Hi welcome back!
I’ve gotten a few questions about this newsletter along the lines of “what are you going to do when you get to the end of the alphabet” and I do have a plan. But this week, we’re going to finish up the alphabet with Z.
This week’s theme is just a bunch of pictures that I’ve taken that I liked, that didn’t quite fit in to a theme together except that I just like the pictures and wanted to share them. So let’s get to it!
June 2018. East County (San Diego, CA)
Alison is seen here showing off bouquets she helped make for her sister Amanda’s wedding. A bunch of us showed up to help out the day before the wedding. This is the same wedding as the shipping-pallet-as-directions-sign from W is for Weddings, and as I was drafting that issue originally, this was one of the photos I wanted to include. But when I switched that issue away from people pictures, this didn’t make it. I just love the bright colors, the relaxed feel, so much of this photo is just great.
September 2019. Donaghadee (Northern Ireland, UK)
I spent a bunch of time wandering around Donaghadee waiting to swim last year, and I caught this really fun picture of the life preserver in front of the harbor. Part of me wishes I could go back to that moment and square things up a tad better, but I can’t, so here we are. I love the sprinkle of color from all the different buoys in the harbor and the water is a really really nice shade of blue.
September 2019. Carrickfergus (Northern Ireland, UK)
In Ireland, Mandy and I stopped by the town of Carrickfergus which has an old castle to tour around. We wandered through the nearby downtown area and found this pillory. There’s something off about people taking these big cheesing smile pictures in devices designed for punishment, so I love that Mandy has this like, knowing smize on her face. And her windswept hair, it almost looks like a staged-to-be-candid picture. We made jokes about this being her “pillory influencer” moment. This picture is just another one of my favorites.
December 2019. Emmy’s Spaghetti (San Francisco, CA)
On New Year’s Eve, I had dinner with Dominica and Brian at Emmy’s Spaghetti in the Mission. It’s such a fun restaurant, with cozy little booths and great food. They had some fun lights up too, as seen from the colorful bokeh in the background. I don’t remember what the conversation was at that particular moment in time. But hanging out with these two, we usually find something to laugh about, and often at Brian’s expense (hence Brian’s frown on the right side of the picture). This was just such a warm moment, Dominica looks like she’s about to blow spaghetti through her nose, I just felt like it needed to be shared.
May 2020. Fort Mason (San Francisco, CA)
I took this photo of Mac last week. I think with the mask on, this photo captures the current zeitgeist, where seeing people in face coverings like this is the new normal. We were on a walk around sunset, and so the golden hour vibes are strong. I also love how tough this makes Mac look. Mac is one of the friendliest people I know, but when he’s squinting into the sun with his mouth covered, he definitely looks a lot fiercer.
May 2020. Little Marina Green (San Francisco, CA)
Meghan was also with us on the same evening as that last photo. We stopped just at the edge of the Marina Green to catch the sun setting behind the Golden Gate Bridge. This was a somewhat forced candid, Mac and I were trying to make Meghan laugh on purpose, but in the end, it worked. Again, I really like the golden hour coloring, as well as the reminder that it’s been nice to have friend to go on walks with in the evening.
For those of you who’ve been here since the beginning, thank you! I really appreciate that you take the time to read these every week! 26 weeks of this has been a lot of pictures and words. The positive feedback I get from readers has been great motivation to keep going, so thank you all for that!
I promise next week is gonna be a fun one!
XOXO,
Margs