This weekend maiki got a new bicycle. We celebrated our holiday weekend by drinking brews from Drake’s at Local 123, Boont Amber from Seabreeze, Death & Taxes from Lanesplitter’s, and Anchor Steam in SF from a Thai sports bar in North Beach. ^_^

photo from The Holmes’ School’s flickr photostream.

I am a big fan of the design work of Alexander Girad and used his LOVE print in my embossed gift bag last semester. I am attracted to his work because it is simple, whimsical and full of color. I stumbled upon the site maXimo the other day and found that they have partnered with his family to showcases his work and sell items donning his prints. I really want this bicycle!

Alexander “Sandro” Girard was one of the most innovative modern designers of the 20th century. Of all the great designers at Herman Miller in the 1950s and 1960s, Girard is the least well known. From 1952 to 1973, Girard led that company’s textile division, where he brought color and life to the furniture creations of George Nelson and Charles & Ray Eames. Widely considered the greatest colorist and textile designer of modern time, Girard used traditional folk art to infuse color, whimsy, and humor into vibrant modern design. He was able to capture the essence of Latin America while still creating designs that were fresh and contemporary, finding the perfect balance of high and low art forms. In 2000 Girard was the subject of a major retrospective at the Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum, confirming his place in the pantheon of great mid-century designers.

Here I am with my new shirt from Super7 as blogged by maiki. I love it. <3 It reminds me of the prints that I made last spring. You can see them in my gallery.

I went out and picked up a new bicycle last week. I realized that walking two miles to the Bart station with a heavy backpack three days a week was probably going to get old fast. Don’t get me wrong, I love to walk but when I have a scheduled time to be somewhere I want to get there as quickly and as efficiently as I can—esp. if I am lugging stuff around with me. Jason accompanied me to Performance Bike and I picked out a new one. Ever since then I have been riding everywhere (Trader Joe’s, Costco, Target, downtown, etc.)! I had so missed the freedom and independence that a bicycle brings me. My favorite place to ride is along the Bay Trail because it is the most scenic and the weather has been so nice. I even rediscovered a little beach just past Golden Gate Fields and have spent a few afternoons since laying in the sun, listening to the waves crash onto the beach. Finally the weather is warm and it feels like summer.

Being at the beach is what summer feels like to me. I have never lived more than a mile from the Pacific Ocean. Since moving to the East Bay I have found that there are very few places that have sand along the coast. I am close to the water but it is breezy and cool and does not compare to the warm and sandy beaches that I am accustomed to. Also I was so happy to discover that my little spot is not well traveled during the week. This semester I will have two days off in the middle of the week and plan to return here to relax and unwind from my busy schedule.