san francisco
There are 11 entries for the tag
san francisco
Passing from a NASA engineer to a successful cake designer and baker makes a pretty extraordinary story. BethAnn Goldberg had the creative gene since she started out as a ceramic sculptor before graduating from Stanford.
Studio Cake makes three types: the tiered cakes, the sculpted cakes and the cupcakes. The level of details is impressive. Look at the icy snow on the ground of the snowman cupcakes.
Let the Birthday Cake Be The Gift
If you are planning a birthday for someone that has everything, give a one of kind birthday cake instead. The guest of honor will be in awe when he/she sees the cake. Highlight the event with harmonizing invites, party décor and even wear costumes. Let the party of a lifetime be your gift.
To offset the extra costs, you can ask the guests for contributions instead of giving individual gifts.
Categories:
GIFT ideas
KIDS party
BIG events
CAKES
posted @ Thursday, July 24, 2008 12:30 PM | Feedback (0)
I bought the Hook and Go Smart Cart a few weeks ago. It comes handy when I shop at the farmer’s market.
The Hook & Go works great but my quest for the perfect grocery cart is still on. This is why I am glad that the cute British grocery carts made by Rolser have found a North American distributor.
Better still for Canadians, the distributor is located in Vancouver, British Columbia. They have a Web site but you must call to place your order. Visit lifestylecart.com for more information. I do not know yet if I should try the 2-wheel Mountain Grocery Cart.
Features of all Rosler Grocery Carts
From the reviews I read so far, the 2 wheel model seems to work well going up and down the stairs. The Rosler Mountain cart gains a plus when I compared with my Hook and Go cart.
Categories:
GIFT ideas
TRENDS
FAMILY style
posted @ Wednesday, July 23, 2008 8:48 PM | Feedback (0)
I just read on Moco Loco about a new eco-friendly product. We used propane BBQ at home. But I crave for the real BBQ charcoal taste. Last year I almost gave in but after checking the negative effects on the environment, I decided against it.
But now I have a solution that will leave me with great taste and a clear conscience. Baja is an eco-friendly instant charcoal packaging developed by Mike and Maaike for design annex / Lazzari.
Baja renders your barbecue experience simple, clean and chemical free. It is simple to cook on the BBQ since Baja heats the natural lump charcoal to the right temperature without the aid of chemicals or lighter fluid. The coals are ready to cook within 15 to 20 minutes from lighting.
When you go at home or if you go at the friend house for a Bring your Own Food outdoor party, Baja is much better than regular charcoals for you and your neighbors.
Categories:
FOOD + drinks
OUTDOOR
PARTY supplies
posted @ Thursday, May 29, 2008 6:50 PM | Feedback (5)
While I visited the San Francisco Ferry Building Farmer's Market last March, I saw plenty of shoppers with a Hook & Go trolley. I took some pictures because I find them handy.
Needing More Than Reusable Shopping Bags
As many urban residents, I walk to do my grocery shopping. I shop European style, which means that I typically buy food for a day or two. When I find the time, I like to go to the farmer's market on weekdays to buy fresh produces.
As many of you, I carry a couple of reusable shopping bags on my handbag. But the weight added up quickly. The weight bothers me more since my injury. Since then, I wish for a functional foldable shopping cart.
When I shop in the neighborhood or at the farmer's market, I buy food for many stores. Having my own portable shopping cart will free up my hands.
Categories:
GIFT ideas
OFF topics
TRENDS
FAMILY style
posted @ Friday, May 23, 2008 2:10 PM | Feedback (1)
This is the coolest hammock I ever seen. At a price tag of $19,500 this is not for everyone. Still, we can all appreciate the stunning design of this 113 inch diameter hammock.
You can drape it for privacy or more protection against the sun. It is supposed to be more stable than the regular hammocks.
The standard size day bed and the huge hammock are perfect to party under the sun. It looks so hip. The San Francisco based company Henry Hall Designs proposes fine outdoor furniture in an array of modern and traditional styles.
Vintage Fusion
The Fusion range mixes teak and stainless steel. The best part for me is the falling pool. I always dreamed of a pool like that.
Vintage is made of stainless steel and synthetic resin. Inspired by the curved plywood chairs of the 1950’s, Vintage line proposes a chaise lounge and a stackable dining chair. As you can read on Henry Hall Designs Web site, the Vintage revives an era of visionary design for the outdoors.
Categories:
OUTDOOR
posted @ Wednesday, May 14, 2008 12:58 AM | Feedback (1)
Each couple has a story. I happened to meet a TV actress not too long ago. I am telling her how I could relate to her storyline because my husband and I got together a little bit the same way of her character.
I am telling you that because people do not always know or remember how you became a couple. If you have an interesting story, one of most memorable things you can do for your wedding celebrations is to splurge on personalized designed invites, place cards and paper goods.
I have to warn you: Be ready to be swept off your feet with the bespoke portfolio of Chewing the Cud Weddings. Their attention to details is totally divine. But craftsmanship and exclusivity have its price tag.
Chewing the Cud was founded by Viola, a graphic designer from San Francisco. To know the extent of her talents, look at what she did for her own wedding.
Categories:
PAPER goods
BIG events
posted @ Monday, April 14, 2008 6:37 PM | Feedback (2)
When I realized yesterday night that this would be the 500th post of At Home with Kim Vallée, I started a search for the perfect cake to represent what my brand stands for: stylish, unique, modern, lively and entertaining. I found my match at I Dream of Cake in San Francisco.
Cake Gallery
When you walk into this appointment-only shop you are surrounded by the cream of the cream in cake decorations.
People did not nickname I Dream of Cake the Cake Gallery for nothing. The retail space is designed as a gallery. Naturally, every cake is made to order. With an art degree, the cake designer Shinmin Li refers to her cake creations as commissioning a piece of edible art. When I look at her cake creations, I must agree with Shinmin.
It took me a while to create my board due to abundance of fabulous cake designs on her Web site. Her Wedding cakes are incredible and so the rest of I Dream of Cake creations. People commission cakes for all occasions from kid birthday cakes to sweet 16, bar mitzvahs, christenings up to anniversaries.
Categories:
KIDS party
BIG events
CAKES
posted @ Wednesday, April 02, 2008 12:39 PM | Feedback (4)
After a visit to the fantastic gallery style shop Rose and Radish in San Francisco, I spot one or two street corners later another retail delight for the senses. This time, it was the shop of the artisanal chocolate maker Christopher Elbow located on Hayes Street.
It was the fashionable design of the store that first caught my eyes from across the street. As I looked further, I realized that it was a fine chocolate shop.
I am passionate about fine chocolate so I could not passed by this opportunity. The red featured wall, dark brown wood and the white décor of his retail place pleased me. The packaging evokes modern luxury.
About the Chocolate
These decadent pieces are hand-crafted one at a time. The modern patterns are amazing. The chocolate decorations are created using sprays, templates or hand painting techniques. So each piece is unique.
Categories:
HOME decor
FOOD + drinks
GIFT ideas
posted @ Thursday, March 06, 2008 12:13 PM | Feedback (0)
Ever since I first heard of them, I wished to stay at Hotel Vitale. The hotel opened March 9, 2005.
I imagined myself taking the complimentary yoga class, available daily, at the penthouse level yoga studio. Unfortunately I was unable to fit a class into my tight schedule. Oh well, one more reason to go back.
To understand the concept of this hotel and its appeal to me, let's go back to their root. Their goal was to create an urbane oasis. In a press release published before their opening, you can read that
Hotel Vitale represents not only a new frontier for the highly successful boutique hotel company, but an entirely ground-breaking concept in the arena of luxury hospitality.
This luxury hotel cleverly mixes old and new modern furniture for their decor. The old appears through the use of materials and finishes. But the shapes always stay modern. The architects and designers managed to create spaces that are soothing, hip and friendly at the same time.
Categories:
DINING out
TRAVEL
posted @ Tuesday, March 04, 2008 11:22 AM | Feedback (1)
I saw the Blue Bottle Coffee kiosk with its long line of customers while visiting the Farmer’s Market. At their kiosk, they prepare coffee with the beehouse ceramic drippers. You can tell that people love the coffee of this artisan micro-roasting company.
But I resisted the temptations because I wanted to try their famous individually made brewed coffee made with a $20,000 machine. So I went to the Blue Bottle Café located at 66 Mint Street, San Francisco (at Jessie Street).
What is the siphon bar?
Each coffee is brewed using two stacked glass globes resting on top of a heater. The technique involves creating a deep whirlpool with a wooden paddle in no more than four turns without touching the glass.
Basically, vapors and variations in temperatures force the coffee up and down. The principle behind the siphon bar share similarities with the stovetop espresso maker except that the siphon bar requires human assistance several times in the process as you can see by watching my video.
Categories:
FOOD + drinks
DINING out
posted @ Monday, March 03, 2008 1:47 AM | Feedback (4)
We stayed in the hip and fun Hotel Vitale San Francisco yesterday. I love the place. We had appetizers and drinks at The Americano. We went to dinner at the famous Tadich Grill, the oldest restaurant in California. It dated back to the Gold Rush era.
We ate breakfast at Frog Hollow Farm, an organic bakery at the Farmer’s Market of One Ferry Building next to The Embarcadero. Their risotto tart is absolutely divine. Now, we are in the Wine Country. The weather is fabulous.
I will write the details of the fabulous places where I stayed and ate in the coming days.
Categories:
TRAVEL
posted @ Wednesday, February 27, 2008 5:02 PM | Feedback (0)