by the lake

i don’t know how many blogs you read based out of northern california, but if you read mine on a regular basis, you’ve probably noticed that i’ve been complaining a bit (ok, a lot) about the unseasonably mild weather we’ve been having here, despite the heatwaves all over the rest of the country. in the mornings while i drink my cup of coffee, i’ve spent a fair amount of time reading blog posts about the unbearable heat… in front of a space heater. in july. so this weekend, after waking up to one too many overcast mornings, we decided to hightail it outta here and take a trip inland to a place where the weather is just right. so yesterday, me and the boy made our way to del valle regional park for a bit of sun.

i have to tell you, i can’t recommend this swimsuit enough. i tried it on immediately after it arrived in the mail and actually kept it on and just walked around the house wearing it because it made me feel so good. a lot of swimsuits are just too flimsy for me to feel comfortable, but this baby fits like a dream and is very supportive.

anyway, i felt pretty shy about showing pictures of myself in a swimsuit, so i decided to break the ice with a list of things you probably didn’t know about me, since we’re getting so intimate today!

1. i’m a middle child. i have an older sister who’s about to turn 30 and a younger brother who’s 23. i look up to both of them.

2. i come from a working class background. when i was growing up, my dad was a truck driver for frito lay and my mom worked as a part time 1st grade teacher’s aid and art teacher at a small elementary school. she sometimes worked up to 3 jobs at a time, for which i am very thankful!

3. when i was in high school, i tried out my first pixie cut. soon after, i experimented with dying my hair cotton candy pink, dark pink, purple, turquoise, orange, and firetruck red. i also remember one summer when i was 15, i wore a ninja turtles muscle tee, a bandanna as a headband, and men’s levis 501’s almost every day.

4. i became vegan at age 15 and stayed that way for about 8 years. now i find it hard to be strict about anything. in the words of maude from harold and maude, “it’s best not to be too moral, you cheat yourself out of too much life.” it’s obviously more complicated than that, but that’s the short story.

5. harold and maude is actually one of my favorite films. i never talk about it on my blog, but i’m really into movies! some of my favorites directors are federico fellini (le notti di cabiria), jean luc godard (a bout de souffle), wes anderson (rushmore), spike jonze, (being john malcovich) hayao miyazaki (totoro), tim burton (beetlejuice), the cohen brothers (raising arizona), stanley kubric (a clockwork orange), todd solonz (welcome to the dollhouse), david lynch (wild at heart), the list is miles long… hit me up if you ever need a recommendation!

scarf: vintage silk scarf from my mom
sunglasses: karen walker
swimsuit: bathing beauty one piece in wine courtesy of modcloth
flip flops: long’s drug store

92 comments

  1. beautiful pictures, erin! i love that you have the confidence to post pictures in your swimsuit. you're a great inspiration for us all to feel that comfortable and proud!

  2. This swimsuit is gorgeous on you! The colour and fit is perfect! I've not owned a one-piece for years – but this I could be tempted by! x♥x

  3. this suit looks way better on you than the model on the modcloth site!

    and i live in nebraska, and would gladly trade weather any day. we've been having heat advisories every other day, it seems. blech!

    -katherine

  4. you are such a babe! i, too, own an awesome swimsuit from modcloth. it's one of the highwaisted vintage style two pieces..soo cute. i wear it around the house as well! just so comfy and lovely (very unusual for a bathing suit, for sure).
    i'm also the middle child and so many of your favorite directors are favorites of mine, too!
    maybe i just noticed it, but the little update to your layout is really cute! love da blog. have a great day!
    x anna

  5. Love that vintage inspired one pieces are coming back in style. You look fab in this one and these photos turned out amazing! Wish I had your confidence.

  6. That swimsuit looks so cute on you, and the scarf is absolutely perfect with it!

    I still need to see Harold and Maude. The last time I tried to watch it… well, let's just say that cuddling on a couch with a boy is not conducive to actually paying attention to movies.

  7. You look gorgeous! I love this bathing suit in this shade of red. I bought the black one years ago in a little retro boutique and it's still in very good condition! Also love that your blanket matches your swimsuit attire ^.^

  8. I am so glad you posted these pictures! You look fabulous and I am in love with the style and color of that swimsuit. It looks like the most perfect day at the Lake.

  9. you look amazing girl! i love this suit on you, looks ike you came right outta the pages of a 60's mag..thank you for sharing!

  10. Harold and Maude – such a great great movie. I love the retro feel of that swimsuit, it looks fabulous on you!

  11. You look gorgeous!

    I like your list very much, I'm all for learning more about your beautiful being under the clothes. That sounds wrong but I think you know that I'm not trying to get you nakee. ;)

  12. you look beautiful! i absolutely love the swimsuit! i live in SF so definitely get the 'mild' weather blues and have yet to buy a swimsuit this season b/c of it. this post is putting me in the mood for some swimsuit shopping. i'm really liking the one piece style too. a little more coverage goes a long way in the confidence department.

  13. Love love love the bathing suit!! You look great and the backround looks like you had a beautiful day!! I just came upon your blog recently and I love it, keep up the great work!! :)

    estroJEN

  14. Such a cute bathing suit! I have a similar one I bought from modcloth a last year. Retro cut suits are weirdly flattering, aren't they :)

    PS: photobucket has been blocked at my job recently (lame) which is why I'm usually late with the comments, or don't comment at all! I promise I'm still reading them though ;)

  15. you look beautiful and summery in these! I have that same swimsuit in black with white dots and it does make you feel amazing. And it is perfect to support bigger boobs too!

    x

  16. Thanks for sharing all these intimate details :) It is always nice to learn more about the person that writes a blog you read on a regular basis. And I love the suit, it for sure looks quite comfy.

    amber

  17. I LOVE this suit! How did you find the sizing on it? I have seriously considered ordering one, but wasn't sure whether to order my usual size (12) or to go up a size or two (since I remember reading that somewhere about swimsuits)? The wine color looks great with your dark hair! I got my first pixie in high school too, along with 3 good friends of mine. All the awesome dudes in our class called us lesbians haha. Losers. I loved it! Had my hair short for years. I was just in Paris and there were SO MANY cute, chic ladies with adorable short cuts. Definitely made me rethink the long hair I'm rocking currently!

  18. I can't see the pictures I don't know my computer has something… but I love movie recommendations and one of my favourite directors is wes anderson, so I guess I might like the other ones that you named that I didn't know
    I'll try to see the pics later!
    hugs

  19. i have been eying this bathing suit silhouette for a really really long time! it is super super cut on you and color works well with your skin tone too! I have a couple of vintage bathing suits but the tops don't seem to support me very much..i might have to get this one!

    xo,
    cb
    http://www.thecitybirdsnest.blogspot.com

  20. It looks great on you!!! I'm tempted to try it for myself but I fear that it is made for voluptuous women and not so much for me.

  21. I think it's totally fine if you want to talk more about your life on your blog instead of just keeping it strictly style! Readers like you for who you are.

    Ps – I'm so jealous of the mild heat you've been having. I can't stand the humidity anymore!

  22. beautiful pictures! i love that suit – i bought the two-piece version in floral print and it is incredibly comfortable (and flattering!). props on the wine colour, it looks great on you.

    harold and maude! movie perfection.

  23. This is just the type of swimsuit I've been looking for (not sure if modcloth ship to the UK…) but I wouldn't have taken a second look at the one on the website. You look so much better in it, they should have used you as a model!

  24. I love that swimsuit. I have it in black and feel so comfortable in it. Also, Harold and Maude is my favorite film and I'm vegan. Wow!

  25. what an adorable bathing suit. i have a similar styled one in black,except it doesn't go as far down on the hips (which i wish it would)!

  26. you have a perfect body, girl.
    i think you have to be really fit to pull off that fabric. if you have any extra rolls or whatever, that ruche-ing would add tons of visual weight, no?

  27. Wow!! I normally don't comment on blogs, but you look stunning!! Much better than the model on the modcloth website.

  28. Oh, I envy you! I've been pining for that swimsuit all summer. It looks positively lovely on you – especially the colour! Your list is fun, too – it's nice to get to know you a little better! :)

  29. beautiful!!!! I love it. It suits you very well and looks like it really is fun. I am odd about suit showing too because I was always the one in the long board shorts and shirt to cover. I really would love to wear bathing suits from the 20s. haha.

    I love all the fun facts you give about yourself. That is nice that you dyed your hair lots of colours. I used to have pink hair, myself when I was 13, and then pink bangs at age 15-16. You have posted about your Harold and Maude fascination. I am sorry that I didn't enjoy that movie more. :(

  30. The suit looks amazing on you!
    Glad you got over the shyness and decided to share it with us. Looks great.

  31. you're un-known fact are great, i've never seen harold and maude but its been on my "must see movie list" for a while now, maybe its time i did something and actually watched it!

  32. thank you for sharing, it makes me appreciate your blog even more! i too am from a working-class upbringing and a classic film buff (i could watch kurosawa or melville at the drop of a hat, much to the dismay of my friends, ha). i looked at my last 10 netflix rentals recently and thought, man, i need to take a break from the criterion collection and watch hot tub time machine or something. ;)

    you look great in that suit! and, i am mad jealous of your mild summer.

  33. Totally get the desire for warmer climes. I'm in West LA and it's quite cool here, but not bad for morning runs.

    Anyway, great swimsuit. I've put off finding a new swimsuit all summer and finally broke down yesterday after a couple of beach trips.

  34. *Swoon* Your list of favorite directors is perfect! Also, I love the swimsuit! The color looks so nice on you.

  35. girl if you want HOT weather you should come to Georgia, haha! but not only is it hot, it's humid. ick :(. Great post- very touching and inspirational! and i don't think i know one person now who doesn't want to have your body type!! haha :)

    xo
    lyndsey

  36. You look great and your photos are beautiful. I think we have the same taste in movies — I love Wes Anderson and Spike Jonze!

  37. Great suit! I have a very similar one, only mine is black and from Lands End. I like it so much I purchased it again this year (after wearing out the previous one!).

    I'd trade weather with you gladly. It's been horribly humid and warm here.

  38. i love your swimming suit and california is my dream state. someday i'll live there! also, thanks for sharing a little bit about yourself! you sound like you were pretty cool even as a teenager. i think i was a little more awkward :]

  39. I love your swimsuit AND taste in directors!!! Plus I'm so jealous of your bright eyes in that picture, I wish I looked that good with a fresh face, what's your secret?

  40. you are so brave for showing off your beach bod- ya look damn gorgeous!!
    how were you vegan so young?? i flirt with it from time to time but not sure i have the will power for it yet. i'm much too hooked on convience..
    and i haven't seen harold & maude but i love all those directors you mentioned. i need to see some more fellini, i've only seen la strada.. and theres a new todd solondz flick coming out next month- i'm psyched!

  41. I actually love all of the weather here in California lately, haha. :) I go to college in New England, and I've recently come to LOVE the fall and cooler weather in general (though I hate heavy rain). I live on the coast and I hear that in the inland its actually really warm.
    I would be far too embarrassed to post swimsuit photos, but you look quite nice in them. :) I applaud your courage, haha!

  42. I agree. I'm from Marin County (Mill Valley to be exact) and our summer has been quite cold as well. I just got back from Oregon where it was ninty degrees and now it's cold.

    Plus, that swimsuit looks amazing on you!

  43. I think this swimsuit is very flattering..and I like the wine way better than the black. Acutally I was thinking of buying one, but I didn't go to the beach this summer and with the weather here being like in autumn I probably won't go at all this year :(

    Diana
    Songs and Fairy Tales

  44. Lovely swimsuit! Looks like a great day out (and I feel your pain when it comes to unseasonable weather – I live in Britain! I woke up this morning to a grey, overcast, cool, humid day).

    And I love reading random facts about bloggers I follow – nice to know you a bit more.

    xx Charlotte
    Tuppence Ha'penny Vintage

  45. I'm in love with this bathing suit; such a classic cut combined with a gorgeous color! It really does look amazing on you.

    PS…Beetlejuice is one of my total favorites! :) Tim Burton is the bomb…

    chloe **http://flowerponychloe.blogspot.com

  46. You look so glamorous, Erin! I really love that swimsuit–it suits you very well. ;)

    Loved reading your little list of facts about yourself–it's always neat to find out tidbits about bloggers I like! :)

    ♥ Casey
    blog | elegantmusings.com

  47. well I think you look great and have a beautiful figure! be proud of your body! :) the swimsuit is wonderful!

    xx

  48. so you're probs sick of hearing this, but you look amazing in that swimsuit! it's the perfect cut and color for you. absolutely gorgeous!!

  49. Oh! Okay, I've always enjoyed your blog, but now you're really won me over with Totoro ;)

    xoxo Maria

  50. beautiful pictures! i have the same suit (in black w/white polka dots), and i haven't got the nerve quite yet to style up a little beach style post. i absolutely love the suit though – i've never felt confident in a bathing suit, but this one makes me feel like a total bombshell! and i've gotta agree with everyone else, you are rocking it way harder than the modcloth models :)

  51. I know I'm a bit late to this post, but how did you knot the scarf? I've been looking for new ways to use my vintage scarf collection, and this is great! Is it just a simple knot?

  52. Did you see Harold & Maude on the big screen at the Red Vic? I know they do it every year, but I have yet to go.

  53. Sorry I am commenting on such an old blog post…I have been one of your blog followers for about a year now and I was reading this particular post and you mentioned that your dad was a Frito Lay truck driver when you were growing up – so was my dad! He worked there for 28 years driving long haul and then retired. He worked out of the plant in Vancouver Washington even though we lived in Portland. He retired from there back in 1991. So we have yet another thing in common – bike tours and this along with a love for vintage fashion.

  54. Glad you linked your last post to this one so I happened to see this too since I’m newer to your blog. you look beautiful here as well as in your latest post & this lake & your pictures are incredible! Love your scarf with both suits & it was fun to read a bit about you, Harold & Maude really is a great movie but I don’t know much about movies in general & am writing down your other favs to check out, thanks!

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