Need a Book for the Beach?

Gearing up for the last weeks of summer? These two novels give summer reading a good name. 

Fridays at Enrico's: Don Carpenter's manuscript was finished posthumously by Johanthan Lethem, but the story lives and breathes San Francisco from the 1950s to the 1970s.  

Its spare writing style pulls the reader into a lively world of interconnected writers at various stages of success. The Castle Street Review also loves reading a book set just one block away, on tiny Genoa Street in Telegraph Hill. Soulful and introspective characters kept me up reading late into the night. One of my favorite books of 2014.

 

Astonish Me: Maggie Shipsthead's surprisingly substantial and beautifully written second novel.  

The story spans a young ballerina's lifetime - with all its glamour, hard work and pain. But this isn't just a women's story. The handsome male dancers who commit to the global ballet scene are complex and intriguing. Reading about the physical discipline behind the art form inspired me to pull out my Ballet Beautiful DVD and add some grace to my daily life. I'm excited to go back and read her first novel, Seating Arrangements.

3 steps to a fresh summer face

I watch a lot of Lisa Eldridge's makeup videos - she makes trying new techniques fun and accessible. In this short video, she taught me a new trick: use one product for lips, cheeks and eyes. The lip/cheek combo was a part of my repertoire but adding the eye in the same shade really does give a fresh look. Taking her cue, I've been experimenting with a variety of pink tones.



At a Night for Green Beauty in LA, I met the very nice Christy Coleman, a celebrated makeup artist and head of creative design for Beautycounter. I asked her for help choosing a lip color from their new makeup line. Recently I have bought some beautiful lip colors that I never wear - a very bright lip appeals to me in the store but I shy away from actually wearing them. I told her this and she recommended the Beautycounter Lip Sheer in Rose, a pretty but subtle pink. The color actually has a blue undertone, which Christy said will help my blue eyes stand out. Sold!

Brooklyn-based makeup artist and natural products expert Jessa Blades visited San Francisco for a beauty event, and as always, had some great tips for swapping into non-toxic skincare and makeup products. When I asked for a new lip color recommendation, she also chose a pink for me - RMS Lip Shine in Sublime, which looks very bright in the jar but has the right amount of pretty pop without too much drama. 

To keep with the theme of threes, I also really recommend Kjaer Weis cream blush.  Kjaer Weis products are so beautiful. Classic, substantial and glamorous packaging is an added treat since the products are fantastic. From lips to cheeks to foundation, the creamy textures have a very appealing consistency made for easy application and hours of staying power. I have fallen hard for this line. The Kjaer Weis Cream Blush in Lovely is perfect for the three-in-one look shown in the video.

Outside Lands mini-mix

Last weekend's Outside Lands Music Festival in Golden Gate Park was headlined by Kanye West and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. More than just a music festival, the size of the park allows for areas known as Wine-lands, Beer-lands and Choco-lands. These spots are a fun place to sample a mix of goodies from up and coming as well as more established brands. Local food and drink from San Francisco's best known restaurants and food trucks are also available in several locations around the festival grounds. 

The chilly August weather only really showed up on Saturday, making for sunny viewing on Friday and Sunday. 

A mini-mix below of some of my favorite acts.

Birth of the Cool

Miles Davis has been one of my favorite musicians since college. My first semester at the University of Virginia, I took an amazing American History survey course from Ed Ayers, a professor who used southern music to teach students about life in the early 20th century. 

The history is often tragic, as journalist Isabel Wilkerson's 2010 book The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration documents. The harrowing life of black Americans trying to escape the institutionalized racism in the southern states is filled with injustice and cruelty. But there are glimmers of light, and music is surely one. 

NPR's free music app offers listeners access to radio stations across the country. My favorites are the jazz stations, which still give a glimpse into this purely American art form. Most often I listen to KCSM, the Bay Area's jazz station, but lately I've added WWNO, New Orleans' jazz radio, and want to spend more time on WVAS, the station from Montgomery, Alabama.

Listening to the radio has encouraged me to spend more time in my own musical library. While Miles Davis' 1957 album Kind of Blue is probably his most famous, Birth of the Cool, recorded in 1950 and released in 1957, and Sketches of Spain from 1960 have a different energy and show his musical range. Enjoy!