Top 10 activities in San Francisco to take advantage of Indian Summer
While the rest of the country is storing their swimsuits and shorts, Northern California experiences a spurt of warmer days in September and October. (Though I must admit the east side of San Francisco has been enjoying many a sunny day since I moved back.) We may not have the plethora of pool parties that SoCal has, but there are many ways to take advantage of the unparalleled views and fresh air. Here are 10 on my list. (more…)
Four reasons you need to read Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl before it hits theaters
If you haven’t seen the trailer for Gone Girl, click through and scroll down. You’ll have chills down your spine, and not the Grease kind. The movie starring Ben Affleck hits theaters October 3rd, which means you have three weeks to dive into this psychological thrilling novel. It may seem like an endless read when you pick it up, but trust me: you won’t put it down. Sure, going straight to the movie instead of losing 3 days of your life reading non-stop cover to cover seems more efficient, but you will be missing out. But you don’t have to take my word for it…
There’s something magical about fall. “September is the January in fashion.” September is when school starts, and who can forget the feeling of a clean slate and a fresh notebook? I love the delightful image that Joe Fox (Tom Hanks’ character in You’ve Got Mail) gives us: a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils. It makes me want to travel to NYC every September (and that was before I even knew what Fashion Week was). In the spirit of fall, I purchased a Moleskin planner after years of relying on a digital calendar and couldn’t help but feel like my new chapter is finally starting. Now that I’m living in a city in which the temperature will actually drop below 60 before December, I’m even more excited to ring in the fall with beloved booties, defined patterns, deeper colors, and cozy sweaters. I know how much everyone loves summer, but here is your fall style inspiration. These 6 looks will make you pray for a cooler climate.
Catherine shares 5 ways she’s grown in being single
PHOTO: Tara Freese.
A year ago, I wrote about the benefits of investing in yourself as a single girl. A year later, I’m still single! We talk about being superbly single, but we’ve stressed the status to include all independent women. Today I want to delve deeper in actually being single, unattached, not in a relationship. As I’ve mentioned before, I have never had a serious boyfriend. So if you’re looking for an expert at being single, I am that.
When I share my status out loud, or I make a joke like “How is this girl still single?” or “Wouldn’t it be funny if I’m the next cousin to get married?” even if I’m the only cousin who isn’t dating anyone, it may seem like self-deprecation to save face before someone reminds me that I’ll “meet the right person when it’s time”… but truly I’m proud of my eternal singlehood. Of course, like anyone else, I have my moments of freaking out about turning 40 and not being married. But for the most part, I’m happy with the choices I’ve made for myself.
I’ve reflected on and written about many revelations I encountered the past year in regard to living in the moment and finding the message in every obstacle. Starting The Single Diaries has pushed me to live superbly single, consciously and unconsciously. It’s been a year of growth: I recognized unhappiness in my life and came face to face with it. I spent time trying to remedy discontentment with more side projects, more social outings, more play when what I really needed was complete quiet.
Among those remedies to try to increase the fun and counter the stress was online dating in the form of fun and easy apps. What I learned from my short stint of serial dating was what we all know but don’t acknowledge: For those of us who desire monogamy and marriage, dating is a way to audition or interview to find the “right” partner. It’s also a way for us to understand what we want and merely who we are as individuals.
Sure, there are lessons I have yet to learn from being in a committed relationship, but I think there are just as many in learning how to be alone. Here are the ones that have been most important to my personal growth.
On Beyoncé’s Birthday, 10 lessons from her live performances
PHOTO: Time.com.
Today Beyoncé turns 33. We know from many stars before (i.e. Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Aniston, Gwen Stefani) that if you work your pound cake hard enough, you’ll only get better with age. A month ago, I attended the On the Run tour when it made its final stop in San Francisco. I made a concerted effort to avoid any spoilers (as if the show was one of my favorite murder mystery shows… i.e. one with a villain named A), but I knew I was in for a treat.
Mr. and Mrs. Carter set up shop at the home of the Giants, AT&T Park. The energy was palpable walking in; we have watched countless Giants games, but no one had attended a concert there before. No one knew what to expect. The crowd was grabbing pre-show beers, scarfing down some kind of sustenance to soak in the alcohol, hurrying to their seats, chatting uncontrollably.
Then the lights dimmed. Everyone stopped talking. Everyone got on their feet. There were maybe two occasions when the crowd sat down, and it definitely wasn’t during “Forever Young” (Justin Timberlake who? Just kidding. I love JT, but Bey brought new swag to the song) when the entire stadium lit up with 50,000 cell phone lights.
Nothing else mattered while we were gathered together for Jay and Bey. Their technically perfect performance left us wanting nothing more than to savor those two and a half hours. We left changed. But what does that mean really? Let me tell you. In honor of the Queen Bey’s birthday, here are 10 lessons I realized from her live performances, both at On The Run and at that insane spectacular at the MTV Video Music Awards.
