Today on weekend meanderings, I’m back from summer break and chatting about all the fun summer things like the cute dresses I packed for Cabo, Grapefruit Tequila Spritz, Shakespeare in the vineyard, sculpture in the garden, and a local pet provisions shop for discerning dogs … like mine. Oh, and Leanne Morgan is hilarious.
Happy Saturday, friends!
It’s time for the weekend post with Kim and Elizabeth, our weekly roundup of inspirations and goings on. We’re back from summer break!
How was your July? It was busy, busy, busy over here and my cup of fun things to share runneth over so let’s get started.
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It’s August! How did that happen? And what’s the deal with ‘pre-fall’ being pushed on us via the inter-webs? What’s pre-fall anyway? Don’t worry, I’m not going there. Summer is barely underway and there’s a lot of ice cream and gelato to consume as well as fun summer activities to enjoy, whether you’re traveling or sticking close to home.
What I wore in Cabo
We took a quick – but blissful – trip to Cabo with Kyle and Melody. We stayed at the new (May 2024) Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Cabo Del Sol. Not to be confused with the Four Seasons Resort Costa Palmas in Cabo San Jose. There’s a story here, but I’ll save it for another day. Let’s focus on what I packed, what I wore, and what I didn’t. I hope it gives you a little inspiration for your upcoming vacations. Oh, and I shared everything Jim wore too. Read it here.
Cocktail Night
We had two cocktail nights in July. First, a Grapefruit Tequila Spritz. which is really good. The recipe makes a generous size spritzer. My dad would have called it an adult portion. I could easily have halved it … or split in into two glasses. Jim felt the adult size portion was just fine.
Ingredients
Method
- Fill glass with ice (salt rim first, if desired) and add tequila, grapefruit and lime juices. Top with Topo Chico and garnish with lime wedge.
We also loved this Strawberry Mezcal Margarita recipe from Valerie Rice’s brilliant cookbook, Lush Life.
Leanne Morgan is Hilarious
Last night I went to see Leanne Morgan’s Just Getting Started tour at the historic Paramount Theater in Oakland. I first heard about Leanne through my friend and life coach extraordinaire, Kym Showers, and I haven’t stopped laughing since. Leanne’s live show did not disappoint and if you have a chance to see her this summer, take it. She’s hilarious.
The Paramount Theater, opened in 1931, and is an Art Deco masterpiece and a National Historic Landmark. The interiors are a feast for the eyes and on our way out I noticed the marquee had been updated to promote public tours on August 2 (that’s today!) and 16. I’m tempted to go and learn more about this gorgeous venue that’s home to the Oakland Symphony and Ballet and continues to host concerts, comedians, speakers and other event including occasional movies.
Back to Leanne. Have you seen her Netflix special, I’m Every Woman? She has a second one coming in the fall. Her recent book, What in the World, is a best seller and it’s next up in my reading queue.
Leanne’s having more than a moment at the moment! She’s currently on the talk show and podcast circuit (on Oprah’s pod last week) promoting her 16-episode Netflix sitcom, Leanne, all episodes were released yesterday.
Other Local Stuff
We love getting out to support local events and business and July was full of fun things.
Sculpture in the Garden Sip & Stroll at Ruth Bancroft Garden ~
Last weekend we went to Ruth Bancroft Garden’s Sculpture in the Garden Sip & Stroll an annual event featuring 30 artists and 50 sculptures displayed throughout the 3.5 acre dry garden. The sculptures are for sale and you can view the catalogue here. The last Sip & Stroll of the summer is next Friday, August 8th from 5:30-7pm. Each ticket includes a glass of wine (you can purchase additional glasses, or a bottle) – local friends, purchase tickets here.
These were some of our favorite sculpture. Jim loved the black radish.
Shakespeare in the Vineyard ~
I’m in deep mourning for CalShakes, our local summer Shakespeare company, that closed for good last fall after fifty something years. I’m sad that our community couldn’t find a way to support this wonderful summer tradition and its closure made me realize I’ve got to be more active – and consistent – in supporting our local community events. I get complacent and think I can skip something one year because it will be there the next. And then one day it’s not.
My dad’s wife was a lover of local theater and had season tickets to CalShakes, Berkeley Rep, ACT in the City among others. My dad attended kicking and screaming … and I tagged along a few times but it didn’t really spark interest in me until years later. When the Bruns Ampitheater opened in the early 90’s, BFF Bonnie and I started attending CalShakes performances. It became a fun summer tradition. Bonnie moved away and Jim stepped in and he was slightly more good natured about it than my dad.
When I saw that SPARC Theater Company was performing The Merry Wives of Windsor at Darcie Kent Winery in Livermore’s wine region I purchased tickets immediately, much to Jim’s dismay. He thought the CalShakes closure meant his summer Shakespeare days were over. Not so fast …
The play has moved to an indoor venue in Danville for the month of August.
Oakland A’s in Sacramento ~
We went to an Oakland A’s game at their temporary home, Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. I’ll be calling them the Oakland A’s forever … no matter where they play. But let’s not dwell on the heartbreak experienced by East Bay fans over the loss of our professional sports teams. Sutter Health Park is home to the AAA Sacramento River Cats and now the temporary home of the Oakland A’s and this small – 12,000 or so – seat ballpark is so fun.
Our seats were behind the A’s dugout and seeing the kids players up close and personal was eye opening; they look so young! The A’s – and Stomper – do a great job of providing fun things to keep everyone entertained between plays which is fun for kids and adults alike. The ballpark’s concession options are wide ranging, yummy, with fast moving lines. Getting to the park is easy, parking convenient and if we lived closer we’d be there all the time. I’ll bet the River Rats games are really fun too.
Our friends came from the opposite direction and went to the wildly popular Drake’s: The Barn before the game. Drake’s offers a beer garden, craft cocktails and wood-fired pizzas within walking distance of the ballpark. Wish we’d gotten an early start and could have joined them. Next time.
Because Sacramento is hot (not as hot as Las Vegas … just saying) most games are at night. When we entered the park it was 90° but our seats were in the shade, there was a breeze, and it was perfect baseball watching weather. Did I already say it was fun? It was so fun.
Partner’s Place Pet Provisions ~
We finally made it to Partner’s Place in historic Downtown Martinez, a new and adorable pet provisions shop for discerning dogs like Pippa and Maggie. Tami, our friend and proprietress of Partner’s Place and the Dog’s Breath Motel, opened her storefront earlier this year. The Dog’s Breath Motel is where Pippa and Maggie stay while we’re away. Their Instagram account is a fun follow. If you’re local, and have dogs, be sure to check out Partner’s Place!
Anyway, the girls needed new collars and we stopped in to let them pick out their new ‘outfits’ and treats. They sampled all the options and settled on turkey and shrimp. The girls are hooked so we’ll be dropping in regularly to restock.
I hope you’re out enjoying all the wonderful summer things available in your own communities!
Odds and Socks ~
We went to F1 the Movie. It’s definitely a movie that needs to be seen in a proper theater and so we went and enjoyed it. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s pretty darn entertaining.
When I saw these Castañer Kampala Espadrilles it was love at first site. I hesitate to mention it because inventory is scarce. I was thrilled to score the very last pair could find in my size. I’m linking a few sources, here, here, and here, each one has one or two sizes left … but it’s limited. You can also try a Google search and see what comes up … and resale sites too.
When I posted these Kut from the Kloth white denim and Z Supply striped shirt on Instagram I got a lot of positive feedback so I want to mention them here. Everyone, including me, seems to love Kut from the Kloth jeans. They have just enough stretch and seem to be universally flattering. Do I need another striped shirt? No. And yet …
Current Favorites & Best Sellers ~
That’s what I have for you today.
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