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Saturday, March 23rd

Special event in aid of Variety and Wonderfest, a screening of Robot and Frank.

Followed by a discussion and Q&A session with special guest, noted robotics expert, UC Berkeley EECS professor Ken Goldberg, describing the current state of robotics and artificial intelligence.

Robot and Frank charmed and challenged moviegoers with the story of a robot that befriends an aging cat burglar, played by Frank Langella. Set in the near future, an ex-jewel thief receives a gift from his son: a robot butler programmed to look after him. Soon, the two companions try their luck together…as a heist team! With James Marsden, Susan Sarandon, & Liv Tyler. (Rated PG: 89 mins.)

Will a robot — someday soon — be your friend?

Tickets available from Brown Bag Tickets. All proceeds to Variety and Wonderfest.

Event sponsors: San Francisco Bay Area Robotics Group and Syntience, Inc..

6:30PM – Doors and cash bar open
7:30PM – Event begins

The Variety Preview Room Theatre
The Hobart Bldg., 1st Floor — entrance between Quiznos and Citibank
582 Market Street @ 2nd and Montgomery
San Francisco, CA 94104

Don’t Drive — BART/MUNI Montgomery Street station is right at our front door, and parking in San Francisco sucks!!! Street parking (.50 per hour) is metered M-Sat., til 6PM; find a parking garage here.

SF in SF

A Friend in Cheese stands on the extreme end of interesting in terms of the condiment combinations chosen for its jams and marmalades. As the Santa Cruz-based Tabitha Stroup says, she “doesn’t like r
SFoodie

The Fashion/Beauty Friend Friday topic for this week (so a propos) is packing!

When it comes to packing for vacation what’s your mantra?
Mix fantasy with practicality: I tend to pack for the weather I WANT, but it’s important to be prepared for unpredictable weather. Case in point: I’m in Chicago right now, and the weather prediction was in the high 70s/low 80s the entire weekend; but yesterday was in the mid-60s. All I brought with me was sundresses, but thankfully I also brought a sweater!

What are your must packs?
Dresses, sunglasses, a couple of magazines, and my iPod.

What are you happy to leave behind?
I wish I could say i’m happy to leave my computer behind, but I never do. Even though I can get email on my phone I find it useful to have a computer around. Generally I’m happy to leave behind work! Right now I’m happy to leave behind the chilly SF “summer” for some Chicago heat and humidity. Yes, I am one of the five people in this world who appreciates humidity. I’ve got three words for you: Hot Summer Nights!

Any packing secrets that help you get everything into one suitcase?
I have a very elaborate packing system that involves taking everything out of my closet that I *might* want to wear, then slowly I convince myself that I don’t need half of it. Next, I take what’s left, and convince myself that I don’t need a third of it. After that I finally put my stuff in a suitcase, and when it doesn’t fit I take out a few more things. The entire process can take several hours depending on the season and duration of the trip, and goes far more smoothly with a couple of drinks.

I found some photos documenting this system, from a trip I took a couple of Octobers ago:

I remember that being a difficult vacation to pack for. On what trip do you need both a boots and sandals?! I’ll tell you: when you spend two weeks traveling through Ireland, France, the Netherlands and Spain.

Beach reading… what are you taking with you to read in the sand?
I’m not at the beach right now, but here’s my reading material: Instyle, Harpers, the New Yorker. And I’ll probably pick up the latest issue of L’Officiel on this trip.

For different perspectives on packing for vacation, find links to the rest of the responses at the Fashion Beauty Friend Friday HQ on Modly Chic.

The Fashionista Lab

Ok, so technically the idea is that these posts happen on Friday, but whatever. Sunday is good too. So this week we’re talking shoes.

Image via Coco Perez

What is it with women and shoes? It’s a stereotype, obviously… but true for many women I know. Personally I love them because they can be decorative and flashy in a way that clothing can’t be. And the personality of your shoes can change the personality of your entire outfit – like seasoning for food, a small piece makes an out-sized difference. Anyway, on to the questions:

1.What is your go-to pair of shoes?

Flats: super comfy, hot pink, Tory Burch, or goes-with-everything black patent Michal Kors.

Heels: colorful printed Cynthia Vincent for Target wedges, or brown leather Michael Kors wedges.

Weekend/errands: leather Minnetonka moccasins, or canvas Tom’s slip-ons.

While I have many, many more pairs of shoes, I could *get by* with just these ones. Like on a desert island or something.

2. What goes into your shoe buying decisions?

Quality: I don’t like to buy cheap shoes. I walk EVERYWHERE so a shoe is of no use to me if my feet hurt after 30 minutes.

Price: I’ve talked myself out of 0 shoes many a time.

Looks: I’m pretty picky about this. It has to look right, AND look right on my feet. I like things that are colorful, shiny, or have texture.

3. The majority of the shoes in your closet are what color?

Not sure, but hot pink is currently featured in 3 different pairs.

4. When it comes to design shoes what are your favorite brands and
why?

I very recently bought the Tory Burch shoes and I am BLOWN  AWAY by how comfortable they are. Max Studio makes really visually interesting shoes, and Aldo makes fun ones. I’m generally not devoted to any brands, with the exception of Corso Como. Their shoes are stylish and SO COMFORTABLE; whenever I see them on sale I take note.

5. If price wasn’t an issue, you’d own which shoe?

Surface to Air “Open Wedges”

5 at SSense.com (left). Incidentally, the SAME shoes (“Stacked Window Wedges”) were originally 8, on sale for 9.95 at Anthropologie (right). They’re not in my size on either website, so no danger of me blowing all of my money on them. But if you do ever see me in these, you know that I had a major moment of weakness. And that I probably survived on cereal and noodles for the next 2 weeks.

I’ve also been craving these cut-out clogs by Opening Ceremony:

At 0 I’m pretty sure they’re not meant to be!

And speaking of things that aren’t meant to be (sadface), remember these shoes that I was livid about missing out on? I finally got a pair, and they were too small! So yeah, totes not meant to be.

Get plugged into the rest of the Fashion/Beauty Friend Friday conversation here. What about you – do you have a shoe weakness, or are they not your thing?

The Fashionista Lab

This week the Fashion/Beauty Friend Friday bloggers are discussing fitness. I used to think of fashion as a way to avoid fitness – instead of fixing my body through exercise, I could use clothes to highlight what I liked and disguise what I didn’t (this is why you will never see me in a pair of shorts). At the very least, as long as my clothes fit I never cared about going to the gym. I was able to do this in part because of my gluten intolerance. With most carbs out of the question I was practically always on a diet. And then the food industry caught on. After a couple years of going without I’m finally able to make my own pizza, muffins, and brownies (among other things). I can buy gluten-free pasta, sandwich bread, and even gluten-free beer. And now I work out

1. Do you keep some kind of fitness routine? Why?
I keep a loose fitness routine, which consists of going to the gym and alternating between cardio and weight-lifting workouts; when I do weights I alternate between upper and lower body. I recently added some small group pilates classes to the mix. My goal is to have a toned body, so weight lifting and strength exercises are the bulk of my workout, with some cardio sprinkled here and there. I work out at Equinox, do pilates at Burn SF, occasionally do yoga at Yoga to the People, and even more occasionally take a dance class at ODC. I highly recommend any/all of these places to someone looking to jumpstart their exercise routine, or take it to the next level.

If you want to get some exercise AND support a great cause, the Dress for Success Power Walk is happening in San Francisco next Saturday (check the website for a city near you – including Canada and the UK).

2. Has working out, maybe training for a marathon or something of that nature, helped with your own perception of body image?
Working out has reminded me of a truism I think I first heard on What Not To Wear: you can change your size, but you can’t change your shape. My upper arms are very round, which can make fitted sleeves difficult to wear. I’ve specifically been working on my upper arms since last fall, and while they’ve grown leaner, it hasn’t really made sleeves any easier. Even as I continue to to strengthen and tone them, they’ll still be round.

3. When you are hitting the gym or just going out for a long walk what
do you wear? Is it about functionality or fashion?
I blogged about this recently, but still don’t have an answer. I would like to look better when I work out; especially as I get more serious about it I’d like to look the part. When it comes to specific pieces, I find it helpful to to wear as little surface coverage as (modestly) possible. This is not to advocate wearing a bathing suit to the gym, but if I can see the muscles (or lack thereof) I’m motivated to work on them.

In the months that I was concentrating solely on my arms I wore a tank top and running tights. One day I couldn’t find the tights so I wore shorts and I was like wow – my thighs really need some work! So now I alternate between upper and lower body, and… I stare at my muscles all the time. But I can look at them and see progress. I don’t dare just wear a sports bra because my core is really soft, and I don’t want to be reminded of that.

As for the actual outfit, I still haven’t decided if I want to invest in Lululemon, go totally sporty in Nike, or play it safe with GapBody. I’m still taking recs, if you have any!

4. Do you feel there is a cultural perception of what you ‘should’ be
doing for your own physical fitness?
Forget cultural perception, let me tell you something: Working out is one of the few things in life where what you put into it is exactly what you get out. There are no outside variables, you don’t have to depend on anyone else. The more you work out, the more fit you’ll be, plain and simple. Whether you stick to one activity or mix it up if you do it regularly you’re guaranteed to see results.

5.  Dream big… what would be your ultimate fitness goal.
No question: arms like Michelle Obama!

Speaking of fitness – the Self Workout at the Park was today in San Francisco. If you went let me know how it was! Check out the FBFF headquarters over at Modly Chic to see what other bloggers have to say!

The Fashionista Lab

This week, the bloggers of Fashion/Beauty Friend Friday are discussing our favorite spring trends. I already talked a little bit about my favorite ideas for spring, but now I’ll break it down:

Maxi-dresses

Wave-washed dress 8, Spellbound Maxi dress $8, Cockatoo Feather dress, 8; all Anthropologie.

Lucky me, I love maxi-dresses AND they happen to be “in”.

Bright colors

Ascending Pleats dress , Ruche; Squeezebox top , Anthropologie; Purple Heart maxi dress , Ruche.

I love bright colors year round, too.

PRINTS

From This Moment dress , Ruche; Magellan dress 8, Anthropologie; Impressionist Print Draped dress , Gap.

And what do you know, I also adore prints! Looks like Spring 2011 was made just for me.

Click here to see what the other Fashion/Beauty Friend Bloggers are looking forward to this season.

The Fashionista Lab

Wow, Friday already?! Things have been slow on my blog lately because – let me tell you – the first two weeks of this year have already been CRAZY. I can’t keep up. I already need a mental health day. I’m so thankful that Monday is a holiday because I need a break! Until then let’s talk about getting dressed, because at least getting dressed is always fun!

1. How do you determine what you will wear that day?
Sometimes I start with one piece that I want to wear – maybe a necklace, skirt, pair of shoes, or anything else – and I build the outfit around that, based on what complements it and is weather-appropriate. Other times I go by how I’m feeling – do I want to go prettier or more adventurous? I also try to alternate heels with flats, and jeans with skirts and dresses – just to make sure I’m getting a good rotation through my closet.

2. Do you plan outfits out in advance for a whole week, month,
weekend?
If I have a huge party coming up I’ll start thinking about my look ahead of time, but only if I’m faced with a suitcase do I plan out my outfits that far in advance. It’s stressful for me to try to anticipate what I might want to wear because for me that’s equated with anticipating how I might feel. Who knows?! I wake up and look at my clothes and gravitate here or there… and when I pack i’m always afraid that once I get to my destination I’ll hate all my options. Which isn’t the end of the world, of course (uh, first world problems anyone?) – but when clothes and personal style are important to you it can definitely damage your mojo.

(Getting from A to B is actually quite stressful)

3. Do you have any specific way of tracking outfits and items already
worn so you don’t repeat?
I don’t track outfits. My dad actually expressed amazement that I could come up with different things every day. But I do have patterns, or certain pieces that I tend to wear in certain ways. I have this one low-cut t-shirt that I tend to wear with my Gr.Dano scarf necklace. In fact I put it on one day and was like hm, this is really low-cut, how did I fix that last time? I couldn’t remember, but I thought the scarf necklace would be a good idea. Later after looking at the outfit photos I took I was like oh wait – that is exactly the same thing I did before! I also have this one vintage printed top that I usually wear either tucked into a black skirt, or under a black dress (next time I should try wearing it with jeans). Even if I repeat certain elements of an outfit, I’ve never repeated the exact same outfit. My wardrobe is varied enough that I’m inspired by different things each day.

(The afore-mentioned t-shirt/scarf necklace combo)

OH WAIT. There was one time I wore an outfit but it was a really hot day in SF (miraculously too hot for a linen skirt) so I had to change. But I loved it, so I recreated it to attend a friend’s BBQ in Oakland the next (not as warm) day.

(As it turns out I actually changed the shoes. And added a sweater.)

4. How do you discover new combinations of items in your closet?
(Trial try-ons?  Hanging items together?)
This is going to sound crazy: I like to let my clothes marinate. I don’t like to wear new clothes as soon as I buy them. I just let them sit in my closet where I can see them with all my other clothes and feel out how they might work together.

5. To streamline the process for 2011 what is one new thing you can do to cut down your dressing time?
RE-ORGANIZE YOUR CLOSET. Sorry for the all-caps, but it’s true. Think about your process for getting dressed in the morning, and reorganize your closet to reflect that. I have all my easy tops in a dresser drawer and my more challenging tops hanging in my closet. If I wake up and I’m still tired or in a rush I know exactly where I can turn to get dressed quickly. Alternately, if I have a more relaxed morning I can easily turn to the pieces that require a bit more attention.

*

What about you – what’s your method for making fashion-magic in the morning? Do you plan stuff ahead of time or get dressed on the fly? Do you have any tips for making the most of your closet? And is packing for trips as stressful for anyone else as it is for me? You can check out what other fashion & beauty bloggers have to say about this topic at Modly Chic.

The Fashionista Lab