Obsession: Wedges...

I've been going through this phase where after the day is done and it's time to relax, I plop open my laptop and start researching wedges.. A certain kind of wedge where it's more for winter wear but with San Diego's cold front right now it might as well be December to me.. My skin still hasn't adjusted to the cold and I freeze if it isn't above 70.. Terrible and spoiled I know.. Back to the wedges.. I've been obsessing over the perfect one. On a random mall wandering over the weekend, I stumbled upon the Steve Madden store and saw the beauties they call Annie-L. I love these shoes.. but they have a hefty price tag considering they are still Steve Madden's.. BUT they are the only ones I've really liked so far... Something about how wedges still give you awesome height but are crazy comfortable...

Check it out!



They also have them in black... I may need to get at least one of these...



Ok, so this next pair isn't a wedge, but it's still comfortable shoes that's more geared toward winter wear.. Ok, ok, I admit, I have a shoe obsession.. but who doesn't?! The Troopa...




...The search continues for amazing shoes.. will it ever end?! As long as I can walk, probably not...

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...

Analog.. Rewind to 1985...

I love the 80's... who doesn't?! For the longest time I thought the 80's was the worst decade we'd had in a long time.. I think maybe the 90's were the worst.. please don't bring back acid wash jeans.. I may vomit.. such a blur right? Nothing major other than MC Hammer's pants comes to mind.. But the 80's has made such a comeback recently that it's the norm. In my venture to find good hangout spots in San Diego, one of my favs so far is Analog. When you first walk in, it's not super obvious, but if you take a closer look, old records and cassette tapes line the walls.. Forty's (the cans) are the back splash of the bar. Walk to the other side and they have karaoke blasting from the speakers.. People there are so good it's almost like American Idol auditions are going down. It's a good time being surrounded by such paraphernalia. If you want to time warp for the night, head to Analog.. Their food is pret-ty darn awesome too.. Macaroni and Cheese dish all the way.. Get some..






Remember those folders from school?! Yeah, they're the menus..


Party poses..


I'm warning you.. the following video is completely unedited.. it's raw.. vulnerable... and exhaustingly long.. Don't judge me (us)..


...sing your heart out... make sure it's real...

Melrose Mischievery...

On a trip to Los Angeles we decided to stop on well known Melrose Avenue.. home of trendy boutiques, tattoo shops, and absolute randomness... That road is full of photo opportunities, I couldn't stop snapping away and taking videos.. Sometimes I just need an LA fix of mischievery.. Melrose Mischievery..

We started off grabbing brunch at Toast.. I did have toast in case you were wondering..



Onward to Melrose Avenue... got a little artsy in my photography skills...


The store names have got to be my favorite by far...





We don't like posing very much... like at all..




Artwork... I like the mohawk...


Did you need a sequin and/or ball gown by chance with a pet tiger??


Or how about a giant oven?? No?? Weirdo...


I present to you the official video montage documenting our mischievery...



...friendships, laughter, mischievery... they all kinda go hand in hand...

Pretty Flowers for Pretty Brides...

I just came across the new Florist Grand ad that is in the Hawaii Weddings and Honeymoon Escapes magazine.. I didn't catch it the first time because it was paper clipped, but I happened to remove the paperclip and stumbled upon the new ad.. It looks awesome.. a 2-pager!! Evan Morita and his staff are amazing artists.. I had this pliable metal weaved around my neck and they had flowers placed on it prior to me putting it on.. Talk about creativity?! I would love to see the bride who could don such a beautiful piece... What are your thoughts on a flower necklace for your big day??




...flowers in my hand, flowers in my hair, flowers to make YOU smile...

Long Live the Weekend..

It's ALMOST the weekend.. I guess since it's Thursday I start to get antsy to get the weekend started. My mind running a million miles a minute to get all the "to do" things checked off and also enjoy my time off from work.. Do you guys ever feel like your "to do" list is never ending? I suppose we create our own busy-ness and I love creating it.. I can't ever sit still.. there's always SOMETHING that NEEDS to be done...

Maybe one of these days I can purposely have a lazy morning where all I do is lay in bed with my croissant and illy coffee next to me in a bed sorta like this one with the faux fur..
*Photo via Atelier Turner

Wrapped up in something somewhat representing this comfy madness:


After I've taken my time, partake in an adventure on my hot pink fixie looking at some new sites around town in this little number:
*Photo via Lars Spillman

Here's to the upcoming carefree weekend full of surprises and uninhibited escapades..
*Photo via Brown Dress With White Dots

...what's on your "to do" list this weekend?..

Life of Luxury...

A few months ago I posted about how I did a job for the world renowned Westin Maui at the famed Ka'anapali Coast.. They flew me out to Maui for a night and we did a few shots.. The first night we did a spa shoot with their special water treatment and the next day we shot early morning on the beach to catch Hawaii's natural beauty.. I got a glimpse of some of the pictures.. Check out the final product.. Ahhhhh, to live the life of luxury at a resort such as the Westin Maui..

(picture via)


(picture via)


...natural beauty is hard to come by... quality is key...

Laughter is Always the Best Medicine...

It's March 2011!! It's so crazy how fast time flies.. In about a week, I would have lived in San Diego for 5 months already!!! There are always trials and tribulations when moving to a new city.. going the wrong way on the highway, getting used to the super warp speed limits (vs. the 45 max speed limit in Hawaii), finding new soon to be favorite restaurants, and meeting all kinds of people. I'm always in a rush to figure EVERYTHING out immediately. I try different routes to find the best one, select different restaurants of the same type and make sure I'm getting the absolute best for my taste buds, and seeking out new spots I'd like to day dream in.. Sometimes I have to tell myself to slow down, literally look up at the sky and marvel at the colors. Appreciate the little things.. Laughter is something I love doing, not only is it a way to boost happiness, but it's a great ab workout!!

This baby makes me laugh...


...bring out your inner child and find happiness in the silliest of things..