Rooftops

 
 
Asos tank, thrifted skirt, New Look sandals, H&M hat
I really love our house in San Francisco. It's on top of a hill and about 15 blocks to the ocean and Golden Gate Bridge so our panoramic views are phenomenal (that is, when the fog hasn't closed in on us). I guess it's hard to believe me since the pictures show absolutely no photographic evidence of said view, but just take my word for it — it's pretty neat. Our house also has rooftop access, which is where these shots were taken. Just another reason my roommates and I really lucked out on this place.

Anyway, what do we think of this denim skirt? I scored it over a year ago, but only wore it a handful of times because I wasn't quite sure how to style it. I only knew two things for sure: 1) I loved it, so not wearing it was not an option and 2) if done incorrectly, I'd run the risk of looking like a not-as-cool version of my mom at my age (she was prettyyy hip). So to offset the frumpy, matronly vibe, I paired it with a cropped tank and heeled sandals. The fishtail braid and hat were added in for good measure and also to drive home the fact that just because I'm wearing a mom skirt doesn't mean I'm not young and hip (or trying real hard to be).

Stink eye

 

Cheap Monday tee, Nordstrom Rack midi skirt, New Look sandals

I spent a day in Palo Alto earlier this month, for no particular reason other than the mild desire to visit San Francisco's southern neighbor. I knew I'd basically be working at a cafe all day, so it was completely necessary to dress as comfortably as I could manage. For me, that usually means cotton t-shirts, sweat pants, or other loose and stretchy articles of clothing. Since I've been wearing sweatpants around the house WAY too much lately, I opted for this navy/black floral midi skirt. It stretches. It's awesome.

The huge skull on this shirt would usually deter me from ever wearing it in public, but it's actually one of the softest tees I own. I figured pairing it with a floral something-or-other would lessen the intimidation factor... but I still had a lot of old ladies give me the stink eye. Shrug.

Fallin' back

 
 
J.Crew sweatshirt, Gap pants, Dolce Vita booties, Casio watch, Raybans
I'm trying to get back into blogging now that I've returned to San Francisco and will be staying put for a while. This past week, I've been working from home which doesn't provide a ton of opportunity to dress up, but I'm slowly letting go of the running leggings & t-shirt life and coming to terms with real pants again. They definitely don't provide as wide a range of movement, but I should probably try to look less like a fitness poser and more like a legitimate adult when leaving the house.


 
 

Speaking of houses, these photos were taken in front of the new place I'm living in with my boyfriend and roommates. We're located at the very top of a hill, so the views all around are fantastic. The area is pretty quiet, lots of older Chinese neighbors doing tai chi or yoga in the mornings (is it weird if I join them?), and Kingdom of Dumpling is just a few blocks away. Can't really complain.

We're currently still fixing up and organizing our bedroom, meaning many trips to Ikea are in store (ugh). However, the boys have been working on their art wall for a few months now, and I expect that to be completed within the next few weeks. It's looking surprisingly good, considering four dudes were pretty much left on their own to pick and choose everything. Kudos, boys.

Basically

 

Cole Haan sunglasses, H&M dress, Franco Sarto flats

So in early May, I came back to Texas for a month-long visit to attend a variety of important early-summer events (graduations, weddings, my birthday). I only packed whatever clothes / shoes fit into a carry-on suitcase and a backpack. It's been a little over three weeks so far and I gotta say, this taste of minimalist living has been quite... refreshing.

My "finely-curated" (aka thrown into my suitcase two hours before my flight) wardrobe has actually been doing me a lot of good. Unsurprisingly, getting dressed is so much easier and I love that I'm forced to get more creative when thinking up different outfit combos. I can't say I'll be disappointed to gain access to my full closet again, but I'll definitely be purging a few pieces that I thought I would miss a lot more. 


What I packed: 2 pants, 3 crop tops, 2 t-shirts, 3 skirts, 2 overalls (one pair are shorts), 1 romper, 1 dress, running shorts, yoga leggings, sports bra, flats & ankle booties Not pictured: bare essentials, swim suit, black heels, 2 sandals, Nikes & climbing shoes

Admittedly, I did make one huge oversight when packing which was failing to realize that Texas summers are just, above all else, really damn hot. Seriously, as soon my plane landed on Texas soil (er, concrete) and I felt the humidity seeping into my skin, I knew I had made a big mistake. That being said, it's understandable that I've worn many, many variations of this outfit. Because you can't be both stylish AND sweaty at the same time, can you?


Oh and here's a bonus, I guess:

Milestones

This was my first full week in San Francisco and what better way to spend it than to have a couple of my best friends from back home come visit me? I'd been convincing them to come to SF since I knew I was going to be moving and it turns out, their visit coincided with the perfect time to help "ease the transition." To be honest, I might have been a lot more homesick if it weren't for them.


 

Bruce has been skateboarding for years (pretty much as long as I've known him) and he was incredibly stoked to scope out some of the skate spots around the city. Jessica loves great food and great photo opportunities (...art majors) and luckily this city has a lot of both. That being said, I was fairly confident they'd love the place.

We did a crapload of things including but not limited to: climbing at Planet Granite, soup dumplings at Kingdom of Dumpling, the Sunday farmers market, Japanese hot pot at Nabe, coffee at Arizmendi & Philz, ice cream at Smitten, storytelling for The Moth, dinner in Little Italy, city-gazing (& freezing our asses off) at Twin Peaks, drinking & hiking in Muir Woods, karaoke in Japantown, etc. etc.


      (I got a couple of outfit shots, thanks to Jess. Also, I suck at skateboarding.)
Me: vintage jacket, Uniqlo linen button-up, BDG high-waisted pants, Zara shoes Him: Dries Van Noten cardigan, J.Crew shirt, Gap pants, Zara shoes

Last, but certainly not least, Hoan and I celebrated our six-year anniversary last week. When people find out it's been that long, we're usually showered with lots of congratulatory praise. It's quite nice, but I can't help but feel uncomfortable and weird when it happens. I guess because, as great as it is and has been (I mean look at me -- I'm a joyous, guffawing fool), being with him for this long hasn't really surprised me. Because that must mean we're doing something right. Right?

Marfa

Vintage dress & bag, Asos sandals, F21 sunglasses

Hoan and I just finished taking a five-day road trip from Austin to San Francisco. Our first stop was Marfa, a sort of art mecca in the middle of the desert. I came here for a work retreat last year and ended up really enjoying the town despite the sweltering days, frigid nights, and seemingly limited number of things to do.

We stayed at El Cosmico, where you have the option to stay in an airstream trailer, teepee, safari tent, or pitch your own tent in one of their designated spots. I'd never stayed in the safari tent before, so we opted for that version of "glamping." While I recommend giving El Cosmico a try, it's definitely not for everybody. I've stayed there twice, so for next time I'll probably stay at Thunderbird instead which is a more typical hotel, but with an equally ~hip and cool~ environment. I'd also recommend going to a Star Party at the McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis. It's about 40 minutes away, but with telescopes, constellations, and cheesy star jokes, you can't go wrong.


 

So for those of you who don't yet know, I'm now officially moved to San Francisco. Leaving my friends and family behind was a huge, huge decision and I'm guessing the reality of this change hasn't hit me yet because I'm not as sad as I thought I'd be; it just feels like I'm on vacation. Anyway, I'm really going to miss Austin (and barbecue, Whataburger, barbacoa, etc., etc.) but I'm really excited to experience what this city has to offer. First thing on the agenda: make new friends. 
(But really, though... hit me up if you're in the area!)

Shortalls

Me: A.P.C. overalls, Tobi crop top, MizMooz sandals, Casio watch
Him: Gap jacket, Odyn Vovk tee, H&M jeans, Vans

I never thought I'd get to see them live, but the moment I realized Neutral Milk Hotel was touring AND coming around these parts, I made sure I got a ticket. After waiting patiently for six months (SIX MONTHS), Nicolai and I finally got to experience the musical brilliance that is Jeff Magnum firsthand. Maybe that sounds like an exaggeration to you. And that's cool. But it's not, I promise.

We dressed pretty low-key for this, and maybe we tried to channel the NMH era that we were too young to remember. I'm not really sure how well we did, but casual overalls, t-shirt, and hoodie sound about right. Throw a Casio in there and it's pretty 90's... Or 90's enough. I probably could've opted for different sandals, but I haven't ordered my Swedish Hasbeens yet. Soon, they will be mine...



The infamous dinuguan aka "chocolate meat"

Before the show, we went to Qui (I've mentioned this place before) to get some happy hour cocktails (which have vastly improved, btw) and so Nicolai could snap a few photos. He's a food photographer around town, most notably for Paul Qui's restaurants, and he was asked to photograph the dinuguan for Qui. The best perk of having a food photographer as a friend? Definitely the free food. And the fact that he's willing to take outfit pics with me. Or maybe that's just Nicolai.



Sigh.

Ramen face

  

H&M mens beanie, Zara parka, BDG jeans, Nike Theas, Herschel Supply Co. backpack

I'm back in San Francisco! I've done this trip so many times, but this plane ride is going down as the second-worst. The worst was when I drank too much at my boss' birthday party the night before my 7AM flight. This time, it's pretty much the same story, except I spent all night at karaoke and having girl talk at loud bars. What is wrong with me?

Anyway, these photos were taken after Hoan and I got some ramen in the Sunset. The food was alright, but the lunch special was $10 for ramen and sushi so I'm going to say it was worth it. After wearing these shoes for a few days, I'm concluding that they're pretty comfortable for casual wear, but I'd probably opt for my Frees when I go running since these were more heavy than I'd like. But that being said, I have absolutely no problem wearing them every day on this trip because I'm way too cold to care about putting together ~chic&classy~ outfits. #whereisthesun