Sunday, January 23, 2011

a quick adventure in San Diego

You would think January would be a little bit more relaxing because it is after the holiday season. Unfortunately, it doesn't really work that way over here.
January and February is filled with a great deal of work prepping for the next crazy-busy season for me with is April-May when sales are usually back from the slum of after holiday, people are out more and most of all PATCHWORK SEASON!
Nicole and I have a few meetings over the holiday break and talked about 2011 Patch ideas and growth for our little Indie Arts and Crafts Festival that seems to be growing and gaining a good following.
So what did we discuss??  Two new possible locations for the coming year and this past weekend we headed over to sunny San Diego for a crazy tour of of the area to brainstorm ideas. Below are some goodies I found on my mini-work-break.

(a nice Gastropub with slow service)
Friday night we tried out recently reviewed gastropub Jayne's in Hillcrest. British-themed and UBER cute inside. I had a nice cocktail, a concoction of lemon juice and bitters and really tasty fish n' ships.  Only problem: the service was super slow, with only a few tables full, it shouldn't have taken over 10 minutes for out drinks.
The next day we started out early. During our drive, we stopped at the Little Italy FM (Mercato)-a busy market and for sure worth the visit if you are in the area on Saturdays. While we were there I bought little Marge a new hemp leash and collar from local artist Julia of Handmade Green-I also got a hat and coffee (first picture).

(Handmade Green also did Patchwork last Fall in Long Beach)

(i bought something like this from her at the LB show)
We also went to Ocean Beach were we stopped by the Ocean Beach Organic Food Co-op. There we bought a pint of local honey, cocktail citrus (??) matcha power (for a new salt possibly!)  and these really cool responsibly-sourced FSC gloves (BTW I am going to be doing a post of new things I have found at the grocery soon). It would be great to have a co-op in Orange County, funny b/c that is what I initially wanted my store to be way back when!

(goodies from the co-op)
STRANGE part of the trip: at one point we ended up in South Park and walked into this cute craft shop called The Grove. First thing when you walk in are a bunch of cook books-YES, so we start looking at them. I notice on the shelf our friend Jaime Wood's Wicca Cookbook, which was recently revised for its 20 year anni. It was just then that i remembered that I had given Jaime my Wild Sage Jelly recipe for that book. Opened the book and BOOM-there i am!

(hells-to-the-yeah! my recipe, thank you Jaime-now go buy it and read page 55!)

So after a yummy champs and elderberry flower cocktail (YUM and must make), we rested up for a quick trip back home and then to Hollywood FM-never a dull moment.

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