Graced with Light

 Grace Cathedral is already saturated with visual gems, from the entrance doors which are a stunning golden Ghiberti replica, to a Keith Haring altarpiece inside. The Cathedral hosts EpiscoDisco and is stamped with not 1-but 2- Classical Labyrinths, one inside the other outside. My favorite small item is a stained glass cosmic window crafted by Narcissus Quagliata.
Yet, Anne Patterson's latest Installation is beyond breathtaking and a complete delight to experience in person. Striking red and blue ribbons inscribed with prayers dangle from the catacombs like veins to the heavens. I was lucky enough to be there while the boys choir practiced, and the organ pipes sent a breeze through the room which created spirit-like apparitions on the floor. A definite must-see if you are in the city anytime soon. And guess what, it's absolutely free.

An Eve-nt to remember

Grace Cathedral’s famous Ghiberti doors, labyrinths, and stained glass have provided the backdrop to such guests as Dr. Jane Goodall, the Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra, Isabel Allende, Carlos Santana, Pharoah Sanders, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Sandra Day O’Connor, among others. And next week, Eve Ensler- the Tony Award winning playwright, activist, V-Day Founder and author of The Vagina Monologues.

Eve has chosen San Francisco's most notable church to deliver her first talk since surviving cancer and will speak about her newest work, entitled CongoCancer, scheduled for release in late 2012.

Grace Cathedral is an especially sentimental and special place to host this event, which is (part of) why I am flying out to S.F. to work as a volunteer. The Cathedral is home to a community where the best of Episcopal Christian tradition embraces innovation and open-minded conversation, where inclusion is expected and people of all faiths are welcomed. To simplify, it has both an indoor and outdoor labyrinth, plus Episco-disco nights!

So, if you live in the area, please join me! Tickets are still available and can be purchased here.
Or, if you're into it and want to get involved, go here to learn about hosting your own eve-nt in your city.

Grace 2010

Gypsy Honeymoon

Thanks to my friend and P.I.C. (partner in crime) Vanessa, I spent this last weekend in San Francisco! What better way to celebrate a birthday than with a spur of the moment trip to the Golden City. Although this was my sixth trip or so, this time I stayed entirely in the Mission, my new favorite place. Some highlights include:

* Amazing food at Herbivore : a completely vegetarian/ vegan restaurant with huge proportions and variety

* Drinks at Dirty Thieves: big booths, with the best jukebox I've ever danced to

* Lounging at Dolores Park: bring your bubbles and sparkling bubbles too

and of course, thrifting!

We hit up Mission Thrift for their $1 mustaches and ended up with eighties prom dresses (no joke, we're going to prom this Friday at the Pearl).

We were on the bound for some good coffee when I found *Gypsy Honeymoon*

In one word, I would call it delightful. In two words- delightfully enchanting!

Inside I found a wonderfully spun nest of bohemian treasures, everything from vintage teaspoons to this framed 1940's Beetle collection (most likely from a University or museum)

It felt like the genius child of Architectural Salvage and the vintage clothing boutiques in Greenwich Village... with little nooks of goodness everywhere.

Look at this hardware! At $12 a piece, original Bakelite in all my favorites colors. I don't know how I managed to leave without a whole set. These would be great to jazz up an old dresser or kitchen drawers even. Did I say they came in all my colors?

This vignette especially thrilled me. Victorian dolls and a floral shawl from the 70's...

I think tea should always be served with a lesson in Phrenology and purple orchids

This antique medical cabinet is straight out of Mark Ryden's studio... especially because the fellow inside is a wax mannequin made in Paris, sometime in the teens. At $3,200 he is the real deal, with genuine human hair, glass eyes and porcelain teeth. That's hot.

Unfortunately I didn't get a closer shot to share, but this early Nippon tea set made me want to re-do my entire kitchen in espresso and mustard. It's a joke to get a set of 4 cups with saucers, 6 bowls, a teapot, sugar bowl and creamer for only $150. Had I any room in my carry-on, this would have been mine.

This is just a tiny bit of it, you certainly have to just see Gypsy Honeymoon in person to really experience it. It's the perfect place to find something a bit magical and aged, without having to dig through piles and piles of crap first. The best part is you don't have to wear gloves to get to it; the way it's set up lures you into exploring a bin of photographs and/or brooches as if it belongs to your favorite Grandparent (or "antique friend" as I like to call them).

Gabrielle Ekedal, the owner- has an obvious eye for the slightly ghostly and necromantic finds, but with a delicate mix of Victorian charm it feels feminine, not demonic. Like leather and lace (in blush, not black). She took over the store when the owner decided to move overseas, and has been at their current location for 3 years. Before that, Gypsy Honeymoon was just down the street and around the corner, and a little less pulled together.

San Francisco is known for being a great place to shop, and unexpectedly finding shops like this just confirms it. Come to find out, it's actually a local favorite as mentioned in these blogs:

* MissionLocal.org

* Handful of Salt

* Apartment Therapy San Francisco

Next time I'm there, I will definitely be back. And this time, I'm leaving with something!