SFBayStyle

Full Circle: Patemm Pads and a Mother of Invention

Great ideas often are born from chaos, or in Grace Welch's case - from a single chaotic diaper change.  In the space of time it took her to locate her supplies and wrangle a squirrelly baby, her professional background, the influence of her entrepreneurial parents and her desire to go back to work on her own terms came together and the world was gifted with the first circular changing pad.  And what a gift it is.

Berkeley Playhouse's "Peter Pan: The Musical" Takes Flight at the Ashby Stage

I love the theatre. To watch others capture a character and bring such depth and emotion to the room that one becomes completely immersed in another world is a gift unlike any other. As such, I feel the absence of the theatre experience in my life acutely, and so when I saw that the Berkeley Playhouse was presenting Peter Pan: The Musical, I jumped at the chance. At last, here was a production I could take the kids to and perhaps feel a little magic myself. I was not left disappointed. 

From the small yet creatively functional stage to the enthusiastic and well-cast actors, the entire show is a delight. Compensating for a tight space, the atmosphere transitions from nursery to Neverland with ease, and then back again- though you wish it to stay Neverland forever.

Two Writers Review Sarah Pinto Planners

Sometimes at SF Bay Style, an idea or product will intrigue a few of us. Such was the case when the opportunity was presented to review these stylish planners by San Francisco based Sarah Pinto. Two writers looking at functionality from two very different points of view.

Samantha: I am sensory. I need to see and touch my way though the day, which is why although I begrudgingly share a Google Calendar with my husband, I need to have a datebook with me at all times. Easy as it may seem, it is actually quite difficult to find one that fits my life in an efficient and user friendly way, not to mention is aesthetically pleasing. I have no doubt that my routine, while the details may vary, is not much different than many other parents I know.

California Academy of Sciences Re-Opens in Golden Gate Park

Like many others, I have been waiting with anticipation for the California Academy of Sciences to re-open. I would occasionally drive by and catch a glimpse of the construction progress. I would check the website ever so often, and promptly joined as a charter member as soon as I could. Finally, my wait was over! I attended the preview week for members only with my two boys, excited to see what the CAS had to offer the public in science education and exposure. Unfortunately, it was mixed reviews. So I waited until the museum had opened to the public and most of the exhibits had been completed for the possibility I might feel differently. And while there was some progress made, I stand by my initial opinion: they have a bit more work to do.

Here is my caveat: having worked in museums, particularly with public programs and education. No museum is safe from my scrutiny as to whether or not it is serving its most important audience, the public, in an accessible and meaningful way. I am not looking for perfection, but I do need to sense a deep and abiding belief in the mission of giving the public information and experiences that enhance their own knowledge and world view as well as actions that support that belief. I don't feel this is too much to ask of any museum I visit. But because of this, I will also be brief in my description of CAS as to maintain the validity of everyone's experience, which may differ from mine.

6th Annual Spice of Life Festival next Sunday in Berkeley

For the sixth year, Berkeley will host it's delectable Spice of Life Festival next Sunday, October 19th, in the neighborhood commonly known as the "Gourmet Ghetto." This year's festival will include cooking demonstrations and cookbook signings by popular neighborhood chefs and restaurants, and will feature a culinary stage hosted by Kitchen on Fire's Chef Mike C showcasing the Bay Area's finest chefs. Gourmet food and wine will abound for your eating pleasure, and if you are feeling inspired to cook yourself, the North Berkeley All-Organic Farmer's Market will be held as part of the event on Shattuck near Rose St.
Other entertainment will include live local musicians, local vendors, community information from local businesses and non-profits, a Raffle and Silent Auction, yoga and bodywork demonstrations, and a variety of children's activities.
Having been once before, I can honestly say this is a fantastic festival for adults and children alike. You will be in heaven if you are a foodie; take advantage of the rare access to conversations with the Bay Area's most respected chefs and restaurants! The Spice of Life highlights the best Berkeley has to offer in the culinary arts and community!

The 6th Annual Spice of Life Festival
Sunday, October 19th, 2008
10:00am until 6:00pm
North Shattuck Avenue -Virginia St to Rose St
Berkeley, CA
http://www.spiceoflifefestival.com/

Spared from the Storm, in its last month at Stanford

Don't miss your last chance to see Spared From the Storm: Masterworks from the New Orleans Museum of Art, now on view at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University through October 4, 2008. Over 80 drawings, paintings, and sculptures by some of the most significant artists in history are included, representing only a portion of the New Orleans Museum of Art's diverse and comprehensive collection which was spared from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

It comes as no surprise given the history of New Orleans that the exhibit is undoubtedly rich in French works, including such artists as Bucher, Vigee-Lebrun, Degas, and Braque, but the exhibit also includes equally interesting works by Picasso, Magritte, O'Keefe, Cassatt, Cornell, and many others. The artistic range and profound variety makes this exhibit particularly fascinating.

Spared From the Storm: Masterworks from the New Orleans Museum of Art
on view now through October 4, 2008
Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University
328 Lomita Dr (at Museum Way)
Stanford CA 95305

Free tours of the exhibition on Thursdays at 12:15 pm and Saturdays/Sundays at 2pm.
This exhibit was organized by the New Orleans Museum of Art to benefit its Katrina Recovery Fund.

Have local designer wish? Go to the WELL

Among the increasingly interesting array of stores and restaurants lining Telegraph Avenue in the Temescal District of Oakland inhabits one of the most unique and visionary stores I have found in a long time. I don't have a lot of spare time in general, so at this point a store has to capture my interest immediately or I am likely to forget it. In the case of WELL, they had me from the first moment I stepped up to the window.

Dubbed a "resource center for art design and balance, helping to connect independent designers and artists to the Oakland Community and beyond," the WELL carries an array of jewelry, clothing, accessories, art, and natural healing products and services from local and nearby designers such as AC Clothing and Bags, Oaklandish, Small Cynz, Greenbelts, Pretty fun, Cozy Rampage, Sofina, The Weekend Store, Culture Consumer, Mats!?, Super Sugar Ray Ray, Necessary Voodoo, Rx Designs, Cara Lydon Designs, Rag Trader, Field Day Wearables, and more.

Hot Mama - Nursing Bras now at Victoria's Secret

I was shopping on Bay Street in Emeryville on Mother's Day when I popped into Victoria's Secret to check out their selection of wireless bras. The girls, after nursing two kids for over two years each and now another pregnancy, are needing a little more TLC these days. As I was wandering around, trying to picture how useful that little bra and panty combo ala "french maid" might be, I came across a new selection of nursing bras. Apparently the line has just been released and is still being tested on it's marketability, according to a store manager.

This seems to be a Victoria's Secret bid to bridge the maternal gap for their customers as well as make lactating moms feel a little sexier. Not a bad idea, considering that up until recently, the choices for women looking for function and beauty in a nursing bra have been rather limited. VS has a nice variety of plain, modern, lacy, and even animal print bras to please almost everyone, and they all seem to be a top latch (rather than a snap in the middle, which I have to tell you in the past resulted in my engorged breast popping out as I bent over on more than one occasion). My one caveat: I have not used them yet. When I tried them on I found the coverage to be good and they were comfortable to wear. When my next baby comes, I will still start off with my favorite postpartum bras, from the Bravado line, but maybe an animal print or a black lace nursing bra is in order for this mom as well.

Super-Fashion Flies to the Met

In our house, superheroes are a daily inspiration. At the Met on May 7, they become the catalyst to an empowering and daring world of fashion. The exhibit "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy," will thematically connect the iconic ensembles and powers of particular superheroes and how the ideology behind each one has been expressed through modern fashion.

The exhibition will also use the entirety of the collection, which includes movie costumes, avant-garde haute couture, and high performance sportswear, to serve as a metaphor for the theatrical underpinnings of the fashion world, and the bold effect fashion and costume can have on the human psyche as well as its ability to transform and re-shape the body. Strap on your jet-pack and your spike heels and get to NYC this summer for what looks to be a fantastic exhibit, not to mention one that might just please every member of the family, big and small.

"Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy" runs May 7, 2008 through September 1, 2008 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.

East Bay Baby Fair Sunday - Including Maternity Exchange Clearance Sale

For parents in the East Bay, you can enjoy refreshments and free goodies while talking to experts, watching demonstrations, and shopping for maternity clothes, children's items and more. And you'll have the opportunity to meet representatives from many pregnancy, birth, parenting, and baby related resources in the Bay Area at the East Bay Baby Fair this Sunday, April 20, from 11am until 3pm. Vendors include midwives, doulas, massage therapists, fitness instructors, childbirth educators, lactation consultants, photographers, community parenting support groups, and innovative products to make life as a parent easier. There will also be an opportunity to score great deals on items and services such as prenatal massage or a hand-knit baby hat in a silent auction.

For the pregnant ladies, the Maternity Exchange is having their first ever clearance sale at the Baby Fair. Maternity Exchange offers new and nearly new clothing for up to 75% off the original price, and specializes in stylish clothing from brand names to local designers, especially for fashionistas who don't want to sacrifice personal style during pregnancy. They will have $5 and $10 bins as well as racks that are an additional 20 to 50% off, and a good amount of their clearance is spring and summer wear-perfect. The Maternity Exchange will also be showcasing a selection of their new nursing wear.

Crucible's "Firebird" Ballet Benefit Flames the Senses

Once again, The Crucible has managed to transcend the boundaries of tradition and modernity and give the public a production that is relevant to local culture with delight and inspiration. The Crucible's second benefit ballet, Stravinsky's Firebird, is a sensory reinterpretation of the classic Russian folktale, artfully combining the beauty of classical ballet with the crowd pleasing and acrobatic antics of break dancing, motorcycle stunts, and aerial performance set to a well-designed mix of symphony, electronica, and funk music.

The set is simple yet magical, the costumes are sexy and whimsical, and the cast is entertaining and provocative. And of course, the implementation of fire on set and within the performance is, as always, daring with a touch of the unexpected. I noticed the ballet was a tad shorter this year, at just an hour, but what an hour it is. Every moment is captivating, and frankly the Crucible has found the best use for a Pontiac I have ever seen.

Annie Leibovitz at Orinda Books This Thursday

For a rare opportunity of some face time with celebrated photographer Annie Leibovitz,  head over to Orinda Books this Thursday, April 17 at 1pm for a signing of her amazing new book, A Photographers Life: 1990-2005. Leibovitz is in the area for events relating to her exquisite exhibition at the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, and apparently her sister lives in the Orinda area, resulting in this exclusive and refreshingly more intimate signing.

Her new book is gorgeous, her work is visionary, and you can get a personalized copy for the cost of the book while supporting an independent bookstore. And if you can't make it on Thursday afternoon but would like a signed copy, you can go by the bookstore prior to the event and they will have it signed for you. Personally, I am getting one for my sister's birthday, but I just might splurge on one for myself too.

Book Signing with Annie Leibovitz
Thursday, April 17, 2008 1pm
Orinda Books
276 Village Square
Orinda, CA 94563
925-254-7606
www.orindabooks.com

Ruby's Garden hosts Designers in the House

In the center of Temescal, an eclectic and vibrant neighborhood in North Oakland, lies Ruby's Garden, a hip and artful kidwear and flower shop known for its large and diverse assortment of clothing, accessories, and other goods made by Bay Area artists. The owners, Mae Chan Frey and Mary Prince, are also generous with advice on floral arrangements, a well-stocked play area for the kids, and a genuine openness and fondness for children and their parents. Certainly one of the best places to buy an uncommonly cool  gift for a kid in the East Bay.

Now, Ruby's Garden is diving into a seasonal variation on the artist-in residence concept. On April 19, the first in the series of Designers in the House will feature local artists Jolene Garcia and Janel Jones from local favorites   Abe Jones and Penny & Maude, who will be on hand to discuss their design inspirations and reveal their current lines in a fashion show. What is particularly lovely about the event is the difference between the two lines, with Penny & Maude's whimsical and colorful graphics on one hand, and Abe Jones' cool,vintage, indie vibe on the other. While designing for a similar audience, both artists manage to capture the essence of their unique personalities in such creative ways, each producing a line that is appealing, interesting, and refreshingly functional for kidwear.

Last Chance at the SF MOMA "Take Your Time" but hurry

Iceland, in terms of the arts, is more than Bjork. And Iceland, in terms of my own artistic endeavors, is my next stop for inspiration, especially after seeing the Olafur Eliasson exhibit "Take Your Time" at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. From now until Sunday, take this last opportunity to experience a profoundly and exquisitely sensory journey through natural materials and intentionally designed atmospheres that are, to use the artist's own words, "devices for the experience of reality".

Shape and form play an integral role, and it is through pattern recognition that one is drawn into an ingeniously staged production in which the viewer has no choice but to interact. Case in point: I went with my five year old, who I thought would be drawn to the gorgeous, reflective kaleidoscope tunnel built over the suspended bridge. He thought it was nice, but was more interested in peering at the line to get into the exhibit below our feet. At least he was not bored.

But just a few minutes later we transcended into the hushed corridor of earthen, hexagonal tiles which was dark and mysterious and damp. We slowed our bodies and began to use our other senses, and then we turned the corner into "Beauty." In all, it is simply a room with a spotlight shining down to the center through a fine mist.

Ricki Lake takes on the Business of Being Born

I met Ricki Lake last week. At a movie premiere, even. One in which she appears naked! Jezebel.com quoted her vagina as “awesome,” by the way. Oh, and she’s giving birth.

What I knew about Ricki Lake a month ago could be summarized like this: talk show host, Cry-Baby (her character Pepper enhanced my sexual education with “The first thing a Cry-Baby girl learns is our bazooms are our weapons.”), and Hairspray. So I was a little dubious when I heard she had recruited filmmaker Abby Epstein to create a documentary exploring the way in which babies are born in this country. Apparently, her first birth experience was not so good, and she went looking for answers. Personally, I think that is a hell of a lot better use of time than looking for people to makeover on her show. Turns out Ricki found out more than she thought, that the birth business is BIG business, and she documented it all in The Business of Being Born.

Like many involved in the Bay Area birth community, I fancied myself up and went to the premiere at the Roxie Theatre in San Francisco on January 17. Among midwives and doulas, nursing babies and extended families, we all watched Ricki Lake’s vision unfurl to reveal two facts: she was preaching to the choir with THIS crowd, and she honestly and passionately cares for this subject. With our “Birth Celeb” buttons, we cheered, cried (happened every time a baby was born), and hissed our way through the film like it was The Sound of Music night at the Castro Theater.