Nikki's Nautical Bachelorette

A few weekends back, we celebrated one of my dear friends, Nikki with a Bachelorette Party! She wanted something low key here in the city, and we were blessed with the most gorgeous fall day. The Indian Summers in this city never get old, it was like 75* a beautiful day to celebrate the bride to be!

I thought today would be the perfect day to share pictures from Nikki's bachelorette because Andrew and I are currently in Mexico for her wedding tomorrow!! I am so excited to be celebrating with her and Jason this weekend, I have no doubt it's going to be amazing! And of course I'll be sharing more about our weekend on the blog next week! 

But for now, let's talk bachelorette party! 

Nikki has a twin brother who got married two years ago, and Nikki served as his "best man woman" and planned his entire Bachelor Party. So of course Chris returned the favor and helped organize a fun day in the city to celebrate Nikki (with help from his wife and a few of Nikki's friends).  We started our day getting pedicures and drinking champagne and the cutest little spot on Fillmore. Thankfully they were prepared for our larger group, and had places for us to all sit and sip champagne and visit while we waited for our turn.

After our mani/pedi's we were off to Crissy Field for a picnic lunch. While the girls were at the spa, Chris was busy prepping the picnic. When we arrived, he had the entire thing set up perfectly! There was a spread of sandwiches, snacks, desserts, and of course mimosas! It was so fun visiting outside and enjoying the amazing day. I was so impressed with the spread Chris prepared! He also gave the cutest speech that had us all laughing. While a bit unconventional, it was so fun having Chris there. He and Nikki are so close and it was so nice how much effort he put into the whole thing. 

After a few hours enjoying the sun at Crissy Field, we took a bit of an intermission. A few of us headed back to my house to get ready for the later portion of events, and we planned to meet up at the Mark Hopkins where Nikki and the other girls were staying. Once we were ready, we went to meet up with the other lady's and hang out a bit before heading out to our pre-dinner activities. First stop, mini golf!! It's a fun new spot in the Mission District, an old building they converted into an indoor miniature golf course, complete with a full bar and food as well. Such a fun idea! I definitely want to go back, it's the perfect place for a date night. We all hung out in the bar for a bit and enjoyed a few cocktails and appetizers before hitting the course! It was so fun, and something so different than we usually do so I know everyone had a great time. 

The next spot on our city tour was dinner! We had reservations at Anchor and Hope, the perfect spot downtown for our group. Dinner was so fun and delicious! They had a long table set up for us, so it was nice to be able to visit and toast Nikki! After dinner, some of the girls and Nikki's brother and sister in law decided to call it a night, while the rest of us decided to go out. One of our friends, Laura, used to work at The Redwood Room in the Clift Hotel, and was able to get us into a booth there. As well as make sure we had lots of delicious cocktails! It was already pretty late, so we weren't there too long, but it was so fun! I know Nikki had a blast, even though she paid for it the next day!

I wish I had pictures for you from the second half of our day, but I didn't bring my camera or even take pictures on my phone! So you'll have to trust me that it was a great night! I linked to a few Instagram pictures throughout the post too, in case you want to check those out! The best part about living in this city is that I'm surrounded by so many wonderful friends. We always find an excuse to celebrate, and when the sweetest girl is getting married, we knew we had to dedicate a day to celebrating with her! 

Also, Happy Halloween!! I was in costume a week early this year for my Golden Birthday Party! Are you going to dress up this year? What's your costume? 

Here's a peek at my costume from last year, and the years prior! 

7x7 We Wanna Be Friends With...

A couple weeks ago I saw this fun post based on the San Francisco’s 7×7 magazine column named “We Wanna Be Friends with” where they pick an interesting local and ask them the same questions each week. So I thought it would be fun to play along. Here are my answers to their questions…

1. What neighborhood do you currently call home? Would you ever move or are you happy in your ‘hood?  

We live in the Laurel Heights area. We'll never move because we have such an awesome deal on our apartment (2 bedrooms!) but if I could move our apartment to a different neighborhood, I'd love to live in Cow Hallow or Russian Hill. We're a little further away from all the action than I'd like. I'd love to be able to walk to a variety of shops, restaurants, Crissy Field, and other parks. 

2. What’s your hands-down, absolute favorite thing to eat in SF?

Andrew and I eat at home for almost every meal. But when we do eat out, I love trying new places. My list of "must try" restaurants in the city keeps getting longer and longer. There are a few awesome brunch options, and my favorite dinner spot for nostalgic reasons is Scomas, which you can read more about here. 

3. What’s your perfect night on the town?

One of my favorite SF activities is going to Giants games! Saturday night games with friends are the best. We usually stop for a drink before heading into the park to watch the game. Another favorite evening would be going to one of the many restaurants on my list for dinner and cocktails with friends. Every so often all the girls get together for dinner and we always seem to stay for hours chatting and laughing together. But most nights you'll find Andrew and I at home making dinner together and watching a movie.

4. When you need a low-key afternoon, where do you go for down time

We love to go on long walks in the city. Sometimes we'll drive down to Sports Basement in the Presidio to park (and shop a little) then walk along Crissy Field towards the bridge, or we'll walk to a nearby park and relax with Louis. Something outdoors to take advantage of our beautiful city! 

5. What’s your favorite place to go on a day trip from the city?

North Bay. We love driving up to Marin to go for a hike on Mt. Tamalpias or over on Hill 88. Or a little further north to Sonoma & Napa County for an afternoon of wine tasting! 

6. Quick-fire round

Burrito or Burger? Burrito

Presidio or Golden Gate Park? Presidio. We can walk over from our house. 

BiRite or Mitchell’s? Clearly I need to go get some ice cream, I haven't been to either place!
     *edited to add: I had Mitchell's today at a work party and it was delicious!! 

Bike or MUNI?  Neither? I drive to work, but take the bus sometimes to get around the city. 

Fort Mason or Dolores Park? For Mason. This is making me feel like a bad San Franciscan, I've never been to Dolores Park. I need to get out more. 

The Independent or the Fillmore? The Fillmore. I used to come down to shows when I was in college. 

Baker Beach or Ocean Beach? Ocean Beach. Andrew surfs here and I love running on the beach with my friend Courtney. 

7. Three words that describe your life in SF? 
Busy. Friends. Fun. 

This was such a fun post. I love San Francisco, so it was fun answering questions about my favorite place! One thing I did learn was that I need to get out more, I feel like there is so much this city has to offer and I should be taking advantage of it more. I need to add a few more items to my San Francisco Bucket List! Andrew and I tend to be home bodies, so we should start making more of an effort to get out and enjoy all the parks, restaurants and activities! 

PS I was hoping to have a fun World Series post for you today, but looks like that will have to wait! It was a rough game last night, but I have a good feeling will get 'em tonight!! Go Giants!

Golden Birthday Party

On Friday we celebrated my Golden Birthday with a 20's themed party at Bourbon & Branch here in the city. It was such a fun night, I feel so lucky so many of my friends came out to celebrate with me and went all out with costumes!

For some reason, I just love the concept of Golden Birthday's. I think it's so fun! On Wednesday, I'll be turning 29 on October 29th, so I decided instead of the standard big celebration on my 30th I wanted to do it a year early for my Golden. If you hadn't noticed, I love theme party's and dressing up, so I wanted to incorporate that into my party. And since I consider myself an old soul, the 20's seemed to be the perfect era.

Since the Giants were playing Game #3 of the World Series on Friday, we decided to have a bit of a pre-party at our house and watch the game. We had appetizers and cocktails to start the night off! Even though the Giants lost, it was a great way to start the night. It was so fun to see everyone's costumes as they arrived, I was so impressed with everyone, even the guys went all out!

I booked the Russells Room at Bourbon & Branch for the night, which was one of the original Speakeasy's in San Francisco. It's been redone and is now an awesome bar with various rooms that can be booked for private events as well as a main bar area. Part of the fun is they require a password to get into the private rooms, just like original speakeasy's and you enter the room through a door disguised as a bookcase! It couldn't have been a more perfect location! My friend Erica and I wanted to come up with something clever to have as the password, so we decided on "Boiled As An Owl" an old slang term from the 20's for being very drunk! And of course I forgot it when we arrived at the door, thankfully my friends bailed me out an remembered! haha

One of the highlights of our night was the awesome bar tender, he was by far the best bar tender I've ever encountered. He made the most amazing cucumber gimlets, it might be my new favorite drink. Or at least I thought so until I woke up Saturday morning. Oh boy!

It was so fun having so many of my best friends all in one place. Even my friend Jacquie and her husband Shane came down from the foothills to celebrate with me! I feel so lucky to have so many wonderful friends. I can already tell, the last year in my twenties is going to be a good one!


Did you celebrate your Golden Birthday? What age were you?

Andrew's golden was his 1st birthday, so he missed out.

Equator Coffee At Proof Lab Surf Shop

Sometimes, when Andrew and I feel the urge to get out of the city on weekends, we'll hop in the car and drive across the Golden Gate to Marin County. There are so many great spots in Marin waiting to be discovered, we always love to explore the cute little towns in the North Bay.

Andrew's favorite discovery is by far Proof Lab Surf Shop. He says it's the best surf shop in Northern California, and even better than some down in San Diego. There are actually three little shops all together, Proof Lab Surf Shop, Equator Coffee, and Proof Lab Station (my favorite)! I literally want to buy everything at Proof Lab Station! We love driving up on weekends and getting coffee at Equator, then doing a little shopping. There are great hikes in the area on Mt. Tamalpias and near Rodeo Beach, so this is a perfect little spot to stop in after an early morning hike.

I think we'll be making a visit to Proof Lab this weekend! We're heading down to Cabo next weekend for a wedding, and Andrew is on the hunt for a nice shirt to wear. Who knows, maybe I'll find something too. Even though I should go on a shopping freeze, things have gotten a little out of hand these past few weeks, oooops!

I hope you all have a great weekend! I am so excited because tonight is my Golden Birthday party!! We're doing a 20's theme and I can't wait to celebrate with some of my closest friends. I'm sure I'll have pictures and stories to share next week!

GO GIANTS!

Scarf Weather - House of Alva

Scarf - c/o House of Alva // White tee - Nordstrom Rack (Similar) //

Vigoss Jeans via Nordstrom Rack (Similar) // Bucco Booties via Hautelook (Similar) //

Watch - Michael Kors // Rings - Nordstrom // Bracelets - Alex & Ani and Kate Spade

As temperatures start to cool down and fall weather really sets in, one thing you can bet every San Francisco girl has on hand is a scarf. With the micro-climates here in the city, you never know when the weather is going to cool off and the wind might pick up. Then the next minute it could be sunny and warm again. The perfect accessory for this situation is a scarf! I always have one in my purse when I'm out and about to throw on when I get chilled. 

I was so excited when House of Alva asked me to partner up with them for a post. They have the most beautiful scarves, but more importantly, they are a company with a mission and purpose. The name Alva is inspired by the "noble one." And at House of Alva they celebrate artisans who craft these timeless scarves using a unique and rare artistry. Their motto is "Scarves with a Story" and they focus on being an ethical and socially conscious brand, committed to eco-friendly and sustainable fashion. I really love the concept behind the company, and the idea of supporting these artisans and helping them create revenue in their communities. 

In browsing their collection online, there are so many beautiful and unique pieces, it was hard to decide on just one! And I think I may be ordering a few more as gifts for the upcoming holiday season!  I believe they just went on a trip to visit the local artisans and select new scarves for the shop. I keep checking back to see when they are available to purchase! You can get a glimpse on Instagram of what's to come. 

I've already styled my new scarf a few different ways. When it was warm a few weeks back, I paired it with a black maxi dress to add a pop of color. And I love the casual feel in these photos when I styled the scarf with distressed jeans, a simple white tee and brown booties. I also plan to dress it up next time I wear it for the office. Pairing it with black pants, a grey top and black wedges. This is my favorite thing about scarves, they're so versatile and easy to style. 

All Images - Andrea Rowe Photography

I loved working with House of Alva, I always try to support companies that not only have quality products, but also have a meaningful mission behind their brand. I think you'll love the beautiful scarves that House of Alva carries, and you can also find them on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram!

As a special thank you to all my readers, House of Alva is offering a coupon code "FOOT2FOG10" for $10 off your purchase of $50 or more! Shipping is always FREE within the US and for a flat price to other countries. 
(coupon will be valid through 11/24/2014)

A big thanks to Andrea Rowe Photography for the lovely pictures! 

Also, linking up with The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore,
Because Shanna Said So, All Things Chic and Tucker Up

Petaluma Pumpkin Patch

Look - no hands!

Last Fall, one of the things on my to-do list was go to a "real" pumpkin patch with Andrew. We were a year late, but we finally made it! Andrew teased me the first time I told him about my wishes to go to a "real" pumpkin patch, confused as to what would make one more real than any other. After all, they all have real pumpkins! Sometimes I forget he grew up in grew up in San Diego and not the rural foothills like I did. Rest assured, I explained the requirements to be considered a "real" pumpkin patch. One simple rule, they have to grow the pumpkins onsite. Going to a lot filled with hay and perfectly round pumpkins just doesn't seem as appealing to this country girl!

Saturday, was a jam-packed day! But let's back up a bit, to before the pumpkin patch! We were up early and on our way to Danville to celebrate our friend's baby shower. Our good friend Rich and his wife Katie are expecting in November. Since the girls we all heading out for the shower, Rich decided to invite the guys to join, and they all went off for a "man shower" while the girls had lunch and watched Katie open her gifts.

It was the cutest Fall baby shower. Probably the cutest shower I've ever been too, I feel like a bad blogger for not taking pictures, but seriously it was right out of Pinterest! They had the cutest drink station set up and mini pumpkins at each table setting that had been dipped in gold glitter! There were burlap banners and details throughout, perfect fall decor! It was so fun seeing my college friends. Even though we don't see each other all that often, it's like no time has passed when we do! Rich has been one of our closest friends for years, and last year we celebrated his and Katie's wedding and can't wait to be a part of this new chapter for them. They're some of our dearest friends. I know there will be many more camping trips in our future with the little one in tow!

It ended up being sort of a Sonoma State themed day for us. After the shower, we headed up towards Petaluma to visit the pumpkin patch and have dinner at the restaurant I worked at during my college years. Andrew was telling me stories about when he got lost in the corn maze at this particular pumpkin patch back in college, as well as some old haunted house they went too. It's always fun reliving those memories. I love that although we weren't dating, we have so many shared memories and friends from our college years.

We spent some time exploring the pumpkin patch in search of the perfect pumpkin to bring home, and decided on a cute chubby one, that leaned a bit and had a good stem. Because according to me and Andrew's Mom, it's all in the stem!

Next we were off to Cafe Zazzle! It's still my favorite restaurant, I wish there were one in SF. It's so good and pretty healthy too! If you're ever in that area (Kelli) you have to try this place! I promise it won't disappoint. Someday, I'd like to dedicate a post to Zazzle and share pictures and a few of my favorite dishes. I love going back to visit the owners, Tara and Rick. To this day, they are the best bosses I've ever had. I feel so lucky I had a great job in college that provided me with so many awesome memories and my own little work family.

It was such a perfect day. Not only did I get to see some of my best friends, but it ended with a perfect fall date with Andrew. The weather was gorgeous, it barely felt like fall at nearly 80* but we had the best time. It made up for the fact I spent all of Sunday doing chores :)

I hope you all had a great weekend, too!!

Here are a couple pictures I borrowed from my friend, I can't believe I didn't take a single one at the shower!

Love these girls! The best college roommates & friends a girl could have!

Celebrating Baby Chinn! I can't wait to meet the little one :)
PS - ignore Rich's hat, he's an A's fan and is still a little bitter the Giants are off to the World Series tomorrow!