creative jewish mom

Victorian Houses in the Western Addition And Fillmore Neighborhoods of San Francisco

Above: A beautiful American Queen Anne Style home built in 1905 in the Western Addition

On our recent stay in San Francisco I was especially inspired by the Victorian architecture, whose amazing and often very detailed style makes a huge statement in San Francisco. Though I lived in San Francisco for a few years, and have always loved Victorian houses, somehow not having seen them for quite a while led to a greater appreciation than ever. So many wooden details on the facades, so many unique combinations, so many wonderful applications of color, and above all, so many Captain's Towers, my favorite! While San Francisco has Victorian homes scattered through out, the bulk of the more "modest" and mass produced homes were built in the Western Addition and Fillmore neighborhoods. Additionally while many of the Victorian mansions of Nob Hill were destroyed by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, those in the western and southern neighborhoods of the city were generally not affected. Ah yes, and if you think "Victorian" is one style, you are mistaken! It is true, the houses are all made of wood, and generally quite detailed, but there are several major Victorian styles, including Italiante, Stick-Eastlake, Carpenter Gothic and American Queen Anne, which adds even more interest! One of the most famous rows of Victorian homes in San Francisco, the "Painted Ladies" (which I wrote about here) on Alamo square are actually on the simple side compared to the variety that exists. Let's take a little walk to see some of the delightful homes built between 1849 and 1915, shall we?

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks for joining me here! While is still summer on the Gregorian calendar, on our Jewish calendar it is Fall, and Rosh HaShana, the Jewish new year is quickly approaching, beginning on the night of Monday, September 6th, meaning is just over 2 weeks! So friends, now is the time to get busy with all things apple themed, or carrot themed, or fish themed, or pomegranite themed, or all of the above, and don't forget to throw in a shofar or two! I already have lots of colorful apples on hand, but maybe it is time to create some fun fish or collage carrots? Time permitting as I am trying to further my art, and there are only so many hours in the day! So, lets make the most of our creative time, and get inspired by the features from last week's party! I am loving those stamp magnets, though of course a crocheted pouch that looks like an apple could be perfect right about now! Enjoy!

What To Do If Your Teen Is Struggling

Although teens don't usually have to worry about paying bills and pursuing a career, they can and often do experience age-related stress, which is of course quite different than the stress their parents might face. We must remember that peer pressure, school-related issues, even bullying and can become very overwhelming at times. The reality is, that without support, some teens can spiral down into a loop of mental health problems, which can affect the essence and quality of their lives. Parents of teens must be aware of their child's general mental health, and they need to look out for essential warning signs, in addition to learning how to help their teens. 

If you detect your teen is having challenges, you must first of all express your support and love without any judgement whatsoever, in order to open the channel of communication to help them steer through whatever is bothering them. As a parent and the primary caregiver, you will want to support them in order to help them!

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg, as you can well imagine there are many different things that you can do to help your teen to deal with mental health issues. Lets learn about some of them.

Feeling Safe in Your New Home: Tips and Advice

Depending on where you live, home security may or may not be an issue, but as they say, better safe than sorry! The feeling of violation that results from an attempted or even successful burglury is not something one wants to face, and most importantly, if your safety could be threatened due to a burglery, then please please figure out how to make your home a place where you can live without worry or fear. The world is a crazy enough place as it is, lets keep our homes a safe sanctuary!  Over 6 million homes are sold in the United States every year. In most cases, a first-time home buyer will wait a long time to make this purchase. Making improvements to your credit score and saving up a down payment can help you land the funding needed to buy your first home. If you have recently purchased a home, congratulations, now, sorry to have to bring this up, it is very wise to become familiar with the security vulnerabilities your new home may have.

Ignoring the need for fortifying your new home can result in burglary attempts, which would be very very unfortunate. Take the necessary steps to feel safe in your new home by checking out the helpful advice in this article.

Creative Ways To Add A Personal Touch To Your Home

With the beginning of the Jewish holiday season in less than two weeks, now might be a great time to take a look at your home and add some personal touches for the holidays! Whether you have a budget to upgrade your home, or not, there are so many ways to truly make your living space a place for living. A person's home reflects their personality, sense of style, and even values, and this is why so many homeowners are looking for ways to personalize their space in 2021. In fact, according to People.com report, 70 percent of people in America are planning to redecorate their houses this year so that it fits their personality and makes them feel more happy and comfortable while they're home. If you want to add a personal touch to your home and even create a truly unique space, here are some ideas you might want to consider. If it all seems overwhelming, start small and make a few small changes to just one room.

Doodle Apples To Whip Up For Rosh HaShana!

I've pulled this one out of the archives, because who can resist doodle apples? Whip up a few and get that crafting for Rosh HaShana underway!

Now is the time of year for all things apple related, because Rosh HaShana is approaching and the apple is one of the symbols for the Jewish New Year, not to mention Fall of course. It might be hard to believe that once upon a time apples were seasonal fruit, but yes indeed, and therefore they were given a great deal more respect I might add. So lets shower those apples with some attention and cover them with folk art doodles! This idea popped into my head, and while the original thought was a painting, using markers is much quicker (for most of us) and a great way to whip up a bunch of apple gift tags, cards for Rosh HaShana, or to use on a festive garland — in the house for Rosh HaShana, and then in the succah! Because of the doodles you'll need to draw to fill in these apples, this becomes truly addictive, I have to say, but then again, who can't use a relaxing activity that also has a use? I say bring on the folk art apples, at least a bushel!

The Westerfield House Victorian Mansion On Alamo Square

The Victorian architecture movement that can be seen in great glory in San Francisco includes both relatively modest homes as well as grand ones. And some of the grands ones are so stunning and well, large, they really take your breath away! Well at least if you are an architecture buff like myself, otherwise they may not even show up on one's radar? I spotted the silhouette of the Westerfield house's tower one night a few weeks ago, as I was combing the neighborhood for a supermarket, and it was both haunted mansion and architectural splendor, even from afar and in the dark. I knew I had to return by day to take a closer look,  The early evening on which I returned, was a foggy one, so my photos are well, foggy, but such is life in San Francisco. The Westerfield House in on Alamo Square, which I wrote about here, and just down the street from the famous "painted ladies" which I wrote about here. Let's take a closer look at this Victorian Stick or Eastlake style Victorian beauty and learn a little bit about its history, which I always find so very interesting.

The Painted Ladies Victorian Row Houses On Alamo Square, San Francisco

Above: The very famous row of comparatively humble Victorian row houses who lucked out with their position in the foreground of the view of downtown San Francisco.

The painted ladies victorian row houses are one of those tourist attractions that I have to admit I may have only visited once or so when I lived in San Francisco. A huge mistake friends, as the location of the painted ladies also includes the amazing Alamo Square, which I wrote about here. Plus, truly, the view of the San Francisco skyline, assuming it isn't fogged in, is wonderful! Though the term painted ladies generally refers to this famous location, the term is actually much broader. In American architecture, "painted ladies" refers to Victorian and Edwardian houses and buildings repainted, starting in the 1960s, in three or more colors that embellish or enhance their architectural details. The term was first used for San Francisco Victorian houses by writers Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen in their 1978 book Painted Ladies: San Francisco's Resplendent Victorians. Since then, the term has also been used to describe groups of colorfully repainted Victorian houses in other American cities, such as the Charles Village neighborhood in Baltimore; Lafayette Square in St. Louis; the greater San Francisco and New Orleans areas, in general; Columbia-Tusculum in Cincinnati; the Old West End in Toledo, Ohio; the neighborhoods of McKnight and Forest Park in Springfield, Massachusetts; and the city of Cape May, New Jersey.

^{So, if you can't make it to San Francisco, make an effort to check out the gorgeous Victorian houses near you! In the meantime lets take a closer look at the beauties on Alamo square!}

Alamo Square Park In San Francisco Is A Must Visit!

Above: A view of the well know "painted ladies" and the San Francisco skyline, from Alamo Square Park

One of the unexpected highlights of my recent stay in San Francisco was a visit to Alamo Square, a residential neighborhood and park in in the Western Addition nieghborhood. The park is located on a hill, and had gorgeous landscaping, including very tall dramatic cypress trees, making it all in all an amazing location. Alamo Square Park, consists of four city blocks at the top of a hill overlooking much of downtown San Francisco, with a number of large and architecturally distinctive mansions along the perimeter, including the "Painted Ladies", a well-known postcard motif. Named after the lone cottonwood tree ("alamo" in Spanish), Alamo Hill, was a watering hole on the horseback trail from Mission Dolores to the Presidio in the 1800s. In 1856, Mayor James Van Ness created a 12.7 acres (5.1 ha) park surrounding the watering hole, creating "Alamo Square".

Today, Alamo Square Park includes a playground and a tennis court, and is frequented by neighbors, tourists, and dog owners. On a clear day, the Transamerica Pyramid building and the tops of the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge can be seen from the park's center. The San Francisco City Hall can be seen directly down Fulton Street. The Alamo Square neighborhood is characterized by Victorian architecture that was left largely untouched by the urban renewal projects in other parts of the Western Addition. Let's take a closer look!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! Most of you are still enjoying the last month of summer, while those of us who live by the Jewish calendar are already in Fall! A little bit strange when the Jewish calender is on the "early" side in comparison to the gregorian calender, but such is life. My boys are back in school, and that means we are now in the Jewish month of Elul, the month preceding Rosh HaShana, yikes, already? Fortunately I made new decorations for the succah last year, so we will enjoy those again, with a very similar set up, but of course something new is always fun, maybe a painting or two? But first the Jewish New Year, Rosh HaShana, and all things apples and honey! Enjoy the amazing features from last week's party and give your summer a major injection of creativity now!