Hello, my friends!
It’s been a busy week, hasn’t it?! Can’t believe I haven’t posted since last week…but it’s been filled with family, friends, food & fun…all the important things!
I haven’t had time for any vintage creating this week, but I wanted to share a bit of our day in San Francisco with you…a little Christmastime California-style!
My Dad loves to spend time in San Francisco when he comes, and we aim to please! It was gray, but pretty clear…and just beautiful that day…
A bit afraid of heights, Dad still can’t resist the Golden Gate Bridge, and loves to cross it, feel the cables, and marvel at the technology of it…
Here he is talking to my daughter Annie about the cables holding up the bridge…I always love his childlike wonder as he explains the things that fascinate him…
My daughter Sarah has been on crutches the last couple of weeks as she sprained her ankle pretty badly, but she still wanted to walk across as much of the bridge as she could…we took it slowly, she and I…
Here’s me…holding on to one of the smaller cables…I’m not such a fan of heights, either…these look solid, but you can shake them around a bit….eerie! To the right of the farthest right cable, you can just see Alcatraz…very dim due to the fog, and a barge floating by…
My Mom and oldest daughter Chelsea…such a wonderful time together!
If you’ve never walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, it’s quite an experience. Cars whizzing loudly by right next to you, hundreds of pedestrians joining you on your way…and you feel the constant vibrations from the traffic, thousand of walking & running feet and the very gusty winds….like lots of small earthquakes, one after another…
It’s such an incredible sight to look up at the vastness of those columns….amazing that such a bridge could have been built over 70 years ago…with no computer technology, or any of the things we require for building today!
…right underneath the first big column…
Sarah standing by the beautifully patina-colored plaque that pays tribute to the bridge and it’s builders…and a word I relate to…
…the Past. Beautiful.
Here’s a wonderful photo from the Past…May 27, 1937…the day the bridge was opened. Just a couple of months before my Dad was born. What a day that must have been!
After we left the bridge, we drove around town a bit, and ended up at the beautiful Japanese Tea Gardens…we’d never been before and had heard it was not to be missed…
My parents and Roger and I by this beautiful pagoda in the garden…
…Dad and I on top of this beautiful…very HIGH foot bridge…we two scaredy-cats just had to try it!
Here’s a little zen moment for you at the beautiful koi pond…love the reflection of the trees in the water…
…and one of my favorite images of the day…Dad and Mom walking arm-in-arm, enjoying the peace and beauty of the garden just at twilight…
At the end of our day…a far cry from the silent garden…Union Square in the middle of the city…all lit up for Christmas…
What a wonderful day by the Bay…
And lastly, a couple of vintage New Year’s greeting cards to share with you…
I love the bright colors and gold-embossed elements here…from 1934…
…and this little beauty…The Old Year steps out of the scene as Baby New Year takes his place…a New Year’s greeting sent in 1936.
Wishing you and your families a wonderful end of 2010, and a beautiful beginning to a new year…see you in 2011!
Don’t forget the fabulous New Year’s sale going on at Crafty Secrets until the 31st—stop by and check it out!
Julie
Oh.. what a fun fun day with family!
ReplyDeleteHello Julie... what a wonderful trip!... I have not been to San Francisco in years and I miss it... love all your photos, my favorite is your mama and daddy walking hand in hand... hope Sarah is off her crutches and better real soon!... Happy New Year to you!... xoxo Julie Marie
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely Christmas break you had...thank you for sharing the JOY with us all...I adore San Francisco...now I want to go visit...it has been a few years.
ReplyDeleteSending you blessings of JOY and LOVE for a Wonderful New Year my sweet friend...thank you for all the friendship you have passed my way over the last year....what a sweet soul you are. xoxoxoo HUGS
What a nice trek to that great Golden Gate Bridge. I have seen it only a few times but have always been so awed by its majesty.
ReplyDeleteI wish you and your lovely family a Happy New Year.
Julie it looks like a WOnderful Day with your Family! Thank You for sharing your Pictures. Sarah has the Most Beautiful Hair! All of your Girls are Lovely! You are Truly Blessed!
ReplyDeleteHope you Had a Wonderful Christmas!
hugs
Jill
How fun to have your parents visit you for Christmas! I've been to the Golden Gate Bridge but have never walked across it. It is a marvel, though!
ReplyDeleteI hope you and your family have a very happy new year!
I used to live in SF, and it is my favorite city. We went for a lovely week last year.
ReplyDeleteWe had my Dad here over Christmas...and he loves to explain things to my girls too.
Love your photos...looks like you had such a wonderful time!!
Happy New Year!!
Ashlyn
What a great family day!!!! I KNOW everyone enjoyed it a lot!!! I have never walked across the Golden Gate! I would love to do that. Hubby & I visited that garden about 25 years ago & it was soooooooo pretty. Do they still have the huge swans? Wishing you & yours a Happy New Year! I feel so blessed to have found you & cherish our friendship. And I'm looking forward to another year & seeing what you have up your creative sleeve! HUGS!
ReplyDeleteCharlene
What a lovely family trip to SF. My grandson is there in the Coast Guard. They patrol the water beneath the Bay Bridge.
ReplyDeleteI adore SF myself and went there first when I was 4 years old.
Nan
Happy (almost) New Year Julie! Great family photos. I do love the one of your mom and dad in the garden. I love candid shots like that. We all walked across a suspension bridge in Sri Lanka and that was scary stuff, swaying back and forth. I know the Golden Gate is much more stable, but I think I would still feel very wobbly at the thought of it all. Looks like you had a fantastic family day in SF. (Now I have that Journey song running through my head ... in my city by the bay.) I've never been to California. Growing up in the South, it always seemed like a far and distant land to me. and now look where I am. Ironic, huh! Enjoy these last days of 2010. Blessings of peace, joy and love in the new year. Tammy
ReplyDeleteHi Julie, what a wonderful tour... and how nice to get to spend time with your family! I've never been to SF... but would love to visit sometime! Love your New Years greeting cards! Julie I hope that you and your family have a happy and most blessed New Year... it's been so wonderful to get to meet you thru blogging this year and I look forward to many more years of visit's!
ReplyDeletehugs~~~ Daphne
Hello Julie!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the wonderful pictures from SF! I was for 4 years in this wonderful town and I love it!
I wish you a Wonderful Happy New Year!
Best regards form Vienna/Austria
Angelika
Thank you for sharing your pictures of what looked like a wonderful family day Julie.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a very Happy New year.
B x
Julie, what a fun day out with your family you had and so fun to see all the pictures! I have been missing your posts! You have such a beautiful family, and I love to see you all. Your mom and dad are so very sweet. Every post you do makes me smile . . . the past and the present. It's all good to me! Love you loads! xxoo
ReplyDeletePS Happy New Year! I wonder what adventures await us in the coming year! How exciting!
Julie, what an incrediable blessing to have this day spent with your family sharing in adventures. Living in So CA for 6 years, we never got up to SF. Wish we had now. I didn't know that you could walk across the bridge.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a very happy New Year
What great fun that must have been! I love the picture from the past.. the smiles on the faces. And now your similar pictures... of smiling faces, enjoying the experiance. You have a lovely family.
ReplyDeleteBlessings always~
Gwenny
How great to have them for Christmas and aren't dads so wonderful?! Looks like a great time, I need to come there and visit, I have only driven across that big old bridge! Have a great New Year :D
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. I haven't been to SF since I was a kid. I didn't appreciate it like I would now. PS Look forward to reading your blog!!! Happy New Year to you and yours!!
ReplyDeleteI am one of the millions who definitely left their ♥ in SF, so thanks so much for the trip back..
ReplyDeleteI can remember attending a tea ceremony in that garden in, oh, about 1968-69..it was beautiful, and so was the garden..
Hi Julie,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful tour!! I have had company all week and having more coming tonight to stay for awhile--so it's been a busy holiday time here...Wishing you and your family a Happy New Year!!!
XO
Julie,
ReplyDeleteThese are such treasured family moments and I love the one of your Mom and Dad walking arm-in-arm..just too sweet! Your daughter's are as beautiful as their Mom and how fun for them to be spending time with Grandma and Grandpa!
Wishing you the VERY BEST in 2011!!
I use to have koi at one house I lived in. Beautiful creatures! I've never traveled there. But I'd like to.
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Glad you had a nice time with your family--I love San Francisco, and drive over there often--we lived there for awhile when I was in 2nd and 3rd grade, and it's always been my favorite city since then!
ReplyDeleteSo lovely!! We live a couple hours (a little less than) from the city, we love going with kids and making a day out of it!! Happy new year! Xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteNice pictures, looks like you guys had a great time. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteHi Julie! So glad you had a wonderful week and thanks for sharing the photos!!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!!
Hi sweet Julie! I m glad you got to spend such a lovely time with your family! I do have to admit though, that there would have been no way to get me to walk over that bridge!! I might have been able to make it in the car.. maybe... I'm such a chicken!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy New Years Eve and get the new year off to a perfect start!
hugs
vivian
What a wonderful day spent with your Loved ones.
ReplyDeleteI visited San Francisco when my son was a few months old. That was 25 years ago. Where has the time gone? and here we are about to turn another page in time to 2011. I hope you have a Wonderful New Year. The Japanese Garden looks so beautiful as well!
Hoping you have had a wonderful Christmas Julie with your lovely family. How fantastic to be able to visit San Francisco! Do you know, it is the only city I have had the opportunity to visit in America and I LOVED it. How I would love to swap the UK snow for some Californian sunshine :0)
ReplyDeleteLots of love to you all for the New Year.
Kitty xxx
Ahhh.....what a wonderful day in the city! I just love San Francisco and I haven't been there in ages.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Julie! I am so looking forward to seeing what 2011 holds for all of us!
Hugs,
Janelle
Dear Julie! I love this post and all the exceptional photos of your family and travel. I especially am drawn to the historic photo of the group of folks on the day the Bridge opened! What a treasure! I'm sending you some BIG HUGS and GOOD WISHES for the new year!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!
Coralie
Dearest Julie! I love San Francisco! I have dear family in that area and I hope to go again AFTER a trip to Paris in 2012. Thank you for visiting today...wow, everyone I have encountered in Blogland is so precious.
ReplyDeleteA TA SANTÉ!!! CHEERS! Anita
happiest of new year wishes to you and your beautiful family, julie.
ReplyDeletexo
~molly
So fun! I love SF too. I have cousins all over the bay area. Have fun with your family and have a wonderful 2011. Mimi
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this sweet day with your family. I felt like I was in the movie Sweet November! What a thrill just imagining crossing that bridge. Beautiful, simply beautiful! Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteI saw the Golden gate bridge a few years ago, Ah a wonderful place. Ever wonder why the golden gate bridge is red and not golden, just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you had a fun day! If I could bear the idea of the long-haul flight, SF is somewhere I'd love to visit so I'll just treat your photos as a vicarious visit for now! Happy New Year to you and yours, hope it brings you many good things and nothing you can't handle!
ReplyDeleteOh Julie, That brings back memories of our vacation in CA almost 20 years ago. It was so amazing standing right at The Golden Gate Bridge after having seen it on movies hundreds of times before. We also loved sitting on the steps of Alcatraz. That was so cool :-). Hubby and I are not such big fans of large cities but we both enjoyed SF very much.
ReplyDeleteHAPPY NEW YEAR to you and your loved ones! I wish you all the best for 2011 and hope everything will be fine for you!
Hugs,
Julia
Hi Julie! It was so nice of you to drop by my blog and to leave such a nice note too. I just enjoyed a visit to your blog, which is just brimming with evidence of your creative life . . . lots of fun ideas, beautiful photography, and family. I will send you an e-mail with a link to the mermaids.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year! ~ Catherine
OOh, I loved walking the Golden Gate Bridge with Dad when we lived in Berkeley. And I love the pictures you took. I love my sister.... Just thought you should know!
ReplyDeleteDear Julie, wishing you and family much happiness and blessings for 2011, and may it brings much love and health into your lives.
ReplyDeletehugs from Chile
maria cecilia
DEAR Julie!
ReplyDeleteI've so enjoyed
catching up with
your last three
posts today after
almost 10 miserable
days down and out
with the flu. Thank
you for your lovely
comments over the
Christmas break ~
they meant so much
to me. This looks
like just a wonderful,
wonderful day. One
of the things I love
best about S.F. is
sitting in Union Square
and watching the world
go by....always something
to see : ) Here's to
a very Happy New Year.
Thanks for your inspiring
words and crafts, dear
friend!
xx Suzanne
Hi Julie, Happy New Year to you and your family! I love the picture of your Mom and Dad walking in the garden, it is so sweet. It looks like you had a wonderful time. Thank you for sharing all the sweet vintage images in the last couple of posts, they are great. Have a great week, xxoo Nan
ReplyDeleteI sure you blasted your Christmas and new year. Passing time with the family is very great. For me It is very inspirational.
ReplyDeleteSan Francisco is one of the best place in my mother 's diary. She likes to visit their in every weekend. I also spend lots of time there, it is first attraction of every tourists.
ReplyDelete