While The Scene Today posts were never meant to be a photograph a day project the column is rapidly turning into that. An unintended, yet interesting, side effect of this column has been improved editing skills.     Wednesday evening I went for a walk around North Berkeley. As usual I had my camera at my side and ready to go and took lots of photos.   Wednesday a lot of photos were left on the cutting room floor so to speak. Why? Because in this series, I've been challenging myself to chose just one photo. Some days I nail it in one take and I just know, but that's rare. Wednesday with the changing light a few shots were obvious throw aways, having technical problems. But there were two photographs that had nothing technically wrong with them. Their only failing? Aesthetically and compositionally, they were just OK. They have been doomed to stay for now on my laptop.   Today's photo was the second to last photo I shot. I didn't use flash or reflectors and I ...

I really like the colors in Kate Spade NY's Spring/Summer 2011 campaign. What I'm not so sure about is whether I could carry off a look in those colors. The more I thought about the Bryce Dallas Howard print ad, the more I began noticing the colors around the house. In the kitchen. On our bookshelves. In the linen closet. And finally, in my closet. (The grocery bags were intentional, the other items were not.) I generated a complementary palette that was a little more subdued at BigHugeLabs.com (you can see the entire photo on Flickr ). Two of the colors in this subdued palette remind me of my aubergine and butterscotch sandals that I just acquired. Now that's a color scheme I know I can pull off. Do you tweak color palettes until you find one that works for you? What tools do you use? Credits: All images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.

I love seeing Spring slowly unfurl her grandeur as buds appear on branches. Then blooms. And then shoots of green. For the past couple of weeks, each time I walked by Elgin Park I have wanted to photograph the blooms I saw appearing.     Yesterday I got not one but two opportunities. First in the morning on my way to BART. Then on my way home from BART in the evening.   Spring is my favorite time of year. I think it's probably related to the lack of seasons in the San Francisco Bay Area. But I think it's because it also represents a time of rebirth, of endless possibility.     Which season is your favorite? Do you love Spring as much as I do?   Ciao Bella! Eden!   P.S. Don't feel like commenting? Strike up a conversation with me elsewhere: Twitter , Instagram , Facebook , or Pinterest .   Credits: All images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.  

Growing up most of my shoes as well as my costume shoes (last season's hand me downs from my gram, aunt, and mom that my sister and I got to clomp around the house in) were made in either Spain or Italy. All were leather. My favorite brands were Nickels (my favorite pair were a tan version of these red pumps ), Bandolino, and Amalfi by Rangoni. My favorite costume shoes were Joyce, Pappagallo, Henry Waters, and Herbert Levine.     When we decided on the Caribbean for our honeymoon I discovered that other than a pair of Doc Martens and DKNY slides I didn't really have any warm weather shoes and neither pair was really suited for visiting museums. Since that discovery I've found three pairs of vintage sandals; all have the stacked wooden heels I adore.     Of the three, my favorites were both new old stock (NOS) finds: aubergine sandals from Bandolino and butterscotch sandals by Pappagallo.     What are your favorite vintage brands? ...

Ever since I read about Ghost Type , I've been looking at buildings in my neighborhood and along my commute.     So far I've only come across one sighting on Valencia (Eric Fisher captured this same ad on a sunny day ): an advertisement for Par-T-Pak Beverages.   I've found out little about Par-T-Pak Beverages other than that they advertised across San Francisco; others have also spotted Par-T-Pak Ghost Type in the Tenderloin. Par-T-Pak was sold at least as far east as Texas and may have gone out of business in the late 1950s/early 1960s. It's Seattle location was closed by February 1960 according to a lawsuit ( SEATTLE LODGE NO. 211, LOYAL ORDER OF MOOSE, APPELLANT, v. PAR-T-PAK BEVERAGE CO., INC., ET AL., RESPONDENTS ).   Anyone know how old this Ghost Type is? Or more details about Par-T-Pak?   Ciao Bella! Eden!   P.S. Don't feel like commenting? Strike up a conversation with me elsewhere: Twitter , Instagram , Facebook , or Pinterest .   ...

Even in a land of office parks, apartment complexes, and strip malls, I can find nature to inspire me.     Every morning and afternoon for the past couple of weeks, I have been walking by these yellow Iris between BART and the office. I finally liked the lighting and snapped a photo yesterday evening.   I love Spring, don't you?   Ciao Bella! Eden!   P.S. Don't feel like commenting? Strike up a conversation with me elsewhere: Twitter , Instagram , Facebook , or Pinterest .   Credits: Image taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.  

It's been a while since Sprite has graced this blog with her presence. Last night we fed her some leftover lox from Saul's. Once we got the pieces into manageable bites for her she went to town.     For those who don't know Sprite, she's our Maine Coon catdog. I adopted her from Nine Lives Foundation in 2006. She's as feisty as ever, waking us up at the crack of dawn to have the bathroom sink filled with water for her to drink and commanding the greatest percent of our bed - more than 2/3rds directly in the center.   Do you spoil your pets with "people" food?   Ciao Bella! Eden!   P.S. Don't feel like commenting? Strike up a conversation with me elsewhere: Twitter , Instagram , Facebook , or Pinterest .   Credits: All layouts designed by and images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.  

Yesterday we visited one of our friend's favorite thrift stores in Reno, Junkee. (A few more photos are on Flickr .) Unlike thrift stores here in San Francisco, one side is a clothing exchange and the other side is an antique mall. Besides the convenience (or temptation) of both clothes and decor in one spot, I was also intrigued by how the store was decorated. There were four large dressing rooms, each with its own unique wall paper. The walls of my dressing room had retro doll house furniture with clippings from museum guide books and magazines. I returned home with three new articles of clothing: a vintage cashmere sweater and two more recent pieces, a top by Max Studio and a retro-inspired dress with a geometric print. Credits:  Image taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.   Details to Love is a monthly series, published on the second Monday of each month. Posts from April 2011 to December 2011 are available at A Timeless Affair ...

Supposedly succulents - like cacti - are easy to grow. Give them a little dirt, some sun, occasional watering, and you're done. For me, no such luck.     The whole experience though has me noticing succulents wherever I come across them. This plant was spotted blooming in North Berkeley outside of a laundromat near Saul's. I like the yellow edged with pink, almost as if the plant got the news that Honeysuckle is Pantone's Color for 2011.   Do you have a trick for keeping succulents alive?   Ciao Bella! Eden!   P.S. Don't feel like commenting? Strike up a conversation with me elsewhere: Twitter , Instagram , Facebook , or Pinterest .   Credits: Image taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.  

About a week ago cubes surprised me with an iPad. As you know I commute via train almost daily; most of which is spent by me staring into my iPhone as I scroll through Google Reader or HootSuite. I only do this when I'm able to secure a window seat away from the doors. While I haven't known anyone to get an iPhone or iPad taken from their hands on the train, friends have had iPhones ripped from their hands while they were riding MUNI as well as walking on the street. So that I could travel "safely" with my iPad, I needed a bag that didn't scream, cool tech gadget inside. I now had a reason to get one of those  satchels  I'd been dreaming about a month ago. After some searching, I found two Coach Station Bags, also called the Slim Satchel, for under $75 for both. When purchasing previously loved Coach bags, review a  list  of known fake serial numbers against the serial number in your bag. Also review tips from  Bag Bliss  on spotting ...

Yesterday the trains were running late, and when I got to the platform I was alone, rare during commute. For the next ten minutes, almost every two minutes, a train would stop in front of me going the other direction spilling out people like ants fleeing a flooded anthill. I was so mesmerized that I didn't notice the platform behind me filling with people. Credits:  Image taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.

The other morning after I tidied up our bathroom to photograph my shell collection, I noticed I'd grouped objects with a similar color on our sink countertop.     I'd filled an empty soap dish with a beeswax candle, lip schmear, hair comb, and bobby pin. While looking at these objects, I noticed the Candy Strip shell, robin, and starfish also had similar colors. It was then that I decided to create the collection shown above from objects around our house.   Do you collect objects in a certain color palette?   Ciao Bella! Eden!   P.S. Don't feel like commenting? Strike up a conversation with me elsewhere: Twitter , Instagram , Facebook , or Pinterest .   Credits: All layouts designed by and images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.  

I spent Sunday morning arranging a diorama for a friend's baby shower. The theme is the Teddy Bears' Picnic. Immediately Steiff's Anniversary Limited Edition Teddy Bear Tea Party came to mind and a dining room scene was born.     Now before anyone has a heart attack about the bears not being in their original packaging, let me advise you that when I found the set in 2005, in the back of an antique emporium, the box had sustained significant water damage and was moldy; the bears and the certificate though were unscathed.     The House of Steiff created the set to celebrate their 102nd anniversary. It contains four bears that replicate the 1903 Steiff bears in an 8 inch size. The white, dark brown, beige, and caramel color mohair bears “conform as closely as possible to the history model of 1903.” The set is accompanied by a china tea set decorated with Steiff teddy bears. The original box completes the vignette with a darling tea party scene.     ( Par...

On Friday we ate at Dara's in North Berkeley. At the entrance to the door were these orchids.     I seem to be drawn to similar color palettes; two of the colors in this palette are very close to colors in the  eucalyptus palette . (You can view the full-size photo on Flickr .)   Do you get "stuck" in the same palette? What's your trick for getting unstuck?   Ciao Bella! Eden!   P.S. Don't feel like commenting? Strike up a conversation with me elsewhere: Twitter , Instagram , Facebook , or Pinterest .   Credits: All layouts designed by and images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.