pictures & words

what a dizzy dance

2011-08-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

hello from so-cal!

spending a day here after spending the last week in japan, and headed back to SF tonight.

i have tons of photos and stories to share from japan, but until then, here is a quickie outfit post...

cardi: old navy. tank: old navy. skirt: cotton on. leggings: forever 21. shoes: payless. belt: forever 21. necklace: forever 21. headband: forever 21.

these were taken right before a night at the exploratorium. i like the bright colors and florals here :) i love the orange and blue combo, too!

some scrappy stuff to share.
this one went up on the pink paislee blog:

and this one for the design school event at two peas!

jetlag never went away while i was over in japan, so i am not very jetlagged here, but i am still pretty exhausted. i slept through most of the 10-hour flight home and i am STILL tired. back to work tomorrow - it will require lots and lots of coffee to make it through the day!!!

my racing thoughts

2011-08-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

cardi: old navy. top: mine. skirt: banana republic (thrifted). shoes: target. belt: thrifted. necklace: forever 21. earrings: forever 21.

funny story about the last photo: that mosaic wall is in front of a middle school in the mission. right after i took that shot, this group of girls came running out the doors. oops. hence, the rest of the shots are in my backyard.

anyways. i was trying to have a little bit of fun with colors today. :) i haven't had a lot of luck lately with thrifting (either nothing catches my eye or whatever does isn't in my size and i don't feel like altering them), but the red skirt is one of my recent finds - i think it was $3 at goodwill. red + aqua is one of my favorite color combinations so i threw on the cardi. i added the pink polka dot top because it was cute and a bit more fun than wearing something white.

notice that i'm wearing wedges? they were on clearance at target for $12. in fact, most of the target shoe department was on clearance...a total danger zone. i originally threw like three pairs of sandals in my basket, but i tried to be good and only came home with one pair since i don't wear sandals all that often. today was my day off and i tried to break those shoes in so i can wear them in japan without dying.

had a relatively productive day today: one week til vacation but soooo much left to do before i leave and a busy week at work.

and a scrapbook page to share - for the pink paislee blog.

i love that nantucket line. so summery!

like sunshine on a cloudy day

2011-08-11T20:18:00.000-07:00

cardi: old navy. top: loyale. pants: gap. shoes: big buddha. belt: thrifted. necklace: forever 21.

i wore this outfit about 2 weeks ago, but i wore a very similar one today so i thought it would be good to post this now. it's been particularly dreary out here lately (but i suppose that's business as usual in SF during the summer) so wearing yellow kind of adds a bit of sunshine to my day.

i took this set of pictures at crissy field after a shoot there. every time i come to crissy field in the summer, there's fog...except you can sunshine streaming through on the marin side of the bridge. it always taunts me, that sun. pfffft.

my friend amy gave me this top because she knew that yellow would suit me. i am a yellow person after all. finny thing is that i haven't bought anything yellow lately because i thought i buy too many yellow things, and have noticed that because of that i have been purchasing an abundance of OTHER colors (i'm talking to you navy blue and coral). what is up with that?!

so says i

2011-08-09T21:14:00.000-07:00

cardi: gap. top: target. dress (worn as skirt): urban outfitters. leggings: forever 21. boots: vintage. necklace: forever 21.

it's pattern mixing day!! i for one am admit that i am not very adventurous when it comes to mixing patterns in my outfit. which is kind of weird because i LOVE mixing up patterned papers in my scrapbooking and such. so i kind of struggled with this theme...i think i threw on about 3 different outfits this morning (and yes, i literally ran out the door...AGAIN).

i decided to go with something simple on top, like these stripes, to balance out a more fun print on the bottom. i also did the wearing dress as a skirt thing, which i'd never tried before. i like that it gives me more options in remixing my dresses. the only problem was that it didn't quite want to stay up where i wanted it to be, but that's what belts are for, i suppose?

also, this necklace may be my new favorite because i've worn it almost every single day for the last week. it jingles too, so if i get los, i will make noise so someone can find me!

anyways. excuse the redness in my face. i took these pics on the way home from happy hour. they call it asian glow for a reason, you know what i mean?

also check out my wind-blown hair.

sexy! ...NOT. seriously though, this wind is why i'm freezing ALL THE TIME. grrr.

i'm ready so don't stop

2011-08-08T23:32:00.000-07:00

excuse my absence. apparently, doing 30 for 30 sucked out all the "i want to look cute today" outfit mojo out of me, because i have spent most of the last week wearing super uncreative outfits. i think staring at alllll the clothes i have and can finally wear has been overwhelming me. i think it also has something to do with the fact that it has been cold and dreary here and i can barely get myself out of bed every morning because it is cooooold.

seriously, where is the friggin sun? it's august for chrissake.

i am full of excuses lately. but anyhow, i am baaaaack!

i've taken photos of a couple of the ensembles that i've worn lately, so i have a little queue of outfits. here is one...

cardi: anthro. dress + belt: forever 21. leggings: forever 21. shoes: payless. necklace: forever 21.

this is my "i woke up 2 minutes before i usually leave the house and still made it to work on time" look. it took a lot of hustling and running but i made it on time - even i was impressed with myself...although all that running made me realize exactly HOW out of shape i am. this cardi has been getting a lot of wear lately because it's been chilly (gotta love SF summers) and it's cozy. leggings have been getting a lot of wear lately too.

i got this dress about a month ago and i love the stripes. and the fact that it is super versatile AND comfy. and it was only $15. awesomeness. what's funny is that my coworker also got one in a different color, so apparently we are twinsies. haha.

anyways, i should shut up and quit complaining about the weather here because i am sure it will be SUPER hot and SUPER humid once i get to japan in exactly two weeks - i am sooooo excited! i am counting down the days (and especially workdays) until i leave. woot!

someone needs to remind me that i probably need to stop buying cute things to wear when i get there (my excuse is that it's always cold here so i have nothing to wear in hot weather), because i will probably buy tons of cute clothes when i'm actually IN japan. oh dear.

i know who i want to take me home

2011-07-26T22:51:00.000-07:00

first off - i saw friends with benefits over the weekend, and i can't get that stupid "closing time" song by semisonic out of my head. arghhhh. hence, the post title.

ANYWAYS.

i met up with jenny again over the weekend and she photographed my outfit/demanded me to play along with her crazy ideas. LOL. just kidding. but she wanted to play around with some vintage-style shots, and i did pose for her.

my outfit...

all photos by jenpics photography.
dress: h&m. leggings: forever 21. coat: borrowed. shoes" target. necklace: forever 21. sunglasses: hand-me-down. headband: h&m

is it sad that i already have my next outfit, location AND concept planned out for the next time i see her??? and the time after that?

maybe a little. hah.

this was my first set of outfit photos since i finished my 30 (i took a little break from looking cute for a few days), that i was so excited to be done and threw on my newest purchase: the polka dot dress. just a note that i should probably never be allowed to wear white, because when i came home, i noticed that i had lip gloss stains all over me. what the...?! argh.

so i threw on some heels again, and i actually was able to stay in them all day without them bothering me...i was still in these when i went out to dinner that night! these are probably my favorite pair of heels (not that i own very many, but still) for that reason. maybe i can eventually train myself to wear heels more often? it would help because i am SHOOOORT.

FINALLY saw harry potter over the weekend. i cried. but it was a wonderful end to the entire series...now i need to re-read all the books again! also saw friends with benefits which was cute. toured a chocolate factory for work today.

no complaints at the moment.

don't make me a target (30/30)

2011-07-21T23:28:00.000-07:00

oh yes, the grand finale!!!

top: thrifted. skirt: bcbg (via goodwill). shoes: thrifted. necklace: forever 21.

so i unintentionally threw on an almost entirely thrifted outfit (everything except the necklace), and i realized today was thrift day over at EBEW - yay! :)

today also marks the end of my 30 for 30! i made it! the last week or so has been a struggle to keep motivated, but i made it through the end. i even threw on the pair of heels that was the last unworn item in my 30. hooray!

also cool today - i got to meet the lovely jessica from what i wore

my friend alice works for shop it to me, which sponsored her book signing here in SF. i wouldn't have known about it except for the fact that she emailed me about it this morning (i am super behind on my blog reading, and i read through a reader so i would've missed the banner on her site!), and thank goodness she did. jessica is super lovely in person - so sweet and definitely stylish - how fabulous is that dress! she told me that she loved my outfit (and said so in writing when she signed my book - holla!). :)

i've only flipped through her book, but i can't wait to dive in and read it!

to conclude this post, here's a review of all 30 outfits:

i really enjoyed the fact that this challenged pushed me to be creative with what i have...but boy, am i happy to have the rest of my closet back. and to wear all the new items i've bought, since i completely failed at the shopping ban thing. siiiiigh.

hope dangles on a string (28+29/30)

2011-07-20T22:22:00.000-07:00

soooooo close to the end!

cardi: forever 21. tops: forever 21. pants: gap. shoes: payless. belt: thrifted. necklace: forever 21.

i was on my lunch break at work when i realized that this outfit was super heavy on the forever 21 items - hah. excuse the crappy picture, but this is the only snap i got of it all day. this is in the courtyard of this stationery store near work. i think i will go back one of these days for another set of outfit pics because those banners are AWESOME (hence, i asked my coworker to take a pic of me with it). hung out with my coworker after work, and we went...shopping! it's ridiculous because i keep trying to buy cute clothes to wear on my japan trip (it's gonna be hot & humid and i don't have appropriate clothes, yadda yadda), but we all know that i am going to end up buying a ton of clothes while actually IN japan. sigh.

onwards.

cardi: wetseal. top: mine. skirt: urban outfitters. shoes: rocketdog. belt: forever 21. earrings: charlotte russe.

i really like grey + coral/salmon pink together. i also like the navy with that pink, so i added that skirt. the weather has been schizo lately, and while it was freezing with high in the high 50s/low 60s all last week, it has been in the low to mid 70s this week. anyways. i hardly wear my hair up because i prefer how i look with my hair down, but i decided that i wanted to sleep in an extra 20 minutes instead of dealing with my hair, so i threw it up in a bun. my hair is also starting to get super heavy again (argh), so it might be time for another haircut soon. definitely before going to japan - can't take this weight in that hot & humid weather over there.

one more outfit to go - i think i might actually break out those heels (aka the last unworn item in my 30) for the occasion. gasp. i know you all are shocked.

fake empire (27/30)

2011-07-18T00:19:00.000-07:00

as i near the end, i keep skipping days. this should actually be #28, but i was unimpressed with my original #27, so i didn't really make an effort to photograph it.

anyways, for the new 27, i got photographed in a field. and then with balloons. oooooh yes.

cardi: gap. dress: forever 21. boots: target. tights: target. belt: forever 21. necklace: forever 21.

i decided that i am liking red and pink/coral together, so i decided to go with the red cardi today. i also have no idea where my grey leggings went. seriously grey leggings, where oh where have you gone?? it was a nice day here but i wasn't sure if i could get away with bare legs even with boots, so i opted for tights. i am quite excited for the fall stuff to hit stores so that i can stock up on different colors of tights, because apparently i only have 3 pairs right now and i have been wearing them quite often lately.

i had a SUPER FUN shoot today. she is also a reader of my blog (hi teresa!), and knew i probably needed photos of my outfit today, so she snapped a couple for me. yay :) she also incorporated balloons in her shoot, which made me squeal with delight because i have been DYING to do a shoot with balloons for AGES! so much that i asked her if she could snap more photos of my outfit, but with the balloons. unfortunately, we were shooting near the beach and the wind was making the balloons go crazy, so they wouldn't do what we wanted them to do! grrr. and they flew away soon after we tied them down to a bench while we went to shoot some other sets. FAIL.

other fun things this weekend...two words: PARTY TROLLEY.

dress: target. coat: forever 21. headband: h&m. necklace: unknown.

how often can you say you went on a party trolley?! it was suuuuuper fun! the theme for the night was "roaring 20s," and this was the closest thing i had to that so i went for it. unfortunately, it's been freeeezing here in SF, especially while the trolley was in motion. and so i kept my coat on most of the time.

good weekend. except for the fact that someone had "used" my debit card somewhere in sacramento, grrrr.

no one's gonna love you like i do (25+26/30)

2011-07-15T01:10:00.000-07:00

getting close to the end!

cardi: anthro. top: foreve r21. leggings: jaques moret. boots: target. belt: thrifted.

i went to the comfy route yesterday. it's been pretty chilly in SF lately (like, highs in the upper 50s/low 60s), especially in the morning, when it's always foggy and misty! i basically have to drag myself out of bed, and the last thing i want to do is get dressed. in that case, leggings and a cozy cardi tend to do the trick.

cardi: gap. top: the limited. jeans: gap. shoes: target. belt: forever 21. necklace: forever 21.

only a couple today, because apparently the spot i chose wasn't as empty as it looked, and people kept passing by. it was also super windy. sigh.

this is a rather simple outfit, but it must have taken me 20 minutes to come up with it. i'm at the stage in the 30 where i start getting bored with what i have, and everything seems same 'ol. but only 4 more to go, right? i was trying to pair things with different items than i normally do, like the top with the jeans here. speaking of the jeans, i noticed that i hardly ever wear jeans lately. what is up with that? i used to wear them almost every day!!!

here's a week 5 review:

in other news...i just clicked "buy" for a plane ticket to tokyo tonight. holy crap, i'm actually going!

in oth

ninth & ash on a tuesday night (24/30)

2011-07-12T22:48:00.000-07:00

cardi: forever 21. top: kensie girl. pants: gap. shoes: payless. belt: thrifted. necklace: forever 21

it's EBEW yellow day!!!

it's no secret that i love yellow (although, by the way i've been wearing red and blue lately, you wouldn't be able to tell). i'm a yellow people (inside joke at work). my friends always point out the yellow things to me that they think i would like while shopping. i think i probably have too much yellow stuff in my wardrobe, because while shopping with one of my coworkers, she told me "caroline, you are not allowed to buy yellow things anymore."

i obviously haven't listened to her, because i keep gravitating towards yellow, even while i am trying to branch out to other colors in my wardrobe.

so this month's theme was a perfect fit. i paired my favorite yellow cardi, with this polka dot blouse (which has yellow dots on it too, but it's kinda hard to see).

and yes, i DID spend about 20 minutes at borders trying to get my outfit pics. if you haven't already been judging me by now, you probably are after seeing these pictures. in my defense, i had dinner with my coworker and since it was getting super late, it was either a) take them at borders since i had to go there anyway, or b) no outfit pics at all. which would've been a shame because i wanted to show off my yellow!!

i am surprised i didn't get discovered, because THAT would've been super embarrassing. but bookshelves make an excellent tripod and hiding spot for your camera, and i came to find out that the children's section is pretty much deserted at 9:30 on a tuesday night. just sayin'.

crimson and clover (23/30)

2011-07-11T22:09:00.000-07:00

cardi: gap. dress (worn as top): cotton candy. skirt: urban outfitters. boots: target. tights: target. necklace: forever 21. headband: yes and yes designs.

excuse the fact the i've worn the same colors for the last 3 posts. this 30 for 30 is also turning into the "let's see how many times i can wear red, white and blue before i get sick of it" challenge. in my defense, i did wear a 30 for 30 outfit yesterday that consisted of OTHER colors. the only problem was that it never got photographed. and i bwill definitely be wearing something yellow tomorrow for EBEW. so, there!

like my headband? i do too. i picked it up at the renegade craft fair yesterday. i chose that particular one because it had the 3 colors i seem to wear most, so it can go with almost everything i wear.

renegade was pretty awesome. seriously, so much eye candy and must-haves everywhere i looked. i only managed to buy 2 things since i am on a serious budget right now (homegirl needs to save up to go to japan next month), but i wanted EVERYTHING...if only money grew on trees. or sugar daddies were easy to find. right?

some photos of goodies that i snapped...

(l-r: headbands from yes and yes designs, fabric-covered button ponytail holders from cookie and the dude, rings from sora designs, fabric necklaces from homako designs (i was gonna get one. then i forgot).

i can't remember where any of these are from, but they looked cool, so...yeah.

it also made me reeeeeaaaally want to pick up sewing and jewelry making. because i have sooooo many ideas for things i want to make...but so many ideas, so little time. oh well, it's something on my 27 before 27 list.

we went to dinner at izakaya sozai afterwards. oh yes, deliciousness!

how was your weekend?

love is like a sunset (22/30)

2011-07-09T22:50:00.000-07:00

cardi: gap. dress: forever 21. leggings: jaques moret. shoes: payless. belt: forever 21. necklace: forever 21. headband: h&m.

there i go with the red and blue again. what i can i say - it's foolproof. you just know they go together. like PB&J.

you know what else is foolproof? i cannot count how many time i've worn a variation of this exact same outfit since i bought this dress earlier this year. seriously, a jersey dress + leggings + this cardi = soft and super comfy. i'm surprised i didn't wear this earlier in my 30.

today was one of those "i really should get out of bed now, but i really don't wanna" mornings. hence, the foolproof outfit. hence, the vintage post-processing because i took my photos at 8:45 pm. i really should take my pics before i leave for work on days i work late. oh well.

paperweight on my back (21/30)

2011-07-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

cardi: anthro. top: anthro. skirt: forever 21. boots: target. tights: target. belt: thrifted. necklace: forever 21. earrings: forever 21.

this outfit reminds me of high school - blue and gold were our school colors (go, moors!). anyways, i was feeling the yellow today, so i threw on this skirt. i think this looks better without the cardi, though. i just threw it on because it was freezing when i was getting ready this morning, and i thought it was going to be one of THOSE days. since i put the belt OVER the cardi, i just left it on the rest of the day. what do you think?

stayed up waaaaay too late last night because i've discovered the wonder that is pinterest. the lovely lydia sent me an invite, and i went a little toooooooo crazy (200 pins in 1 day? uhhh. yeah). i was absolutely dying at work today, but it was all worth it because i am super inspired by all the eye candy out there.

i think i am a pinterest addict. step one is admitting that you have a problem, riiiiight?

ooh la (20/30)

2011-07-07T22:12:00.000-07:00

twenty down, ten more to go!

cardi: gap. top: thrifted. pants: gap. shoes: target. belt: forever 21. necklace: forever 21.

this is one of those outfits from my "wore but didn't take pictures of" vault. apparently, i still have a little bit of fourth of july spirit in me. i was going to try to pull off the partially tucked look with my shirt, but i couldn't get it quite right, so i gave up and tucked the whole thing in.

i spent the day around the ferry building...AGAIN...but i tried to find different spots to take my outfit photos. i'm not sure what is up with the weird streaks in the 2nd and 3rd photos, but oh well. i'm suspecting that it *might* have something to do with the fact that i dropped the camera a few weeks back. (should probably invest in a new one).

went to happy hour with my friend melissa afterwards. why is it that happy hour always makes me so...happy? lol.

back to work tomorrow. i had two days off but i STILL feel like i need more time to catch up on things/do what i want. sigh.

oh, and here is a recap of the week:

california english (19/30)

2011-07-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

day off spent in the sun...

cardi: h&m. top: kensie girl. skirt: forever 21. boots: target. belt: thrifted. necklace: forever 21.

i love the ferry building. it's one of my favorite spots in SF, because of the abundance of good food. it was a nice day today (although you wouldn't know it if you were in my neighborhood, where it was foggy all day long), so i decided to soak up some sun there while getting my foodie on. i picked up some lunch (i settled on a chicken pot pie from the meat co. there, although there were 10 other things that i also wanted to eat), coffee from blue bottle, and some treats from miette (where the girl complimented my outfit), sat myself on a bench overlooking a gorgeous view of the bay bridge, and ate it all. seriously, if i could spend every single day at the ferry building, i would. so much deliciousness there. i almost want to go back tomorrow. seriously.

it also made me want to go back to seattle really soon to eat my way through pike place a bit more.

speaking of seattle, i wore a replica of this outfit while i was there, but since i didn't do an official outfit post on it, wasn't doing 30 for 30, AND wore peep-toes instead of boots and a different necklace when i wore it then, i decided to repeat it. (i am full of excuses, aren't i?). the skirt is the last clothing item that had yet to be worn in my 30. the only other unworn item in my 30 is a pair of heels. perhaps i need to go out sometime and throw the heels on instead of my usual flats or wedges.

in other news...this went up a couple days ago, but i got to participate in the 4th anniversary over at studio calico. they brought back a couple of us former designers for the celebration to come up with challenges on their blog. i had fun playing with one of their kits again - it's been awhile! i got to play with their july kit, mind the gap, and i adored the color combination in it!

it's crazy to see how much they've grown since i first got that phone call from april asking if i wanted to join her in this new venture of hers. i always look back on my time there fondly, and i miss those girls (and make sure to say hi to them every time i'm at CHA!).

anyhow, here is my layout. my challenge was to scrap a to-do list, and i took that opportunity to finally finish my 27 before 27 list, and document it on a scrapbook page:

and here is the list:
1. build some savings.
2. buy a sewing machine and learn to sew.
3. cook once a week
4. master 10 new recipes
5. go to the opera, symphony and ballet.
6. go to napa
7. go to santa cruz
8. go to a show at the greek theater and the fox theatre.
9. discover 5 new bands
10. go to a music festival.
11. date.
12. pick up jewelry making
13. take a trip to a new destination
14. go back to seattle, and take side trips to portland + canada
15. learn to walk in heels
16. re-read the harry potter series
17. master the art of cappuccino making
18. get afternoon tea at crown & crumpet and/or lovejoy’s.
19. eat at gary danko
20. take another dance class
21. exercise regularly.
22. get a passport.
23. go to a new stadium
24. go to a dodger game
25. participate in a 30 for 30 challenge
26. knit something other than a scarf.
27. organize scrapbooking stuff into a manageable fashion.

i'm obviously doing #25 right now, and i am about to do #22, so i think i'm off to a good start. :)

fast blood (18/30)

2011-07-05T22:34:00.000-07:00

this really should be outfit 19, but since i didn't get a chance to document the one 30 for 30 outfit i wore over the weekend, i now have two outfits in my 30 for 30 vault that i can throw on the next time i have no idea what to wear.

anyway, this is what i wore today because it was supposed to be 75 degrees out today. which it was, at one point during the day. however, i had to cheat and throw on a short-sleeve cardi since i am technically not allowed to wear sleeveless things at work and i felt like it would be too warm to wear one of the long-sleeved variety in my 30.

then the fog rolled in. and boy, it rolled in fast and THICK.

cardi: moth (thrifted). top: banana republic (via crossroads). skirt: bcbg (thrifted). shoes: payless. necklace: forever 21.

yes, i was FREEZING when i was taking these, so i was super quick. (notice how the first sleeveless set was taken indoors). this is in sharp contrast to the 94-degree weather that i spent yesterday in.

i am trying to play around a little bit more in my color combinations, and i don't think i originally would have paired the orange/coral with the cherry red/hot pink, but i went for it and i kinda like it.

we spent our 4th at the alameda county fair in pleasanton, where summer actually exists. i can't remember the last time i actually was in 94-degree heat. this confirms my belief that i can never, ever live in LA again - too hot! i think the SF fog has spoiled me. anyways, despite the melting, we had a ball.

(why are boys so awkward when they pose for a group picture?)

we ate deep-fried butter. i had it last year in san diego, and that one was pretty amazing, but this was of a different variety and not as good. oh well.

we then ooh-ed and aah-ed over some fireworks.

(i wish i had a tripod so i could play with long exposure, but these will do).

all in all, good day.

i've got the next 2 days off work...it's feels like i never get 2 days off in a row (unless i request them off to go somewhere) that i almost don't even know what to do with myself. i think i might need to catch up on some dexter. and sleep in until noon.

good times.

crowning of the cool kid queen (17/30)

2011-07-02T23:38:00.000-07:00

cardi: gap. blouse: mine. skirt: urban outfitters. shoes: payless. bag: target. neckklace: vintage.

today before work, i met up for coffee with my new photog friend jenny. she's just getting started in the photog world and wanted to talk shop, and i was happy to oblige. because i've been so busy with other things lately (you know, WORK), i haven't been all that involved in my photography, and taking to her made me really miss it. (it also made me miss the photo swaps i've done in the past with trude and nancy - i need to get my butt down over to LA soon!)

anyways, i asked her if she could take my outfit photos for the blog today. i am forever thankful to her for not thinking of me as some sort of crazy person because a) i asked her to take pictures of my outfit and b) i told her i run a fashion blog (sort of). just for that she should be my new BFF. and i think i need to make her follow me around every day to take my outfit pics for me. (jenny, if you're reading this, sorry if i'm starting to come off as a creeper)

some of these were shot on my camera, and she was kind enough to send me the shots she took on hers.

i couldn't stop laughing while she was taking pics of me, and i couldn't help but thinking: i don't know which is more awkward, posing for shots that i'm taking myself with a self-timer, or modeling for someone else. hmmmmm....

lead my skeptic sight (16/30)

2011-07-01T21:43:00.000-07:00

top: forever 21. skirt: bcbg (thrifted). shoes: h&m. necklace: forever 21.

hello, july. you sure snuck up on me!

it's actually starting to feel like summer this fourth of july weekend. i am going to try and soak up every single little bit of this sun, because ten bucks says the fog will be back.

sometimes i feel like i should just get myself a SAD lamp so i will quit complaining about the fog.

anyway, pretty simple outfit today, including my favorite bird tunic, which i decided to tuck under a skirt instead of wearing over skinny pants or leggings. i quite like it. i threw on my favorite red peep-toes for a pop of color.

day off today, so i met up with my friend (and former co-worker) vanessa. she's like my goodwill buddy, so we hit up the ginormous goodwill downtown. at one point, i literally had 20 items in my basket (it was overflowing!), but i managed to narrow it down to like 5 things and only do about $20 of damage. it's funny because every time i go thrifting, i unintentionally pick out a color palette and all my items end up being those colors. today's colors were red, purple and pink. picked up a few button-ups and a short-sleeve cardi.

i also tried to go shopping at the mall because the sales tax in california went down a percent and is now a whopping 8.5% and because of the 4th of july sales. i must have been tired or something though because i didn't walk out with anything (except a couple things i needed at sephora). lord knows it wasn't because i have willpower!

it's probably a good thing i am working most of the weekend so that i won't be tempted to go back and look again. and thank god i don't work in a mall anymore.

anyways. in other news, here is a scrapbook page to share. this is for the sketch challenge this week at two peas, which i'm hosting.

sigh. these pictures make me miss austin (and reyanna). i wanna go back one day - maybe for SXSW or ACL!

sweet disposition (15/30)

2011-07-01T00:56:00.000-07:00

halfway through the challenge!

cardi: gap. top: banana republic (via crossroads). pants: gap. shoes: target. necklace: forever 21.

excuse the graininess of these photos, but you can't complain when you can still (barely) get photos at 8:45 at night. i had to work late today, and even though i actually didn't have to be there til noon, i couldn't get myself out of bed early enough (apparently sleep > outfit photos, which means i'm getting old) to get these in before i left for work. of course, i had the best intentions, but it ended up being like every other day where i baaaaaarely have enough time to get ready and end up literally running out the door.

anyways. see something missing from my outfit today? yep, i'm wearing no belt. i know you all are shocked, because i can't remember the last time i didn't actually belt my outfit. i actually almost belted this one, but i decided that leaving it as is gave it a more summery, casual feel.

also, remind me next time that i try to wear these shoes to work and stand in them for 8 hours straight, that my feet are crying right now. i thought i could do it, but nope. again, i think i'm getting old.

anyway, here's a recap of this week. i can't believe i made it halfway! (although, i completely failed at the shopping ban part, so i probably shouldn't feel so accomplished. sigh).

notice how i recycle the same 2 poses? yeah, *someone* needs to change it up a little.

so after the top i wore today, i only have two items in my 30 that i have yet to wear. one, i plan to wear sometime this weekend. the other are a pair of heels i threw just in case. i have yet to wear them. i need an occasion to dress up and wear them!

day off tomorrow, then working saturday and sunday, but off on the 4th. i still get paid for it though, woot. nothing will make me happier than that. oh wait, except i'm going to the fair, so deep fried twinkies and turkey legs might. or even better, deep fried butter. say what? it's amazing. trust me (i know you don't believe me, so refer to this post of mine from last year).

every teardrop is a waterfall (14/30)

2011-06-29T23:19:00.000-07:00

this really should be outfit 15, but it rained yesterday so i didn't take a picture. that's ok, because next time i have no idea what to wear, i'm going to repeat that outfit.

so this is the new #14:

cardi: anthro. dress: cotton candy. boots: target. tights: target. belt: thrifted. necklace: refashioned.

i don't know if it's because fourth of july is coming up this weekend and i'm feeling patriotic or whatever, but my last two outfits have been red, white and blue. how fitting.

the above two pictures were taken at this middle school in the mission. i've passed by it several times before (and even used it as a backdrop during a shoot once), and i'm always in awe of those mosaic tiles. seriously, i wish i went to a middle school like that! (although i never went to middle school...it was k-8 then high school for me!)

also, this just may be my new favorite photo location:

it's in a mall parking lot, near my house.. i know, i know. random, much? but the light is always so pretty there!!!

(p.s. anyone else having issues with blogger? i keep getting an error 400 and it is driving me INSANE).

skinny love (13/30)

2011-06-27T22:55:00.000-07:00

rocking the neutrals again today. i know y'all are shocked.

cardi: h&m. top: anthro. skirt: bcbg (thrifted). boots: target. tights: target. necklace: forever 21.

this outfit looks like something one would wear in the fall, not summer. but i live in san francisco, where it doesn't feel like summer. in fact, it's supposed to rain tomorrow. rain. at the end of june...is it just me, or is something wrong with this picture?

i am actually kinda looking forward to fall. mostly because there are a bunch of concerts that i want to go to (two door cinema club, bon iver, and yes, jimmy eat world - AGAIN. and death cab). and it actually kinda gets warm here in the fall.

anyways. i got to soak up some sun while it lasted yesterday. a few friends and i headed over to summerthing - it's a free concert in golden gate park. this year, the lineup included onerepublic (who were really good), and matt nathanson (whom i freaking love, partly because he is sooooo damn hilarious), michelle branch (who reminded me of my high school days), and parachute.

all-around fun day. )and yes, i skipped my 30 for 30 and thew on a summery dress because i felt like it).

use somebody (12/30)

2011-06-25T22:12:00.000-07:00

i was supposed to have a photo shoot after work today...except it was crazy windy and the fog was rolling rapidly and so we decided to postpone. san francisco, i both love AND hate you.

anyhow. the point is that i was supposed to take photos of someone else, but turned it into a photo shoot of my outfit, of course.

cardi: anthro. top: h&m. jeans: gap. boots: target. belt: thrifted. necklace: vintage.

i then walked over to the palace of fine arts because they are FINALLY done with renovations on the inside and it had been awhile since i'd seen it. it's funny because i cringe every time someone tells me they want to do an engagement shoot there (it's gorgeous but super cliche), yet i ended up taking pictures there. lol.

if you really want to go somewhere where lots of tourists keep walking by and gawking at you taking pictures of yourself, the palace is the perfect spot. i'm just sayin'.

my point & shoot also fell on the ground while taking these, hard. did i mention that it was windy? oh, i did? the lens is dented but miraculously the thing still works. i should probably think about getting a new one though. or getting a tripod and remote for my "real" camera. or both. this is what i should buy with all the money i'm saving with my shopping ban for 30 for 30, right?

oh right. i've been completely failing at that part. don't judge me.

faced with a dodo's conundrum (11/30)

2011-06-24T22:20:00.000-07:00

TGIF.

well, my "friday" is technically tomorrow since i tend to work saturdays and have sundays off. but i like fridays - they go by super fast! add the fact that i got to go shopping for work (shopping and spending someone else's monies? FUN!) - am helping out at setting up the window displays at out store. AND my promotion is now OFFICIAL official, which means my pay raise is kicking in - holla!!!

cardi: forever 21. top: the limited (thrifted). pants: gap. shoes: rocket dog. belt: thrifted. necklace: forever 21.

it's easy to pull together an outfit when you haven't done laundry and you are only limited to like 3 things in your 30 - well. maybe. i ended up throwing on a cardi (because i allow myself to wear those a couple times before washing them), but i was down to like two tops. i like the color on this one.

but don't you worry...i'll be back to stumping myself with all my options, because i am doing laundry as i speak (type? whatever).

on a side note - my post title is from a shins song ("australia," to be specific). anyone miss them as much as i do? they are one of my all-time favorite bands. i think james mercer is a genius. they are playing outside lands here this year - i reeeeeeaaaaaalllllly wanna go (especially because muse and arcade fire are also playing).

oh simple thing, where have you gone? (10/30)

2011-06-23T23:56:00.000-07:00

cardi: gap. top: thrifted. jeans: gap. shoes: h&m. belt: thrifted. necklace: forever 21.

i snapped two of these during a slow period while i was all alone at work today. don't judge me. but i was running late this morning and thought it would probably be took dark for photos after i got off, so i had to squeeze these in somehow.

one of these was snapped outdoors after work, though, best part of june? it's still light enough, albeit barely, to be able to snap a couple of pictures without flash when you get off work at 8:30.

this is as laid back as i get: cardi, button down, jeans, flats. of course i threw in the belting, because that apparently makes it a signature outfit for me.

anyways. i can't believe i am 1/3 of the way through the 30 for 30. i skipped a recap of the first 5 outfits last week, so here is the first 10 combined:

i'm noticing a lot of similarities between the outfits. for example, i throw on a cardigan over almost every outfit (a necessity here!), and i belt almost everything. but i have been mixing it up as well. i have been trying to wear some thing differently than i'm used to wearing.

i've worn almost everything in my 30 at least once. there are a couple of things i haven't worn yet, and they will probably be worn tomorrow since i STILL need to do laundry. i'm gonna ask again if anyone wants do it for me? again, i will pay you in chocolate. delicious chocolate!

i'm also wondering why i included a pair of heels in my 30, because i hardly wear them? i think i threw them in there juuuuuust in case. i am determined to wear them at least once!

oh, and i apparently left out this pic 3 skirts of my 30 when i posted all the items from my 30, so i am just gonna post them now:

orange sky (9/30)

2011-06-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

the fog + wind + chilliness is back here (yes, i do talk about the weather a lot), so i only lasted 5 minutes of outfit photo-taking before i had to put my coat back on.

top: forever 21. leggings: jaques moret. shoes: payless. belt: thrifted. necklace: forever 21

i still love this bird tunic. and i threw on leggings with it again, and i went with the noisy necklace. i kinda like the mix of neutrals here - i'm surprising even myself that i am wearing like no color here!!!

that belt got turned sideways somehow and i didn't notice it til now, but i kinda dig it.

i am having a really hard time thinking about what to wear tomorrow, because i really, REEEEEAAALLY need to do laundry and my options are starting to get slim. anyone wanna do my laundry for me? i'll pay you in chocolate!

come on get higher (8/30)

2011-06-22T00:38:00.000-07:00

it's hot here. as in, i wore something sleeveless without a cardigan. *gasp*

tank: forever 21. skirt: urban outfitters. shoes: target. belt: thrifted. necklace: forever 21

two of my old coworkers asked me if i had lost weight. i think that makes this outfit a winner.

these pics were snapped all over the place, because i literally was all over the city today (hooray for being able to enjoy a day off in the sun). started off my day in SOMA, where i had delicious chicken & waffles for lunch at little skillet, and enjoying a cup of iced coffee from blue bottle.

(this is an old phone pic that i snapped last time i was there)

i then headed over to the mission because i was craving ice cream. i ended up at humphry slocombe, where i happily consumed the secret breakfast. what's that? bourbon + corn flakes. oh yes, you heard me right. it's DELICIOUS.

then headed to painted bird, which i knew was super nearby. i failed at my shopping ban AGAIN (thank god there are no rules for this round because i would be breaking ALL OF THEM) and got myself a pair of vintage boots for $10. among other things. but who buys knee-high boots in 85 degree weather? oh right. i do. (but it was back to foggy as usual tonight, so, i guess it wasn't that ludicrous after all).

anyways. i then headed over to the marina, kidnapped one of my coworkers, and headed to happy hour. you can't go wrong with $2 beers and munchies. headed home for a second, then went to my old workplace to meet up with my old coworkers to go to rosamunde. sausages (and beers), holla! it was delicious. and we laughed about lots of things.

i love my new coworkers, but man, the one thing i do miss about working in the mall is the people i used to work with.

the end.

oh, and expect a fun scrappy announcement+giveaway tomorrow.

let it happen (7/30)

2011-06-20T22:47:00.000-07:00

it was 84 degrees here in san francisco today. EIGHTY FOUR degrees, people! this almost never happens here, except for one or two days each year. we are used to foggy summers, not temps in the mid-80s. i almost don't know how to dress myself when it gets this warm!

it's funny because i grew up in LA, and 84 is normal over there. so are 100 degree days in the summer. in two years, my definition of hot and cold have definitely changed dramatically - i now think 60 is "normal" and 70 is "hot."

anyways. my day started bright and early at 8am because i had a shoot before work at crissy field. it was super hot even at that hour! i had a little bit of time to kill before i had to be at work, so i tried to take some outfit pics there, but the lighting failed me.

it was so warm that my boss thought there wouldn't be much to do, so he let me go an hour early. i decided to take advantage of the sun, but ended up downtown and took the rest of my outfit shots in a random alley near my old workplace.

top: h&m. skirt: bcbg (thrifted). shoes: rocket dog. necklace: forever 21. earrings: charlotte russe.

detail shot of my shoes:

i threw on this outfit because...it was the first thing that i could think of at 6:30 am? haha. i needed a short sleeved top so that i didn't need to put a cardi on top of it, and i knew i wanted to wear a skirt instead of pants. probably not the best attire to be wearing while trying to snap photos while chasing around a one-year old baby, but oh well.

apparently, i looked very business-like, because when i walked into work my boss said "why are you dressed all business-like?" haha.

day off tomorrow. i think it will involve the beach. my boss always talks about how he is going to the beach on his days off when it's warm, and i point out that it always gets warm right before i have a day off, but when i finally don't have to work it gets cold again. not this time!

on a sunday i'll think it through (6/30)

2011-06-19T23:19:00.000-07:00

spent the day in japantown with some friends and didn't take official outfit photos, but got some fun pics!

this umbrella backdrop in one of the malls there just might be one of my favorite photo backdrops, ever...

me trying on an umbrella with my look in one of the stores (i think it was at daiso, which i mentioned a few days ago)...

cardi: forever 21. dress + belt: forever 21. shoes: h&m. bag: target. necklace: forever 21

wow, am i really wearing that much forever 21 here? lol.

we spent the afternoon browsing the fun shops (and buying a bunch of little things that we don't really need, but decided to get anyhow), browsing the japanese fashion magazine selection at kinokuniya - i walked out with a couple of them. i've decided that i quite like japanese fashion mags - they tend to feature outfits that i actually WOULD wear, and sometimes they come with cute little tote bags. (they ARE expensive, though). my mom is going to japan next month, and i asked her to bring some back for me!

we also ended up taking ridiculous sticky pics at pika pika.

because that is how we roll.

extrasupervery (4&5/30)

2011-06-18T23:02:00.000-07:00

didn't get a chance to post yesterday's outfit, so doing a double outfit post today.

yesterday:

cardi: gap. top: kensie girl. skirt: urban outfitters. boots: target. necklace: forever 21.

i had to go into work earlier than usual yesterday (fridays are my early days). usually, it's pretty cold and foggy at 8am and i am FREEZING, but it was pretty warm yesterday so i decided it was a skip tights/leggings day.

after work, i had a shoot in golden gate park (my first in awhile - i almost forgot how it feels to be behind the camera, lol). of course, by the time i left work, the fog had started rolling and it was freezing AND windy. just my luck. pfft.

funny/embarrassing story behind the skirt: i was supposed to have dinner with a couple of my old coworkers on one of my days off, a few weeks ago. i decided to kill some time downtown near my old workplace by shopping - i think i was lured by an anthro sale, because that's where i found myself. i dropped something, bent down to pick it up when i heard "riiiiiiiiiiip." that didn't sound good to me, so i looked at my backside - there was a hole in my skirt. i quickly tied my jacket around it, and since i didn't find anything that tickled my fancy/went with my outfit at anthro (but i think i ended up buying the cardi from the next outfit), i headed over to urban and found this skirt in the sale section. good for me because i had been looking for a dark pencil skirt. i the price tag said $19.99 or something, but when they rang it up, it came up as $9.99. sah-weet.

this is today's outfit:

cardi: anthro. dress: forever 21. leggings: jaques moret. shoes: rocket dog. necklace: forever 21.

got to sleep in today, but i was still pretty tired and knew it would be a crazy day at work, so i wanted to throw on something comfy. hence, the leggings/dress/cozy cardi combo.

i've been getting a lot of compliments on my necklaces lately from customers, including these two. the one i wore yesterday has been a big hit. wanna know a secret? all but maybe 2 of my necklaces are from forever 21. you can't beat super cute necklaces for like $7 a pop!

anyways. day off tomrorow. whatever shall i do? so many things i WANT to do that it's hard to choose! lol.

where no one knows my name (3/30)

2011-06-16T22:12:00.000-07:00

cardi: wet seal. top: anthro. pants: h&m. flats: payless. belt: thrifted. necklace: forever 21.

it's day 3 of my 30 for 30 challenge, and i've failed in my self-imposed shopping ban.

i walked into gap today to find a father's day gift for my dad, and walked out with a pair of skinny dark pants for myself instead.

the good news is, they were $10 (50% off sale items, holla). the bad news is, i completely fail at self-restraint.

in my defense, the pants i'm wearing in the above photos seem to get bleached every time i'm at work. they have at least 3 bleach spots on them.

sooooo....i think i am gonna cheat (again, i FAIL) and switch out these pants with my new pants.

anyways.

i got this top from anthro on sale several months ago, and i had yet to wear it even though i have been dying to. this is why i included it in my 30 for 30. i kind of forgot that this is a button-up instead a pull-on top, and hastily threw it over my head this morning, wondering why it was so tight. i also ended up popping off a button, which is when i realized that it was a button-up.

again, FAIL.

i didn't have time to sew it back on before i had to run out of the door, so i just strategically placed a belt over it.

so i was looking through my outfit photos for the day and came across this one:

it proves my point from yesterday. oh well. i had to laugh, though.

in other news, i have the travel bug again. i'm thinking chicago at the end of august (it involves another concert. different band, same story). thoughts?

a mastermind in time (2/30)

2011-06-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

cardi: gap. dress: cotton candy (via ambiance). belt: thrifted. shoes: payless. necklace: forever 21

so i've had this cardi for about 2 weeks now (it's supposed to be a pale mint green, by the way. the color does not photograph well). i've worn it maybe 3 times now, and i've put it through the wash alreadsy. today, while at the bank for work, i noticed the guy standing at the next window staring at my side. i got all self-conscious, then reached for my side when i felt this plastic thing. it was the security tag.

um, how did i not notice this until now?

i headed back to work, all embarrassed, and finally pried it off with a pair of pliers because i was determined not to head back to gap to have them do it for me. it left a miniscule hole, but oh well.

anyhow. i am trying to take outfit photos in places other than my backyard (although most of the time, i'm too lazy to figure out another place to do it except there), but i needed to hit up japantown after work today so i took these there. i'm starting to get sort of good at finding somewhat hidden spots that i can take my pics at where a bunch of people won't stare at me thinking "who is this weird girl taking pictures of herself?" i'm always scared that someone is going to end up discovering me even in my hidden spot and start judging me. because if i were some person randomly passing by and finding me taking pictures of myself, i would judge me. lol.

so i hit up daiso while at j-town. it's basically an awesome japanese dollar store (well, almost everything in there is $1.50. in japan, everything is $1). that store is like target. you go in for one thing, and you end up throwing a million things in your cart that you don't need. it's like crack.

oh well, at least i got myself some organizers and plastic baskets that i really needed.

you feel like paradise

2011-06-14T21:47:00.000-07:00

pardon the brief interruption to the 30 for 30 outfits today as i am posting something for the everybody, everywear festivities. i didn't really get out of the house much today anyway (except to run errands and i my outfit wasn't all that interesting).

i wore this outfit to work sometime last week. i was on a mission to wear stuff i knew i wasn't going to include in my 30 for 30 before the challenge started - the skirt and the cardi in this case. the black lace top *almost* made it into my 30, but i ended up cutting it in favor of a third dress.

(yes, i thought this skirt required some twirling action).

cardi: old navy. top: h&m. tank: old navy. skirt: old navy. tights: target. boots: target. belt: forever 21. necklace: forever 21.

this outfit might as well be called the "look what i found on clearance at old navy" outfit because half the stuff i'm wearing here is stuff i found on clearance at old navy. the cardi (which is a tan stripe, i know it's a tad hard to see because it's pretty subtle) was something like $8, the skirt $4, and the tank i wore under the lace top (it NEEDED something under it) was $3.i really love the skirt, though - i love the orange, and the fun ruffles!

i've been loving the lace trend but i haven't actually incorporated much lace into my wardrobe because this is apparently the only lace item i own. shocking, i know! i may have to break my "no shopping during 30 for 30" rule and buy myself some lace!!

i am having a reeeeaaaallly hard time fighting the urge NOT to go shopping anyhow. i blame it on the fact that it's payday on friday and i haven't gone shopping in a while since i used up all my monies to replace my laptop when my old one died last month.

my 30 for 30: 1/30

2011-06-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

i'm participating in kendi's 30 for 30 challenge. i've followed along with other bloggers who have participated in the challenge in the past and have been impressed with their remixing skills, so i knew i definitely wanted to participate in this round. which means i will be wearing only 30 items from my closet for 30 days, and (trying to) not go shopping. that will be the the challenge, but i think i need it.

here's what i wore for day 1:

cardi: forever 21. top: mine. skirt: bcbg (thrifted). tights: target. boots: target. earrings: charlotte russe.

was supposed to have the day off and therefore have a relatively chill day and recover from a fun kayaking adventure yesterday (more on that later) and a super looooong week last week. my plan was to sleep in. i woke up to use the restroom and while checking the time on my phone, i had a voicemail from my coworker who was sick. so being the very nice person i am, i ended up going into work today.

i threw one the first thing i really wanted to wear, which was this yellow cardi. i like the yellow + grey combo, so i threw on the grey ruffled blouse, and my new favorite skirt, which i found at goodwill for $5 - from bcbg, tags still attached. SCORE!

anyhow, i waited til the veeeeery last possible minute to pick out my 30 items then ran out of time to post them, so here they are, FINALLY, in all their glory:

9 TOPS:

top photo (L-R): h&m, anthro, kensie girl, the limited (thrifted)
bottom photo (L-R): mine, forever 21, thrifted, forever 21, banana republic (crossroads)

2 DRESSES

(L-R): forever 21, cotton candy, forever 21

3 PAIRS OF PANTS:

(L-R): gap, h&m, jaques moret

6 CARDIGANS:
(yes, SIX. because it NEVER stops being freezing here, even if it's summer)

(L-R): anthro, gap, gap, h&m, wet seal, forever 21

6 PAIRS OF SHOES:

(clockwise from top): target, h&m, payless, rocket dog, thrifted, target.

i tried to include items that i tend to wear a lot, along with some pieces that i don't wear very often but always mean to, and also tried to include a bit of variety - some fun atuff, some stuff that goes with everything. we'll see how it goes

this holiday review

2011-06-10T23:48:00.000-07:00

my friend alice says i have a signature outfit: cardi, dress, leggings (or tights), belt, boots and necklace.

you know, something like this:

cardi: urban outfitters. dress: forever 21. leggigs: jaques moret. boots: target. belt: forever 21. necklace: forever 21.

i suppose this is true. i just have to say: when you are in a rush in the morning/too lazy to think about what to wear, throwing on a dress + cardi + leggings (since it is still cold here) + boots, and adding a belt and necklace is the easy, foolproof way to get dressed.

it's funny because every time i throw such an outfit on, my coworkers tell me i look cute. or ask me if i have a date.

HA - i wish!!! nope, just me being lazy.

codes and keys

2011-06-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

birthday weekend is over and i'm back at work. i took it easy the last couple of days, and played hermit so i am FINALLY starting to feel better. even though my coworkers were able to get me out of the house to take me out to dinner on sunday, i threw on a comfy, cozy outfit.

cardi: anthro. tank: old navy. jeans: gap. boots: target. necklace: forever 21.

i got this cardi at anthro for $20. twenty bucks, people! my theory is that if you find something at anthro for $20, you buy it. doesn't hurt that the cardi is super cute. and totally soft and cozy and comfy. i got it maybe two weeks ago, and i've worn it 4 or 5 times already. the weather here in san francisco hasn't quite gotten the memo that it is june and rainy weather with temps int he 50s is totally unacceptable, but that's how it's been lately. also, i'd been under the weather lately, which meant that i kept throwing this cardi on.

i kinda love it.

anyhow, i mentioned that my coworkers got me out of the house for a birthday dinner. we hit up roam for some delicious burgers.

i mean, truffle fries and avocado in a burger? with a salted caramel shake? YES PLEASE.

mmmmm....

and, to prove to you that i HAVE been scrapbooking - a layout to share!

for pink paislee.

twenty six.

2011-06-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

and here is my birthday dress/outfit:

dress: forever 21. cardi: gap. heels: thrifted. necklace: forever 21. headband: h&m

i meant to take more photos than this, but five minutes into my photo shoot, it started to pour. OF COURSE.

i went birthday dress shopping with my friend vanessa and couldn't make up my mind after i tried on like five dresses. so i took photos of me in all of them and made her choose one for me. this was "the one." i also got the cardi on sale at gap for somethign like $12 - perfect since i was dying to get myself one in that color!

kicked off my birthday festivities last night with lots of delicious food, great company, and awesome (or not?) karaoke. unfortunately, i've also been under the weather all week and i don't think the karaoke helped, grr. today, we are going to get some afternoon tea and eat fancy little sandwiches with out pinkies pointing up, all while wearing our finest floral outfits. you bet photos will follow.

some snapshots from last night...

truth: i have the best friends in the world.

excuse the abscence as of late...my laptop decided to die on me soon after i returned from seattle so i'd been computer-less! i finally got myself a shiny new one yesterday...happy birthday, self.

lucky denver mint

2011-05-22T19:52:00.000-07:00

seattle was AMAZING.

i completely fell in love with the city - perhaps because it has awesome food and, more importantly, COFFEE! - and would even consider moving here if it didn't rain so much up there (it's gloomy enough in san francisco for me, thank you very much).

i did take a ton of photos to chronicle my seattle adventures (and brought out my "real" camera for a lot of them!), so this i'm just warning you that this will be a photo-heavy post :)

so this is what i wore the day i flew out (i also worked a half-day that day, so this is what i wore there, too):

shirt: thrifted. skirt: express. boots: target. tights: target. belt: thrifted. necklace: vintage.

this skirt is a tad longer than what i usually wear (i am still debating whether or not i kinda get swallowed up in it), but it has a semi-swingy shape that i kind of love. i even did a tiny twirl in it, heheh.

well then. on to trip photos!

i got to fly out of the new terminal 2 at SFO - i ended up getting a 20% off voucher for virgin america, and that was part of the reason i decided to even go to seattle in the first place. it was pretty awesome - lots of cool art type things, and plenty of good food (which i sadly didn't get to eat much of - next time?).

joy ended up picking me up and we hung out for a couple hours (sadly, forgot to take a photo with her! shucks - next time!). first stop - space needle!!!

it was sooooooooooo clear when i got there - the first thing i saw when we landed was mt. rainier which looked soooo close! that meant perfect views from the space needle (part of the reason why i wanted to do it first. the other was that it was open late).

i also got lucky because i flew in right before sunset, and by the time i got to the needle, the sun was about to go down but there was still light out. i had contemplated doing the day/night ticket, but there was no need, because i got to see seattle in the light:

and dark:

and mt. rainier made an appearance in both!

the next morning, my first stop was pike place. i conveniently stayed in a hotel about 2 blocks away, so i made MANY stops here! the weather was super perfect that day - 72 and sunny!!!

sooooo much good stuff...

made a stop into the original starbucks just to see it, and ended up getting a latte because i was caffeine-deprived and the line wasn't too bad (i had originally planned on getting a latte at one of the OTHER places on my list. oh yes, i am a coffee snob these days).

had something like 3 breakfasts while at pike place - including at piroshky piroshky and donuts at daily dozen.

also at pike place, i took a trip out to the gum wall. it's apparently the second germiest attraction in the world (i wonder what the first is), but i was super amused by it. it was totally AWESOME and gross at the same time!

took my outfit photo (sort of) in front of it...

cardi: h&m. top: kensie girl. skirt: forever 21. belt: thrifted. shoes: thrifted. necklace: forever 21.

oh yes, you better bet it was warm enough to wear a short skirt...in seattle!! i had planned to wear boots, but decided it was too warm out!

after a stop back at the hotel to drop off the extra goodies i picked up at the market, i headed out to lola. i was determined to hit up a tom douglas resto (or two), and was actually planning on dahlia lounge, but it was still before 11 and dahlia wasn't open yet. so lola it was.

it was delish - i had a pork kebab thing (lunch started 10 minutes after i got there). i also had a ginger mint spritzer (kind of like a mojito without the alcohol, and with soda) - super refreshing!

i decided i needed to walk off my four meals before noon, so i hoofed it all the way to capitol hill for some coffee. i heard from several sources that vivace had the best coffee in town, so i went there first.

i was gonna stop by another place but i got lost (twice) trying to find the place, AND i got distracted by a crossroads (yes, i ended up buying stuff. oops). i had also wanted to stop by top pot for donuts, but completely forgot as i was trying to find my coffee. argh. next time?

went back over to seattle center to walk around. i did wanted to go to EMP, but figured i wouldn't have time for it to really get the full experience, so i settled for a photo in front of it instead.

headed back downtown, went back to the hotel, changed and walked allllllll the way down 1st, from the waterfront, through pioneer square, in front of the stadiums, and through sodo, to the showbox sodo to see jimmy eat world.

oh yes, this was the other part of the reason why i decided to fly out to seattle. don't judge me. it was completely worth it, and not only because the show was pretty epic! soooo glad i made it out to seattle because i really did have an amazing time - this just added to the whole experience.

anyhow.

ended up chatting with the band again after the show, and got pics with all 4 of them. (i've done this before, and i have gotten a pic with the entire band, but i'd never actually gotten a pic with all of them on one day. nor had i ever gotten a pic with tom). ended up talking to jim for awhile...i am always so taken aback by how down-to-earth and just NICE he is (they all are, but especially him). it's really refreshing. oh, and apparently, he remembers me. erm. yeah.

the next morning, i finally did make it to dahlia lounge for breakfast!

this french toast was pretty AMAZING. i also wanted to get his doughnuts, but was waaaaaay too full for that. oh well. another one on my list for next time.

headed back to pike place to pick up more goodies (at le panier). it also was raining that last day, which made this seem more like typical seattle.

next was the olympic sculpture park. it was pretty awesome - and i loved this wall inside the visitors' center, that i had to snap some outfit photos in front of it.

cardi: forever 21. top: mine... pants: h&m. boots: target. necklace: forever 21

there were lots of cool sculptures all around, and it was a nice little walk, but i loved the ampersand thingie.

headed back up to capitol hill for some more coffee - this time at stumptown.

i wanted to stop at another spot or two, and then make it out to top pot, but i got lost - AGAIN - and ran out of time. sadface.

last stop before heading to the airport was dahlia bakery. mostly because i wanted that coconut creme pie. i ended up getting the teeeeny tiny little bite-sized ones - delicious! i want more when i go back! also got a chocolate truffle cookie to go, and have been munching on it today. soooooooo good. i wish i bought more goodies!

such an amazing weekend. i loved seattle - i didn't want to leave. i am sure i will be back, very soon!!!

the time i would spend with pictures i would not send

2011-05-18T23:07:00.000-07:00

the sun is back here!

cardi: ann taylor (hand-me-down). tunic: forever 21. jeans: gap. boots: target. necklace: forever 21. belt: thrifted.

am i the only one loving bird patterns on clothes lately? i quite adore this top. i almost bought another super cute top with birds on it (with navy blue, pink and purple on it which is another plus!) - i didn't get it at that time, but i am reeeeeally tempted to go back and get it.

but seriously. bird prints. love.

so i decided that i wanted more bolder necklaces so i've been on a statement necklace buying spree (mostly from forever 21, hah).i got this one over the weekend. it was super cheap, and i liked that it was pretty simple (yet bold at the same time) so it went with almost everything.

the only problem? it clinks and makes noise. a lot of noise. sort of like a bunch of tags on a puppy's collar.

every time i walked, it was like i was a puppy. i even started annoying myself after awhile.

i still love it anyhow.

also, what i did this evening: fancy carnie food at straw!!! fried foods, lots of cheese, funnel cake, tater tots, and donut burgers? OH YES PLEASE!!!!!!!

my friends and i split a bunch of stuff, but my favorite thing by far was this chicken & waffles sandwich, complete with raspberry jam.

it was EPIC.

anyhow.

i'm off to seattle tomorrow evening. if anyone has any suggestions on things to go/see/do, pass them along! i am trying to do as much as possible in a very short 2-day span. i have barely had time to think about these things, and i finally started yelping/looking through guidebooks last night.

oh yes, i am a last-minute gal. that's just how i roll.

say it's possible

2011-05-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

the rain is back here in SF. it's also freezing. i thought that we were approaching summer, not reverting back to winter?

apparently not.

oddly enough, i'm flying up to seattle this weekend, and the weather forecast says 70 and sunny for the time i'm there...yay!

anyhow. the weather is keeping me from outfit photos the last couple of days, but here is one from over the weekend.

cardi: forever 21. top: old navy. jeans: delia's. shoes: target. necklace: forever 21.

super casual...perfect for a lazy weekend :)

i got that striped shirt at old navy a few years ago and i love it. those jeans are from delia's. like everyone else, i got the delia's catalog in the mail but i hadn't actually been in an actual delia's store (none in california!) until i went to austin a few months ago.

i ended up getting these jeans because they had 26" inseams. i don't really own flare/bootcut jeans because even the short sizes are too long (and even some kids' jeans!!! who knew 12 year olds were so tall?!), so i was quite thrilled that they had such short inseams. i got them on sale too, no less!

the sad part? they are still a tad too long. but nothing a pair of wedges can't fix.

anyways. is it thursday yet? i am super excited to get to seattle!

you say goodbye, i say hello

2011-05-14T00:35:00.000-07:00

so today was my last day working in a mall. this is what i wore:

cardi: target. dress: cotton candy (via ambiance). leggings: forever 21. boots: target. belt: thrifted. necklace: vintage

i'd been working in a ginormous mall, in the heart of union square (where all the ginormous flagship stores are) for the last 8 months. it was dangerous - so tempting to spend your paycheck there!

i recently accepted a promotion at our company's other store, and i start there next week. part of me was like "YAY no temptation to spend my entire paycheck shopping." the problem is that the other store is on a street with a bunch of cute boutiques. my friend alice had been telling me about one of said boutiques, ambiance, saying that i MUST check it out because they had tons of cute stuff.

i was in the area on my day off last week, so i decided to stop in. ooooomigoodness, she was right. TONS of cute stuff.

i managed to only walk out with this dress (on sale, no less!!!) and an adorable pair of flats that i could wear to work (i haven't actually worn them yet, though). but i seriously wanted to buy out the whole store.

i am soooooooooooooooooooo screwed. sigh.

anyways. this is my outfit from yesterday...

cardi: m. klein (from japan). tank: target. pants; h&m. flats: payless. belt: thrifted. necklace: forever 21.

i've had this tank for about 3 years now. i briefly thought about getting rid of it, but decided i still kinda liked it so i kept it. besides, that coral color is trendy right now, and i love the print. it's kind of summery and fun! i usually wear it with yellow, but i decided i would switch things up a bit and went for the blue cardi. i like!

i also got to see leila broussard and terra naomi last night...they are both quite awesome and have pretty amazing voices!!!

it was my second time seeing leila (accidentally discovered her at another show), and i hadn't ever heard of terra (but she was apparently the first big youtube star?), but i really enjoyed both girls.

got to chat with and take a pic with leila too. she's awesome.

got everything and you can just choose it

2011-05-10T00:29:00.000-07:00

i'm behind on outfit photos lately. the fog and wind is back here in SF - it's chilly!!! i think i need to suck it up!!

here is one, though...

cardi: wet seal. top: old navy. skirt: h&m. tights: target. boots: wet seal. necklace: vintage. belt: forever 21

um, is it kinda embarrassing that i still sometimes shop at wet seal and that i have two items from there in this outfit? what am i, 13? don't judge me. they have cute stuff....sometimes.

anyways.

i love the salmon + navy blue trend i keep seeing and i think i've been wearing it fairly often as well. i love that color combo, though! i added the yellow necklace, which i got at a vintage shop in austin, for another pop of color and a bit of fun. i love that thing...when i saw it, i knew i had to have it because the yellow was calling my name.

hope y'all had a great mother's day. i didn't get to spend it with my mother since i didn't fly home to LA (i had to work saturday), but i did send her a box of chocolates. and this layout went up on two peas today as part of their connecting with creativity event...

it's kinda crazy how much my mother and i are alike, because i never would've admitted it when i was younger.

anyhow. busy week ahead - last week at my current job...i'm getting transferred next week (and it comes with a promotion). and in 10 days, i will be in seattle! woot!

doesn't that make us the perfect pair?

2011-05-07T02:09:00.000-07:00

my cinco de mayo outfit:

dress: urban outfitters. cardi: gap. boots: target. necklace: forever 21

i didn't wear this outfit to work earlier in the day, but i decided to change into it for dinner and cinco de mayo festivities. of course, when i decided to bare my legs is when it started to get cold again. hmph. i almost never wear my hair up, but somehow i was in a ponytail kinda mood. woot.

i heart this dress. i had spotted it at urban and thought it was quite adorable, but kind of forgot about it until one day i was browsing the sales racks (we have a huge urban downtown that has a huuuuge room full of sale stuff) and found it. it was also an additional 50% off sale items so it came out to less than $10. SCORE. i love when that happens. you can't go wrong with polka dots, strawberries, and cherries, right?

had the day off today, and FINALLY gots my hair did. i kinda love it...

let's just say that i have SUPER THICK hair and that it gets super heavy - fast. it was starting to be a pain the last few months but i couldn't figure out how to cut it, or was busy, or both. finally decided that it was bothering me too much and made an appointment. i only got 2 1/2 inches or so cut off (i told her i wanted to go shorter than that but she said this was a good length, so whatevs), but it feels sooooooo much lighter. i swear i just lost 5 lbs without dieting. awesomeness.

however, all that hair on the floor afterward was pretty crazy. even with only 2 1/2 inches cut off.

cardi: uniqlo. top: thrifted. pants: h&m. shoes: target. necklace: forever 21.

after that, i stopped into a boutique my friend kept talking about (and bought comfy shoes for work ANDDDD a cuuuute dress on sale. but i'm in trouble because they have SOOOO MUCH CUTE STUFF!), stopped at sephora, stopped into work to get my mom a gift (ooooh, chocolate! never fails), then went to see something borrowed. okay, so that movie got super terrible reviews, but i kinda liked it. my favorite part of that movie? JOHN KRASINSKI. he had the funniest lines. and i adore him.

i mean...how could you not love jim on the office? can someone please find me a jim? pretty please?

also, tomorrow is national scrapbooking day. two peas is having a garden project hop, and my layout is a part of it!

go check out all the fun here, post comments on the projects, and be entered to win a prize!!

anyhow.i should perhaps go to bed now because.

tuesday, wednesday break my heart

2011-05-04T21:18:00.000-07:00

this is what i wore yesterday:

cardi: forever 21, top: thrifted, skrit: h&m, tights + boots: target. belt: thrifted

yes, that is laundry hanging on a clothesline that you see in the background. my landlady apparently was drying her sheets and blankets when i went out to the backyard to take my outfit photos, and i liked how they looked so i just went ahead and used them as a background. don't judge me. i'm just glad that she didn't come outside while i was taking the photos, because that would've just been awkward. super awkward. just sayin'.

so i got this top at out the closet for half off and it ended up being less than $3. out of the thrift stores that i stop into, i tend to find the best deals at out the closet. i love this city because it has so many thrift stores in general, but i have the best luck at out the closet. the cardi is a yellow one that i FINALLY hunted down after looking for one forever! i wear it, like, all the time now. don't judge me. the skirt was pretty cheap from h&m, and is super soft and comfy.

i was hoping to go another day without having to wear tights, but when i was getting dressed for work in the morning it was super cold. pfffft. they lied to me - AGAIN!

anyways. this is what i wore today:

cardi: express. dress: esley (via ebay). boots: target. necklace: forever 21 .

my boss thought that i had a date today because i came to work "dressed up." nope, this is my lazy outfit. well, actually i noticed that i have been wearing a dress or skirt to work every day for almost a week.

besides, it actually was super warm today. i wore the boots instead of flats because when i checked weather.com to see how warm it was at the moment right before i left the house, they said it was 61 degrees. i went outside, and nope, it was not 61 degrees. THEY LIED TO ME AGAIN! it's kind of like a bad boyfriend that i keep turning to. anyways. today was one of those rare san francisco days when it was actually HOT (but by hot, i mean it was in the mid 70s or so). it's funny because i grew up in LA and mid 70s was actually "nice" (conversely, i thought 65 was "cold." don't judge). now the SF fog has skewed my thinking and i think mid 70s is HOT. i don't know how i'll ever survive 100 degree summers in so-cal again. good thing i don't plan on moving back - ever, if i can avoid it.

i actually took this photos on campus today. i didn't even have class today. i had to pick a secluded spot so i wouldn't get strange looks as i was taking these shots. i think i succeeded.

i got this dress on ebay. i have been finding some cute stuff on there sometimes - for pretty cheap! when i saw this dress - i love the colors, and the wrap detail of the top half - i knew i had to have it. it was something like $15 - score!

also, i know that i tend to wear the same three, very flat, shoes like 90% of the time. this is because my job requires me to stay on my feet all day (and i can't wear open-toed shoes). i have found that i have exactly three pairs of shoes that allows me to do this comfortably. if i have a shorter shift, i will sometimes branch out. i think i need to go shoe shopping. for more comfy, cute shoes!

in other news - i realized that i turn 26 in exactly a month from today. yikes. this year has just gone by waaaaay too fast!!

remember the weight of the world

2011-05-02T21:06:00.000-07:00

it's been super warm out here lately. yesterday was my day off, and i decided that i absolutely HAD to take a walk on the beach.

and by "walk on the beach" i just meant "take photos of my outfit at the beach. haha.

(cardi, tank: forever 21, pants: h&m, shoes: thrifted, necklace: forever 21)

this tank is kind of like my beach top - i seem to wear it every time i go to the beach. it's loose fitting, casual, fun and cute. it just seems fitting! added a cardi to it because it was a bit breezy, and paired it over skinny black pants and wedges.

weather.com told me it was going to be 72 degrees today, so i wore this dress to work and didn't wear tights or leggings. THEY LIED TO ME. it was a tad chilly - the breeze was cold!!

(card: hand-me-down. dress: urban outfitters. tank: forever 21. boots: target. necklace: refashioned from earrings. earrings: charlotte russe.)

i got this dress on sale for super cheap (something like $10) at urban a few years ago and i love it. also, my second sort of "lazy outfit" tends to involve a dress. it's funny because people at work will tell me i look cute whenever i show up in a dress, but the truth is that i was lazy and it was the first thing to come to mind. haha.

and here is another pink paislee layout!

i want my kisses back from you

2011-05-01T14:17:00.000-07:00

so i decided that i am going to keep posting outfits on here. deal with it. lol. at least you get TWO posts from me in one week, right?!

shirt: thrifted, skirt: forever 21, belt: thrifted, tights: target, boots; wetseal, necklace: forever 21

oooooh, primary colors. i think this outfit looked better in my head. i think i ended up changing the belt to a brown one later. i got that shirt for something like $3 and thought it made a good combination with that yellow skirt. i had the day off work, but my boss asked me to come in to talk to him about something (we were going to do it saturday, but he wanted to do it sooner if possible), then i went to happy hour and dinner. good day!

cardi: gap, top: forever 21, leggings; jaques moret, heels: target, necklace; forever 21, belt: thrifted

this is my outfit of choice when i'm sleepy in the morning and don't want to think about what to wear: tunic, leggings, and cardigan. easy peasy (and comfy. i heart leggings. the end). i had originally worn flat ankle boots to work, but i decided to change shoes in the middle of the day. kicked things up with a pair of heels. this is like the only pair of heels i can wear and be comfy. i think i need to train myself to handle walking around in heels better.

oh, and i realize that my necklace is messed up, but i was too lazy to fix it and take more photos.

dress: h&m, cardi: urban outfitters, belt: thrifted, boots: target, necklace: vintage

this is what i wore to work yesterday. oooh, bare legs - are you shocked?! it's actually been nice and WARM here in san francisco the last few days, so i finally decided that i didn't need to wear tights or leggings under this dress. this dress is a little dressier than what i'd normally wear to work but i tried to make it a little dressed down with the cardi, boots and belt. plus, i was in a good mood (received some good news this week!), so why not?! my coworkers said i "looked cute." woot.

i also broke the cardinal rule of photography that says "do NOT shoot at high noon," but i was about to run out the door to go to work, sooooo...whatevs.

anyways. just to prove to y'all that i still do talk about scrapbooking (soemtimes), here is a layout i recently did for pink paislee:

when there's a burning in your heart

2011-04-26T23:34:00.000-07:00

i've been obsessed with fashion blogs lately, and have been gathering tons of outfit inspiration from the gazillions i have saved in bloglines. (some of my absolute favorites are kendi everyday, clothed much, and kristine. or polly, among others).

anyways, i've been taking pics of my outfits lately and thought i'd share.

cardi: forever 21, lace top: h&m, tank: old navy, belt: thrifted, pants: h&m, boots: target, necklace: forever 21

this is my casual weekend look:

cardi: target(from the kids' dept. no less!), tanks: bought in japan years ago, jeans: gap, shoes, target, belt: thrifted, necklace: forever 21

i loveloveloveeeee this blouse - i thrifted it for only $1!! score! i'm not even sure what's on it...i thought it was birds at first, but it's starting to look like flowers? i'd also held onto this skirt for a while and have finally started to wear it!

cardi: forever 21, blouse: thrifted, skirt: h&m, tights: ???, boots: target, belt: forever 21

i've had this shirt for ages and am starting to love it again...

cardi: express, shirt: target, pants ("treggings"): h&m, flats: target, belt: thrifted, necklace: forever 21

i love yellow + red + grey:

cardi: forever 21, shirt: kensie girl, pants: h&m, shoes: vintage, belt: vintage, necklace + earrings: forever 21

this was my easter outfit (i wore my easter dress to work!). i was suuuuper tired in the morning because i was recovering from uh, an interesting night so i wanted something that i could throw on quickly and this was that.

cardi: wet seal, dress: old navy (kids dept! don't judge me!), leggings: forever 21, boots: vintage (from austin)

felt like being super girly. ignore the fact that i look preggers in the left photo, the wind was blowing up my top - it was super blowing strong AND freezing.

cardi: express, top: mine..., pants: h&m, flats: target, earrings: charlotte russe

boho casual?

cardi: ann taylor (secondhand from reyanna!), top: thrifted, jeans: target, shoes: thrifted, belt: thrifted, neclace (hard to see): forever 21

most of these photos were snapped in my backyard. they are also doing construction on the house next door, and apparently they took down the fence that separates our house from their house so the contractors have more room to work? or something? (they are basically gutting the entire house and rebuilding). i had no idea about the fact that there was no separation. when i went out to take an outfit photo on saturday, i walk out, set my camera on self-timer, walk out to pose...when all of a sudden, i see a group of chinese contractors sitting there staring at me while on their cigarette break. ugh.

i've also set up my shots with random people passing by, probably thinking "why is that girl taking a photo of herself in front of this random wall?!"

but i've been having fun documenting my outfits, and this helps me experiment and branch out with my style...soooo....i think i will start posting outfits on here from now on.

at least it will (hopefully) help me blog on a regular basis again, right?

the kids don't stand a chance

2011-04-08T00:27:00.000-07:00

the other day, i realized that i had less than two months to go until my 26th birthday (holy crap, this year is going way too fast). which made me think of this layout i did last year, right after i turned 25...

i wanted to see how i was progressing on said list...

1. cook at least once a week.
EPIC FAIL. i almost never cook anymore!

2. do a layout a day for a month.
i haven't done this yet, but i still have 2 months, right??

3. start another photo-a-day project.
i'm doing project 365 again. so far, so good...i made it through the first 3 months, and am continuing into this month!(yes, i do need to post the photos from the last week or so...)

4. go on a REAL vacation somewhere.
DONE - went to austin! just booked a ticket to seattle for the end of may, and toying with the idea of heading to the east coast again (this fall, perhaps?)

5. go to a dodger game - at dodger stadium.
was hoping to do this last summer, and it just didn't work out. am hoping to do it this spring...perhaps i need to schedule my next visit home around the dodgers' schedule, since it always seems like they are NEVER playing at home while i'm in town!

6. organize all my scrapbook stuff in some way that does not involve stacked boxes.
FAIL. working on this though.

7. learn illustrator.
haven't done this...but i want to! was going to take a class but didn't. next year? this will probably end up on the next list.

8. acquire more camera equipment/upgrade
i'm about to. i just need to pull the trigger.

9. grow photograpically
i'm always trying to push my photography out of my personal comfort zone. i think i've definitely seen it grow the last year, but there's still work left to do...

10. start submitting scrapbook layouts for publication again on a regular basis.
i really, really, really need to do this!!!

11. eat more vegetables.
fail. i'm trying, though!

12. go to the asian art museum, finally.
done! i want to go back though, i didn't get to spend nearly as much time there as i wanted to...

13. blog at least once a week.
EPIC FAIL.

14. go to a concert. or two. or several.
ok, this i have succeeded on...i've been averaging one or two shows a month since i started working in august: something corporate, she & him, jimmy eat world (multiple times), matt hires, ingrid michaelson, lifehouse, dashboard confessional, josh ritter, joshua radin, lenka, greg laswell...and others i'm forgetting, i'm sure. coming up in the next few months: the new pornographers, iron&wine...and more!

15. experiment more.
definitely trying to!

16. re-start my etsy shop.
ideas brewing my head, very little time to execute them. i need to get moving on this...

17. start skating again on a regular basis, and re-learn spinning.
i NEED to get in a groove again, but it's hard!!

18. play with the diana.
FAIL. i still haven't finished an entire roll of film, yet.

19. make friends.
SUCCESS!! i am so lucky to have made amazing friends in the last year...ones who make me laugh, let me indulge my foodie side and that i can count on. i am so fortunate to have them.

20. invest in a nice pair of boots that will withstand the rain
i don't know if i've necessarily invested in a pair that fits this criteria...but i've invested in a few pairs that i LOVE! i should buy myself rain boots, however...

21. read a book a month.
not quite reading a book a month...i was at one point, but there was a lull. i'm reading regularly again, though! currently reading juliet, naked by nick hornby.

22. hike to marshall's beach.
planning on this once the weather gets warmer. was just talking about this with a friend yesterday, so hopefully soon!

23. bike to sausalito.
um. nope.

24. buy a sewing machine and learn to sew.
i wanna!!!! i am hoping that i will get myself a sewing machine for my birthday!

25. take more walks.
i do this once in awhile. i should do it more often.

26. stop thinking so much - just DO.
working on it!!

i've crossed lots off this list, but so many left to do, too!!! at least i have twomonths left, right? oops, less than three months now...and i have things that i definitely want to put on next year's list!

and some layouts to share since it's been awhile...

these were done for two peas:

and these for pink paislee!

American Crafts Blog Hop

2011-03-17T07:55:00.001-07:00

welcome to my stop on the american crafts blog hop!

i LOOOOOVE all of the new lines, but my favorite might be peachy keen. i love the beautiful color combo, the soft floral prints, and the vintage motifs! one of my favorite embellishments in the release might be that fun camera details sticker. sooooo cute! i created this layout using peachy keen, using a gew of my favorite patterns from that line (i so wish it was fabric and that i could wear it in dress form, haha!) along with the camera sticker, rose brads, and delights flowers. i paired it with a photo booth photo of us being silly to go along with the camera/photo theme.

i'm giving away an assortment of a couple of fun AC products, past and present. to enter, leave a comment here telling me what your favorite thing is from this new release. you have until midnight PST on monday, the 21st and i will draw a winner on tuesday! (be sure to leave your email address!!!). (internationals are welcome to play if they can pitch in for shipping.)

be sure to check out the next stop on the hop - celine navarro

23 magic, if you can change your life

2011-02-27T20:17:00.000-08:00

whoa, i haven't updated in a while! for good reason though. been here, there and everywhere...including super warm austin, TX to visit the lovely reyanna!

it was absolutely pouring (and freeZING) in the bay area when i left...

check out the difference in weather in austin! i didn't want to leave - and go back to the (almost literally) arctic :(

soon after i arrived, i had my first meal in austin - a fried avocado taco. yes, that's how i roll!

we walked around 6th street - where all the nightlife is. we walked into a piano sing-along bar, and the entertainment was, uh...interesting. LOL.

the next day, reyanna and i headed out for some shopping and delicious afternoon tea.

did more shopping the next day on south congress, and picked up an AWESOME pair of vintage boots for only $32! i model them and a vintage necklace that i got there too...

i got them both here. the dress is from old navy, though (in the kids' department, no less. haha)

while on congress, we headed to big top candy shop for some cream soda. yum :) the decor was super fun too!

since austin is the "live music capital of the world" (see one of the above photos!), i decided that i needed to go to a concert there. as luck would have it, jimmy eat world was playing, and in the end i decided that i absolutely HAD to go see them (along with david bazan). they were awesome (so was bazan), and i got to chat with them again...

ate waaaaay too much during the span of the trip, as well. hit up the salt lick for BBQ...OMG, delicious!

(i even hit up the salt lick in the airport for breakfast while waiting for my flight because i couldn't get enough!)

and on the last night...more tex-mex at chuy's! mmmm!

i almost finished the ginormous place, if you can believe it.

back to reality in the arctic of san francisco. seriously, it snowed on twin peaks! missing the warm austin weather!

thanks reyanna for putting up with my crazy self for 4 days...miss you tons!! xoxo.

on a slightly related note...spring break is coming up and i have the travel bug again...due in part to a virgin america discount burning a hole in my pocket. NY, boston, or seattle? thoughts?

time slips to nothin' and i'm better than i've ever been

2011-01-28T16:48:00.000-08:00

woke up bright and early at 4:30 this morning to make my way to the airport to head to so-cal for CHA. i am pretty exhausted, but i did stop in the convention center and got to see all the set-up of the show floor...exciting :)

anyways, the real reason i was there was to drop off my pink paislee projects, which i can also share with you :)

this one uses the hometown summer line, which is probably my favorite (though, i can't decide). i loved collage press when they were around so i was super excited when they teamed up with pink paislee!! this line is just sooo cute and i love the bright, happy colors :)

i played with some punches and made a little sun...

i also got to play with the daily junque line, which is also one of my favorites. love what the house of 3 girls did with this!! it's super awesome. and those chalkboard stickers?! i flipped when i first heard about those!

i had fun playing with the tissue paper from the line :)

if you're at the show, come say hi! i'll be in the pink paislee booth, pretty much all day the first 3 days :) hoping to sneak away for a teeeeeny bit to check out all the other awesome stuff, though!

i wake up twenty thousand years with every ghost of what i knew

2011-01-26T22:11:00.000-08:00

this past weekend, i headed up to tahoe to play in the snow.

now, it's been a somewhat long while since i've played in the snow. i've skiied a few times and was fairly decent at it. however, this time, i got pressured into trying snowboarding for the first time because we had a couple of first-timers with us on our trip, and because according to them, "snowboarding is more fun."

um, ok then.

we look so ready here right?

i still blame these guys for sucking me in...

so anyway. i bound myself into my board, and started trekking up to the lift. i knew it would be a problem when i just kept slipping and sliding while walking with only one foot strapped into the board. the second sign of trouble was when i got off the lift and literally tumbled in the snow, all while the lift operator kept yelling at me to hurry up and get out of the way...uhhh....I WAS TRYING, HELLOOOOOOOOO!

the third sign of trouble? i couldn't stay standing up on my board for the first 30 minutes.

needless to say, it was a looooooong day of falling and tumbling down the mountain. i started getting the hang of things towards the end of the day, and ended up being the only rookie to make it to the end of the trail, but this photo pretty much sums up my (and june's) first try at snowboarding...

the next morning, i woke up to find that i didn't have enough strength to prop myself up in a sitting position. to make matters worse, i was sleeping in the top bunk and spent 30 minutes figuring out how the hell i was going to get myself out of it. all while leonard walked by remarking, "i'm not that sore." (i should've thrown something at him. not that i had any strength to).

yeah. next time, i think i'll stick to my skiis, even though they may be deemed uncool by the rest of my friends. last time i cave to peer pressure!

heading out to LA bright and early friday morning for CHA. who all will be there? come say hi - i'll be in the pink paislee booth again this year, pretty much through the entire show. speaking of pink paislee...have you seen the sweet stuff they're coming out with this show?! i'll be back to get some of my projects up for you :)

it's gonna break so our hands will be warm again

2011-01-09T01:27:00.000-08:00

we all headed out to the exploratorium thursday night. it's one of the museums that i had yet to hit up in SF, so i really enjoyed it. it's a hands-on science museum and there is a lot to play with there...there was a bunch of stuff that appealed to my ADD side. :) we didn't get to half the exhibits there, though...partially because there is so much to see, but partially because we spent 20 minutes in front of this wall taking random photos such as these...

i think *some* of us had a little toooooo much fun here...

yeah. don't judge.

(i have been too lazy to lug around my "real" camera lately, and have been walking around with a point and shoot. this was one of those times i wish i had sucked it up and brought the big girl camera with me. sigh)

other highlights...

we headed out to the exploratorium
distortion room

this was some sort of mirror and i forget what it was that creates this effect, but i knew we had to snap photos with it.

running around in circles to create upward steam

cool patterned door thingies

ginormous and tiny chairs

LED light art. super cool!

good night. especially because we headed out to NOPA afterwards. delicious! :)

i was swallowing the shine of the sun

2011-01-03T01:02:00.000-08:00

happy 2011!

i rang in the new year with some of my favorite ladies in san diego (one of my favorite places). i am so ready for this year.

2010 was a weird year for me, full of ups and downs. it had a lot of rough moments for me, but i'm going to choose to focus on the positives. there were many new experiences, and new people along the way. i laughed lots, cried lots, ate lots, and took lots of pictures (although i was a bit lacking in the personal photos department). i went to jersey and new york. i turned a quarter century old. one of my longtime scrapping buddies came to visit me. i found a job that involves two things i love: coffee and chocolate. i rekindled my love for live music and saw several of my favorite bands, and even met some of them (jimmy eat world, ingrid michaelson, something corporate). i made fabulous new friends. i learned a lot, both about myself and about everything around me. i survived, i found hope and confidence in myself.

i'm not sure what 2011 holds, but BRING IT ON.

headed back to SF tomorrow morning, where reality awaits me. i've been eating my way through so-cal the last week+, so i think the #1 goal on my list to kick off the new year will be "fit back into my pants comfortably" mission. sigh.

holiday, oh holiday, the best one of the year

2010-12-30T00:50:00.001-08:00

in the midst of all the holiday season craziness at work, christmas totally ended up sneaking up on me and passing me by.

i love san francisco around the holidays. everything is just so festive and pretty :) i didn't get to enjoy it and take it in as much as i would've liked, since things were CRAZY the last month, but i did get to go out and enjoy it some.

we went ice skating in union square...

i'm an ice skating nerd from my childhood wanna-be kristi yamaguchi days. and i adore outdoor rinks. this year, we went skating in union square. to be surrounded by that tree and the ginormous macy's all lit up in the background? perfection. i love the "skating in the city" vibe. i need to get myself over to rockefeller one of these days...

in front of the ginormous tree...

one day, a couple friends called up and asked if i wanted to go with them to drive around to see some christmas lights. i said ok. i had just gotten off work, so i didn't have my "real" camera with me, but i tinkered with my point & shoot and played around with some bokeh...fun!

anyways, i'm finally on vacation and have spent the last week or so in so-cal. what am i doing? to sum it up in a nutshell - sleeping and EATING. seriously. it feels like my pants have shrunken again! my plan is to indulge until i get back to SF right after new years, and then go on a diet of sorts, so it's all good.

hope you had a very merry christmas! i can't believe there's only 2 more days left in 2010!

one of the things i'm excited about in 2011? this. :)

when i find myself oh, on nights like these, like christmas eve

2010-12-21T01:18:00.000-08:00

um, so it's ~~five~~ four days til christmas. when did that happen? i've been so busy with life that decemeber has completely escaped from under me. yikes.

so, yeah. here's my greedy little christmas wishlist. :)

an apron from antropologie. ok, so it's not like i EVER cook anymore these days. so i really have no use for an apron. but damnit, the aprons from anthro are SOOOOOO friggin cute. i'd totally wear one as a dress. seriously. i also love this one and this one and this one (can i have a wardrobe full of anthro aprons. please?)

speaking of anthro, i've had my eye on this top for a while. i looooove that asymmetrical neckline and all the details...

this awesome necklace. really, i want one of everything in her shop, but this one is my favorite. and she really makes me want to get into jewelry making!!

i think i had this purse on my b-day list too. well, here it is again! love that color/pattern...

a yellow coat. a customer came into work not too long ago with a yellow coat, and i just had to comment on it because i have been DYING to get a yellow coat. she said she got it at target - this one is it.

this adorable dress. i love the flower detail on top, and the polka dots!

a fabulous pair of boots. not that i need another pair, but one can never have too many...right? i love these.

...or even these.

a netbook. i don't neeeeeed one but i travel often enough that lugging around my HEAVY laptop is starting to annoy me. maybe i should just get a lighter laptop instead?

a new ipod. because, um, i am constantly having to kick music off my current nano because i have waaaaaaaaaayyyyy too much stuff. i used to make fun of these ginormous 160Gs, but maybe that's the way to go?

lovely earrings...like these. they are simple, but pretty.

.
a cool ruffled scarf.

i kinda like this one too...

i was eying this top earlier, too...

a gorgeous new mug? yes, please!

i want a set of these bowls...only because i love the color combo. HA! (and really, i realize my list is made up of stuff from anthro and ruche).

i saw this planner at paper source and it's quite fabulous. me want.

oh, paper source. you make an awesome calendar.

a knit beret. i lost mine in the rain the other day :(

this smokey eye kit.

ok, i think this list is ridiculously long enough for now ;)

i have sooooo much other stuff to post about, so i'll be back soon, i promise!

the winner is...

2010-12-01T22:27:00.000-08:00

Anonymous said...

A Chemo Free Christmas. Last year, my 11 year old son was in the throws of chemo. This year, he has a full head of hair, chubby cheeks and is HEALTHY. That is what I am truly thankful for and will enjoy every moment of this Holiday Season!

Karen Borges

11/28/2010 8:17 PM

shimelle will be in touch with you shortly!

thanks everyone for entering!

giveaway: journal your christmas!

2010-11-28T12:26:00.000-08:00

can you believe thanksgiving is officially over, and that christmas season is officially here?! um, i'm in denial.

one of the things i'm excited about this december is shimelle's journal your christmas class. in her words -

Every year, Journal your Christmas includes daily prompts from the 1st of December to the 6th of January, the twelfth day of Christmas. The 37 illustrated PDF files are delivered straight to your inbox so you can read them over your first cup of coffee and mull over each topic for a full day. There’s also an archive of the class materials online in case you can’t get to your email or in case something dreadful happens to your computer. And like every year, you can go it alone or be as social as you like, with a private discussion forum where you’ll find other Christmas journallers who will cheer you on and share your excitement, but if you prefer to stick to the prompts only, that’s completely fine too. And like every year, if you’re participated once, you can join us every Christmas for as long as you like at no extra cost.

In addition to ideas for writing topics and styles and notes on photos not to miss, the 37 prompts include more than 300 scrapbook pages to inspire your crafting creativity.

Every year, I change it up a little to make sure there is something new for those of you who keep coming back. This year, those goodies include:
…By request, the return of the photography focus. 37 talented photographers share their tips and examples for taking your best photos throughout the holiday season.
…A brand new digital kit, including 50 papers, 5 full alphabets, 20 square and 20 rectangular page templates, 20 square and 20 rectangular quick pages and more than 100 embellishments. We’re talking crazy amounts of stuff, and this will be available for you to download on the 15th of November, two weeks before the start of class. If you’re a paper scrapbooker, much of this kit is suitable for printing out and adding to your book.
…A selection of step-by-step crafting tutorials for Christmas projects and journal embellishments.
…An online chat party to get things started at the beginning of December.
…Bonus workbook for bloggers with special holiday blogging tips and resources.

sounds cool, right? you can sign up or find out more about it here.

she was also kind enough to give me a spot to give away here on my blog, so leave a comment here about what you're looking forward to most this christmas season and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE leave your email address so i can have shimelle get in touch with you if you are the winner!!! i'm looking forward to spending time with friends and family, and i'm looking forward to hitting up one of the awesome outdoor ice rinks here in SF). you have until 9am PST to enter!

fell down, found love but i can lose it again

2010-11-09T00:16:00.000-08:00

some recent scraps...

from the garden the last few weeks:

a KI challenge, to use all the colors of the rainbow...

a random one, just cuz...

hoping for more scrap time this week!

you call me a mountain, i call you the sea

2010-11-02T18:19:00.000-07:00

sometimes, i really, really miss these people...

(photos by my friend patrick, whom i made come play paparazzi for the night, since i was too lazy to do it, hah).

well, i always miss them. but some days more than others :)

went to so-cal last weekend for a visit home. it had been a while. got to catch up with some lovely people, some whom i hadn't seen in over a year. i haven't laughed that much in so long. it felt so good catching up, and i miss them something fierce right now. looking forward to next time :)

also ate a ton of good food, discovered i had gained 7 lbs since last time i was there (mostly due to my job, i'm sure. more about that later), drank a bit, and had a ball.

i love living in san francisco, but damn, sometimes i miss so-cal. mostly due to these people... ♥

saw ingrid michaelson last night immediately upon my return. more on that later, she's fantastic :)

blog hop winner

2010-10-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

....drumroll......

Shawna said...

I love blues at the moment. Great layout!

thanks everyone for playing along :)

somewhere over the rainbow...

2010-10-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hello & welcome to the my stop on the KI Memories Blog Hop Over the Rainbow!

The KI Memories Design Team is hosting a Blog Hop this week to show you all the wonderful things we’ve been creating with KI Memories products. In case you didn’t know, the Over the Rainbow Collection will be arriving very soon at your favorite scrapbook retailers. We have been busy creating with it and want to show you!

I've had this idea for how iId use the glitter cardstock in my head since I first got my hands on it. I used my donut hole punch to go along with the donut theme here :) I punched a few borders with the punch, and used them interchangeably with some of the quick strips. I added little bits and pieces of stickers and paper bits for a fun layout!

Be sure to check out the entire Blog Hop this week for a chance to win at each stop! We’ll randomly select a winner from the comments on each individual blog, as well as the KI Blog. That’s 12 chances to win!! Entries will close on Sunday, October 17th at 11:59pm CST. Winners will be announced on Monday, October 18th both on the KI Blog and the individual blogs.

Here's what you need to do:

Leave me a comment here telling me your favorite color of the rainbow! (mine is currently yellow!)
Leave a comment on the KI Blog for another chance to win.
Leave a comment on the other DT members' blogs....the next stop on the hop is Jennifer Johner and Lisa Dickinson on Thursday, the 13th!

it was always half invented, but the other half was good

2010-10-02T00:10:00.000-07:00

oh.
my.
word.

last night pretty much made my life.

i saw jimmy eat world play at the warfield and they were amaaaaazing. the venue is only a few blocks down from work, so i just walked there after i was done and ended up being the first one in line (that never happens to me. ever). i had to amuse myself and deal with countless weirdos (i was in the tenderloin, after all) for something like 4 hours, but it was completely worth it. front and center. i've been lucky (and perhaps crazy) enough to end up in the front row at the last few general admission shows i've been to, and seriously, once you end up against the railing, you can't go back.

i saw them a few years ago at a radio show. the band i wanted to see most out of that lineup was spoon, who was awesome, save for the fact that i couldn't enjoy their set since i was super annoyed at being trampled by the crowd (seriously. WHO MOSHES TO SPOON?!?!?!). i noticed that JEW was on the lineup, and thought that was cool and that i wouldn't mind seeing them, but i wasn't expecting much from them. except they ended up blowing everyone else out of the water and stole the show (completely stole the show from modest mouse, who headlined that night. they were...weird and just kind of ehhh). i'd been dying to see them again and finally got to yesterday.

they played a good mix of stuff from all their albums (from clarity on), and played most of my favorites - "for me this is heaven" made me swoon, "goodbye sky harbor" was epic, "23" was awesome (and probably my all-time favorite JEW song), and "blister" rocked. they played a few of their songs from their new album that came out a few days ago, which i'm really digging as of late (it's got hints of the clarity days). jim adkins totally gives it his all... he completely gets into it. you literally see the sweat drops fall (it's kinda gross yet kinda awesome. but if that isn't passion...!). i'm not kidding. the crowd was into it too, which always makes for a good time. so to say i had an awesome time is an understatement.

until this happened...

um, i met the band.

i decided to attempt the waiting by the bus thing because, well, i'm not even sure why because i wasn't reeeeaaaallly expecting them to come out. i just felt like it? so i braved the cold for over an hour, the crowd dwindled to about a half dozen people, and then zach, the drummer walked out and had a short chat with us. then rick, the bassist walks out, and HOLY CRAP it's jim adkins. i almost fainted. i wasn't expecting anyone to come out really, but i was especially not expecting jim to come out. but he did.

and he was super awesome. he and rick stayed out talking to us and having conversations with us for like 20 minutes. jim was super sweet, VERY gracious and very down-to-earth (they all were) and it was a completely amazing moment. every other time i've met a band, it's been enjoyable but kind of rushed since i've always been surrounded by a gaggle of people (as much as i love the guys from lifehouse and think they're awesome in person, this has been the case with them), but OMG we were having actual conversations with these guys. and it was JIMMY EAT WORLD. i've loved this band sine high school, and have related with a lot of their songs in one way or another (their music speaks to me). completely worth the 4 hours in line, and waiting an hour after the show in the cold.

best. night. EVER.

so i turn into a 12-year-old teeny bopper every time i go to a concert/meet a band, but damn, i love it.

(they've been taking pics of the crowd at every show and posting it on twitter, so i swiped this photo from them. try and find me!)

/the end.

i'm on my feet, i'm on the floor, i'm good to go

2010-09-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

i am ridiculously excited about this today.

SEI has been one of my favorites since i first started scrapbooking, so i am honored to be on their design team. i remember loooooving granny's kitchen and stockpiling on those alpha stickers since i loved them so much (i think i used them on every layout in the beginning. lol). over five years later, i'm still in love with the lovely patterns and fun products.

some new pages showing my SEI love...

another thing i'm ridiculously excited about this week? jimmy eat world on thursday!

:)

to make sense of it, make it last

2010-09-16T23:18:00.000-07:00

dude, september is just flying by. it's mid-month already?!?! sheeeeeesh.

anyhow, here are some scrappy creations from recent days...

these are all done for the garden...

this next one was for last week's weekly challenge...

i also have a LO on the AC blog, so go check it!

life is busy but good :)

so anyway. i keep listening to jimmy eat world's clarity (the album) over and over again. i loooooove this album so much. and i want to see them when they play here at the end of the month.

have a good one!

when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for awhiel

2010-09-01T21:08:00.000-07:00

a couple scrappy shares...

this went up in the garden this week! as soon as i saw those sassafras whimsies cards, i knew that this was what i would do with them. i went with a "12 things you should know about me" layout, and this are those things:

1. My Japanese gets worse and worse as I live longer here.
2. I can't function without coffee.
3. I am dying to go back to Japan and New York City.
4. I'm a klutz...I'm constantly tripping, running into things, falling into ponds...
5. I talk about food - a LOT!
6. I love the Office, Dexter, 30 Rock, How I met Your Mother, and Gossip Girl...
7. I'm kinda hooked on Twitter.
8. I love San Francisco, but I hate the fog.
9. I've been called an "energized shutter bunny"
10. My last name is pronounced ilke "EKG."
11. I like playing iwth paper & glue.
12. I'm an only child. James says I'm spoiled. I disagree.

and here's one for KI -

with some photos i took of madelyn when i visited breanne in april :)

and holy crap, how is it september?!?!?!?

been busy as of late...school's back in session, still doing photo shoots, among other things!

have a good one :)

this is because i can spell confusion with a k and i like it

2010-08-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

the post title is a tribute to andrew mcmahon and something corporate, who i got the chance to see last night!

(snapped with my phone. i literally ran out the door and forgot my camera, woo.)

i remember picking up "north," their second album about 6 years ago, randomly because it was on sale for like $7 and the cover looked cool. i was on the way to vegas with amy. i remember popping it into my CD player then being pleasantly surprised. i loved the piano riffs and just loved his lyrics. "konstantine" became one of my all-time favorite songs - it's so beautiful. then andrew went on to jack's mannequin (which i didn't know about - i kept asking "what happened to soco?" until i happened to be at a dashboard confessional and jack's mannequin happened to be the opener).

this summer they are on a reunion tour and i made the very last-minute decision to just GO. it was completely worth it and i had an awesome time. and hearing konstantine live?

SWOOOOOOON. it pretty much made my life.

i also met him :) (and half the band) THAT definitely made my life.

it's been a summer of fun concerts :) got to see they might be giants and rogue wave for free over the weekend. it was like camping out in the woods because of the way the venue is set up and because there were SO MANY PEOPLE, but both bands pretty much rocked my world!

and earlier this summer, i got to see lifehouse again! they pretty much rocked my world again. kris allen was also there, he was adorable.

did that page for 2Ps.

can't wait for them to be on tour again this fall...and for some other fun fall concerts (i'm thinking vampire weekend. or jimmy eat world.)

god, i love live music!

well you'd like to think that you were invincible, yeah

2010-08-21T00:08:00.000-07:00

i had a SUPER duper foodie week last week. once in awhile, i get an email from someone asking for my recommendations on things to see/do/eat in san francisco, so i thought i'd make this post so that i can refer people to it. since i went to a lot of my absolute favorite SF food spots and discovered some new favorites at some point last week (mostly occurring last weekend), i thought now was a good time :) another one on touristy things to do around the city will come soon (like whenever i get around to editing the many photos from nadine's visit last month. yes, i'm slow. don't judge.)

so 7x7 magazine (a local magazine) has a big eat SF list - a list of 100 things to try before you die. it's updated yearly. i'm not sure i'll get to all 100 during the year, but am trying to get to as many spots as i can :) i got a bunch crossed off last week! and some places i'd been to but don't like what they're recommending, so i'm just crossing it off the list anyhow.

ok. to begin.

kp was in town from NYC early last week, so may and i had lunch with her. we hit up the slanted door, which is a pretty well known vietnamese fusion place.

may ordered the pork chops (and the milk ice dessert), which was delicious. kp and i got noodles and kind of just shared them. the crab noodles happened to be on the list when i went to check it later. go us. they were delicious as well, and so were the steak noodles! definitely wanting to go back at some point!

here's a group photo that i stole from may:

(ok that was off-topic. moving on)

amy came into town for the weekend to visit dan (her boyfriend, duh), and leonard (dan's friend from high school and his old roommate) hung out with us also. anytime she's around it's time to EAT. the first night she was in town, we went to a giants game and leonard offered to pick us up on sandwiches from ike's on the way.

their sandwiches are pretty insane and really unique. the 7x7 list has the menage a trois on it, but i went for the we're JUST friends and since i'm not crazy about what's on the former, i'm just going to cross ike's off the list. too bad they're shutting down the SF location soon too, boo.

after the game, we went to candybar for dessert and drinks. i first heard of and went to this place while nadine was in town, and i was able to score a groupon-type deal for it. we really enjoyed it and i was glad to be back! i got the strawberry lime this time (top left photo), and the other three pics are from last time (flourless chocolate cake, red velvet, and panna cotta).

the next day,we headed to the ferry building for lunch. the ferry building is one of my favorite food spots in SF...everyone who comes into town, i take them there. mostly everything is grab and go style (except maybe the slanted door and marketbar), relatively inexpensive (again, except maybe the slanted door and marketbar), and GOOD. i've never had anything that WASN'T good at the ferry building.

i got some lemongrass and pork from out the door (which is the cheaper, takeout version of the slanted door), leonard got a proscuitto sandwich from the roli roti stand at the ferry building going on outside (every saturday morning). it happened to be on the list - i didn't know about this until he got it (after waiting in line for 40 MINUTES), so i'll have to try it at some point! the rest of the people in our party got a seafood breakfast burrito at the fish company which they said was also delicious. see, can't go wrong with anything. other favorites of mine from the ferry building: the pot pie from the golden gate meat company, delica, treats from miette, and lattes from blue bottle coffee, which i waited in line for 30 minutes that morning. no lie. SO worth it (if you follow me on twitter, perhaps you've heard me raving about it).

afterwards, we roamed chinatown and got some egg tarts and buns at one of the bakeries there but i don't have any photos of them. we intended to hit up golden gate bakery, which is supposed to have the best egg tarts in the city (also on the 7x7 list), but they were closed that day. boo hiss. MUST go back. especially because i'm trying to find spots in chinatown to use for shoots :)

we then hopped on a cable car and headed out to ghirardelli square, where we stopped into kara's. it's my favorite cupcake spot in the city, but i prefer the marina location because it's less crowded. speaking of the marina, a new place called susiecakes opened up fairly recently, and i am liking their cuppies as well!

then we headed out to fisherman's wharf. normally i really hate this area, but even this bitter local to admit that the bread bowl clam chowder there is delicious, especially on a chilly day (which is always)...

the next day was a SUPER delicious day. we started off in the mission, where we waited in line at tartine:

we got the morning buns, which are super popular and also on the 7x7 list. they are kind of like a cross between a cinnamon bun (but not really) and a croissant, with sweet orange glaze and cinnamon sugar. YUMMMMM. we consumed those on premises, and got some bread pudding (also supposed to be good), lemon tarts (which are on a separate 7x7 list) and eclairs (leonard's recommendations) and ate those at various other points during the day (the bread pudding was scarfed down while we were eating ice cream at bi-rite, the tart and eclair at a starbucks in sausalito later int he day).

then we headed next door to pizzeria delfina. i'd been wanting to try it for awhile, so it was the perfect opportunity. their margherita pizza is on the 7x7 list and it was super tasty. yum yum. we also ordered the proscuitto pie, which was also yummy!

next, we headed down the street to bi-rite creamery for ice cream. the best part about the mission? a. it has LOTS of good food, and b. a lot of it is clustered together in the same few block radius.

i first tried the salted caramel during nadine's visit and i officially declared it the BEST ICE CREAM EVER. i still stand by that. it's also on the 7x7 list. prior to trying the salted caramel, i'd triad and was fond of the orange cardamom and lavender honey. really, anything is good here but the salted caramel is the best.

we then decided to drive out to sausalito since it was a nice day and amy had never been on the golden gate bridge. on the way, we picked up these chicken wings from san tung (also on the 7x7 list, and recommended by amy's friend in san diego)...

we at them while on the "beach" at fort baker in marin. they were also delicious! dan said they were his favorite thing from that day. they sure were good...the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. yum.

then we walked around, headed out to sausalito, grabbed some coffee and ate our tartine desserts (as mentioned earlier), and headed out to our first dinner...

yes, you heard me right. FIRST dinner. we had originally wanted to go to an asian seafood place for crab, but since we drove around for over 30 minutes and STILL could not find parking (one of the annoying parts of SF), i suggested we go to kingdowm of dumpling. this place was a block away from my first place after i first moved to san francisco, and is literally a hole-in-the-wall. but their dumplings, especially their pork and corn ones, are quite delicious. they also have good soup noodles. and the best part about this place? dinner almost always ends up being under $10 a person. wooo!

while there, we decided that we wanted to have a second late-night dinner at nopa, since they are open until 1 a.m. i'd heard a lot about nopa, and even missed the chance to go there while linda was in town last year, and was dying to try it.

we ordered a few things and split them among the table. the best two things: the burger and especially the porkchops, which the rest of us agreed were the best thing we had that day (and even weekend). they are different than your typical porkchops, and kinda is like steak (they as you how well you want it done). but holy scrumptiousness. they are GOOD.

we took a day of rest, the on the last day, we went out to muracci's for japanese curry (the katsu curry is on the 7x7 list).

very tasty :) this japanese girl approves! it's different than curry house, my favorite curry joint in LA (i guess they have on in the san jose area here too) so it's a little hard to compare but i definitely enjoyed it and will be back!

we then headed out to waterbar for $1 oyster happy hour.

delish. and you can't go wrong with $1!!

after that, amy had to leave to go catch her flight, but since leonard and i were in the area of some awesome happy hour spots, we decided to hit up one of them. we had some time to kill, though, so we went to the ferry building and grabbed some cupcakes at miette, which i mentioned earlier.

the cake is really moist. i'm not crazy about the frosting on some of the cupcakes, but these two are probably the best flavors i've had from miette. the pink one is a raspberry one, and the white is a gingerbread, which i had for the first time and really liked.

we decided to hit up chaya for happy hour, and we were joined by leonard's friend andy...

LOTS of good appetizers, from sushi rolls to mussels to some interesting croquettes. everything was really good, and i'll be back for happy hour. i'll just have to order a different cocktail though, mine was pretty much all vodka :)

i felt like exploding at that point. i would say i need to work all that off but will be hitting up the street food fair tomorrow instead :)

looked through my photos from nadine's visit and only took food pics at one place, which i'm also wanting to share. this is from frjtz, which is a belgian place known for their fries. they also have burgers, crepes (which i ordered. we also split a sweet one for dessert), and sandwiches (nadine got an open-faced one).

other places i'd recommend: cha cha cha (cuban-style tapas), suppenkuche (german), farmer brown (fancy soul food. or you can try little skillet, the takeout version. their chicken & waffles are on the 7x7 list but i haven't tried them yet), mama's (brunch. i've blogged about this before. best french toast and omelettes EVER), dottie's, nopalito (it's the sister mexican restaurant of nopa. it's not what i'd call "real" mexican food, since i associate that with mexican food from the ghetto in LA, but their carnitas are bomb), andalu, PPQ (pho/vietnamese), zazie (it's a french bistro and they do lunch/dinner...but i highly recommend the brunch), zachary's (i've raved about this constantly. or you can go to patxi's which is actually IN the city), philz coffee (known as the OTHER good coffee in the city, and it IS good. it's drip style, and individually brewed).

that's all i can think of right now. but that was a novel so it should keep you occupied and full ;)

maybe it's all that we needed

2010-08-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

just sharing two of my newest scrappy creations :)

this is for this week's challenge on the ki blog to use no patterned paper! i'm a self-confessed patterned paper addict so using none of it is really a challenge - that's why i decided to go with it. i used a lot of self-adhesive stuff on here, so it was fun and liberating just to peel and stick instead of measuring, trimming and gluing! used a bunch of the cute new KI goods here, i LOVE the border word stickers. SOOO cute!

this went on the 2Ps garden last week. lots of AC abode goodies...i cut up the paper with the blocks into a littler banner border. more photo booth pics...they are the easiest photos to scrap and so much fun :)

amy was up here last weekend and i had a SUPER foodie weekend and am working on an SF foodie post. look for it :) it will make you hungry, lol. i'm also excited to go to the SF street food festival this weekend and am super duper excited.

god, i love food.

everything we need we've got right here

2010-08-16T13:44:00.000-07:00

one of the items on my "26 before 26" list was "read a book a month." considering it's been summer vacation the first two months of me being 25, that's one goal that i've more than exceeded.

wanted to share some of my favorite reads as of late with you :)

eat, pray, love: i've heard everyone talking about this book for the last few years now and never got around to reading it. i really wanted to read it before the movie actually came out so it went at the top of my list this summer. it took me a bit to get into it, but when i finally did i REALLY enjoyed it and loved it. i love gilbert's descriptions of the places she went to, it's almost as if you're there with her.

my fair lazy
i discovered jen lancaster and bitter is the new black sometime last year and loved it. she's freaking hilarious and i found myself laughing out loud throughout the book. i've since read the next three of her books (such a pretty far is probably my favorite out of all her books), and even got to see her at the borders here. she's even more hilarious in person. anyway, this one is about her trying to culture herself through going to theatre/dance/opera performances, trying out different ethic foods, going to wine classes, etc. she even talks about going tea tasting in SF chinatown and ending up spending something like $800 on exotic chinese teas - she told us that story at her book signing last year and it was funny reading about it again. it's not my favorite of her books but it was entertaining for sure, and had me laughing out loud again.

extremely loud and incredibly close
i was first drawn to this book because of the super awesome cover (yes, i judge books by their covers. speaking of book covers, go check out chip kidd - he's a book cover designer who's also written some entertaining books in the learners and the cheese monkeys, both of which have pretty cool covers). anyhow. i think other people have talked about the book so i picked it up. loooooooved it. so, SO good. the character development is awesome - oskar is such an interesting character. the story is incredibly touching and it's now one of my favorite books ever!

something borrowed
i actually won this book on goodreads a while back but hadn't gotten around to reading it. it's chick lit, super quick and fluffy but i enjoyed it. i like giffin's style. i went and read something blue soon after finishing this one, and liked it too (but liked something borrowed better), and i think i'll go and read more giffin books. she's one of the better chick lit authors, i think.

anyways. that's what i've been reading so far. anyone have book recommendations for me?

here's a link to my good reads profile

what made us think that we were wise and we'd never compromise

2010-08-09T20:15:00.001-07:00

first of all - thanks for the congrats on AC! i'm super thrilled and honored that i get to design for them again!

i posted this on my photography blog and figured i'd share here too. fairs = SUPER FUN!

i'm still making my way through my personal photos from the last few months, and keep finding fun ones to share with y'all. :) earlier this summer, i took a little trip to san diego. while i was there, the fair happened to be going on, amy suggested that we spend an afternoon there.

i love fairs. the colors and the vibe are super fun and perfect for photos. so of course i spent some time walking around the carnival area snapping photos of all the rides!

we got to go on some of the rides (the superslide and the super high swing, which is the first photo) which was fun too!

i ran some vintage actions on this shot. i kinda really love the feel. i'm thinking of putting these as a set of prints on etsy. what do you think? :)

my other favorite part of the fair is the fatty foods. you only get to indulge like this once in awhile, so why not, right? :) hehe. amanda and i split an onion bloom and a turkey leg, which was enormous. both were tasty though :) amy had some BBQ chicken, and felt inadequate when she compared the size of the drumsticks, but then came out the winner when amanda and i were totally defeated by the turkey leg. EPIC FAIL.

speaking of indulgence, fairs = deep-fried crazy foods. so far, i've tried deep-fried twinkies (super delicious), deep-fried coke (it's just deep-fried batter. undewhelmed), deep-fried oreos (YUM), and a krispy kreme chicken sandwich (not fried, but they sell it in the deep-fried booth. this was surprisingly delicious!). the deep-fried item getting all the buzz this year (there's always one every year!) was ....

drumroll...

DEEP-FRIED BUTTER!!

i kid you not. sounds gross, right? yeah, i thought so too. then someone told me that it was NOT a deep-fried stick of butter like everyone thinks upon hearing the words "deep-fried butter" (it would be physically impossible anyhow). it's actually melted butter that's been injected into a churro-type of pastry, which is then fried. it's topped with whipped cream, and served on a bed of more churro thingies.

(the photo on the right is taken by amanda)

the verdict? it was pretty amazing...although my arteries are now clogged for life, and it made me feel lethargic for several hours afterwards.

all in all, a super fun day! can't wait to hit up another fair sometime soon! :)

it's to jimmy eat world and those nights in my car

2010-08-06T17:19:00.000-07:00

hmm...so this is quite exciting, yes? :)
(i heart american crafts so so much).

anyways. here's a recent layout to share. it went up on two peas last week, and it features reyanna.

and one for KI

(speaking of them...my box of goodies from CHA arrived and it is super fun stuff! can't wait to play!)

i can't believe it's friggin august already. july was a bit of a roller coaster month, and i'm kind of glad to be rid of it. hopefully august looks up. :)

it's been a lot of ups and downs 'round here, but i think it's all good, i think. i hope :)

have a good one!

i'm falling harder than a landslide

2010-07-23T18:35:00.000-07:00

it's no question that i'm kindasorta (translation: REALLY) into the banner trend. so i gathered up some american crafts and dear lizzy goodies, and came up with this:

a photo banner! :) it was pretty easy and super fun to make. i printed out a bunch of my favorite photos of me and my girls in a small size and stuck them on here. you can see the banners closer here:

fun stuff. it's currently hanging on the wall above my bed - i've been dying to put some sort of collection of photos up there for the last YEAR, and i've finally got something. hopefully, i'll put up more photos there soon!

have a good one :)

a one track mind like me

2010-07-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

it's been a summer, well actually year, of photo booth pics. i was looking through the pile i had, and scanning them in to post to facebook and noticed that i had lots! it seems like everytime i pass one, i have to jump in one. some fun ones to share...

with judy when she visited in the spring. the huge old navy downtown has a photo booth now, so we jumped in. i like it because a) it's only $3, and b) they give you two copies of the photos!

with breanne (and madelyn!) from the jersey shore :)

the san diego fair with amy and amanda...i have more to blog about this event, but that will be another blog post. let's just say the day involved deep fried BUTTER. ha :)

last week, nadine was here from canada, and so during our treks throughout the city, we jumped in a few photobooths.

from old navy again...

from one of those crazy japanese photo booths. seriously, they are insane. they are super high-tech...and you can doodle, stamp, and add lots of designs to them. and they print with GLITTER. seriously. insane. i had to take a cue from the REAL photo booth pros and add lame phrases such as "cute" and "cool" and "love." HA.

from the musee machanique which has the REAL, super old-school booths. we wanted to do the sepia ones, but that machine would not take our monies :( this black and white one was pretty awesome though!

i'm also noticing that photo booth pics are quickly becoming a favorite to scrap. they're easy to use, i love the small size, and they are super fun! here's one recent LO i did with an older photo strip from a few years ago...

it was for a weekly challenge at two peas to use older product. i dug out my scraps and cut up little banners. i then brought out my little box with little bits and pieces and used up some old embellishments i had lying around (AC plastic stars, anyone? i still love those things!). it was fun :)

have a good one :)

it's an avalanche that looms over our heads

2010-07-06T22:52:00.001-07:00

thought i'd share my 26 before 26 list. the layout went up in the garden last week! used the yummy studio calico documentary collection (can't wait to use it some more!) and made use of a bunch of label stickers i had lying around...

here's the list:
1. cook at least once a week.
2. do a layout a day for a month.
3. start another photo-a-day project.
4. go on a REAL vacation somewhere.
5. go to a dodger game - at dodger stadium.
6. organize all my scrapbook stuff in some way that does not involve stacked boxes.
7. learn illustrator.
8. acquire more camera equipment/upgrade
9. grow photograpically
10. start submitting scrapbook layouts for publication again on a regular basis.
11. eat more vegetables.
12. go to the asian art museum, finally.
13. blog at least once a week.
14. go to a concert. or two. or several.
15. experiment more.
16. re-start my etsy shop.
17. start skating again on a regular basis, and re-learn spinning.
18. play with the diana.
19. make friends.
20. invest in a nice pair of boots that will withstand the rain
21. read a book a month.
22. hike to marshall's beach.
23. bike to sausalito.
24. buy a sewing machine and learn to sew.
25. take more walks.
26. stop thinking so much - just DO.

crossed off #14 (lifehouse, about a week ago) and am failing miserably at #13. i promise to be better at that one.

but i have an excuse for that one. been super busy, with an impromptu second so-cal trip thrown in. lots and lots of photos and stories to share from what i've been up to lately, but i'm behind in editing my own photos. i've been busy editing photos for other people. you can see what i've been up to photog-wise on my photo blog. lots of sharing going on over there :)

have a good one!

why georgia, why

2010-06-18T01:42:00.000-07:00

made it down to so-cal, where it's quite hot.

one of the things i've been up to since i got here: taking some maternity photos for fantabulous paige.

she's completely adorable, super awesome, and a totally amazing scrapper (and her blog is one of my favorite reads), and i had tons of fun with her! she was up for anything, and kept up with all my crazy demands.

so i have a couple of peeks :)

lots more to come later on the photo blog :)

i'm still yours, faithfully.

2010-06-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

i've spent a lot of nights the last few weeks chatting with the lovely reyanna, which has meant a lot more scrapping for me. it's been fun bouncing off with each other, and she's been making me get off my lazy bum, and directing it towards my scrap table.

anyhow, some of my recent creations to share with you...

these were for two peas:

i always struggle with the seasonal theme, because half the time i don't have appropriate photos for said theme and have to improvise, but this time i had the perfect photos and theme - my new york pics! :)

this was originally supposed to be used for a challenge, but there was a mix-up, so it ended up in the regular garden. it's inspired by something i saw on tumblr. yes, hand cut (albeit freehand and very randomly) all those letters.

i had just gotten in an order of stuff right before i created this page...and there were 3 things i knew i immediately wanted to play with: the EK double crochet lace border punch, the jenni bowlin butterflies, and the girls' paperie stickers. so i played. i have a lot of fun playing with product lately :)

this one is for the KI blog. it was for a challenge that i hosted - to create a grid layout.

had fun with the groovy line. did i tell you that i really love the new schtuff? :)

using some crate. i love this stuff too!

this one uses some new papers from echo park paper, a new paper company. they're designed by crystal wilkerson, who used to design digi kits at two peas - she was her favorites and i miss her stuff! i was super excited to hear that her designs would be available in paper form, and even more excited when she offered to send me some to play with! here's the one layout i've done with it so far, but you can bet that more will follow because i am in LOOOOOVE with this line! and it will be perfect for some beach pictures from my trip home, dontcha think?

that's all for now, but hoping to squeeze in some scrapping time this weekend :)

even at 25, you've gotta start somewhere...

2010-06-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

so. i'm about a week into twenty five.

25 things at 25:
1. coffee has become an absolute necessity
2. i eat a bowl of apple cinnamon oatmeal for breakfast every single morning.
3. after taking a trip to the east coast, i've developed an affinity for bagels.
4. i still hate scrabble.
5. sometimes, i get really lonely.
6. i am starting to think that i'm getting old and bitter.
7. i miss so-cal sometimes.
8. i am kind of addicted to cafe world and farmville on facebook.
9. i am starting to have WAY too many shows to watch on TV
10. i miss going to concerts.
11. i have big dreams, but am sometimes overwhelmed by them.
12. i do still kind of want to live in NYC one day. and work in magazines.
13. i've finally become a texting fiend.
14. i loathe the post office.
15. i really like going to brunch.
16. i really enjoy drinking wine. and somehow, i like beer.
17. i miss gilmore girls.
18. i don't understand the ipad - it makes me feel stupid.
19. i really have not kept up with the dodgers much lately. or really, sports in general.
20. i no longer think 60 degrees is "cold."
21. i really want a cute pair of yellow flats.
22. i feel like time is moving WAY too fast for me, and that kinda scares me.
23. my japanese has deteriorated a bit since i moved to SF.
24. i enjoy flipping through wedding magazines, even though i am not getting married anytime soon/
25. i stay up WAY too late some days, but my productivity doubles after 11pm.

birthday weekend was nice - boy and i went up to the cabin. i managed to not take a single photo the entire weekend, how's that for relaxation? LOL. we ate lots of food, took some walks, had a picnic, went wine tasting, and it was *just* warm enough for us to spend a little bit of time in the lake. i came home with tanned legs, woo :)

next week, i'm heading down to so-cal for some time at home. i feel like i can really use that right now. it hasn't been the best month or so for me, but hopefully this will kind of refresh me so i can take the rest of the summer by storm! planning to take a few days in san diego as well, the beach will do me some good. i'm available for shoots as well, if anyone happens to be interested (just email me - the link is in the sidebar over there >>>)

anyway, i'm also working on a 26 before 26 list (the list is done, still haven't done the corresponding layout), and one of the things on said list is "blog at least once a week." so i'll be back soon.

have a good one :)

carry you home

2010-05-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

couple of songs i've been in LOVE with lately...

nashville skyline - "carry you home"
this was on one tree hill's season finale. i actually really dislike the show, but i had it on because i was waiting for gossip girl to start...this song came on and i was in loooooooove. it's been on constant repeat since. and i keep thinking "OTH kinda has good music." this song was written/created specifically to go with the episode.

crystal bowersox and lee dewyze (american idol) - "falling slowly"
ok, so i don't really watch idol either, but i happened to have it on while i was waiting for glee to start (notice a pattern here? hah!) . "falling slowly" is one of my most favoritest songs to begin with, but i fell in love with this cover, and have been rooting for these two since. and of course, they're the finalists. :)

love discovering random tunes.

i know you think that you've been down

2010-05-24T23:41:00.000-07:00

i turn 25 in 10-ish days.

yikes.

so i came up with my annual birthday wish list :) (hint, hint, hint. HA!)

:)

these dresses:

forever 21

ruche

ruche

Publish Post

ruche

lulu's

cute tops:

lulu's

liberty of london for tarjay

forever 21

these shoes:

payless (i actually would've already bought these had i found them in my size...help?)

tarjay
(yes, i've got a yellow thing going on)

tarjay
(it's summer, why boots? you ask? it's san francisco, that's why)

a sewing machine:

amazon

a netbook:

amazon

cute jewelry:

toastjewelry @ etsy

RachelleD @ etsy

jc penney

a new purse:

tagodesign @ etsy

purseona @ etsy

this fabulousness:

everyjotandtittle @ etsy

a romper?

ruche

yeah, i'm kind of ridiculous.

that is all.

i'm not a princess, this ain't a fairytale...

2010-04-30T23:04:00.000-07:00

happy national scrapbooking day! (we have an hour to go until it's midnight, but still). in honor of NSD, here's a big scrappy post with a bunch of layouts i haven't shared here yet...

these were done for prima...the first two were done for a swap with the tattered angels team. i scrapped a pic of me and breanne from my trip a couple weeks ago...i used one of the felts as a mask on the first one, and then cut some flowers from a sheet of paper...

here's a closeup of the masking, you can't really see it in the LO picture above...

on this one, i cut up six 2"x2" squares from cardstock scraps, and used those as masks. i filled in the blank spaces with my title, a bunch of flowers, etc.

this one was done for a swap with the couture cardstock team, and uses a bunch of stamps. i almost NEVER stamp, but sometimes it's fun to go out of your box and play around with them :)

the next 3 were done for KI...the first one for a challenge i hosted last month, to use old favorites :) i used a bunch of super old school KI on this page, like the first colorful line!

the next two use some of the new lines from CHA. this one uses paisley parade...it's super cute, and i love the colors :)

this one using enchanting, which is super pretty! i was looking at these photos, and thought "we look so young"...it was only 3 years ago, but it seems so much longer than that! i wrote about that in my journaling. and sheesh, we are all turning 25 this year.

a couple for two peas. the first one was for the winter theme...i ALWAYS struggle with that, since it's california. the photo is from a cabin trip last year, when it had just snowed quite a bit a week before we got there, and big trees was COVERED in snow. i went with a winter wonderland theme, and sprayed a silver glimmer misted, using the doilies from little yellow bicycle as a mask, and using those spaces for journaling...

this one just went up a few days ago...i LOOOOOVE the clothesline line from little yellow bicycle and thought these clothing stickers were super cute. i took the clothesline theme literally, creating one using said stickers and stitching rub-ons (i really want a sewing machine, damnit).

and finally, my first LO for the crate blog...speaking of crate, they are having an ipod giveaway, involving a treasure hunt for blinkies on the designers' blogs. if you're here for said treasure hunt, here's a hint: you can browse the archives by clicking on the months in the sidebar. the title of the post where the blinkie is hidden has lyrics from a lifehouse song ;)

phew, that was a long post...happy scrapping everyone! i'm hoping to get some of my own done, but we'll see if that happens since i'm hanging out with the boy most of the day tomorrow :)

have a good one!