Blog All About It: Twinkle

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* image source: Santa Claus

* part of the Blog All About It Challenge (here)

Blog All About It: Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!

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* image source: vintage thanksgiving

* part of the Blog All About It Challenge (here)

Blog All About It: Shiver

READ:

Shiver: Selected Stories by Junji Itō
translated by Jocelyn Allen, Naomi Kokubo
edited by Masumi Washington
-Short Stories | Goodreads


Shiver sighting:

Last Ones Left Alive
by Sarah Davis-Goff
-Dystopia, Ireland | Goodreads
I shiver.
-chapter 24, page 159


WATCH:

Parasite (2019)
Gisaengchung (original title)
Director/Screenplay: Bong Joon Ho (as Joon-ho Bong)
Screenplay: Jin Won Han
Stars: Kang-ho Song, Yeo-jeong Jo, So-dam Park
-Comedy, Drama, Thriller | imdb | my review

LISTEN:

Tundra by Ola Gjeilo



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* part of the Blog All About It Challenge (here)

* updated 10/28/19

Blog All About It: Crunch

Hollow Kingdom
by Kira Jane Buxton
-Dystopia, Humor, Zombies | Goodreads

READ: with favorite crunchy snack - Cheetos

So, I was forced to bring in the big guns: Cheetos, those delectable, radioactive poofs.
-chapter 5, page 27


CRUNCH SIGHTINGS:

Hunger
A Memoir of (My) Body
by Roxane Gay
-Memoir | Goodreads

I can still remember the crunch of it beneath my bare feet as I snuck out the next morning.
-chapter 26

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
by Ocean Vuong
-Literary, Poetry, LGBTQ | Goodreads

"I don't need to read," you said, your expression crunched, and pushed away from the table.
-chapter 1, page 5


EAT:

Cap'n Crunch cookie
from Jane on Fillmore

LOL:

Cap'n Crunch's
Halloween Crunch
Ghosts Turn Your Milk GREEN!
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* part of the Blog All About It Challenge (here)

Blog All About It: Sky

Things found in the sky...


READ:

Elevation
by Stephen King
-Short Story, Horror | Goodreads

WATCH:

Aurora: Fire in the Sky (2017)
imdb

DO:

Hop on a plane for vacation.


GO:

Check out the Chinatown Kite Shop on 717 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA.

LISTEN:

Both Sides of the Sky
by Jimi Hendrix
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* image source: plane

* part of the Blog All About It Challenge (here)

Blog All About It: Heat

READ:

Summer Skin
by Kirsty Eagar
New Adult, Romance | Goodreads

Park Avenue Summer
by Renee Rosen
Historical, 1960s, New York | Goodreads

The Summer Demands
by Deborah Shapiro
Women's Fiction, Massachusetts | Goodreads

FLIP THROUGH:

The "Heat" issue from bitch magazine.


GO:

Escaping the San Francisco fog for summer heat in Hawaii next month.

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* image source: beach illustration by Ana Galvan; hula dancers by Julien Capmeil

* part of the Blog All About It Challenge (here)

Blog All About It: Risk

DO:

With the San Francisco Coffee Passport in hand, I will venture out to local cafes for coffee tastings throughout the year and will post about the visits (here).

This is an amazing book of coupons created by Broke-Ass Stuart and offers 31 cups of coffee at 31 excellent cafes for $35.

The first visit was to Jane on Fillmore with Someday We Will Fly by Rachel DeWoskin.


READ:

RISK!:
True Stories People Never Thought They'd Dare to Share
edited by Kevin Allison
-Memoir, Short Stories | Goodreads | my rating: 5
Collecting the most celebrated stories from the hit podcast RISK!, along with all-new true tales about explosive secrets and off-the-wall adventures, this book paints a spellbinding portrait of the transformational moments we experience in life but rarely talk about. No topics are off-limits in RISK!, no memories too revealing to share. From accidentally harboring a teen fugitive to being poisoned while tripping on LSD in the Mayan ruins, these stories transport readers into uncharted territory and show how your life can change when you take an extraordinary leap.

In these jaw-dropping stories, edited and introduced by RISK! host Kevin Allison, writers reveal how they pushed drugs for a Mexican cartel only to end up kidnapped and nearly killed, how they joined a terrifying male-empowerment cult and fought desperately for a way out, how they struggled with pregnancy complications and found a hero where they least expected it, and so much more. A lifelong construction worker shares the intimate details of transitioning to being a woman, a bestselling author discusses how he assumed the identity of his babysitter online in a social experiment gone awry, and a beloved comedian discusses how a blow job from a prostitute changed his life. By turns cautionary and inspiring, RISK! presents an extraordinary panorama of the breadth of human experience and a stunning tribute to the power of the truth to set us free.

This is a set of mostly humorous stories and an entertaining read.


LISTEN:

Risk!
podcast on Stitcher (here)
About the show:
Take a walk on the wild side with the RISK! podcast, an on demand version of selections from the RISK! live sessions where everyone from comedians to regular folks divulge true stories they had always thought they'd keep to themselves. Hosted by Kevin Allison of the comedy group The State.


FOUND IT:

The Cactus
by Sarah Haywood
-Contemporary, Romance, England | Goodreads
Found a mention of the game Risk in this novel.

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* part of the Blog All About It Challenge (here)

Blog All About It: Bloom

I found this bloom at the SFMOMA cafe. It was an adorable little thing to enjoy on the table.


DO:

Martha Stewart Living
May 2019 issue
When I saw the blurb on the cover of Martha Stewart Living's May Issue, Life in Bloom the magazine begged to be taken. I love the floral arrangement with its peach colors and incorporation of strawberries.

It has been awhile since I have flipped through this magazine. I am determined to do or create something inspired by this issue.

I am so taken with the flower bouquet on the cover of the magazine. I decided to make a mini collage splat of it.


READ:

Bloom
by Kevin Panetta
illustrated by Savanna Ganucheau
-Graphic Novel, LGBTQ, YA | Goodreads | my review

FLIP THROUGH:

Bloom:
Navigating Life and Style
by Estée Lalonde
-Memoir | Goodreads

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* part of the Blog All About It Challenge (here)

Blog All About It: Sweet

SEE:

Sweets themed art work by Yukari Sakura who is part of Creativity Explored. See more of her works (here).


EAT:

I tried ube (purple yam) with condensed milk drizzle on toast at Rise & Grind Coffee and Tea shop.


READ:

Gingerbread
by Helen Oyeyemi
-Literary, Magical Realism | Goodreads
Influenced by the mysterious place gingerbread holds in classic children's stories--equal parts wholesome and uncanny, from the tantalizing witch's house in "Hansel and Gretel" to the man-shaped confection who one day decides to run as fast as he can--beloved novelist Helen Oyeyemi invites readers into a delightful tale of a surprising family legacy, in which the inheritance is a recipe.

Perdita Lee may appear to be your average British schoolgirl; Harriet Lee may seem just a working mother trying to penetrate the school social hierarchy; but there are signs that they might not be as normal as they think they are. For one thing, they share a gold-painted, seventh-floor walk-up apartment with some surprisingly verbal vegetation. And then there's the gingerbread they make. Londoners may find themselves able to take or leave it, but it's very popular in Druhástrana, the far-away (and, according to Wikipedia, non-existent) land of Harriet Lee's early youth. In fact, the world's truest lover of the Lee family gingerbread is Harriet's charismatic childhood friend, Gretel Kercheval--a figure who seems to have had a hand in everything (good or bad) that has happened to Harriet since they met.

Decades later, when teenaged Perdita sets out to find her mother's long-lost friend, it prompts a new telling of Harriet's story. As the book follows the Lees through encounters with jealousy, ambition, family grudges, work, wealth, and real estate, gingerbread seems to be the one thing that reliably holds a constant value. Endlessly surprising and satisfying, written with Helen Oyeyemi's inimitable style and imagination, it is a true feast for the reader.


WEAR:

Super cute Dolce Gabbana ice cream dress to dream about.


WATCH:

Sweet Home Sweet Honey (2015-16)
Woorijib Ggooldanji (original title)
tv series
-Drama, South Korean | imdb
Found this sweet Korean drama available at the local library.

GO:

Monthly chocolate happy hour at Fog City News! (here)

April picks:
magazine - Little White Lies, cover story on film High Life directed by Claire Denis
chocolate - Castronovo Chocolate (here)
White Chocolate infused with Lemon Oil & Lemon Salt
Signature Collection - Patanemo, Venezuela 70%

FYI: Based in Florida, Castronovo is headed by one of the few female chocolatiers in the U.S.

She is in fact the only U.S. female chocolate maker to have ever been honored at the International Chocolate Awards, taking home awards in 2014, 2015 and 2016. -You May Be Surprised That Florida Makes Some of the World's Best Chocolate
May, 2017, Huffington Post (full article)

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* part of the Blog All About It Challenge (here)

Blog All About It: Luck

Lucky to get a hopeful fortune after experiencing a recent string of bad luck.


READ:

Hardboiled & Hard Luck
by Banana Yoshimoto
translated by Michael Emmerich
-Short stories, Japan | Goodreads
Something luck related from one of my favorite authors.


WATCH:

Just My Luck
Director: Donald Petrie
Screenplay: I. Marlene King, Amy Harris
Story by: Jonathan Bernstein, Mark Blackwell, James Greer, I. Marlene King
Stars: Lindsay Lohan, Chris Pine
-Comedy, Fantasy, Romance | imdb
my review | my rating: 5
Looks like a cute one with a young Lindsay and Chris.

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* part of the Blog All About It Challenge (here)

Blog All About It: Pink

GO:

I got invited to MoAD (Museum of African Diaspora) and found the pink that I needed for the month. An exhibit, Phone Home by Sadie Barnett. Loved the sparkle covered books!


WATCH:

I went to the Balboa Theatre to watch the Oscar's show coverage on the big screen. Guest host comedian, Irene Tu was in the house to entertain during the commercial break. Had a blast :-)


READ:

Milkman
by Anna Burns
-Literary, Ireland
Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5

LISTEN:

Seolite by Lee Hi is one of my favorite South Korean Pop Albums with a lovely pink tinge.

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* part of the Blog All About It Challenge (here)

Blog All About It: First

EAT: first visit to Mr. Holmes Bakehouse

Scrumptious.

I tried:

"Just Try It" croissant
House-made pastrami, pickled onions, pickled oranges, manchego cheese, pumpkin seeds, fennel seeds

Cruffin (croissant and muffin mashu-up)
Toffee Crunch Cream
A butter cream folded with crushed toffee.


READ: first library book to hook me into reading

Don't Call Me Katie Rose
by Lenora Mattingly Weber
-YA | Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5

READ: first book by Tommy Orange - and it's a hit!

There There
by Tommy Orange
-Literary
Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5Fierce, angry, funny, heartbreaking—Tommy Orange’s first novel is a wondrous and shattering portrait of an America few of us have ever seen, and it introduces a brilliant new author at the start of a major career. -Goodreads

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* part of the Blog All About It Challenge (here)

Blog All About It 2019

Blog All About It 2019
Blogging Prompt Challenge
(details)
hosted by The Herd Presents
January to December 2019
Each month there's a different prompt that you can interpret as you'd like then create a blog post around it.

I like how this challenge is open to interpretation and flexible on timing.

The Prompts:

Jan- First: my post
Feb- Pink: my post
Mar- Luck: my post
April- Sweet: my post
May- Bloom: my post
June- Risk: my post
July- Heat: my post
Aug- Sky: my post
Sept- Crunch: my post
Oct- Shiver: my post
Nov- Thankful: my post
Dec- Twinkle: my post

Blog All About It: Shine/Sparkle

VISIT:

The deYoung Museum currently has an exhibit of Contemporary Muslim Fashions running through January 2019. I spotted some sparkle and shine amongst the designer clothes displayed.


READ:

Radiant Shimmering Light
by Sarah Selecky
-Humor, Canada | Goodreads
A nuanced satire--both hilarious and disconcerting--that probes the blurred lines between empowerment, spirituality, and consumerism in our online lives.

Lilian Quick is 40, single, and childless, working as a pet portrait artist. She paints the colored light only she can see, but animal aura portraits are a niche market at best. She's working hard to build her brand on social media and struggling to pay the rent.

Her estranged cousin has become internet-famous as "Eleven" Novak, the face of a massive feminine lifestyle empowerment brand, and when Eleven comes to town on tour, the two women reconnect. Despite twenty years of unexplained silence, Eleven offers Lilian a place at The Temple, her Manhattan office. Lilian accepts, moves to New York, and quickly enrolls in The Ascendency, Eleven's signature program: an expensive, three-month training seminar on leadership, spiritual awakening, and marketing. Eleven is going to help her cousin become her best self: confident, affluent, and self-actualized.

In just three months, Lilian's life changes drastically: She learns how to break her negative thought patterns, achieves financial solvency, grows an active and engaged online following, and builds authentic friendships. She finally feels seen for who she really is. Success! . . . But can Lilian trust everything Eleven says? This compelling, heartfelt satire asks us: How do we recognize authenticity when storytelling and magic have been co-opted by marketing?

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* part of the Blog All About It Challenge (here)