"The Coldest Winter I ever spent...

...was a summer in San Francisco"- Mark Twain

It's no big secret that the weather in SF is erratic at best. After a short while of living here, after living ANYWHERE else in the world, you eventually figure out how to plan for the day. It can be frustrating when you don't want to carry a jacket around all day, but you will sorry when you don't have one. The warm days turn on you like a friend you've forgiven many times before.

My first summer in SF came as a total shock to me. People had told me it gets cold, but I never imagined spending 4th of July wearing a sweater AND a jacket, after having spent the entire day in a tank top.

4th of July 2010, freezes our ass off and seeing zero fireworks through the fog.

So now, after a few years, I finally think I am getting the hang of things here. And when the weather reaches almost 80 degrees, its a call for celebration. The shorts come out to play, because you don't know when you'll get to dress this summery again.

I was supposed to be spending the weekend in 100+ degree Palm Springs, but plans got messed up. I had a whole bunch of outfits planned, and they all included short shorts. Because I NEVER get to wear short shorts. And damn it, my legs still look good and I am going to wear them at my inappropriate age until they don't.

My sad little suitcase full of un-appreciated outfits

Fortunately the weather in SF was simply perfect, and I was able to spend the day enjoying the sunshine and people watching at the Haight Street Fair. These street fairs are what summer is all about in this city, and in past years I wasn't able to enjoy them due to work. Each one has a different vibe, and I'm sure you can use your imagination as to what the vibe is like at Haight Street!

The shorts come out! 

I'm not exactly always super confident wearing such skimpy things in the city. I never like to feel like I look ridiculous. But on a day like this, I knew I would be fine...especially in comparison to the overall naked-ness of others at the fair.

Awkwardly posing at the corner of Haight and Ashbury.

The good thing about not shopping is that after 22 years of hot New Jersey summers, I have plenty of clothes to choose from. For once, there's no shortage of outfit inspiration, and I actually get pretty excited to get dressed. 

Hippies never really die

Love this guy just chillin in the shade

Thank god I didn't wear my cape and belt outfit like I was planning. That would have been awkward!

Looking forward to more of these gorgeous days, and next week's street fair in North Beach! 

Lost & Found

I have had the greatest Memorial Day Weekend EVER. Kicked off on Friday morning with mimosas to celebrate a few friends graduating from my school, the Academy of Art University. It was great to watch them accept their diplomas and see that there actually is a light at the end of this often dismal tunnel I call art school, and I am on my way to getting it over with.

We thought it would be fun to make the party 90's themed. Oddly enough, I had plenty in my closet to go on, and came up with this gem of an outfit. Complete with french braid and a scrunchie. In related news, I learned that NO ONE thinks scrunchies are cool. Not even in the hipster way. Also, I wore a fanny pack all day, and I have to say, that shit is practical and I am definitely going to be wearing my fanny pack more often now. This is why I hold on to things. Because of theme parties. And because I might be a hoarder.

Floral high waist shorts- check

denim jacket- check

strappy velvet sandals- check

messiest room EVER? yes.

I've been waiting years for an excuse to bring back these bad boys.

Saturday was spent doing major spring cleaning. If you couldn't tell by the above photo, my bedroom was in shambles. So after hours of laundry and folding and OCD style organization, I rewarded myself a little and met up with a girlfriend to catch up over some drinks downtown. At the bar, someone had left a really sweet hat on the seat next to me. After the bartender asked around and no one claimed it, he gifted it to me. I may not be able to shop, but no where have I stipulated that I can't steal.

ooh so artsy

Normally I lack the confidence it takes to wear a hat, and for no particular reason either. I like hats but don't generally gravitate to them to complete my outfits. Yesterday I had a few errands to run and an extremely greasy situation going on with my hair, so it was the perfect day to wear my new hat. What I learned is that the first day you wear a hat is always the windiest day. 

Paired with my favorite purse (its vintage! fancy!) and all black, I felt really really cool. The guy at the hardware store even gave me a compliment.

All in all, it was the perfect way to kick off summer, with just the right balance of work and play. Oh, and on Sunday I was lucky enough to catch the greatest fireworks show of my life from my very own rooftop deck. I'm feeling pretty lucky right about now.

The view from my roof

Photo Credit: Cameron MacPhail 

If this weekend was any indication of the next few months of fun, I am not complaining. San Francisco summer, I'm ready for you!

Mother's Day, a few days late.

Sometimes, a girl just needs her mom.

Some are fortunate enough to live close to their moms, but with 3,000 miles between us, I'm not one of the lucky ones. But no matter the distance, she's always there when you need her most. And for me that moment I needed mommy most happened to coincide perfectly with my family vacation to the East coast.

Since I can remember, my mom always gave me the freedom to do what I wanted and dress how I like and taught me not to take shit from anyone about it. My mom is the reason (whether she knows it or not) that I had the confidence to wear some of the things I did. I would come out of my room, wearing two different colored shoes (Punky Brewster was a major fashion influence) and three pony tails, and my mother would barely bat an eye. I have her to thank for a lot of things, but not stifling my creativity was the best thing she could have ever done for me.

She also had a knack for dressing the whole family impeccably. Easter Sunday was our favorite

Only a few days prior to my much anticipated Anderson Family Vacation to Charleston SC, I was feeling desperate to get out of the city and breathe a little fresh air. I got my wallet stolen on the bus and went through a tiny bit of heartache in my personal life. I was ready to be more than just a phone call away from my mommy.

One of my favorite things to do when I'm home is go to Target with my mom. It's cheesy, but I like to spend the time driving through the suburbs in the minivan with her. I like the stop and go of the busy road, if only for that one day. I like to meander through the usual departments- the clothes, the make up, the home goods. But this time around it was a little different! I'm still not spending money on my own clothes, and I now needed a new wallet. 

Retail therapy is a real thing and probably the reason for at least 60% of what I own. New stuff just makes you feel better. It's a fact, and its lasting effect keeps you coming back for more, which is where my troubles began.  

It was just what I needed- a day running errands in suburban monotony with my awesome mom, catching up and letting her buy me some treats without feeling the guilt. I'm thankful for way more than the things she buys me, but sometimes you just need to be a little spoiled. 

Thank you mommy for allowing me to indulge in the things I didn't need. 

It was definitely the best vacation ever.

This is why we can't have nice things...

The thought of having to use what I already own to actually get dressed up was something I was half dreading, and half looking forward to. I have a whole bunch of fancy crap in my closet that almost never gets worn, and some certain items I've literally never worn. I just always revert back into whatever outfit makes me most comfortable, and even though I like getting fancy, I would always rather feel underdressed than overdressed.

So when my friend Kate invited me to a semi-formal event for her boyfriends gaming company, I was super excited to try and find something original in my closet. I was only slightly tempted to raid my fabulous roommate's collection of nice things, but thought I ought to play dress up on my own for this.

Part of the reason I have SO much stuff is because I buy so much CHEAP stuff. One of my jobs is as a nanny, so I'm constantly getting marker, sauce, and bodily functions of all kinds on my things. I also can't really afford nicer things on a poor starving art student income, and thus I am the antithesis of a [former] fashion student shopping at Forever 21. I've also had in my possession my mom's Gap credit card (thanks mom!) (sorry mom!) with a seemingly flexible limit.


After a little while playing dress up (my FAVORITE pastime) I decided to go with a sleek and sophisticated look. A black pencil skirt and a black top that I modified a little to make it a tiny bit sexier. It was not too flashy, and I still felt like myself, ready to take on the Nerd Convention with my tall, leggy, blonde counterpart.

About 2 and a half drinks into the open-bar event, Kate and I excused ourselves to the ladies room. The skirt I was wearing was tight enough to keep me feeling skinny as I continued to imbibe, and let's face it I was really pushing it trying to fit in to it in the first place. I remained as calm as possible when I realized that getting me back into my skirt would be a two person job.

Kate was awfully determined to fix this skirt, and we laughed as passersby watched us struggle. Ultimately, it was a fancy outfit fail, but I'd consumed enough wine that I played it off like nothing was wrong. The best part about it was the extra inch or so it gave me to enjoy a piece of cake.

I don't have nice things because I don't take enough care or attention to the details, and then this happens. When I start buying clothes again, if anything I'll be more considerate of my purchasing, and I'll definitely check the zippers more than once.

Moral of the story, always have a friend on hand to get you back in your clothes and back out to the party. Sadly, Kate is leaving me and San Francisco behind to follow her dreams in Texas, and I suddenly feel like I didn't take full advantage of having a friend taller than me while we were here together. I'll miss you Kate!

Make Up your mind

This week I learned that the impulse shopper in me isn't dead. Neither is the fiscally irresponsible persona I'm trying desperately to shake. I decided to stop shopping for clothing, accessories, and bags, but I didn't put a limit on things like make up and essential items like socks, underwear, etc. But the line of necessity is thin and when you start to think that new leggings are an "essential" item, it is a slippery slope. 

As for make up,  well I'm not going to live like a total barbarian in 2012. Having no limits with my make up allows me to dress up the boring stuff. I'm a big fan of brightly painted lips with a really basic outfit. But herein lies my financial issue, my make up habit is not cheap. I am all about drug store stuff for some things, but for others, department store quality is just non-negotiable. And that can get expensive.

So this week I was in need of new concealer and I waited patiently until payday to go to the MAC counter and grab a couple of things. I wasn't going to splurge, but I decided to pick up a new lipgloss because I'm a sucker and I'm easily sold sometimes. I tricked myself to think I deserved a little treat. That's why I have so much stupid clothing. It was all a reward for something I never really did. 

I had that lipgloss in my possession for no more than 3 hours before it was gone. History. Escaped from my purse and sacrificed to the wild streets of San Francisco. Twenty precious pay day dollars metaphorically ripped to shreds. My heart actually hurt a little bit when I realized it was gone. I had applied it just moments before I frantically ran myself to the bus stop. 

The truthful words of a coworker didn't help the sting "that's what you get for spending twenty dollars on lipgloss". He was right, but as a straight male, he doesn't get it so he doesn't get to say things like that.

I didn't think before I shopped. I was impulsive, and I was punished. And I'm so mad about it.