A European-inspired flower cart bursting with bright blooms smack dab in San Diego’s Little Italy—could there be anything more charming? That’s the idea behind Claudia Cruz’s solo flower operation, La Belle Bloom, located in the pedestrian-friendly ‘hood, where customers become friends and people-watching is a wonderful perk of the job. But Claudia’s also a very in-demand floral designer, creating custom arrangements for special occasions (ahem, Valentine’s Day) as well as weddings. In fact, she designed the flowers for one of the recent weddings I blogged about in my side gig as a blogger for Exquisite Weddings‘ The Bride Suite. Oh, and she makes a killer Frida Kahlo costume, no?
Today she chats about chilaquiles and finding peace in tall buildings…among other things.
Name: Claudia Cruz Age: 23 Neighborhood: University Heights, San Diego Job: Owner/operator of La Belle Bloom
What did you eat for breakfast today?
This morning I ate chilaquiles (fried tortillas with a spicy sauce) with mushrooms and avocado. I’ve recently gotten into waking up early enough to make and enjoy a good breakfast!
What’s the best thing about your job?
Best thing about my job is getting to work and play with flowers all day, it really doesn’t get old. Having friends and regulars come by and have a coffee and a chat. I also love crazy go, go, go days (hello, Valentine’s Day!).
The worst?
Interestingly the thing I like least about my job is being a business owner. You take your work home with you, there is never an OFF button. It’s also scary to never really know what kind of a sales week/month you will have.
How do you tackle a creative block?
The only way I can really tackle a creative block is to walk away from a project. Sleep it off and when you are ready, talk to people because even if they are not in the same creative industry, they have insight to offer.
What are you currently reading?
I am currently reading Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital by Eric Manheimer, M.D. which are true stories by told by a doctor at Bellevue Hospital in New York about patients he has helped or failed to help. I love hearing/reading stories about people’s lives. I am also reading Mexico: The Cookbook by Margarita Carrillo Arronte. There is an entire section dedicated to sauces and salsas!
What’s your favorite spot in San Diego and why?
Anywhere in the city. I get a sense of calm when I am anywhere within the confines of the big buildings, it’s odd to describe. I’ve felt this way since I was in middle school and learned to ride the bus and could go anywhere I wanted! Downtown was always it.
What was the most awesome thing about today?
This is cheesy, but I am so so thankful for the opportunity to be alive. And an even bigger bonus, that I am healthy! Totally and completely priceless.
I’m not usually one for quotes, but after seeing the above one-liner in a card from one of my best friends on Monday and then randomly again on Instagram yesterday, I felt like someone was trying to knock me over the head with its meaning. And man, is the time ripe for it.
I’ve never really had questioning years before. I almost always knew what I wanted. I wanted to go to journalism school; I wanted to study abroad in Australia; I wanted to move to New York; I wanted to work in the TV department at Entertainment Weekly. Hell, for three years I knew I wanted to do an around-the-world trip. Almost every year was an answer realized, which is certainly something to be thankful for.
But now this eternal planner is having a very unplanned last couple of years. The world of freelancing and self-employment is a tenuous thing. Where is your next paycheck coming from? Are you hustling enough? Did you network enough? Life can feel like a perpetual question mark, and I admit, it sometimes gets the best of me. It throws me into a deeper tailspin of questions: Am I doing the right thing? Can I survive with such instability? Will I see the light at the end of the tunnel? Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?
One friend recommended that I journal my thoughts to make them seem less scattered. Another reminded me that really, all of us are struggling with something. My friend who sent the card didn’t even know about my recent feelings of uncertainty, but she inadvertently woke me up to the realization that I don’t always have to have everything figured out. It’s a daunting thought for someone who likes things so figured-out, but I’m learning to roll with the punches. Succeeding sometimes, failing miserably other times.
Career, relationships, parenthood, what have you—I think this quote is a powerful one that extends wherever you need it. It’s helped me breathe a little more easily this week. Hopefully you find some solace in it, too.
In New York I was inspired by fashion, but in California I’ve been completely enamored with homes—the living rooms, the backyards, the back patios, and even the entryways. From what I’ve seen in these last two years, people take a lot of pride in their living spaces (even when renting!) and use those spaces to reflect a distinct lifestyle, one that brings the outside in with a mix of bright colors, Spanish-style architecture, and inviting layouts.
Here are 6 looks I’m currently crushing on and for more inspiration, come follow me on Pinterest.
When you think San Diego, there’s a good chance that the upscale beach community of La Jolla is what comes to mind. A cobalt coastline, impressive bluffs, well-manicured green space, chi-chi boutiques, and real estate porn as far as the eye can see—this is La Jolla on the surface. There’s also a longstanding seafood hole-in-the-wall, a contemporary art museum, my favorite French toast of all time, and a series of murals dotted throughout La Jolla Village.
For all my picks, check out my Neighborhood Guide in the latest issue of San Diego Magazine.
What a pleasant surprise to wake up Monday morning and see that our apartment was featured on Apartment Therapy! My friends Jenny and Becca of Found Creative Studio had come over last month right before my family visited—so the apartment would be in the best possible shape—and snapped a bunch of photos for us. Now looking at this post, it’s so satisfying to share the progress we’ve made in two years. As one reader so flatly commented on Apartment Therapy, it looks like a “first apartment,” and I’m OK with that. It’s the first time we’ve cared about, curated, and collected pieces that are important to us, and I’m excited to see where we go from here.
And the timing couldn’t have been better. Seeing our wee abode on a site I love so much was a treat during an otherwise weird, anxious, bummed-out spell I’m currently experiencing. I blame Mercury retrograde! (If you seem extra loopy, incoherent, irritable, and altogether lost, blame the planet of Mercury, which is in retrograde starting today until February 11.) Why bring this up? So you know that even though these pictures make everything look perfect, rest assured that things are not always perfect, a disclaimer that I think most bloggers don’t say enough. (For instance, we cleaned for nearly a whole day to get our apartment to look this clean.)
Astrological mood shifts aside, you can read the full feature on Apartment Therapy. Plus, I’ve got more photos after the jump:
Coming from the East Coast, where summers are humid and rainy season is no joke, I still sometimes find it surprising that I landed in this desert city of San Diego. The coast and beaches certainly help me forget that, but drive a little east, where most of the harder hiking trails are located, and you’re in legitimate cacti country. That also means dry, dusty hikes that—I’ll be honest—I’m not incredibly fond of.
But that’s why it was such a pleasant surprise to find the lush and verdant scenery at Los Penasquitos (“Little Cliffs”) Canyon Preserve, situated between Ranchos Penasquitos and Sorrento Hills. Sometimes the greens were so bright that it was almost like someone cranked up the saturation levels. And minus a few times when you see houses or the highway, you feel secluded à la Cheryl Strayed hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in Wild. OK, Los Penasquitos is a totally flat course, so not at all on par with the difficulty of Cheryl’s journey, but that same palpable feeling of being away from it all is there.
The nearly 4,000-acre preserve includes more than 10 miles of trails—a mix of shaded and non-shaded areas—that accommodate hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians, as well as a historic adobe ranch house and event space for weddings. Along the trails you’ll find sycamores, cacti, and even bobcats and coyotes, one of which I spotted the first time I walked this trail.
The most popular route is a six-mile loop that brings you to the waterfall—it’s pretty, but “waterfall” is a generous term—at Lopez Canyon before either rounding back the way you came or completing the loop, which involves crossing the creek to get to the other side. Since the trail is all walking and can get a wee bit monotonous, we definitely wanted to cross the creek and finish the loop on the opposite side of the trail. It takes some delicate hopping-over-stones footwork but is very much doable. Eaman even did it while holding Teddy by the leash! You’ll see people stop at the canyon to sun on the rocks, take pictures, picnic, or even read a book. And more than a few dogs will eagerly pull toward the water desperately wanting a quick dip in the cold water.
Tired, sore, and fueled with enough Vitamin D for a good month, you’ll likely want copious Mexican food after. At least that’s how we felt.
Holly is a self-proclaimed “foodmaker” who shares her recipes on FMITK (From My Impossibly Tiny Kitchen) and has been featured on FoodandWine.com, thanks in part to her wildly popular Pretzky Bun recipe (a pretzel meets a sticky bun). If that shouldn’t give you a clue about her creative twist on things, then take a look at this Beyonce-themed dinner party she cooked up. Drunk in Rub chicken wings, anyone?
Today Holly talks about why feeding people is so special and people-watching…among other things.
Name: Holly Haines Age: 32 Neighborhood: University Heights, San Diego Job: Foodmaker @ FMITK.com
What did you eat for breakfast today?
Coffee. I’m horrible at eating breakfast, but it’s something I’m trying to work on this year.
What’s the best thing about your job?
Experimenting with different flavors and spices, then getting to share those experiments with the people I love. Feeding people is my higher vibration.
The worst?
The food fails. Nothing hurts more than looking forward to a dish and having it turn out horribly.
How do you tackle a creative block?
I usually meditate. Or try to focus on something completely different—that’s when a spark of inspiration usually happens.
What are you currently reading? The Professional Chef—it’s the textbook used at the Culinary Institute of America. There are so many technical terms I have yet to learn!
What’s your favorite spot in San Diego and why?
My favorite spot is anywhere with delicious coffee and people-watching.
What was the most awesome thing about today?
Waking up and breathing. The day exists, and so do I… that’s awesome enough for me.
Doing: Three fun writing assignments and finding the confidence to pitch ideas to new outlets.
Practicing: Yoga at night. I used to be really strict about going only in the mornings because I consider it a great day-starter, but there’s something to be said for winding down with a good stretch. I’ve also been feeling like come 6 p.m., my mind is bouncing around like an over-stimulated pinball, and evening yoga has been the only way to dial it down a few (hundred) notches.
