All posts filed under: Lifestyle

A Scene From A Movie – Saturday Brunch

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A very dear friend of mine made a surprise visit on Saturday. Meaning she drove into the city, and called me to ask if I wanted to meet her for lunch after her hair appointment. Naturally, I set aside my writing, and jumped into the shower, got dressed, and drove across town to the Marina to meet her. The weather was unbelievably gorgeous for a usually foggy near summer’s day in San Francisco, and when that happens to the city, everyone makes a conscious effort to be outdoors, hence the crazy traffic taking nearly an hour to get across town. I endured thanks to my Pandora station, and after twenty minutes of searching for parking, finally walked into the salon, where we were to meet, seconds before she finished settling her bill. She asked where I wanted to eat, and since I had just passed by a newly  remodeled or revamped restaurant on my way to the salon from where I parked my car, I suggested we give it a try.  Both of us laughing …

Random: I Love It When Learning Never Stops

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Strange title for a blog entry you say? Well, this morning while commuting to my day job (haha-see the pun?) I was as usual going through the things I needed to focus on/get accomplished today. Like any other day, my brain is a rolodex filled with things, and I spend the thirty minutes commuting into work, shuffling  the deck in the order I want to work through those things. Unless of course something unexpected happens the night before, requiring me to drop that deck and tend to the whatever….case in most important point-a sick doggy. I reminded myself this morning, that I never stop learning something new every day, even if it’s an old thing, it is a new learned thing. The most influential learnings for me, come from my dog, my hubs, my extended family, and believe it or not from my co-workers.  Who without being aware, manage to teach me about the most interesting of things – about character, values, virtues,  and other matters that make up this  unstable  world of ours. Which …

Lifestyle: You Know What I Miss The Most?

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A proper gathering of family and friends, outside of the holidays…that’s what I miss the most. Life has certainly taken a toll on most of my friends and family who seldom get-together at someone’s home for dinner, or cocktails and appetizers and a good old classic film or a board game. No two individuals I know can spare the time to make the time…if you know what I mean. Maybe, it’s an age thing. The older we get the less we make the effort…or we figure Facebook will just have to do…to stay in touch. I would love to  mail, the old-fashioned way, an invite to my family and friends and invite them over for a proper dinner and some good old conversation, and this is how I see it going down: Indoor/Outdoor Set Up:  *inspiration from here and here Pre-Dinner Wine and Cheese Pairing & Catching Up: Salad Exotic for Appetizer:   Main Dish – Coq au Vin & Perfectly seasoned asparagus  Dessert Cake – You had Me with Coconuts and Fresh Fruits: 

lifestyle: Just Something to Share About A Film

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Me Before You opens in the U.S. on Friday  and I couldn’t be more excited to go see the film about a novel I read weeks ago, and loved every word of it. The novel which has left such an impression on me, in every sense of the word, from the author’s writing style, which I admire, to the story, to the characters, and how well she managed to weave together all of it to create  the perfect a story –  I cannot seem to stop thinking about. So, until Friday, I have been obsessively reading the reviews, the actors interviews, and all that’s been said on social media about the story turned film. (I suppose keeping the momentum). What is it about love stories where one person is terminally ill? Is it the unconditional love expressed in between the pages or on screen? The fact, there is an expiration date to their forever, breaking our hearts? Or is it simply a reminder of how wonderful and caring people can be? Anyway, let me know …

Lifestyle: A Place Is Not A Place Until It’s A Seaside Cabin

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One of the benefits of being a writer is that you spend a lot of time falling in love with wonderful places, and extraordinary lifestyles, and interesting people, which and that inspire to create a story-no matter the genre-stories come from the passion writer feel about something o someone. I do a lot of research online, as you may have already noticed from this fun place called RawSilk&Saffron, and when I stumble upon something that sparks an interest or is best suited for a whole or part of my storytelling, I, Bookmark it, the old-fashioned way, right into a folder on my computer, I set up for every novel I’ve published, and the ones I plan to write. So you can imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon these amazing photographs of a Seaside Cabin-I have no clue as to where it is-adding to a folder-for a wonderful story I have thus far drafted. The Seaside cabin is surely a scene I need to add OR, simply escape to if I can only figure out …

Lifestyle: Taking Lessons From Italian Women

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Over a decade ago the hubs and I took our first trip to Italy, starting in Venice.  Someone at the train station suggested we hop on a water bus to get  us to our hotel since we had no idea what we were doing-fresh out of college. We took the bus, and on it was a woman dressed so perfect-sensual that we found ourselves staring at her in awe. In Rome the same thing happened, women here and there  in cafes and restaurants  dressed very Sophia Loren chic, with the perfect tan, and hair, and fitted skirts and scarfs and red lipstick. I was fascinated, but very certain I  would never be able to duplicate any of it back then, and not even now. When I found  this article, it reminded me of my trip decades ago, when I first discovered the sensuality of Italian women and their fashion. The article helping me pinpoint what made up that perfect look. Here are my favorites:  

Life’s Funny That Way

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I took a few days off, to unwind in the country. Or so I thought that’s what I’d be doing. I packed my bag, my laptop, my dog and a few other things I though I would need and drove 2.5hours east to somewhere near Tahoe. The plan was I would finalize my third novel, you know the last-minute details before I set it loose online on April 16. Which is now only four days away. I had five days  before I left to lock in the formatting,  and all minor fixes and bugs. However,  I realized with only 30 minutes left to my drive, that I left my charger plug at home. (Long story I don’t want to get into). I am usually very together, and function extremely methodologically with everything I do. But the plug, not my fault really, was left behind. And I knew while freaking out on the road, the computer battery was only at 6pct. This bit of detail set the tone for the four-day weekend. And no matter how …

Lifestyle: Small Living Spaces…A New Trend?

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Six years ago, my hubs and I sold our 5-bedroom two-story in the suburbs and moved back to San Francisco, into a small studio with views of the ocean. In the beginning it was very difficult for us to get used the open-concept space we used for living, dining, and sleeping in. The worst was we worked different shifts. So while I slept he had to wake up and get ready – at 2 in the morning, and while he went to bed at 7p, I was up, and in need of watching television or doing something around the room which required movement. Eventually we got used it, and six years later, have very minimal issues with such a tight space. Lately, I’ve been watching Tiny Living Spaces on HGTV, where families give up their homes to live in small spaces, hopeful the concept would improve their quality of life, or  lifestyle. I can honestly say that if you have the right attitude and mind-set, the downsize has its benefits for sure. Two particular ones …

Lifestyle: Married Couple Hobby Travel Turned Lifestyle

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Every years the hubs and I remind ourselves how great we are when we travel together. Jokingly discussing doing it as a permanent career, if you will. Or better yet opening a business together of some sort while traveling the world. And then I think real hard and although I truly appreciate having this man in my life, I couldn’t for the life of me see myself traveling full-time or running a business with him. I am one who needs and values her space too much. So it was interesting to read this article from a couple detailing how they ditched their lives, to travel together, creating a new lifestyle and relationship, and along the way discovering  a new kind of business.  It got me thinking, that perhaps I wasn’t seeing the glass half full and that maybe, just maybe it was possible for us to consider such a lifestyle. Because, as tired as we are of the mundane and the norm, we tend to be the better person of ourselves when we actually do …