Flora and Fauna

I've been missing the pretty red and orange leaves from our trip to Massachusetts, so I decided to wear this floral headband I had ordered previously from Mod Dolly.  The headband itself has an deep orange velvet ribbon band with some darker red, pale orange, and green flowers. Some of the flowers have pearl-beading in the center adding just enough detail to make me feel so fancy fine wearing it. I guess I am trying to trick myself into thinking that the weather is cool, despite the fact that it is so warm right now in San Francisco. I never really know what to wear when the weather is hot. Fall/Winter fashion always seemed more interesting to me since it takes a bit of skill to layer patterns and clothing together for a cohesive ensemble.

After taking tons of bathroom-mirror selfies because I had annoyed my boyfriend to the brink of breaking up with me that he refused to take photos of my outfit, I forced my poor little pissed off pug to model the headband along with me. It kills me sometimes that he knows what to do when I take out a camera and instantly begins looking at it with such an sad apathetic gaze. What a pug! I think I was able to capture his good side, yes?

Outfit Details:
Headband: Mod Dolly
Dress: Forever 21

Half Moon Bay

When driving down to Fremont to visit Z's parents, we always passed by the off-ramp to Half Moon Bay while taking the San Mateo bridge.  My curiosity continued to grow as I asked Z tons of questions about this bay since his family usually went there for special occasions, such as Mother's Day. I had also heard through the grapevine of people heading down this way to pick up pumpkins for Halloween and then Christmas trees in the later seasons.

One day, Z surprised me and we took a day-cation to the mysterious (at least in my eyes -___- ) Half Moon Bay. Growing up, I have always lived near the beach. My younger days were spent exploring the beaches of the Central coast (my favorites), then off to the warm sandy beaches of Oahu in Hawaii (since my father was in the Air Force), and then finally the crowded beaches of Southern California.  I must say that my beach is more along the lines of the Northern Pacific coast where the beaches only get prettier and less populated. The times I did go to the beach in Southern California were for bonfires, sunbathing, reading, and of course--people watching. Now I mostly like exploring beach caves and climbing on rocks. It's nicest for me when it's a bit overcast even, because if it's too sunny and hot, I can't hike around as much or I get all sweaty and gross.

Located 35 minutes south of San Francisco along the Pacific Ocean, Half Moon Bay is a stunning slice of the Golden State and boasts an unrivaled combination of coastal town friendliness, charm, and natural beauty. After checking out all the cute boutiques that the town had to offer, we decided to check out the tide pools at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach. The reserve stretches for 3 miles and is an underwater park designed to help conserve and protect ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems. We arrived during low tide and were able to view sea anemones, mussels, hermit crabs, and other beautiful creatures hiding among the rocks.

After exploring the beach, we stopped at Barbara's Fish Trap for lunch. It is a small seafood restaurant overlooking the water serving delicious Italian dishes, sandwiches, and of course--the essential clam chowder or fish n' chips basket! I forgot to take photos of the food for everything was much too delicious to stop and snap a photo. Half Moon Bay is truly a beautiful place to visit when you want to escape from the busy hustle of the city for a while.

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

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!