GOLDEN GATE PARK DANCE PARTY

Last weekend I went to a dance party in the Golden Gate Park in SF.

(trusty cowboots)

It was an impromptu, picnic sort of setting, and everyone who happened to find out about it came armed with blankets, lawn chairs, beer and...  ahemm... other recreational fun stuff, 100% prepared to relax and enjoy the sun clouds and the beats. A music promotion group called As You Like It was the host, and their DJs were playing some preetty spectacular house. 

In case you aren't familiar, house music isn't that sort of techno-y, rave-ish stuff that goes, "thud, thud, thud, thud." It does have some sort of electronic elements to it, but it's a hell of a lot more soulful. While sitting on the ground, you could feel the bass in your body. Loved it!

A steady flow a people trickled in, and the crowd of about 30 slowly grew to about 100 people. A nice intimate little gathering.

(picnic-couture heh)

(can you spot me?)

The pet doggies were having a great time, too! So many different breeds were there. Labs, pugs, cutiepie muts - all having a ridiculously good time sniffing each other's behinds and trolloping on whose ever blankets they pleased! They were all friendly and just wanted to play, so I don't think anyone minded.

 In fact, they were probably one of the more entertaining aspects of the day. Someone brought a remote controlled toy car and the dogs were dashing between legs and through the grass, chasing it aroounnd and arrouund. Seriously though, that toy car was giving even the largest dogs a run for their money! It must have had some sort of suped-up engine.. if toy cars even have such. After about a thirty minutes of non stop racing, most of the dogs retired for a mid afternoon nap. This black lab took a liking to Ryan and fell asleep right next to his foot. Aww! :)

About 5 hours into the dance party, people really started getting down and fuunnkyy!

By the end of it I was pooped. What more could you ask for of park party?

SIGHTED AND SEEN

I seriously need to get on with it and just move to SF already.

Ryan and I usually spend the majority of our weekends there. People always ask me, "What do you even do in SF all the time?" As much as I'd love to seem like an uber cool jet setter, the truth of the matter is that more often than not we really don't do anything particularly interesting... just walk around and hang with friends (at least during daylight hours).

I adore this grey sweater. It and the floral purse belong to my mom. I'm always sort of surprised when I she has pieces that I'd actually like to borrow. Don't get me wrong, my mom is definitely fashionable in her own way, but for a long time our two senses of fashion never seemed have a common ground. 

Either her sense of style is getting younger, or mine is getting older. Either way, all that means is that I now have even more clothing and accessories to choose from. I like!

And now for a series of sights and scenes.

(this robin's egg Vespa always seems to be parked outside of Ryan's favorite store, Union Made)

Jeffrey Campbell Mary Roks

Whos got love for Balenciaga?

As of very recently, I certainly do. Ryan and I took a trip to the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park to see an exhibit completely devoted to him. They were showcasing about 100 of his gowns, summer dresses and suits from the 1950s. It was my first time at the exhibit and Ryan's second.

(ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Ryan to the blog! Isn't he snazzy? <3)

The gowns and dresses made such a huge fan out of me. There were about 15 pieces that would be riiight at home in my wardrobe. Ehemm.. my dream wardrobe, that is. Words really cannot do that exhibit justice. Instead, I ask that you drop everything and take a special trip to San Francisco to see for yourself :)

There were no pictures allowed in the in Balenciaga exhibit - and rightfully so - but I could photograph a lot of the other artifacts and such. Here are some of my favorites. (and by favorites, I mean photos that turned out well despite the no flash restriction)

(african casket. floats along the river like in greek mythology)

(ornate seat)

(constructed from what, do you think?)

(beauty)

(la femme classical)

By the way, above are the Jeffrey Campbell Mary Roks in oatmeal (from Solestruck, of course). I can barely feel the four inches of height, even though they put me at 6'1''. Good thing Ryan is 6'4''!

He called me a Jeffrey Campbell fan boy the other day. The nerve of him! :)

Jeffrey Campbell Erikson

Enough already. I'm ready for summer.

My new short hairdo and summer clothes are itching to be set free!!

So, fortunately for me (but oh so unfortunately for my bank account), I have recently discovered an intense love for Jeffrey Campbell shoes.  You better believe there will be more posts in the future showcasing some of my new purchases. Here I am wearing the Erikson, from Solestruck.com. They've got the largest selection of JC's I have ever seen. Please, check them out! 

No tax and no shipping. That's right.

LOVE! Don't let the wooden heel fool you, these lovelies are amazingly comfortable.

Walking on air!

Maggie Perf Wingtip by Frye

A surprise came in the mail the other day.

 The Maggie Wing Tip Perf, by Frye. 

My first pair of Fryes ever! And believe me, they are worth the price. The leather feels great on my feet. They are firm, but not stiff and they practically molded to my feet after only a few wears. What's even nicer is that they've got a heel of about 3 inches, which keeps me at the 6 feet range - right where i like to be :) 

The leather and heel has got that "worn" look to them, which I sometimes find can be a bit overdone. In this case though, it looks like the imperfections that are usually associated with "the worn look" are actually as a result of the production process. So to me, it comes off a bit more authentic than some pieces I have seen. 

Oh, also all Fryes are apparently handmade! That's something that is becoming increasingly rare, I've noticed. Shoes now-a-days just aren't the same. 

Glad to know there are still companies that produces quality shoeware - even if you do have to pay a bit more for it :)

Happy girl prance dance!

April Seabright

After weeks of yearning and failed attempts, I finally made it to the ocean.

It's April, and the chill hasn't yet left the air. The water was freezing, but it was worth braving the waves to feel water rushing between my toes.

As nice as the beach was, it was also ridiculously windy. So windy that when my boyfriend, Ryan, and I were lying on our towels, we could feel the sand pelting our feet. 

Sort of comical, actually.

Eventually we got tired of that scene and ditched our towels in favor of taking a stroll.

Seabright has been my beach of choice for years now, but I had never taken the time to head to the northern end of the beach.

Has anyone else noticed that under most lighthouses you will usually find these huge concrete structures? They remind me of jax. You know, those little x-shaped things from the children's game? The objective is to bounce the ball and try to pick up as many jax as you can before the ball reaches the ground.

Or something like that.

Winery Fun

Despite the fact that I have lived in northern California for the majority of my life, I had never found my way into a winery until earlier today.

It was actually an unplanned. I was having lunch with a good friend in Livermore when she suggested we hit a couple up. There were no objections on my part.

Prior to our outing, I was more a fan of sweeter white wines than I was of reds.

No longer, though. Reds at Steven Kent Winery have made a fan out of me.