I may blog about food, interior design and hikes, but travel is my heart. And I don’t just mean vacations; what truly inspires me is the kind of adventure that’s a leap of faith, and that’s what first drew me to Danielle Alvarez’s blog, Danielle Abroad. New York-bred Danielle made the bold move to go to Paris for graduate school and on her blog she shares an American’s musings on European culture.
Many blogs these days are so visual — and yes, Danielle’s photos of the City of Lights are beautiful — but what I love is that she writes — really writes — about her experiences, her pratfalls, her curiosities. Today she lends us some of that same expat thoughtfulness. Read on to see what routines have made this gal’s new home feel like, well, home.
Noelia Pahissa moved to San Diego from Barcelona in 2004 for her husband’s job and among her many packed possessions were a few pairs of Avarcas sandals, the kind both Noelia and her husband grew up wearing in Spain. It only took a few dozen compliments for Noelia to realize there was an unmet demand for the Spanish product in the U.S. market. Now the San Diego-based couple are co-founders of the Avarcas USA label, bringing handmade, eco-friendly artisan sandals to sustainable-minded Americans.
Today Noelia talks to us about biking the streets, a Sunday food tradition brought over from Spain and building sand castles.
Name: Noelia Pahissa Age: 39 Hometown: Barcelona, Spain Current City: San Diego, CA Professional title: Co-founder and co-owner at Avarcas USA; mom of a 4-year-old boy and a 2-year-old daughter
One of my favorite things about Instagram is the Newsfeed. On the one hand, it’s uncomfortable to know that your followers can track whose photos you like or comment on. On the other hand, it’s a cool way to discover interesting new people. That’s how I stumbled upon Jaymee, her excellent photography and very picturesque website and blogJayAdores. In her corner of the internet, she shares graphic design work, client mood boards and glimpses of a charming beach life.
And as I found out from poring over her blog, Jaymee lived in Honolulu for a few years, recently moved to SoCal and is a fan of the most amazing workout called TurboKick. With so much in common, I had to reach out and find out what rituals this California girl calls her own.
I’ve been pretty open about how it can be difficult to make friends in a new city, but that also means that when you see a familiar face or name, you get all the more excited.
That’s how I felt when I reconnected with Raluca State, a former agency publicist-turned-freelance PR consultant whom I worked with in my past magazine days. She had handled the opening of San Diego’s first Madewell, and we got to catch up there — about leaving big cities (her, L.A.; me, New York) for Southern California and if we miss big corporate life now that we’re both freelance.
Raluca is also the voice behind the amazing parenting/style blog WhatWouldGwynethDo. (Catchy name, no?) On top of all that, she’s a wife and mother of two. Oh, and she writes for The Huffington Post, too. Today she talks about meal planning, Southern California luxuries and her wild Friday nights.
When you freelance for a wedding magazine, you start to learn pretty quickly who the best in the (local) biz are. Planners, venues, florists, cake makers — yeah, I’m pretty well-versed in all that. Of all the vendors I’ve come across, though, I’ve been most smitten by the romantic images captured by Shelby and Taryn of Joielala Photographie. This San Diego-based duo shoots events (weddings, engagements, etc.), family portraits and even boudoir scenes. I asked the gals how they like to unwind from the non-stop party train that is summer wedding season. Hint: It involves a juicer and international jet-setting.
You know when they say that a person’s reputation precedes him/her? In the case of Puja and Steve Thomas-Patel, their recipes precede them. I haven’t even met the San Diego husband and wife bloggers in person yet, but their recipes are proof enough that we’ll get along mighty nicely. My first introduction to their food was in May at the San Diego food blogger bake sale, where the couple sold their chai-spiced sticky buns. I was sold. I then checked out their website, Indiaphile, a blog where the couple shares original recipes for Indian food and the occasional musing on Indian culture. Remember my post on baked tandoori wings? That was all Puja and Steve.
Today the culinary pair gives us a look at what day-to-day life looks like for the foodies/techies/dog lovers/beer drinkers. Take a look:
I used to read Design*Sponge mostly for its Sneak Peeks, that is, until I stumbled upon Stephanie Todaro’s D*S column,Human/House/Harvey, in which the L.A. blogger and creative director selects three items under one theme: for herself, her home and her adorable Sharperrier (Sharpei + terrier). Such a cute idea, no? Even more charming, I soon discovered, was her dog-focused blog, House of Harvey. It’s a blend of great design, crisp photos, and sweet stories about the beautiful and symbiotic relationship between dog and owner. Today Stephanie tells us about starting each morning with The Help and the power of Popsicle sticks.
Today we meet Vanessa Gonzales, a pastry chef-turned-graphic designer, who spends her days creating beautiful work for a media agency in downtown San Diego and her nights maintaining her own freelance business and a beautiful blog.
Let’s break bread, yes?
Age: 24 Hometown: Reno, NV Current City: San Diego, CA Professional Title: Visual Designer
