Meet the Mods

Carlotta Cardana is a photographer based in London, UK. These images are from her personal project (titled "Mod Couples") on partners who belong to the “mod scene”, a subculture that originated in Britain in the late fifties and became very popular during the sixties. Cardana was drawn to couples over individuals because of the way their identities blend together. Cardana says:

"I am also quite interested in the relationship between a person and his or her surrounding environment, in seeing how they complement each other. Consequently, I took elaborate planning out of the equation when making these pictures: the couples chose what to wear and where to be photographed. The world depicted in the pictures is entirely the world they have created for themselves." 

I was first attracted to their eye-catching style, but the portraits go beyond their appearance and delve further into the lifestyle from the styling of their homes, to musical preferences, and other subculture elements. It's a fascinating and inspiring series for any vintage lover.

(All photos via Carlotta Cardana)

Birthday Twinsies

September is my favorite month not just because it signals the start of fall, but it is also the time when Z and I have birthdays. I love hearing the reaction when I tell people that we were both born on the same exact day! They awkwardly laugh and then ask if I am pulling their leg, but the answer is no! Our birthday is on September 19th and we usually treat ourselves out to a nice dinner or a trip somewhere we both can enjoy rather than buying each other something material. On a past birthday trip, we toured Seattle for a couple of days and I must say that it is one of my favorite places ranked up there with Portland. (I guess I have a soft spot for the Pacific Northwest.) Below are some photos of our trip!

Finnegan, our spoiled pug, also has the pleasure of sharing his birthday in the same month. He turned 5 years old on September 14th and has transformed into the most lazy lap pug the world has ever seen only waking up to eat/drink/poop and then fall back to sleep. I'm looking forward to a great year ahead. I'm lucky to share my birthday with one of the most wonderful, caring, people I have ever met. Happy Birthday Z!

Finnegan Visits Fort Funston

I have always seen other dog owners heading out to Fort Funston all the time, but it wasn't until Finnegan and I went there ourselves that I truly understand why this is surely the best off-leash dog park in our area. Fort Funston features 200 foot high sandy bluffs on San Francisco’s southwest coast where the winds blow reliably wildly. It is no surprise that it is one of the premier hang-gliding spots in the country. A network of trails make it ideal for hiking and horseback riding. Dog owners will be happy to know they can take leashes off here. It is also home to the Fort Funston Native Plant Nursery. 

That day, I decided not to hide my crazy pug lady personality and wore some cut-off overalls and a PUGS t-shirt that I had thrifted a while ago back home in Ventura, CA. I am sure that Z was embarrassed to be seen with me. Upon reaching Fort Funston, we took a winding trail though some sand dunes to an isolated beach. There were tons of dogs, all nicely trained of course, accompanying their owners for this scenic walk. If you want to do some dog watching, this is the place to be. As soon as we reached the water, Finnegan was already tired from the seemingly arduous journey to ocean paradise. At one point, he was so exhausted that he flopped himself down in the middle of the wet sand and probably looked similar to a beached whale from far away. Completely covered in wet sand and panting non-stop, we dragged Finnegan back to the car and took him to a self-wash bathing center near-by. We found out that Finnegan gained some weight on their in-store scale--about 29.2 pounds to be exact! After the bath, Finnegan passed out in his new Star Wars Boba Fett hoodie (I couldn't resist) on the couch and didn't even wake up to eat. I guess he was trying to tell me that this was a pretty successful pug day outing.

To see Finnegan in action, click on the Instagram video below:

Conservatory of Flowers

Last weekend, we had brunch with Z's sisters at a charming little cafe in the Dogpatch. Even though we live reasonably close to this neighborhood, Z and I have not had the time to check it out. Brunch was at "Just for You" cafe that served some excellent beignets that I gladly dipped into my coffee per the waiter's suggestion. I ordered the crab cake eggs benedict, which was absolutely delicious. Z and I will have to make it back over here for brunch again soon, since the wait was not as long as Brenda's French Soul Food down in the Tenderloin.  After brunch, we headed over to the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers for the famous butterfly exhibit--Butterflies and Blooms. The Conservatory greenhouse itself is absolutely gorgeous. This gem of Victorian architecture has a long and storied history, and is the oldest wood and glass conservatory in North America. The Butterfly exhibit allows visitors to see a dazzling array of about 20 species of butterflies all within close proximity. One even landed on my hand! 

Outfit Details:
Black and Brown Striped Crop Top Turtle Neck // Thrifted
Black High-waist Jeans // UO
Woven T-strap Flats // UO
Vintage Coach Satchel // Thrifted

If you're ever in San Francisco, make sure to stop by and visit Golden Gate park and go to any of the museums / gardens that the city has to offer. We were lucky that day for the weather was sunny and Karl the Fog was away!