BLUECOAT

I grabbed lunch at one of my new favorite spots in the city today — Farmer Brown.

Yummy buffet brunch + live music + great crowd = one happy me. 

We sat at the bar while waiting for a table, and I couldn't stop staring at this one gorgeous sapphire-toned glass bottle, sitting on a shelf that was backlit with the bright Sunday sun. The bartender noticed and brought it down for the shelf so that we could snap a pic. The pattern on the front is etched and though you can't tell from the photo, the logo and type are done in a gold foil.

I have a weakness for gorgeous colored/stained glass, as seen here.

...gravity...

Ryan McGinley, Night Sky (Pine), 2010 (top), Blue Falling, 2007 (middle) and Cyclone, 2008/2009 (below)

THE (NOT SO) SECRET GARDEN...

...that's just as magical and enchanting.

About a month ago, my parents came to visit me in my new city. The week was filled with non-stop sight-seeing. Golden Gate Bridge, check. Chinatown, check. The Cliff House, Lombard Street, Union Square, checkcheckcheck. Towards the end of their stay, we stumbled upon the Japanese Tea Garden, right next to the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, and were SOOO pleasantly surprised. It's quite the oasis, and it quickly shot up to the top of my running list of my favorite parts of the city. Serene pools of water...some areas hidden under a canopy of trees...other areas completely bathed in sunlight...narrow passageways....beautifully intricate gold and red pagodas...

Built it 1894, it's the oldest public Japanese Tea Garden in the US. Aaandd, it's FREE if you go before 10am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If you haven't been, it's certainly a sight to see.

See more here!