Six In The City....San Francisco

Welcome to my table setting contribution to this week's Tablescape Thursdays which is hosted by Susan of Between Naps On The Porch.

Please visit BNOTP for more creative and unique table arrangements submitted by her readers and subscribers.

The location for this mocked (but at least with real flowers ;-) ) table setting for a party of 6 is on the balcony of the San Francisco 2 bedroom condo we're currently renting for the duration of my partner Dan's twin sister Dana's hospitalization at the UCSF Medical Center.


Since the time Dana was first admitted back on March 8th of this year, she has been doing and is continuing to progress remarkably well.

Both her physical and speech therapy show great improvement each week. Thank you to those that continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

The beautiful china in this setting belong to the condominium owners.
The collection is Viana by Vista Alegre, a porcelain manufacturer located in Portugal.

Awhile back I created another tablescape inside the condo but with dishes purchased from a nearby Ross store that I thought (or, perhaps I'm just unwilling to admit I couldn't figure out how to successfully incorporate this traditional classic pattern into the condo's very contemporary decor) would complement the contemporary space better.

I like this set quite a bit and its vibrant blue & yellow colors on the crisp white porcelain backdrop inspired me to arrange them outside on the balcony.

The silver gray tablecloth is actually a pair of the homeowner's drapery panels I borrowed from one of the bedrooms(yes, I often have behind the scenes improvisations) Hopefully, if they (homeowners) come across this post they wont be unhappy about my use of their window coverings.


Of course, this was a mocked setting so actual food and beverages never made it to the table.

My only personal addition to the table was the blue runner I picked up from the nearby Supermarket for $2.75 and the Hydrangeas & miniature mums from Costco for $18.00.

Because I underestimated the amount of flowers I actually needed, I ended up picking apart the few hydrangeas I had to help conceal the floral foam.

The porcelain tureen used for the floral centerpiece is by Lynn Chase Designs.

It's from the Costa Azzurra collection.

Well, that's it for this submission for Tablescape Thursdays. I hope you enjoyed the photos and thank you for stopping by. Please don't forget to stop by Between Naps On The Porch for more table settings.

Vibram Five Fingers....The Foot Glove

I'm writing this from an 8th floor waiting room at the UCSF hospital as the nursing staff attend to Dan's twin sister Dana. I found a February 2010 Time magazine with an article about the Vibram Five Fingers, a rubber foot glove.

Since first spotting a pair of these on the streets of San Francisco about 3 weeks ago, I cannot seem to go anywhere these days without seeing or reading about these gloves.

I ran into a neighbor walking the park with pair a week and a half ago. She just loves them. A student of Dan's showed up to class wearing a pair a week ago who says they are great for sports.

According to the Times article, the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico run ultra marathons barefoot or very thin rubber sandals. Apparently, this is their endorsement of this new glove sensation.

I will have to stop by a nearby REI store to try on a pair which costs from $85.00 to $110.00.

P.S. Dana is making remarkable progress. Last week she was moved from the ICU to the facility's step down unit and is currently undergoing physical therapy. A heartfelt thank you to everyone for your continued support and prayers.

An Inexpensive IKEA For A Room Makeover With Help From Martha

Several weeks ago, I started a weekend room makeover project which I haven't had a chance to photograph and share on my blog until now. This is an upstairs spare room that has served as our guest bedroom. Unfortunately, we usually only have guests spend a night or 2 maybe 3 times a year. So, naturally, I thought it made sense to redo the room to allow for daily use as well as continue to offer overnight accommodations for guests.

I got rid of the 4 poster queen size bed and replaced it with an IKEA sofa bed. We kept the Tempur-pedic mattress overlay for added comfort to the new sofa bed.

The child's chairs and coffee table were purchased from IKEA as well. The outdoor area rug from Ballard Designs is perfect for standing up to messy spills made during playtime.

The blackboard easel is yet another IKEA find. The storage benches are from the Martha Stewart Living Collection for Home Depot. I thought they were a great bargain at $68.87 each which included the cushion. The canvas storage bins were sold separately with up to 16 great color choices at $6.87 each. There are plenty of wicker boxes and storage bins in the room for all of little Daniel's toys.

The Little American's cooking corner also from IKEA.

Because this was also a spare guest room, I made an effort to minimize the numerous bold colors typically found in children s play rooms. Instead I opted for a more selected and coordinated color palette that I thought would appeal to guests of all ages.

Have a happy Easter holiday weekend!

2010 APRIL FOOD DAY

Please join me and several of my fellow bloggers in supporting Feeding America, a non profit hunger relief organization dedicated to helping provide food for fellow Americans in need. You can also directly support your local food bank to accomplish the same good.

APRIL FOOD DAY SUPPORTS FEEDING AMERICA
More and more people in our country are going hungry because they have lost their jobs, their benefits have ended, they can’t find a job and have no place left to turn but to their local food bank. But the nation’s food banks are stretched to the limit because of the increased number of people needing their services.

You might think that none of your friends are going hungry, but I read a comment on a piece NPR did about a photography exhibit about hunger in America, and think it could apply to any one of us:

…a dear friend and community member crossed over. At his one year crossing remembrance, stories began to come out and I realized with great sorrow, our friend went hungry. I feel sad when I think of it, that our dear friend who gave so much and was so generous in spirit and friendship was hungry and we never knew that. How did we not make it our business to know how it was with him we loved so?

Please make a donation to Feeding America, or your local food bank, and count yourself as one of the lucky ones if you’re not going to bed hungry every night. Feeding America has set up a special URL for April Food Day so they can see how much we’ve donated.

If you’re a blogger, tweeter, facebooker or have an e-mail list, please share this address. Let me know if you’ve posted about April Food Day, and we will add you to the list of participants on the April Food Day site.

Thank you very much
Meg Fairfax
Chris

Tablescape Thursdays-San Francisco

Happy Tablescape Thursdays! For more creative and unique table settings, click on the above Tablescape Thursday logo, or visit Susan with Between Naps On The Porch.

This table setting is in the San Francisco apartment we are currently occupying for the duration of Dan's twin sisters hospitalization at UCSF Medical Center. I managed to set a table during the Little American's afternoon nap time.

It's a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom condominium located on the corner of Baker and Haight Street directly across from Buena Vista Park.

I would describe the condominium's design as "contemporary Scandinavian minimalism". Surprisingly, although its far from my personal style preference, I really like the apartment and find it a refreshing change from my usual layered surrounding.

As for the table, I created a table setting that I thought was a good representation of the condo owner's lifestyle. The homeowners are a couple originally from Eastern Europe. They currently own a floral business called In Water with 2 locations in the city.

Although the apartment provided plates, I didn't think the pattern reflected the overall style of the space.

So, while out grocery shopping at a Safeway Supermarket,I jumped over to Ross which was 3 doors down to see if I could possibly find dinner plates that might make a better fit with the apartment's decor.

I found these earthenware dinner and salad plates for four for $12.00 total.

A close up of the pattern. The fork trays are actually the apartment's sushi plates. When I saw the plates at Ross, I immediately remembered the trays back at the apartment having a similar color which I thought would be a very complementary fit. It turned out well. The plates pulled out the same green in the trays.

Because this was somewhat an impromptu arrangement, there were no cloth table linens available. My only option for napkins was a roll of Brawny. The quicker picker upper. I thought the table looked fine without it.

I took the fresh Wheat grass I purchased for energy drinks and some votive candles and embellished the apartments oblong basket for the table centerpiece. I thought it also reflected the couple's zen like style.

Thank you for stopping by.

SAILING ON THE MARINA

Oceania Cruises, headquartered in Miami, Florida and owned by Prestige Cruise Holdings, is considered by many cruise travel experts to be one of the world class leaders with luxurious and upscale ships on the waters offering sumptuous accommodations,cuisine and white glove service that you expect in 4 and 5 star hotels.
In 2011, the cruise line will launch its latest ship, the Marina. The ship's look will be contemporary as opposed to its sister ships that boast a traditional style. The Marina will offer a luxurious and elegant design showcasing contemporary style at its finest.

The Owners Suites

2000 sq. ft.

Suite entrance

The 3 Owners Suite, which are the largest private spaces offered, were decorated by Tocar Interior Designs and furnished with the Ralph Lauren Home collection.

Main Living Area


Master Bedroom


Master Bath



One of my favorite blogs, The Meade Design Group interviewed Tocar's principal designers Susan Bednar Long and Christina Sullivan in August 2009. The firm's portfolio is very impressive.

Vista Suites

1200 sq. ft.


Currently, Oceania is in discussions with American further designer Dakota Jackson to redesign the Vista and Oceania suites. Personally, I love the current proposed look of these suites. I think they maintain an overall contemporary look but with modern interpretations on the classic style pieces in the room which adds warmth.

Oceania Suites

1000 sq. ft.


However, I'm confident Jackson will take it to another level with his ingenious eye for making fabulous interiors that make anyone feel as though its their personal space.

Penthouse Suites

420 sq. ft.


I contacted Oceania seeking information about the designs of the Penthouse Suites,Verandas and other staterooms as well as the ship's public areas.

Verandas

282 sq. ft.


Gary Gerbino, Vice President of Lou Hammond & Associates, Oceania's public relations firm, graciously responded by informing me that the look of the other accommodations and public areas were conceived by Y&S of Oslo- the foremost naval architects and ship design firms in the world. The lead designer is Gunnar Aaserud.

Ocean view Staterooms

242 sq. ft.


Inside Stateroom

174 sq. ft.


Public Areas


Lalique Grand Staircase

The first Inaugural sail is scheduled for January 22, 2011 from Barcelona, Spain to Miami, Florida.

Martini Lounge

Currently, the ocean liner is offering a terrific 2 for the price of 1 promotion which includes round trip coach(business class upgrade available for $3,000.00 per person) airfare from several international gateways.

Main Dining Room

We are booked for the Sands Of Time itinerary in the Fall of 2011. The 12 day course wraps through the Mediterranean from Istanbul to Athens.
Our plan is to invite Dan's parents along in celebration of their 50 year wedding anniversary.

Wellness Spa

Pool Deck

Visit Oceania Cruises for more information about the Marina and the cruise lines other great ships and destinations.