My Retro Paris...

Found a bunch of negatives from our trip to Paris in '89 and had them put on a disc. I'm not sure what happened to the photo albums which housed these pictures, but I haven't seen them in almost twenty years. My niece Chloe and I got such a kick out of reliving the past..."There so Retro" she said, "Ouch!" I said. Lost in the 80's, ridiculously large shoulder pads, leggings, bows, high waisted pants, etc. Anyway, wish I could go back just to enjoy the flawless skin and cute little body I didn't appreciate enough back then. Oh, and to lose the shoulder pads!

Happy Father's Day!

My Dad...

Col. John W. Blackwell

Day tripping...

Saturday, Bill & I took a day trip to Half Moon Bay.

So beautiful and not a cloud in the sky.

Almost 80 degrees in the city and 60-something along the coast.

Girls Get-Away!

Last weekend, my big sis invited me to join her & her gal pals for a wonderful "Girls Weekend" in the Santa Ynez Valley. We stayed at a privately owned 5,000 acre horse ranch named "Latigo Ranch."  It was a 5 star experience all the way...sun, fun, great food & lots of laughs. I didn't have much luck taking pictures, but here are a few to get the idea... 

The driveway up to the main house.

There were 4 foals on the ranch while we were there. If you squint, you can see a mama with her baby. I wish I would have taken more pictures, especially of the animals. So unbelievably cute in person.

Let your Flags Fly S.F.!

Feeling very patriotic yesterday after my walk to the Presidio. Here are some pics from my walk home. Enjoy!

My Memorial Day

Last night, I flopped on the bed, flipped on the t.v. and coasted though the "On Demand" movies not yet watched. I came across Taking Chance an HBO movie that I have been dying to see since my sister gave me a mini review months ago. Anyway, not even realizing it at the time, it was the absolute perfect movie to celebrate Memorial Day. It was amazing and touching beyond words.

I woke up this morning with no plans. While enjoying coffee with news, I saw several spots re: Memorial Day celebrations in and around the city. I saw there was one at the San Francisco National Cemetery, the Presidio, parade at 10:30 and ceremony at 11:00am. It was 9:15, so I put on my Nikes, packed a bag and started the 3 mile walk. I got there just in time and here are some of the pictures.

More than 35,000 veterans and their families are buried at the San Francisco National Cemetery in the Presidio from conflicts dating back to the 1846 U.S.-Mexican War.

Thrify Girl Update!

Dying to wear it...I knew I would return to this little gem of a top someday. After several attemps, It finally made it's debut. On Friday, I was off to see my niece's performance in Pygmalion. Trying to get on the road before the early Memorial Day weekend traffic, I was of course running around the apt. stuffing things into a travel bag. I grabed the T.T. bustier and a black sweater (also a thrifty girl find and a never been warn item, to boot) without time to over think it.

I realized that "over-thinking" has always been my problem when trying to dress with effortless style. A couple months ago, I read this great article (story of my life, can't find it anywhere) about the writers quest to master the art of effortless S.F. street style dressing and how as a NYC transplant the "throw it on and go" mentallity elludes her. Anyway, she defined my problem to a tee. I was so relieved to know that I wasn't alone in my quest to concur the unique S. F. style surrounding me everyday. I learned early on in my relationship with the city that trying to get the "perfectly not put together look" wasn't as easy and effortless as it looks for some of us. Anyway, back to my win, besides maybe needing a bra with more padding to keep it firmly in place, I was happy that I actually wore the darn thing and my five dolloars and forty-nine cents hadn't gone to waste.