it seems as though the weather gods finally heard us all complaining about the constant rain and chilly temperatures, because this weekend the temperature spiked up over 90 degrees in these parts, sending all of the city kids into a bit of a panic. my facebook and twitter feeds were filled with comments from san francisco kids admitting that perhaps we prefer our typical fair weather over these souring temperatures. so i went on a little trip up to the russian river for some lazy sunday times with a few friends. living in northern california means that even though we have beaches, the water can be quite chilly even when it’s 90 degrees outside, but there are plenty of rivers and lakes where we can all run off to on the weekends for a bit of swimming.

so for this particular adventure, we headed off about an hour north to enjoy the day laying in the sun at the russian river. apparently we weren’t the only people with this same idea as evidenced by the sheer number of people filling up in the banks in every possible spot around the area with a constant flow of passers by in inner tubes and on rafts floating down stream. but despite the crowds, we had plenty of fun laying in the sun, skipping rocks, and wading in the river.

the man from behind the camera came out for a little cameo. this is my elusive partner, brendan.

after a recent stint of styling up so many ladylike outfits, it was quite refreshing to get back down to basics in a really simple, more masculine look. i’ve actually been doing a lot of browsing for menswear since my younger brother recently decided to revamp his wardrobe and consulted with me for a bit of advice. the only thing is that he’s pretty opinionated and knows what he likes when it comes to clothes, so in the end he was the one who was influencing me. he’s been buying up simple oxford shirts, classic dark rinse jeans, slim cut chinos, boots, and oxfords. so naturally, after he got a nice selvedge chambray blouse, i got the girl version of it. then when i was at the thrift shop, i bought a few oxford shirts. then a few weeks ago, i acquired these cool oxfords on sale at gilt. i think my brother would be proud.

anyway, it’s a really nice outfit for the end of a nutty week. in addition to tons of projects and deadlines and the usual routine, i’ve also had a bunch of errands relating to my sick cat! don’t worry, she’ll be fine, but i don’t know if i can say the same about my wallet… and of course, whenever i get stressed, i reach for the junk food. yesterday, my vice was an entire bag of chips. and not the little kind. it was the regular, family sized variety that you get at the grocery store. and i finished it off drinking chartreuse cocktails with friends last night, so you can imagine that i’m not feeling particularly amazing today. but at least my clothes will be comfy while i finish off my week!

top: thrifted l.l. bean oxford shirt
jeans: j brand 210 the oslo in indigo
shoes: steve madden oxfords from gilt groupe
clutch: loft canning woven leather clutch

remember when i told you that we found a secret alleyway by my house? ok, ok. it isn’t really that secret, but i have much more fun entertaining myself by imagining up millions of little secret passageways around my neighborhood. so yesterday we went back to snap a few more shots of the area. i’ve always had that silly sort of attitude when it comes to finding secret spots. i remember in high school, i used to go to a park with lots of bamboo. we would go ‘exploring’ and decided that there were probably monkeys living in one patch. and at another spot, there was a bit of a tunnel carved out of the leaves which we called the malkovich hole. you know, as in the secret portal in being john malkovich. by the way, how amazing is cameron diaz in that film?!

anyway, since i was in such an adventurous type of mood, i went for a bit of a vintage bombshell look in this thick knit pencil skirt. it’s still obviously pretty modest since that’s just my preference, but it’s always fun to dress a bit sexier on occasion, even when on silly excursions in my backyard.

shirt: rodarte for target striped t-shirt
skirt: thrifted vintage thick knit skirt
belt: urban outfitters skinny leather belt
shoes: kork-ease wedges
clutch: thrifted vintage straw clutch
headband: forever 21 bow headband

i love the way that even though i only walked several blocks away from home today, my outfit pictures look like they were taken while i was on vacation in some faraway place. perhaps, florida? though i can’t really say since i’ve never actually been there! anyway, i’m just standing in front of lake merritt today. though despite the name, it’s actually an estuary, which attracts a large number of migratory birds each season. we had hoped to get some shots of different birds in the area, but the light outside was a bit harsh, so we sought refuge in a nearby botanical garden.

and i know it’s already been a year and a half since it first came out, but i’m still finding myself heavily influenced by the charles anastase spring 2009 collection. hence, the large vintage glasses and straw boater hat with socks and platforms. sometimes i really like to fix up a simple dress such as this with lots of fun accessories to give it a bit more personality.

dress: blue on blue dress courtesy of modcloth
belt: urban outfitters skinny leather belt
socks: tabio ankle socks
shoes: seychelles platform clogs
hat: vintage straw boater hat
glasses: thrifted vintage glasses

today i went on another little stroll around the neighborhood and managed to get a few more shots of where i live. it’s easy to think of oakland as a huge metropolis (and it is the eight largest city in california), but it’s also very spread out. there’s a diverse selection of terrains, from the flatlands stretching out to the bay, to the hills in the north and east, to a giant saltwater estuary alongside the skyscrapers and lofts downtown. on the whole, the city is mostly flat, but i happen to live in the lower hills on one edge of town, which are quite picturesque if you ask me.

so today we kinda rolled out of bed and sauntered our way over to piedmont ave. for a simple breakfast of eggs and toast at a little coffee shop. it was a nice way to spend a sunday morning, especially after such a gray and gloomy week! on occasions like this, i tend to wear pretty simple outfits without much thought or planning coz, well, it’s the weekend, dude!

top: vintage striped pullover blouse
skirt: american apparel full woven skirt in black pique
shoes: thrifted vintage huaraches
belt: urban outfitters skinny belt
purse: vintage coach doctor bag
sunglasses: ray-ban wayfarer

oh hey guys, look who got off her perch up on the roof? yep, that’s right, i finally decided to bring my camera with me out into the world to share with you some of the beautiful scenery out here on the sunny side of the bay in oakland, ca! i don’t know if i’ve ever expressed it here on the blog, but i’ve been meaning to do more outfit shoots in different locations around my city, but it’s proven to be a bit of a challenge for me to remember to take my camera with me when i go on little outings! i generally think of my daily outfit posts as being pretty straight forward. my boyfriend is my photographer and has a day job, so we usually have a 5 – 10 minute window in which we can rush to snap pictures before he leaves for work. i starting taking pictures up on the roof because i thought it would be a nicer way to display what i’m wearing than, say, standing in front of a blank wall in my apartment (not that there’s anything wrong with that!).

but, it can certainly get a little tedious since i’m doing it 5 days a week, and as one reader pointed out, i guess i’m getting boring. her comment definitely resonated with me because i have been feeling the same way! so yesterday we remembered to bring the camera with us on a stroll through the famous mountain view cemetery which is about 10 blocks from where i live. it’s a huge cemetery established in 1863 filled with beautiful crypts built for some of the most notable figures in california history. most eerily, it is the final resting place of the black dahlia, but the list is so long that all i can do is guide you to the wikipedia page for it! anyway, it’s nestled in the hills above oakland, so you get an expansive 360 degree view including downtown oakland and san francisco across the bay, which attracts a good amount of foot traffic from joggers and people walking their dogs, or even families flying kites. it certainly is a nice place to take a walk.

jacket: gap belted utility jacket
blouse: vintage eyelet blouse from helgesok vintage
skirt: american apparel full woven skirt
socks: tabio wool over the knee socks
shoes: vintage nine west boots from vintageless beauty
bag: thrifted vintage tote

oof! a strong gust of wind at the most inopportune moment. always wear proper undergarments! i may have given the family nearby a full moon….

ah! i have to tell you about my evening ordeal: last night, i wore this outfit to a little fashion blogger tweet-up in san francisco where i had the honor of speaking on a panel with some really lovely bloggers. but the real drama starts when i got home later in the evening. while i was driving home, i got a text message from my boyfriend that read, “my cell is dying. home by 1130.” no biggie, that meant i had the apartment to myself for the evening to relax and enjoy a glass of wine. i pulled up to the apartment at around 9:45 and immediately realized that i had forgotten my keys. crisis! i had no idea where my bf was or who he was with and i had no way of contacting him. i tried my luck texting a few of our friends but got no response. so yeah, i drove to the store, bought myself some necessities and parked myself in the driveway, drowning my sorrows in a bottle of corona and a jumbo sized bag of chips. my boyfriend arrived past midnight. weee!

let’s just say i wasn’t too pleased, and i had a good cry when i finally got in because it just felt awful, and apparently i needed it. but despite my evening ordeal, i woke up this morning bright and early feeling happy and energized. this was partially fueled by the sun shinning and the birds chirping. and i had a ton of fun on the rooftop taking pictures today (which is why there are more than usual). there was a gentle breeze that added movement to my flouncy polka dot dress and it just made me feel happy sitting up there with my boyfriend out in the sun.

so i’m in a good mood now and i really like my outfit for today (and i wore it last night, too. whatevs.) it feels like the perfect outfit to wear while hunting for treasures at the flea market, which is perfectly fitting considering that i got it from we move vintage, which is an online shop based out of l.a. that also has a booth at the rose bowl flea market. i’ve said this before, but aren’t polka dots so cheery? and in keeping with the theme, i thought it was nice to pair it with this super comfy cardigan. it has really long sleeves with little holes for your thumbs to peek through.

sweater: fabray cardigan courtesy of modcloth
dress: vintage polka dot dress from we move vintage
belt: urban outfitters
tights: target
shoes: vintage nine west boots from vintageless beauty on etsy
sunglasses: ray-ban wayfarers

soooo… did you know that today is administrative professionals day? in honor of the occasion, i had big plans to wear an outfit in homage to the secretaries of days past. unfortunately, my mood and the weather conspired against me and i couldn’t exactly wrap my head around the idea of wearing a form fitting pencil skirt, or even going outside! in fact, as you can see in these photos, i was only bold enough to step out of the door frame for a brief moment before running back into the cave of my apartment building. some days are just better spent indoors, especially when you’re feeling a bit off and it’s stormy and gray outside. so i know this is a bit of stretch for secretaries days, but this is what i’m wearing. (i’ve since layered a big chunky sweater atop the whole thing, and i’m currently wrapped in a blanket.)

so while my pictures aren’t the most exciting, i decided to post them anyway because i thought you might appreciate my “off day.” we all have them, right?

dress: obey silky ruffle front dress from 80’s purple
tights: tabio clear ribbon tights
shoes: payless platform ankle boots
headband: forever 21 ribbon bow headband
glasses: 3.1 phillip lim spring 2009

well, almost. it’s kinda hard to believe that there is apparently a big storm on it’s way, especially after that incredible weekend. i was all over the bay the past couple of days and the highs peaked at around 78 degrees. but today? well, it’s cooled off quite a bit and we’re getting ready for more of those famous april showers. i’m obviously obsessed with my hasbeens, so yeah, i’m gonna keep these babies on my feet until the rain actually hits. then i’ll have to switch them out for a pair of rain boots.

and i must say, this little chambray dress has come in handy so far this spring. i got it knowing that chambray was definitely one of my spring essentials, but since i cut my hair, i’m less keen on strapless numbers and low necklines. not that i was ever so hot on those styles, but now i feel inclined to decorate my decolletage with high necklines and pretty collars. which is why this little eyelet flutter sleeve blouse is a perfect layering tool for underneath my many strapless dresses. and it adds a little touch of romance.

coat: h&m navy trench
top: vintage eyelet flutter sleeve blouse from helgesok vintage on etsy
dress: jack by bb dakota brodie dress
sandals: swedish hasbeens peep toe super high clogs in mustard