I am working on a project!

Inspired by my friend Toni Carreiro I gave myself a 30 day challenge. I started my challenge on Mother’s Day. I am committing to writing 30 words a day for 30 days to kick-start my book about other mothers.

Thank you Maria Benet for the 30 days of writing idea that we brainstormed while biking yesterday.

I have gotten such a great response to my blog post about other mothers that I decided to go for it and write the book. I am verklempt with the public and private responses from friends and strangers I have been receiving in response to the post. My feelings about being an other mother seemed to resonate with all sorts of other mothers out there in the world.

Thank you Tamara Holland for this inspiring photo to help keep me focused.

Thank you Marilyn LoRusso for your positive influence in turning this book in to a celebration of other mothers.

Of course, thank you to Celia Graterol for always supporting me in whatever random thing I decide to do.

Thank you to all of my friends who are cheering me on!

From now until June 11, 2012 I will be writing at least 30 words a day. #30Words30Days

May 20, 2012 – Update – I’ve been writing everyday and things are going great! I am so excited about this project. Currently having writer’s block so I decided to play around with cover ideas. This is not the final cover but I definitely want to use this flower somehow. What do you think?

One of my most popular blog posts is the one I wrote about cheap haircuts in Marin. It seems affordable haircuts are in high demand around here. Today Celia wanted to get her hair cut but when she called to make an appointment she found out her favorite hair dresser, Tere was no longer working at the usual place.

After a little detective work we found Tere was now working at Tabu Hair Salon in San Rafael.

Tabu Hair Salon is located in the little mall off of Francisco Blvd in San Rafael (behind City Carpets). I cannot believe in all the years I have lived in Marin County I have never been to this mall! It is located right on the water of The Canal and is full of a bunch of treasures like KabaBBQ serving Persian food, a Taqueria, a Vietnamese restaurant and a small Mexican grocery market (that sells Corona beer actually made in Mexico).

Celia was very happy to find Tere and get her hair cut. Tabu Hair Salon is a super fun place owned by Juliana and Omar.

There is an area for kids and adults to play! You can play pool while you wait for your $10 haircut.

Celia was very pleased with her $10 haircut.

I just met Omar and Juliana for the first time but it seems Omar specializes in artistic haircuts (see photo) and Juliana in colors and cuts.  They have the coolest  kid in town. Check out his hairdo!

Did I mention the standard haircuts are only $10?!

Tabu Hair Salon
415-424-1653
555 Francisco Blvd, E
Suite 11
San Rafael, CA 94901

For the last year, I have been on the hunt for vintage prints to decorate my San Francisco office. Turns out, this whole time the exact type of store I was looking for, was right under my nose, in the financial district. The more time I spend in San Francisco, the more I love it. There is a whole sub-culture of local, independent, women owned businesses co-existing in the fast paced, downtown, financial district area.

I recently happened upon the charming neighborhood of Jackson Square, located in the shadow of the Transamerica Pyramid where I discovered a tiny little store front with a sign reading Prints, Etc. This store just happens to be located in the second oldest commercial building in San Francisco.

I had no idea I was walking in to a piece of San Francisco history.

The small store was filled with vintage prints, historical photos of old San Francisco, concert posters, antique stock certificates, maps, curiosities, collectibles, beautiful frames, mirrors and so much more, hence the Etc… part of the name.

I was immediately greeted by a very friendly woman named Kathleen who took the time to show me around and teach me how the store worked. She even helped me find some cool prints for the office that my boss liked!

You know how sometimes you meet someone and you instantly click? That is how I felt about Kathleen. I felt like we had been best friends forever and I found her stories about the shop fascinating. So yesterday I spent my lunch break inside Prints, Etc chatting with Kathleen about the history of this adorable little store.

Prints, Etc has been here since 1957. Kathleen DiGrande and her sister Elizabeth Cologne are the 4th owners of Prints, Etc and have owned it for the last 6 years. The store has kept the same integrity since the beginning. Kathleen and Elizabeth have one employee, Adriane Brown who is an artist and is currently getting her Masters of Fine Art.

Elizabeth makes these unique and colorful pressed flower framed designs.

Adriane painted this beautiful painting  that was hanging up high which explains the angle of the photo. Reminds me of the days working in my parent’s flower shop.

According to Kathleen, Prints, Etc has the largest selection of custom frames in the city, such as ‘closed corner’ frames made in the US, and ‘mitered’ corner frames. Many frame shops outsource their framing, not Prints, Etc! The 3 women do the framing themselves right here in the store and take special care of the art.

Prints, Etc.
494 Jackson Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
415-362-5323

Be sure to “LIKE” Print, Etc on Facebook!

While you are there click “LIKE” on Sally Around The Bay too!

Thank you!

#ShopLocal

I have come to realize the simple words “Thank You” are two very important words to me. I have noticed not all people say thank you. Maybe their mama didn’t teach them to say thank you. It makes me wonder what thank you means to people. Maybe it has different meanings for different people.

What does thank you mean to you? Is it important to you to be thanked when you have done something for someone else? Do you thank people when they do something nice for you?

You really can not go wrong with saying thank you, it doesn’t matter how big or small the gesture is. It’s always worth it to say thank you.

Go ahead, try it!

I challenge you to say thank you a few extra times this week.

If your spouse does the laundry, say thank you, even if they do it every week.

If your child puts the dishes in the dish washer, say thank you, even if it is their chore.

If your mom or dad cooks dinner for you, say thank you.

If someone retweets something you have posted on Twitter or Liked something you put up on Facebook, say thank you.

I personally am going to start sending more handwritten thank you cards. Emails, text messages and phone calls are all appropriate ways to say thank you these days but don’t you appreciate a handwritten card so much more now since they are so uncommon?

When I used to work in the corporate world at the Bath & Body Works office we had something called the WOW card. Anytime someone did something we appreciated, we were supposed to write a little note on the WOW card and give it to them. You could give the card to your boss, the janitor, coworkers, assistants, anyone. It was such a great practice and it was always so nice to give and receive those WOW cards! Wouldn’t it be fun to start up the WOW card tradition on a personal level and send your friends and family a WOW card every time they did something cool?

I started writing this blog post on the bus this morning, then posted a question on Facebook asking people their feelings about Thank Yous. It’s unanimous people love Thank Yous!

One friend posted this:

“If the only prayer you ever said was thank you, that would suffice.” a proverb, posted by -Sarah

Funny, I had thank yous on my mind today. Someone in my life has not been saying thank you at times when I felt they should so I spent today reflecting on thank yous. The more enlightened people tell me, I shouldn’t expect thank yous, I should just do things out of the goodness of my own heart. Well that doesn’t work for me, I’m not enlightened enough I guess, I like thank yous. If I take the time to prepare dinner for you, give you a ride somewhere, or just something generally nice I want a thank you!

After my day of thank you reflection I decided I should start focusing on saying thank you more, rather than focusing on people who don’t say thank you when I think they should. Who am I to decide how people should act anyway?

So thank you for reading this post. Thank you for supporting my blog. If it weren’t for you I’d be talking to myself an awful lot online. I really, really do appreciate that you take the time to read my blog, my tweets, my Facebook updates and to actually come out to events when I coordinate them.

THANK YOU!

I just went out and got the mail a few minutes ago. Guess what was in my mail box?!

Not one, but TWO thank you notes from my good friend Peggy over at the Success and Chocolate blog. She sent me 1 Thank You note for a tiny little gift (purple pens) I gave her and another Thank You for ME agreeing to be interviewed on HER blog. Wow! a Thank You for agreeing to be interviewed! I should be thanking her! Thank you Peggy! A bonus was the 2 thank you notes were written on cards created and designed by my artist friends! The Success & Chocolate card was designed by C. Proppe and the You Rule! card was created by Tamara at Bean Up The Nose Art, who is the queen of thank yous (one of the reasons I admire her so much).

How cool is that?!

While I’m in gratitude mode also want to mention my friend Marilyn’s (who always reminds me to be grateful) brand NEW happy blog: VisionBook365

Thank you!

Happy Saturday!

It’s another beautiful winter/summer day here in Marin County and it is almost Valentine’s Day!

Have you thought about what you are going to give your honey, your child, your best friend or your mom for Valentine’s Day yet? Want to give them something new and different? I have an idea for you!

Go to San Anselmo today!

Tamara Holland is having an Art Sale TODAY.

Where: 2 Florence Ave. in San Anselmo, CA.

When: Today, February 4, 2012 from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

I just love this poem/story written by my favorite farmer Tara Smith from Tara Firma Farms.

Thanks Tara for your inspiring newsletter this week (and all that you do)!

Happy Holidays!

To all the Parents, Aunts, Uncles, Sisters and Brothers…What to get for Christmas…

Twas the night before Christmas

And all across the Farm

Not a creature was stirring

All quiet in the Barn

The children were nestled

Scattered about the house (four sons – 21, 22, 23, 14, a girl that is supposedly just a friend and another kid from who knows where)

My husband I were sleeping (hiding)

I awoke to a SNAP…one less mouse (peanut butter in the trap works really well)

Staring at the ceiling

Feeling the dread

Knowing I would soon

Be getting out of bed

Wrapping the presents

And filling the socks

Wondering if they would think it funny

If they were filled with Rocks

We don’t need any thing

We don’t need more stuff

We don’t need to waste

It’s all useless fluff

The packaging and paper

Our landfills are full

Our buying and buying

Needing more is just bull.

It’s never enough

All the junk, all the stuff

It doesn’t make us happy

Myself I rebuff

It’s not about stuff

It’s not about things

It’s not about toys or gas cards or rings

It’s not about spending

Time in the store

It’s not about giving out crap

Anymore.

It has to change

We have to wake up

We have to think long term

The “stuff” we have to give up

So I took out a pen

And paper to write

I made several renditions

Notes to my boys that night

I wrote of how proud

I am of them all

How we laugh together

They are really a ball

I wrote of their wins

And how they show character when they lose

I wrote of honesty

And lack of drug taking and little booze.

I tried to explain

How a mother does feel

To see her children

Engage in a way that is real.

In the wee morning hours

I drank coffee and cried

The paper was stained

And the tear stains shown as they dried.

With so little stuff

Under the tree

I worried they would wake

And be disappointed in me.

I watched as they gathered

Around the lit tree

Each taking out their letters

Reading silently.

I watched them tear up

As the heart embraces

The emotion it feels

It showed in their faces

The love of a parent

So simple to give

It lasts forever

Any stuff it will outlive.

It takes only time

And a paper and pen

Give them a gift

They will remember when…and always…
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Your Farmer, Tara Smith

P.S. If you add a little cash to the envelope they’re really like it. (added by  @Sally_K) I want to be Tara when I grow up.

Thank you to Mike Wolpert from Social Jumpstart: Social Media TV for inviting me to be on your show to discuss my favorite thing in the world: Social Media!

Also, thank you to Marin TV for airing the show and allowing me the surreal experience of actually seeing myself on a Television.

This is my dog Poncho and his new Vet Dr. Cynthia Steele, whom we both love.

He’s getting old.

He has lumps and bumps and not as much energy as he used to have. Recently he has developed a strange problem with his eye. I hadn’t been happy with my current vet and I needed to find a new one. I was not looking forward to taking my 11 year old dog to a new Veterinarian office. I was afraid they were going to over prescribe treatment for him. Also, Poncho is not a big fan of going to the vet, he gets very stressed & doesn’t like to sit still. It usually takes 2 or 3 of us to hold him in place for an exam.

Someone suggested we try a mobile vet. I had no idea mobile vets existed. A mobile vet is a doctor who does house calls. They come to your house to examine your dog. Way less stressful for you and your dog.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the mobile vet I called but what I got was an awesome vet! Cynthia and Maureen (nurse) showed up at my door and greeted me with a hug. Poncho instantly loved them. He thought friends came to visit just him. They spent a whole hour examining Poncho and talking with us about his health. The  cost of the visit was only slightly more than a trip to the vet but the quality and care was 100 times better.

If you have an older dog or would rather have your vet come to your house instead of sitting in a stressful waiting room with a bunch of other sick pets I highly recommend calling Mill Valley Mobile Vet. Since she is mobile you don’t have to live in Mill Valley to use her services. She goes all over Marin and I think even to the city sometimes.

www.MVmobileVet.com
Cynthia Steele, D.V.M.
415-272-8558

I had to go all the way to LA to meet a super cool woman from Marin.

MoreMarin

This last weekend I was down in LA with Celia who was presenting at AEA (American Evaluation Association). Celia put together a rock star team for the presentation & I was lucky enough to be included in the after conference dinner. I got to sit next to the fabulous Felecia Gaston (from Performing Stars of Marin AND The Phoenix Project) who told me about an event she was organizing for Veterens Day in Marin City.

Performing Stars of Marin’s Annual
Veterans Day Parade
11-11-11
Honoring the Bay Area Tuskegee Airmen

Parade starts at 11am at the Manzanita Recreation Center.
630 Drake Avenue
Marin City, CA

I have been seeing this image circulating around the social networks and it has really stuck with me. I’ve always been a supporter of local, independent businesses but when things get busy and life gets stressful sometimes it’s easier to just go to the nearest Starbucks instead of seeking out an independent, locally owned cafe.

Working in downtown San Francisco you can spin in circles, walk any direction and in less than a block you will most likely find a Starbucks.

I wanted something different. I wanted to get my coffee at an independently owned place but I didn’t know where to go. Until… I opened my eyes and realized there is an Italian style cafe located near my office called Palio Paninoteca. Actually I didn’t open my eyes and look around, I looked down at my iPhone where I was trying out a new program called LevelUp. It’s a program that lets you pay with  your smart phone. I’ve been wanting to try one of those programs for awhile and for some reason this one called my attention enough for me to download the app and try it.

While searching the current locations accepting LevelUp I discovered this cafe just down the street. When I signed up for LevelUp I got $5 credit and noticed Palio Paninoteca offered $2 credit so I decided to head over to Palio Paninoteca to check it out and enjoy my complimentary lunch. I didn’t realize they served lunch in addition to coffee and gelato. Yes I said gelato!

Palio Paninoteca’s lunch consists of soups, salads and sandwiches (paninis) prepared in advance (kind of like going to the counter at Whole Foods). So far I’ve tried 2 of their salads and they are delicious! Today I had the spinach, avocado, mango salad. Yum!

While trying out my LevelUp for the first time I happened to meet the owner of the cafe. She showed me how to pay with my phone. We got to chatting and that is when I learned that Palio Paninoteca is an independent, local, woman owned business. They’re also green and serve your food in reusable ceramic dishes. Bettie Scodel is a single mom and the owner of both Palio Paninotecas. She’s also a very hard worker. She gets up at 3:30am every day to be ready to serve breakfast to the hungry masses passing through.  She proudly told me of her two children in college. She’s the perfect candidate to help me keep up with my Miss Representation pledge of featuring women doing cool things around the Bay Area.

Two thumbs up to Palio Paninoteca and to LevelUp. I had a great experience with both. I’m looking forward to enjoying many more coffee and meals using my LevelUp at Palio Paninoteca.

If you find yourself in downtown San Francisco around breakfast or lunch time give this place a try.

Oh, one more thing! I emailed LevelUp yesterday to see when there were going to be more locations in San Francisco and they said they are adding more everyday! I also told them I would be mentioning them in my blog and they offered my readers a special code! If you want to try LevelUp (it doesn’t cost anything) they will put $10 credit in to your account if you use the code SALLY when registering. When registering be sure to click on the blue link that says: Have a promotion or friend referral code? to get your $10 credit! So go sign up for then let me know and maybe we can meet for a coffee at Palio Paninoteca.

Palio Paninoteca is located on the corner of Montgomery and Clay St in the financial district of San Francisco. They also have a location near UCSF. More info here: www.paliopaninoteca.com