It's here!

How is it possible that your parents can keep you from knowing all your relatives? The answer is simple. LARGE FAMILIES.

Missy and I met when we were infants (or so we're told), didn't hear about each other again 'til high-school, somehow reconnected during college through silly snail mail, e-mails and the world wide web, and FINALLY got together for the "first" time after grad-school. WHAT?

Distant relatives? Not so much. Closer than you think, actually. My gramps and her dad are brothers. You can figure out the rest.

Now that we're neighbors, we're bringing you this blog....

Visit soon!

Happy (belated) birthday blog!

Yesterday marked the birthday (anniversary?) of my first blog entry. Yay! I know I've been somewhat absent from it lately. It has been a very busy summer for me and I'm trying hard to organize my life but with not much success. With that said, I will be taking a break (read: ending) this blog to focus on other priorities such as a lifestyle blog that I will be co-authoring. Check back as I will post the link to it soon. : )

My blog ADD has surfaced once again but in due time, I'll be up and running with a brand spankin' new blog. Aloha for now dear readers of Witty Wanderlusting Wordsmith. Thank you for joining me in my fun adventures this past year. It sure was a great outlet for me to share my thoughts and life happenings. I will be missing it but not so much as I'm not quite leaving the blogosphere completely. : )

Thinking out loud

The talent of this cast blows me away and I'm dying to see it live.

Possible Birthday Agenda: Fly to NY, watch American Idiot on Broadway, eat dinner, fly back to CA. : )

Long overdue July 4th update

Goodbye BBQ, hello...quesadillas? That's right, we spent 4th of July eating Mexican food at a local taqueria, La Victoria. That bottle of secret "orange sauce" is a must-have with anything eaten at this popular joint.

A trip to Shoreline to see and hear the SF Symphony play familiar tunes was quite an enjoyable experience.

The red, white and blue.

Note to self for next time: Wear warm clothing to an outdoor venue.

The hubs and I enjoying the sounds of the symphony.

There's nothing better than fireworks + music!

The twin and I after a day of gallivanting 'round the town! Thanks for coming up to spend the 4th with us. Please visit again soon! :)

Twins in the city

Jane and I taking a much-needed break at Ghirardelli Square.

From Berkeley, the two of us ventured off into the city and pretty much drove across from one end to another. To enhance the adventure even more, we crossed numerous districts on foot because that's how Alli likes to do it! : ) My apologies to anyone who has ever been victim to my strong desire to walk and walk and walk some more. If the continents were not separated by bodies of water, I would surely be making my way around the world on foot.

Firecrackers hanging out in front of a kitchenwares store in Chinatown.

Adorned open sign at Crown & Crumpet.

A dime can no longer buy you anything these days.

So do you really pay for the truffle and get the coffee for free? :)

All sidewalks should have engraved words on them.

Parking in the city=your entire paycheck.

Pom pom Dahlia found while strolling through North Beach.

Every time I visit the city, I find something new. Each time, I am amused. Great company always adds to the enjoyment.

Potato what? BALLS!

Last weekend, my 'twin,' Jane came to visit. We had a marvelous time catching up, exploring the city and of course, sampling a ton of yummy treats. Immediately after picking her up from the airport, we headed straight to Berkeley for some of Gregoire's famous potato balls. Though it's formally known as Gregoire's Restaurant, it is really more of a 'shack,' than anything else. With only 2 picnic benches outside its store-front, the battle for a seat can be pretty fierce as customers stealthily await an empty spot from across the street or around the corner. Once another potato craving hits, I will surely be on my way to grab some of these.

Warm potato balls with "special sauce" were delicious!

If you're ever in Berkeley, be sure to visit the little shack with the blue awning. :)

It's gonna be a good weekend!

My bestie (aka: twin) is scheduled to arrive shortly and I'm getting ready to head to the airport to pick her up. This is going to be a fabulous weekend! Happy 4th to you all and stay safe!

Hike in the heat

This weekend was the hottest weekend so far since I've moved to the Bay Area. A whoppin' 94 degrees did not stop my gals from work and I from braving one of the un-shaded trails at Rancho San Antonio. Not to mention, we decided to go the "long way" extending the hike to about 3 hours in total in the hot blazing sun. Needless to say, we all made it to the top but it sure wasn't easy but it was all worth it. Even the encounter with random snakes was surprisingly bearable.

I'm a sucker for anything old and rusty! They make for great photo-ops, no?

Mr. Cow frying on the little farm we found along the trail.

Me & Linda during our quick stop at the farm.

Hello stinkies!!!

When you come to a fork, someone's gotta decide where to go. Rebecca leads the way.

Beautiful sunflowers!

And so it began, straight incline for who knows how many miles. Torture!

The view from the top. Although we didn't get to enjoy it much since it was burning and there was no shade, the view was pretty fantastic!

We all took baths in our own sweat. Pretty gross. I think I was the worst. I tend to be naturally sweaty. LOL!

This is Leslie preparing one of our rewards-ICE cold lemonade!

Linda and Jinmei are all smiles for the best part-FOOD!

Spring rolls, home-made guac, fresh banana cupcakes and watermelon. The perfect snack after a loooooooong and draining hike.

Despite the weather, this has got to be one of the most satisfying things I've done in a long time. It also was by far the hardest hike I've had to endure. Stay tuned for our next future adventure! I'm trying to push for white water rafting. : ) We'll see how that goes!

Semi-Lazy Saturday

I stayed home most of the day to just relax. That's a half-truth. I kinda did some chores and such while at home. One of them involved the painful task known as "the human shredder." See for yourself.

Poor folk can't afford real shredders,

instead, we use our bare hands.

That's MANUAL labor for you, friends!

I have to admit, we had a blast swimming in the pile afterwards. ;) Hope you all are having a great weekend so far! Tomorrow, I'm headed to the hills for some hiking and picnic-ing with some of the girls from work. Can't wait!

Ellabella's Big Day

This is Ella, better known as my 'partner in crime.' Today is her birthday. I miss her a lot! I dedicate this post to her as I present her with these virtual beauties. Friend, I hope you enjoy these gifts. I may not be able to afford them in this lifetime but it's the thought (are the thoughts?) that counts, right?

The Italian flag in honor of your strong desire to speak Italian and our future future future trip to Italy. Remember, we're counting on you to be our tour guide.

All the yellow shoes in the world whether cute or absurd, I know you'll wear them.

A paddle board set to whisk you away just as you wish, anytime, anywhere. It's like Aladdin's magic carpet but not really. Close though, very close.

A ton of macarons to satisfy those always-craving-something taste buds of yours. Although every flavor in the rainbow may still leave you lingering for more. By the way, I'm also counting on you to invent a macaron flavor that does not yet exist. Consider it a birthday challenge. I'll check back with you in June 2011.

Lastly, a trip to the beautiful islands of Hawaii to lay out on the sand, relax and read a book....from your Nook. Of course while sipping on a mouth-watering pina colada followed by a mai tai followed by another pina colada. Get the picture?

Have a spectacular birthday, Ella!

I cherish your friendship.....for realsies!!

: )

Love,

Alli

SFMOMA

Hello! Welcome to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. My name is Allison and I will be your tour guide today.

The Anniversary Show celebrates SFMOMA's 75th birthday. It features a host of drawings, paintings, photographs and much more.

One of my personal favorite installations was one featuring chairs of various shapes and sizes.

A gold-sculpted Michael Jackson and his monkey are displayed in one of the galleries.

It wouldn't be a modern art museum without some Lichtenstein...

...nor would it be so clean without these brooms.

The rooftop garden features a cafe as well as this abstract beauty,

and this towering sculpture.

There was a strict "no photographs rule" in the installation gallery so I opted for pictures of the building itself.

After all, wouldn't you consider the architecture, a work of art itself?

The skylights allow for more natural lighting thus creating a more 'green' building.

The outline of a stairwell can be mistaken for art.

I hope you enjoyed your visit! Please come again and bring a friend!