I’ve been on the hunt for a bicycle for a couple years now – there are tons of styles and brands out there to choose from. When looking I only had one major important criteria . . . it had to be white. I know, I know – I’m a little crazy, but if a girl knows what she wants. Why compromise? When I reached out to Brooklyn Cruiser last fall they were excited to share the news that they were bringing their beautiful Dutch bikes to California. Let’s just say I was thrilled by this announcement. In late April, when my stunning all-white bicycle arrived at Market Street Cycles here in San Francisco, I couldn’t wait to take it for a spin. The first journey was actually to Carmel for this shoot, but when I returned I set out on daily adventures around the city – to the market, a meeting on Fillmore, and then a ride down the hill to the Palace of Fine Arts (one of my favorite spots in the city). Luckily for us Bay Area residents there are three local stockists: Market Street Cycles in San Francisco Willow Glen Cycles in San Jose Lulu’s Cyclery (opening soon) in Berkeley Today Brooklyn Cruiser is giving away one of their Dutch bikes to a lucky Bay Area reader! To enter, simply visit the Brooklyn Cruiser site and leave a comment here telling me what color bike you love and what you’d put in your bike crate. Entries must be posted by Thursday, June 13th, at 8 a.m. PST, and one winner will be chosen at random. UPDATE: Congrats Shawn Burke on winning the Brooklyn Cruiser Bike!* Sorry, limited to readers in the Bay Area. Please do not leave your email or web address in the body of the comment, only in the allotted boxes. Winner will be contacted by email once comments close, and announced at the bottom of this post soon after. Styling by Caitlin Flemming // Photos by Claire Giffen #lifestyle

Although you can buy pesto in a jar at your local grocery store, nothing can compare to the taste and color of homemade pesto. I can honestly say I could eat pesto with every meal – couldn’t you? It helps when it’s homemade. Susan of Peas and Love decided to share her favorite pesto recipe. The mix of basil and parsley is a burst of favor in your mouth. Enjoy this simple and delicious treat! Basil Parsley Pesto Ingredients 1 cup packed Basil Leaves 1/2 cup packed Italian Parsley 1/2 cup Walnuts 1/2 cup Olive Oil 2 small Garlic cloves Juice of 1/2 a Lemon 2 tsp Sea Salt 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan (optional) Directions 1. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender, and pulse on high for 10-15 second increments, stopping to scrape down sides. 2. Pulse and blend again until a smooth mixture forms. 3. Mix with cooked pasta and enjoy! Recipe & Food Prep by Susan Whang / Photography & Styling by Caitlin Flemming #entertaining #cooking

This weekend went by incredibly fast for my taste. Do you ever wake up on a Monday morning and feel like you’re already behind even though you’ve worked over the weekend to try and get ahead? That’s how I am currently feeling. There are multiple to-do lists in front of me and I’m in the midst figuring out how to divide and conquer. With important projects pulling me in all sorts of directions I feel as though I need to pause, regroup and re-enter this week. I don’t usually share the ups and downs of life here on the blog but sometimes you just have to be honest. Owning and running your own business can be hard – especially two. I’m incredibly grateful to have a few helping hands and cheerleaders that keep me going at all hours of the day or night. So as I sit back to re-group I’m turning to fellow readers, small business owners and bloggers – what has helped you push through the hard times? On another note, I do have a very exciting week here on Sacramento Street – an amazing giveaway you won’t want to miss out on, a peek into a local company that is re-launching, and a fun collaboration that will show a sneak peek of a corner in our new living room. I hope all of you have a splendid week! Photo by Caitlin Flemming from Apartment 34’s room at the Sunset Concept House (pillow by Rebecca Atwood) #lifestyle

In April I had the opportunity to style the latest Lo & Sons spring lookbook. They were debuting their new Catalina Weekender – the theme was inspired by a road trip along the California coastline. I worked alongside the talented Jessica Comingore. Check out the video and more photos from our road trip through Carmel over on Pinterest! Images: Jessica Comingore / Styling: Caitlin Flemming / Model: Misa Chien #style

I’m constantly in awe of how many friendships I’ve made through blogging. It seems that whenever I travel I have a few friends in each city I’m visiting. When I planned my trip to Charleston I knew Hanna Seabrook and I had to meet – we’d been talking over twitter for years and it felt as though we were longtime girlfriends. When I arrived at Hanna’s beautiful Charleston home – it was just what I expected. It had Southern charm, it was beautifully decorated and had amazing historical treasures. As we walked up to her workspace I was in love with the way she made her office feel so seamless to the room. The inspiration, fonts, and artwork on her desk had me wanting to put a few things in my handbag to take home with me. If you’ve never read Hanna’s beautiful blog GADABOUT you’ll be hooked the minute you read the first post – she blends fashion and graphics in a stunning way. Read on to learn more about this inspiring graphic designer. We’d love to know more about GADABOUT, your work and how you got started. I started the GADABOUT blog in college in 2008 and then followed up with a stationery company the following year. Though I am currently redoing the stationery line and the iPhone app (POST.) that accompanies it, it is totally responsible for my career in graphic design. My company started slow at first, a speed I appreciated as I acclimated myself to the market, printing practices, and the work flow between pen, paper and my computer. But as the year moved on, my stationery customers began asking for custom illustration work, and then logos and then websites. It all happened so organically that I steadily expanded my portfolio, small team and skill set over a 4 year span. I have gotten to the point now where I love every bit of what I do and truly feel like a professional. Most of my time is now spent solving creative problems through logo, web design and paper products. Bloggers, interior designers, and brick and mortar shops have made up most of my client list, though I love the challenge of getting into a new medium or project! Tell us a little bit about your workspace. I am actually not quite finished with it but it is getting there! Because it doubles my guest room I try to keep it somewhat tidy so guests feel welcome, but it is a true workspace. Most of what I keep around me is appreciated on a daily basis. Inspirational images, clippings, pantone books, and old family pictures anchor my desk, while notepads, invitations, bills and collected business cards rotate through in stacks. You work from home, do you only work at your desk or do you have certain spots you work to get inspired. Though I do the majority of my work at my desk, my workspace is truly my whole house. I constantly move around to get inspired and feel refreshed about a project. Moving between my desk, my bedroom, and the porch allows me to switch gears and make a happy transition from client to client. We know you collect cards, typefaces, and business cards – do you ever sort through your stash for inspiration? All the time. I keep a rattan basket filled with cards next to my desk. Do you have a favorite font (or fonts)? Yes, but it changes a good bit. My favorite classics are Garamond, Avenir, Italicized Didot HTF, Brandon and Montserrat for web. I am pretty traditional and like to keep it clean. Though right now, I love playing with the capital “N” and lowecase “z” from Caslon No337 Regular Italic and am really appreciating the work of Molly Jacques Erickson – Saint Agnes especially. When designing for yourself do you feel a lot of pressure? I truly do! I think because my company’s product is creativity, it is hard to get all my appreciations and inspirations into one message. While I want GADABOUT to feel current and exciting, I have to balance that with traditional sensibility and a steady taste level. My industry goal is innovation, and with that comes personal and professional change, growth and development. How do you graphically account for something today that you will inspire your brand tomorrow? You cant. You don’t have the perspective. This is why I stick with simplicity. I can grow with it. It can grow with me. If you could design a website or logo for anyone – who would it be? Honestly, designing for someone who is like minded or has created a product I personally appreciate is the most gratifying. If we speak the same language we really start to have fun with the creative process. These are often the types of clients I continue to stay connected with and champion long after the project completion date. A HUGE thank you Hanna for letting us have a glimpse into your charming workspace! To see past workspace features pop over here. Photos by Caitlin Flemming #lifestyle #interiors

Who isn’t obsessed with sweet potatoes? I could have one for lunch every single day – and I used to when I worked in an office. I’ve been on the hunt for new healthy side dishes and healthy snacks! Susan of Peas and Love recommended this easy roasted sweet potato recipe that will have you (and your family) wanting seconds and thirds. Be sure to make an extra batch of these to snack on during the day – I promise you’ll be wanting more! Cumin Roasted Sweet Potatoes Ingredients: 1-1/2 lbs Sweet Potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes) cut into chunks 2 Tbsp Olive Oil 1 Tbsp Cumin 1 Tbsp Black Pepper 2 tsp Salt Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 375. 2. Cut sweet potatoes into chunks, and lay them down on a baking sheet. 3. Drizzle over oil, mixing with your hands to ensure an even coat of oil. 4. Then sprinkle over the cumin, pepper and salt. 5. Bake for 20 minutes, then gently move them around with a spatula. Bake for another 15 minutes. 6. Turn off heat, let cool for 10 minutes, and enjoy! Recipe & Food Prep by Susan Whang / Photography & Styling by Caitlin Flemming #entertaining #cooking

After a fabulous weekend relaxing and celebrating – I’m definitely ready for a fresh start to a new week. This weekend I took an impromptu day trip to Calistoga Indian Springs, spent the day organizing our new apartment (it’s finally feeling like home) and celebrated my birthday with family and friends. It felt as though beginning of summer had finally begun! Today’s inspiration comes from a blissful morning spent at home enjoying my new living room. I felt so at ease and at home. This week I’m excited to bring you a new workspace feature, a room anatomy post you’ll want to copy right away and a fun little collaboration. We’ll be saying goodbye to May with these fabulous posts – I can hardly believe another month has come and gone. But I’m excited for what lies ahead this summer. Do you have any fun, exciting adventures planned? Photo by Caitlin Flemming (flowers a gift from Natalie Bowen) #lifestyle

In this month’s flower series we wanted to test ourselves with a color both Natalie and I don’t usually gravitate towards – purple. As we were walking around the flower mart picking out this month’s blooms, we kept seeing these deep purples (which I’ve come to like over the past few years). The vibrant color spoke to us so we thought we might as well give it a whirl. The end result was stunning. Read on for details and tips for this month’s arrangement. What flowers did you use in this months feature? Brodea (onion flower), scabiosa pod, “swan” garden rose, quince (as in the fruit), clematis, muscari (also known as grape hyacinth). The vase is from Martha Sturdy. What are your tips for using a rectangle vase? I love working in a rectangle vase. The shape allows for there to be two personalities to the arrangement. You can really play with movement with a longer vase and it doesn’t need to be as uniformed in shape as a round or square vase. We used a frog – how does that help an arrangement? A shallow vase can be very hard to work with. Especially a rectangle shaped vase. The frog helps anchor the first flowers you put into the vase and helps start a grid pattern of stems. This will maintain the shape and will make sure that the flowers do not fall out of the vase or flop to the edges. What other flowers are in season right now that you love to use? This is an amazing time of year. It is the end of spring and the beginning of summer so we are seeing a lot of beautiful blooms. We are getting the last of the anemones and the tail end of ranunculus, the beginning of the scabiosa, and lupine (one of my favorites) is having its short season. Is there a particular water level one should have for this type of arrangement? I think it is especially important to keep an eye on the water level in a shallow rectangle vase. The stems are placed at an angle and they are not necessarily very deep in to the water. You will want to refill the vase with water to ensure that all the stems are reaching and that the arrangement lasts as long as possible. Check back next month for our June arrangement – we’re featuring one of my very favorite flowers! Flowers by Natalie Bowen Designs // Photos by Caitlin Flemming #lifestyle

In April, I was lucky enough to take a vacation to visit my hometown of Mexico City. I couldn’t wait to show Eric where I grew up, take him to some of my favorite restaurants and go to the Freda Kahlo exhibit (which was at the top of my list). Whenever I get ready for a trip I have my go-to bags – my Lo & Sons OG and my rolling carry on. They have been my faithful companions for most of my trips the past few years. For this trip however, Lo & Sons asked me to give their new weekender – the Catalina (officially launching today) a try. At first I was a little hesitant to leave my trusty OG behind, but when I received the Catalina in the mail I knew it would be a great addition for this trip. What I love about Lo & Sons is they think about how the bag will be used – whether you take it to the beach, on a road trip or as your carry-on. For me it was a weeklong trip. When we arrived in Mexico City I soon realized that it was going to be essential for everyday use. We were planning daylong adventures around the city and we needed to bring changes of clothes, extra shoes, and I needed something that would be a carryall for the treasures I picked up throughout the day. On this particular day we ventured out to San Angel Inn for lunch to celebrate our wedding anniversary surrounded by family and friends – it’s one of my favorite restaurants in Mexico City because of the beautiful gardens and the food is delicious. It’s also in the neighborhood my dad grew up. After lunch we headed across the street to the Diego Rivera and Freda Kahlo exhibit. These are the homes they lived in while they were together. Getting to see where they created their beautiful work is always inspiring. From there we ventured across town to the other Freda Kahlo exhibit – Casa Azul. It was also remarkable. If you are planning a trip to Mexico it’s a must before it closes. Later that day, we packed up our bags and headed to Cuernavaca for a weekend trip. This is where my trusty Catalina came in handy and all of my family members – especially my cousin, were jealous of this bag. It almost felt like the Mary Poppins bag. As I packed everything for the journey it didn’t look like it was getting full. Pop over to Lo & Sons to see the new collection that I helped style in Carmel. Today Lo & Sons is offering Sacramento Street readers a special code to receive 15% off until the end of May on any Lo & Sons items – just enter SACSTREETSPRING2013 to receive the discount. I highly recommend the Catalina for any summer getaway you have planned. I’ll be using mine for Calistoga this Friday! Where would you take your weekender? This weekend I’ll be sharing more of my trip to Mexico. Photos by Caitlin & Eric Flemming #travel

Do you ever feel like you need to spice up your salad routine? I definitely have my go-to favorites but I feel as though it is high time for something new. Susan of Peas and Love came to me with this delicious salad – the combination of mango, radishes and kale is a total winner in my book. I’ve made this a few times for lunch and it has been completely satisfying my craving for something new. Light & Tart Heart of Palm Salad Ingredients 5 Leaves of Kale, de-stemmed and torn into bite sized pieces 1 handful of Watercress 4 Radishes, sliced thinly 1/2 a Mango, chopped 1/2 cup of Heart of Palm, chopped Dressing: 6 Tbsp Olive Oil Juice of 1 Lemon 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar 1 tsp Tamari Sauce 1 tsp Chili Powder Salt and Pepper to taste Directions In a mixing bowl, bring the first 5 ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix the dressing ingredients together thoroughly. Slowly pour over the salad, using wooden spoons to mix up and toss until well coated. Serve and enjoy! Recipe & Food Prep by Susan Whang / Photography & Styling by Caitlin Flemming #entertaining #cooking