mid-week reading

September 10, 2014

A few of the hilarious, sad, insightful and clever things I’ve come across the web this week:

What would your fashion blogger name be? The Cut’s name generator can help you find out. Mine is Je ne Sais Quinoa. (NY Mag)

The Simpsons inspired auto-correct, the plot of The Hangover and eight other popular phenomena. (Huffington Post)

I went on a bit of a shopping spree yesterday—all sale items! I haven’t gone shopping like this in a few years! my old clothes have holes in them!—and it was at Ann Taylor Loft that I discovered the cool capsule collection Lou & Grey. Very hip, very New York, very lounge-y, very black, white and grey. (Loft)

There were many moments at the beginning of my time in San Diego that I felt friendless. And despite how much I’ve adjusted and acclimated, there are some days even now when I feel friendless. So when I saw a post by a woman in her late 20’s asking for advice on how to make friends, I was all ears. But as it turns out, this age is one of the hardest times in our lives for friendships. (NY Mag)

*Shameless Plug* Do you love The Princess Bride? Then you should check out the piece I did on 13 things you never knew about the cult favorite. (Yahoo)

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DIY

DIY yoga mat spray

September 8, 2014

I sweat. I sweat a lot. I have no idea what it’s like to be one of those pretty girls at the gym who merely glows. I’m too busy adjusting the sweatband at my hairline and toweling off the sweat that is literally rolling off my face and arms. (And that is why I never enjoy and will never again do hot yoga.) But now that I’m a regular yogi committed to three vinyasa classes a week—I love it so!—I realize that I need to take better care of my mat, which is the victim to all that salty sweat.

A yoga mat spray is a great way to keep your mat sterilized and smelling lovely. There are plenty on the market, but it just didn’t make sense to pay so much for something I could easily make myself. After combing through a few recipes, here’s the concoction inspired by Free People‘s that I came up with:

monthly favorites

5 august favorites

September 5, 2014

1. I think the best way to eat Mexican in San Diego is divey, hole-in-the-wall shacks, whether they’re by the beach like Bull Taco or in a Gala Foods parking lot, like the Marisco’s seafood truck. For the longest time I didn’t know where to go if I wanted quality and a comfortable place to sit down, that is, until I went to Puesto, the upscale eatery with street food eats. The downtown location is a giant, beautiful warehouse, while the La Jolla location, which was just renovated, is more intimate and equally artistic. (The new space is designed by prolific L.A. artist Thomas Schoos.) In August I dined at Puesto La Jolla for a dinner-with-strangers type night that included a group of creative women in San Diego. Amazing tacos (try the chicken verde) plus amazing conversation made for a happy night.

Travel

chicago + michigan photo diary

September 3, 2014

The East Coast may be my original home and San Diego my new home, but Chicago will always hold a special place in my heart. It was where I went to college and though my campus was just outside the city in Evanston, I spent tons of time downtown, eating, drinking, dancing, biking and playing. Every time I return, it’s like a homecoming.

With my friend’s wedding in Michigan over Labor Day, Eaman and I decided to make a trip out of it, starting in Chicago, where we saw his sister and some of my favorite friends and hit up all our favorite food spots. San Diego is a city in theory, but it’s really more of a suburb with urban flair. I do miss public transportation (a lot) and city streets and the busy rush (sometimes), so being in Chicago was like giving love to a side of me that I’ve been neglecting for the last few years. Chicago also happens to be one of the most beautiful big cities ever, so walking around, especially by the Lincoln Park Zoo and by Lake Michigan, was such a treat. (I would definitely live in Chicago if it weren’t so cold in the winters.)

We then headed up to Camp Newaygo, a summer camp one hour from Grand Rapids, where the main wedding festivities took place. Our friends planned the most perfect wedding: a lakeside ceremony, intimate reception and a full day of camp activities, like kayaking, archery, zip-lining and swimming on Sunday. The camp itself was beautiful—I can forgive the mosquitos—and staying in dorm bunk beds with a bunch of 20- and 30-somethings took me right back to college.

There was something really lovely about feeling isolated in nature, plus it was the first real relaxing vacation Eaman and I have taken together since our big trip, and I’m not going to lie, there’s a bit of post-vacation blues around these parts right now.

Let’s relive it together, shall we?

Monthly Archives: September 2014

mid-week reading

DIY yoga mat spray

5 august favorites

chicago + michigan photo diary

My SoCal'd Life