Posted in July 2012 …

Jul 31 2012
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Fashion

SUNNY DAYS


(Sunglasses: Karen Walker)

If you follow me on Instragram you probably already noticed the [sunglasses] photo days ago. Which is more like 10 years in the cyber world.. if you know what I mean. But I couldn’t help but elaborate on this little purchase. I have been wanting Karen Walker sunglasses for ages. Ages. But let’s be real. I’d rather put $200 towards a new surfboard than a pair of sunnies. So when I was doing some late night [online] searching I found these little gems for $35. Thirty-five dollars!!! Can you believe it?? I hardly can. I love love love finding steals like that! It is honestly what keeps my passion for fashion alive. Because really.. who can afford everything full price at our age?? [Hopefully not too many people because it will make me feel a tiny bit bad about myself.] And to be quite frank that’s how I make most of my purchases. I think it might be a gift [or I'd like to think so.] I wouldn’t be able to afford my pricier taste in fashion any other way.

Anyway, my sister said I look like Willy Wonka and my man told me Yoko Ono. I prefer the latter [if I had to choose] and regardless of the silly name-calling I am incredibly satisfied with my new sunnies purchase. It has been long overdue.

So come on summer.. bring on those sunny days!

x

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Jul 30 2012
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Life, Waves

ENDLESS SUMMER

(Photos from: here)

When I saw the first photos of this little Waikiki photo shoot from Daeja Fallas herself [via Instagram] I couldn’t help feeling like I was in intermediate school again. I felt the same exact way I did when I decided to start surfing. I was completely inspired by Roxy’s ad campaigns and wanted to wear a hula skirt at the very birthplace of surfing. I totally bought into that whole lifestyle. I would be lying if I told you I didn’t feel the same way right now. Here I am feeling like a 12 year old girl.. ready to buy a $75 beater surfboard  and brave the whitewash. I might even have to go to Queens tomorrow for good measure. But we’ll see.

I love seeing images like this. It even makes me a little envious and a part of me wishes I was there with a lei around my neck too! Which means the photographs were depicted perfectly. Rightfully so. I recommend checking out the rest of DF’s photographs. She’s an amazing photographer with a unique [but relatable] point of view.

For those of you dreaming of an endless summer in Waikiki.. find it here.

x

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Jul 25 2012
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Life, Waves

A DAY IN THE SEA

(Photos by: me)

My friends and I spent some much needed time in the sea. No surfing, no catching waves, just being. And an occasional handstand. But that’s all we really needed. I think its okay to just float and let the waves pass you by once in a while. Nothing more, nothing less. There’s a purity in being a part of the water. It’s like being a part of something bigger than what we really are. Our tiny little bodies get lost in the oceans vastness and for a brief moment you [in some ways] no long exist. It’s a humbling place to be.

As tiny, undiscovered creatures drifting and spending a day in the sea.

x

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Jul 24 2012
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Fashion

THE FREE SPIRIT

(Photos from: here)

Wooweeee long live America. I am ready to resign from my beach life in Hawaii and go out [south] west to live on the open range like a free spirited cowboy.. cowgirl. Or I could just get me one of those hats and make pretend. It looks like a traditional cowboy hat but not quite. Right? Like a cross between a cowboy and amish. I think. I could be wrong and not really informed on culture hat knowledge but it is looking pretty hip. Makes more sense.. to go with the hipster hat.

But I also think the new trend for makeup and beauty should be the dirty faced look. I think it is a good look. I’m kind of half joking and it may just be that I got suckered into this whole editorial and the imagery they’re portraying.. but doesn’t it look cool?? I’m probably not be a good advocate for makeup and beauty trending though. I have no sense of all that. I think a good remedy for your skin is putting seaweed straight from the ocean on to your face. That’s it. But what do I know??

Anyway, this is an amazing editorial. It’s such a great mix of western and native American. A cultural and fashionable juxtaposition. Medicine bag accessories and slouchy cowboy attire. I’m a sucker for the country look and an even bigger sucker for horses. They are one of the most beautiful creatures that ever graced this earth. Put that all together and you’ve got yourself a mess of fashion radness.

So. Free spirits and beautiful horses= amazing fashion story.

x

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Jul 23 2012
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Fashion, Life

CROWNS TO HIPPYDOM

(Photos by: Michele Leong & me)

A couple of friends and I decided to embark on another DIY endeavor. This time: flower crowns. It was pretty last minute and our whole arrangement was quite makeshift. We didn’t get a chance to sip on Mimosa’s and lay around on colorful blankets this time around. Unfortunately. But after today I’m pretty sure my friend Virgi is a DIY master. Must be the Hawaiian in her because she can whip out a flower crown like she was making one for Hawaii’s royalty. She says it’s from her Explorations class in grade school but I say it’s pure know-how-to-use-your-hands talent.

It was a lot of fun and now we have new accessories to sport around town. Don’t be surprised if you see us around downtown.. maybe even first friday.. sporting our crowns. Both of us. At the same time. Maybe even a matching outfit. Nah nah! Jokes aside I will definitely be incorporating it into my wardrobe for a while. I’m even wearing it right now!

On our way to hippiedom with our crowns!

x

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Jul 22 2012
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Fashion

TANGLES AND COLOR

(Bandeau top: homemade (: , Bikini bottom: BoomBoom Bikini, Necklaces: Momi Made by Michele Leong, Shark Tooth Bracelet: Dezso by Sara Beltran, Turquoise Bracelets: gifted)

I’m beach side for a week and expect to wear a bikini and tangled, salty hair for most of it. I really wish I could just live in a bikini and feel like this all the time. It feels so good to pretend I don’t have to work or have a real life. It would probably feel even better if it were actually true! Haha.

So, believe it or not I actually made that bandeau a few years ago. Surprise, surprise. I used to actually sew at one time and put my hard earned degree to work! It’ll be my thread of choice to get rid of those tan lines I have had for years and years. I am finally making an attempted to rid of them. And that Boom Boom is helping with my behind too!

I’m also obsessed with my toothy necklaces from my dearest Korean jeweler Michele Leong (Momi Made.) I have always been her biggest fan. Fortunately for me she is also a close friend so I am constantly stealing her necklaces and bracelets when she’s not looking. It’s really nice when you have amazingly talented friends and force freebies from their hands into your closet. (: I am a sucker for pops of color. And the perfect way to do that is with jewelry!

So for now I’ll be in tangles and color all week long.

x

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Jul 21 2012
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Travel

THROUGH THE WINDOW


(Photos by: my sissy)

My sister and I were obsessed with this window in Paris. We could not get over the view. Every time we came home we were blown away with how beautiful it looked. We took so many photos with that window the neighbors across the way must have thought we were nuts. But it was everything you could imagine when you think of Paris. I would look out that window and imagine a whole Parisian world with cafes, coffee, art, music, history, fashion, people sitting around getting to know one another.. and it was actually happening right below us!!

It really felt like we were living an authentic Parisian life in this apartment. It was at the top of 7 flights of stairs with vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors and an open floor plan. It had a very rustic yet chic feel to it. I wish I had taken just as many photos of the apartment as the window! Some times I imagined I was Audrey Hepburn sitting on the window sill. I cannot even remember what movie it was from but all I remember is her being in an apartment very similar. It made the moment feel so much more dreamy.

I saw Paris through a window sill.

x

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Jul 20 2012
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Fashion, Travel

HOD

(Photos by: me)

Okay, so before I go deeper in to my Europe vacation neglect I neeeeeed to talk about this jewelry/accessories store HOD. It has the most beautiful mix of quirky and refined jewelry/accessories in Le Marais area of Paris. The owner, Valérie, is the sweetest, friendliest, and all around hippest Parisian you will ever meet in the city. Her store and her persona give Parisian a whole new light [to those who have ever heard not-so-great things about the people.] More personally, she has become a close friend who treated me like family while I was in the city of lights.

Anyway, HOD has a great mix of designer and authentic craftsman pieces that you have always dreamed of having but could never really find. Like the cool and funky Dezso by Sara Beltran seahorse stud earrings or those Navajo hand-beaded bracelets. Everything has a pop of color and the displays are incredibly avant garde [if you will.] Did you happen to take a close look at the steer skull completely hand carved with intricate designs on it?? Unbelievable I want one!! Everything is worldly and with a little bit of travel [and probably a story too.]

So if you happen to be in the Le Marais area and need some hip jewelry HOD is a must!!

x

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Jul 19 2012
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Fashion

TAKEN BY THE WIND


(Photos from: here)

I am a huge fan of Sugarhigh + Lovestoned. This little photo shoot collaboration makes me an even huger fan. The photos are amazing, amazing, amazing! And the wardrobe. And the setting. Incredibly inspiring work. I want to go run in an open field topless now.

These girls are in their element. When you see what they’re doing and where they’re going with SH+LS you can tell it’s not phony or contrived. It’s the real deal. They’re whole brand and image is exactly like the life they live. A glass bottle full of coolness [preferably Jack Daniels.] It’s hard to find that kind of ingenuity nowadays. You know? You always get these people who are trying to portray a lifestyle or way of life because it is the hip thing to do. But not these girls. I have a deep appreciate for people like Tami and Chloe. They are themselves and rock out hard. And they are so freakin’ talented! Have you seen they’re t-shirts?? Gems.

Anyway. I have always been attracted to that rough and rowdy, rock’n'roll, carefree lifestyle. The creativity and lifestyle that SH+LS exudes totally makes me want to live like that. Even though I am obviously not the best candidate [due to my lack of raw coolness] I’m not that Led Zeppelin, swim topless in a lake with 15 other men and women, own it at Burning Man kinda girl. But I wish I was. SH+LS makes any girl feel like she could be that cool though.

Thanks SH+LS for letting me live vicariously through you. I’m taken by the wind!

x

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Jul 18 2012
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Fashion

THE JACKET

(Isabel Marant “The Weez” Jacket & ”Jenny” Boots)

So I felt the need to show you guys exactly what jacket I was talking about in my previous post. The Isabel Marant “The Weez” Jacket. And trust me when I say I already did some searching on Ebay. No luck yet. In my price point anyway. This is the perfect jacket. I stare at it and get dreamy eyed. I love the tie dye quilted fabric and embellishing. It truly is a craftsman’s piece.

And now that we are on the subject let’s talk about another item I have been wanting. I am still dying for those boots! The Isabel Marant “Jenny” Boot. Now this whole matter is kind of in relation to my continual Europe travel talks. I have been wanting these boots forever. Forever. But naturally the price point is a little too high for me. So when I was in Paris for soldes I formulated a whole plan in my head and mentally prepared myself to purchase these boots. I was even thinking about purchasing these boots weeks before I left for my trip! [That's how much I want them!] So in my formulated plan these boots were going to be anywhere from 30%-50% off. Deal. Still a little high but definitely more affordable. But guess what happened when I went to the Isabel Marant store, tried them on, and went to the checkout counter?? They were not on sales! No soldes boots! Apparently they are considered apart of the new collection. Guhh!!

Which gets me onto my next subject. I am in a really weird fashion phase of my life. I was talking to my friend Virgi the other day and we both agreed that we are hanging in the balances of our fashion taste. We don’t want to buy cheap, fast fashion but we cannot afford those designer gems. Our taste is bigger than our bank accounts. A cheap tank top from the local juniors store doesn’t satisfy our fashion drive any more and hasn’t for years. [But before I even look at the price tag] the threads I am attracted to are always incredibly high priced. It’s not even on purpose! It’s a fashion conundrum. And that’s why  our solution is to satisfy our fashion taste is by buying everything on discount! Maybe a little trick of the trade I can go in to more detail later!

But back to the important things: That jacket, those boots. Mmmmmm.

x

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