I ♥ Sacramento {Ashlee Gadd of Where My Heart Resides}

I am pretty excited about this blogger feature, because Ashlee is so darn sweet. She has been writing her blog, Where My Heart Resides for about two years and has lived in Sacramento for 5. I found her lovely blog via Twitter, which is another good reason to get on board the social media bandwagon (several upcoming locals are twitter finds). Read on and be sure to pop into Ashlee's blog and say "Hi!" You can go ahead and tell her I sent ya ;)

What do you love best about Sacramento?  Hands down, the people. Sacramento is a community, and I am constantly reminded of that in my day-to-day interactions with friends and strangers alike. Sacramento rallies for a cause like nobody’s business, and I love the energy in this city.

Favorite local haunts: Ooooh, so many to choose from! Café Bernardo, Temple Coffee on 10^th, L Wine Lounge, Yogurt-a-go-go, The Crest Theatre, Mix for dancing, and Marilyn’s on K for live music.
The best shopping in town is: Sacramento has the BEST thrift stores. The Goodwill on Watt Ave is amazing, and I love Thrift Town. Also adore Crimson and Clover, YSJ Vintage, and Face It.

When out of towners come I'm always sure to take them to: Depends on the crowd….any of my local haunts for sure, maybe Dive Bar to check out the mermaids, McKinley park for a picnic, movie at the Crest, a Rivercats game…

One thing I wish Sacramento had: An outdoor entertainment venue!

Ashley has kindly shared with us three of her favorite posts, Frozen, an essay on missed opportunity, Britt n Joe, a lovely photoshoot with her newly engaged friends and the sweetly hopeful, Finding Joy in the Future.Please take a few moments to say hi to Ashlee! 

 

I ♥ Sacramento {Beers Books}

Beers Books
915 S Street
Sacramento CA 95811

(916)-442-9475

Hours:
Mon. – Wed. 1oa – 6p

Thurs. – Sat, 10a – 8p

Sun. 11a – 5p

For about a year while I was in college I worked downtown on L St near the capitol. I was a really bad administrative assistant to a lobbyist and soon after I started work I discovered Beers Books at their old 15th and L location (where Cafeteria 15L is now). I escaped the office and enjoyed many a lunch hour in Beers Books. I used to buy cookbooks, CS Lewis and the occasional classic to read on the hour long bus ride I had from work to my apartment out on Fulton Avenue.

When we were dating my husband would buy me books on his lunch hour as well. The first Christmas we were together he bought me a book on physics and astronomy. I had clearly mislead him to believe I was far smarter than I was(am). He never buys me books anymore. Now he buys me People. (And I sold the physics book at a garage sale.)

Beers Books has been in business since 1936 and has had only four owners (and as many locations). It’s most recent location on S Street is large and sprawling (for an indie bookstore, much less a used indie bookstore) and definitely has the look and feel of the public library, which probably is due in no small part to the old library chairs everywhere.

Beers is definitely a place to get lost in for a few hours to find something you didn’t know you needed.  They do buy some new books and will special order anything you want, if you don’t mind waiting. They also buy books and list what they are currently buying on their website. They are apparently rather well known for their metaphysical department, and seem to have quite a few books that collectors drool over. You can check their blog for the “book of the day” (which ironically doesn't appear to be updated daily) my favorite being the recent “1886 Professional Criminals of America”. The blog and website also list their regular sale days, the best being 20% off on Second Saturdays.

The signage all over the store was funny. My junior high self enjoyed it immensely.

Do you remember these books? I thought this one was particularly funny. Pretty much a rear shot of a winged horse thing that sorta looks like it passes butterflies instead of gas.  Yup, no wonder the moral of the story is “Laughing at yourself can be the most fun of all.”

$7 each. I reeeeally wanted all of them. Cuz they’re pretty.

Also, on another note, they are not shy about adult books (Meaning books with titles you might not want your school aged kids reading out loud. Or at all. The parent in me had to mention it.) many of which are displayed by the register, which we thought was a funny sales angle. Either they know their clientele well and display what the people want up front and easy to find or these are the titles punks are most likely to run off with so they keep ‘em close. Something tells me it might be a little of both.

I ♥ Sacramento {Erin of Bows and Sparrows}

5% of people cannot roll their tongues like that. I am among that 5% and am thus extremely jealous that she can.

I am excited to introduce you all to Erin today. She runs  Bows and Sparrows an awesome fashion/lifestyle blog where she shares gorgeous fashion, home and musical finds.  This girl has amazing style and frequently features local businesses, artists -and most recently- fashion mavens, on her blog.  Her photography is beautiful, especially on her Closet Case series. I’m not gonna lie, when I realized that she was from Sacramento I was pretty over the moon about it and knew that I was going to be featuring her for I ♥ Sacramento. She is just all kinds of adorable and super sweet to boot. Recently I asked her a few questions about Sactown and her favorite haunts and she happily shared with me.

Perfect gold sequins

How long have you lived in Sacramento? I moved to Sacramento in 2002 - although, I've lived in the area for most of my life (namely Davis and Chico).
What do you love best about Sacramento? Honestly, the thing I love most about Sacramento is the community and support system that I have in place. My group of friends are pretty much the most amazing people and I can't imagine moving - unless they're coming with!

Erin features beautiful, stylish local ladies for “Closet Case”

 

Where are your favorite local haunts? I think this list changes depending on the weather, but a few of my current go-to haunts are the Shady Lady, Temple Fine Coffee and Tea, Magpie Cafe, Azul, Kasbah and Badlands (for dancing).
Where is the best shopping in town? I love supporting local boutiques like Fringe21, Cuffs and Krazy Mary's. Of course, I have to admit that a lot of my shopping also happens at Target, Urban Outfitters and Loehmann's.

On a recent walk around the city Erin and her friend Nathan discovered Stitch - gorgeous urban living

 

When out of towners come I'm always sure to take them…The last time my friend Willow was visiting from NYC, we took her to Bulls (1330 H Street). It was the middle of the day on a weekday and the place was dead. Still, we thought it would be a really unique place to go and none of us had ever been. While none of us actually rode the mechanical bull, the bartender did let us climb onto it for some photo ops. Oh, and we played some shooting game and drank Pabst. It was very classy. That said, I generally take out-of-towners to my local "haunts" (see list above) because I want them to get a taste of what my life in Sac is truly like. and avoid taking them… There aren't necessarily places that I intentionally avoid - it's more that there are places that don't even register on my radar, you know?

Erin reminds us that every lady needs a little Chanel

What are your favorite blog posts? The blog posts that I love the most are my "Closet Case" interviews, where I get to go inside the homes and closets of some of Sacramento's most effortlessly chic ladies (and, on the horizon, gents). I have a very voyeuristic side to me, which I think a lot of people can relate to. There's something so fascinating about how other people live - I think that's why blogs are so popular, we get to take a peek into the lives of others. For me, these "Closet Case" posts satiate that desire of mine. Plus, all of the ladies I have featured have been super unique, sweet and awesome people. It's been a blast getting know all of them.

------------

Raise your hand if you knew Sacramento had a mechanical Bull riding Bar? Yeah. Me neither.

Thanks, Erin!

Be sure to visit Erin at her blog, friend her on Facebook and follow her on twitter. She is delightful no matter where you find her.

All photos are courtesy of Erin S. for Bows and Sparrows

I ♥ Sacramento {Lulu Forever} (Closed)

Lulu Forever

*Lulu forever has sadly closed since this was originally posted. :(

I love vintage clothes. Ever since I was in high school and my Granny trotted out my two aunts’ 1960s and 70s prom dresses I have been head over heels for vintage. In my high school and college days (read: skinny) it was super easy to find great vintage clothes. I still have many of the pieces I bought at thrift stores back then because  I am in denial that I may never wear them again. What does this sad sad story have to do with Lulu Forever. Well, not much other than to say that Lulu Forever stocks clothes for everyone (read: those who may wear a large or extra large). That is not to say that other vintage stores don’t, but the owner, Marayah, takes special care to have a wide range of sizes and in all sorts of things – dresses, skirts, coats, bathing suits (yeah! bathing suits!) and more. Her collection of vintage is mostly 50-70s with some pieces from the 80s and 90s that fit the 50s-70s aesthetic. In other words, she carries the kind of clothes I want to wear everyday.

I was thrilled to run into Toni and Serene from Mimomito, who were there to feature Lulu Forever for their wonderful blog as well (great minds think alike, I tell ya!). Serene took the most gorgeous photos, definitely check them out. I bought the dress below (still figuring out how I want to style this one.) a great belt and went back the next day to buy a lovely hot pink 1950s era hat. As I was walking out the second trip, I found two cardigans that have my name written all over them, so suffice it to say that I love this store.

As a thank you to all my readers Marayah has offered a 5% discount to anyone who mentions “Glitter and Grunge I heart Sacramento” and an extra 5% for anyone who friends Lulu Forever on their facebook page. Their prices are beyond reasonable, so an extra 10% will create some out of this world deals!

Future Project Runway Contestant?

A couple Sundays ago we were mad dashing around the house to get ready for church and I yelled “Everybody get dressed! NOW!” The only one who listened was the two year old (figures). Charlotte proudly came out of her room in her outfit.

Hot pink tank top (with sequins), hot pink skirt, hot pink jacket, one pink sock, one red bandana print sock and two dress-up shoes. A-stinkin-dorable.

And yes, I let her go to church and out to lunch like that. She makes me proud.

I ♥ Sacramento {Mimomito with Serene, Toni and Rose}

 

One of my very favorite local blogs is Mimomito, where Serene, Toni and Rose dig through craigslist postings for my your mid-century modern loving pleasure. These girls have adorable, fun, kitschy, awesomely mid-century modern taste and it has already been established that I could never go thrifting with them because we would probably get into a fight over something.

“I saw it first!”

“ No way! I clearly saw it first”

“Well, forget you, I touched it first!”

Not pretty, not pretty at all. I might be willing to risk it though. I asked these lovelies what their favorite finds have been and let me tell you, these girls are good. All the pics in this post are their favorite finds/projects and can also be found on Mimomito.

Toni officially has the best story ever when it comes to a find. she says, “My kitchen table is my pride and joy. It's a 1950's formica dinette with a gray cracked ice table top and four stunning red chairs in original upholstery. I purchased it in Stockton, CA for $125 from a lady that inherited it from her mother. The lady's husband didn't like "that old look", so her loss was my gain.”

Anyway, I asked the girls to tell me some of their favorite haunts in Sacramento and places they have to take out of towners when they visit. (I love this part of interviewing for this feature because I’ll be reminded of a cool place I haven’t been to before or it’s been so long that it was off my radar or they will list places that are my favorite places, too, which is super fun! That is when you know you have met a kindred spirit. )

adorable Rose in her awesome living room, with the coffee table she and her husband, Ben, recently refinished. she says it will be a family heirloom for sure!

Rose: I haven't had the pleasure to entertain many out of towner guests...and I think a lot of our outings would depend on the weather. In the summer I would take them to the American river to go swimming, in the fall I would stop at Temple coffee for some joe, then a nice walk through the Capital Park. River swimming is just good ol' fun and the Capital is gorgeous in the fall because of all those warm colors. Town House on wed’s night for Karaoke, probably Kru for sushi, or Roxie’s for lunch. More often then not, towner’s would prolly all end up at one of our friends house (like Serene’s) for a YouTube/snack party at night time…those are pretty great.

Rose’s other half, Ben works from home on their “metal tanker”. I love it!

Toni: Some of my current local favorites to support are, Phono Select, an awesome new record store with a great selection of music; Lulu Forever, where you can shop for good quality vintage clothing; Never Felt Better Vegan Boutique for all of your vegan needs; SactownSwings @ Club 21- where I can practice the cool moves that I learn from Johnny at The Ballroom and the Eichlerific Blog is great MCM blog that we love.

Serene describes her favorite find as “Amazingly weird 70's artwork we got off CL for $8 from a seller named Leslie, who then became Torn Pocket vintage who deals with the 57th street antique mall”

Serene:  Some of my favorite things about/in Sacramento… well, I love that it's flat here. I grew up in the hill-laden Bay Area, and love that Sacramento is the Midwest of California. Flat, wide open, and rivers to jump in in the summer time. I used to dream about open fields and rivers since I was a kid and was happy to find it just an hour and a half north of my hometown. As for places to go in Sacramento, I love Bombay Bar & Grill for their veggie pakoras, Sher-e-Punjab's lunch buffet, Great Wall's all you can eat Mongolian grill, and Pho Hoa Viet on Broadway for a midnight pho fix. (I love eating.) Other places I really need to go to this summer, but have yet to go, are the Drive-In movie theater and the 24 hour driving range to whack some golf balls.

Another of Serene’s favorite pieces (which also hold the honor as the piece that most makes me want to cry out of jealousy) is the record player bench.

Wondering if they have favorite Mimomito posts? Oh they do, they do!

One of Serene’s favorite posts was the Git’r’done Terrariums that Rose put together, while Rose’s fave was The Un-photographed Gentleman. And Toni’s faves are all the home features!

I ♥ Sacramento {The Shack}

 

The Shack

www.eastsacshack.com

Open Monday through Friday, 11am until 8pm

Saturday and Sundays, 8am-2pm

5201 Folsom Boulevard Sacramento, CA  95819

Phone  916.457.5997

I have several I ♥ Sacramento posts in the works right now and I am starting to notice a trend. There seems to be quite a few eateries on the list, which either speaks to my one track mind towards food or the greatness that is Sacramento’s restaurant scene. We’ll, go with the second one m’kaaay? Thanks.

Some days it pays to be a neurotic blogger proud mom with a camera always stashed in her purse ready to take photos for the next blog post cute shots of her kids at any moment. We weren’t planning to go out to lunch, but we were hungry and in the area, and The Shack was calling.  Ever since I decided to do I ♥ Sacramento I knew it was going to be a place I would feature. It definitely didn't disappoint. Now, not being a food blogger I can’t really go into detail about our meals other than to say that it was good and we’d go back. I’m more interested in whether or not a place has that Sac Town vibe. Since I’m featuring The Shack we can all agree that it does.

My husband I visited on a recent Monday holiday and the place was packed so we had to sit at the bar. I gotta say I love sitting at the bar when we go out, but unless a place is packed we generally forget that we can sit if we want and allow the hostess to usher us towards a boring old table. But I digress. The Shack earns points for being packed on a weekday (even if it was a holiday), for having a fun assortment of clientele (hipsters, college kids talking about their lame boyfriends, and East Sac moms. That’s variety, man.) and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the beer menu (it’s extensive, maybe even exhaustive) even though all I care about is whether or not they have a good cider (they do), which is the closest to beer that I drink.

Those fries were pretty amazing. You should totally go get some.

I ♥ Sacramento {Sacramento Beer Week}

This town has a Beer Week, friends! How awesome is that? Need I say more?

Actually, yes, I do need to say more. Don’t be an idiot. Drink responsibly, grab a designated and head out to one of the dozens of restaurants, bars and pubs that are hosting Beer Week events. Check out their website for an extensive list of events.
It’s also Sacramento Fashion week. I’d link the website, but it seems that in epic poor planning the web domain expired two days ago. Oops!

I ♥ Sacramento {Pietro Talini’s Nursery}

The first thing my granny did when we bought our house was take us to the nearest nursery, which luckily for me was Pietro Talini’s Nursery. Open since 1976, Talini’s is a small family owned nursery in East Sacramento not far from where I live. Granny hoped that I would have her knack with flowers and was thrilled to buy me pallet after pallet of daises and herbs for my new yard. Sadly, that has thus far not been the case. The beautiful flowers she bought for our brand new backyard died a month later (oh you have to water everyday?) but I still find myself wandering the aisles at Talini’s every once in awhile, thinking that perhaps I’ll find a knack for gardening in between the annuals section and the fruit trees (I really want to try out a lemon tree!).

This last trip I took with my girls in tow and they eagerly looked through seed packets, choosing their favorites for me to buy them. They choose a hummingbird mix of wildflowers that I am actually kind of excited about. It would be really cool if we actually got hummingbirds in the yard. Admittedly, I mostly agreed to get the seed packets because the packaging was cute. Yes, my name is Claire and I am a sucker good packaging (Biore anyone? You know you would never have bought those nose strip things if the packing wasn’t cute!).

If you are a gardener, or not, Talini’s is a fun place to go and dream of the backyard you will create (or just wish you could).

I ♥ Sacramento {Pietro Talini’s Nursery}

5601 Folsom Blvd
Sacramento, CA 95819

(916) 451-8150