Some SF + OAK lovin…

Posted by random olio

I promised you a blog about San Francisco. We spent every waking hour either walking or eating. Why not? It is San Francisco. We spent one day playing in the city, and the second day in Oakland. I had a few favorite places I wanted to revisit on Saturday, and I was happily surprised and inspired by a neighborhood we found in the Mission that did not disappoint.

We ventured to Skunkfunk, and Synergy Clothing – both places I wanted to visit. On the way and in between, we found many other boutiques and design stores that did not hesitate to inspire. I love to see how different neighborhoods and cities showcase their current design tastes. On our way to finding a sweet treat, we stopped at Muji. My all time favorite Japanese pen shop with newer locations in New York and San Francisco. I have a passion for fine tip pens. The ones I purchase from Muji are .38. Hard to find in many places in the states.

Next stop: Kara’s Cupcakes.

Chris and I are cupcake fiends. Whenever we travel, we are always on the lookout for the best tasting cupcake. I really do not care what it looks like, it has everything to do with the flavor. We have our favorite in Portland, but by far the best cupcakes we have found in the states is Kara’s Cupcakes. They were a bit snooty with us, but the cupcakes did not disappoint. I found out on their website that they are opening a location in Monterey, CA this summer. As you can see they did not last long. Favorites of the day? Red velvet, Banana Caramel, and Lemon. Yum. If you are ever in San Francisco, be sure to go to the Marina District and try Kara’s.

On Sunday in Oakland, we made sure to visit one of our favorite coffee roasters, Blue Bottle Coffee. Yes, I know I am boring by purchasing decaf. Leave me alone. Their beans rock. If you want to try them from the middle of the country, you can purchase beans right from their website. They also now have locations in San Francisco and New York City.

We spent a few hours on Sunday walking outside in Oakland. It was overcast, and at times chilly and other times warm and sunny. While out for our long stroll, we saw this biker-come-kayaker. Quite the workout he must have had on Sunday!

While taking a break to rest our feet and get a warm drink, I found this fancy door. While I do not have a place for it in my home, it inspired me. A wine rack/barn/door. A very clever design idea.

A great trip. We are both a bit sunburnt, but had a wonderful weekend, strolling, talking, eating, catching up, and feeling inspired.

Bay area we will see you soon.

Mumford? Um. Yeah.

Posted by random olio

Last week we had the opportunity to see Mumford & Sons in concert. We really only knew a few of their songs before we saw them, yet after an hour and a half we were converts. They are amazing musicians. It had been a while since we had been to a concert in a big venue with thousands of other people. They are not my cup of tea. I like the more intimate interaction with musicians when they are playing in a smaller venue.

I was impressed with the lead singer, Marcus Mumford, his unique sounding voice, and the endurance he had throughout the entire concert was astounding. It has been a long time since I have witnessed a true musician that you can tell in your bones is doing it for the love of the art, and the joy of the music. They were there to entertain, and I had a hunch that even though they have been touring in larger venues, that it had not gone to their heads. It felt genuinely big and real to them.

Last Sunday I did quite a bit of baking and cleaning in the kitchen (about the only things I do in the kitchen) and through the many hours, I had Mumford & Sons playing in the background. Their songs all have such variety, some make me dance and sing, others have a somber feel, and even others an eerie effect that stays with you. Seeing them in person made me respect them tenfold. Marcus might be playing the guitar and then run to the back and play the drums. The bass player might be playing then head back to the drums. A versatile and interesting team of musicians.

If you do not listen to Mumford & Sons, I definitely recommend taking the time to seek out their music, and if it interests you at all see them in concert. They are in the middle of their US tour. You probably already know “I Will Wait” and “Little Lion Man,” but be sure to listen to “Ghosts That We Knew,” “Whispers in the Dark,” and “Roll Away Your Stone.”

You will not regret it.

Modern design + hive office

Posted by random olio

Crowdsourcing? Maybe. Utilizing the talents of your neighbors? Yes. I read the other day that we are better innovators by surrounding ourselves with a variety of individuals. Why not find office space that gives you the crowdsourcing environment, with great design, and a variety of talent just a wall or pane of glass away? Think of it as a new neighborhood with like-minded individuals, with great taste. You each selected a beautiful office, your home away from home, the place you spend most of your day. You might just find that you have more in common than you ever knew. You might find out when you get your morning cup of coffee in the communal kitchen.

Many have called sharing office space “co-working” where individuals rent space at large shared tables or desks, and work alongside people from different companies. Members are surrounded by a community to interact with and support their business. Why is this good? It is cheap, and works for those that are basically on laptops and do not need to talk much or worry about privacy, or security of assets. Other individuals might rent “executive office suites” that are rented on a short-term basis that gives the feel that they have a physical office space. Why is this option good? Physical location with privacy and security of assets. However, there’s no office community.

If co-working and executive office suites do not solve what you need, then maybe try a “hive” office. A key component to a “hive” environment is a balance between privacy and community. Whether you are in the start-up mode, trying to raise money, or a budding company that thrives on the inspiration that a community of entrepreneurs brings, then a hive environment might be just the thing. You might think, why not just rent or lease a typical office? You could, but many times those can be expensive, with long lease terms, and often without the community aspect available to you. Who knows? In a hive environment, that lawyer you need might be your neighbor down the hall. You might collaborate with a web designer and find that you can help each other out.

Industrious Office future “Hive” space

We have a few co-working or hive office ventures in Portland. Recently I came across a great venture in the River North district of Chicago. It is called “Industrious Office” that focuses on modern designed offices in a hive environment. It is a 17,000 square foot building with 72 offices in total that can each accommodate 1 to 10 people on a month-to-month basis. Office rates start at $400 a month, which is a steal! Amenities include: 24/7 access to free wi-fi and electricity, printing services, private phone booths, onsite storage, lounges, complementary mail services, access to conference and collaboration rooms, a kitchen and a full service coffee bar. In addition, Industrious offer members a wide variety of classes and events in its space.

Industrious Office draws the best elements of co-working, executive suite offices, and traditional office space by creating individual private offices using glass partitions so that individuals feel that they are part of a larger community, but still have the privacy of their own private office.

I can see it being the perfect setting for designers, writers, start-ups, non-profits, lawyers, or anyone that wants to have a beautiful location to spend most of their working hours. Industrious Office is scheduled to open later this summer. If you live in Chicago and work from home, or bounce around from Starbucks to local coffee shop, have been craving a quiet space, and a clean and modern place to bring your clients, then be sure to check out the lofts at Industrious Office. I would love to spend my days within the modern feel of high ceilings, exposed brick walls + glass walled private offices, conference rooms and common areas.

Updates can be found on twitter.com/IndustriousHQ and facebook.com/IndustriousOffice

Murphy’s Oil helps get to the right brain

Posted by random olio

My desk is organized, I even wiped it down with Murphy’s Oil soap. My to-do list has been updated and organized. All paperwork has been filed. The laundry is folded and put away. The house is clean, and the bed has fresh, clean, and crisp sheets. Ah. A great way to start the week.

Is this the state of my world today? No. This is my ideal state whenever I want to do something creative. If I want to sit down for a long stint of writing, pull out my easel and paint, whatever the creative endeavor, I usually focus the best when I have cleared the clutter in the house, and in my thought. A clean slate that opens my mind, so I can dig in, create a mess, and focus solely on my project without distraction.

Why is it that a messy house, or a mind that feels full to the brim means my creative juices have a harder time flowing? Does the left side of my brain need to be filed away and put in order, so that I can use the right side of my brain? Maybe in the end I am exercising both the left and right side of my brain, so a win-win situation, right?

What tactics do you follow to allow the right side of your brain to be free and ready to go? Do you run, go out into the woods, or clean? I would love to hear from you.

Ship my baby. Huh?

Posted by random olio

Two viral videos that made me laugh. I could not help but be sure to share them with you. The first reminds me of sixth grade. The video itself does not remind me of school, but the word “ship” does. Ship, huh? A strange word to recollect from my past. It was sixth grade Social Studies, we were studying the 1600’s or some time in that range a few hundred years ago. We were each given a topic to do a report on and then we had to present our findings in front of the class the following week. I was given the topic of: ship building. Boring right? Well I did my research and my report and then it was my turn to present to the class. All I remember is that during my entire presentation every time I said ship building it always sounded to me like shit building. I cannot remember what it sounded like to my classmates, but I was mortified, and I thought it was a little funny.

Which is why Kmart’s recent video: “Ship my pants” made me laugh and remember sixth grade Social Studies. For more background on their video, read this Fast Company article.

It plays to our childhood humor, but it is clever. As is Evian’s “Baby & Me” video. It just launched over the weekend, so you might see it on television (that is if you ever watch commercials). Over 400 babies were cast for this video, and in May they release an app “Baby & Me” where facial recognition will show the user’s baby face.