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Follow the Whales in the Bay

These Humpback whales were captured on video by kayakers on Sunday. So awe inspiring about the Bay Area we call home and the wonderful friends that visit us in the Bay!  Christine Gonsalves, Co Owner of Whales & Friends in Alameda, explained that the excitement is that we can now feed the whales again in the San Francisco Bay, because our Bay is healthy.Humpback whale

“I thought I would have to spend thousands of dollars and travel to Southeast Alaska to see lunge feeding humpback whales, but it turns out all I really need to do is to go whale watching from shore at Treasure Island.

“What a treat that endangered humpback whales are returning to San Francisco Bay after being hunted for decades and brought to the brink of near extinction. Feeding humpbacks right in our backyard is a great sign that the San Francisco Bay is getting healthier and that the whales are rebounding too!”

Stay tuned as we we follow the whales with Christine.

By |2016-07-15T16:02:02-07:00July 13th, 2016|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

Fashion Designer Turns Liquor Store Owner: Embrace Cordial Bottle Shop

IMG_1213The classic neon LIQUOR sign stays put. But the interior of the store is evolving. In a great way! Though the neighbors and new owners cherish this neon sign that lights up the corner as the evening progresses, they also welcome the interior shop changes.

How did this young couple come to buy this business at 1111 MacArthur Blvd in Feb. of 2016?

“I wanted to leave the apparel business, “ claims fashion designer and now liquor store owner, Stacey Tingstrom. “I have always wanted to run my own business. Something I could call my own.” Stacey has been working at North Face in design and production (which she loves) and is still there part time, though most of her heart is at her new store. How did she pick this business?

“Well, this store is close to my home and seemed like something I could manage. I looked at franchises – like LEGO’S® and SUBWAY®. But it still was not my own business. I had to follow their branding rules. I had to use their signage and verbiage to perpetuate their brand.”

Being a passionate designer with her own creative spirit, Stacey kept looking. And what spurred her on was the change happening in her San Leandro neighborhood – houses were selling for over $800,000– very close to this possible business opportunity on MacArthur that she had stumbled upon in her research.IMG_0335 2

”This business stood out. It was close to home. When I learned more, I knew exactly what business it was. And we just wanted to run our own business.” When she asked her husband, “How about we buy the liquor store? And he said to me, how about no!” Simon finally came around. He had been in the restaurant business in the past and is a craft cocktail mixologist in the present, so he brought that customer knowledge and expertise to the table.

Stacey made an offer in July and it was accepted in August of 2015.

IMG_1215Escrow closed Feb. 16, 2016, and that month they went in and dismantled one set of shelving and moved  their new freestanding display shelves they had created. The next month they took out another layer and Voila! – it was a changed place. Now, it is the Cordial Bottle Shop, exuding nuances of conviviality, and friendliness – a warm, beautiful and jovial place to spend time and find what you were looking for or something close to it.

It’s all about community. You will find neighbor Traci Ramos there working the shop or helping pull the visual displays together, as Traci is an interior design specialist. Cordial Bottle Shop’s strategy is to transform the store into a boutique shopping experience, yet maintain the corner store spirit with conversation and the lottery tickets! Stacey also aspires to becoming a boutique IMG_0338BevMo!, offering cheeses, deli meats and  crackers.  “I am trying to represent the neighborhood the way it is – we have craft beer and IPAs as well as Bud Light in the 24 oz cans. Our neighbors have a wide range of tastes and we hope to have something for everyone. I want to embody the neighborhood.”

Stacey and Simon live in San Leandro.

IMG_0331 2

 

Cordial Bottle Shop

Address:  1111 MacArthur Blvd in San Leandro

Store hours: 1-8pm

Phone:  (510) 686-1585

 

 

 

 

 

By |2016-07-11T14:24:19-07:00July 11th, 2016|0 Comments

Ping Pong 4 Pride Supporting Pulse

Put on your PRIDE and pick up a ping pong paddle, while you raise some money for PULSE. Join the festivities from 9pm to 2am Fri. night, June 24. SPiN, the new Ping Pong Salon at 690 Folsom St. in San Francisco, kicks off SF Pride Weekend with a fundraiser for Pulse Nightclub victims and their families. Staff wanted to bring the community together and host a party to benefit the victims of the tragic Pulse Nightclub massacre.  PULSE and SPiN and PRIDE share a common thread – they are all about community and taking care of community.

SPiN invites you to come play PONG and show your PRIDE! Or just show up and have fun watching people play.  Event & Community Manager, Lauren Magboo, has some great hopes for the event. “We hope to celebrate love and to raise money for an amazing cause.” There are three ways they are raising money – collecting a donation at the door (no cover charge at SPiN), buying the PRIDE Night’s Specialty Cocktails and donating on line to the official GoFundMe page if you cannot attend. (You may want to visit that page anyway for a hopeful story!)

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So, what are the Pride Kick-off Specialty Cocktails?

  • SPiN Royale – SPiN’s PRIDE version of the classic French Kir Royale with grapefruit juice and Absinthe
  • SPiNarita – a spicy Mango Margarita with Heradurra Tequila enhanced with a mega purée of agave, fresh lime juice and firewater bitters
  • Aperol Spritz – the traditional lovely Italian aperitif
  • La Marca Prosecco
  • Seven Hills Rosé Wine

Proceeds from the event donations and specialty cocktails go to the National Center for Victims of Crime supporting the victims and families of the Pulse shooting in Orlando.

Show up with your friends and fill the 12,00 sq ft space. You can also call 415-636-5995 and book a table or book online.

SPiN opened in San Francisco a month ago, following in the footsteps of the celeb famous SPiN NYC which has been a happening for seven years. They have a salon in Chicago and two franchises  – in Toronto and Los Angeles.

  • WHEN: Fri., June 24, 2016
  • WHERE: SPiN Ping Pong Salon, 690 Folsom St. in San Francisco
  • WHAT: SPiN’s SF PRIDE kick-off fundraiser for PULSE
  • WHY: Come together as a community, have some fun, kick off SF Pride Weekend and raise money for the victims and  families of the PULSE Nightclub shooting in Orlando

 

 

By |2016-08-29T15:23:52-07:00June 23rd, 2016|0 Comments

Fun Globe-Trotting Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series 2016 Schedule

©ORACLE TEAM USA/photo Javier Salinas

©ORACLE TEAM USA/photo Javier Salinas

THE 2016 LOUIS VUITTON AMERICA’S CUP WORLD SERIES

It’s a fun globe-trotting year ahead for the World Series with races being held on the Indian Ocean in the Middle East, on the Mediterranean in Southern France, again in The Solent waterway in Portsmouth,UK, and then on the Hudson River in New York and on fresh water in Chicago.

 

Race Schedule

  • Muscat, Oman —Feb. 27-28, 2016; 
  • New York, USA – May 6-8, 2016;
  • Chicago, USA – June 10-12, 2016;
  • Portsmouth, UK – July 22-24, 2016;
  • Toulon, France Sept. 10-11, 2016;
  • Fukuoka, Japan — Nov. 18-20, 2016

Results at the close of the NYC World Series regatta May 8, 2016:

  1. Emirates Team New Zealand 244
  2. ORACLE TEAM USA 236
  3. Land Rover BAR 227
  4. SoftBank Team Japan 203
  5. Artemis Racing 201
  6. Groupama Team France 194

Results at the close of  the World Series races in 2015:

  1. Emirates Team New Zealand 122
  2. ORACLE TEAM USA 112
  3. Land Rover BAR 109
  4. Artemis Racing 105
  5. SoftBank Team Japan 100
  6. Groupama Team France 82

 

The Royal Gazette captured Tom Slingsby’s anticipation of the 2016 races. ORACLE TEAM USA’s helmsman and sailing team manager does not like being in second place going into 2016’s World Series races. He wants to be in the lead at all times, at every turn. ORACLE is currently training on the San Francisco Bay to get their team ready to take over Emirate Team New Zealand’s first place status. Stay tuned and get ready for the 2017 America’s Cup in Bermuda – watch the highlights of the Finals -Race 19 in 2013 on San Francisco Bay.

By |2016-06-07T16:01:06-07:00January 14th, 2016|0 Comments

FOG Design + Art Returns to Fort Mason Festival Pavillion Jan. 13-17, 2016

Pair of Stools by Axel Einar Hjorth Nordiska kompaniet, Sweden, ca. 1930 Pine/Hostler Burrows

Pair of Stools
by Axel Einar Hjorth
Nordiska kompaniet, Sweden, ca. 1930
Pine/Hostler Burrows

In the next four days San Francisco becomes the exciting epicenter of art and design, celebrating architecture, modern art and technology & design with dynamic exhibits, unique installations and pop-up galleries. This celebration of innovative design also features presentations and discussions with top gallerists, design dealers, architects and style-makers, from famed art collector Peggy Guggenheim to Northern California’s Woodworking Renaissance of the 1970s.

FOG Art + Design showcases 40 prominent 20th Century and contemporary art and design dealers from the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

FOG Design + Art Schedule:

WED., JAN. 13 5–10pm  Preview Gala benefiting SFMOMA
To attend the FOG Preview Gala, purchase tickets here.  FOG will take place at the Fort Mason Center Festival Pavilion. Get directions.

More info. about FOG Design + Art 2016

THUR., JAN. 14
11am– 6pm   Open to the public

 Niamh Barry, Walking, IRE, 2015 (Artist pictured with piece) Light sculpture made of hand-formed mirror-polished bronze, black-patinated bronze, glass opal tiles, LEDs 133" L x 84" H x 40.5" D Unique/Todd Merrill Studio

Walking by Niamh Barry, IRE, 2015 (Artist pictured with piece)
Light sculpture made of hand-formed mirror-polished bronze, black-patinated bronze, glass opal tiles, LEDs
133″ L x 84″ H x 40.5″ D
Unique/Todd Merrill Studio

FRI., JAN. 15
9–11am   ArtBites presented by SFMOMA’s Modern Art Council
9am   Breakfast, coffee, and high-design delights by Jane
10am   Panel Discussion
Deconstructing Design: Inside the New SFMOMA
David Brenner, founder, Habitat Horticulture
David Darling, partner, Aidlin Darling Design
Jon McNeal, senior architect, Snøhetta
Moderated by Joseph Becker, associate curator of architecture and design, SFMOMA
To attend ArtBites, purchase tickets here.

11am– 6pm   Open to the public
Presentations–FOG Theater
1pm.   Impolite Wallpaper: Design through an Artist’s Eyes
Beth Katleman, artist
3pm   Visionary Wood: Northern California’s Woodworking Renaissance, 1970-79, with a spotlight on J. B. Blunk, Robert Strini, and John Bauer
John Bauer, sculptor
René de Guzman, senior curator of art, Oakland Museum of California
Mariah Nielson, curator, director, J. B. Blunk Estate
Gerard O’Brien, owner and curator, Reform Gallery and the Landing
Robert Strini, sculptor
5pm  Film Screening: The Incredible San Francisco Artists’ Soapbox Derby with an introduction by director Amanda Pope

Studio Vases by Stig Lindberg Gustavsberg, Sweden, ca. 1955 Glazed Porcelain, embossed patterns Left to right: 18.5” H, 2” H, 22” H/Hostler Burrows

Studio Vases by Stig Lindberg
Gustavsberg, Sweden, ca. 1955
Glazed Porcelain, embossed patterns
Left to right: 18.5” H, 2” H, 22” H/Hostler Burrows

SAT., JAN. 16
11am– 7pm   Open to the public

Presentations–FOG Theater
1pm   Film Screening: Peggy Guggenheim – Art Addict
Introduction by Janet Bishop, Weisel family curator of painting and sculpture of SFMOMA
Screening followed by a conversation with director Lisa Immordino Vreeland
Presented by Christie’s

3pm   Developing the Confidence to Trust Your Instinct: Todd Hosfelt and David Breskin Discuss Collecting
David Breskin, writer, record producer, culture worker
Todd Hosfelt, Hosfelt Gallery

5pm   Site-Specific: Creating an Immersive Moment
Charles de Lisle, designer
Tali Jaffe, executive editor, Cultured magazine
Presented by Cultured magazine

 

SUN., JAN. 17
11am– 5pm.   Open to the public

Presentations–FOG Theater
1pm  The Changing Face of San Francisco’s Art Scene
Alison Gass, associate director for collections, exhibitions, and curatorial affairs, Cantor Arts Center
Jonn Herschend, co-founder, The Thing Quarterly
Deborah Rappaport, co-founder, Minnesota Street Project
Claudia Altman Siegel, Altman Siegel Gallery

More info. about FOG Design + Art 2016

Pictured Above: Concrete Garden Pots from Germany circa 1880, sitting on a 13' long suspended French pine floorboard... On the wall to the left, Club Der Visionare, 2012, oil on canvas by Goran Djurovic... On the wall to the right, Public Viewing, 2012, oil on canvas by Goran Djurovic... In the center of the room, To Honor to Treasure, 2012, cast concrete, antique wooden chair frames by JAMESPLUMB and Chesterfield Table, 2014, cast concrete, oak pew bench, antique chesterfield sofa by JAMESPLUMBObsolete

Pictured Above: Concrete Garden Pots from Germany circa 1880, sitting on a 13′ long suspended French pine floorboard… On the wall to the left, Club Der Visionare, 2012, oil on canvas by Goran Djurovic… On the wall to the right, Public Viewing, 2012, oil on canvas by Goran Djurovic… In the center of the room, To Honor to Treasure, 2012, cast concrete, antique wooden chair frames by JAMESPLUMB and Chesterfield Table, 2014, cast concrete, oak pew bench, antique chesterfield sofa by JAMESPLUMB/Obsolete

By |2016-01-13T14:35:29-08:00January 13th, 2016|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments
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