I first met Ana Spick at a craft fair in South Park, a cool, up-and-coming neighborhood in San Diego. It didn’t take me long to pick up on her beautiful personality — she was basically glowing — and I soon realized there were three reasons behind that aura. One: She’s Brazilian, and international people always do chill so much better than Americans. Two: She was pregnant (hence the glow). And three: She herself is a craft lover, so being at a craft fair was her personal happy place.
Ana owns we love citrus, an online shop for adorable paper goods, works as an interior designer and decorator for UnBeige Design, and is a regular at creative meet-ups and craft fairs around the city. (Scroll down for info on her upcomign craft workshop.) Today I asked the mom/crafter extraordinaire to share with us the secret behind that cool-girl vibe.
I recently went to the San Diego Food Bloggers’ Annual Bake Sale in search of one thing: samoa bundt cakes. Yes, you heard me, bundt cakes with a Girl Scout cookie twist. San Diego food stylist and lifestyle blogger Betsy Haley made mini versions of this brilliant dessert at the Sale, and after I introduced myself, I went home with the melt-in-your-mouth cake, a second one for a birthday party later that night and a new interviewee for this series. We chatted about food styling, living in the Midwest (she’s from the Chicago suburbs) and how to get a dog to stop biting (she has two black labs). Betsy’s down-to-earth, funny and talented. You should get to know her:
Name: Betsy Haley Age: 32 Hometown: Downers Grove, IL Current City: San Diego, CA Professional Title: Food Stylist/Lifestyle Blogger at betsylife
If you read this blog, follow me on Instagram or read my Tweets — I make myself very available, clearly — then you’ve probably seen a few snaps of me in AmigoBooth photos. This rad company based in San Diego takes photo-booths to the next level with compact set-ups (stylish, simple backgrounds + computer that snaps photos + iPad that displays said snaps) and instant sharing capabilities on your computer or phone (here’s their app!). Might I add that these photos also come with the most flattering light. AmigoBooth is a big part of San Diego’s creative scene, so of course I had to ask them to be a part of my series.
It consists of husband-and-wife photography team Rico and Rachel Castillero (left) and fellow married couple Allison and James Miller (right). Good looking group, huh? Let’s see what’s behind those pretty faces:
If Pinterest has taught us anything, it’s that beautiful images of food and fashion never grow old. And that’s exactly also how I feel when I read Kristin Miller’s blog, Dressed and Fed. The San Diego blogger chronicles all that’s sweet, classic and pretty with gorgeous photos — her lighting is always the best! — sale alerts and restaurant recs. Today, she tells us about playing with Playdough and clocking time with Gillian Flynn.
Mid-century. Vintage. Antique. Handmade. Thrifted. Do I have your attention yet? These are all words to describe the super-cool light fixtures crafted by Typewriter Boneyard, a company that specializes in vintage-inspired lighting pieces and pendant lamps. Started by Phillip Hansen in 2009, the company has grown organically and now includes the design talents of his wife Chelsea. The couple lives in downtown San Diego (in a rad industrial-style loft, by the way), each balance two jobs each and make it all look easy. Here’s what keeps them calm:
I love living in Hillcrest, but my heart does a little happy dance every time I set foot in South Park, an up-and-coming area located just south of Balboa Park. It’s practically void of cars and instead filled with tree-lined streets, smiling families, drip-coffee vendors brewing on the sidewalk and an urban neighborhood vibe reminiscent of Brooklyn or Portland. It’s also home to some of the coolest local business including my favorite of the bunch: PROGRESS South Park.
The home/furniture/gift shop has a wonderfully edited selection of pieces — couches, jewelry and greeting cards, among other goodies — and includes 20 local vendors in its inventory. When you step inside, you feel more like you’re walking into someone’s home than a store, and the friendly atmosphere can be attributed to PROGRESS’ sweet owners, Bruce and Christy Jaynes. And today, Christy is sharing her rituals with us!
The wonderful thing about moving from a big pond like New York City to a smaller pond like San Diego is that the creative community is less spread out, more tight-knight and very intertwined. Enter: Becky and Jesse Morquecho, the San Diego- and Orange County-based husband-and-wife team behind Limelife Photography. I met Becky at a Creative Connection event and once the business cards had been swapped and I checked out their beautiful photos, I knew I’d hear their names again. Lo and behold, they snapped the engagement pictures for previous {my rituals} contributor Jessica Packard. San Diego is the smallest big city, I tell ya.
Becky and Jesse met in Africa, wed in 2009 and have been collaborating on gorgeous images ever since. (Check out their About page for more fun facts about the couple.) Let’s see what keeps these shutterbugs happy.
Every blog has a certain purpose in my life. Some make me want to redecorate, others send me straight to the kitchen and there are those that make me question why I don’t own a leather skirt. When I need a jolt of bright and happy energy, I read Ashley Fine’s blog, One Fine Day. The blogger and personal stylist has created a charming life for herself in Hawaii, where her and her military husband (nicknamed “Flyboy” on the blog) are currently stationed. Ashley’s blog serves up tons of visual inspiration, from fashion and interior design to prints and book recommendations. This island girl’s sweet, funny and cheery — if you’re not following her on Instagram, what are you waiting for? — so let’s find out what keeps Ashley calm, cool and collected.
