Off to the Woods!

With my sister and I off in less than two weeks for our college adventures, my family decided to pack in one last bonding trip consisting of cabins, s'mores, jet skis and LOTS of hiking. I love the appeal of the rustic outdoors, and I think it will be good for my family to get away with no technology. My dad has been researching hikes for weeks now; none of us have the heart to tell him that all we want to do is lay on the dock by the lake and read magazines. There is no prettier place in northern California in my eyes than Yosemite, and I can't wait to take in all that my home has to offer before I jet off to Paris for the year.

Yosemite, Sign, Campground

Destination Wedding, Anyone?

When it comes to modern weddings, is traditional still in? Or are unique destination weddings all the rage? As an avid reader of wedding blogs, I've seen everything from vintage, to traditional with a twist, to the outright absurd (although it somehow all pulls together to look fabulous!). Here are some creative wedding destinations that still make for a classy and beautiful venue.

photo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Rain, Rain Go Away

After weeks of sunshine, this week's rain has been a shock to the system. Not only does it make getting up at 7 in the morning even more unbearable than it already is, but it is not helping my lack of motivation for sticking to my bikini body work-out regiment. This week has been filled with chai tea lattes, snuggling in bed after work, and scarves that haven't seen daylight since February. My only motivation for getting out of bed? The guarantee of San Francisco's bipolar weather bringing sunshine once again. Well that and pay day on friday :) 

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Anchor & Hope

San Francisco is full of snobs. Food snobs that is. Exhibit A: rather than a $5 Subway sandwich or $3 hotdog from a sidewalk stand, the typical San Francisco lunch break has to be unique, trendy, and gourmet. Now that I am part of the masses working in the downtown financial district, I have learned that lunch breaks are just another time for locals to explore their culinary palette, and discover the new "it" restaurant in town. So to stick with tradition, for lunch I met my mom in a somewhat ominous alleyway on Minna and 2nd, only to find the most fabulous seafood restaurant (that most definitely fits the San Francisco standards for a lunch break). The decor was what struck me first, as I am a lover of all things nautical- it was in an old warehouse, the color theme was grey and sea-foam blue, and there were ocean treasures like nets, buoys and shells hanging along the wall. The food and drinks were just as exciting- I had a fresh lobster roll with homemade potato chips, and a delicious sparkling raspberry cocktail. While the overpriced bill at the end reminded me why I don't always follow the San Francisco lunch break trend, I decided it was worth paying as a friday treat to myself, a reward for a stressful week at work.

Les Défilés Croisière

a.k.a cruise parade (I discovered via google dictionary) which I am assuming in French fashion translates to  resort or cruise collection. This trend of delivering ready-to-wear, inter-season clothing for the jet-setting client has become a fashion house must-do. Lucky for the mass majority of us (who are probably not part of the jet- or cruise- setting elite) prices are slightly cheaper and the clothing is more playful than its fall or winter counterparts so we can all take part in high-fashion. These pictures are from Alice + Olivia's "défilé croisière"which to me seems a bit redundant as most of us think of playful, flirty clothing anyway when we hear Alice + Olivia. None the less, these pictures are so fabulous, I just had to share (and it was extremely difficult to pick my favorite!).

vogue.fr

Nostalgia

"A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost" - Marion C. Garretty

I've been really nostalgic recently with my little sister's high school graduation coming up, partly because I feel like it was just yesterday that I, myself, was graduating high school, but also because it means my baby sister is going to college and becoming an adult. I feel like with family, especially siblings, it is so easy to take for granted the unconditional love and not spend as much time as you should with them. The past two years that I have been away at college, I have really seen my sister grow into her own person- which is both scary and exciting. Every time I come home I expect her to still be there just like we left off, but it's different- she has her own life that doesn't always include me (as my life at her age probably didn't include her either). I'm struggling trying to keep a happy face on as she embarks on this new chapter in her life, while all I want to do is drop everything and play veterinarian under our dining room table one last time.

I love you, Julia


A trip down memory lane.....

deceivingly innocent

Dinah Doo!

About to jump into frigid waters of Alaska

 The four of us are and were inseparable

My gorgeous sister

Live the Language

My good friend showed me this precious video as she and I both share an affinity for Paris. I literally kept repeating over and over during my study abroad application process, as motivation to get my work done. It makes me so happy and excited, knowing that in less than three months, I will be this girl in the video. While I have been to Paris twice already, the year-long adventure I am about to embark on will be life-changing, and I am excited beyond words to have the opportunity to explore the city that I love.

Bon soir!

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