Generation Love

Have you all heard of Generation Love? If not, feast your eyes on these beautiful creations made by designers, Roni Hirshberg -from NYC, and Audrey Bressa-Valcourt-from France. Founded in 2008, Generation Love is a New York City-based clothing company that focuses on being eco-friendly and animal friendly. That means yes to organic cotton and no to fur and leather! It's so hard to find clothes these days that are made with love and care and even harder to find clothes that are produced domestically! I mean, really, when was the last time you bought some clothes that were made here in the USA? I have to tell you how shocked I am when I go shopping and realize just how many of the clothes I find are no longer made here. Generation Love chooses fabrics that support both Mother Earth and their local community, and that is a beautiful thing. Even more so, they are one of 5%
left of designers that has their line produced in NYC. So, when you get a moment, be sure to check out Generation Love's website and some of their gorgeous designs. Above are some of my favorite pieces from their Spring 2011 Look book. It's so hard to pick a favorite, but if I had to choose, I'd go with the Harrison or Ali top. Which one do you fancy the most?

Pssst... make sure you are following me on Bloglovin' and Facebook because you might just get a chance to win a little somethin' somethin' from Gen Love very, very soon.

Food Friday: Tacolicious & Timmy

 Tacolicious 2031 Chestnut Street San Francisco, CA 94111

One of my favorite days of the week is Taco Tuesday. And, as luck would have it, San Francisco has one of the best Taco Tuesdays around. Believe me, this is a fact. When I get off early enough, my usual go-to spot for delicious tacos in the city is Nick's Crispy Tacos, but this week since I missed my Tuesday tradition, I decided to fill my taco void, later in the week, at non other than, Tacolicious. I spend a lot of time in the Marina district, but I have only recently started exploring the many cute and quaint restaurants in the area, and Tacolicious has always been one of the places on my list. So, this Thursday, after a really awesome morning and afternoon, I decided to spend the evening with my friend, Doug, for some quality taco time. True to our gluttonous nature, we were quite the ambitious ones and split a platter of ten tacos between us. Yes, TEN tacos for $29. My half consisted of two veggie tacos (made with roasted squash, zucchini, and red peppers), one chorizo-potato, one beef short rib, and one chicken taco. I washed down all five of those suckers with a refreshing sangria roja, made with red wine and fresh fruit. Juicy and delicious, Tacolicious's tacos were nothing short of filling.  What I love most about Tacolicious is its laid-back and hip vibe, which happens to be the perfect place to unwind after a long day of work. But, take head, if you decide to come to Tacolicious after work, it's best to get there a little before 6:30 to beat the crowd!

After stuffing ourselves silly with tacos, Doug and I took a walk along Chestnut Street, before finally deciding to get a cup of coffee. We sat outside on a bench with our warm coffees and decided to do a little people watching. It was then when we noticed a Tim Lincecum doppelganger across the street. "Look at that Lincecum look-a-like," Doug said with a laugh. I stared with my poor vision and kept my eyes on him as he crossed the street and headed towards us. As he got closer and closer, my jaw dropped, as I realized that was no doppelganger. Nope, it was the real deal. Yep, Timmy Lincecum casually strolled by us with a smile, and I sipped my coffee in awe, watching as swarms of San Franciscans gawked at our local celeb. What an ending to a fantastic day, I thought. Only in San Francisco could I feel this way.

  Have a wonderful weekend, lovers. Thanks for all of your amazing & sweet comments. I have some fun stuff coming up on the blog, so be sure to get the updates first by following me on Bloglovin' and Facebook!

Hello, Mystery, Don't Bother To Explain.

Poncho & rings: Forever 21; Shorts: Random boutique in LA; Watch, braided bracelet, & tank top: Nordstrom (little kiddie's dept!); Necklaces:  Street Vendor & c/o My Name Necklace; Shoes: Jessica Simpson Dany Heels

Miike Snow - Black and Blue

What does one wear when the thermostat reaches close to 90 degrees? As little and as loose-fitting clothing as possible (without appearing nearly naked of course!). My closet is bursting with clothes that are meant to be worn for a day out in the sun. All of my LA clothing (think shorts sans tights, dresses galore, and tanks & tees up the wazoo) has been hidden away, patiently waiting to be picked out of a sea of cold weather items. Well, the day has finally come! While yesterday was the first official day of summer, us Bay Area folks have been frying like eggs on a pan for at least the last couple of days. Personally, I say fry away! I have been waiting for this type of weather for months, and I just love the feeling of Vitamin-D as it soaks through my skin. I spotted this over-sized poncho top at Forever a couple weeks ago, right as I was leaving the store. I felt victorious that I was about to leave the store without a yellow bag in my hand, but true to Forever-21 nature, the store quickly reeled me back in when I saw the solo top just hanging around. Why is it so hard to leave that place without something in your hand?? I swear, man. As it turns out, the purchase was a smart one, because now I have a loose fitting top (with pockets!) that I can wear on a casual day out or by the pool. It just so happens the top goes perfectly with a pair of shorts I purchased back in LA. Talk about a match made in heaven.

One of These Mornings You're Gonna Rise, Rise Up Singing...

The Clubber Sandwich -- The best club sandwich I have ever had the pleasure of devouring.

You probably think the four of us shared these, right? Nope. These are all mine (insert shocked look here). But to be fair, Cindy got her own half dozen too!

Little man, Cody loved the cupcakes!

Maxi dress worn as a skirt & Belt: Forever 21; Tank: Nordstrom; Necklace: Thank You Mart; Shoes: Nine West; Photos of me by: Kathleen; All other photos by: Chandamheer

 

Janis Joplin - Summertime  

Last Wednesday it was 70 degrees out and I had the day off. It was the perfect recipe for a blogger meet up. Kathleen, Cindy, and I had been trying to coordinate a day to meet up and dine out for some time. After a series of internet exchanges, we finally set the time and place, and the rest is history! We spent the afternoon chowing down at Blue Barn Gourmet on Chestnut Street, walking up and down the hills of the Marina district in search of a shopper's paradise, satisfying our sweet tooth cravings with cupcakes from That Takes The Cake on Union Street, and we finished off the day with a photo shoot (duh!). All in all, it was a wonderful summer day. I am so happy I got to meet up with these beautiful ladies (and little man, Cody) because they are even sweeter in person than they are on their blogs. Looking forward to many more meet ups with these ladies, and with all of you Bay Area lovers too! Don't be shy, send me an email or tweet if you'd like to grab a bite to eat, or just want to say hello :)

...You're gonna spread your wings, Child, and take, take to the sky, Lord, the sky.

Papa Stacker

Papa Stacker, I'm so lucky to have you in my life. My dad and I have been close since the very beginning. Can you tell by this picture? This has to be one of my favorite ones of us two. I remember when I was younger, my dad would always take me to Golden Gate Park Children's Playground in San Francisco. I'd spend hours just sliding down the huge slides with my cardboard box, riding the carousel, eating Wright's pink popcorn,  swinging as high as I could (with some help from dad, of course), and spinning around (as seen above). Today, Dad and I don't frequent the park as much (haha). Instead, we spend time chatting about life, laughing about this and that, or discussing the latest movie we've each just seen. Little does my dad know, talking to him about just the little things is one of the best parts of my day. I always know that no matter what is going on around me, a talk with dad will instantly make things better. And that's how it's always been. So, Dad, this one is for you.

Happy Father's Day, Dad. Thank you for everything.

And All I Wanted Was The Simple Things, A Simple Kind of Life

Dress: Forever 21; Blazer: Nordstrom; Shoes: Payless

No Doubt - Simple Kind of Life

I know most of you were expecting a delicious Food Friday pancakePOST, but hopefully this outfit post will fill you up just as much. I got all three of these pieces a long, long while ago. Picked up the blazer at the Nordstrom Flagship in Seattle back in September. I got the floral dress two or three summers ago, but I can count the times I've worn it on one hand. And, I got the wedges back in high school! Can't even believe it's been that long. Sometimes, I forget what awesome things I have in my closet, but it doesn't change the fact that I am still very happy when I find them (and they still fit). I have a lot of great posts coming up, including a ton of colorful outfits, a lot more Wisdom for your Wednesdays, some tasty Food Fridays, and my day out in the city with Bay Area cuties, Kathleen and Cindy! Have a wonderful weekend, loves!

Wisdom Wednesday

"Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." - Albert Einstein 

Jennifer Humphrey by Andrew Kuykendall for Spanish Moss, June 2011

By now, most, if not all of you, have seen Spanish Moss's new lookbook, which features the beautiful, Jennifer Humphrey. But, for the few of you who haven't, you are in for a treat. These photos blew me away. The styling, the clothes, the setting, the photography, the modeling -- all of it is on point. Be sure to see the rest on Spanish Moss's blog, here.

Now, on to the wisdom. First off, could Einstein be any smarter? I guess it's not too surprising that such a kernel of inspiration would come from the genius himself, right? But, really, let's take a moment to discuss. One of the most important things that has proven itself true for me time and time again, is that everything happens for a reason. While we might not see the reason right away, we shouldn't doubt, even more a minute, that the reason is there. I have always believed that difficulties are only difficult if we fail to see the possibilities in them. When something doesn't go entirely as planned, or everything around seems daunting, it's best not to think that the world is out to get you (no matter how much it may feel like it is). I promise you that life is just helping you form some thicker skin and preparing you for something even better. We face adversity so that we may overcome it. After all, isn't a victory that much sweeter when you know you fought your hardest to win the battle? Today's wisdom is something that I take very close to heart. This last month has been somewhat of a challenge. While I'm not entirely able to spill too much, just yet, I found that those challenges have helped me realize just how much opportunity there is waiting for me. The way I see it, you either sit and stare at the door that has closed in front of you and wonder wonder why it closed or what you could have done to stop it from closing, for so long you miss out on opportunity as it knocks on another door, OR, you leave the door to the past closed and get ready to open a new one to future success. I don't know about you, but when opportunity comes a-knocking, I generally like to open the door, and say, "Hello!"

Love Was Just A Glance Away, A Warm Embracing Dance Away, And...

Sweater, top, & braided bracelet: Nordstrom; Skirt: Urban Outfitters; Flats & necklace: Forever 21; Bracelet (top): H&M

Cake - Strangers in the Night (Cover)

Happy Monday, blogger bees! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are ready for another beautiful week. So far, June has been a pretty busy one. I have been running around and working nonstop, so much so, that by the time I get home all I want to do is knock out. It was nice to be able to wake up to no alarm clock and to finally have a day off to catch up on all the things I love to do. My day consisted of: a morning of guilty-pleasure TV, an afternoon Zumba workout at the gym, and an evening of quality blog time. Nothing too terribly exciting, but, I cherish these quiet times when I get to just be alone and chill out, especially since my daily life is always just go, go, go.  Believe it or not, I still like to dress up on my downtime. This outfit is a perfect example of something I'd wear on just a normal day out. I've never been one to run errands in sweatpants (God forbid!), or... jeans and a tee (mainly because I detest denim). Karl Lagerfeld said it best, "Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life so you bought some sweatpants." Haha, that one always has me chuckling.