, we have fun kicking around the ball on the big open field at Ancil Hoffman, just after the entrance gate. More serious players can be found here on some days or around the back by the golf club… but we just like to dribble and steal from each other. Guaranteed to make you laugh like a kid and in our case, wheeze like old fogeys. Afterwards, you can take a nice stroll on the trail that goes around the park and Effie Yeaw nature center has a couple of good, short trails to the river. My only complaint about Ancil Hoffman is people don’t always leash their dogs.
Carmichael Library
We love our library and visit it all the time. Since the recession started, I’ve been to the library more times than in all of my previous years put together. We get movies, cds, magazines, books and childrens books (I like ‘em). Once a month they have a book sale, so that’s a nice little diversion as well.
Boulevard Coffee
A good spot for an afternoon pick-me-up is Boulevard Coffee on Fair Oaks (near Lido café). We ordered up some tea and sat at one of the cute indoor tables while reading the books we got from the library (don’t spill!). The place is kind of smallish so if there is a loud conversation going on, it can be hard to concentrate on reading. But it’s a great place if you want to have a romantic chat.
Thrift Town
It’s always hit or miss at this (like most) thrift stores. On recent visits, I’ve picked up cute thank you notes, an embroidered pillowcase, a shirt, books and a VHS tape. Watch for their 50% off all clothing sales if you really want a good deal. (not sure if that includes their vintage section or not)
For dinner, we usually head home and make something ourselves… it’s cheaper, healthier and frankly, there’s not a lot of cheap/decent places to eat in our section of Carmichael. Although I’ve been meaning to try Serritella’s again… I haven’t been there in years.
Hope you can use one or two of these suggestions next time you are in our neighborhood!
Looks like Sacramento Heritage has a new website featuring a number of self-guided walking tours through historic areas of town. Some look better than others, but definitely worth checking out.
This reminds me that Sacramento Historic House has been criminally neglected. I have no excuse. It needs a redesign and new photos and maybe add in street addresses (which I hesitated to do originally).
I’ve recently signed us up for a CSA box every three weeks (I know, it’s not often enough!) through Farm Fresh To You. The first week we got the regular small box which had a lot of great stuff in it, but sadly I’m not much of a cook and I worried that some things (e.g. collard greens) might go at least partially unused.
So we switched to the small Fast Fruit & Veg box which is great for healthy snacking and for any of you brave raw foodies. Anyway, I can’t recommend it highly enough. I was raised on an American diet of canned chili, pizza, and burritos so having really great fresh produce is eye-opening. I literally went on and on to anyone who would listen about how good the carrots were (yep, they got eaten straight off the bat).
People ask why I don’t just go to the farmers market? Well, I could and still plan to in the summer, but… when I go, I’m easily overwhelmed by all the people and the lines and not knowing which stand has the good stuff, etc… maybe I’m alone in this, but I like having the best of the season brought to my door in a nice recyclable box. It’s like Christmas.
*fyi, the photo above is from our trip to England and not of what was in our FFTY box – although it’s pretty close (minus the yummy looking jam).
On my walk through the mist this morning, I was listening to Melody Gardot and thinking about how magical the moment felt. I could feel myself starting to smile and I got a sudden burst of confidence that made me think “this is great – I feel great… I can do anything I want… I could totally go live in England I feel so good.”
And then suddenly my brain projected me into this future England where I’m (inexplicably) throwing a cocktail party. The candles are lit and I’m surrounded by a bunch of strangers whom I’m attempting to make laugh. And I suddenly feel really intimidated and anxious.
Back in the present, as I’m walking, my smile drops and I think to myself… nooooo, I don’t want that. I don’t want to leave here, this town, my hometown, where I don’t have to throw cocktail parties and I don’t have to try to make people laugh and I understand the system. As I continue to stroll along through the mist, less energetic than before, I tighten my coat and reassure myself that I’m not moving to another country anytime soon.
So here’s the thing. This is how your brain screws with you. I started feeling really good and ready to take some risks… so my brain decides to throw a wrench in and make me feel insecure enough to want to stay safe in my comfort zone. I’m here to tell you that your brain cannot always be trusted to make good decisions or to accurately predict how you are going to behave or enjoy any particular situation (read Stumbling on Happiness
The truth is… if I were to move to England (or anywhere else) where I didn’t have my family and didn’t know anyone, there would be intimidation and anxiety, yes… but there would also be joy, wonder, comfort, delight, romance, frustration, anger, sadness and boredom. Just like there is here, in this town. My brain chose to bring up a vision that would cause me some social anxiety but it could just as easily brought up a vision of me buying mascara at Boots, because that’s what life abroad would mostly be about… those everyday moments that are mostly good and not really all that different.
Recently, I watched the documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor and the film got me thinking about the scarcity of luxury and quality in this modern world. There is something so inspiring in a beautifully designed evening gown or a multi-course meal prepared with care and forethought or a luxury hotel that is actually… luxurious!
The Sainte Claire is truly one of the “grand dame” hotels in California. It was designed by the San Francisco architectural firm Weeks and Day, no strangers to elegant hotels (they also designed the Mark Hopkins and the St. Francis), and opened in 1926 as part of the renaissance of downtown San Jose. Over the years, the hotel has hosted a bevy of famous guests including Clark Gable, Judy Garland, JFK and Joe DiMaggio and when you walk through the lobby doors you can almost imagine that one of them might turn the corner at any moment. The detailed restoration and renovations to each of the 170 guest rooms, and 17 suites, showcases the handmade hardwood furniture, rich wall coverings, ceiling murals and, in the lobby, elaborate gilt scrollwork and hand-carved, hand-painted ceiling panels. You can read more about the history of the hotel here.
We were lucky enough to secure the Grand Suite (room 631) during our recent stay and, if you are looking for a great way to indulge yourself – this is the room to get. The views of downtown are amazing, especially at night when the lights are sparkling like little jewels outside the high arched windows. There is a dining room for eight and a sitting area with a fireplace and flat screen tv, but we mostly sat at the bar in the kitchen area and nibbled on our complimentary snacks while looking out the windows. I loved all of the furniture in our bedroom and probably would have taken the bed home if I could. Actually, you can, in a sense, if you are willing to shell out the cost of the FeatherBorne bed.
Our bathroom was lovely and had a little window that looked down the length of San Carlos boulevard. The jacuzzi tub was also a steam shower, but I confess that I slept too long in the comfortable bed and didn’t have time for a steam (next time for sure!). The bathroom includes toiletries by L’Occitane including my favorite line of lemon verbena bath and body products, which I gush about here.
There was something so solid and well crafted about our room at the Sainte Claire that it made me think, so this is the sort of feeling that those new hotels are trying achieve but can’t quite get close enough. And yet the hotel in general doesn’t feel like one big antique shop or museum – it manages to seduce you with its warmth, charm and friendliness while making it seem as if you’ve stepped into the villa of a wealthy Italian duke. Speaking of Italian, the restaurant attached to the hotel is Il Fornaio – a great place to settle in for dirty martinis and heaping plates of comforting pasta.
I know the Sainte Claire hosts a lot of weddings and I can see why, it’s a romantic hotel that makes a big impression. If you are looking for a place to stay in the Silicon Valley, I hope that you will check out and support this glorious historic hotel… it’s a real California treasure.
*the Sainte Claire is a member of the Historic Hotels of America.
The Russian River wineries have put together a nice event for this weekend. I know it’s a bit short notice, but if some of you are looking for something to do over the 3 day weekend… this could be fun! One of the participants is Balletto Vineyards and I’m a fan of their Chardonnay.
More details here.
web{at}sachistorichouse{dot}com
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