Our pets

This is the first little guy we got. It's a Giant Sequoia (baby) from the gift shop at Muir woods. The entire time we were walking through those woods Misha kept looking for a pine cone, or some seeds, or even a little sequoia tree that he could take home and grow himself (technically illegal, but there really wasn't much of that to be found on the paths anyways). Luckily we found that they actually sold these baby trees as souvenirs. It seems to be turning brown at the bottom though and I don't really know why. I've gotten so much conflicting information on how to take care of these that I really don't know what the heck I'm doing.


This is the Coconut tree we picked up at IKEA. I just thought it was cool because the tree is growing right out of the coconut, plus it's a good size to have on the floor of our bedroom.


This is the orchid plant the Misha got me for my office. At first it had a bunch of really gorgeous flowers on it and more buds that were about to open. Unfortunately, I didn't know any better and watered them way more than they are supposed to be (orchids apparently only need about as much water as a cactus) so all the flowers died off prematurely. Now all that's left are the long green leaves and since I've stopped watering it it's doing just fine.


Now, the garden center in my neighborhood was selling carnivorous plants in the spirit of Halloween, so I got pretty excited when I saw them. Venus Fly traps, especially, are damn hard to grow, especially from seed. I remember one time Philip got a growing kit as a present because he was enthralled by the idea of them. We followed the instructions exactly, even keeping that big "terrarium" in the fridge for months to simulate the necessary dormancy period. But not a singe seedling so much as hinted at sprouting up outta that dirt. These ones were already pretty big as far as Venus Fly Traps go. I also got a bunch of the North American Pitcher plant because it looks nice in the pot. These eat bugs by luring them in with secretions that bugs are attracted to. Each plant is like a tube with some wind of water at the bottom, and once a bug falls in, escape is impossible and the plant digests it (somehow).

My office

I love my office! It's awesome. I can honestly say that I feel happy in this space, even though it's a work space, which I usually wouldn't like. As soon as I saw this awesome yellow desk in West Elm I knew I had to have it. My big external monitor (another thing I've never had the pleasure of having before) is attached to the wall so it doesn't take up any desk space. On my desk I have space for a keyboard, mouse, and of course my Wacom tablet, plus a lamp and my beautiful orchid plant. The chair (from EQ3) is quite comfortable and ergonomic so I can work all day with getting major back aches like I used to, and underneath my desk I have a sheepskin rug which is SOO soft and fluffy under my feet. I have ample shelf space in arms reach for all my drawing supplies, books and files. Seriously, this space really couldn't be more perfect for me, I think it really shows my personality quite well. Here's a picture:

Just encase you were wondering, here's also a picture of my kitchen (well, at least our dining table) and bedroom. By the way, memory foam mattress+pillowtop cover= super comfortable, you sink into it like a down pillow, but it still gives you plenty of back support. Seriously mom (yes I'm talking to you since I know you're one of the only people that actually reads this stupid blog! hehe) you've got to try one of these pillowtop mattress covers on your bed. You won't regret it!


I'll post pictures of the living room/ rest of the apartment later.
Love you guys!!

The Beginning

It's my 12th day in San Francisco and I'm doing quite fine. the first day I got here was apparently the nicest day it had been in a long time, and it stayed that way for a couple days, which is a small miracle around here. I guess I just brought the sunshine with me from Texas.

As soon as I got out of the car in front of my new home I was immediately greeted by a most wonderful smell I can't say I've ever experienced in any other large city before. It reminded me of many happy days at Grandma's house in Minnitonka when I was young and had not a care in the world. I cannot explain where this scent might have been emanating from, but the sense of warmth and welcoming it gave me was incredible.

The next couple of days were filled with non-stop preparations, shopping, organizing, putting furniture together. It seemed that we were getting at least 20 packages a day, and like a child a Christmas, I was eagerly opening each one, finding silly things like a lemon squeezer, a package of 60 Bic pens, and even, to my delight, slides and scientific instruments to use with our newly acquired microscope.

I have settled in quite nicely and even have my own office space with a wonderfully cheery yellow desk from West Elm and a sheepskin rug underneath which is incredibly soft and nice for digging my toes into.

I guess in all the relaxing and vacationing of the summer, spending 2 weeks mostly sitting in a car for hours on end and then stopping by one restaurant after another for each meal, I have gained weight. I don't really see it, but it's quite evident every time I try to put on a pair of jeans and they just don't quite fit. So, I stepped on the scale yesterday and indeed had my worst fears confirmed. So, the fervor of my dieting has been renewed and I am completely determined to lose at least 12 pounds by Christmas, which shouldn't be too hard if I just use these steep hills as my gym.

Speaking of the hills, I have never been more scared riding in a car while going down hill than I am here. Some roads are so steep that even as you sit on the very edge of the road before it slopes off, you cannot see the road in front of you. I just can't get used to it, it feels like you are driving off a cliff.

It's a strange feeling living here right now. Not too unlike my time in Rome. It's hard to explain, but I can already feel that, like Rome, my creativity will flourish here and I will find a new sense of artistic yearning, something that was unfortunately lost during my last year and a half a RISD. (I know how strange it sounds that I have to get out of art school to find my passion for art again, but thats just the way it goes sometimes)

Overall, everything is great, and this is just the beginning.