Impromptu Beach Camping

My boyfriend is still in Aussia Land so I took a little trip up to Carpinteria (just south of Santa Barbara and great for camping) with my sisters, mom and the boys.  The boys are my furry babies, Regalo and Gruner, that I brought back from Guatemala and first met at the animal shelter I volunteered at, Aware.  They've have never been to the beach before and they were amazed by the waves and sand.  It was hilarious to see their reactions.  We ended the night with an intense game of Yaniv and delicious grilled veggies.  I want to go every weekend now! 

The necessities: panama hat, karen walker glasses, mara hoffman suit, denim shorts, beach bucket bag, my grandfather's camera and a good read.

Urban Cowgirl

More photos from the shoot I did with my sister this week.  I'm loving everything we have right now!  How awesome is this leopard dress styled as a maxi cardigan?  All the necklaces in the store are gorgeous and look even better layered! We also have a new line of vegan leather aka faux leather products.  As a vegetarian it's nice to have animal friendly options.  Although I have yet to give up my own leather shoes and handbags :( .. slowly working on it and always looking for ethical alternatives. 

All items show available at Free People at the Americana, Glendale

Hideaway

"Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you." 

- Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Some days I just want to hide away in the library and read.  I have an obsession with beautiful home libraries and I love how innovative some of these are.  Why not have a library in your kitchen or bedroom?

My favorite book of all time is The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (ignore his dragon button-up because he is a damn good author).  I feel like I've been such a picky reader lately.  I've been in a magical realism and historical fiction rut.  But is this really a bad thing?  To stick to my predictable ways, I'm about to FINALLY start The House of Spirits. 

What's your favorite book of all time and what are you reading now?

Images via home-design, beautiful libraries, a curated lifestyle, vignette design, finuca and the craft begins 

Gothic Reality - Evil Twin Winter 2011

I recently saw the Evil Twin 2011 Winter lookbook and was floored by all the amazing pieces.  Although I can't share with you what I saw (muahhahah), I can show you a few pieces that are already web friendly.  High-low hemlines, oversized kimonos and crushed velvet! ... need I say more?

Images via Pursenboots and What Peter Said

Shredded Pastels

I recently did a little photo shoot with my sister, Erin, outside of the store.  There are so many great fun products right now.  I love my job! 

Everything pictured is available at the Free People Americana

Melbourne Winter

I was in Melbourne for a friend's wedding a few weeks back and took these photos near Flinders Street.  Melbourne has such a beautiful city feel with its small cafes and creeping alleyways. Plus it's my boyfriend's hometown! One of the reasons I really love it is that you can also almost always be guaranteed to find great art.  I love these neon animals that were outside one of the Nation Gallery and the inspiring street art. 

 Now to the clothes, I've been on such a sale kick lately.  I was so happy to have scored my T by Alexander Wang tee on sale in the states and then I found this unreal Helmut Lang combo leather jacket on SUPER sale while shopping on Chapel Street. One of the happiest days of my life, is that sad?

 I've had my bucket bag for a while now and the gorgeous green is slowly fading but i'm loving how the leather wears.  

We're also going to start caring these amazing Lhasa Flask necklaces soon (don't mind the split ends).  Can't wait!