Days of Being Wild

Z and I recently watched "Days of Being Wild" by Wong Kar Wai. Wong Kar-Wai's feature is a brilliant dream of Hong Kong life in 1960. The film evolves around the life of a young, boyishly handsome Yuddy (Leslie Cheung), who drifts through a series of casual friendships and uncommitted affairs, unconsciously pining for a relationship with his mother, who has started a new life in Manila. He finally takes off for the Philippines, where he sets himself up for the ultimate fall. The terrific, all-star cast enacts this as a series of emotionally unresolved encounters; the creative and beautiful camera work and design work takes its hallucinatory tone from the protagonist's own uncertainties. 

I was particularly fascinated with the 1960's fashion itself--the use of muted floral, plaids, and tropical prints (often mixed together) to depict the Hong Kong summer of hot humidity, sudden unpredictable down pours, and low breeze. I wanted to raid the wardrobes of all the women in the film! I know if it were me living in a hot humid place, my make-up would be smeared and running all over the place, but here these ladies are looking composed and cool. 

One of my favorite lines from the movie is from Yuddy who says:

“I’ve heard that there’s a kind of bird without legs that can only fly and fly,

and sleep in the wind when it is tired.

The bird only lands once in its life.  That’s when it dies.”

I would definitely recommend checking this movie and Wong Kar Wai's other movies out.

Grant & Stockton

I usually try to stay away from the tourist area of Grant Avenue and Stockton Street (aka Chinatown) because it can be difficult to walk around since there are always a bunch of tourists taking photos and visiting the little shops that line up the entire street. For some reason, Z and I decided to check it out and play tourists for the day.  One of our favorite bars, Li Po Lounge, has the best Mai Tai's around and the strongest Chinese whiskey you will find in the city. Have a couple here and you probably won't remember the rest of the night. I definitely recommend chatting up the cute little elderly husband and wife that own the bar. They might add an extra cherry or two to your drink if you're nice.
Z thought that his outfit was extra snazzy that day, so I took some photos to document what he was wearing. He, like me, also did not know how to pose and felt awkward. We are basically the same person. I kid you not, but we also happen to have the same birthday. CRAZY.

At the end of the evening, we stopped and got some coffee on Market street before taking BART back home. Sometimes it's fun to play tourist in the city that you are in because it makes you appreciate where you live.

Outfit Details:

Tan Pea Coat // Forever 21

Stripped Blouse // Vintage
Assorted Rings // Vintage & Forever 21

Pugnacious Portrait

This is going to be a crazy pug lady post. Sorry guys! I found this amazing etsy shop (HOOPLA) that will create a custom portrait of your pet through embroidery. I've been getting into arts and crafts...well basically anything DIY right now...and thought this might be right up my alley to try and recreate. With my new found interest in the arts, this might be a huge signal that I am turning into a grandma who would rather hang out with her plethora of pugs instead of human beings. Oh no! 

I found some portraits that I took with Finnegan back when he was a little pugnacious puppy. He was fascinated with his image on my laptop's screen, so I decided to snap some shots of him and his funny little facial expressions. I never expected a pug's face to convey so many emotions, but it seems to me that he does! Well...actually I'm hoping that he really does so I am not crazy. Do Owners really start to look like the pets they keep? I guess you can be the judge.

The Wanderer

Usually on the weekends after being cooped up in an office all week, I do not want to stay in the apartment at all. I want to explore the city! I do not always have a plan of action--as was the case for this particular day, but it was okay. Sometimes the best adventures happen this way. Z and I ended up wandering around the city after he got a hair cut. We walked and walked all over and then finally decided to eat some Indian food for dinner. It may seem simple, but I thought it was a great day! 
Outfit Details: Ginger Coat // American Apparel Velvet Babydoll Floral Dress // Thrifted Brown Backpack Purse // Forever 21 Brown Woven Sling Backs // EBay
I like the theme of these photos because they all have natural shades of browns and greens that I find myself mixing a lot in clothing. They are definitely one of my favorite color palettes to use and am drawn towards. Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Monkey Business

As a child, it seems like the only times you are able to visit museums or zoo's are through school field trips. I cannot really remember the last time that I went to the zoo. All memories consist of me having to wear a little name tag, staying with a field trip buddy in case you get lost, and my chaperon mom monitoring my every move. San Francisco is such a little city with a small town feel. After living here for awhile, you start to see the same people over and over again through Muni/BART commutes or restaurants/bars. It was amazing to me that San Francisco had room for a zoo! When you're young, you don't really think about how the animals end up here or the kind of strange sadness you feel seeing animals living in such a confined space compared to the vast wilderness of their natural environment.  Z and I were lucky enough to go to the zoo on a day that the sun was out and it was warm enough for me to wear shorts. (Holy crap! That never happens!) I seemed to enjoy all the attractions that were probably meant for the little kids--mini train ride, petting zoo, insect and reptile house--oh well! Unfortunately, there were not too many animals out during our visit and the ones that I had managed to capture on film did not develop for some reason which was a bit annoying later on when I took the roll in to be processed. 

Outfit Details:
Vintage Cinnamon Cardigan // Clothes By the Pound
Blue ruffle tank top // Urban Outfitters
Grey and White Striped High Waist Shorts // Thrifted
Brown Woven Belt // Thrifted
Vintage Gold Casio Watch // Gift from Z
Sunglasses // Swap meet in San Diego
Vintage Black backpack // Goodwill
Grey Socks // Target
Brown Woven Oxfords // Etsy

The zoo is located right next to Ocean beach, so as the day progressed a thick dense fog started to roll in and cover up everything in its path. I can't believe that the summer is almost over. It is usually mild weather all year round here in the Bay area and I've forgotten what summer heat is like. I'll probably be heading back down to Southern California in a week and a half to visit family, so I can catch up on my sun then. Hope your summer has been going well so far!