while uploading these outfit photos and writing this post, i realized that the past week and a half have been the longest time i’ve ever taken a break from blogging in the nearly 5 years since i started writing calivintage. it was wholly unintentional, but in hindsight it was definitely necessary. it can be pretty nice to step away from routines to gain a little perspective. and, of course, i was up to all sorts of stuff while i was away. it feels like an eternity ago, but i spent last weekend on a mini vacation in napa, wandering around and enjoying the views and not taking a single solitary photo while doing it. then i boarded a plane for los angeles to spend the week working on a project for modcloth where i wore something like this pretty much every day of the week. it was hot and humid and kind of glorious to get dressed everyday looking like i was about to go to the beach. and i spent most of my days running around taking photos for work and visiting with family and friends and exploring la in all of my spare moments.

because after living in the bay area for the past 12 years (drum-roll, please…) i have made the decision to pack my bags and make the move to southern california! yep, in the beginning of august i will officially become a resident of los angeles. i’ll still be working at modcloth (only now i’ll be working from their beautiful office in downtown la), and i’ll still be blogging as much as i can while making the transition, and i’ll probably be spending a lot of weekends on the hunt for a house because me and my partner have been doing our best to save up enough money for a down payment on our very first home! so yeah, just a few little changes happening over here. and i’m only barely skimming the surface! i’m excited and anxious and everything in between, and i’m going to do my best to get back online and share it all with you.

oh yeah, and this is my outfit. just a simple something to wear to brunch at boot and shoe service in my soon-to-be-former neighborhood in oakland. and it’s also what i wore for a little stroll through the morcom rose garden while i start to view my own fair city through the eyes of a tourist.

wearing: vintage dress from my mom, vintage jute tote, swedish hasbeens peep toe super high, rayban clubmasters courtesy of sunglasses shop, v steps brass necklace courtesy of young frankk, datter industries watchful eye ring, handmade bracelet courtesy of giantlion

back again in some of my favorite articles of clothing. i can’t seem to resist wearing a pinafore just about every day lately. if not a pinafore, then a pair of jeans (which i really should document more frequently in photos). and this top. i want to wear it every day! lauren moffatt makes a new version of this silk pintuck top in a different print each season and they’ve quickly become my new go-to blouse. she is a print master, so they always add just the right touch of whimsy to a simple outfit. then top it all off with a pair of swedish hasbeens and this is pretty much my summer uniform.

wearing: lauren moffatt double pintuck top courtesy of article&, minnie dress courtesy of family affairs, swedish hasbeens peep toe super high, karen walker von trapp sunglasses, j.w. hulme mini legacy shoulder bag

this weekend, i was so ready to pull out a gauzy white dress to run around in the springy sunshine, but mother nature had different plans. it was kinda grey and windy all weekend and i was forced to layer up, but i figured i’d at least have some fun with citrusy colors and bold stripes. kind of a nice way to conjure up some cheerful vibes to enjoy a chill sunday. wore this for a tasty brunch at lynn & lu’s, a favorite breakfast spot about a block away from my house. they make a mean oat pancake with blueberry sauce! and for the evening, we took a stroll a few blocks in the other direction to piedmont theater to see frances ha. it’s still pretty new, so i won’t spoil it for you, but i thought it was pretty cute.

wearing: lauren moffatt woodshot zip jacket, j.crew top, lauren moffatt skirt, rachel antonoff for bass espadrilles, iiibeca satchel

well look who the cat dragged in? i know my face has been a little absent from this space, but with holiday travels, work, and some continued health issues, it’s been hard for me to get in front of the camera lately. but i’m still here, quietly collecting my summer basics and enjoying my “time off” from the internet. i wore this outfit last weekend while visiting family for memorial day weekend. it felt very appropriately all-american, even though it’s actually a pretty international outfit what with swedish clogs and a dress designed by london-based j.w. anderson. but don’t all of these pieces kinda scream classic americana? a denim pinafore, a crisp white t-shirt, ’70s-style clogs, ray-bans, and a coach classic. just the sort of basics to wear while hanging around the bbq and ringing in the summer on a low-key weekend.

wearing: j.w. anderson for topshop pinafore dress, essential short sleeve crew tee courtesy of three dots (also available here), swedish hasbeens peep toe super high, vintage coach bag, ray-ban clubmasters courtesy of sunglasses shop

i wore this outfit for a weekend trip to asmbly in san francisco for the dear creatures sample sale! i’ve been a fan of dear creatures for years now, but somehow never had the opportunity to meet bianca benitez and rob sinclair, the couple behind this lovely line. so when i heard they would be in attendance, i jumped at the chance to finally meet them. and as i’m sure you can imagine, they were just as sweet as their designs. and it was a pleasure to connect with them and talk about fashion and blogging and life in la. i didn’t bring it up in my chat with them, but dear creatures has held a special place in my heart ever since modcloth chose me as a blogger of the moment (maybe three years ago?) and named a cute little dear creatures sailor dress after my blog. it was an instant favorite that i ended up wearing more than i’d like to admit that summer. and in a very tiny way, pulling on this dress reminded me of those early days of blogging and the excitement and optimism that came with it.

wearing: matilda dress courtesy of dear creatures, sycamore flats courtesy of seychelles, coach legacy shoulder bag, ysl rouge pur couture vernis a levres glossy stain in rouge laque

ok you guys, don’t judge me too much. but ever since getting this lauren moffatt jumper, i’ve been resisting the urge to wear it every single day. i know that the socially acceptable thing to do is to wear a new piece of clothing and then tuck it away for at least a week before showing up in it again. you know, so people understand that you have other clothes in your closet and, i dunno, a regular washing cycle. i guess for the same reason, i don’t tend to take pictures of repeat outfits (or super similar outfits) and post them on my blog. but this does not mean that i don’t wear some of the same things over and over. and sometimes said item isn’t a really an easy basic that you can sneakily get away with wearing all of the time (like, say, a good pair of dark wash jeans). i mean, what can i say? apparently a little pair of engineer striped overalls a crucial wardrobe element that i never knew i was missing from my repertoire. perhaps i need to get a few more so i have one for every day of the week?

wearing: lauren moffatt alley overalls, j.crew top, swedish hasbeens peep toe super high, karen walker von trapp sunglasses, dooney & bourke flower basket bag

i grew up in the sunny southern california desert. as the spring and summer would approach, the world would get hot and sticky and i’d find myself laying awake in bed at night with the windows open, trying to fall asleep beneath a thin sheet. during the day, i’d escape the heat, sucking on popsicles and sitting in front of the space cooler in our tiny living room. years later, i packed my bags and headed to san francisco. even though i’ve lived here for well over ten years, i still get that aching nostalgia on days when the weather warms up and i can almost smell the sickly sweet orange blossoms in the hot summer sun like i did back home as a kid.

so you’d better bet that i (along with everyone else in san francisco) have been running outside to chase after every bit of warmth and sun while it lasts. these photos were taken on one such day, when we took advantage of the heat and headed out to the edge of the city where golden gate park meets the ocean, a place that’s almost always cold and dreary even on the warmest days. lo and behold, the whole place was alive and active with beach-goers and picnickers enjoying the weather. and while it did cool down quite a bit as the sun started to set, it was still so dreamy to lay in the grass and bask in the warm sun.

wearing: candela alexis lace dress, ugg australia suede cross body bag, vintage suede sandals, vintage sweater, occ lip tar in grandma