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Chasing the Sun

Published by Rebecca Raspberry // The Rebecca Project

I want to start by giving a big shout out to Mum, who turns 21 today!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MUM! You’re the greatest and I hope you have a lovely day 🙂

Good times with Craig, Mum, and Jas

Last week , we had the most amazing weather here in San Francisco, in a city renown for its fog. The sun shone for hours, and I relished putting on shorts for the first time this season. The warmth of the sun on my skin felt so good, I just hope there’s many more days like this to come…

I have been so caught up in work (and am starting to think ‘workaholic’ is my middle name), so I have recently been extricating myself and trying to consciously enjoy the moments of my life here in a city I really love.

One day last week, we randomly piled into the car and chased the sun all the way down Geary. We wound up at the Sutro Baths to watch the last five minutes of the sun as it descended into the Pacific. I love unplanned adventures that make my spirit soar.

Bliss personified.

After I slept in and missed netball on Saturday (sorry ladies!), we spent Saturday arvo hiking the first half of our proposed Geary walk (from Market Street to the Ocean), discovered the rest of our street over the other side of Van Ness, stumbled upon some new neighbourhoods and just enjoyed the freedom of being able to wander wherever it is our boots took us.

In the evening. we watched the Hitchcock classic ‘Vertigo‘ (what a FREAK Jimmy Stewart’s character is! But that’s a whole other post…), and then wandered around our own neighbourhood of Nob Hill the following day, trying to find all the buildings referenced in the film.

The Vertigo building

There’s some amazing places right here on Nob Hill with ornate entryways and rooftop decks and courtyards with afternoon sun, if money was no object… it’s pretty awesome I call this neighbourhood ‘home’.

Grace Cathedral from Huntington Park

Sacramento at Mason

The cherry trees are still in blossom

Top O' the Mark

Beautiful San Francisco

So what have you been up to?

Radvent 2010 – Day 6: Adventuring

Published by Rebecca Raspberry // The Rebecca Project

Day Six of Radvent 2010 is all about Adventuring.

Abandon your to-do list and go somewhere else. Somewhere new. Somewhere you have wanted to explore. Bring a camera and take a picture to celebrate the moment when you abandoned anxiety and insecurity, embraced imagination and opportunity, and let life unfold.

The best part about living in the city of San Francisco is that so much of it is still new to me. I have been fortunate to venture out of my little five block radius (to and from BART) through our urban hikes and through meeting people who know different parts of town.

Leslie has introduced me to the Mission — the joys of the Candystore Collective (16th Street) and of Honey Lavender ice cream at the amazing Bi-Rite Creamery (18th Street @ Delores). With Mary, we’re slowly but surely are tasting all the brew houses and sushi houses in town.

On our days off, the American and I have taken to doing ‘urban hikes’ to explore different parts of the city, because even though he’s originally from the Bay Area, he’s an East Bay boy.

I make a point to walk a different way home as often as we can, which means that I’m always seeing new things: new graffiti, new homeless people shouting at me in the Tenderloin, new buildings.

Last week, I took a walk down to Hayes Valley to drop off some Feisty Elle inventory at a beautiful boutique, Lavish.

Lavish in Hayes Valley -- bring yer wallets!

I took a walk around the tree-lined San Francisco streets and marvelled at the window displays — they’re all so beautiful, and artfully presented. It was a real treat (having come through the Tenderloin!).

Hayes Valley -- the SF equivalent of a bougie Brunswick Street (minus the cool cafes)

I'm a sucker for red doors...

On my way back, I decided to get myself a library card at the San Francisco Public Library, something I have been intending to do for about five months. Better late than never, right? I fell in love with the ceiling in the atrium at first sight. Amazing!

Beautiful, even on a foggy day!

I am a proud member of the SF Public Library, and decided to give ‘Emma’ by Jane Austen another shot. I absolutely hated Austen at school (and particularly this book), so I thought I’d reread it and see if/how my opinions have altered. It’s been a good decade!

The Flagpole outside the Town Hall

What's SF without a mirrored egg outside a beauty school?

Radvent 2010 – Day 5: Rocking Out!

Published by Rebecca Raspberry // The Rebecca Project

Radvent 2010 – Day 5: Rocking Out!

Write down the soundtrack of your year so far. Play it for someone who loves you.

2010 Playlist

1. Darren Hanlon – All These Things

Darren Hanlon: The consummate troubadour who has the gift of writing the tightest and sweetest, most genuine pop songs.

Bron introduced me to him a few years ago — he was ducking out to go see a few minutes of Bob Geldof at Enmore Theatre just before he went onstage at Goldman’s. Rock ‘n’ roll!

Since then, we’ve met him in other places around the traps like San Francisco and Dunedin, and am hoping he’ll stop by again soon…

2. Angus and Julia Stone – Big Jet Plane

3. Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition

I have been far away from a lot of the hype around this group, but noticed it this song has been used on a few ads here. It’s growing on me and I like the clip, though.

4. Belle and Sebastian – I Want The World To Stop

LOVE! We saw them last month and though we froze our arses off on Treasure Island, I finally got to see them in the flesh. Stuart’s dancing rocks. They can do no wrong.

5. The Beatles – Get Back

This is my favourite song to rock out to when I’m driving across the Bay Bridge. We saw Paul McCartney this year and it was more than awesome. Love the Beatles!

6. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan – You Won’t Let Me Down Again

7. She & Him – In The Sun

She’s so cute — part of me wants to be her. She sounded good when we saw her at the Treasure Island Festival, but their live shows leave much to be desired. Still like this one, though.

8. Röyksopp – Happy Up Here

This is what I play when I’m walking around the city. It’s just such a happy song to start my day with.

9. Sarah Blasko – All I Want

I love Sarah, and this is a beautiful song from her new album ‘As Day Follows Night’. It’s an album that has might lighter and happier moments than her previous offerings. The clip’s good, too.

10. Blazer Force – Electronic Santa

“El-ec-tron-ic san-ta’s going to… crash your party, crash your Christmas party.”

This song has been used in an advertisement for Target this Christmas, and is just too cool. Target ads in the past year have totally rocked, and the brains behind this is none other than Britt (aka Brett MacKenzie) from Flight of the Concords. Just reaffirms that I have great taste 😉

Radvent 2010 – Day 4: Forgiveness

Published by Rebecca Raspberry // The Rebecca Project

Day 4 of Radvent 2010 is all about Forgiveness, which is one thing I am terrible at.

Forgiveness :S

[Source: Princess Lasertron]

It’s hard to come out of a place of resentment, and it takes practice (just like everything). Practice forgiving about small, everyday things. You can always non-forgive later. Who and what are you ready to let go of resentment toward?

I never used to be able to hold a grudge. My best mate in high school after a falling out would sigh, roll her eyes and remind me that, “Duh! We’re not talking because we’re fighting, remember?”… oh, right.

Then one day, it was different. Once people did wrong by me, they were gone. A little harsh, maybe, but people kept taking advantage of me or treating me poorly and I guess that was my coping mechanism.

I have done this to a few too many people in my life, and not all of them deserved such harsh treatment. I have been stubborn and self-righteous, and yes, I have been wrong about some things (on many more occasions than I care to admit).

But the funny thing is that I really don’t want to forgive some people. So how can I ask forgiveness of others for my wrongs when I refuse to try to forgive them for the wrongs they have done by me? It’s a bit rich, really. But there’s just too much hurt with some things to let them go.

Meg quoted some Deepak Chopra (I tend to avoid anything you find in the self-help aisle in the bookshop like the plague), but it’s interesting:

“You must realize that everyone is doing the best they can from their own state of consciousness.”

I know that I have been doing the best I can in my conduct with people, and sometimes I bugger it up. It’s just interesting to think that it’s the same way for others…

I am going home in a few weeks, and will try to atone for stuff I can’t even remember with two friends, in particular. But in truth, I never really truly knew what the falling out was all about. A wedding was involved and I tried to participate, yet I always felt stymied.

I didn’t end up attending, but I really wished I had miraculously had a few thousand to fly home and do so.

And I am most likely the one at fault, but I honestly can’t pinpoint what I did that was so horrendous. I like to learn from my mistakes, but it’s tough to just rock up into town and say “I have four hours, so start talking!”. It adds to the confusion, vagueness and hesitancy of seeing them. Nevertheless, I think about them all the time and miss having them in my life.

Sometimes you just have to confront things head-on, right?

Radvent 2010 - Day 4

Radvent 2010 – Day 3: Writing

Published by Rebecca Raspberry // The Rebecca Project

It’s day three of Princess Lasertron’s Radvent 2010 blogging project, and today we’re focusing on writing.

Radvent 2010 - Day 3

Radvent 2010 - tasks for Day 3

[Source: Princess Lasertron]

Write a letter of love to yourself to read in one year.

Dear Bec,

Face it: you are totally cool. And you’re totally awesome. Being that was just two compliments bestowed upon you, I know that if you could blush, you would do so right now. So go on and be your awkward, bashful self in the face of praise, but make sure you accept the gift of praise when you receive it. Particularly from others. They are doing something nice for you when they say thanks for your hard work, or that your crafty work is awesome etc. And I know deep down you really enjoy hearing that you’re doing something right, and that someone has noticed. They wouldn’t say it if you didn’t deserve it.

I love how, with each passing year, you get more comfortable in your own skin. Knowing what I know and what you know, it’s getting easier to be you. And that’s wonderful news! There will still be times when you feel as invisible, incredibly awkward and green as you did at 15. It’s just the way it is, and sometimes a reality check works in your favour. This awkwardness is a common theme with you and I think you should embrace it — people are obsessed with turning back the clock, and you get to do this on a daily basis!

Even though you still focus on the uncertainty of your character and the weight of ‘stuff’ (like where you’re heading, what you are doing and what you want), it is wise to be so. The American balances you so well, and in a world with infinite possibilities (and in a life and a mind that rejects structure), you find yourself yearning for more structure. It’s a nice change from your freewheeling nature of the past decade, and I know you’re interested to see where structure, discipline and planning take you. Your new job in the DA’s Office will whip you in shape and provide you with a great challenge. I know how excited you are about it and I’m excited for you.

Bridging both sides...

I think it’s marvellous the way you’re really starting to accept and participate in the concept of ‘holidays’. It has been years since you really put forth any effort, and your memories and experiences have suffered for it. So harness that desire to make the holidays a memorable occasion, even if things are still rather low-key and don’t turn out as planned. We can’t all have the bandwidth, time or resources that Martha Stewart does to make her tables look like this:

Holidays can be a little overwhelming...

[ Source: Martha Stewart]

And that’s okay. That’s not what the holidays are about for you (and don’t forget, Martha pays people to make her tables look like that…). It’s more about making an effort to separate it from every other day of your life. So don’t worry about what the super-low-key American says about not bothering — just go ahead and do what you want to make the day feel special. He will appreciate it even though he says he won’t 😉

2010's effort: Christmas lights

Remember how great it is when you are alone and tending to your own needs? Be it writing, curling up with a good book, creating, or simply singing along to your favourite songs when you’re in the bath. It’s bliss, but it’s also necessary. I encourage you to do more for yourself and take better care of your own body than you have been. Sacrificing the self for the good of others is an inherently female trait, and it’s certainly ingrained in you. So let’s make a compromise: before someone asks you for something, just pause. Consider it for a few seconds, and then respond. It’s okay to say no.

It's okay to say 'no'!

[Source: Martha Stewart]

I love your offbeat sense of humour, and your enthusiasm for new projects. I understand the struggles you have in keeping old projects going when motivation and inspiration has waned. Your talent lies in starting new things, and in revamping old ones: knowing what you’re good at is half the battle. So let’s get this crafty business ramped up and manufacturing things in 2011. How bout it?

Also, I really think you should make more of an effort to learn musical instruments. It’s never too late to gain enjoyment from such experiences, but you have to be prepared to work at it. A little each day and it can open up new worlds for you. Anytime you feel that paralysing fear of being heard when you sing, banish it! You’ve got a good voice and you’re holding yourself back. You and the American harmonize so well — I think you might well be on to something…

So just keep being yourself. You are offbeat and interesting, and there’s certainly not another person like you out there even if people think they recognise you. Your features are common, but your soul is not. Feign the confidence, the control until you have it; like they say, “Fake it till you make it”. Look how far it has gotten you already, miss! I’m very impressed.

I love how beautiful this city is!

From the 16-year-old version of yourself who returned home from a school trip and declared to your Mum, “I love San Francisco and I want to live there!” — and you are. You have achieved a dream, and overcome the infinite hurdles to do so. Well done! Now, what’s the next one? Take some time to reevaluate your goals.

Keep rising to the occasion and searching for your true passions. Keep being inspired to create, keep challenging conventions, and keep your heart and mind open. There’s so much more to experience and to create, and you will become a better version of yourself with every revision.

You are amazing and I am so glad that we’re friends.

Heart,

Radvent 2010 – Day 2: Organising

Published by Rebecca Raspberry // The Rebecca Project

Sooooo, I’m a little late with these, but better late than never, right?

Today, I’m focusing on getting parts of my life in order so I allow some time for joy and creativity.

Organizing!

Focus on one drawer, table, or surface today and spend 15 minutes making it pretty! (And take a pretty picture afterward to motivate yourself!)

We have a pretty large closest for our little room in the sky here in San Francisco, and it tends to be the least loved part of our apartment. So tonight, I set about changing all that.

Before #1

We have a great layout here: we can walk through the closet and into the bathroom from the hallway (which can prove very confronting to those utilizing the loo, so we installed a curtain for privacy). But as you can see from these pictures, there’s not a lot of actual walking through that has been happening in here of late.

Before #2 -- I see floor!

I really haven’t focused any energy on making this part of my home more practical and functional, and I knew that I would enjoy heading back there to get dressed in the morning, if I could only find the stuff I needed with the minimal of fuss.

Before #3

Before #4 - no wonder I can never find my undies!

So I removed all of the stuff from the floor out into the hallway and set about reworking the function of the space.

Now, I’ve never been a neat person, but I hope to stick to a plan of giving it a good ol’ once-over whenever I do the laundry. This whole process is not about making promises I can’t keep, but making it work for me. And I don’t believe it will be too difficult to maintain…

After #1 - Impressive, huh?

So I removed all the undies, socks, tights and bras out of that horrible little overflowing cubbyhole there, reunited them with their own kind and then put them in separate bags on the rather unsteady white Ikea shelf we formerly had in the kitchen (to the left of the photo). I finally put those small reusable shopping bags from Lulu Lemon and Whole Foods to good use, and it is a great budget-friendly option.

After #2 - It's as neat as a Contrainer Store closet!

I went through and separated out the clothes in the red cubbyhole into more practical groupings, as well as reorganizing my shoes on the shoe racks underneath. I even went as far as colour-coding the handful of clothes hanging up… bless!

After #3 with a colour system for my scarves

Since I moved here, I have been very conscious of only buying things I really love, and it’s all starting to come together. I’ve never had effortless style, but by only purchasing/keeping pieces that I love, I’ll always feel great.

My shoes, in particular, reflect this. If I can’t walk to the Ferry Building and back in a pair without them causing me grief, they’re gone. I will not stand for impracticality in footwear!