A Love for Grunge and the First Wendy Darling Jacket

I've always had a love for grunge.

You see, flannel was my best friend growing up. Plaid, my partner in crime. I never went anywhere without a plaid shirt whether it be flannel or not. I wore Doc Martins until they fell apart and my mom had to secretly sneak into my room and throw them out before I made a scene.

I loved the feel of chunky soles mixed with a red flannel—I felt comfortable. I felt like me.

Now at the ripe age of 10-years-old, I didn't know Kurt Cobain nor did I care about trends (well, that has stayed the same). But I still find myself leaning toward a plaid shirt and something leather or ripped whenever I want to make a statement.

As I looked at these pictures today, I noticed there were a few things that I took inspiration from. Like this Stella McCartney jacket and although I was not aware in the moment, I think I must have subconsciously been channeling Bender from The Breakfast Club.

But, my favorite thing about this outfit and this post is that I could finally debut the jacket I made. I wanted to pair this jacket with something different, something bold. I wanted to show that a traditional tartan doesn't need to be dressy or at all preppy. When paired with different pieces such as an oversized shirt and chunky boots, it can give it that grunge look and altogether different expression.

So, although this jacket will be worn with everything from jeans to heels to dresses, I wanted to debut my creation with something different and bold.

I hope you had a wonderful Monday, my friends. And may we all thank Kurt Cobain for putting plaid on the map.

Gotta love boxy silhouettes. 

Photos taken by Brian Loftus

shirt: Free People; lace shorts: Forever 21; boots: Doc Martin's; wool coat: Wendy Darling

Alameda Antique Fair

Today was an absolute magical day filled with sunburned skin, open-mouthed laughs and lots and lots of antique goodies. The first Sunday of every month, Alameda has an antique fair with 35 massive rows filled with vintage clothes, hats, postcards, chandeliers, you name it. To put it in perspective, we were there for 3 and a half hours and only got to row five...

Let's just say there were a lot of oldies but goodies.

Smiley Sirapa.

Gotta love old suitcases.

You know the magnetic words you put on your fridge and create silly sentences? Yeah, this has that beat.

The "artistic selfie" of the four of us. I have a flash for a face. 

The precious sun hat bracelet Sirapa found.

Beautiful city by the Bay.

I made away with a few perfect gems which you'll definitely be seeing in the next few blog posts and it was so nice getting to spend a day with the girls. Only 30 more days until the next antique fair...

But who's counting?

The Perfect Summer Pizza

As I glance up at the title, I'm reminded that summer is packing up, rubbing it's tired eyes, and getting ready for a long, long nap. It's almost Fall which means in San Francisco, it's almost summer here. We've endured the foggy, 50 degree days and nights for all of July and August and finally, some sun! Our Indian Summer has arrived.

And to all my loved ones on the East Coast or wherever you may be, think of this pizza as a toast to Summer as you give her a "sleep tight" nod and greet Fall with a big hug for an old friend.

The reason I really like this pizza is that it has no cheese which for a lactose intolerant gal like me, makes my tummy extremely happy. On top of that, it's topped (pun intended) with fresh, delicious and healthy Ratatouille.

photo source: http://www.cafejohnsonia.com/

Alright, alright. There is one more pretty brilliant thing about this pizza. It's gluten free. I know, I know...I'll say it again for those of us in disbelief. Deliciously. Gluten. Free. And the good news continues...you can absolutely make this non-gluten free. Pizza for everyone!

Making pizzas always reminds me of my Grandma who I used to make sausage pizza with when I was younger. Now, Bri and I have date nights where we pull whatever we have in the fridge and dump it on our pizza like goat cheese (tummy approved), black berries, arugula...and the list goes on.

Oh but that, my friends, is a whole other blog post.

A Jumper and a Circa '67 Baby Blue Beatle

This baby blue Volkswagen Beatle has been parked down the street from us for quite some time now. It makes me nostalgic and reminds me of college when Brian had a baby blue Beatle and I would hold on to the back fender (for dear life) as he pulled me on my long board (sorry, Mom!).

So today, we decided to cease the opportunity and pose with the beaut. I've got to admit, these are some of my favorite photos.

This snazzy little jumper I'm wearing was something I picked up a few weeks ago in a boutique in Sausalito. There's a funny story behind it, as there is with all great finds: I bought it and then went and laid in the grass with my man on the beautiful, sunny day and my poor little jumper ran off with the spoon (or maybe the fork...). It wasn't until we got back to the car that I realized the bag must've blown away. Still, I loved how playful and different it was so I went back and bought it again. It was definitely worth it. And this time, she decided to stay.

Flowers just make everything prettier. 

Goodbye, Beatle! We'll be back! xx

Photos by: Brian Loftus

shirt: Urban Outfitters (old):: jumper: Sans Souci:: heels: Michael Kors:: bag: Tory Burch (old):: earrings: Stella & Dot:: leather jacket: Lucky Brand

Better Than Sex Cake

Don't let the title throw you off.... it may just be true.

Caramel, cool whip, Devil's Food Cake...I mean *come on*! That sounds just about better than anything to me. I'm easily amused.

photo source: Brown Eyed Baker

Yield: 10-12 Servings
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 box devil's food cake mix
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) jar caramel ice cream topping
8 ounces Cool Whip
½-1 cup Heath toffee bits

Directions:

1. Bake the cake according to the directions on the box.
2. Remove the cake from the oven and immediately poke holes all over the top using either the bottom of a wooden spoon, a skewer or a fork.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce, then slowly drizzle the mixture all over the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4. Spread the Cool Whip over the top of the cake, top with the Heath toffee bits and refrigerate again for 1 hour. Serve cold and refrigerate any leftovers.

With the heath bar crumbles on top of the cool whip topping, it will put you over the top. Just like something else I know... dig in!

PS: You can thank Brown Eyed Baker for this delicious recipe...and any innuendos. Okay, okay, the innuendos are all mine. I take full responsibility.

"Should": Your New Nemesis

photo source: http://qsprn.com

As I read this, I am "shoulding" myself. "I should have woken up earlier so that I could've gotten more work done," "I should have gotten more work done so that I could go to yoga tonight," "I should have cleaned the bedroom instead of watching TV"...and the list goes on.

Unfortunately, I find myself doing this quite often. When reflecting on my day, I usually can pick out three things I should've done or shouldn't have done. Rarely is there a day where I don't wish—or think—that I should've done more.

I love this quote because it reminds me to be content with everything I'm able to accomplish—or not accomplish—throughout the day. Finding balance is one thing that most everyone struggles with, but with moderation comes contentment and with contentment comes the ability to stop judging ourselves.

And when looking back, the things I didn't get to were put aside for more important things like spending time with my boyfriend before he goes to work, talking to my Mom on my phone, or meditating.

So going forward, remember to love yourself, even when you don't think you're doing well enough. You are. I promise. And enjoying life's moments is a damn good excuse to shirk your responsibilities from time to time.

Maybe I "should" not be eating these delicious M&M cookies right now, but to be honest, I don't give a damn. And that right there, my friends, is freeing.

Black & Blue

This is one of my trusty shirts. I've had it for years and have worn it 100 different ways. It's soft, comfy, and my go-to shirt when I don't know what else to wear. These pants are pretty much the same way. They go with just about everything and are the best, especially when I've eaten too much In N' Out Burgers (happens more than you'd think!) So I figured, why not put them together? If there's a will, there's a way...

shirt: Free People:: pants: J.Crew:: jean vest: Forever 21:: shoes: Tom's:: purse: Coach:: necklace, earrings, cocktail ring, bracelet: Stella & Dot:: bracelet: Alex & Ani:: glasses: Michael Kors

photos by: Brian Loftus

Hope you're all having a beautiful weekend! xx