I spent Christmas week spent in my hometown of San Francisco. Incredible blue skies and sunshine every single day I was there. As a New York Cliché one might expect I’m from a small town in the midwest. Nope. I’m a born and raised California girl. Usually when people learn this, the immediate question is, “Why would you ever leave???”

The answer to that question is a lot harder to come up with in New York in January. Don’t get me wrong- I ♥ NY now and forever. But winter in this city is rough.

So here’s the plan:

This season I’m devoting every Sunday on this blog to SUN! What our skin lacks in Vitamin D we will make up for with our eyes! Together we will combat the winter blues, living vicariously through pictures of greener, sunnier pastures!

SUNday #1: Color and sunshine from my Christmas in San Francisco!

This house is legendary in San Francisco for Christmas decorations. It even has its own Yelp page! I’d never seen it before and just stumbled upon it on a morning walk in the Castro.

Christmas decorations on a much smaller scale, it’s harder to go all out when you live in an apartment. A for effort!

Here’s another amazing house I found on the same walk. It’s permanent paint is a jungle mural! Snoopy and snow man look comically out of place in the rainforest- I love it.

Even trees in California loose their leaves. But the green of the garden below, the yellow of the sun, and the blue of the sky don’t make you miss them much. Plus the bare canvas makes the ornaments pop.

A gorgeous victorian house, bathed in sunshine and decked out for Christmas.

Disco ball bird feeder? Christmas ornament? Interpretive modern art sculpture? Your guess is as good as mine. Regardless it is so San Francisco (gotta love the palm trees too).

Sunshine, greenery, and a total Christmas explosion! I wonder what this house looks like at night, it looks so fantastic in the light!

Found this little Santa ducky lost on the street at the entrance of Chinatown. Christmas cheer even in the gutters.

Coit Tower, the TransAmerica Pyramid, and a Christmas tree all framed against blue sky! This is at Pier 39 in Fisherman’s Wharf- easily the most touristy place in the Bay Area…..okay I admit it…I love playing tourist in my native town!

Wow, just looking at these pictures seriously brightened my day. Hope they brightened yours as well!