a sweet skill set

this past month i was part of something pretty amazing...a blogging hailstorm of ideas brought to you by sfgirlbybay. while i happily got to explore some of my own inspirations, i found others just as delightful to indulge in and couldn't be more happy to share some of those great ideas below...and others, of course {ps most of these are now my new obsession}

{confusedvision via one pearl button}

{design crush}

{Hotel Paris Rive Gauche's photostream}

{sfgirlbybay}

{Jackie Peppermint}

somewhere over the rainbow

this makes me want to travel, oh so terribly much

{from artist's recent trip to France}

{via Suguru Nishioka}

what inspires me...

these are just a few things that i find inspires me daily - sometimes without noticing it, i'll catch my breath when i'm looking out into the ocean, or having an insightful talk with my loved ones and catch something that inspires me or makes me want to be a better person. sometimes i can pinpoint each moment, and other times just the fading memory takes me by surprise, though with each passing moment i know it's keeping me motivated, creative, inquisitive and grateful.

vintage jewelry, and a style to call my own

{it's taken me a long, long time to finally find a personal style, but i think i've finally found something thats representative of me and not just a commercially reproduced image of the world we live in!}

a great book, blog post or article

{surprising enough, i often have trouble reading my own work, but get the giddy excitement of a young school girl when i know someone else has read my stuff; the blogging world, thanks to many experts and newbies like me, have opened up my eyes to some amazing new things}

giving my time for free, to those who need it and deserve it

{i'm working toward the San Diego 3 Day in November - i'm terrified of walking those 60 miles but i know it's going to help so many people, and it's something i can afford to do, and have the time and capability to do}

my family, which includes both my blood relatives and my friends

{these are the people that have made me who i am - i couldn't be where i am without them today. cliche as that sounds, without the encouragement of my love i wouldn't be writing this blog post, without the push from friends i would never have traveled abroad and seen amazing things, and without my family i would've have been able to love others with such strength}

the sun, sand and waves; a pad of paper and a pen

lots and lots of color, in any form possible

& love

{love via}

thank you to Victoria of sfgirlbybay for organizing this lovely blog it forward event - it was my first adventure in the blogging world! - and check out the lovely author from yesterday, Surfs Up Buttercup . I'm the last in the group :( but since I only have ten fans i'm pretty excited that i was part of an event that included 300 bloggers out there!

blogging it forward

my first blogging event and oh dang i finished early! amazing it feels so good!

¡Ay, caramba!

Thanks to Refinery 29, we get a sneak at the Edita Vilkeviciute Vogue photo shoot by David Vasiljevic shot for April's edition. though i don't remember everyone in Spain looking quite this colorful when i lived there, it's isn't that surprising that something so wild and eccentric could come from a country where mullets are still in style and shopping is more than just a hobby, but something equivalent to breathing or eating over here

poo-pourri

can someone explain this to me?

the other day i went to interview A Style Concierge's owner Michael Lee, and when doing my business in the bathroom noticed this on the toilet- apparently it's stars favorites?

{i find it a little unnecessary}

""After I flushed, a pleasant, lemony scent filled the stall. Hmmm. Maybe they're onto something" -Glamour.com

{images via a style concierge & poopourri}

shade it up

This summer, redefine your style with a statement piece that won't damage your wallet and matches every ensemble. The item? A great pair of shades, and as per a reader request, those that do more for your ensemble that simply accessorize –polarized shades. Though perusing the streets of San Diego lately has brought up more rain than shine, everyone is buzzing for the arrival of spring – especially sunglass shops. Surely you can go ahead and move forward with the Ray Ban trend, but if truly want to accessorize your style aesthetic, go for something more unique. Prize ranges vary, as do locations, but all are accountable for one thing: individuality.

Keep Company, found in San Diego (Del Mar Kids & Back Room) in addition to locations up and down the coast from Berkeley to LA, was originally a shoe company that had a successful vision and moved the brand elsewhere. Now working on candles, clothes and shades, the company offers retro '80s styles and trendy designs that are perfect for every face shape. The Super Sunglasses offer up the Carl Zeiss lenses and are $117.

E.C.O (Environmentally Conscious Optics) by Dragon Alliance is one of the few sunglass distributors made from 100% renewable materials (polycarbonate lens, Grilamid material for frame). Based in Carlsbad and offered up at a plethora of surf shops around the county (pretty much anywhere you can think of, ECO is sold), these glasses are specifically designed and drawn from local Cardiff surfer Rob Machado's own life. Prices range from $100-$150.

Shwood Eyewear, the "experiment with nature," is made from sustainably harvested wood found in several different African countries. These polarized glasses are not only unique in design and shape but in their materials; all Shwood molds are handcrafted in Portland and offer up polarized lenses. They can be purchased online at shwoodshop.com, and are priced reasonably for such a sustainable good, raning from $90 to $110.

National Distributor Mosley Tribes, offered up at several Sunglass Hut's in the area, features unique VFX Technology that is specific to the brand. Not only do these stylish shades feature glass polarized designs but additionally feature glass photochromic, which changes the lens density under light. Worn by celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker and recent Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock, the styles are endless as is the protection. Prices range from $180-$275.

Another national distributor is SunCloud Optics, a recreational brand that is sold in both surf shops and athletic retailers in San Diego (like The Surf Club Shop, north county's Hansen's, Wavelines Surf Shop, Clairemonth Surf Shop and Sundown Sunglasses). With a lifetime guarantee, polarized lens on every pair, UV protection and Polycarbonate lens material, you'll see straight through those rainy clouds. Prices range from $30-$60.

Need some San Diego fashion advice? Just ask your local San Diego Women's Style expert Meaghan Clark.

it's summa, summa time

yet another blissful day, even though it was spent {mostly} at work

{running at 4:15 everyday is going to be so tough

when the 70 degree weather and beach across the street is calling...

ahh i love my apartment}

i must say, this time change is addicting

{via chocolate therapy & just a girl in acity}

oh boy!

this weekend was lovely, what with the sun and the fun!

{we filled our days with bikes, runs, sand & salt, baseballs and yummy food}

it was all so lovely and i couldn't imagine a better way to start off this new time change

{i just love daylight savings time and am so excited that it is finally here - yipee spring}

{via & Cup of Joe}

bleh

i am totally and utterly convinced something is wrong with me.

first, i am restless

{my legs won't stop moving}

second, my head is a ball of fuzz

{exhausted though finally slept well}

third, i'm on the verge of tears, at every moment

{already spilled to the boy and it's only 9am}

fourth, obsessively searching online for some disease i might have

{sleep apnea, thyroid disease, diabetes...}

what's going on?

{via}

surprise by your feet

yesterday when i was out on my run (probably not the best idea at a time like this in San Diego, but i had to get rid of all this extra energy) i spotted a few love notes from past lovers inscribed into the cement and thought to myself, are they still together?

i've always loved finding little notes and sweet secrets in hidden places where most people don't look or bother to find, and hope to make one for myself one day

{via Urch & knitteresa}