Fun at the Fair...

My brother and his girlfriend Jennifer came to visit San Diego and we went EVERYWHERE... I've been bad about posting the random stuff we did, but I just went through all the fun pictures and I realized that I have a few postings worth out of all the places we went to.. So much fun! I don't get to see my family too often, usually only once a year during the holidays, but now that I live on the mainland, kind of makes it a little easier. I'm trying to convince the bro to move to SD so we were sure to show them all the cool places and fun things to do in the new town as well as some of the nearby towns (future blog posts to follow). On one of the days we headed to the Del Mar Fair.. errrr San Diego County Fair? Whatever the heck they call it now... The day we went I put all "dieting" aside.. I was looking forward to the fried Snickers! I had never had one before and the thought of it was intriguing.. Probably one of the best things I'd ever had... I don't regret one calorie!!








Oh and the games... We didn't win any of the big prizes.. but I wasn't too sad.. I don't have any place to put a bigger than life size monkey..


The rides were pre-ty sweet.. Definitely like the fair rides because it borders that "dangerous" side with all the creaks.. and we definitely rode the ferris wheel.. an absolute must!






Tarot reading anyone?


I brought along my Holga camera.. check out the vintage pics.. Corn on the cob... duh..




...pretending to be a little kid is sometimes so necessary...

Life in the view of a Holga...

I love my Holga camera, as you've probably heard me say before.. You just never know what the outcome will be until you lift the flap from the picture holder envelope... I must say this is definitely my favorite roll yet... Shot in Fresno, California over Memorial Day Weekend, there was so much on the drive up I wanted to shoot, but those highways can be so dangerous with everyone going 90 miles per hour... The hills off the 5 North were so beautiful it almost looked like a cartoon.. maybe next time I'll be brave enough to do a quick photo sesh off the side of the road for that deserty gritty look.. Until then, these were the shots I captured.. I saw the Cadillac across the street and was dying to use it for some shots but worried the owner would be upset, turns out the owner was at the same BBQ I was at! BONUS!! I ran and got my camera and starting shooting away!!

I usually keep it as true as possible by shooting with the setting at 12 photos per roll.. I have a flash on my camera and typically use it even when outdoors and the sun is out.. These pictures were just "point and shoot" with no added filters or lenses.. perfectly imperfect shots...


This Cadillac shot is my most prized photo thus far...



Channeling James Dean..





Old Town Fresno..


...eye through a vintage lens...

North Park/Hillcrest Neighborhoods...

I love venturing out in new cities so I can get a good grasp of my surroundings and know all the hidden gems of what a city holds to find all the best places to eat, drink, and play.. It's super helpful when friends and family come to visit and you can show them a good time and all the awesome fun stuff to do.. (I'm secretly enticing everyone to move to San Diego for my own selfish reasons.. I can't help I want them near me!). I wanted to specifically spend a day seeking out the goodness of North Park... which then lead us to Hillcrest.. my absolute new favorite. I may need to look into purchasing a house in this wonderful neighborhood.

Pictures you say?? Of course...

The first thing on our mind most of the time is food.. So we chose to eat at Urban Solace.. I'm secretly a southern girl at heart and L.O.V.E grits.. I spent some time in Texas, South Carolina, and Florida, so this girl knows good grits.. Urban Solace put a huge smile on my face when I opened up the brunch menu and staring at my face was the grainy goodness.. I die!! Did I mention I really heart their Ron Burgandy artwork?!





After filling our happy bellies we decided to "wander" the neighborhood, walking up and down University Street and 30th. Such cute boutiques of all kinds fill the street sidelines.. What do you think of this store window? Could YOU pull off leg warmers as a male?




A few random pics for your pupils...






We stumbled upon one of the greatest walls ever and it happened to be on the side of an Urban Outfitters.. Ironically enough, the outfit I had on for the day mostly consisted of Urban Outfitters.. isn't it always awkward walking into a store and you're wearing head to toe their label? I don't know why, but this is always awkward for me.. Anyways, I quickly got over it and continued to pose along their wall... NBD..






I brought along my Holga camera and snapped up the rest of the film I had in there from a previous shooting sesh... I fall more in love with the pictures it makes each time..





...explore every little crevice of the world one boutique and restaurant at a time... strike a pose to note the memory...

Living With Aloha...

I'm back on the mainland from my long weekend away on the island of Oahu... I didn't realize how much I missed being there.. It is EXACTLY what I needed to get away from the crazy madness life can throw at you.. I was lying on the beach in Waikiki, my favorite local tanning spot, Kaimana, and I was staring into the distance and I had this weird feeling like I had never left.. like the last four months I had been gone hadn't even happened. I love that Hawaii is my sanctuary.. I feel nothing but love when I'm surrounded by the sun, ocean, and the best friends a girl could have..


These pics were taken with my awesome Holga camera.. I love using it, but the anticipation when you have to develop the film kills me!! Some pics I used the fisheye lens and some with a red flash but others are natural light leaks.. I was also shooting with expired film for the extra edge.. Every picture is unique in its own way... Oh lomography.. my new hobby..





Acai bowls after at the Health Bar?! The life..



I love Bambu Two.. I mean who can beat $3.50 martini's?! We kept them flowing the whole night..







Some Apartment 3 debauchery... I love their After School Special which is a grilled cheese with tomato soup.. the stuff will save your life..






A new restaurant opened up called Yogur Story (yes, minus the "t".. it's owned by asians.. go figure)... They definitely need to work on their customer service. From the moment we walked in, they warned us it would be 30 minutes before we could even order since the kitchen was backed up. Plenty of seats.. not enough cooks or maybe it was their lack of kitchen size.. The food was ok.. I think my favorite part of the restaurant is the decor.. Maybe I'll try it again after they establish themselves..








Wow, this is a long blog.. I promise it's almost done.. Mariposa is definitely one of my absolute favorite restaurants.. Brunch there is indescribable.. It's all about detail and appeasing your palette. They start you off with this broth to cleanse your taste buds then come along their ever so popular pop overs (bread - yummy goodness).. I had about 4 of them.. I could barely finish my lunch!!




Morimoto's is to die for, it's inside the EDITION.. the food is so ridic.. The customer service is another issue. If you have a large party, large being 10 or more, they make it a big issue and have you deal with their customer relations person.. this person is not my favorite because when I tried dealing with them for my Birthday back in October they were the worst. I sized down the party to 8 and magically it was ok. Why is it that with every other restaurant on the planet, making a reservation is easy, but with Morimoto's I almost have to beg with a large party? Do they not want the money?! (anyone else have this problem?) Sorry, rant.. The food and decor is what they have going for them.. The pictures explain:





To end the night, we headed to Lobby Bar.. this place is AMAZING.. I've written about them before, but their drinks, in particular the Geisha is a must.. get it if you go..



My first visit back to Hawaii did not disappoint.. EXCEPT for the sun was playing hide and seek with me. Guess I'll just have to book another vacation getaway.. April it is!! Lucky to live aloha.. The islands have such beauty and depth and built in happiness.. It forever has my heart.

OH.. and I got crafty again... Pretty Girl Rock for your face...


...Live life with meaning, grace, happiness, and respect for others and the land we live on.. Aloha Hard..