Saturday
After a night of dancing Chels Dogg and I didn't wake up until 12. Well, I didn't wake up til 12, her and Knife Fight Ruby woke up a bit earlier. After putsing around and talking for a good long bit Chels and I started our Saturday at All You Knead. I wanted to go here for brunch (well, it was more like a late lunch considering we didn't get there til 2...). I was so stoked for their veggie buscuits and gravy I about died. So good. After our food I took some time walking around The Haight while Chels met up with a friend from the past.
yum yum entrance
Chels
I went into my favorite bookstore, The Booksmith, there and found some gorgeous cover art. I was so in love I HAD to buy one. Jane Eyre welcome to my book collection! (As I was typing this my sister text me saying her english teacher chose the same book for her to read!)
pretty Wuthering Heights covers, I really want the one on the left
my new book
After The Booksmith I walked around some more, stopped in the Bettie Page store to drool over gorgeous dresses, looked in Cheap Thrills for little knick knacks and perused the merch at Giant Robot. Surprisingly I couldn't find anything I really wanted anywhere but The Booksmith which was good (for me). I had way less than normal to talk myself out of.
liberty
art store yarn
chess mural on high school
I finally made my way to the cafe Chels was at with our friend from high school and chatted with them for a bit. After Chels and I went home to bake a cake (well she baked it, man that was good) for her roommate's birthday party. Alas I have no more pictures of that night but I will say it was a great party filled with craft talk and possible suggestions for my future! Absolutely lovely. After everyone left I tucked myself into bed and finished Anne Lamott's Operating Instructions. Wooo, book #1 for February!
Sunday
I had big plans for Sunday which started with a George's Zoo sandwich (so frickin delicious, I HAVE to have George's Zoo every time I'm in SF. No joke.) and a drive to San Jose. I had decided on my way up to San Francisco that I wanted to see the Winchester Mystery House and was pleased to learn that it was only an hour south of where I was staying. So I devoured my lunch and made a quick stop at a shop Chels had mentioned the night before.
oh my fav
Daiso is a glorious store. It's similar to a dollar store but almost everything is $1.50. I wandered the rows looking at so many different things that were so cute (and some really gaudy).
wonders abound
cute boxes
love
I was so very happy to happen upon a section filled with stationary that I have been looking for. Tons and tons of cute cute stuff with sayings that don't really make much sense at all. I stocked up so I would have super cute things to send my pen pals!
After I tore myself away from Daiso I sped toward Winchester to make the 3pm tour. I made it, and found out there was also a 3:30 tour that did the same thing... oh well.
The Winchester Mystery house wasn't what I expected. At all. In fact, I was a tad disappointed. I was really glad I did the estate tour with the "behind the scenes" addition because that definitely added a lot more.
When they started the tour they said something that made me pout for the whole first leg, "no pictures are allowed in the house."
WHAT?! I paid $35 and am not allowed to take pictures?! Hearst let me take pictures and they charged $27. AND Hearst is bigger! Sigh.
While the Mystery House was a big mysterious and strange it wasn't as creepy as I expected it to be. On the second tour I was able to get some outside shots which calmed my pout to a half pout.
one of the only pictures I took inside
Beginning of second tour
Sign
weather vane
what is that small hole to the side for?
gardens
the front
another lady statue
All in all I would say it's worth it to see if you are at all curious but I did wish they had more information on the house and everything about it. It has a great partial story but I wanted more. The only book I could find was tiny. Oh well. The positive was: I was curious and not bored. It was beautiful and had lots of detail I loved and wished I could take pictures of. It was a strange house, so while I wasn't creeped out I was definitely intrigued. If you're in the area go see it, but definitely get the full estate tour with the behind the scenes addition. You'll leave feeling let down if you only do the first part.
The night ended with Chels and I getting greek food and watching an episode of Bones. So great. We went to sleep semi early because I knew I had an 11+ hour drive ahead of me and she had work the next day.
Every time I visit San Francisco I fall in love again. This time though I did realize some things that would make it hard for me personally to live there. I love it but I'm not sure I could call it my home. It made me feel even better about my decision to relocate to Portland.
xoxo
No comments:
Post a Comment