This is my ludicrously talented friend Courtney Skott. Fear her! She is a force. Courtney is so smart and creative, I’m always kind of surprised to know her. She has style, is a genius interior decorator, and can make gorgeous things with a table saw. Courtney is a furniture designer who currently works with Steelcase, though I’m continually lobbying for a line of Courtney Skott originals. Please sign the petition below.

This outfit is Courtney’s “cute daywear,” she wore it to a friend’s baby shower brunch recently. Jeans are Gap, but I forgot to ask who makes the jacket (Courtney, will you let us know in comments?). I know you guys will ask about that amazing red shelf, which is by CB2. Lacquer red is a signature accent color, as you’ll see in lots of these photos, which were all taken in the San Francisco apartment she shares with her husband Lane.

Speaking of signature reds, Courtney’s lipstick is Mac’s Ruby Woo. Her earrings are Forever 21, and the necklace was a Rare Device purchase — it’s a resin encased vertebrae by Faryn Davis.

Courtney is also a marathon runner, which explains that body. My lord, people. She could look good in a paper sack. In fact, if I worked that hard on my body, I wouldn’t even bother with a paper sack. Courtney, why are you spending money on clothing? Is it an office dress code thing? Shirt is by H&M.

Her versatile rainbow shoes are Very Volatile, and she got them at Piperlime. Little Leprechauns follow her everywhere.

Tomorrow, please tune in for office casual day! Man, I love doing these.

Breakfast for one at the St. Francis.

(Followed by oral surgery for one at the periodontist. Le sigh. Think healing thoughts for me, team.)

I went to the Renegade Craft Fair this weekend at Fort Mason, and it was lovely seeing so many of the artists I’ve listed on Mighty Goods over the years. Here’s what I brought home with me.

Prints and shirts by Frank Chimero.

A Lisa Congdon Original Matchbox Drawing.

Handmade Bay Rum Aftershave by a true renegade selling his wares out front.

Dishtowels by The Heated

Pie Bird Press Letterpress Cards

Excellent burrito shirt by Campfire.

Organic Whale Onesie by Willotoons

Have you been to Maker Faire? You should go.

Maker Faire is an annual DIY bonanza with a focus on science and technology, though there’s an excellent crafts hall as well. Essentially, if you make something cool with your own hands and brain, you can apply to be one of the “Makers” the Faire hosts each year. It’s so huge in the Bay Area that it always seems to be sold out by the time I get my act together.

But this year! This year was different, because of Margaret. Margaret is the kind of friend who ends up with spare tickets to movie previews, or coronations, or space shuttle rides. It’s seriously uncanny. So last week she called to say that she had an extra ticket to preview night at Maker Faire, which means all the cool stuff with none of the lines or parking conundrums. So I made out with her. You would too if someone took you to see a fire-breathing snail car.

Lots of parents aren’t particularly concerned about stuff on their kids’ faces. This is because you can wipe a child’s face, leave the room to throw out the tissue, and return to find them covered with snot and dog hair. You’re standing there thinking, “We don’t even own a dog.” Well, that’s beside the point. The point is that keeping your kid’s face clean is like pushing a boulder uphill. Except the boulder has teeth, and can scream.

When I was child free, I’d laugh nervously when people passed me their baby food-covered kids. Then I’d lunge for the nearest napkin before the baby could slime my sweater. I always figured I’d grow out of that when I had my own kids, but instead I just chase Hank around with baby wipes all day. The result is a remarkably fastidious kid who would prefer not to touch anything that might leave a residue. He has a very conflicted relationship with bananas.

For some reason, I didn’t ponder this much when we took him out for his first ice cream cone. It was the first warm day we’ve had since he’s been old enough to hold his own cone, and I could barely wait. I’d somehow failed to remember that the kid who loves to play in mud and sand, and splash in puddles had to be taught that all those things were cool. We weren’t going to rush at him screaming, “Noooooooooo!” and then whisk off all his clothing to go soak it in the bathtub. Mud all over your shirt? Yes. Smoothie and dog hair all over your shirt? No. These are complex distinctions.

So we convinced Hank to hold his cone the way we convince him to do anything scary. Outright bribery. As you may recall, Hank will only be bribed with chocolate. Perhaps you think this is a no-brainer, because ice cream conveniently comes in chocolate form. Perhaps you have forgotten that ice cream remains on one’s face, long after one has requested that it be removed?

And apparently ice cream drips?

And this chocolate is cold? Which is unexpected when we’re talking about chocolate. And why aren’t you holding it, as any idiot can see that your manual dexterity far exceeds that of a toddler?

Why are you making him do this? It is disgusting. Are you not aware that he has teeth and can scream?

Eventually, through our laughter, we convinced him that ice cream on a cone would not grab his ankles when he walked by the bed, or secret away his security blanket while he was distracted by ice tongs. So Hank warmed to the idea of holding it himself.

He took about two bites and then thrust it at me, “You hold it?” Fair enough. He pointed at my napkin and held his hands out questioningly. So I obliged.

Then he ran back and forth on the sidewalk screeching happily while we finished our cones.

It was a good day.

Scenario: French coffee shop owner at French cafe realizes American customer’s wife is also French.

Owner: Your wife is French?
Customer: Yep.
Owner: No kidding!
Customer: Yep.
Owner: How long since you’ve been back to France?
Customer: I don’t enjoy France.
Owner: Oh…
Customer: Yeah, I don’t like France at all.

So I’m planning a bachelorette party. Is anyone surprised that my Google search for:

San Francisco “straight male strippers”

produced zero results?

ELSEWHERE

Mark Eitzel has a particularly mesmerizing link list. Find out what death-row convicts order for their last meals, study the intricacies of bagpipe music in movies, gain unlimited access to My Little Pony GIFs, and explore the decaying buildings of Detroit. Go to his site and click on All for more goodies.

826 VALENCIA FUNDRAISER

Him: My shoes were just way over the top.

Her: Yeah.