Whew! Time has flown by! For starters, I had the most amazing astrological reading by the incomparable Jessica Lanyadoo, and at the risk of revealing my inner hippie (what can I say, I grew up in Berkeley), I feel like my energy has completely shifted and I am so much more resolved about a lot of things I was having trouble letting go of. The last couple of weeks have left me feeling lighter and more clear-headed, and it's been wonderful. Ms. Lanyadoo books about 5 months in advance (she's a busy lady!), but it is well worth it if you're looking for a different perspective on your life.
What else? I saw a screening of Charade at the Paramount Theater. Always a favorite, it was so much fun to see on the big screen, and I had forgotten how incredible the title sequence is. Here it is for your enjoyment!
I spent Obscura Day trapsing about Portrero Hill on a puzzle hunt arranged by the Elsewhere Philatelic Society. I went to the latest "issue" of Pop Up Magazine. I went out drinking with an old friend for the first time in ages, saw an awesome screening of Buster Keaton shorts, accompanied with a live soundtrack by Tuneyards. I had a bunch of be-wigged friends over for the RuPaul's Drag Race finale. I went on five hikes and caught up with some good friends I hadn't seen in a while, ate some fantastic meals at Haven, Camino, and Una Pizza Napoletana, and gave my house a good spring cleaning. All in all, a great couple of weeks.
I don't often get personal here, but I hope you'll bear with my ramblings today...
I started this blog almost five years ago, when I was 26. I'm 31 years old now, and I feel like a totally different person than I was back then. In just the past few months, I bought a new car (although I am still keeping my classic Volvo- don't worry!), bought a raincoat, hired a bookkeeper, started wearing pants (it's been years since I've worn anything but skirts and dresses), and running shoes, and started taking vitamins. In a way I feel like I've given up on part of the identity I always had for myself: I'm realizng that maybe I'm just not going to be the super-stylish girl with the funky old car, the hipster boyfriend, and the rock and roll lifestyle. Maybe what worked in my twenties just isn't practical anymore. I think that life is telling me to slow down, to trade a little bit of style for substance, and to take care of myself in different ways than my younger self imagined I'd need to.
Notably, my business has grown considerably in the last few years, and as of a couple months ago, my stress level skyrocketed. Add to that some of personal matters that have been weighing on me, and lots of rainy weather... I was feeling so overwhelmed that I was having trouble getting out of bed in the mornings. I found that the only way I could accomplish any creative work (not administrative work) was to literally remove myself from my life by checking myself into a hotel somewhere far enough away that I didn't feel any sense of obligation or responsibility. And while it was lovely to do that, it certainly isn't a financially viable plan in the long-term, nor is escape ever truly the best solution to a problem.
So instead I've been trying to cut back on some things in my life so that I have more time for myself. This has been a challenge, as I like to be very social and I live in a place where there are events nearly every day that I would love to attend. And in the past, I've simply attended as many as I could- sometimes I've had daytime and evening plans every day of the week for weeks on end- but that means that my work, my home, my health, and my mood suffer.
I'm lucky enough to make my own schedule, so I've been restructuring it so that my physical and mental health are the priority, and my social life (though very rewarding in its own right) comes last. The biggest realization for me has been that feeling rushed in the morning starts my whole day off in a stressful way, and causes me to be overwhelmed and therefore get very little done. So I've been trying to schedule as little as possible before 1:00pm, so that no matter how late I wake up (it's crucial for me to get 8 hours of sleep, but I am a night owl by nature, so rising early is rarely easy), I still have a few hours in the morning to myself. That means I get to exercise, eat a healthy breakfast, get some work done, or even just mull about aimlessly if that's what I need.
And I can't tell you how much this has affected me: I find that I actually go to bed earlier (and wake up earlier, feeling refreshed) and accomplish much more during the day than I used to. I still often have evening plans but maybe not every night, and the time I do have with friends and family feels more like quality time, and not just another item on my agenda. I've also been trying to be more active: going to the gym, taking long hikes with friends a couple times a week, etc., and spending more time outdoors in general. I still have my off days (yesterday was one), where I am low in energy and feel sad or axious, but it's amazing what a good night's sleep can do for that.
Anyways, I'm curious to hear what things other people have done to reduce stress in their lives, and to feel healthier, and how growing up has affected them. Please share in the comments if you're so inclined.
Inspired by David Neale at The Golden Smith, I have become completely obsessed with the iPhone game Draw Something. It's quite a challenge drawing with a big finger on a tiny screen, but I'm having a ton of fun! If you play, you can find me at username: deerseason87. But please only add me if you actually like to draw- it's such a bummer when people simply write the solution on their screens instead of trying. Here are some drawings I've done recently. (I am so sad I neglected to take a screenshot of my stellar "alien" drawing...)
I wish that this weekend had never ended! I drove up to Healdsburg by myself for some time away from the distractions and stress of regular life, and had a wonderfully relaxing and productive time. It was a beautiful weekend- 65 degrees, sunny and warm, and I stayed at my favorite hotel, the H2, which is super green and very comfortable, and conveniently located upstairs from Spoonbar, where Scott Beattie makes the most amazing cocktails! I checked in on Friday afternoon and immediately went over to the Healdsburg Hotel Spa for an incredible hot stone massage, followed by a nap and dinner. I spent the rest of the evening working on some illustrations for jobs and the PBP 2012 collection. On Saturday morning I stopped for one of my favorite treats- a sour cherry gallette from Downtown Bakery- before driving out to Unti, my favorite vineyard, to buy a couple of cases of my favorite wines to restock my "cellar."
Then, on a whim, I decided to take a picnic out to the coast. I took the windy backroads through arid hills dotted with volcanic rock and enormous, ancient oak trees, rolling acres of grapevines dense with brilliant mustard flowers, cool, misty redwood forests filled with trickling streams and lush ferns and moss, and finally made it to the Ocean at Stewart's Point, where I enjoyed my lunch in the sun with a good book. I drove back through Guerneville, along the Russian River, and spotted a belated birthday note to me (how did they know?!) on the small, quonset hut-housed movie theater in Monte Rio.
Sunday, I was sad to leave Sonoma- for some reason being up there always makes me feel at peace, and I hope that one day I can have a place of my own somewhere between the valley and the sea to escape to whenever I want- but more fun plans were calling. I stopped for takeout at Sol Food in San Rafael and drove straight to Golden Gate Fields for the races, where one of my friends was on an assignment for a magazine. I won $10 on a horse named Intriguing Vision. Then I barely had time to run home and change before meeting another friend for the tail-end of the Dashiell Hammet marathon at Noir City. We saw The Glass Key, which was new to me and really wonderful, and The Maltese Falcon- always a hit.
I have been a busy bee lately- I have hardly had a moment to sit still! When I haven't been working like a madwoman, I've been spending lots of QT with my friends and family. Here are some highlights:
A lecture by Woody LaBounty of the Western Neighborhoods Project about Carville, a community of people who lived in refurbished municipal railroad cars in the what is now the Sunset District at the turn of the century.
A tea party with a few lady friends
A talk by legendary magician the Amazing Randi, along with a short performance by none other than Stallion at the Contemporary Jewish Museum (where a wonderful exhibit about Houdini was on).
A crab feast with friends.
A double feature of San Francisco classics (Dark Passage and The House on Telegraph Hill) at the Noir City festival on a rainy night.
This coming week promises to be equally entertaining, with another noir double feature, a knife skills class, a pop up dinner, a film screening, and who knows what else!
I used to buy fresh flowers for the house every week, and my favorite florist knew me by name. I'm not sure when or why I gave up the habit- having these on the table has really brightened my day.
I'm leaving for Mexico in the morning (so excited!!), and I thought I'd better put up my annual resolutions post before I go. In spite of some recent unhappiness, 2011 was a pretty great year. I proved myself right: being in my thirties is much better than being in my twenties, and for that reason, I am really looking forward to 2012. I have a feeling that 31 is going to be a big one for me!
As per tradition, let's see how I did with last year's resolutions: I did travel- I went on two roadtrips, went to Mexico (post to come soon!), Austin, Chicago, Seattle, Palm Springs, LA and New York twice. I read 17 books, saw lots of shows and a good amount of art, and I actually did manage to keep my house tidier than before (although there is still lots of work to do in that department). I didn't take any classes, but Erik and I are finally going to take that knife skills class soon! I spent as much time with friends and family as I possibly could, and it's been wonderful. I went on lots of adventures and even crossed off a few things from my "life list": trampolining at House of Air, going to SXSW, taking a tour of the Paramount theater, seeing a motorhome demo derby... I did lose some weight, and I cooked for myself much more- now I want to go back to cooking for other people more as well! I also did manage to increase my business by almost 50%, which is a huge accomplishment.
So without further ado, this year's goals:
1. Travel. I want to leave the country at least once, hopefully more. On my short list: Turkey, Morocco, Syria, Switzerland, Italy, Argentina, Russia, Ireland, Greece, Portugal.
2. Read. I've been on a roll lately, and that's due partly to subscribing to City Arts & Lectures- hearing writers speak about their work is so inspiring.
3. Go to more cultural events. This includes not just concerts and art shows, but lectures, classes, film screenings, parties, and gatherings of all sorts.
4. Be even tidier. This year I've gotten in the habit of doing my dishes at least once a week (seriously- this is a MAJOR improvement), and I would like to maintain that as well as keeping clothes off my bedroom floor (why is that so hard?), keeping my dining room table clear, and keeping my office organized. Lofty goals...
5. Be more healthy. This (hopefully) will lead to losing more weight, which would be a very nice perk. I already avoid processed foods and refined sugar, but I need to try harder to eat less sugars in general, exercise more, and drink a glass green juice every morning. And floss more. Always.
6. Cross 5 things off my life list. (Top Secret until accomplished.)
7. Entertain more. I used to be in the habit of throwing large, elaborate dinner parties on a regular basis, but it got to be too much for me. I'd like to start hosting more informal, small gatherings- mostly I just want to be able to cook for more of my friends, more often.
8. Keep the business growing, but try to delegate more, and outsource more. Streamline my responsibilities so that I can accomplish more and enjoy working more at the same time. Try to procure more illustration jobs.
9. Say yes. This is an oldie but a goodie- I never regret taking an opportunity to do something new and interesting instead of saying no.
10. Do good. This year I've really leaned on my friends and family for support, and I want to make it a priority to be there for them. I also want to do nice things for strangers when I can.
And, it wouldn't be New Year's without this song. Enjoy!
This post is dedicated to my incredible friends and family, who have made my birthday week (and the one leading up to it) really special and made me feel like the luckiest girl in the world, even though some not-so-lucky things have happened lately. I got to go to an especially good Crab Monday dinner at Camino, built a giant fort in my living room and hosted a fantastic party, had a chocolate malt with banana at Val's, went to the annual Golden Girls drag show, finally got to jump on the trampolines at House of Air (this has been on my to-do list for two years- note to self: next time bring your asthma inhaler!), attended the opening night of another new Oakland restaurant, Haven, was treated to a pedicure, ate dinner at Mission Chinese, and had an assortment of fantastic cocktails and lunches and heart-to-hearts as well. You might think that your friends are pretty great, but I am confident that mine are the very best friends in the world. Thank you guys!!
Two summers ago, my friend Marina and I encountered this incredible specimen at the Sonoma County Fair, and there was no question that I had to have my portrait taken immediately. For years, I have considered it to be the best $5.00 I ever spent...
...until now! Look who I found at the Santa Cruz County Fair this afternoon! Another $5.00 well spent, if I do say so myself.
I have been wanting this tattoo for a long time. I had a little home-done starfish on my ankle and at some point I decided I wanted to upgrade to a nicer version. My idea was to have the starfish piled up like a big stack of pancakes so I asked my good friend Jane Kim (who is a scientific illustrator) to design it in the style of an antique engraving, and I went to my favorite tattoo artist, Jen Lee (who has done my lasttwo tattoos), for the final product. I couldn't be more thrilled with the way it came out!
Jane's original drawing- Jen had to alter it slightly to fit on my ankle better
in progress- you can still see my old tattoo at the bottom
some of Jen's drawings at the tattoo shop- I love the way they look all together
My name is Hannah and I own a small letterpress company called Pie Bird Press in Berkeley, California. I love color, food, collecting, and taking photos. Check out what I'm cooking here, and my documentation of sidewalk stamps here.
