The Discerning Fashionista

wild.

2010-09-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

ruffled tunic dress- indah (amazing clothing line I discovered at a boutique in LA, a must to check out), boots- bakers, chain purse- thrifted, earrings- h&m
photos from a night out in california with some of our friends. we always have the most fabulous time and my hubby is a good sport about putting up with the girls. spent the weekend getting some things in order, including a new diet and exercise plan since we are six weeks from halloween in vegas. hope you all had a wonderful weekend. cheers. :)

patches.

2010-09-16T06:00:00.001-07:00

patch work tunic- etsy purchase, boots- chinese laundry (vegan), purse- francesca's, earrings- desert vintage
time is flying. :) spent the day yesterday nursing one of my dogs back to health after her surgery, trying out a new recipe for my man, and watching an all time favorite movie. roman holiday. audrey hepburn is the orignal hollywood beauty. such class, grace, elegance, and humor. love her. happy thursday all.

make a wish.

2010-09-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

dress- zara, black cardigan- forever 21, peep toes- love culture, new favorite glitter polish- lippman collection

happy tuesday. :) photos of one of the birthday dinners. basic black with pops of teal and blue. hope the week is going well for all of you.
xoxo

solar midnight.

2010-09-13T06:00:00.001-07:00

black tunic- h&m, tights- delia's, boots- bakers, necklace and cuff bracelets- forever love, sunnies- kate spade ny

two more days of outfit posts from the september trip to montelucia resort and spa in scottsdale for my birthday celebration. it was the party that wouldn't end. on this particular night the hubby wanted to take me out for a romantic dinner and a night in scottsdale. as I've said many times, I love me and all black ensemble. since it cools down in the desert at night this was the perfect way to go. the tunic was still light enough, though it was black, for an end of the summer evening. of course, to dress it up I added some big chunky rockstar type accessories. I've been wearing my hair up because I'm trying to let the dark color grow in for the winter and I still haven't decided dark I want to go. needless to say, when I wear it down its like "root city". anyways, after a delicious sushi dinner (veggie and mock for me) we did some late night swimming and hot tubbing with a bottle of champagne since the pools at the resort are open twenty four hours. such a relaxing trip. happy start of the week to you all. I hope it brings you positive things, as always. :)
xoxo

desert song.

2010-09-09T06:00:00.001-07:00

tunic- INC, sandals- target, fedora- love culture
a few more posts left with photos from the trip to scottsdale and the montelucia resort. I really can't say enough about how gorgeous and relaxing that place is. just really fantastic. on this day we went to the pool early in the day and then made sure to get around to seeing downtown scottsdale and it was lovely to be in some what civilization again. being there was almost like being in a mini east bay (SF bay). very busy this week with class and getting everything in order for the next few months. hope life is treating all of you fabulously! :)

xoxo

white stripes.

2010-09-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

tunic- h&m, striped vest- forever 21, boots- bakers, aviators- thrifted
more photos from the gorgeous trip to the montelucia in scottsdale over the vacation. the day we arrived to check in the front desk told us about a wonderful tradition where each guest gets to pick a stone to drop in their "wishing fountain". the husband and I each made sure to stop by and make a wish for our trip. after we dropped our things in our room we wandered around the resort and soaked it all in. happy middle of the week to you all!

paint me a rainbow.

2010-09-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

sheer tunic dress- zara, sandals- target, blue bathing suit- target, headband- h&m
hello all! I hope that you are all rested and relaxed from a gorgeous labor day weekend. even to those on the east coast, hopefully you had some delicious lazy down time. time for fall and time to get back to work this week. blah. I am wishing for some fall weather, as here in arizona it is STILL blazing hot and will continue to be so until some time around christmas. hooray. I am going to have to live vicariously through your sweaters, boots, coats, and fall accessories. sigh. my second autumn season that I will miss... love me through it friends. alas, here are some photos of how we spent our little vacation time last week. the hubby and I headed to scottsdale to celebrate my birthday and our two year wedding anniversary. we had a total ball! so this week I will be bringing you posts from the trip. :) the place we stayed was absolutely divine (the montelucia) and the hubs found it all on his own. in fact, the entire trip was a surprise for me! we lounged, we spa'd, we munched on sushi, swam in the sun with some mojitos and just laughed the entire time.

as for the winner of last week's give away from the san francisco trip....

kynndal! you are the winner of the fall goodie bag! lots of fun little items to start you off for your autumn fashion looks. shoot me another email when you have a chance with your information so I can get it out to you and so we can finally chat!

and to everyone else, thank you for your lovely comments! they do make my entire day, so thanks. :)

strawberry fields forever.

2010-09-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

tye die pink shorts- target (please believe I also purchased them in sunshine yellow! super fun for summer easy wear), pink cardigan- nordstrom bp, white peasant top- gypsy 05, fringe messenger bag- francesca's, boots- chinese laundry (vegan), fedora- love culture

friday! I'm sure almost all of you are off to enjoy your long long weekend and I hope you are all soaking up that last bit of summer. my two day excursion to scottsdale was simply amazing! the resort was beyond gorgeous and I have plenty of photos to show you next week. we had a fantastic birthday celebration this year and thankfully it has helped me to avoid a quarter life crisis at the thought of turning 25. until then... remember to enter the give away by commenting on this week's california trip posts! winner of the "autumn goodie bag" announced on monday. buon weekend all!

I'll take a holiday in spain, leave my wings behind me.

2010-09-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

tunic dress- thrifted "how sweet it was vintage" (all of my dresses this week have been thrifted, a must do!), boots- chinese laundry (vegan), faux feather earrings- forever 21

my lovely future (some day) sister in law, rene, took these gorgeous shots for me. she is such a talented lady... for reals. not only does she have ridiculous photo skills, is hilarious and beautiful, but she BAKES. dude. I keep telling my hubby and his brother that if he doesn't marry her that I might have to! only for her baked goods, obviously. we had our mini photo shoot in the in laws back yard while we were waiting for everyone to get there. when the hubby and I are in town the family tries to have one big night with all of us. we cook, we eat, we drink vino, we laugh, we sit by the firepit, and we enjoy each other far too much. most of the siblings and cousins on my in law's side are all in their twenties and married or in a serious relationship so it really is like hanging with your closest buds, but its family instead. very cool. we celebrated my little sister in law's birthday and it was wonderful to be home again.

as for TODAY... I am off with my hubs to scottsdale, arizona! he booked a few special days for us at this fancy spa resort, the montelucia, to celebrate my 25th birthday! seriously, go have a look at that place because I was swooning when I saw the website! it was a surprise that he planned all by himself and he told me a few days ago on my birthday. I am so lucky to have him. :) so I will be back on friday after some pool time, maybe a massage and a facial or two, and some soothing desert yoga. nomaste.

remember to enter the "autumn goodie bag" give away by checking out this weeks posts and commenting. here are monday and tuesday.

gypsy moon.

2010-08-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

shirt dress- thrifted (goodwill!), boots- chinese laundry (the vegan ones), tights- h&m, messenger bag- francesca's (I think its my new favorite), sunnies- nordy BP, tiara headdress- purchased from this AMAZING etsy shop (check it out)

day two of the san francisco posts. make sure to head back here to check out the first day to see us strolling around the legion of honor with some glorious fog and the iconic golden gate. comment this week to win the "autumn goodie bag" (pictured below and explained in the first post)! these photos are from up in the north bay at my parents house. they just live near an incredible piece of land... some of which is used for green sustainable farming (you can see our visit here). anyways, went for a walk and enjoyed the lush sonoma country side turning golden brow, signaling the end of summer and the move into fall. sigh. I am a sucker for some gorgeous nature. then we, of course, spent some time in the yard sipping bellini's and reading fashion mags in the sun. a girl needs to do her homework ;)

(autumn goodie bag up for grabs... black messenger purse, yellow id wallet, mixed metal necklace and bracelet, and rocking animal print scarf)
have a lovely day!

la ville-lumière.

2010-08-30T03:45:00.000-07:00

dress- thrifted, messenger bag- francesca's, boots- bakers, sunnies- love culture, ring collection- caravan (north bay)

happy monday to all of you! I apologize for my absence for the past few weeks with the traveling and everything. last week was my first week back of classes as well as my birthday and it has just been the most insane month. simply cannot wait to get moving into september and into a more regular schedule. I know that some of you lovely ladies have sent me emails this month that I desperately need to make time to return. I promise that this weekend will have some down time that I plan to take advantage of. as for these photos, this week will be the last of my san francisco trip from the start of the month. scroll to the end to check out how to enter for this week's give away!

this outfit was worn for a trip to the legion of honor to check out one of their current exhibitions featuring impressionist pieces from the musee d'orsay in paris. j'adore! my mom and I spent a day together in the city and it was wonderful. I remember when I was growing up in chicago my mom would take me down to the art institute for girl's day out. she has always had a passion for the arts and my love of theater, painting, photography, and sculpture can all be credited back to her. she would whisk me from room to room showing me all of her favorites, and pointing out what made each piece unique. she was the one who taught me to appreciate what went into each painting, and helped me to see the artist and the stories behind it. each trip would be dedicated to a specific era and we would spend all day in that wing of the museum. her favorites were the renaissance paintings. we would take turns picking one out, and then sit and tell each other a story about the painting. with each trip, I began to develop my own favorites. there is of course the obvious... one of the most famous exhibits by the father of pointillism, george seurat: sunday afternoon on la grande jatte. another favorite room I would beg to run to as soon as we arrived, was the room with the dega's. all the beautiful ballerina paintings from edgar dega always captivated me. I was also lucky to grow up with the grand niece of one of my favorite artists that was featured at the institute. georgia o'keefe, who was actually native to the midwest and ended up settling in the deserts of the southwest, painted the beautiful "sky above clouds" that covers an entire wall. We would stare up at it and try to pick out shapes, as if the fluffy clouds were real and tangible. a kind of peace comes over me when I am able to be near my favorite paintings. There is something so calming about the quiet, white halls and the windows bursting with sunlight onto oil and canvas. le sigh. and this trip was no different. we stayed in there for hours soaking in the photos and paintings of old paris, of the birth of bohemia. below is some information on the pieces that we saw.

Impressionist Paris: City of Light explores various aspects of life in and around the city in which these artists came of age. Visitors to the exhibition are transported to Impressionist Paris as represented in over 180 prints, drawings, photographs, paintings, and illustrated books from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and several distinguished private collections. The exhibition is on view at the Legion of Honor concurrent with Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musee d'Orsay.

to top it off, I am doing a last summer give away in celebration of my 25th birthday. up for grabs this week are a few little items to get you ready for fall fashion. lets just call it the "autumn goodie bag". we've got one of my favorite trends for fall which finally proves that fashion can indeed be functional: the black messenger purse. paired with a funky little yellow i.d. wallet, some mixed metal jewelry, and an animal print scarf (animal print is EVERYWHERE again this fall). make sure to comment on the posts this week from the san francisco trip to enter yourself and get ready for the upcoming season and let me know what your fall must haves are. :)

rebel rebel.

2010-08-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

dress- thrifted in huntington beach, shrug- h&m, boots- bakers, fringe bag- bakers, sunnies- ray bans

friday is here and I am looking forward to the next few days. the hubby, for once, has BOTH weekend days off. it so unusual when you work as a federal agent for this to happen, but it has. :) I can't wait to do normal couple type things like having breakfast together, going to the gym, working around the house, hanging with our dogs... just usual boring stuff. but I can't wait. is that incredibly dorky of me? we used to spend our weekends out in the city, and now we can be found at home depot and the dog park. oh age... sigh. anyways, this outfit is another SF outfit. as you can see it was still freezing there despite it being summer. is it wrong how much I adore almost all black outfits? seriously, I feel so chic in them. so chic in fact that I have to wear sun glasses when it is obviously over cast. you know what I mean. happy weekend all, and come back next week for the last summer give away during my birthday week!

no sound but the wind.

2010-08-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

dress- francesca's, belt- fracesca's, boots- chinese laundry vegan line, purse- coach poppy messenger bag, earrings- forever love, green nails- opi "who the shrek are you?"

a fun, little bohemian outfit worn on the san francisco trip. we were up in wine country and out enjoying a art festival (when is there not a festival up there?) the summer up there has been abnormally cold, even for san francisco standards, hence the long sleeves +boots + tights combo. I kid you not, we were bundled up the entire trip, especially when we ventured into the city! but fun times were had, as always. I have one more give away this summer and it will be something snazzy next week for my birthday! hooray. :) and just when I thought the trips were winding down.... we are adding, of course, a few more. so it looks like there is still a chicago trip in the works for september, an SF trip at the start of october for a wedding and for LovEvolution, the vegas extravaganza for halloween, an SF trip at the start of november, AND hawaii for new year's! SO pumped. I am a gypsy wanderer at heart. <3 the only part I hate about traveling is leaving my girls (three pups) at home. does anyone else struggle with this? or am I totally a crazy dog lady? well, back to working on the house. if I can spend some time in arizona, maybe I can finally get this house done and show you some photos. :)

the luckiest.

2010-08-18T05:40:00.000-07:00

a few days ago, my hubby and I celebrated two crazy, lovely, hilarious and adventure filled years of marriage. I am amazed at the ways I grow to love him more and more each day, though he may drive me nuts. he is my best friend, the one who makes me laugh, the one I turn to with everything, my confidant, my partner in crime. I love you, my darling. you are my always. happy anniversary. <3

I hope that in seventy years we still look at one another the same way we did in these photos, on our wedding day...with all of the love we have for each other. love you til the end.

and in more blog-worthy notes... the winner of the LA trip purse is...

congratulations on your new adorable clutch purse! send me your info so I can get it out to you :)

cheers all!

the train pulled into paris like a rocket to the moon.

2010-08-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

dress- forever 21, black pumps- bakers, tights- american apparel, necklace- h&m
still in san francisco, and still staying busy! the message machine will be on all week while I am away.... and the give away is still open for all to comment and enter. but it will be closed this weekend, so get to it :). this parisian looking number was worn out with friends in the east bay. love how simple, yet classy and chic it is. can't go wrong with great patterns and black and white. anyways, smile darlings... the week is almost over. cheers!

you're barely on fire.

2010-08-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

dress- indah (from blush in burbank), boots- chinese laundry vegan collection (few years old), bag- louis vuitton speedy, sunnies- nordstrom bp
hi, you've reached megan's blog... please leave a message after the beep. beeeeeeep. sorry all, I'm not really here. I'm off gallivanting in san francisco for the week having numerous adventures and causing trouble as always. :) here is another lovely desert post from when our friend, steve, came to visit. as you can see, we visited the air and space museum and spent the hot hot hot afternoon checking out some planes. I had to say, I LOVED all of the nose art and vintage stuff on the old war planes. super groovy stuff. anyways, be sure to check out last week's LA posts to get yourself entered to win a gorgeous clutch purse! take care and happy tuesday.

colossal cave.

2010-08-09T06:00:00.002-07:00

black dress- INC, boots- bakers, fedora- forever love, peace earrings- from m. fredric, chain link purse- zara
happy monday! I know I was going to announce the winner of the purse from LA week today, but I have unfortunately gotten caught up in leaving today for SF. I figured I will give everyone a few more days to scroll down to the LA posts and comment so that they can enter. :) at the moment I am rushing around doing last minute packing. there are about a thousand emails to get to while at the airport and in between flights (remind me why tucson doesn't fly direct ANY WHERE?) so I will be busy! lets keep this short and sweet..... one of our good friends steve came to visit us (one of my in between trip weekends!) and we got to know this new town of ours a little better. we had some great new adventures, and one of them including hiking down into colossal cave. its no carlsbad caverns, but it was fun none the less (even though it was SUPER hot). they had a claim to fame as a few horror movies had been shot there, as well as a seasame street movie? strange, my friends. kept it simple with the outfit, though I was dying from heat stroke. story of my life here. well, I'm off... but there will be more fun desert posts while I am traveling this week! cheers!

wet hot american summer.

2010-08-06T13:12:00.000-07:00

photo diary of a lovely beach day spent in malibu. grabbed some sun, read a book, and spent some qt with my girls. the most relaxing day by far. malibu is paradise. these are the last of the trip pictures and LA week has come to a close. remember to enter the give away... winner announced on monday. happy weekend darlings!

it's getting cold in california, I guess I'll be leaving soon.

2010-08-05T06:00:00.001-07:00

outfit one- diy denim shorts- forever 21 jeans, white peasant top- gypsy 05, black vest- h&m, white wedges- bakers
outfit two- diy denim shorts- forever 21 jeans, white peasant top- gypsy 05, olive sweater- calvin klein, tan slouchy boots- vegan boots (few years old), white fedora- forever love, sunnies- ray ban

a few LA outfits for you. if you notice, the two core items in the ensembles are the same. when I travel I try to pack simple items that can be accessorized differently and turned into entirely new outfits. by swapping a funky sweater for a vest, trading some boots for some wedges, and tossing on a headband instead of a hat and sunnies.... viola! a new look. two outfits, and plenty of room in my suitcase. the first photos are from dinner with one of my oldest and dearest friends, merria. we went to college together in san francisco and both were on the dance team. we were both leaders on the squad and have so many wonderful memories together! we caught up over vino and munchies... and talked for HOURS. my other LA girls stayed home that night to let us chat it out. I miss my merria SO much. outfit two was worn out with britt to ventura blvd to walk around and grab some coffee bean. which by the way is by far superior to starbucks. dear tucson and the rest of the country, socal does coffee right... get on board with it. one more LA post on friday... some gorgeous beach pictures from malibu. be sure to comment to enter to win a fab purse! only a few have entered so your chances are good :)

santee alley.

2010-08-04T06:00:00.001-07:00

over sized pink/gray/black tank- nordstrom (jessica simpson), leggings- american apparel, black sandals- target, tan purse- francesca's, sunnies- forever love
spent a hot, sunny day shopping outside in the fashion district in LA. santee alley is crazy with a capital crazy. lots of people, lots of shopping, and a little bit of chaos... just how I like it. can we talk about the ridiculous amount of amazing purchases that I made that day? including those super funky teal sunnies? love it! also, side note... the starbucks I am sipping in the first two shots was from the swanky starbucks in the calabasas commons where pretty much all the celebs grab their coffee. you know when you see b.spears shopping and coffee drinkin' in us weekly? well this is where that is happening. I was all about trying to see her. or at least see a kardashian, since their boutique (dash) is right there. but no star sightings, that day at least. anyways, really busy this week getting ready to take off to SF again in a few days. I was supposed to be chicago bound, but some things had to be switched around. still hoping to get there this august, but if not we are thinking new years. nye in the chi, if you will. :) remember to enter the give away by commenting on the past few LA posts to win a purse I picked up this day when we hit up santee alley. cheers friends and happy middle of the week!

belle of the boulevard.

2010-08-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

lace/ruffle black dress- haute hippie, belt- bebe, pumps- bakers, clutch- francesca's
saturday night out in west hollywood. santa monica blvd.

the lovely group of ladies and I ventured to voyeur, which completely lived up to all the hype. since the vibe was very cabaret and very hollywood elite, we weren't supposed to take photos inside the club. I grabbed a few from their website for you to check out at the bottom. it had the most interesting art noir feel. all mixed in with bronzed steel light fixtures, leather studded chairs and burlesque performers clad in corsets and eyes-wide-shut masks. it was sophisticated, decadent, and chic. I have to say I was concerned about getting in since we weren't on the list that night since apparently the place is super hot right now, but please believe we breezed right in. :) my girlfriends know how to work that charm.

oh hey, justin bobby from the hills. there were a few celebs there that night, and he was the only one we were able to snag a photo with. you would think, judging from his attitude on the show and his super ridiculously tacky denim vest seen above that this guy would be a class a jerk... but... not so. we actually chatted and danced with him for a good portion of our time at voyeur and not only was he nice, but he was polite as well! surprise, surprise.

moving on to colony and some other fun WeHo spots. voyeur clearly took the cake. seriously, can't wait to go back.

and yes. obviously, I am rocking my hair extensions here. after I chopped off my locks last year I immediately regretted it. thus, the purchase of these babies. my hair is finally long enough to use them and pull of the side pony tail. oh how I've missed you, side pony.

I am truly blessed to have such smart, funny, and caring friends that constantly make me smile and choose to be just as beautiful inside as they are on the outside. cheers to fun times with friends.

shots of voyeur for you. see what I mean.

be sure to leave some love below to enter yourself for a chance to win a lovely purse that I picked up on this LA trip, and check out yesterday's post... go and part the sea in malibu. have a happy tuesday all!

walk into the waves, go and part the sea in malibu.

2010-08-02T06:00:00.001-07:00

black/white top- forever21, black cardigan- gypsy 05, white ripped jeans- haute hippie, white wooden wedges- bakers, purse- francesca's

happy monday! I hope you are all having a good start of the week and had healthy and productive weekends. thus begins the week of LA trip posts and another give away... a super special little purse I picked up on the trip. same rules as always... comment on this week's posts to enter yourself. and away we go... this outfit is from the first night of the weekend. the girls picked me up and we, of course, went right to shopping before going for our one splurge dinner. they live right around the bend from malibu and we decided to try a place they had been wanting to eat at for some time, gladstones. it was right on the water and we were able to eat outside, sip their super famous dragonberry mojitos, and watch the sun go down over the pacific. malibu is one of the most gorgeous places ever, people. seriously. after dinner, we continued over to santa monica to a wine bar that they thought I would love... bodega wine bar. and I did in fact, adore it! both of these places are not to be missed if you are spending time in the area. :)

as for last week's SF give away... here is the fun, little tshirt and the mini tote bag of de-lish west coast taffey....

I added up all twenty-seven comments from last weeks posts and plugged them in... and the winner is...

congrats darling! email me with your shipping info!
check back the rest of the week to enter the LA give away.

rainbow bright.

2010-07-30T06:00:00.002-07:00

bay to breakers: an annual footrace which takes place in san francisco, california on the third sunday of may. the name reflects the fact that the race starts at the north east end of the downtown area, a few blocks from the embarcadero, and runs west through the city to finish at the great highway. the place where the breakers crash onto ocean beach. the complete course is 7.46 miles long and is well known for many participants engaging in varying degrees of public nudity. sometimes known as the mardi gras of the west coast. tiki bars on wheels. themed floats such as pirate ships, prisoners, outdoor bbq's and beer pong tables. bands playing on street corners. continuous block parties. all a part of an organized event.
thank you wikipedia. I was at a loss for words of how to really explain this festival of more then 75,000 people that is truly a quintessential san francisco experience. the day really encompasses the city and its emphasis of non judgemental expression. since it really is something that is best experienced, I made sure that many pictures were taken so that you could see some of the things that are staples of the race.
photo diary of bay to breakers 2010:

plans are already in the works for next year's race. it will be the 100th year and it is going to be an extravaganza. I hope you enjoyed my version of a running hippie, and my DIY cut up tie dye shirt. this is the last sf post to comment on to enter the sf goodies give away. be sure to check out the first three and I will announce the winner on monday! happy weekend!

second star to the right and straight on til morning.

2010-07-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

lace dress- gift h&m, boyfriend tux jacket- forever21, black pumps- bakers, stud purse- forever love

"You know that place between sleep and awake, the place where you can still remember dreaming? That's where I'll always love you, Peter Pan. That's where I'll be waiting"

happy thursday! another san francisco post today. make sure to check out the other posts this week...day one and day two and comment to enter the sf goodies give away. there will be one more post on friday (bay to breakers, finally!) and I will announce the winner on monday :). as for this outfit, I rocked the mostly black look for a night in the city. my friend, caitlin, and I took bart into sf to see peter pan three-sixty. the production was straight from london and it was the first showing in the U.S. which we thought was pretty amazing. the theater was specially built right on the embarcadero in justin herman plaza just for this show. the outside was built up on wooden planks to feel like a pirate ship, and came complete with a "hundred year history of peter pan" museum. we snacked on bread bowls and wine before the show and enjoyed the sun going down over the water. the white tent was a tiny venue but allowed the actors to seem to be really flying. take a look at their website, it really is some interesting stuff. as for the show, it was such a fun experience! it was a small theater and there was a ton of interaction with the show. I have always loved this story and this was a fantastic retelling of a classic. if you are in the bay area, it is a must do this summer. :)

white flows the river and bright blows the broom.

2010-07-28T06:00:00.002-07:00

sheer white tunic- nordstrom, purse- erica rae's unique boutique, scarf- london market, boots- bakers, flip flops- rainbows, DIY denim cutoffs and DIY tights- forever 21, sunnies- nordstrom
lots of fun shots of san francisco for you in this post. my girls and I were in need of a city day during one of my trips there and we wandered every where. started in union square and walked down to the ferry building on embarcadero for lunch, then back up to the haight ashbury area for thrifting galore, and finally ending the day in golden gate park. my some-day sister in law, rene, took many of these lovely photos for me. enjoy :) and remember to comment on each SF post this week to enter the give away!

in the heights.

2010-07-27T14:50:00.001-07:00

tube dress- nordstrom BP, scarf- market in london, pink cardigan- nordstrom BP, flip flops- rainbows, purse- erica rae's unique boutique
I'm back again! this traveling is taking a toll on my regular blogging skills. anyways, I have a few san francisco posts this week with a give away at the end! a few special san francisco type goodies. all you have to do to enter is comment on each of the posts this week and I will announce the winner on monday when I start the LA trip posts! fun times, my friends. as for this simple summer outfit... it was worn to a sunday matinee of "in the heights". mom and I popped down into the city and did some shopping, some coffee sipping, and some show seeing. I kept it casual since it was a warm and sunny day in SF. hope you enjoy the pops of pink and fill me in on what you have all been up to this summer.

the violet hour.

2010-07-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

a chilly day in sonoma. summer refuses to arrive in the bay area.
maxi dress- macy's, flip flops- rainbows, cardigan- forever21, scarf- boutique in SF, aviators- gift h&m, headband- forever love, messenger bag- bakers, buttons- caravan

update: I'm here. I'm alive. I am SO tired from the past two weeks of traveling. I was in the airport for around ten hours on tuesday. too much. but the SF trip and the LA trip were completely positive and just a blast. I am on the ground until late next week... but just as busy. a friend is coming to tucson this weekend so I am busy getting the guest room up and running. we have two (count em), TWO give aways in the next two weeks. back to normal posting on monday with "san francisco week", and followed by "los angeles week". fun times, my friends. hope you are all happy, healthy, and safe. happy summer. :)

take a sad song and make it better.

2010-07-15T06:00:00.001-07:00

oh hey ladies! I am back from a lovely and deliciously fun weekend in san francisco. it was a bit of a whirlwind, but what about this summer hasn't been? I didn't quite get around to seeing everyone and doing everything I had planned in the three days I was there, but as a birthday gift my parents just booked me another trip back for six days in august! can anyone say "outsidelands music and art festival"? any who, I'm off to los angeles for the next few days to see some of my closest girls. we will be chilling on the beach in malibu, hitting the pier, shopping like crazy and grabbing some drinks at a hollywood club or two. enjoy the outfit from my first action packed day back in SF. I stepped right off the plane and into the fun.

rene picked me up over at SFO (airport) and we went straight over to the orpheum theater to sip some wine while we waited to see wicked. I've probably seen this show upwards of ten times now, but I still love it. unfortunately, I was lucky enough to see the original cast when it first premiered in SF about a million years ago (think idina menzel, kristin chenoweth) and any cast since them hasn't exactly measured up. still, it is always a wonderful show to catch. I wanted to make sure I saw it one last time, since it's run is up at the orpheum in august.

kept it comfy, casual, and stylish for the plane ride/ day in the city.
dress- love culture, tights- american apparel,

belt- francesca's, purse- forever love

boots- chinese laundry, sunnies- ray ban

silver dangly earrings- love culture

turquoise ring- francesca's, hammered ring- love culture, orange pendant ring- h&m

SO true. myself included. :)

after the show, rene dropped me over towards the embarcadero to meet up with my mom. we grabbed some drinks and food at palomino right on the water and then, it was time for the real event of the evening to begin.

and what was the main event? PAUL MCCARTNEY. no, seriously. paul-freaking-im-a-beatle-mccartney. here we have the glorious view from AT&T park on a foggy night, complete with bay bridge and city in the background.

as the sun was setting and the city was coming alive, sir paul came onto stage and proceeded to rock our world. there is a reason that he is a living musical legend. if you didn't know, I am a HUGE beatles fan. my parents raised my brother and I on their music and it has always had an impact on the both of us. one of the first tattoos I ever got was the word "imagine" (john lennon). they have been a constant source of inspiration, comfort, and companionship throughout my years.

we laughed, we cried, and we sang along with sir paul. couldn't have enjoyed it as much without having my mom by my side.

and I leave you with some concert shots of my favorite beatle doing his thing...

back in the USSR.

a day in the life.... into give peace a chance.

hey jude.

paperback writer.

helter skelter.

live and let die.
I will have a post up for monday while I am still in lala land so check back because I am doing a "san francisco" give away. an entire week of the rest of my SF posts, and a chance to win something I picked up while I was there. until then...

his girl friday.

2010-07-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

trench: Cabi (carol anderson by invitation)
boots: bakers (srsly, I think that is where all of my shoes are from)
studed purse: forever 21
red tortiose sunnies: ray ban
LBD #563 (yeah, I've lost count): francesca's
silver heart and key necklace: tiffany & co.

from the scorching desert of arizona, back to the cool fog covered skies of san francisco. I still have a few, funky outfits to share with you from my last SF trip and I figured I should get to them since the next SF trip is quickly approaching. I am leaving on a jet plane in a few days and here is a little break down of the festivities that are going to be jam packed in. arrive early in the morning, my girl rene grabs me from SFO, heading to the haight ( I am craving a henna tattoo), a matinee of "wicked", then off to the PAUL MCCARTNEY concert that night. and that is just day one, people. can't even wait. as for this outfit... worn about a month ago... I know, I am super behind on finishing the SF posts. rocked an old trench from Cabi, which is the fashion designer that I used to work for. kind of miss those days... free swag and MEGA discounts on the line. le sigh. since I wanted to trench to pop I went for my signature all black underneath. I was having dinner with some old work chicas and wanted to look like I hadn't changed a bit and was still as stylish as ever... despite the fact that I have been banished to tucson for the past eight months. tucson, you know I love you... but lets work on getting more things to do in that town. please. hope you enjoyed! now I'm off to run the plethora of errands that stand between me and that southwest runway. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.... :)

even in this desert, a hundred flowers bloom.

2010-07-07T06:00:00.001-07:00

dress: target
belt: bebe
purse: thrifted, vintage
shoes: bakers
earrings: betsey johnson
sunnies: nordstrom (bp section)

happy middle of the week! we are very busy over here in casa di wolf. while it is still immensely hot in arizona, we ventured out to spend all day yesterday searching antique and thrift shops for fun, original things for our house. it was a successful day and today we are going to be painting some of the pieces that we found as well spending time with the newest little canine member of our wolf pack. rocked this outfit as we ran around town and I am already planning to wear it again! it was incredibly comfortable in the heat. in other news, we are three days and counting from the next trip and it is shaping up to be an epic weekend in san francisco. in other, other news... something is hideously wrong with the blogger comment section and unfortunately some ladies were not entered in the coach give away. I wanted to apologize if you were one of the individuals who suffered from this blogger break down. but not to worry, because I am planning a few more give aways between now and the end of the summer! I am going to be scoring a super sweet something on each of my trips and I will be bringing it back to you! anyways, time to get working today. hope you are all having happy and productive days as well. cheers :)

leaving las vegas.

2010-07-06T06:00:00.001-07:00

today's post equals: lots of photos, and not a lot of chit chat.
finishing up the rest of the vegas pictures and announcing the give away winner.
count down to the next trip: san francisco, four day.

pool attire: day one

pool attire: day two

wet republic at the MGM.

kristin cavallari was hosting at wet republic that day and I walked by her and didn't even recognize her. recognize her from where, you ask? oh from middle school. yeah we kinda grew up together. weird.

pool attire: day three. turquoise sequin bikini.

the lady is a vamp. :)

ciao las vegas, you were fun. only in vegas would our airport limo be sparkly gold. love it. oh, were you wondering about a winner? well here you go! thank you all for your lovely comments! it seemed some were confused unfortunately and only commented once or twice. to be fair to the ladies that commented every day, this is what I did. everyone's name went into my little fedora hat and if you commented on all of the posts your name went in twice! and.... congrats to our the new owner of a sweet little coach wristlet...

Julie from "brown eyed belle"! enjoy! go ahead and email me with your address so I can get it out to you. better see you styling it soon!

five minutes to midnight.

2010-07-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

happy monday after the fourth! if you are lucky then you are still celebrating a little vacation time. :) I hope the weekend was full of friends, family, and much laughter. unfortunately, I don't have an adorable "red, white, and blue" ensemble to post since we didn't do anything special. as you know, the hubby is a federal agent so he was off at work... protecting the country... which is really a huge part of what the holiday is about; serving and protecting. anyways, I meant to post this last-night-out-in-vegas post on friday but there was just too much going on! what I spent my weekend doing was caring for a stray puppy that I found living in some of the new homes being built in our neighborhood. it took me a week of feeding and watering her to get her to trust me. we finally got her home and have been making sure she is ok. I will post photos soon! we decided, very aptly I believe, to name her... Liberty. cute, huh? since we finally brought her home on the fourth of july weekend.... but on to the post:

as for the give away (which I'm sure you are wondering about), this is the last post to comment on and you have until tonight at midnight pacific time to comment! I will announce the winner tomorrow! if you haven't checked out the previous vegas posts, make sure you click on these babies and leave a comment on each to enter yourself....
1.your love is like las vegas
2. say you'll share with me one love, one life time
3. blue lagoons and vegas nightclubs
4. she smiles and it's dangerous in a little black dress

another LBD night: little black layered dress- ella moss
black wedge heels with stud design- from galleria in milan, italy

geometric silver bracelet- 1928
gold and white ring- nordstrom (BP section)

silver multilayer chain necklace- nordstrom (BP section)
flower earrings- betsey johnson

one of our friends was able to get us on to the VIP list at haze, at the new hotel aria that night. pauly d from the jersey shore was there being a guest dj and we were able to have a little chat with him as we were leaving. I swear this vegas trip was like the trip of never ending "d list" celebrities.

when I head to LA in a few weeks I am snaggin those brown cage heels of hers.

a few of the pictures from the upstairs area of haze...

after haze, we ended the night at coyote ugly in new york, new york. we hoped up on the bar and danced it out to "hotel california".

loved this shot I took as we were headed back to the hotel...
and of course... here is what I grabbed at the forums that I am passing along to a lovely winner on tuesday!

a very pretty little white wristlet from the brand new "poppy" collection. cheers and happy monday to you all.

she smiles and it's dangerous in a little black dress.

2010-07-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

happy happy happy thursday. over in the u.s. we are nearing fourth of july weekend! I hope that everyone is able to take some time off and enjoy the day. my hubby will, of course, be at work... protecting our country. so I will just be laying low. and laying inside since its so darn hot in tucson! it was 110 just yesterday and they were saying that it wasn't even close to record high temps. what?! insane. well, we are nearing the end of vegas week which makes me a sad girl... just looking at these pictures lets me re-live the fun of the vacation. but back to real life until the next trip. which is san francisco in ten days. but really, who is counting?

if you know me, then you know that I am constantly on the hunt for my next LBD. I live for these dresses. so, obviously, I packed a few for vegas. when I found this one I knew it belonged in my closet with the collection (by the way I am currently unpacking my closet and I will get an accurate and final count of how many LBD's are in there). it had a grecian feel to it, with its flowy layers and one shoulder strap. and you know how I adore flowy dresses.

again, I kept my hair simple. I kept meaning to wear it down, but it was just to muggy and hot outside to do it. and in a town like vegas, it is just easier to have it up since you might end up being out all night. no one likes flat hair at five am, ok? lots of silver accessories on this trip. I didn't get close up shots, but I am rocking silver feather earrings, and a fun multi layer silver necklace. same killer heels from the zebra maxi post. and by killer I mean I was dying in them. no pain, no gain ladies.

all the girls in our LBD's and our black stilettos.

we were outside at the venetian once again here after spending the night at tao. have you eaten there? the food is fantastic asian fusion, and when it turns into a night club all of the celebs show up. I'm not even going to say who we saw... sometimes you have to keep your lips sealed. :)

later in the evening our male counterparts decided that cheesecake was in order, so we hoped across the strip to caesar's. where, conveniently enough... there was a cheesecake factory that was open until four am. why thank you las vegas, don't mind if we do. also, I am feeling like a super short old lady in this picture because my home girls are like six feet tall models and my dress looks too long for a night out in vegas.

anyways, dress- BCBG
black stiletto platforms- bakers
black chain purse- thrifted
silver feather earrings- h&m

I heart them so much.

silly on our way over to caesar's.

and of course had to include a shot of my man.

by the end of the night and the walk around the strip, our poor feet were done for. we all tossed the shoes... and luckily enough my husband loves me and didn't want me to walk vegas bare foot.... so he ran his butt over to the marc jacobs store in the front of the forums and purchase some little black flip flops! :) that's right, some LBFF's. sometimes, I just kind of love that man.

the rest of the gang took a taxi back to the mgm, but we decided to walk for a bit. the best part about vegas is that it is always so alive. there is something to see or do at any hour. after a few months in tucson we needed to be reminded what a real city was like. one that never sleeps.

hope you are still enjoying the vegas shenanigans. let me know what your plans are for the upcoming fourth weekend! and if you haven't commented on all the vegas posts, make sure you do. :) going to post the photo in tomorrow's post of the secret give away actual is! have a fabulous day.

blue lagoons and vegas night clubs.

2010-06-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

happy middle of the week blog-land! I hope you are enjoying all of these vegas posts... only a few more to go, so make sure that you comment and get yourself entered to win the give away at the end of the week! :) skipping around a bit again and bringing you the outfit from our last night in vegas. I saved it for the finale evening since it was my favorite! it was a new purchase right before the trip. I had searched all over to find something bright, sassy, and fun. you know, vegas style. I think that I succeeded.

we also saved the swankiest club for the last night. we had our friend and vegas hook up put us on the VIP list for XS in encore. encore is the newer portion of the wynn and is right next door to it. I absolutely die over the decadence and decor there. when we did our "girl's trip" last spring we stayed at encore... and never wanted to leave! the rest of our group hadn't been to XS before, but I knew that they were going to LOVE it and it was a must see.

strapless dress (with pockets! squeal!)- jessica mcclintock
belt-bebe, patent clutch- bebe,
stilettos- chinese laundry (vegan shoes, thank you very much.)

I kept my hair simple in a high pony with some volume (like always). I also kept the jewelry to a minimum, just some rocking bangles. the dress was so "loud", bright, and oh so much fun.... that I really wanted it to take center stage and shine.

introducing the girls: rach, jess, and britt. here we are in the VIP area outside. do you know who else was there? only paris hilton AND all three of the kardashians. I don't particularly care for any of those people, but still... it was pretty neat to be in the same area as celebrities.

these girls are such a blast and all super stylish in their own way. I love having friends that I can grab fashion inspiration from and feed off of in a positive way.

my blonde soul mate, britt. check out the close up of the pattern on the dress. super funky! I am already dying to wear it out again. perfect for hot summer nights. again, I am so all about blue tones this summer. get on board with it. ;)

so the interesting and fabulous part about XS is that is an indoor and outdoor venue. when the sun sets, the club takes over the cabana area of the pool. so when you need some air, you just breeze out the massive open doors (floor to ceiling, looks like a wall is missing) and step into the pool area. the VIP bar is in the middle of the pool which is pretty fantabulous if you ask me.

the hubby and I at the bar in the middle of the pool.

gorgeous rach. these are my LA girls who I am going to be visiting in a few weeks.

the best part about being next to the pool? when those killer heels hurt, you can toss them off and have a dance party in the water! you can see one of the bar areas in the pool right behind us.

please believe that this water dance off went on for at least 30 minutes. so much fun!

grabbed one of the shots that the profesh photographer took for us.

david and rachel are one of our favorite "couple" friends. they are so silly and even though they both are extremely focused and determined individuals (doctor and accountant) they can laugh and not take themselves seriously at all. it is such a rare thing to find another couple that you both truly get along with. really wished we all lived closer! we already have a vegas trip in the works with these guys for the end of october. you heard me.
halloween. in. vegas.
costume planning has already commenced!

end of the night. the last night of vacation is always bitter sweet. here are some shots of the club for you, so you can see for yourself how amazing it is!

and in case you thought I forgot... here is a HINT about the give away that I will announce on friday...

and that is all from me today. check out the other two vegas posts and comment away! I have yet to hear any out of control silly vegas stories! some one better leave me something :)

say you'll share with me one love, one life time.

2010-06-29T06:05:00.001-07:00

hello again and welcome to vegas week: post two! it was lovely to see some new faces commenting yesterday and I know I will have a few blogs and emails to get to this weekend when I have some time. :) anyways, remember that there is going to be a super, amazing, fantabulous give away this friday and to enter all you have to do is go ahead and leave a comment on each vegas post this week. you can chat about the outfit I'm rocking, tell me your own crazy vegas story, or just say hi and tell me what you have been up to this summer. what ever strikes you at the moment. I am thinking I will give a sneak peak of the give away during tomorrow's post! its just mean to make you wait the whole week. ;)

so we are skipping around a bit, time wise, with this post. this was day two of the trip (day one: night edition will be later) and we are outside the gorgeous venetian. if you have been reading for a bit, you will know of my great love for venice. it is seriously one of my favorite cities, and the one that I fell most in love with as a child. I even have my "venetian" necklace from my mother that has charms such as a tiny gondolier with his gondola, and a venetian mask. that being said, of course, I enjoy a tiny piece of Italia when walking through the venetian hotel in vegas.

at this point, I wasn't sure what we were doing at the venetian. all my hubby told me was to get dressed up and be ready to go. as we stopped for pictures in front of one of their picturesque fountains, I was seriously pondering what he might be up to.

zebra strapless maxi- charlotte russe

black chain purse- thrifted in the haight

silver multistrand necklace- forever love

black wooden platforms- bakers

ginormous flower ring- h&m (and view of the strip from our hotel suite...ridiculous!)

so the surprise of the trip turned out to be....
FRONT ROW ORCHESTRA TICKETS TO PHANTOM OF THE OPERA!
my husband knows my super-geeky-theater-loving-heart SO well. seriously. best. present. ever. and the best part? there was no occasion for it at all. he just wanted to see me smile. well darling, mission accomplished. p.s how handsome is he? he dressed up as well, and I do think that he cleans up rather nicely.

allow me a moment to geek out about the experience. so, phantom is a favorite of mine. how could it not be? it is a classic, people! it has the most extraordinary musical score, being more like an opera than a musical. the story is haunting, enthralling, and completely tragic. I have always been a sucker for those unrequited loved stories. the phantom is my man. I've seen this show through out my life at least ten times. every time I've seen it, though, it has always been traveling through. be it through chicago, or san francisco, or even la... I've only ever seen traveling productions. THIS was an all together different experience. this particular theater venue was built JUST for phantom. every little nuance and detail, right down to the foyer was to draw you into the story. the theater itself was built to be a reproduction of the french opera house, "opera populaire" from the story. I was told that the chandelier itself cost upwards of four million dollars. and the very first scene when it rises into the audience, I believe my heart may have stopped at the utter magnificence of it. the way that the show was staged, we constantly had the actors not even five feet away from our seats! I could look into christine's eyes as she sang to rual! and gah, the costumes! the most fantastic costume design I have ever seen. dear vegas, you win.

lets not even get started about the actors themselves. the BEST I've ever seen on stage. and I've seen broadway. vegas sure does know how to do a show right. by the end I was sobbing, of course, my heart breaking for the phantom. it will go down in the history of my life as one of the most thoughtful and amazing things that anyone has ever done for me. it was truly a dream come true. a magical way to start the evening. :)

dude. did I mention that we were in the front row?

I attempted to take photos to commemorate the night, but was promptly scolded by the aisle attendant. how rude. but seriously, can you see the decadence of this place? the entire theater was as intricate as this. love at first opera house. here are some shots from the vegas site:

that is all from me for today! remember if you missed the first vegas post to head back there and leave a comment so that you are eligible for the give away (sneak peak coming in the next post). hope your weeks are off to a good start.

your love is like las vegas.

2010-06-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

welcome to vegas week here at the discerning fashionista! five days of vegas vacation ensembles. and at the end of the week I will be giving away a special treat that I picked up while shopping over at caesar's forums. :) to enter yourself in the give away just make sure to leave a comment each day. I know there are more of you out there that I am not hearing from, and I would LOVE to get YOUR feedback. join the fun, people!

so this was vegas: day one. we had just hoped off the plane and tossed our stuff over at the mgm. the nice thing about tucson is that it is maybe a 45 minute flight from vegas, which makes for an easy travel day! I was dressed and ready to go straight from the flight. we decided that before the rest of our group arrived from LA (they drove. yikes. 6 hours of el lay traffic, no thanks), that the hubby and I would walk the strip and see the sights. we are no strangers to the vegas, but its still fun to take everything in. it is a place that is constantly changing and evolving.

over the walk from the mgm to the new york, new york. I know that it is one of the more kitschy hotels, but I adore it. possibly because I adore new york. I'm wearing one of my LBD's with my new, gold flowy tunic from francesca's. a pleasant surprise while I was reading my us weekly on the plane was that the very dress I was wearing was in the "good buys" section. rock on recessionistas.

we walked all the way down by paris and decided to cross over to watch the bellagio water show and then head inside for a drink (mmm mojitos!) and to wander their botanical gardens.

some new bangles, also from francesca's. one of the only stores that I have found in tucson that has some good pieces. aside from the fantastic thrifting and vintage stores, there isn't much to choose from down there.

gold gladiator sandals, target last summer. super comfy for long walks.

teal studded wallet and purse (because I am loving blue tones like crazy for this hot summer season), nordstrom

the beautiful entrance to the bellagio. I love how everything in vegas can be turned into art. even a ceiling.

the bellagio garden.

theres my man! we were having a blast, but we were ready to get back to the pool since the vegas heat can be just as sweltering as tucson.

on the walk back, past the water in front of the bellagio.

sunnies, black ray bans. and I'm on the hunt for the teal (see above note on blue tones) colored ray bans. I cannot find them any where. I will be checking in SF and LA next month, but if anyone has any tips send me an email! stat!

and of course on our way back, logan decided that he needed to play in a slot tournament. I'm not a gambler myself, mostly because I have horrible and atrocious luck (wait for the story later this week) but the hubby loves it.

back at the mgm and heading to the room to get ready for the night out! stay tuned for more vegas-ness. is that a word? yup. it is now. hope you all enjoyed your weekends. we have a busy week in store and looking at these vegas photos is making me long for vacation. the count down is on. 12 days until SF, and 18 days until LA. its on. :)

much love today.

june on the west coast.

2010-06-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

so usually I am a positive person. I know that I am blessed with family, friends, and a lovely husband. so I am going to take yesterday in stride. my friends, it was a bad day. you know the type. but as far as I figure, I am getting all of my bad luck out of the way in the first half of the year and for the rest of it I will be rockin. agree? agree. seeing as I am trying to remain in a good mood to start this day off right, I am not going to say much. :) just going to make sure I get my butt to yoga this morning, AND later tonight. I totally need some zen with everything that is going on. best. suggestion. ever.

pretty typical megan outfit. bought the fun, striped, over sized tee at the nordstrom yearly sale and have been wearing it like crazy. I stole this military style jacket out of my mom's closet. it had originally been mine and I am sort of wondering what I was thinking giving it away in the first place.

camo-esque jacket- CAbi (the company I used to work for! google it friends!)

chain link bag- zara

striped over sized tee- nordstrom (and I'm wearing it backwards! I wanted it longer in the front, not the back. thus, flip!)

denim shorts (been wearing them every day since I've been back in the 100 plus tucson weather)- originally boyfriend jeans from abercrombie, until I chopped them. best. shorts. ever.

I guess I was really digging this ring/bracelet combo for most of the san francisco trip. as well as that mint nail polish. I am currently rocking an orange/mango color. in case you were inquiring. :)

silver feathers necklace- forever love

I am almost done with growing my bangs out! hooray. that only took over a year. but I still have to pin them back for a few more months before they are pony tail ready.

where did I wear this lovely ensemble? to a seven year old girl's birthday party! my mini-me, aia turned seven and she is making me feel super old. I have known this cutie since she was in diapers! I adore all of these little lovelies. and have known most of them for just as long. how adorable and stylish are they? love it.

one of the great loves of my life. I adore miss aia.

some of her girls. and of course we went to grab some ice cream and see shrek. SO much fun.

anyways, thinking calming and peaceful thoughts over here. :)

have an excellent day. and come back next week for ALL VEGAS posts and some give aways.

ciao.

supermassive black hole.

2010-06-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

ciao! still here, still recovering from vegas.... and in our post vacation haze we added another one to our list. southwest is having an auh-mazing sale right now (seriously do yourself a favor and go have a look) so we took advantage and booked a few flights for this fall. :) I love planning trips because traveling is truly one of my favorite things to do. some day, logan and I want pull a "yes man" move and go to the airport and just pick a flight. doesn't that sound terribly romantic and adventurous? but on to the post... I apologize for my lack of photographer that day. it was another san francisco outfit. I was headed out to a brand new wine bar called vesu. if you are ever in the east bay, it is a wonderful place to check out. the ambiance is brilliant as is the food and the uber extensive choices of wine and champagne. it was one of my oldest friend's, leah, birthday. I adore that I can look back to her birthday celebrations when we lived in our dorm rooms and had to use the building oven to make her cupcakes. now, we go to wine bars to celebrate. we have come far, my friend. :)

as I've said many times, all black outfits are my choice for going out. you will always look chic, sleek and put together. as long as you rock some bright and fun accessories, then you can't go wrong.

menswear tuxuedo jacket- nordstrom

black shimmer tank- h&m

black knee high boots- bakers

white beaded necklace- target

stretch skirt with studs- forever 21

two of my favorite girls! erica (left) has been living abroad in the world with her professional basketball playing fiance and she finally came home to get married this summer! leah (birthday girl) looking lovely on the right.

hope you are all having a fantastic week. I am getting ready to do a give away with all of my vegas posting next week so be sure to come on back. :)

much love. xoxo

some day she'll learn to make up her own ryhmes.

2010-06-22T01:44:00.000-07:00

happy tuesday! I'm back from a fantastic four days in fabulous las vegas. we completely lived it up and I think that I slept for about five seconds the entire time. I am going to have far too much fun going through all of the pictures and reliving the adventures this week! lets just say we met our fair share of D-list celebs and consumed just enough mojitos to stay cool in the desert heat. some great stories/outfits are in store soon. and you know me, especially when I am in viva las vegas. go big, or go home. anyways, here is an outfit from a few weeks ago while I was in san francisco. I do believe that we were headed out for a shopping day.
lime green tank- stolen from bestie's closet that morning, h&m
funky black cardigan with gaga sleeves- forever21
sunnies- ray ban
fringe messenger bag- bakers
black boots with studs- bakers
scarf- boutique near ghiradelli square (same place as the black/white one! sad I can't remember the name of it)
oval ring- gift from hubby, street fair in roswell, new mexico
buttons added to bag- caravan imports, petaluma, ca
necklace- the icing (yes, I know!)
I'm off to sleep for the rest of the day in hopes of gaining some energy to hit the gym later. this is a must after pigging out all weekend. back to real life, eh? how were all of your weekends? anyone else wind up in vegas? wink, wink.

ciao. :)

telegraph avenue kiss.

2010-06-17T06:00:00.001-07:00

thursday, thursday, thursday.
I'm up and about early this morning and off to the airport with my man. its time to spend a few fabulous days in las vegas. :) I'm looking forward to some sunny afternoons by the pool with a tropical something or other drink in my hand. as well as some nights getting dolled up and strolling the strip with my hubby. as for today's post.... some adventures in one of my favorite places... berkeley, ca.

my bff/friend/future sister in law, rene, and I took an afternoon and headed over to telegraph avenue to people watch, thrift shop, and grub on some sushi. the outfit I wore is pretty much a staple for me. black and tan with a funky scarf, a fringe messenger bag, and some crazy cool accessories.

when you are in the bay area you have to be a master of the "layering look". at this point you can call me a layering queen.

tan dress and long sleeve black tee- h&m

scarf- boutique near ghiradelli square (wish I could remember the name!)

tan boots- bakers

sunnies- ray ban

fringe messenger bag- bakers

twist headband- forever love

after a long afternoon wading through bookstores and thrift shops, we drove back to walnut creek and spent the evening at the wine bar, va de vi.

we nommed on proseco and de-lish dessert.

when you leave va de vi they let you sign their book, so of course we left our own little page. we like to let people know we were there. :)

that is all for me this week! a few new posts with what I've been up to with plenty more to come, including bay to breakers. I will be back on monday. hope you all have the most fabulous weekend.

ciao. :)

manor west.

2010-06-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

happy tuesday!
bringing you a post from one of my weekends spent in san francisco. in fact it was our "bay to breakers" weekend. if your unfamiliar with that phrase... not to worry. there will be an entire epic post chronicling the events of the iconic SF event that is "bay to breakers". since we had to be up bright and early (530 am) on sunday morning to begin the big day, we decided to get a hotel for saturday night. we stayed directly across from the ferry building in the most gorgeous place, hotel vitale. it had absolutely stunning views of the bay and of the bridge. not to mention it was first class, all the way. after we did some shopping around union square that day, we headed out to one of our favorite places in the city... manor west. the girls and I decided to rock ensembles with blue tones that night. I took one of my LBD's and tossed it underneath one of my summer tunic tops, and belted it for a finished look. then I rocked my new american apparel fishnets. they are gold, but laced with blues and reds. though it sounds strange, they are actually quite groovy. and of course, topped of the look with my blue suede shoes. ha. I also attempted to recreate the hairstyle that I wore to my cousin's wedding a few weeks before. the result made me smile.

blue suede pumps- bakers

flowy, sheer tunic- charlotte russe

belt- bebe

LBD- macy's, INC

bracelets- huntington beach pier street vendor, ring- antique shop in tucson

necklace- gifted to me, h&m
funky, rainbow fishnets- american apparel

some shots of my girls at manor west.

unfortunately, at this point in the evening it became ridiculously hot. what can I say? I like to dance it out when I'm in the city with my ladies. so the tunic and belt had to make moves else where. and it was just me and my LBD the rest of the night.

now I'm off to do some swim suit shopping for vegas this week. any suggestions? shopping for swim stuff can be rough for us girls! then back to the gym tonight. I am determined to make this the "summer of fitness" and lose those pesky twenty pounds that have been hanging around since winter. how is your week going? any exciting plans for the weekend?

much love. hope you are all having a grooooovy day!

ciao.

amidst the flowers, a jug of wine.

2010-06-14T04:57:00.000-07:00

good morning all! today we have another post about gorgeous sonoma, ca. I adore staying at my parent's house because it feels like a perpetual vacation. it is amazing to me how lucky they are to just hop out of bed and have all of wine country at their finger tips. people travel from all over the world to be able to share what they experience every weekend. it is not uncommon for us to be out running errands and to bump into not just people visiting from other states, but from other countries as well. it always makes for an interesting day. of course, one of the first things we did while I was there was head out to go wine tasting. my mom had to pick up her wine club shipments for the summer and we made an afternoon of it.

scarf- 7 for all man kind

dress- forever21

long sleeved black tee- h&m

sunnies- ray ban

new summer time mac eyeliner!

these shots were taken in our garden before we left. isn't it unbelievable? I wish I had inherited my mother's green thumb. sadly, no.

while we made it to a few wineries that day, I kept my camera out for B.R. Cohn. this is always an interesting place to make a stop. it is widely known as the "rock and roll" winery. and by widely known, I mean that is what my friends, family, and I have deemed it. but for good measure. it is owned by a music manager who works with bands such as the doobie brothers. the entire place has an incredibly laid back vibe to it. the walls are plastered with funky, original artwork, with record plaques, with autographed guittars, and old band photos. beyond groovy. every year the winery still makes a "doobie brothers signature bottle". very classic.

it was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. ah, bliss. as for this week, I am busy getting ready to head out of town again. at this rate I will never get this house unpacked and painted. I'm not feeling too guilty because that isn't what summers are for anyways. perhaps, this fall? cheers to living out of boxes and suitcases for the next three months!

on and ending note... who likes the blog's summer revamp? was feeling it needed a little makeover for the season. :) know you all know how I spent my weekend.

peace and love to you today :)

green string.

2010-06-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

helllllllo all!
I am finally back from my five week escapade in california. back in tucson and already dying in the sweltering heat. the trip was a wonderful whirlwind of friends, family, nights out, plays, city days, wine tasting, shopping, relaxing, and far too much eating. I think I am going to need a few days of pure sleep to recover. in the mean time, here is my first post back from hiatus. I love how happy and healthy I was feeling during the trip, and I think it shines through in the pictures. being back in northern california truly was a breath of fresh air back into this girl's soul. :)

one day while I was up there, my mom and I spent the day at the farm that is right up the road from the house in sonoma. it was a gorgeous, sunny california day so we brought the dogs along with us.

blue ring: blown glass from the island of murano off of venice. spring 2009
copper ring: santa fe summer 2009

collection of bracelets: black/brown/white beaded - tucson swap meet spring 2010, wooden bangle- hawaii fall 2008, black/white woven san francisco spring 2010

light blue and gold bohemian sandals- sonoma spring 2010

sunnies- nordstrom, BP section (10 bucks!)

vintage scarf- gift from a friend summer 2009

fringe purse- bakers fall 2008, I just added the long strap with studs so that I can now wear it as a messenger purse and not just a shoulder purse. have been wearing it non stop.

one of the loves of my life, Crash the yellow lab.

one of my other loves of my life, Rosie the golden (13 years old).

last, certainly not least, nicky the shepherd.

green string farm is on the sonoma/petaluma border and is a must see if you are on your way up to wine country. it is a completely organic and sustainable farm. we went home with many fresh veggies to cook with that day!

I am happy to be back and can't wait to share the rest of my may adventures with you! is everyone off to a wonderful start to their summer? what have you been up to?

much love. :)

midnight in the garden.

2010-05-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

sorry for my lack of words this week! california is keeping me busy! here are some shots of what I've been running around in. its still pretty chilly up here in sonoma. I've been doing some wonderful things, including the wedding weekend, days in the city, giants games, and much more. this weekend is going to be crazy busy as well! a garden party in the east bay tomorrow, then a festival in the city and a party at manor west that night. and of course sunday is BAY TO BREAKERS. going to be nuts. :) have a wonderful weekend!

ghiradelli day.

2010-05-12T16:00:00.001-07:00

miss you all. heres a look at some san francisco adventures. the wedding weekend was wonderful and crazy. I will have pictures up soon. :) enjoy.

lazy days and rainbow dresses.

2010-05-04T06:03:00.000-07:00

very quick post today. i'm on the road again... off to san francisco.
enjoy my lazy day outfit. cheers. :)

the shadow hunter.

2010-05-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

despite feeling so down lately, I really do know that my life is a wonderful one. I know how lucky I am to have a fantastic husband who makes me so deliriously happy and so deliciously frustrated all at the same time. and I also know how lucky I am to have a husband that will bring me flowers "just because". I think that I must have the song, "the luckiest", on my brain since it was one of our wedding songs and I am getting ready for the wedding festivities this weekend. the packing frenzy is in full swing at our house right now. the most frustrating part of packing? most of my closet still remains packed from the move, so I CAN'T FIND ANY OF MY STUFF. can you tell things are tense around here? well, I will be packing the rest of the day and doing last minute errands before the drive on tuesday.
15 hours. oh. mmm. gee.

as for the outfit, I kind of love how the photos turned out. the black against all of the colors of the desert right now. don't let the sunshine fool you, it was freezing. the past week has been full of strange weather. these were taken saturday, and then sunday we had craaaazy monsoons. who knows. but, I literally tossed this on as I was running out the door for some dinner with the hubs and was glad I paired the purple with the black. isn't it fun when last minute outfits come together perfectly?

lilac halter dress with splash pattern: forever 21

black shoulder purse with rossettes: bought from a market in milano circa summer 2009

black high neck caplet: forever 21

long sleeved black tee worn underneath: H&M

black over the knee boots (folded over in these photos): bakers

black ray bans (pretty much my go to at this point)

I wore one of my new busy bee lauren headbands. man, I love this one SO hard. it may be my new favorite. its the "jace" and comes from her line of headbands named after literary characters. I LOVE that they are named after some of my favorite characters from my favorite books. "jace" just happens to be one of my particular heroes that I adore. and if you've read the mortal instruments then you totally understand how I am channeling my inner shadow hunter here. wink, wink.

antique ring: vintage shopping in tucson circa fall 2009

heart hoop earrings: nordstrom, BP section

raise your hand if this headband is pretty much slaying you. yeah, I know.

anyways, many things to do today. :)
follow me on twitter this week and keep me company so that I have something to do on my extra long trip on tuesday. here's to the start of a fantastic week for all of you.

xoxo

we've been on the run, driving in the sun.

2010-04-30T13:40:00.001-07:00

a quick friday post with the remainder of the california pictures. enjoy :)

some crazy, cool earrings that I bought at the huntington beach pier. had to rock them on the ride home.

on the way home we stopped in long beach and had lunch on the water with two old friends. :)

on an ending note, here are some words of wisdom that we found written in some parking spaces in LA. of all places...happy weekend to all of you. I'm off to enjoy the arizona sunshine and pack up for monday's road trip back to SF.

peace and love.

xoxo

and its one more night in hollywood.

2010-04-29T11:11:00.000-07:00

happy thursday blogger land! I am doing a happy, silly dance on the inside while celebrating reaching 100 followers this week. I know it seems like a small number in comparison to some of my other semi-celeb blogger buddies, but for a little blog that just started out as something fun for me to do to pass the time and meet some super nifty people, I am pretty pumped at how it has grown. I am contemplating what to do to mark the occasion and I think another give away is in order. there is a special something that I have in mind, but you will have to wait until next week when I am back in san francisco. I can say that you are going to want to check back. :)
on to round two of the road trip photos.

after spending the day shopping and basking in the california sun, we hurried back to the hotel to get ready for the film premiere. the feature that we were there to see was called "elle", and it was the first time it was ever going to be seen by an audience!

we were the first ones in line and we had the perfect view for when all of the actors were arriving. they kept pulling up next to us in their "blacked out" escalades and town cars. we saw most of the major stars and even were able to talk to a few of the people in the movie as well as the directors and producers. it was interesting to see all of the people who made the movie come back together.

since the film festival was in newport beach, it had more of a laid back and beachy vibe to it. we wanted to look super chic but not too dressed up. I think we pulled it off nicely.

I wore a one of my little black dresses with a dark zebra print tunic over, paired with my black leggings and tan wedge sandals. I threw on some accessories and kept my hair casual.

once the film was over, the cast hoped in front of the audience for the Q&A. it was such a small theater that they were maybe 10 feet away from us. cool! after the excitement of the movie we decided that the best place for us to hit on a saturday night would be hollywood. obviously.

we drove for a while all the way down sunset blvd. past chateau marmont, past hollywood blvd and the roosevelt hotel, and past many other famous haunts. when we saw ketchup we decided to pull over and see if we could get in. sadly, we didn't think to make a reservation and the place was packed. we walked up to the bar and looked around for a bit, but ended up having dinner at a funky, outside restaurant below ketchup.

I hope you enjoyed the overload of photos. some of them are courtesy of miss lauren, the photographer extraordinaire. looking back at these is making me miss our trip! there is no better place to be than hollywood on a saturday night. there are so many interesting people out and about and you just feel ridiculously glamorous.

wishing you all a healthy and productive thursday as we inch closer to that weekend. has anyone else tried going the vegan route yet? watching what you are eating? hope I'm not alone out here!

peace and love. :)

xoxo

I hope you know, your my favorite thing about the west coast.

2010-04-28T06:15:00.001-07:00

aaaand I'm back! did you think for a moment that newport beach may have swallowed me whole? well, it almost did. it was such a whirlwind adventure that I am still recovering from all of it. the driving, in particular. lauren and I had a blast and ran all over the LA area. sadly, I have very little time to sit and relish in the after glow of a fantastic adventure, as I have another road trip ahead of me. six days and counting until I leave for the fifteen or so hour drive up to san francisco. on that note, lets chat about last weekend for a hot minute.

are we loving my early 90's/late 80's look here? after a long day of driving on friday, we woke up early the next day and decided that some shopping and people watching was in order. Lauren took me over to balboa island. I can't believe that in all of my trips to southern california, I had never been to this quaint town. I fell in love. hard. pretty much the entire time I was busy scheming in my head of how I was going to be able to move there. its adorable, people. anyways, I had been waiting to wear my navy/white polka dot dress that I thrifted from good will a few weeks ago. it was seriously like four bucks. are you kidding me?

since it was chilly that morning and a tad foggy in balboa, I decided to toss on my light denimn wash jacket with some tights and boots. I have summer type dreams of wearing this dress with my red wedges and white fedora. soon, ladies. soon.

the over the shoulder purse was thrifted from good will as well. and on the same day, I might add. I couldn't believe how well they matched up. I forgot, like the crazy that I am sometimes, to do a close up of the gorgeous purse. next time, I promise. you will have to forgive me... can't you see I am JUST having my morning coffee in this pic? I don't believe I was functioning at full capacity yet.

have I mentioned yet how quaint, beautiful, and fantastic balboa island was?

who doesn't love peace frogs? well, this girl does. fersure.

yuuuumm. salt water taffy, you get in my belly.

balboa was full of boutiques and neat shoppes. I think I found maybe a hundred things that I wanted to buy and take home with me that day. I do believe lauren even found me trying to coax a pair of really expensive shoes to "come home with me and live in my closet with my other babies". dude. sometimes shopping makes this fashionista loco.

the sales woman at this store proudly informed us that the designer that made these necklaces was hosting a trunk show for the kardashians that day. I think she thought it would convince us to buy one. did it work? absolutely not.

why yes, I do adore this girl.

after a good morning in balboa, we headed up the coast to huntington beach. we hunted around and found the best vintage shop. we each found a dress and were pretty proud of our thrifting skills.

dear california, you are too beautiful for words.

since it was so lovely out, we walked to the end of the pier.

left over sidewalk art from earth day. <3>

I'm ridiculously amazed out how the "H" managed to get itself cut out of both of these shots.

back to balboa once it warmed up to have a look at the auh-mazing sail boats. since it was a weekend, everyone was out enjoying the sunshine.

including us. lauren loves california, so we are including her in the "honorary california girls" club

as the afternoon was fading, we went to track down our tickets for the film festival! we were so excited to be seeing a premiere that night. as you can see clearly indicated below with the universal symbol of awesome: a thumbs up.

check back tomorrow to hear about the premiere night and our dinner in hollywood: sunset blvd style.

on an ending note, the adorable sally from candy cane is married left me an award! thanks so much!

Instructions for the award:
1. Put the logo on your blog within a post.
2. Pass the award on to 15 bloggers.
3. Link to the nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

I would like to pass this on to some ladies who truly make me smile. whether you are doing it with your fantastic fashion, your killer wit, or your "loving life" attitude...I adore you all. nuff said.

1. terra at stylish white female

2. jade at lowbrow style
3. clare at between laundry days
4. kyla at blue collar catwalk
5. christina at fabulocity in amish country
6. amy at the bargain hunter extraordinaire
7. christen at la rue neuve
8. emily at crazy world
9. rene at the adventures of an epic baker
10. kate at kismet & kate
11. allison at a bite of allison
12. teresa of blooming on bainbridge
13. emily at a radiant mephit
14. court at the photo beginnings
15. lisa at knit, teach, ride

its a long list, but I think all of you are fantastic!

that all for today. :) off to yoga...

peace. xoxo

once I spoke the language of the flowers, understood each word.

2010-04-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have to begin by saying thank you to all of my wonderful friends and readers that refused to let me slip into further melancholy the other day. each of you and your sweet words really made me smile, as usual. can I give you a great, big virtual hug? well, I am. can you feel it? good.
I am excited as I am running around town and packing to leave for my road trip to newport beach! in less than 48 hours I will be able to smell the intoxicating saltiness of the ocean and feel the breeze coming off the waves of the california coast. and it will feel like coming home. :)
since I've got to run, lets get to the outfit.

this was my first attempt at the socks+sandals combo. I've seen many bloggers do it very successfully, but I'm not sure I love it on me. I'm short, thus short legs. I sort of feel like it makes my legs seem shorter by cutting them in half. well, can't say I didn't try. the rest of the outfit I was loving. the colors, the funky hair do' with the scarf, everything.

strapless purple dress- bebe circa spring 2009 vegas trip

black sheer shirt- forever 21

lime green purse- guess

knee high socks- target

oversized sunnies- nordstrom, BP section

pearl bracelet- (really a long necklace wrapped around many times for a funky look) bought at a hawaiian market in lehaina circa fall 2008

scarf worn as a headwrap- bought from a market in venice- circa spring 2009

the arizona desert is right up against our new home and its so gorgeous to look at. I still can't believe that this is a part of my every day view. its so different from every where else I've ever lived, but beautiful in it's own right.

zip up pumps- thrifted at buffalo exchange in berkeley circa summer 2009

my smile, circa today... :)

here are a few ending notes:

I posted a wonderful vegan/organic post over on my family blog. trying to keep the fashion and other adventures separate. but, if you want to have a look at the recipe just hop on over there!

also, who watched the madonna episode of Glee this week? are you still alive? cause I almost died from the overload of awesome. I have quite a few friends who are responding to the open casting call....like my GORGEOUS and TALENTED friend, court! get over there and give that girl a gold star already. I have to say that I kind of want to post an audition as well. just for fun. can't hurt right?

extra points and love from me if you can name the poet who wrote the phrase used for the title of this post. you will earn my undying love and gratitude.

that is all from me this week! check up on my twitter to hear about what we are up to in newport beach and to see if there are any celebrity sightings at the film premiere on saturday. :)

all your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise.

2010-04-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

lately I feel like I am in a perpetual state of waiting. and I absolutely can't stand that. back in what I now refer to as my "previous life", i.e my life before moving to arizona, I used to love living in the moment. there were so many wonderful things to live every day for. and each of those days was full, brimming to the top. friends. family. love. laughter. and now? life is pretty lonely in tucson. while I adore our new home, and while I am enjoying making it ours, I am realizing just how empty the days seem. the more time I spend painting and decorating, the more I think about how quiet life has become. it almost makes me laugh, thinking that you really should be careful what you wish for. back in the "old life", I would have given anything for a moment of peace and silence. now, that's what I've got. in more portions than I can stand. when I wake up, I want something to look forward to. don't we all? dear tucson, work with me. because I am trying. well, enough sullen-ness for today. it must be the weather.

countdown of things currently on the agenda:
newport beach road trip with miss lauren- 4 days
san francisco road trip with the hubs- 2 weeks
julia's wedding- 3 weeks
east coast trip- june 2010
l.a. trip- june 2010
chicago trip- july 2010
mystery trip for our wedding anniversary- august 2010

on to the outfit. denim jacket- H&M circa fall 2009

tie dye maxi dress- macy's summer 2009

gray purse with gold chain link strap- zara, circa italy spring 2009

scarf- vintage thrifted.

gloomy weather circa today.

black ray ban sun glasses.

wooden bangle bracelet- costa rica trip 2005

ring made of blown glass from the island of murano, off of venice.

popped collar circa 1980's

learning to find something to look forward to each day, circa today.

I made a de-lish vegan AND organic dinner for myself and my hubs last night that I will be posting tomorrow once I upload the photos. did you all pay attention to what you ate yesterday? I hope so! now time for me to head off for some morning yoga, so that I can stop feeling so melancholy.

cheers.

xoxo