gung hay fat choy

The Chinatown New Years street festival.

Jackson with a lucky lion at the gate into Chinatown.

Lunch at House of Nanking.*

The streets filling up with anxious parade-watchers!

Year of the Ox.

Lion dancers.

The four of us spent a beautiful day in San Francisco enjoying the sights, sounds and tastes of Chinatown's New Years festival and parade. We had a blast.

*Photo by Mary Tsao.

treats for your sweets

I know it hasn't been that long since the gluttony of Christmas came to a much needed end, but I have Valentine's Day on my mind and that always conjures images of sweet treats. I love a box of See's as much as the next girl, but I thought it might be fun to see what else is out there.

The pretty chocolates at my hometown chocolaterie look amazing and come in interesting combinations like fleur de sel caramel, yirgachefe white coffee and orange jasmine tea. Ginger Elizabeth is a formally trained American chocolatier offering an array of chocolate confecions and pastries at her Sacramento boutique. Boxes start at $6 for 12 pieces.

I've become obsessed with homemade marshmallows and these lovelies from Brooklyn-based bakery Whimsy & Spice sound delish in flavors like chocolate, caramel, cardamom and maple. Yum-ski. Mail order available. $6/dozen.

If you're looking for some decadence but trying to stay on the nutritional straight and narrow try these low fat beauties from Holey Donut! That's right, I said "low fat" and "donut" in the same sentence! Just in time for Valentine's day, this all low fat bakery is offering these hot pink numbers--Low Fat Pink Velvet Strawberry Frosted donuts. $12 for 6.

favorite moment | playing hooky

Sometimes you just need to play hooky from work and take your boys to the beach. On the spur of the moment, Matt and I took the day off and the boys out of school and drove to my favorite place on earth--Pt. Reyes National Seashore. This is Limantour Beach, the perfect beach for long, long walks or just sitting in the sand and soaking up the sun.

There's something about chubby ankles peeking out from underneath rolled up jeans that warms my heart. And the way number one son looks like he is on a mission to do some diggin', with the little one trailing behind trying not to miss out on any important discoveries.

It was the perfect day.

savona bri...too much for me

I love this bag. And even though it is on sale for $224 (marked down from $375) it's still too rich for this girl's blood. Oh well.

fabu blogs

Photo from Pure Blog

I admit it. I'm a blogaholic. And I am convinced that I am going to get fired from my job for over-blogging despite the fact that any url with the word 'blogger' or 'blogspot' (not 'blog' interestingly) is blocked. This has caused me to venture into new territory and find new blogs...ones with the words 'typepad' and 'wordpress' in them. I've added some of these gems to the "blogs i love" section and I thought it would be fun to highlight a few from time to time. "New" only indicates that they are new to me and/or new to the blogroll. Most of these beauties have been around for a good while and have a very faithful following.

First up: Pure Blog

This wonderful online notebook penned by noted British designer and author Jane Cumberhatch is exquisite in its simplicity. The images are so calming. I'm addicted.

un-mom no. 6 | singing in the rain

Okay, I will be the first to admit that not every woman can pull-off this ensemble. I also admit that I have been slightly obsessed with color lately and that the last two un-mom posts have been, shall we say, especially vibrant. But any of these items on their own would add a fun boost to your winter outerwear wardrobe and might even put a little pep in your step.

1. Fab Printed Coat in bright green :: bodenusa.com :: $198.00
Why it works: I loathe the tan trench rain coat. Nothing says blah quite like that. And when it is rainy and gloomy who needs more blah. This is instant cheer.

2. Rain boots in orange/lemon :: target.com :: $17.49
Why they work: Keep those pigs dry in style. Plus, come summer they make great gardening boots.

3. Eco-friendly Fabric Umbrella in green :: target.com :: $42.49
Why it works: Nice and big to keep you and the kiddos dry at once. Again, the green makes me smile.

4. Kashmere cashmere fingerless gloves in orange :: bluefly.com :: $30.99
Why they work: The luxury and warmth of cashmere while maintaining your surgical dexterity for last minute shoe-tying, lunch-making or necessary digital gestures during rush hour (just kidding...don't do that)

5. Patent-trimmed Canvas Tote in electricity :: oldnavy.com :: $16.50
Why it works: Waterproof but cute. Come summer it goes to the beach and the farmer's market.

6. Coach Tara rain hat in white/green :: as seen on InStyle.com :: $128.00
Definitely pricey for "un-mom" but timeless and cute as a button. Even though it's for the rain, I could see this coming in handy year-round.

love, love, love this house

From here.

Photos from Sunset