WatchOutForMish

The adventures of Michelle, Ella, and Matt in the big bad world of Northern CA

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This weekend was:

Flying kites for the first time (and nailing it)!

Backyard croquet, beers, Peach Bellini’s, two bottles of wine, frozen pizza and fresh caprese salad, late night Dead and Company streaming in our living room with our rad neighbors.

Sunday morning reading on the deck, while marveling the wall of fog in the city (microclimates seriously blow my mind).

Ingesting huge amounts of garlic noodles during Food Truck Sunday in Larkspur.

A long drive out to Nicasio and Point Reyes Station, while Ella took a very needed car nap.

Thumbs up, all the way.  

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He's made of bones, and he's leaving for a trip tonight

Ella’s hint about the subject of her drawing that she was showing me.       Answer:  it was Matt.  

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We’ve lived in our house for just over a year now.  One year!  Thanks to my particularly Type A husband, all of our boxes were unpacked within a week, decorations went up on the walls within two, and new furniture was purchased and placed within a couple of months.  

I’ve spent a good amount of time during the months between then and now trying to find the perfect decorations for the perfect spots.  We have a pretty cool collection coming together from items amassed during our 15 years and counting life together.  Some hold special significance, such as the tiki pictured above that we purchased in Hawaii this past January, our name and date hand carved in the wood by the artist himself.  Some are cheap yet cool looking items picked up during one of my weekly (ok, maybe twice weekly) trips to Target.  

Matt and I were talking a lot this weekend about how we need to step our decorating game and get some empty spaces filled.  One particularly annoying space was the area of wall above the rose gold bookshelf (a cool CB2 find from earlier this year).  The TV is mounted to the left of the space, so whatever we put there couldn’t compete with the very big and very rectangular flat screen TV.  Enter white deer head silhouette painted on reclaimed wood.

There is super cool place in Fairfax called Beach House Style.  Since it literally never, ever, ever, rains here during the summer, they are able to keep all of their interesting furniture and eclectic home decor outside in perfectly decorated living spaces.  The selection is always changing, making the finds even more special.  Matt, Ella, and I explored through the spaces trying to see if any of the bric-a-brac would fit well into ours.  

Did I mention Beach House Style also carries really neat jewelry and clothing for women?  After getting distracted by the perfect $10 white tank top (a no brainer), I was able to find a crystal mounted in some gold tinged metal.  A purple stone Buddha doorstop caught Matt’s eye.  We paid for our purchases and were on our way.

Until we both got onto the sidewalk and looked back towards the store.  “What do you think of that deer painted on that reclaimed wood over there?” I said.  “I saw that earlier and kind of walked by, but I really like it.”  Matt agreed that he really liked it as well.  He ran back over, bought the painting, and with that, we were on our way with our treasures.

The picture was set up above the bookshelf, filling our empty next-to-the-TV wall space.  The crystal was placed on a shelf next to our tiki - good energy, perhaps?  The Buddha is the perfect doorstop to prop open the entrance to the master suite, allowing us to more easily view the poster sized picture of Ella we hung just last week.

Who knows?  Maybe in another 15 years we may have all the walls filled.  

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Big day for our little peanut - first she made some Popsicles, and then she learned how to ride a bike! The Popsicle event seemed a lot cooler before the life changing learned-to-ride-a-bike event happened. I told her that now, for the rest of her life, she will know how to ride a bike. A very big day indeed.

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Fresh raspberries, heavy cream, simple syrup, and lots of smiles. We are counting down the minutes until we can try our first homemade frozen treats! Ella will be in bed by the time they are ready. Them's the breaks, so they say.

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Happy Fourth of July! We spent this lovely day hiking above the clouds - and a little bit on the beach below them. It was better up above. Forever proud to be in the land of the free, home of the brave.

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This is a ca-saster-phe!

Ella Rose, while reading herself made up stories. I think we all should start using the combined word of disaster and catastrophe. It's a casasterphe, of course.

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Ella's audience for her "Shake it Off" dance party? Fawn, party of one.

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This face!  Gorgeous, happy and full of life.  Not a care in the world, right?

Literally one minute after happily posing for this picture, Ella put on her shoes to go to school, ran into the bathroom, and started ripping out her bun.  “I don’t want to wear a bun to school today!!” she cried.  And cried, and then cried again some more.

We got into the car (while still crying) where I gave her time to change her mind and told her we would fix her hair at school.  Honestly, I was trying to stave off her bun-ruining thoughts for a few minutes because seriously - how cute is that bun??

We got to school and she would not relent, so out came the bun.  She then realized that all of her blond locks cascading down her back on a 90 degree day was not the best idea.  At which point, she asked me to put the bun back in.  I did so, happily (I’m being a little sarcastic here - there wasn’t too much that was happy about our interactions after 15 minutes of a ridiculous hairstyle argument).

We got into school, her teacher told her she loved her bun.  Her little face turned to me and said “mommy, I don’t want a bun.  Take it out!”  

Out the bun came.  Again.  All that was left in its wake was a weird looking super high ponytail that was appropriate for a teenage cheerleader, with two glittery clips on either side that served no real purpose after they no longer had a bun to hold together.  My darling child was satisfied, and on with her day she went.

And that, my friends, is the story of how pictures don’t always capture the whole scenario when it comes to adorable but also crazy preschoolers.  Or maybe, it’s the story of how I am parenting a four year old with the attitude of a teenager.  

I think it’s both. 

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Tahoe for the weekend - and what a weekend it was.  There were snowy hikes with our own little Dora the Explorer (replete with her giant magnifying glass), a trip to the beach with stunning snow capped mountain views, and rides on the gondola down to the village at Northstar.  Not pictured:  the adults eating lots and lots of food and downing tons of Rose’ (it was a holiday weekend after all).  

Never in my life have I gone hiking with snow on the ground, and then travelled ten minutes downhill to the beach where the sun was hot enough to burn my feet.  

What a wonderful way to kick off summertime in the mountains.  

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We ran 10 (somewhat unexpected) miles on Sunday!  

Much love to a friend @shockchan22 for having a drop off birthday party for her little one.  This left Matt and I with four blissful hours of alone time.  What to do?   Explore a new trail, of course!

I had read about an awesome trail that goes from Pantoll Ranger Station, down to Stinson Beach, and then back up.  The total mileage was supposed to be 7.5 - totally doable, even with a few miles uphill.  

What I did not factor in was the fact that there would be no parking at the ranger station - spaces were limited, and the area was mobbed.  We were lucky enough to find a street space about a half mile down the road.  Score!

We followed signs for the Matt Davis trail.  Or so we thought.  We didn’t follow the signs closely enough, and realized that we were on the wrong trail altogether.  But, had we not made this mis-step we wouldn’t have seen the massive slug the size of an iPhone.  One extra mile later, we were back on track.  Score!

The run continued another four or so miles down to Stinson Beach.  The path was super rocky and rooty (is rooty a word?  I’m basically trying to say that a lot of roots were sticking up out of the ground).  At one point, my toe caught the edge of a rock and I went flying forward.  It felt like I was running at the speed of light, trying to catch myself instead of careening over the edge of the ravine.  I flung myself to the opposite side of the trail (read:  not off of the cliff), right into a bunch of bushes.  I didn’t fall though.  Score!

The trail dropped us out right near downtown Stinson Beach.  We ran into town to grab some water before making the three mile trek back uphill - not an easy feat.  We easily found the famous Dipsea Trail and started our ascent.  There were quite a lot of people on the trail which came in handy when the trail split off without great directions as to which way to go.  We knew we had to take the Steep Ravine Trail and veer off the Dipsea, otherwise we would go many miles out of our way.  A nice couple came through and told us which path to take, allowing us to avoid adding even more miles to our run.  Score!

We ran uphill, uphill, and uphill some more until we came to a 15 rung ladder.  This was the only way to continue along the trail - so up we went and continued on.  Score!

When we finally reached the Ranger Station once again, we were elated that we had made it.  Our extra forays off the trail brought our total distance to ten miles.  Major score!

We ran to our car, did a bit of stretching, and off we went to go pick up our daughter.  There was leftover pizza and cake waiting for us - score!

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First of all, I would like to apologize for being the world’s worst blogger and basically never posting - although my mom and mother-in-law are possibly the only readers of this blog, so an apology may not be warranted.  Either way, life has been busy busy busy, and I quite simply haven’t been making time for writing and reflecting on life in this little corner of the world.  I can assure you though, we are still doing tons of cool Bay Area stuff!

Case in point, today Ella and I made a somewhat last minute trip to the de Young museum.  We specifically went to view the retrospective of the designs of Oscar de la Renta, quite possibly one of the most influential designers of our lifetime.  The exhibit was only in SF for a couple short months and is leaving in less than two weeks.  I decided that if we didn’t squeeze a visit in today after Ella’s swimming lesson we were likely going to miss it.  And that, I could not bear.  So off we went!

I had a feeling that Ella would enjoy looking at all of the beautiful dresses, but I couldn’t have imagine the joy and excitement she displayed once we stepped inside.  “Oooh, mom, look at that one!  That one’s my favorite!”  Until we got to the next set of beautiful, fluffy dresses and which point she changed her mind and picked a new favorite.  Over and over and over again.  

I can’t say I blame her - all of the dresses were stunning.  I’ve been an avid reader of Vogue for over 20 years, never having missed an issue.  It was so special to see Vogue photo shoots referenced in the show (a clear favorite appeared in the December 2010 issue and is featured in the photograph above with the spiky punk hairdos).  At every turn I felt as if I was saying “I remember that dress,” feeling older and older since each time I saw them felt like maybe a year or two ago - not the 10, 15, 20+ years that have passed since their images were first introduced.  

The show ended with a collection of ten or so dresses that were made famous when celebrities wore them - complete with video clips of said celebrities in the dresses.  Who could ever forget Sarah Jessica Parker wearing the giant white ballgown with “Oscar de la Renta” emblazoned in red on the train?  It was so exciting to see that dress in person - an image I won’t soon forget.

After the exhibit, Ella and I took the opportunity to explore the de Young; we saw a few exciting pieces of contemporary art (I am in love with the image I took of Ella resting by Ed Rucha’s A Particular Kind of Heaven), took in panoramic views of San Francisco from the viewing tower, and ate a lovely lunch at the museum cafe. 

As I write, Ella is sitting next to me paging through the book I purchased at the museum - a tome featuring the life and works of Oscar de la Renta, expressly created for the exhibit.  She has been carefully turning each page, narrating each design she sees.  

And with that, I would say our day was a success.  

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WatchOutForMish turned 1 today! And what a year it has been....

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Mother's Day, 2016. Brunch in Bodega Bay. Long drives and walks on the beach. Impromptu beer run to Russian River Brewery (more of a Father's Day activity, but I'll allow it). Late lunch and a big glass of Chardonnay in Sonoma, another first visit. Sunday night pizza dinner from a favorite (read: garlicky) local spot. Movie night and tons of snuggles with my best gal. My heart bursting with love, happiness, and fulfillment. I hope all of you wonderful mamas out there had a marvelous day - you deserve it!

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“Mish, think of something fun for us to do today,” said Matt this morning, as he went into his office to do a couple of hours of work.  Challenge accepted!

What to do on a hot, sunny day in Marin?  The options are endless.

What to do on a hot, sunny day in Marin when you were drinking champagne and hot tubbing with your friends until the wee hours of the morning?  That question is a bit harder to answer, and was our reality this fine Sunday.  

I started the usual Yelping and Googling, while downing large amounts of water to rehydrate.  I can’t remember what exactly made me think of it, but Angel Island popped into my head.  We had never gone but had been meaning to check it out, it was a short 25 minute drive away, it involved exploring and quite possibly hiking, and was sure to include cool breezes and stunning views.  Check!

We raced out of the house and were lucky enough to catch the 12pm ferry at approximately 12:02pm (thank you, friendly ferry workers)!  The ferry ride was a mere 10 minutes long and before we knew it, we were disembarking and racing to the cafe to get some food (I forgot to mention earlier, the outing for today also needed to include food - hopefully bacon).  One BLT with avocado later, we were ready to hike the island.

There are a few great looking trails on the Island, all three of which came in around five miles.  We knew that five miles was too far for us today - it was hot, Ella’s energy was low, our allergies were kicking in at an all time high, and yes, we were a little bit hungover.  We decided to take the hike up to Mount Livermore and cut it short by turning around and retracing our steps once we saw all the sights.  

The beginning was pretty steep and all uphill, but then it leveled off quite a bit with a wonderfully gradual incline.  The ocean breeze and the plentiful shade of the eucalyptus trees kept us cool, and allowed us to forge ahead.  Somewhere around halfway to the top, little Ella Rose just couldn’t go any further.  So, Matt and I took turns carrying her so we could continue on our way (she is heavy cargo these days, especially when her little arms are wrapped around my neck threatening to cut off my air supply).  

The views throughout the entire hike were simply stunning (you can see the panoramic beauty in some of the shots above).  My favorite was seeing all of the sailboats with their perfect white sails dotting the pristine blue ocean below.   As an aside - anyone out there with a boat looking to adopt a super fun couple and their adorable four year daughter as friends?  

We didn’t quite make it to the top and decided to stop once we saw the view of San Francisco.  The trip down was relatively uneventful, and Ella decided she could walk a bit of the way.  We caught the return ferry, made a mandatory stop for ice cream, and then took the scenic route home.  

I’m ready to go back in the near future and run the five mile perimeter of the island.  It may be on a day when I’ve gotten a good night sleep and there are a bit more clouds in the sunny blue sky, or maybe not - I’m always up for a challenge.  

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Matching chokers!

Ella made these for us at school yesterday, and I about died from love when she gave me mine.  I wore it the entire day and got tons of compliments (and quite a few sidelong glances).  

And while we’re at it, can I please wear her outfit?  I would obviously look like an inappropriate Harajuku girl (sans the pink hair), but I’m willing to take that risk.  

So on trend, this little one.  She certainly keeps me on my toes!

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She's a poet, and doesn't know it

Ella has been enjoying writing poems lately - here are a couple of my favorites:

“I love ice cream and I love strawberries. Do you know what? I love chicken butt”

“Hershey kisses are blue I love you”

I mean, these rhyme and everything! I love their four year old simplicity - although I’m not totally sure I could come up with something much better.