Brave New World

I am starting this blog to indulge myself by writing about the things I like, and I suppose I should tell you a bit about myself first. My name is Hannah and I live across the bay from San Francisco, in a little town called Albany, just north of Berkeley. It's a cute town that was built almost exclusively between the 1920's and 1950's, so it has a wonderfully nostalgic and quaint feel. My particular block was developed in 1942 by an architect named MacGregor who is known for his tudor-inspired peaked roofs and an attention to detail that earned him the nickname "One Nail" (because he always had to put in one last nail). I bought my house about a year ago after having lived in a tiny studio apartment for three years. This is my first house, and you can expect a lot of posting about it.

I decided to buy a house because it was impossible to find anything to rent for anything less than my current mortgage. I wanted to get a dog, and I needed a house with a yard, so I bought one. About 4 months ago I adopted a dog named Seymour, who is quite a little character. He's a labradoodle (half labrador, half poodle), and he's adorable.


I grew up here in the Bay Area, and my parents still live in Oakland, about 10 minutes away. I went to college at RISD in Providence, RI, where I majored in Printmaking, with a "concentration" (minor) in English Lit (specifically the Victorians). I also spent a semester studying book art at Central St. Martins College in London. During my summers I apprenticed at the letterpress shop of Peter Koch, Printers, where I fell in love with the trade. After I graduated, I started my own company, which has evolved into Pie Bird Press. I print greeting cards, which I sell wholesale to stores all over the country. If you want to know more about that, you can visit the Pie Bird Press website at www.wetfootpublications.com.

What else? I have a wonderful boyfriend named Eric, who worked for many years at the best independent record store in the country, Amoeba Records, and who now works for a wine distributor. I love baking and cooking in general, and am an obsessive collector of antiques. I try to read at least one book per month, although I tend to be a binge reader in that I will read four books in one week, and then nothing for two months. Mostly I prefer non-fiction, and I will probably be posting my book reviews here. I am a sucker for reality television, especially the trashy sort like ANTM and "The Bachelor." I have been fascinated by spies and detectives since I was a child, from Nancy Drew and Harriet the Spy to James Bond and Jason Bourne.

As for the rest, I am sure it will come out soon enough!