An Eggcellent Day

I went to explore the Botanical Gardens and the Japanese Tea Garden on my day off. Despite being a San Francisco native (or at least someone that was born in San Francisco and raised in Kentfield, which isn't far from SF), I had somehow never visited either of these spots. And even more embarrassing is the fact that I work at the California Academy of Sciences, and have worked there for the past 2 years, which is mere steps away from both of these attractions. But hey, better late than never, right? They were both so beautiful, and I'm definitely planning to take some lunch breaks in the Botanical Gardens in the future. Anyways, I figured what better occasion to show off my new egg shirt from The White Pepper.

Oh and apologies for the redundant photos, I'm still trying to slowly get back into the swing of remembering to take photos of my clothes. This was kind of rushed because I was so busy looking at all of the plants and ponds.

Wearing

Crop Top in Egg Print: The White Pepper

Wine Colored Kilt Skirt: Uniqlo

'Anytime' Sunglasses: Karen Walker

Black Patent Block Heel Ballet Shoes: Zara

Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories

It's funny how I was so excited for October and had all of these outfits and photos planned in my head, as well as lots of my favorite horror movies that I wanted to share screen caps of. And then the Giants were in the playoffs and ended up winning the world series, which essentially took over my entire life this past month. Luckily for me, I seem to enjoy Halloween themed things year round, so I'm sure I'll just end up sharing it all anyways, regardless of what month it is.

However, one show that just concluded this past week that I am currently obsessed with and would love to share and discuss is Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories. I've always been an avid Tim and Eric fan, ever since I first saw Tom Goes to the Mayor back when I was in highschool. I was thrilled to hear that they were releasing a Twilight Zone inspired show, and was so excited to see how it turned out. I admittedly wasn't sure how well they'd be able to capture that eeriness, but I shouldn't have ever doubted them, because this show is a winner. It still incorporates their unique humor, but also has some of the most unsettling scenes, visuals, and concepts. It is also, like all of their past shows, only 15 minutes long per episode. The show doesn't take itself too seriously, but definitely evokes that incredibly uneasy feeling inside of you as you watch. Some episodes are more lighthearted than others, and each episode is still full of moments that make you laugh, but then the laughter turns into nervous laughter, as you wonder how far they'll take certain scenes. I cannot recommend this show enough. Watch it as soon as you can. I'm already looking forward to a DVD release with weird extras and bonus features. Additionally, check out these posters that were created by Duke Aber for each episode. Here's hoping they decide to do another season. 

You can check out the pilot episode here, and if you have a cable provider, you can watch all of the episodes on Adult Swim.

The Most Perfect Mini Skirt

I recently decided that it was time for me to invest in a nice black mini skirt. The past few years I have been living off of two styles of black American Apparel skirts, a Uniqlo skirt, and a couple thrifted finds. And yet none of them seemed to fit that image of the perfect black mini skirt that I had in my head. Additionally, most of them are fairly cheap, and thus their fabric is thin, or just not quite as well constructed as I would like. Being petite yet curvy, it's a challenge to find a good skirt. My waist to hip ratio is significant, which often gives me the issue of having the too-big waist that slides up or sideways while I walk (because I need to size up for it to fit my hips), or I've even had instances where skirts will fit but the seam along the back will split after some wear, Kim Kardashian style.

I knew that I wanted a 60s looking mini skirt, preferably wool, that was well-made, but also not insanely pricey. Sometimes it's important for me to remind myself that quality over quantity can make a big difference, though. Just last night I was shopping with some friends and I decided to pop into J Crew. I had remembered seeing a mini skirt style on their website, and having worked at Madewell a couple years back, knew J Crew always had a good selection of classic, usually wool,  skirts. The issue with wool skirts is that there is typically no stretch, which again, can make sizing difficult for someone with hips. But then I found this skirt. It was in fact the one I had seen on the website. It somehow has a bit of stretch, and fits me perfectly. I've already worn it for a test run, and it doesn't slide around at all while I walk. I kind of want to go buy one in every single color. I love its simplicity, yet it has nice zippered pockets that give it a modern twist. And on top of everything, it is so so comfortable. I couldn't ask for more. And for $90 (I used my student ID to get the student discount that J Crew and Madewell offer), it's worth it to splurge on a staple piece every now and then.

Apologies for not being able to find a picture of a model wearing the black style of the skirt. I'm hoping to finally get my act together and start posting outfits again, so hopefully I can just show it myself.

Charlotte Olympia Trick Or Treat

I almost shared this collection when I started my blog, simply because to me it's relevant all year round. I love Halloween and any accessories related to it. But I managed to hold off and wait until October to post it. It's Charlotte Olympia's 'Trick Or Treat' collection from last year. While each piece is amazing and perfect in its own way, there are no words to describe my love for those pumpkin shoes. I scour ebay monthly to see if any happen to pop up in my size. The only downside is that there are no ghost themed accessories, but hey, you can't win em' all. I hope you enjoy this collection as much as I do. It really speaks for itself.

October 1st!

It's October 1st, which means that Fall is feeling more and more real every day! Despite the forecast having 80 degree weather tomorrow and Friday, blegh. I'm so stubborn that I've already started wearing fall clothes, sweating through each day, hoping that it will change the weather. Hopefully soon enough. 

Anyways, I wanted to share my eyeball manicure that I gave myself this past month. It was my first ever attempt, and while there are definitely things I want to change about it next time around (making the eyes even bigger, making the iris a darker color, and the background color brighter), I think it went pretty well for a first attempt. They got a lot of compliments, and I can't way to try to do them again. I think it's spooky enough to be relevant for October.

A lot of people asked how I did them. For those of you that are interested in giving it a go, this is the tutorial video that I used. This girl is adorable, and her technique is really helpful to make the eyes look right, but with realistic nail skill expectations. Enjoy, and Happy Halloween Month! 

If you follow me on instragram, you've probably seen that I switched over to a more witchy looking manicure as of today. It was recently shown on a Modcloth post, and I knew I wanted to try it out. Which is weird because since when have I been one of those girls that's always changing up manicures? Usually my nails are a blank slate. Oh well, for now it's something I'm enjoying. I definitely want to try to paint little ghosts on them as it gets closer to Halloween! In the meantime, I'll be wearing fuzzy coats and buying lots and lots of pumpkins and Halloween decorations! 

Maude The Not So Noticeable Shrimpton

So I never thought I'd share a children's book on this blog, but I came across the most aesthetically pleasing book last night. I babysat my boyfriends niece and nephew, and like most times I babysit, we read a few books before bedtime. They had gotten some books at the library, and his niece wanted to read one called Maude The Not So Noticeable Shrimpton by Lauren Child and illustrated by Trisha Krauss. The cover was already very visually intriguing, so I myself was pretty excited to read it. And lo and behold, sometimes it's okay to judge a book by its cover.

Long story short, it's the story of the Shrimpton family. The entire family is obsessed with standing out, and gaining as much attention as possible. Except for their middle child, Maude. She blends in and goes unnoticed practically everywhere she goes. For her upcoming birthday, Maude decides that she wants a pet goldfish. Her parents, being the ostentatious folks that they are, instead get her a tiger and show it off as they take it on walks as a family. The book ends (spoiler alert) with the family running out of tiger food, and the tiger eating everyone except for Maude, who the tiger didn't notice, stating that, "sometimes, just sometimes, blending in is the very best talent of all."

I loved how although Maude doesn't like attention, she still wears cute outfits throughout the book. I feel like with personal style, a lot of people assume that people dress the way that they do for attention. I personally don't love attention, but do love wearing strange clothes, so I really related to that, possibly unintentional, part of the book. Its dark humor is also entertaining and the illustrations are gorgeous. It reminds me of a Wes Anderson movie, Emily the Strange (if any of you remember her), a little bit Edward Gorey, and maybe even a little bit Where the Wild Things Are. I'm planning to buy the book, simply because I love the illustrations, and Maude's dresses throughout the book are fantastic. We even ended up reading it a second time, and I noticed that time around that Maude is hidden in the background of some of the scenes. It's wonderful, and I recommend that you check it out. I found most of the illustrations from the book, but if you too would love to buy it, here's the link to it on amazon. I definitely plan on looking into this author and illustrator a bit more.