The Voice of East Bay Living

Dennis and Kathryn Parsons, my long time friends, are always having a new adventure. Dennis is a business consultant and bon vivant. Kathryn is a great artist and life long lover of beauty. Both she and Dennis are world travelers and actually met in Nepal. They decided to sell their elegant condo in Vail, Colorado and buy a 4,000 sq. ft. home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In this video, they talk about what keeps them going, and their outlook on moving into a new city.

Diana and David Reed, first time buyers from San Francisco who wanted a home with a small yard for their two year old son. They carefully searched everything in their price range in Berkeley and Alameda and after several months of hunting, found a charming craftsman bungalow on Christmas Eve. Their new home is on Santa Clara Avenue in Alameda. They love the vibrant neighborhood and great schools. What a nice present for the holidays!

I recently talked with my dear friend Emily Blossom who is a first grade teacher at Sylvia Mendez, a Spanish dual immersion public school in Berkeley. What she told me was so compelling that I decided to record our conversation. Emily is one of those workers on the frontlines who deserve so much credit teaching remotely for close to a year. Emily talks about the challenges and the joys of her experience teaching this year. The most important thing, she says, is to find our common humanity and laugh when we can, during these incredibly hard times. Emily Blossom, First Grade Teacher at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School in Berkeley. You can watch more interviews of friends and relatives who matter in the Bay Area about how they have been handling life during covid, and what keeps them going.

Alameda is the new hot spot for real estate! After intense searching all over the East Bay, my wonderful San Francisco buyers found a charming 1916 craftsman home on Christmas Eve! Located in the heart of Alameda ( view on map ), this wonderful home is full of vintage details including wainscoting, stained glass windows, built-ins, a covered front porch and so much more. There were multiple offers and we successfully beat out the competition the day after Christmas. Where there is a will, there is a way! Built in 1916, this Craftsman is full of vintage details including wainscoting, built ins, hardwood floors and stained glass windows. Its corner location brings in plenty of light. Upon entering you will find a covered porch that leads to the original front door. The living room features a lovely fireplace to cozy up in front of on a cold winter night.  There is a large formal dining room that you pass through on the way to the kitchen with its farm sink and quartz countertops. Adjacen

Check out Brooklyn Basin, designed to reconnect Oakland with its historic waterfront, Brooklyn Basin is creating a vibrant neighborhood surrounded by open air and stunning waterfront views.  This 1.5 billion project will transform the 64 acre Oakland Estuary into a multi-use community including condos, parks, retail space and boat slips. An exciting future for our wonderful city! Learn more at  brooklynbasin.com/

After having made dozens of wreaths for clients this holiday I used the leftover materials such as magnolia, pine, holly etc.. for lovely table arrangements. Here is my how-to: Save all your leftovers Spray the leftovers with gold and silver Arrange materials in green floral oasis which has been soaked in water Add candles and ribbons and Voila -a lovely addition to your table

Each one of us has our own way to stay inspired-my trick is to always look for something beautiful- as simple as one flower or a rain drop on a leaf or a collection of lovely blossoms - whatever works for you. Take time to always surround yourself with a touch of beauty.

Holiday cheer from our house to your  house-fun, laughter, great food including Île flottante made by my talented niece, Cecile and many board games so no one got bored...! Happy New Year & Bonne Année !