On this weekend’s post a San Francisco brunch spot and hike, some new books, cute khaki pants, my new porch flowers and more..
This month is flying by! Can spring be around the corner? I spotted these big ranunculus at my local Ace Hardware and grabbed them to fill my empty baskets on the front porch. I have never seen ranuculus in such big pots. They are one of my favorite flowers, so I hope I can keep them alive for a while! They are making it feel springlike.
While doing a little research for the red style post this week ( linked below), I noticed my khaki pants needed a replacement. Way too tight. I saw this pair at Anthropologie and have been loving them. They are slightly long on my 5’4 self, but I think they will work. These pants come in petite, tall and plus as well. I like that they are mid rise (though they say low).
I also have been wearing this Rails top (on sale ) with them. It’s perfect for layering and has ruffles… It’s giving me the Princess Di vibe and will be a great spring top.
I look forward to wearing these pants with sandals and pretty white blouses soon!
Easy and Healthy Raspberry Chocolate Hearts
I tried Diane Morrisey’s Chocolate Raspberry Chia Bites a week ago and they are so good and easy I made them again this week with a heart cookie cutter. They take no time as it is just two cups of raspberries mashed with four tablespoons of chia. You let the mixture sit for ten and then put them into blobs or as I did heart shapes and freeze.
After about 20 minutes, you dip them in two cups of chocolate chips and a tablespoon of veg oil done over a double boiler, and refrigerate. They are divine, but do need to be kept refrigerated. Full recipe here. Warning these are addictive! I used Guittard Super Cookie Chips to melt, which are the best chocolate ever.
And if you need more decadent sweets both Juliet and Elizabeth did wonderful chocolate desserts this week to try on your Valentine!
My Valentine’s traditions
This little month is packed with fun isn’t it? I love Valentines and my mother did too. When we were small she always made my brother Peter and I feel special by leaving a treat on our breakfast plate. It was usually a mini box of candy, some cash , and a pair of cute socks or something fun like that.
When my sons were small I did the same breakfast Valentines gifts. That night, we would have a Valentine’s picnic at night in front of the fireplace on the floor, and they would help me make a special dinner and chocolate dipped strawberries to surprise Max with. They loved this tradition!
Be Your Own Valentine
This Valentine’s Day Max and I don’t have any particular plans, but I signed us up for a cooking class this week which was really fun and I will share more next week. I thought that would be a fun way to do something different together.
I think I will ask him to take me to the new exhibition with John Singer Sergent in Spain at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco and have lunch there!
This week someone shared on social media their husband didn’t really believe in Valentines, so they didn’t do anything special.. I think a lot of us expect or hope our partners will come through with flowers, jewels.. or a special dinner. I have been there. Now I tell Max what I want to do and often make the plans. I don’t feel disappointed because I let him know what I would like, and it works out better I think!
Sometimes I will cook us dinner on Valentines, and we will go out later in the week to a special place I choose.
I think one message women don’t get it that we need to be our own Valentine. We should be buying ourselves flowers occasionally, treating ourselves to nice things when we can, and generally being our own bestie… and asking for what we actually want instead of hoping. I try to work on doing this more more myself.
I also noticed this week one of my favorite podcasts, life coach Kym Showers coincidentally talked about, ‘The Secret Romance of Self-Love,’ a fresh perspective and what we need to hear.
I have to thank Juliet, who first shared Kym. Kym puts out a lot of positive ways to live your life each week on Instagram and her Thursday podcasts. I like to listen to them on my walks or while cooking..Link to the Valentine podcast here.
A San Francisco hike and brunch spot
Last weekend we hung out with our oldest Jackson and his girlfriend Kristin. They want to do a walk in San Francisco and brunch. Max found the perfect place to start, Crepes on Cole for brunch. I had the fancy French toast stuffed with mascarpone. Everything here was so good …
It fortified us for our walk which started in Cole Valley and took us up the Farnsworth Steps (above) to Parnassus Heights and a darling historic brick road neighborhood on Edgewood Avenue that has plum trees blooming. From the top of that take you go to the Sutro Forest, which then goes to Clarendon Heights and around to Tank Hill which has panoramic city views and back down to Cole…. I think that’s a run on sentence, but that is what we did!
I tried to have Max map it out.. This is the path we took starting at the arrow. I would say it took us an hour. We dawdled a bit too. At the top of Sutro Forest there is a UCSF outpost with a public bathroom and drinking fountain.
We had a great time taking in the views and even stopped in to a fantastic Open House. I love exploring SF on foot, and there are no end to the different neighborhoods. This is a particularly pretty time to go with the trees starting to blossom. You can see our walk on this Reel I made on Instagram.
While I was googling the kind of trees that were in bloom, I came across the blog and Instagram of SFTree Guy -aka Mike Sullivan, a venture capitalist who is also a tree nerd. He has a wonderful blog documenting the unique trees of the city and more great SF walks here.
I don’t have a house of the week, but I noticed at the top of the Farnsworth Steps, there is the French Consulate General’s home. It literally has an eagle’s nest view and a when I looked for the street trees, this recent listing of the home popped up. This is a multi-story gem and you can see all the photos here before it was sold to the consulate. A pretty home in a dream location.. Of course the French chose it!
I love this new cookbook
I follow Nicole Medic’s Kale Junkie account on Instagram, and she’s one of the most inventive and creative people sharing healthy and delicious food made simple. I was very excited to see she has her first cookbook out, Love to Eat. She’s a Bay Area gal and was a lawyer who turned recipe developer..
I spotted her book at our local bakery, Icing on the Cake and bought all the copies plus some cute orange kitchen towels for birthday gifts this week.
The book is chock full of her inventive food and good ideas and I just ordered one for myself as well. Just what we need to eat well this year and get out of the dinner rut. Buy her book here.
Another good book..
I just ordered Carrie Soto is Back the latest by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This is about a tennis pro who comes out of retirement when her record is in jeopardy of being broken…Sounds so good. Reviews say it is inspiring!
I’m hoping to read it when I go to the BNP Tennis tournament next month. I have a friends that we go with, but we haven’t been back since the 2019 due to the pandemic. I’m excited to be there again.
If you know anyone who is going to this desert classic, or you are, I wrote a post about what to pack for it and how to navigate it to have the most fun. My post, with all the details here.
In other news…
Thanks to all who read this week’s Signature Style about wearing red with Cindy. Check it out here if you are in the wardrobe doldrums and need some styling ideas.
I had my Galentine get together for friend’s birthdays his week and if you still want to do an easy gathering with friends, the idea and recipes are here. Being with friends can be one of the best part of Valentines!
If you missed last weekend’s post, I shared a little Valentine decor, inspiration from Princess Diana for transitional dressing, Jennifer Aniston’s favorite salad, books, a show and more..
Wishing you all a little Valentine love this week!
Kim
Please visit my pals Elizabeth and Juliet’s blogs..
MAKE MINE A SPRITZER
PINECONES AND ACORNS
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Thanks Kim for a great post! I need a life coach, so I will try Kym! Your weekend jaunts with hubby are so inspiring. Chip ends up working all weekend to catch up in between trips while I do yard work, or we are down at the river, painting, pruning and hammering. We need to do a better job of having fun!
Let me know what your thoughts are on Kym! I find most of her podcasts very relevant. You and Chip have a lot going on ! We should probably be taking care of the yard too.. Max loves to get out and a do stuff, and I am a natural homebody, so I guess it works. If you saw my garden…Yikes. Going to try and get out there this weekend! xo
Wow Kim another great post. Love the SF walk and going to stop at the crepe restaurant in Cole Valley. My friends and I love walking different neighborhoods in SF. You have such a variety of interesting topics. Love your blog. Going to listen to the podcast. Happy Valentines Day.
Hi Sheila! This little crepe restaurant is unassuming and fun. How nice you have friends who like to walk with you too. Hope you enjoy the podcast.
Happy Valentine’s weekend! xx
Thank you for sharing your fun walks. I’ve been hearing awful things about how SF is the worst off of any big city after the pandemic but it’s still a grande dame to me. I wanted to jump right into my iPad and devour your French toast! We have no good breakfast places around here and it’s one of my favorite meals of the day. This place really does look have a French look from the exterior.
Wren, I feel like SF is so thrown under the bus! As someone who goes there frequently, I have seen the homeless and like any big city it has some crime, but it still is thriving and beautiful and a delight. I have encountered zero issues on my jaunts. I feel safe walking all the time there. Only once on Market street very late after a play, it seemed sketchy, but there were still cops all over. SF is the most beautiful city!
Isn’t breakfast the best?? xo
I am also 5’4, and have those same anthro pants- but they are blue Jean’s. They are long on me also, but I am going to wear with sandals with a bit of a platform. Then they are just right. I dont like to get Jean’s hemmed-they never look right to me after.
Catherine, I kind of agree. I am hoping to wear these with a flatform sneaker or flat sandals and just have them drag a bit… Also seen a lot of young people wearing these mini flared pants cuffed, so that is a look to try.. I will look for the jean version! Thank you.
Kim, I love your treks through the City and wonder why we don’t go more often. I’m saving your maps & walk ideas. Glad your Galentine/Birthday gathering was fun. I’m sure everyone loved your table setting and menu … and sipping out of those pretty glasses. I’m totally with you, and the other Kym, on being your own Valentine and creating your own experiences. Jim is often traveling on Valentine’s Day but I love to bake things for friends and the nieces … it makes me happy and that’s what Valentine’s Day is all about. Love your new Anthro pants … and Rails top is definitely giving Diana. Hope you have a wonderful weekend … I wonder where you adventures will take you (if the rain lets up)! xo
p.s. I adore your refreshed porch … looks like spring. It’s on my to do list as well and maybe I’ll get it done this weekend. I love those pretty basket pots … I remember when you found them last year. So good. xo
Thanks Juliet! Trying to make it pretty this time of year. Those Target baskets have been good!
Juliet that tree guy has so many more good walks too!
So true, we just need to have fun and spread the love on Valentines, and it needn’t be a romantic thing. You are the sweetest auntie.
xo
What a great post! A little bit of everything. I welcome you back to the Coachella valley next month. I live at the other end—Palm Springs—and enjoy when the BNP is in town. One tip: remember it gets chilly when the sun goes down and you have that lovely pink from a day of sun! Have fun, friend!
I enjoyed that book, Carrie Soto is Back, and I think with you being a tennis player you might appreciate parts of it even more than I did. But it is not really a tennis story, the world of tennis is just the setting for a story of female ambition and also a great father-daughter relationship.
Cathy thank you for that feedback..Sound like a great one.
Kim, it is always fun to read your posts on Saturday. I love your walks, and views of parts of SF I haven’t seen before. How wonderful to have your son and girlfriend home visiting.
Your Galentine lunch looks and sounds beautiful. It is always nice to celebrate our friends.
As for celebrating Valentine’s Day. and every other holiday. I have spent 75% of my birthdays, Valentine’s and other “events” alone, not just without my husband but no family either(husband traveling/family in other states).
I learned long ago to make my holiday/birthdays special for myself and of course with friends.
I wonder when women were sold the bill of goods that men need to make their life special? Years ago I saw Dr. Phil on Oprah and he said, men are stupid, they have no idea what you want or need. If you want something from the man in your life you need to spell it out and tell him.
Off to order Love to eat, I love the Kale Junkie! And I am going to make your raspberry hearts! They are so cute!
Have a wonderful weekend Kim!
P.S. I LOVED your red post and think your looks AMAZING, as always!
Elizabeth love that you make the holidays special even if it’s just you. It is so important to be good to ourselves. Well men can be clueless..So true and I think each generation of women is getting better at saying and doing exactly what we want.
I know a friend whose mother told her, you teach your husband how to treat you, and that has always resonated with me!
Hope you try the chocolates. They are yummy- and addicting.
Hop you have a lovely Valentines! xo
Hi Kim,
Oh wow, I just so enjoyed reading about the Cole Valley hike that you had the pleasure to share with Jackson and Kristin. Crepes are so light and yummy, the food looked delish. I turned around and shared your hike with Tina (my forever friend) that lives in SF and has hiked on lots of wonderful trails. I asked her if she has gone on this trail? It looked like such a wonderful adventure. We used to hike around Mt. Tamp for a good nine months when we lived in Stinson Beach. It was such a memorable experience. Nothing takes the place of Mother Nature. I so remember seeing the view of the ocean. Gorgeous❣️
Valentine’s Day and what your mother did for you and Peter at breakfast is so heart warming then what you did for your guys and the making of chocolate dipped strawberries. Great times laced with such loving memories, and it all started with your treasured memories of your mother and the love she showered on you both.
Sounds like you had a full week.
I intend to check out Kym Reinvented, “The Secret Romance of Self-Love.” Women can sometimes take a backseat especially if they are raising a family and have limited means to take
care of themselves and buy things just for them.
Thanks to you and Juliet for sharing.
Hi Katherine! So lucky to be out with the kids. Oh I wonder if Tina has some better paths? She might know a lot.
I did not know you lived in Stinson Beach! How wonderful. I love that little community and the paths around Mt Tam!
I know mothers are the best. She always made us feel so special.
Yes I think Kym is great! Good messages for women.
Have a good week Katherine xo
Morning Kim 😊 Gosh, where do I start … such a varied and fun post and I enjoyed all of it! Love that Jackson and Kristin joined you on your latest visit to San Francisco. I really enjoy visiting new places / areas and finding great spots for coffee and breakfast… definitely my favourite meal of the day. I’d happily eat what are thought of as breakfast dishes all day!
I love khaki and washed denim or chambray and your new trousers look great on you. I have a couple of similar shirts and they work so well alone or under sweaters … showing just a hint of the frill.
It’s lovely hearing about your Valentine traditions started by your mum. I think lots of us are of the same mind here that it’s lovely to stop, recognise and appreciate the “Love” aspect in varying ways but it doesn’t need to be a fancy meal on the actual day. Like you I tend to cook one of our favourite meals on Valentine’s Day and then we often eat out another evening when the restaurant menus tend to be better and places not as crowded. ( sounds so practical and unromantic lol )
Also I’m thinking I may offer to babysit this year so a younger couple can have some special time together!
I’ve got to add that your porch looks so pretty with the ranunculus and that gorgeous cushion … so fresh and welcoming. Ranunculus are such a pretty flower, petals like delicate tissue paper!
I hope you’re having a lovely weekend Kim … and thanks again for a great post!
Rosemary xxx
Rosemary I was so happy to have those two with us! I have to say family outings with the adult kids is a joy. I’m a breakfast fan too.
Thanks love these pants and frilly blouses! Worth having a few as you do.
Ha I know less romantic and more practical..and less expectations makes this week less stress! Aw you are such a great grandma. I know it was everything to get out when our kids were small.
It’s so true about the ranunculus looking like paper. Maybe that is why I love them!
Thank you for the kind note! Have a great week! xo
Hi Kim
Your post reminded me of some of the wonderful places we have visited in San Francisco while on vacations from Australia. We have been to the Legion of Honor twice and loved it, also have been to Crepes on Cole, enjoyed their food. We have loved our walks around San Francisco, particularly enjoyed looking at the beautiful homes in Pacific Heights.
Dianne, So glad to hear you hit some of these fun spots on your travels. I know the homes in Pacific Heights are so good too! I drove by there and hope to share more of that.
You Aussies are the best travelers. I hope to get down your way someday soon! x
Kim, I Love your spring flowers at the front door! Your new pants and your top! I always say this, but I do love your style!
I enjoyed the reel of your SF walk and the map showing your route! Such a great city to explore!
Have fun in the desert! We will be watching from here! 🎾
xx
Thanks so much Annie! You know I love your style too.
You should go to that tournament sometime! i know you would love it x
Hi Kim,
I forgot (that seems to be happening to me lately)
to acknowledge the beautiful ranunculus at your front door. Ranunculus is one of my top favorite flowers. We have stopped buying them because they don’t seem to survive well once they are planted in the soil. It’s too bad because they are such a gorgeous flower.
Oops, I meant to say Primrose the other day NOT
Peonies. I really love Peonies. I’m sure you knew what I meant.
Katherine thank you! Aren’t they the prettiest flower? Just love them. I hope they survive.
It’s funny about the small flowers because I was calling them peonies or pansies.. all the flowers that begin with p! She people call them primulas.It’s confusing! I knew what you meant. xo
Hi Kim … I’m back again , having just read your post on “tennis style” at the tournament in the desert. Some great pictures and a fun post but most of all some really sound tips and advice that would also work at a music festival or concert or an outdoor wedding etc in extreme heat with no or little shade. I burn with just a glimpse of the sun so I’m always grateful for simple and stylish suggestions. Have a wonderful trip! xxx
Rosemary Thank you..I guess I am sensitive to the heat. I even get stressed thinking about how to not wilt in the sun when I do things like this. Glad to hear this might be helpful! xo
The MAP!
Took me back in time.I USE TO TAKE THE IRVING STREETCAR TO BALLET FROM THE EMBARCADERO!Took forever to get there!
Happy V- DAY!
Xxx
Wow you were a SF girl! Happy V Day! xo