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what the hills y’all: san francisco microclimates
What the Hills Y’all: Adventures of a Texas girl living in San Francisco June gloom. Microclimate. Fog. So much fog. I’ve heard about the fog in San Francisco. I’ve also heard that June and July are the coldest months of the year (while everyone else is in summer-mode), and I’ve also heard the famous quote “The coldest winter I’ve ever spent was a summer in San Francisco”. I’ve heard all these things, but never experienced it. Until now. Justin had an appointment in Inner Richmond last week, and when I went to go pick him up, the fog situation was so captivating driving from neighborhood to neighborhood it was…
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what the hills y’all: the redwood trees and blue ocean water of Santa Cruz
I have a friend here that has lived in the Bay Area for years, and would tell me stories of when she lived in Santa Cruz just so she could be by the water. On a rare Northern California day that was predicted to reach a high of 90 degrees and no rain, we decided to go to Santa Cruz and check out the forest known as Nisene Marks and the beautiful beach. Our first stop was the forest, where we let our dogs off leash to roam and sniff while we walked, surrounded by nature at it’s best. The fresh, pollution-free air and faint scent of redwood trees was…
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what the hills y’all: driving the california coast
What the Hills Y’all: Adventures of a Texas girl living in San Francisco Want to see nature on a good hair day? Driving down the California coast will make you second guess why you prefer the indoors versus outdoors. The coast is beautiful. I knew California was known for its scenic views, but this was on a whole other level. Blue water for miles, towering mountains, luscious green trees, farmland lined with yellow and purple blooming flowers. It’s really mind-blowing. Justin decided to take the long drive to Palm Springs for Coachella to show me the coast and I’m so glad he did. Road trips in Texas are nothing like this. The drive…
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5 tips for surviving Coachella
Surviving music festivals takes time, planning, stamina and a certain mindset that isn’t easy to come by. My husband and I are no strangers to music festivals as we’ve done ACL (Austin City Limits) twice. If you follow me on instagram and facebook, you know this was our first time attending Coachella. Coachella is a huge music festival in April that draws over 100,000 people each year. Featuring artists of all kinds of genres from hip hop to EDM, it appeals to all music lovers. It’s held in Indio, CA, which makes it susceptible to dust and high temperatures. Looking to attend next year? Here are 5 tips for surviving…
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What kind of work environment do you thrive in?
Last night Justin and I sat down to finally watch Wolf of Wall Street. We usually make an effort to watch the Oscar nominated films before the awards show, but some always seem to fall through the cracks. This movie was one of those. In watching it, I couldn’t help but think of the fact that I would never thrive in that kind of environment. That high-strung, fast-paced, do what it takes, this-is-you-life kind of environment. It’s the same reason why I could never make it in New York City (I would be that girl crying in the corner as people walk past telling me to get out-of-the-way). Do you…
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what the hills y’all: this is where rich people live
What the Hills Y’all: Adventures of a Texas girl living in San Francisco One thing I’ve come to learn about San Francisco is that there is an endless amount of things to see. There is so much history, fascinating architecture and a whole street where rich people live. Justin and I have been taking advantage of the awesome service, howaboutwe.com, where you can book a customized date for two (read about our beer tasting date at Upcider for more information). This past weekend we did a walking tour of Pac Heights, a neighborhood in San Francisco with all the charm, personality, and so much history of San Francisco. Our tour…
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Zen Bedroom Decor Ideas
We’ve finally set a color scheme for our bedroom (see our neutral bedroom ideas to get see where we started)! Since the bedroom should be a place you want to sleep in, a kind of sanctuary, if you will, we decided to go with a neutral palette of browns and creams with a touch of greenery. After picking out our dresser set and bed frame, it’s time to decorate. Here are some zen bedroom decor ideas I’ve been looking at: Rug / lamp / candle holders / vase / pillow / throw What do you think? I’m loving the neutrals right now. I saw this writing rug that I fell in love with, but…
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Neutral Bedroom Ideas
My first neutral bedroom set was in college and it was the cheap, light wood classic that is Ikea. After graduation, I decided faux chocolate-brown leather was the way to go. One thing is for sure, I always played it pretty safe with the color palette and opted for hues that could be mixed and matched, added to and could go anywhere. Since I’ve moved my stuff quite a few times in my lifetime (and showing no signs of stopping), I’ve had to choose furniture that is of lasting power, can be easily coordinated with, and pretty. We sold most of our furniture when we made the move from Dallas…
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what the hills y’all: I’m on a boat
What the Hills Y’all: Adventures of a Texas girl living in San Francisco The Ferry Building is one of those tourist-y things every girl needs to do. When I was reading SF guides like this one and this one, the Ferry Building was something I wanted to check out. Being a foodie and hearing of all the yummy unique treats and tastes there, we decided to take the ferry from Alameda, which dropped us off right in front of the building. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but walk inside and it’s a whole other thing. You can shop for fresh produce, sip a glass of Merlot at…
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What the hills y’all: the anti-bags
What the Hills Y’all: Adventures of a Texas girl living in San Francisco San Francisco has this thing about bags- they hate them. In fact, they hate them so much that they’ve banned the paper or plastic kind and request demand that you bring your own, preferably made out of cotton or otherwise environmentally friendly material. If you don’t, you will be charged $.10 with a side of shame. This presents a problem for the slightly forgetful me. In Texas, people give bags out like they are candy. Stores will double bag for heavy items, and even attach an unused one at the grocery store to fulfill their stuff-20-bags-a-minute…
