My top 10 of 2010

At least, according to me.

I'm still kinda in disbelief that its already December 29th and another year is about to end. I'm eager and excited to see what 2011 brings my way - but first I thought I'd put together my top 10 things from the year 2010.

Drum roll please... and in no particular order:

Fashion + giving back = excellent.

1) Toms shoes. I guess I kinda joined the bandwagon late on this one, but I'm glad I did finally get there.  My first pair is in red (notice how I said first?) but I may go back for seconds on the navy ones, too. I also noticed on a section on the website that you can sign up to be a shoe dropper. If I had the time and ability, I'd totally do it!

2) Mobile food festivals. Whoever came up with the idea to bring a whole bunch of food trucks into one area, add music and alcohol is brilliant. We had the pleasure of going to one in Seattle and also hit up one in our hometown. I really liked being able to have a sampling of everything in one place. Not quite sure what my favorite has been, though.

who knew birds could be so angry?

3) Angry birds. Genius. Seriously - I can't get enough of this game. I've beat both the season and regular angry birds and I'm really hoping that an angry birds 2 is in the works. But thank you to the creators of this game for keeping me occupied on many public transportation trips and also on long airplane flights. I owe ya one.

4) Ankle booties. I finally mustered up the guts to get a pair from jcrew and I'm in love. They go with everything - and once I added in some arch padding they're perfect.

Take a walk on the wild side...

5) Leopard print anything. Okay, not anything  but... I'm loving the animal print trend.  If you're wanting to try it out, I got an awesome leopard print scarf from H&M for about 12.00 that really has helped me ease into the prints. Plus it looks fantastic with black! I also snagged a leopard print top that I think would look great under a boyfriend blazer with dark jeans. The last thing I'm craving is a subdued leopard print cardigan.

6) The new mac and cheese movement. Mac and cheese + truffle oil = a godsend. Reinventing the classic comfort food has suddenly let mac and cheese grow up from the good old blue Kraft boxes to something that I don't mind eating at a nicer restaurant.

7) Lace. There's something so feminine and gentle about adding some lace to your wardrobe. I recently picked up the above shirt at the gap's sale and I'm really loving it. It adds a delicate touch without being too overboard.

8) Greek yogurt. Another foodie trend (can you tell I like food?) that has become a breakfast staple at my office.  Greek yogurt mixed with honey and some low fat granola is a healthy breakfast that keeps me going. Plus its good for you! My favorite is the Fage brand (that I get in huge tubs at Costco for 5.99).

Skinny jeans plus heels a shirt is a great date outfit.

9) Skinny jeans. Who would've thought that I could pull these off? My favorite pair is from Banana Republic because they have stretch, feel amazingly soft, and wear really well. Plus they usually go on sale for great prices (not that you'd need more incentive to get them, though...)

10) Frye boots. I purchased my first pair recently after seeing them go on sale for a steal. And I am in love (more so once I get them on my feet). The Jane 14L's are stunning and go with everything. A boot jack may help in taking them off but I am so thrilled I was finally able to nab these.

Well for now, that's all folks. I'll probably make one more post on Friday with my list for 2011. Hope you are staying dry and warm where ever you are (I actually typed this from my office wearing mittens. ugh).

Post-vacation round up

Dear blog, I'm sorry I neglected you in times of warmer weather and beaches. Unfortunately I couldn't be asked to do much besides decide whether to sit by the pool or the beach. In remembrance of my vacation which is now sadly over I thought I'd put together a list of a few things that I love when traveling to warmer locations.

Rainbow sandals. You might be thinking holy cow that's a lot for a pair of flip flops - but let me tell you, they are fantastic. I've had the same pair for about 4 years now and I've worn them trekking through Europe, canoeing, and of course to the beach. They are durable, cute, and mold to your feet after they are broken in. I can't get enough of these - and of course with traveling on an airplane they make are easy to remove to go through security lines.

An awesome straw hat.What other than a beach ready straw hat screams vacation? Definitely a necessity when you're sitting in the sun soaking some rays and trying to read. Not only does it shield your eyes but it helps keep your head out of the sun (because scalp sunburns are never pretty). I actually picked one up just like this not too long ago at Norsdtrom in the BP section for around 7.00. Look around - you may find one on clearance during the winter!

A journal to write in. There's something about Moleskine journals that I just can't put my finger on - perhaps its the simple gleaming cover and neat lines, or the way your pen ink looks once you've finished with an entry. I'm particularly addicted to the red ones, but the black ones will always remain a close favorite. The hidden pocket in the back of these make the perfect place to store little trip mementos - boarding passes, stickers, or even a photo from  your vacation.

Maui babe browning lotion. Yeah, I'm pasty white as a ghost. What am I gonna do about it besides try not to burn, right? In comes the answer - Maui babe browning lotion. I tried this out a few years ago and ever since then I've been hooked. I apply it after I put on my regular SPF sunscreen and let it dry. It helps accelorate your tan (and smells mighty good too). Seriously - this stuff works. I have the tanned arms and legs from the past few days to prove it. I know that most ABC and other pharmacy stores in Hawaii sell this, and you can also order from their website. I haven't seen it at that many places outside of the Islands, though.

And last but not least (I think I always save the most expensive for last) would have to be a great camera. I personally adore my Nikon D80 (even though I most definitely pay that price for it). The camera is fantastic - aside from my car it is probably the best money I've ever spent. It takes amazing photos and I can easily switch lenses when I need to get a better shot. My personal favorite lens would have to be the 50MM 1.8f which takes glorious photos that I sometimes can't believe happen to be mine.


Anyway readers - that's my wrap up list. I'll be doing a top 2010 item roundup in the next few days!

Back to corporate america

It has taken me a few months but ultimately I've realized that my current job situation is not quite what I want. So, at the start of the new year I will be relocating back to a company in the financial district. I'm quite frankly thrilled - there's always such huge movement downtown - there's people, places to eat at, coffee shops, and just a buzz that I haven't seen anywhere else (except for maybe New York...). And with a new job comes the fact that my jeans and uggs probably won't cut it at my makeshift desk anymore - and I've dedicated today's post to some of the best things about getting a new job.

Skirts. I am SO inspired by wool pencil skirts with thick tights underneath that I can barely contain myself. I may splurge on JCrew's double serge pencil skirt; however my only concern is what color to get! I'm really liking the navy blue, and I wish I was brave enough to pull off the ochre or dahlia. I think this would look so clean with a nice crisp white button down and a cardigan. Oh the possibilities!




I'm also really liking this shirt from the Gap - and I'm pretty sure if you find it in store it's an additional 30% off! Not bad! I'm not sure which color I like better - the blue or the maroonish color. I think it would go great with a pair of slacks to break up the monotony of looking like a drone.


And of course, I actually couldn't resist picking this up at a private event yesterday (and I had a coupon credit, too). I thought it would be the perfect little accessory to keep my bus card and potential elevator and badge that I'll need for my new building. Plus I could always put some new business cards in them - squee! So excited! I was really torn between the colors but I ultimately ended up with the purple, cause hey, who doesn't love purple? I also really liked the blue and black, too.


And with my new accessory, I'd love to have something big and pretty to put it all in. Behold - the bag of all carry all bags - the Longchamp Le Pliage tote. Totally lusting after one of these in the large size (ahem in bf's direction) just because I'll have the opportunity to walk to and from work again. With a bag this size I'd be able to throw in a change of shoes, an umbrella, a scarf, my agenda, and even lunch. Plus with the strap drop it's a perfect size for me to plow down the streets of SF with. I'm really digging the black, but I also like the navy. Heck, I like all the colors. Hah.

So here's where I turn it over to you - what are your must have's for your job - whether it's an awesome coffee cup, a pair of shoes or an item of clothing. I'd love to hear it from you!

Sunday morning we are off to the beautiful island of Hawaii so the next few posts may come with plenty of ocean photos (especially after a mai tai or two...). I do want to do a vacation beach feature so look forward to me posting that sometime next week.

Until then.... Aloha!

Holiday nails

Readers, I apologize for my absence over the past few days. I came down with a horrid cold that kept me cooped up for most of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I'm still suffering from congestion and a runny nose and cough, so hopefully I'll be better before getting on board that plane on Sunday.

Today I thought I'd talk about something that I love... indulging myself in manicures and pedicures. Seriously - when I look down and see nicely colored nails there's a little part of me that squeals every time. With Dave's holiday party on Friday night, two get togethers on Saturday and then vacation starting Sunday I decided to look into the new gel manicures that have been gaining popularity. It's similar to having acryllics put on but there's no nasty formula that goes with it or ruins your nails - and its supposed to last 3 weeks. So I ponied up my 28.00 (which is cheaper than a manicure a week + tip, mind you) and plunked myself down for a gel manicure.

The process itself took quite a while. It took about an hour because you have to let each layer of polish dry invididually underneath a dryer. So you're looking at 5 layers - your base, three layers of color, and then a top coat. But let me tell you... today is day 5 and my nails still look as if I got them done earlier today. Sure the process is a bit intense, but the major difference is that they were dry right away. Which means not having to worry about smudging or messing up my manicure.

Here's a photo - I quite enjoy this red. It's very similar to OPI's "I'm not really a waitress". So needless to say... I'm happy. We'll see how well it holds up after time in the sun and swimming pools...

And just so this isn't text only - a lovely shot of my hands on day 4. Four!!!! (sorry for the awkard lighting in my office... but there's no chips or anything).

A craving of color

While reflecting on my current handbag inventory (lol) I've come to the sudden realization that I have no more color left. Where did they all go!? Beats me.

Currently I have:
Black MJ large single
Black mbmj flash kelsey
Black jcrew hobo
LV mono speedy
Balenciaga officier RH city
and a few other tote bags.

And so my lust begins. Red? Purple? Green? Orange? I have no idea where to start - or even what to consider! I do love me some leather... so that will of course be my only requirement.

I've never owned a Rebecca Minkoff bag. Her nikki style is pretty cute - maybe if I could find it in a happy bright color.

And orange... of course. Hermes (just a daydream). But wouldn't an orange bag be simply fabulous with a darker outfit? I'm not gonna lie - an orange garden party would be absolutely divine.

So - I'm sorry I don't have any photos today, but any bag suggestions would be great!

Current obsession: Fair Isle.

So even though San Francisco doesn't get anything close to nordic weather (although a snow day would be really awesome) I'm currently obsessed with anything and everything fair isle related. I've rounded up a list of some of my favorites.

Last night at forever 21 with my sister I spied this and I may have to have it. The fair isle hoodie pullover won't break the holiday bank at 32.80. Plus it has a hood - and who doesn't like being able to snuggle down into hoodies in the winter? I really like the color accents on this one - it spices it up a bit instead of just sticking to a blue and white palette.

Also from forever 21 is this fair isle cardigan. It comes in two colorways - grey/cream and light brown/cream. I think I lean more towards the grey/cream one, but at least its good to know we have options. And at just two dollars more than the other one, 34.80 still isn't a bad deal for a cozy sweater. The big buttons and pockets really give it that winter flare. I'm really digging the big collar on this one... in fact I may have to snag this one over the blue one. Oops!

Not feeling the need for a sweater? I spied these cutesy gloves at Nordstrom's in the BP department and they were put on my Christmas wishlist right away. Fingerless gloves are sure to keep my hands (and wrists) warm while commuting every day to and from work - and the added bonus is that my fingers are free to still use my iphone (have you ever tried to use your iphone with mittens or gloves on? here's a tip, it doesn't work. at all.) so I'm still free to text, make calls, surf the net, and listen to music without having to pull my gloves off and on. And at 18.00 if they don't appear under the tree I won't feel guilty going out to buy them for myself at that price.

Over at JC Penney's I spotted this sweater if you want something that will give you a belted look. For only 21.99 this sweater is a steal - and it comes in three colorways - chocolate heather, heather charcoal, and ivory. My only concern is what color I would get for myself... hmm. Plus on the JC Penney website you can check stock in realtime at your store to make sure its available for you if you wanted to run down and grab one. How cool is that?

And I couldn't resist on these... although I might not wear them out of the house these are just too cute for words. For anyone who has hardwood floor in the house (me) or whose feet just can't get warmed up these MukLuks would be a great gift to make sure your someone stays warm during those cold winter nights. I really dig the buckle design on these, too!



Hope you enjoyed my little list - hope everyone is having a great Friday (Happy Weekend!) and stay warm!

Holiday gifts for under 25.00

Hello readers! I apologize for my absence - the Thanksgiving holiday and the weekend surrounding it was full of family, friends, lots of food (3 thanksgiving dinners!) and multiple trips across the bridge. With the official count to Christmas being only 26(!!!) days away and the first night of Hanukkah tomorrow night I thought I'd do a spotlight on some of my favorite little things for under 25.00.

For the person who loves doing manicures but hates to spend the money I found this while looking around at nordstrom. The Essie nail corrector pen would be a fantastic gift - and priced at 14.00 it would make an excellent stocking stuffer! (I should probably take my own advice and pick this up, lord knows my nails would thank me).

Over to etsy I've found an abundance of gorgeous, handmade goodies to get for friends. Some of my favorites happen to include the sapphire blue swarovski drop necklace from shingingstones. Priced at 16.00 it's an adorable piece that is sure to draw attention!

For the earring lover I also found the Aventurine ear studs by LoveErica which I think would stand out fantastically against darker hair. Another awesome jewelry piece that won't break the bank these earrings are only 14.00.

If you have a drink mixer in your life, Crate and Barrel's "500 Cocktails" book would be a great gift (along with some mixers, perhaps?) to enable anyone to create awesome cocktails without ever having to leave their apartment. At 16.95, this book would leave you with some extra cash to perhaps purchase 1 or 2 of the Dizzy cocktail glasses to complete the whole gift.


And for the person who just needs to relax (hey, I think I qualify for that) I spotted the Virtuoso candle at Anthropologie last night and stopped hard in my tracks. Not only does it smell good, the tin is adorable - and I'd probably use it for something to store little trinkets in when I'm finished burning the candle. Now, my only issue is which scent to get, they all smelled really good..

So let me know what you guys pick up and who on your naughty and nice list will be getting what this year.

Hope you have a fantastic Tuesday!

On growing.

As of late I've felt that I'm in fact changing. I don't know if you would call it a growth spurt, but its something. I've been re-evaluating some things in my life and contemplating what to do next with them.

1) Work. I can tell you right now that I'm not happy with what I'm doing. What would I rather be doing? Obviously not what I'm doing now. But my real question is what would I do that makes me happy. I quite frankly have no idea. Obviously something more in the creative field. I would love to eventually make photography or writing into a career but I'm way too amateur for that. But regardless - the point that I'm trying to make is that I'm incredibly unhappy job-wise at the moment and I'm doing everything in my power to try and change it (come on google, you know you want to hire me.)

2) Relationship-wise. Something big is coming. I can tell you for sure that 2012 will have wedding bells. I'm excited, nervous, a little scared, and incredibly happy. I'm thrilled beyond belief to know that we are moving toward getting engaged and anytime it happens I'll probably burst into tears and then jump up and down.

3) My self image. Okay laura, lets face it. Your metabolism is not the same as it was back in college. You've sadly inherited hips and a stomach from mom's side of the family. So, I have to go back to exercising. Maybe zumba, or a bootcamp - something. Because I really don't want to look like a whale as I enter 2011.

4) Do something good for someone else. I have so much stuff laying around the place that's unused - body care stuff up the wazoo. So instead of hoarding it for when kingdom comes, I think I'd like to put together baskets for the less fortunate. I have a ton of brand new Hello Kitty stuff (um mom, I'm 26 now) that I think some little girl may love. So I need to get going on that. Just need to find a place in the city that would take all of it.

So, that's kinda where I'm at right now. I have been doing better and my shopping ban has helped. I've been working on the Christmas presents for my cousins, and the only people left are Dave and my sister.

Other than that... I'm just waiting, waiting, waiting for the clock to strike 6 so I can go home.

And some pretty tulips that I spotted earlier this year - just because.

Gearing up for the holidays

With the now drastic turn in weather (goodbye high 70's) and gloomy wet forecast for the weekend its starting to finally feel like November. Hurrah! So I thought I'd compile a little list of things that's making me excited for the holidays and finally feeling like this time of year should be.

The great tree in Union Square is on its way up - towering over the annual ice skating rink that takes over a large part of Union Square. And the Macy's windows are already lit up with their wreaths, too!

Another great addition to Macy's (jeez I sound like a Macy's ad!) are the SFSPCA Holiday windows. In need of a new furry companion? Look no further - from November 19 (that's today!) through January 2nd walk yourself down and check out the cute puppies and kittens available for adoption through a partnership with the San Francisco SPCA and Macy's. Not in the mood for a friend but would like to help out anyway? Volunteers are still being accepted. And who wouldn't want to play with a new furry friend for a few hours while helping to raise money for them?

Also, if you haven't seen anyone walking around lately, the holiday cups are back at Starbucks. Even your overpriced mocha latte espresso is dressed up in holiday spirit! And.. just these upcoming few days - Nov 18-21 from 2-5PM all Starbucks holiday drinks are buy one get one free. Just in case you needed a little extra push for your favorite drink you can feel good by getting one for a friend... (or keeping it for yourself for later, hah).


Chunky sweaters. Finally - weather to support layers! I'm actually really digging this one from the Gap. I love the cowl neck and the zipper detail. Want it? Get it at the Gap for 54.50. And with 5 colors to choose from, I really have no idea which one I would get (I'm pretty indesisive most of the time...).

And you can't have a rainy season without rainboots! I'm beyond thrilled that with the storm slated to slam into San Francisco later this evening that I'll finally get a chance to pull out my adorable new pair of red rainboots with beige socks. SO.EXCITED. I don't think I could possibly put it into words. But now - my feet will stay dry, warm, and look (hopefully) good while I get to frolic in the rain.

And you thought that was just for kids, didn't you.

Have a fantastic Friday!

A confession.

30 for 30 is not so simple as it seems.

Especially when you have record breaking temps in the middle of November that sends you running for sunscreen and anything with ice in it.


Hey San Francisco - didn't you get the memo?

So, I'm not going to lie. I had to break the 30 for 30. Long sleeves, sweaters, and wool skirts just didn't cut it over the past few days, and instead it felt like the summer we never had.

I'm still going to stick to my shopping ban *ahem*. I am wearing an outfit comprised of pieces from my original 30 today (blue shirtdress, jeans, and tory burch plum revas).

I guess my main question is - for this challenge, what happens when the weather throws a kink your way? Just like if you had planned on skirts and suddenly you were stuck in a snow storm - what would you do?

3 & 4 and a fortune to boot

Hello there! Lets have a outfit roundup for days 3 and 4, shall we?

Lets start with 3. A really chilly day in the bay area so I chose to go with the longsleeved tuxedo shirt with a wraparound hoodie striped sweater. Paired it with a pair of jeans and the jcrew black booties (which i LOVE but they hurt my feet... ouch! may have to do something about that...). Since we had a dinner to attend last night the outfit took me from work to a casual dinner setting with friends. I got complimented on my outfit, too!
Total pieces used = 4

Today has been equally chilly as well, so much so that I've started carrying my leather gloves around in my bag with me. I have to be able to grip those cable car bars while hanging on for a ride home! So for day 4 I am pairing my black jeans with black tory burch shoes, the blue striped gap top, and wine colored sweater. Can I just say how much I love this sweater? I eventually want to get daring enough to pair it with a belt around the middle... but I may have to work up to that!
Total pieces used = 4

Last night at the aforementioned dinner gathering I picked out a fortune cookie from the pile and cracked it open and pulled out my fortune to reveal something that made me grin from ear to ear. "Good things come in small packages. One is coming to you". Oh i really hope that this hindsight is 20/20!

Still contemplating on opening up about some non-fashion related stuff going on, but I don't think I want to bog anyone down with it.

Anyway - at least today is Thursday so here's hoping today and tomorrow pass quickly to get us to Friday!

Outfits 1&2

Day 1: Woke up cold. So I grabbed what seemed to be most warm on my list: The ugg broome boots. Paired that with the gap striped buttondown and one of the pairs of jeans and bam - instant outfit. Grabbed a leopard print scarf from my scarf rack to give it a bit of flair and also my leather jacket. I was thinking its a little rough biker chick for the office, but two coworkers complimented me on my outfit so I'm glad it worked out! Pardon this picture, we had just gotten back from dinner and drinks, hah.

Total pieces used= 4.





And Tuesday. This morning when I got up the low was in the 40's. Wanting to be cozy at work I grabbed one of my tissue turtlenecks, my sweater poncho and black jeans. I used my plum tory burch shoes to take away from the blahs and a bright blue scarf to add some color. The belt is (i think) a nice touch to break up an overly powerful sweater. Also in my hair is a peacock feather headband that my sister made. I love it!

Total pieces used = 4.

So far, so good. The beginning has been easy - and I'm really glad that I can acessorize freely with this. I'll probably have BF mess around with the camera and hopefully if the rain holds out we can get some rooftop shots in here sometime soon :)

Good luck to all the other remixers, hope you all are having fun!

30 for 30 pieces

So here we go. Lets start easy - shoes!

Ugg broome boots, J Crew booties, Sperry top siders, Tory burch revas in plum and black (ooh, those have seen better days...).
Tally = 5

Next up - sweaters/blazers/misc tops.
L-right:Nordstrom plum sweater, Gap Blazer, Gap argyle sweater, H&M blue shirt dress, H&M sweater poncho, nordstrom striped hoodie sweater.
Tally = 6 + 5 = 11



Tops L-R: Target tissue turtleneck, Banana republic vneck, Gap tissue tuxedo top, nordstrom rack tank top with flowers, H&M white button down, Gap striped button down, Gap striped tshirt.
Tally = 7 + 11 = 18





Bottoms/dresses:
2 pair Banana republic jeans, J Crew party dress, BDG black cigarette jeans, Banana wool pencil skirt.
Tally = 5 + 18 = 23.

You're probably thinking.. 23 - where's the other 7? *snort* laundry. Not pictured: ruffle tank top, black stretchy ankle zipper pants, black tissue turtleneck, black Michael Kors leather jacket, nordstrom sweater vest, anthropologie sweeping lines cardi, and red striped shirt.

I'm realizing i have a lot of muted colors in my wardrobe... hopefully this will encourage me to accessorize better.

Off we go!

The Challenge.

While stumbling around various blogs that I read and following links to others I found the blog of Kendi Lea. I was immediately drawn to her awesome outfits, whimsy accessories and loved her commentary. And then I spotted her challenge - 30 for 30. You take 30 items from your closet (coats and accessories excluded) and remix them into 30 outfits for 30 different days. Oh, and no clothes shopping.

Holy cow - no shopping? How will you ever survive! you are probably asking. But... for some reason... I think I'll be okay. My closet has grown to a beastly proportion and I think by shopping it more often and remixing items that I'll not only curb my shopping hunger but learn to appreciate what I have.

So - here's my question to you. Are you in?

Kendi Everyday: Announcing...

And so this post kinda stays on track with my photo theme - I saw this while walking around potrero hill the other day. I thought it was pretty so I snapped a photo. It kinda made my day. Also - for anyone in the bay area - Arch drafting on Missouri and 17th is one of the coolest stores I've ever been in. I'll have to go back when I have more time and just wander. And when I have money, too.

Anyway. Still thinking long and hard about a few things... hopefully more on that later.

Have a great Thursday!

weekend in pictures + wardrobe musings

I thought this might be a nice thing to start doing on a weekly basis. Now featuring - laura's weekend in pictures wrap up!

On Saturday morning we had quite a bit of rain here in the city. That didn't stop Dave and I from being able to get out of the apartment for a bit. We went down to the farmer's market on embarcadero had picked up some yummy jam, tried artisan cheeses, and were able to try our hand at pressing fresh apples to make apple cider.

After we dried off a bit from the rain we headed south to half moon bay for the wedding of a childhood friend. The wedding was gorgeous and the clouds gave way to some sunshine for the bride and groom. We had a great time (even a little too much champagne) but that can never be a bad thing when you are happy! I had a great time celebrating with Dave, my sister, my dad, and my sister's boyfriend Ray. It was probably a good thing that we had our own table to ourselves since we were pretty entertained by the seashells, cake, and anything else that we seemed to get our hands on at that point in time.

After the wedding Dave and I headed back up to the city for Halloween Eve with some friends at a club. We got home really late but had a great night dancing and admiring other people's costumes.

Sunday was a lazy day - we had brunch at once of our favorite restaurants in Nob Hill, took naps, did some housework, and had a great dinner with his mom and sister in Jack London Square. The sunset was fantastic!

Because of a gift exchange I did on one of my forums I finally got my paws on one of the chinchilla bath houses (as shown above). Frankie loves it so much he really doesn't want to share with Ollie and I might have to get him his own.

The weather is definitely changing here - I'm not complaining. As long as the skies are clear, the air is crisp and there's no rain I'm a happy camper.

Anthropologie and J Crew have definitely been my source of fashion as of late. H&M has actually had some pretty good sales too (I think I saw a sign up today - buy 1 sweater, get 1 free - oh noes!). Quite frankly if I had the cash I'd redo my entire wardrobe - but until I win the lottery I don't see that happening any time soon.

Anyway - today is Tuesday (and it's after 12 already, yay!) so get out and VOTE if you haven't already done so and have a great day! (And be safe if you partake in any post-giants winning the world series celebrations).

8 is an infinity symbol standing up.

My apologies to those of you who are reading this as I allow myself to get all mushy for a moment.

On Monday October 25 me and the other half celebrated 8 years of being together. 8 years! Holy cow! That's like... all of middle school! Or high school and college combined! Or some other ungodly amount of time.

But regardless - I came home to flowers. Flowers have to be one of my favorites to photograph. I mean, what other thing can be really good at staying so still - and looking so pretty while doing so? Plus flowers don't require a lot of primping, sweet talking, or really good promises to get them a cookie or this will be the last shot kind of talk to get a good photo.

Although I'm am an amateur with the camera I still like the way they turned out. And I still enjoy having something bright and cheery to come home to in the evenings - although I',m not quite sure if ms rosie the kitty has been chewing on the edges of them at all...

I'm still not sure what direction I should take this blog in. I really want it to showcase my love of photography and display how badly I should've gone to art school - but what about fashion and luxury items? Hrrrm. Not too sure. I guess its a coin toss up in the air - or perhaps it can somehow encompass all of these items.

Anyway - today is Wednesday so happy hump day - the week is already half over. The weather is taking a dark turn for autumn (which I don't mind because its an excuse for wearing long socks, sweaters, and warm scarves). And with the world series starting tonight in none other than San Francisco I can see the lights on at the ballpark from my office and the buzz and orange in the air... hats off to SF and looking forward to watching the outcome!

overpass

You know, there are just some days when you are wandering around, nose to the floor thinking 'what the heck am i doing?' (okay, perhaps you don't have those days but i do). And then you just stumble upon something that makes you feel better - its like someone is watching out for you and there's a bit of a lightbulb moment. That somehow, someway, it's going to be okay.

Such was my fate yesterday on my lunch break after a particularly rough week. Blaring Taylor Swift through my iphone and just walking to get out of the office i looked down and spotted this attached to the side of an overpass. In the greyness of an overpass in one of the most industrial parts of the city protrudes an antique looking photoframe, spraypainted bright red and with blue paper revealing something that i just so badly needed to hear "Where there's a will, there's a way". Strike me down on the spot - was there a stranger looking out for me? Seeing this girl who seems sad and needing a pick-me-up that even a cupcake couldn't handle was this reminder, glaring at me and saying "Hey, look down, look at me!".

So i did what any other person who may have stumbled on this before - whipped out the iphone and snapped a photo because sometimes you really just need a reminder that this, whatever it is, is worth fighting for. That even though today sucks - and tomorrow might look bleak too, you gotta just keep on chugging.

Yes, my anonymous friend - where there's a will, there is a way.

And happy friday to anyone out there in internet land who happens to be reading. :)

Home.

My city by the bay. I don't think I could ever get tired of this. Embarcadero with piers stretching out its wooden fingers to touch the water, if you squint hard enough it looks as if it goes on forever. Rollerbladers, walkers, dogs galore, a never ending hustle that extends from one part of the city to another, ballpark and peanuts, popcorn, hot dots and fly balls to the crazy bustle of the wharf with tourists wandering in various directions, come get your clam chowder and did you see the size of that fish?

Mr bay bridge, constantly with cars streaming across it in and out of the city, such a sight to behold on dark clear nights with downtown twinkling, rows upon rows of city streets lit up and racing up and down hills, faster and longer until they eventually flow so high up you can't see them come down the other side.

A bow and arrow straight to your heart trying to keep you here even though if i had the chance i doubt i would leave.

taken with iphone 3gs hipstamatic app.