Celerie Kemble & The Next Step Realty

While I do think Quest Magazine can be a touch too uppity for my taste at times, I do admire many of their features. In their August issue, they featured The Next Step Realty, a real estate brokerage firm founded by a handsome team of lads operating on a slightly different business model, with the objective of helping recent college graduates find their first apartments in Manhattan. Brilliant, yes? (Bring it to San Francisco, fellas!) In their September issue, Quest debuts a column with The Next Step Realty and the talented Celerie Kemble geared to help guide us twentysomethings as we move to the city and decorate our first apartment. I appreciate the relevancy in this column. For one, finding an apartment in New York and San Francisco is a full time job in itself (mental breakdowns included) and by the time you've rescued your sanity and are ready to decorate, you're lucky if you even have the wherewithal to do so. Am I right, or am I right?

Enjoy the inspiration and in the meantime, who is opening up the west coast The Next Step Realty office with me? Let's make it happen.

(Click on the article above for a larger view).

She's a Thing of Beauty...

For those of you that know me well, my passions are pretty simple: topiaries, ice cream and real estate. During a "test-drive" trip in San Francisco prior to my move, it was a walk in the Pacific Heights neighborhood that essentially sealed the deal. The real estate - unreal. (Oh yes, there were/are topiaries too). Now that I live here, a walk in my neighborhood is one of my most favorite activities. It draws this inexplicable sense of inspiration and livelihood that feeds my soul. I wish I had the "before" photo of this property (above) to truly depict the transformation this gal has endured. The photos were snapped during one of my evening walks last week, as 2400 Vallejo has had my eye for quite some time. Between the white cedar shingles, plum trim and craftsman style garage doors, the Historic 1905 Albert Farr house might as well preside over a bluff on Nantucket sound. I was a bit surprised to learn that this 6,293 sq ft residence is indeed a single family home - it is a lot of house. Perhaps that is what agrees with me - her quirky floorplan yet stately presence. I like that the owner kept the original details of the front entry way in tact, however I wish the brick tiles were replaced with something a bit more polished or perhaps updated the hardware on the front door. The home is currently on the market with an asking price of $5.2M. View the listing here.

Her neighbor, 2440 Vallejo is currently undergoing a little nip/tuck of her own. See the "before" below. I'll be sure to follow up with the end product.

An Intangible Mist of Bloom...

"Following a walk marked by an intangible mist of bloom that followed the white border stones she came to a space overlooking the sea where there were lanterns asleep in the fig trees and a big table and wicker chairs and a great market umbrella from Sienna, all gathered about an enormous pine, the biggest tree in the garden. She paused there for a moment, looking absently at a growth of nasturtiums and iris tangled at its foot, as though sprung from a careless handful of seeds, listening to the plaints and accusations of some nursery squabble in the house. When this died away on the summer air, she walked on, between kaleidoscopic peonies massed in pink clouds, black and brown tulips and fragile mauve-stemmed roses, transparent like sugar flowers in a confectioner's window—until, as if the scherzo of color could reach no further intensity, it broke off suddenly in mid-air, and moist steps went down to a level five feet below." — an excerpt from Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Lions, Tigers and a Safari Romance (oh, my!)

This puppy (above) is the newest addition to my stack of coffee table books thanks to a little thing called eBay. The vintage book is one of the many publications made by an American couple, Martin and Osa Johnson. Martin and Osa were both naturalists, explorers, photographers and authors who in the first half of the 20th century, captured the world's imagination through their films and books of adventure in exotic, distant lands. Oh yes, they were also married. The couple studied the wildlife and inhabitants of East and Central Africa, the South Pacific Islands, British North Borneo, among other places. It was through their adventures and documentation that they were able to offer many Americans their first understanding of these distant lands.

For those that might have a slight coffee table book addition like moi, you might have interest in this article titled "You Are What You Stack" published in the New York Times last week.

The Big O

Still haven't taken my eye off of these brushstroke cocktail plates by Oscar de la Renta Home. They would be perfect for a dinner party in a lush garden. I can smell the honeysuckle and see the full moon already... Oscar has done an exceptional job with the Home line (reasonable price points, too!), however I'd love to see it expand.

Browse below for photos of Oscar's garden at his Punta Cana home. Read on, here.

Let's Hear It For the Boys...

Not all will agree with me, but I do love a man in a double-breasted jacket...the whispy hair and European swag definitely help...

About Town: Sir & Star

Hark! For those of you looking to get out beyond our lady in red and in search of an adventure, I highly recommend the Sir & Star Restaurant at the Olema Inn. The new establishment is the love child of co-owners Margaret Grade and Daniel DeLong who were behind the now perished Manka's Inverness Lodge. The aesthetic is a hip blend of Restoration Hardware meets sporting cabin in the countryside. The menu: locally sourced from West Marin with the dreamiest comfort dishes ("Whole Crisped Bolinas Rock Cod", "A Bouillabaisse of All Things Green and Gold", "A Neighbor's Quail"), sustainably prepared for your delight. Better yet: If you've had one too many glasses of Pt. Reyes Pinot during your meal, you can stay the night in one of their six guest rooms opening this month. See the feature in the October issue of VOGUE (below) and be sure to read this review from Food & Wine.

Moments

The past few weeks have been an absolute whirlwind.  Inevitably, I have to address the MAJOR victory (and serious comeback) team Oracle scored at the America's Cup. The Cup was a thrilling time here in San Francisco. Lifelong friends from Newport, New York, Boston and New Orleans came into town to cheer on our sailing friends while we caught up on each other's lives. A plethora of Bloody Mary's were consumed at the yacht club as we marveled over the AC72s foiling past us and needless to say, productivity at work was at an alarmingly low rate. I'm looking forward to catching up on my sleep this week but can't help grin and think: this is what it's all about. There is so much to enjoy in life and the past few weeks are certainly exemplary of that. I feel so fortunate to have the best of friends and the ability to enjoy their company in such a beautiful landscape.

After the overwhelming victory last Wednesday, we went to see The Lumineers play. Here is a little clip from what was a magical night of music under the stars. In the middle of the show, the band left the stage to play a few songs in the center of the crowd, it was very special.

A shout out to all my friends here and afar - you guys rock. Life wouldn't be so lovely without you!

Photos above via Business Insider.

Fantastically Fall

Fall is one of my favorite seasons and without question one of the few things I miss about living on the east coast. I'm currently debating whether or not to make the trek back for the Thanksgiving holiday, but after combing through images such as the above, I think I can be easily persuaded. Biting into a crisp Cortland apple, getting lost in a deep conversation among a roaring fire, going for brisk walks on the beach bundled up in tweeds and turtlenecks...these are some of the distinctive moments I miss about the season.

What do you admire about the turn of the season?

About Town: Company & Cocktails in the Blue Bar

My dear friend and I scooted over to The Cavalier just the other day for highly anticipated cocktails and fare at the newly opened British brassiere. Behind the venture is New Zealand native Anna Weinberg, a stylish restaurateur known for a whole slew of successful establishments in New York and San Francisco. San Francisco's own Ken Fulk was the genius responsible for the glamorous design, which provides one with a richly textured aesthetic - french blue walls inhabited by taxidermy and portraits of aristocratic figures in sleek gold frames among a sexy leather banqueted "Blue Bar", hand-painted fox hunt wallpaper by the talented Shirley Robinson and just the perfect amount of light dancing from salvaged cathedral lanterns. A toast was made over Pimm's Cup cocktails while we were delightfully greeted by an amuse-bouche from Chef Jennifer Puccio consisting of a quail egg accompanied by celery salt and crispy shallot on a perfectly petite bed of greens. As the conversing continued, we enjoyed our main nibbles, she, the Farro and Roasted Beets salad, and I, the Duck Duck Scotch Egg. The waiter suggested I break in to my egg immediately to savor the runny consistency over a bed of spicy arugula and stonefruit chutney. TAKE ME TO BED OR LOSE ME FOREVER. It was sensational.

The thrill let on as the bar flooded with more patrons and Gladys Knight's "Midnight Train To Georgia" embedded deeper and deeper into my soul, taunting me to order another cocktail. I gave in, this time ordering the "Bramble" which easily landed 4 stars on my libation meter. The chocolate delice was sampled for dessert and the last bit of laughter and tales were exchanged as I schemed up our next visit in my head.