some "self care" items
Hi everyone! The past few weeks have felt chaotic for me so I haven’t even had a minute to think about writing, but Jen, seemingly feeling the same energy sent along her recommendations for self-care. So if you, like me, are still spiraling or if you’re just coming up for air, Jen’s tips on where to eat, shop, and style yourself should help get you back to your old self again. Here’s Jen:
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been feeling extremely wack recently. (Briefly: tantruming toddler twins, dental surgery, power outages, work crap, stained favorite jumpsuit). A full spa day is not in the cards now or maybe ever, but here are a few quick things I’ve done recently that have been a good pick me up:
Versailles Nail Salon
In SF, everyone knows that Silk on Franklin is the go-to spot for mani/pedis. I mean, they have a snack spread (which sounds gross but actually isn’t). In the East Bay, I’m naming it Versailles Nail Spa in Elmwood. I’ve even tried those fancier/more $$ places on 4th Street (Marlowe, Laquerbar) and nothing compares (or lasts longer, a prime concern). Versailles is always packed, so an appointment is a good idea. It’s consistently filled with hip UC Berkeley students who probably have hip parties to go to any given night of the week where they can show off their hip new nails. Fluorescent yellow seems to be in. But the best part of Versailles in this tired mom’s opinion is the fact that they give you a legit shoulder and neck massage during every mani or pedi. Like the kind you would normally have to pay extra for. But here it’s gratis. Another major plus is that it’s right next to Timeless Coffee. Great bakery, great almond milk lattes, great place to play on your phone. In fact, I’m writing this on my phone at Timeless right now.
Vintage Rug Shop
I don’t know when it happened, but a crop of grays are now flourishing in the underbrush of my hair. Cool cool. Anyway, I went to Harper Paige in Temescal (cool salon, recommend Timmory as a colorist) to get that taken care of. Afterwards, I wandered a few doors down to the prettiest shop on earth: The Vintage Rug Shop. It just opened this summer. Yes, it has beautiful (like next level beautiful) vintage rugs and pillows. Yes, it has gorgeous rustic Italian tables for sale that were probably salvaged from flea markets. Yes, it has amazing art (likely also salvaged from flea markets). And yes, more practically, it has an expertly curated selection of giftable items. But the best part of the shop, in my opinion, is that upon entering, you transform into the calm, carefree type of person who could live comfortably amongst beautiful vintage rugs and rustic Italian tables. Maybe you have wild curls and wear linen and do watercolor painting. Worth going for that escapist feeling alone. I bought a candle because self care. And then went to Bakesale Betty next door and ate a fried chicken sandwich.
Shandong Restaurant
When I lived in SF, I frequently made the pilgrimage to the deep outer sunset to Kingdom of Dumplings. To-die-for dumplings. Now that I live in Oakland and have kids, I have less time for dumpling pilgrimages. So we get dumplings delivered from Shandong on the regular (Caviar), which are equally amazing. I just joined a new, very cool coworking space right near Chinatown called Sphere. The place is great for many reasons, one of them being that it’s like a four minute walk from Shandong IRL. I went there on a recent Tuesday for lunch by myself and ate a minimum of 15 pork and leek dumplings. Because what’s better than a plate of fresh, steamy dumplings for self care? You’d also be remiss not to try Shandong’s locally famous thick, chewy knife cut noodle dishes. Amaze. If you are scared of Chinatown parking, the Pacific Renaissance Plaza parking lot is a block away and just $2 an hour.
What are your favorite local pick me up spots?