Ruffle Hem Sweater

 Sweater: J. Crew (women's here)     Jeans: Paige     

Boots: Ferragamo (similar)     Bag: Tory Burch

I couldn't resist this sweater when I found it at J. Crew.  The ruffle hem adds the perfect touch of unexpected detail and a flair of fun.  Plus, the navy and black color makes it easy to wear with just about anything!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  I'm heading to Disneyland today with my family to celebrate a birthday.  We recently got annual passes, which I'm PUMPED about.  So prepare yourself for a few outfits at Disney!  :-)

J. Crew Crewcuts Ruffle Hem Sweater + Paige Skinny Jeans + Ferragamo Riding Boots + Tory Burch Mini Kira Bag in Blush

Skirt the Rules around SF

In Union Square

 Skirt: Kate Spade    Blouse: H&M (on major sale!)    Bag: Kate Spade    Shoes: Jack Rogers

in Golden Gate Park

 Dress: H&M    Coat: Uniqlo    Bag: Kate Spade    Flats: H&M

Necklace: Sweet and Spark ℅       Camera: Canon   Sunglasses: Polette ℅ 

I don't think this quite qualifies as a full "post", but here's a few outfits I wore on my SF trip!  The first one was for exploring Union Square and visiting Ghirardelli Square to try out the Soda Fountain Chocolate and Ice Cream shop.  We had just arrived in SF at about 4:00, so we didn't have a full day to explore, but it was fun to ride a street car down to the wharf and walk over to the square.  The cookie dough ice cream (was great.  Granted, there wasn't as much cookie dough in there as I would have liked, but there never really is in cookie dough ice cream...

The second outfit is from Day Two (see here).  This dress is my favorite in my whole closet, and it was comfortable enough for sightseeing.  I can't say the same for the flats... let's just say I was half walking, half limping around Sausalito.  But hey, they were cute!

H&M Sleeveless Blouse + Kate Spade Coreen Skirt in Hyacinth + Jack Rogers Liliana in Bone + Ghirardelli Cookie Dough Ice Cream + H&M Polka Dot Dress + Uniqlo Girls Trench Coat + Kate Spade Purple Essex Scout + H&M Gold Ballet Flats + Sweet and Spark 1970's Vintage Necklace c/o + Polette Vikki c/o + Canon EOS 60D 

San Francisco Snapshots {Part Two}

We had to get to Golden Gate Park early, so breakfast was on-to-go: we picked up Starbucks.  I grabbed a pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant) and iced tea. (need my caffeine, cause duh)  Golden Gate Park in the morning is an exquisite sight.  This is the exterior of the Conservatory of Flowers, which opened at 10.  We did some exploring around the park first.

Walking through the gardens kicked us into "photography mode", so we whipped out our cameras and started snapping every pretty flower we could find.  It was amazing to see all the different breeds, colors, and kinds of beautiful plants and flowers they grow in the park.  

The conservatory opened at 10, so we went in and took a look at the exotic plants and flowers they grow in there.  I loved the orchids and tropical trees like the banana and cacao trees.  K made friends with an adorable puppy that became infatuated with her.  

We travelled back to Union Square and had lunch at the Rotunda at Neiman Marcus.  It was absolutely beautiful.  I enjoyed the Andean Dream Quinoa Pasta, which was a gluten free spaghetti with pecorino, snap peas, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, sprouts, and sunchokes.  It was quite possibly the best meal I had on the entire trip.  

I'll definitely be ordering this one again at the Mariposa restaurant in Newport when I'm home!  It was a healthier yet decadent pasta dish with a perfect flavor combination.

After lunch we boated off to Sausalito on a ferry.  Sausalito is a picturesque little town across the bay, and exploring it was a dream.  The views were amazing and the shops and homes were breathtaking.

Dinner was at The Trident, a restaurant right on the water with a spectacular view of the bay and Alcatraz in the distance.  I thoroughly enjoyed this quinoa and kale salad with feta and grapes (sans the almonds), and we shared a delicious assortment of roasted vegetables including baby zucchini, yellow squash, and broccoli.

A sweet treat- Lappert's Ice Cream!  I had this delicious scoop of no sugar added vanilla ice cream, which had vanilla bean flecks in it!  I was teased all night about how utterly boring I was for ordering vanilla, especially since they had flavors like Caramel Cashew Turtle Cluster, Java Lava, Coconut Macadamia Fudge, Salted Caramel, etc.  But hey, it's my favorite!  And it was delicious.  You can't go wrong with vanilla.

The ferry ride back to SF was chilly but gorgeous.  We saw the setting sun and the lit-up ferry building.  It was a gorgeous night and a great end to a great day.

P.S.  What do you all think of the new blog designs?  I'd love your opinions.

Gingham in San Francisco

Skirt: Ralph Lauren    Top: H&M    Shoes: Jack Rogers    Coat: Uniqlo   Belt: Vintage Fossil (similar)

Please disregard the slightly very frizzy hair...

On the first day out exploring the city, I grabbed my peacoat on a whim to hit the early morning chill.  That turned out to be a good decision- I needed it until noon and then again after the sun set!  

I packed my Jack Rogers Liliana sandals for the trip with no regard to comfort whatsoever, but they were surprisingly easy on my feet.  Even after walking more than 10 miles throughout the day, I was blister free, which was great. 

Right before the trip I bought this gingham skirt, which my mother immediately dubbed "the picnic blanket skirt".  It made for a bright, breezy, and fun outfit that was perfectly suited to the gorgeous weather we got that day.

It was such a beautiful day in the city, and you can see the full details of what I did throughout Day One right here!

Ralph Lauren Girls Gingham Skirt in Red and White + H&M Sleeveless White Chiffon Blouse + Jack Rogers Liliana Sandals + Uniqlo Girls Trench Coat + Fossil Vintage Woven Leather Belt

San Francisco Snapshots {Part One}

via my Instagram

Started the day off healthfully with an acai bowl at Blue Hawaii Acai Cafe.  Acai is a delicious superfood packed with antioxidants and vitamins.  I enjoyed the Simply Blue bowl, topped with bananas and a little granola.  

We walked down Lombard Street, the "crookedest street in the world".  There were gorgeous hydrangeas and cute houses lining the sides of the famous street, and the view at the bottom offered a gorgeous sight of San Francisco's bay and city.  

Walking around the area of Lombard Street, we discovered so many gorgeous homes, beautiful architecture, and pretty plants.  If you're a hydrangea lover like me, you would be in heaven in SF.  They're everywhere!

Macondray Lane is a hidden gem of a street.  It's lined with fairy-tale like houses and it is a quiet escape from the bustling streets.  This little lane was a bit hard to locate, but I'm so glad we found it because walking down it was one of my favorite parts of the day.  

We made a quick stop at the Palace of Fine Arts, which is absolutely gorgeous.  If you want to be awed by architecture, definitely stop here.  

For a delicious and healthy lunch, we sat down at La Boulange as per Julia's recommendation.  I enjoyed an open faced hummus sandwich, complete with avocado, tomato, sprouts, and cucumber on multigrain bread.  It was fresh, vegan, and really REALLY delicious.

We were in Pacific Heights, so I browsed around the shops.  I ducked into a farmer's market (my favorite) and admired all the fresh fruits and veggies, making a mental note to buy beets when I got home.

We checked out a cute bakery, and I almost bought a confetti dusted meringue cookie just for the sake of an Instagram post.  Not even kidding, it was so cute.  

Checking out the Painted Ladies and other victorian houses in the area was a lot of fun.  It was so cool to see such a famous sight (flashbacks to Full House included) and I cannot describe how much I want to live in one of these houses.

We capped off the long day of exploring with a dinner at Kuleto's in Union Square, which was right by our hotel.  I had the roasted beet trio salad which had fresh chèvre and truffle sea salt.  It was so refreshing and delicious!  I also shared the truffle salted mushrooms, which were great.  For dessert I had pineapple sorbet, which almost reminded me of Dole Whip!  

It was a wonderful meal and a wonderful end to a great day in San Francisco.