Isla Vista Solidarity, UCSB Gaucho Pride, and Honoring What is Lost

In the wake of the tragedy in Isla Vista, the UCSB community has encouraged a week of remembrance and solidarity. Today was to show our Gaucho pride. I am an alumnus from the class of 2007 but moved back to the Santa Barbara area in 2012, just outside of IV off El Colegio. It was weird being back so close to my alma mater and I had mixed feelings about being close to IV now that I was a bit older and less of a party-goer. Such worries were for nothing as we often found ourselves driving or biking(!) into IV for a drink, dinner, and even to yes, party. Isla Visa itself has changed alot just from 2007, but what remained was the feeling that this little bubble made up of thousands of UCSB students among many other residents, was one of endless carefree youth. From freshman to seniors, to alumni and life-long IV residents, it was a place made up of sorority and fraternity houses, shabbily decorated apartments littered with beer cans and mismatched furniture, late-night eateries to satisfy hangovers, and young minds and hearts learning to live on their own for the first time. I made many good choices and probably even more bad ones in Isla Vista, but I don’t regret any of it.

I have felt many things the past few days, ranging from sadness, grief, horror, and disappointment, but what has stayed on my mind the most this past week was my anger at what six young lives were robbed of. These lives were cut short and can no longer continue to make the memories, mark the moments, worry over the mistakes, take the chances, and then look back at it all with fondness and maybe a twinge of regret. They don’t get late nights studying. They don’t get to enjoy a beer after a final. They don’t get to be young and silly. They don’t get to meet first or true loves. They don’t get to finish school arm in arm with their fellow students after years of incredibly hard work. They don’t get to be alumni and share in the pride of a common experience. This is just a fraction of what they get robbed of. The vanished potential and the unfulfilled lives have gotten lost in the mix of what the media wants to showcase.

It’s why there’s been so much pride on my various social feeds for the community and for their fellow Gauchos, past and present. This week of solidarity has been about honoring the memories of those lost and creating hope for a well-loved community. That network has really bonded across social media channels, geography, and time to join in their grief, hope, and camaraderie. I cannot help but feel such sadness because like so many other alumni and current students, there is such incredible fondness for the time we spent growing up in IV, UCSB, and Santa Barbara. There is pride in who we were, what we’ve become, and the communities that helped us get there. My sadness is tied to the joy I felt as someone who was once like the six who were killed and sorrow that these young men and women won’t have the chance to make all the good decisions or mistakes that you should be making in your late teens and early twenties. They’re now people to remember, not people who get to make memories. “It’s unfair” doesn’t even begin to encompass what has happened.

Earlier today a very good friend from UCSB and I were chatting and I couldn’t help but feel that the unsaid undercurrent of our conversation was the need to talk to a fellow alumni. And combined with my feelings of sadness and anger, was that small feeling of gratefulness. Not just for the place and time, but most especially for the people who helped shape the person I am and still continuing to try and be. College does not define any single individual, but I would be underplaying its role in my life if I said it was just four years at school. Many fellow Gauchos are still good friends and if it wasn’t for some freshman roommates who happened to know each other, John and I wouldn’t be together today.  So I just want to say thank you to all my fellow classmates and all the Gauchos in the world out there trying to make their mark. It’s just a small ‘thank you’ for being part of my life and teaching me so many different things that still follow me today. We can honor the six by living our lives with dignity, kindness, and a desire to be good.

A special prayer goes out to these six who are making so many of us out there in the world today feel a bit of Gaucho pride:

George Chen
Katherine  Breann Coooper
Cheng Yuan Hong
Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez
Weihan Wang
Veronika Weiss

#gauchostrong

Friday Favorite Links

– Proper and tattooed Victorian ladies in porcelain. (Laughing Squid)

– My favorite ongoing feature at Refinery 29 is the City Hall Weddings. I just love it. It’s always so sweet to just see the bride and groom on such a special day–and everyone’s fashion is so unique. (Refinery 29)

– I love me some Red Hot Chili Peppers and since I’ve always thought their drummer looks like Will Ferrell (or vice versa), this “long-awaited” drum-off between them is hilarious. (Funny or Die)

– Lately I’ve been liking the new algorithm or whatever is deciding who my Popular page on Instagram consists of. I’ve followed a bunch of new accounts lately based on some awesome curation. This company based in LA does beautiful leather goods. I kind of want this new Mod item–it’s like my dream wallet/notebook/life organizer thingy. (This Is Ground)

–  Bar carts are all the rage right now, but honestly, all I can think is having to dust and keep it organized. This cabinet version is such a cool alternative. (A Beautiful Mess)

 

-Cheers and Happy Weekend!

 

 

DIY Lucite Vanity Tray

I basically live out of traveling bags and suitcases. I don’t remember the last time I stayed home on the weekends for at least a whole month. John and I are either taking mini trips, I’m heading to LA, or some event or the other makes me vanish for another weekend. Personally, I don’t mind too much because it means we live a varied and somewhat exciting life. Though, it would be nice to just do nothing but read and relax all weekend–for at least three weekends in a row. Till then, I’m basically always half packed and ready to go at a moment’s notice.

This has only bothered me regarding cosmetics and toiletries. They always live dumped in mini bags inside a bigger case. Great for on-the-go living, not so much for when I’m home during the week and want to feel somewhat more stable regarding my daily habits. I finally created a home for my small army of facial products (I had to start somewhere). I picked the smaller products and kept the bigger bottles up in the cabinets so it didn’t feel like too cluttered or overwhelming. I really love the look of lucite or acrylic trays, but have found them to be unreasonably expensive. Thanks to this awesome DIY hack over at Rain on a Tin Roof, I saved myself a pretty penny. Thanks to a Michaels coupon, I scored an acrylic frame for less than $3 and found some pretty paper with gold dots to line it. I’m debating whether to laminate the paper but I just don’t want to lose the effect of the gold dots. You can buy the paper yourself, but a ton of other sites have free options that you can even custom.

Here’s a close-up of the paper. The tiny raised dots add a nice touch. I wanted to go with something simple.

Close up of gold dot paper

 

And here’s the tray with all my lovely products:

Vertical Alignment of the Tray

Initially I wasn’t thrilled with it lengthwise and had it out like the above. But let’s face it, all the products in tubes are going to be falling on a regular basis so I had a mini reality check and rearranged:

Horizontal alignment of the tray

That’s more like it! This was a fun, easy, little project. Next, I want to get a smaller tray with higher sides to hold all my clutches.

This was a nice start to a dream vanity project I’ve had on my mind for a while that also involves some Ikea hacks, but one project at a time. For now, it’s a nice little area of some fun girly stuff in an otherwise very simple restroom–got to use that counter space somehow!

And one more for good measure in all it’s Instagrammy worthy lighting:

 

Friday Favorite Links

* It’s getting hot again and since Santa Barbara always feels like a summer kind of town, I’ve been wanting to find a proper beach blanket. I’ve been using an old plaid picnic blanket but it’s not really suitable for the sand. I’ve been obsessed about buying the perfect Mexican blanket like this one using non traditional colors or even this one from Peru.

* Discovered Canopy this week. Cool way to shop Amazon products and avoid its visually boring website. It’s like Amazon/Pinterest/Etsy rolled into one. I’m all for it. (Canopy)

* This Slate article is going around–Rob Lowe sending his son off to college. As someone who gets homesick on the regular, this line slayed me: “There is a little of that sense memory at play too, a feeling that I’m about to be left out of important events, separated from life as I know it, the world as I love it.” (Slate)

* We leave for Brazil in about a month. I haven’t gotten too excited about it yet, except window internet shopping for it. These travel notebooks by Midori are gorgeous and my brother just picked up this Everlane backpack I’ve been wanting for my birthday. More importantly, can one shop for six-pack abs? 

* I was both scared and amused watching this video. I think he just wanted a snack.  (YouTube)

Surprise Serenade

It’s warm in the evenings this week. So hot it makes my neighbors talk about the weather while I walk my dog in the morning. “It’s gonna be 90,” said the man who collects recycling as he bikes dumpster to dumpster.

I opened all the windows yesterday  in our apartment and considered purchasing a fan for the summer. It’s only April. Last night, I had the TV on low waiting for John to arrive so we could watch the Clippers game at a nearby bar. The apartment was dark because any light seemed to generate heat. And then I heard it. What I thought initially was someone’s radio was the sound of someone playing guitar. Across the street, separated by a small parking lot was a man on a bench playing guitar. In the fluorescent light of the laundromat he sat in front of, he played music on his electric guitar that carried across the neighborhood through the small amplifier in the seat beside him.

It reminded me of New Orleans. The live music at almost any time of day and night throughout the French Quarter. It was my favorite part of my favorite city I’ve visited so far. John and I would be walking back late to our hotel room on Royal or Frenchmen Street and someone would be singing or playing music. The night sticky and humid but neither one of us too in a hurry to get back to air-conditioned rooms. There’s no music in those rooms.

I turned the TV off in the apartment and found myself standing on our balcony listening to this impromptu concert. Funny, since a serenade is music played in the air, often by a man to his lover beneath a window. By then the evening had cooled a bit and faint traces of cigarette smoke lingered in the air courtesy of the chain smoker in the parking lot. The guitar player would take breaks every now and then–short–but those moments of silence pierced the night air with loneliness. It was as if last night, a misplaced summer evening, required music. The heat would diminish, but each pluck and strung of the man’s guitar felt like a coda to a day that just wasn’t quite ready to end. I stood leaning over the railway completely engrossed in the music. I always find it comforting that strangers can have such an effect on people. Street musicians and their gifts of harmonic distraction in an otherwise dull day of sounds.

Later, we would find ourselves in the parking lot on the way to the game reconsidering leaving at all. As we drove past the man, I told John to roll down his window. Just a little bit more I insisted, not wanting it to end.

I’m in the living room now, windows wide open, waiting for a man who isn’t my lover.

The Edge of 30

The year my sister and I turned 23 we were home alone in LA. We hadn’t planned it that way. But for some reason, after all the bleeps and pings of online notifications and texts of birthday greetings, we found ourselves just the two of us at home. My brother was out and so were our parents. Grandma was probably dancing somewhere and our dogs long past the point of playful and dozing off.

We thought maybe to call some girlfriends or go out for a drink, but our house is never quiet. There was something peaceful about watching nothing important on TV and letting another birthday slip by without too much fanfare. I”m sure we went to dinner the next night with family, but that night, my sister and I sprawled across the living room couches and let the hours pass.

We would spend the next few years marking our birthday milestones with a lot of activity and liquor. Renting a beach front room in Huntington and flying kites while tipsy (25). A Pink and White party we classed up with sangria and a Pinterest-heavy motif (27). Maybe it was to make up for that one seemingly lackluster birthday, but as I got deeper into this time called my late twenties, I found myself wishful for just a quiet birthday without too much attention.

I chalked it up to typical aversion to being that much closer to 30 and having to put myself into a whole new bracket: 18-24, 25-29, 30-impending doom. I used to think turning 30 was so old. Now I’m just terrified that I don’t qualify. I don’t feel like I’ve earned my adulthood. There’s a realness to these years where “I’m figuring things out” or “I’ll just see how this job goes” feels lame and inadequate. It’s as if ADULT is a costume and I’m playing at it. Though, I’m somewhat comforted by older peers who insist they haven’t gotten it all down. If that’s the case, give me your 401K and mortgage. That’ll get me in the adult club right?

Last night, on my 29th birthday, I spent most of it by myself. I met John later for rock climbing (there needed to be some sort of activity involved) and dinner. I insisted we stop at Ralphs to get a slice of cake so the day would feel birthday-y. Yet earlier that day, I was busy job searching, taking care of some party planning (for someone else), leaving the dishes and the laundry for tomorrow because birthdays aren’t for chores, and trying to feel some excitement. Instead, I kept thinking about my 23rd birthday and somewhere around 3 o’clock, I sat on the couch and caught up on Mad Men.

It was amazing.

It was quiet, strangely peaceful, and any anxiety I’d had about the last year and insecurity about adulthood slipped away. I don’t have it all figured out. I’ve maybe had a dozen mild crises this past year regarding my professional life. I’m not anywhere near where I thought I would be at 29, but lying there letting the hours pass felt right. Tomorrow, I told myself, I’ll worry about it tomorrow.

Maybe when I’m 39 the costume will fit better.

Nail Art: Trends, Ideas, and Inspiration

Where’s the chase and when can we cut to it?

Yup. I’ve been awful about posting (and I won’t waste precious digital space apologizing and instead just get to the good stuff). On the plus side, I’ve been doing my nails  for the last couple of months so to make amends I’m just gonna post all of them here!

Heart Patch Nails

In preparation for Valentine’s Day, this was the heart freehand mani I did. Loved the way it came out and surprised it actually worked out. Painting on such small “canvases” can be difficult.

Essie/Lady Like
Essie/Miss Fancy Pants

Sweetheart and Lucky Love Nails

Simple design, but I did it so I could have something on both hands. My right hand often gets left out.

Essie/Mint Candy Apple
Essie/Miss Fancy Pants

Splatter Nail Art

Splatter nail art was something I had been wanting to do for a while. The result looks like mini Jackson Pollock paintings. The technique is so hard though! I kept taking mini straws meant for coffee drinks from our local supermarket. You have to swirl the paint at the end of the straw and blow really hard to make the nail polish “splatter.” It seems easy but I felt like I was inhaling paint all evening and it’s definitely a messy project. Turned out much better than I thought it would and I loved the color palette for this one.

Essie/Mint Candy Apple
Essie/Blanc
Essie/Carousel Coral
Sally Hansen/ Black Out

Argyle Nail Art/St. Patrick’s Day Nail Art

For Saint Patrick’s Day I incorporated shades of green for an argyle pattern. I love all things plaid and argyle so it was fun to see the design come out.

Essie/Mint Candy Apple
ULTA/Limelight
OPI/Thanks a Windmillion
Sinful Colors/Last Chance

Green and Gold Nail Art with Striping

This was a simple take on green and gold for Saint Patrick’s Day as well. Striping tape is a great way to amp up a mani and to create pattern without painting or drawing. It’s not a complicated design but I still found it elegant. Though, it may be the striping tape I use, but it doesn’t stick well and find myself having to peel the corner up and off.

Sinful Colors/Last Chance

Easter Bunny Nail Art

Easter Bunny nail art! Fun to do, but I actually liked the carrot best. I was going for softer pastels but for some reason the colors came out looking dark.

Essie/Turquoise and Caicos
Essie/Under Where?
ULTA/Creme of the Crop
ULTA/Maine Attraction

Floral Nail Art

Probably one of my favorite paint jobs yet. Took a lot of time and patience to get the details right. I was inspired by the floral Doc Marten boot  nails that have been going around. It was at this point I realized I needed to buy thinner brushes for more detailed looks.

Sally Hansen/Black Out
Sally Hansen/Lightening
OPI/Thanks a Windmillion
ULTA/Vintage Violet

Strawberry Nail Art

This was a fun summer nail art mani. I love the bold red of this Essie and how a simple design can still feel joyful.

Essie/Garnet
Sally Hansen/Lightening
ULTA/Limelight

Leopard Print Nail Art

Leopard Print nails are kind of the go-to design for newbie nail artists. It’s taken me a long time to do them just because I’m more of a fan of the print in small doses. I know doing a leopard print mani makes sense, but I just hadn’t been excited to try it. I originally wanted to do a mint colored base with the leopard spots on top, but I realized mint was kind of the standard color for this summer whenever I was painting my nails. I went with lavender instead and kind of fell in love. I was even able to paint my right hand! The design itself starts off not looking like much but as you continue to paint and accent the spots, it really does come together to make a cool pattern. The upside is you can switch colors around to make it feel fresh each time.

Essie/Nice is Nice
Essie/Hot Coco

Gradient Silhouette Nail ArtSo, we got a new dog who I love. His name is Canelo and I’ll have to dedicate an entirely separate entry on him because I could go on…and on. I love him but he chewed one of my brushes! I was left with wider ones so the detail work on the one above is not the greatest. Let’s just say it’s a “full-on Monet” ;)This was fun to do and just paint on but it was a long process as you have to do the gradient and wait to paint on after.  I had tried a gradient design in the past and on it’s own it’s still cool, but adding a silhouette scene adds drama. We live near the beach and go nearly everyday so it was easy to pick the scene. This was kind of my goodbye-to-summer look, but we are currently sitting pretty at 76 degrees so I’m mostly likely going to play around with summer looks into October. I’ve bought neon pink and green recently.

Sinful Colors/Snow Me White
Essie/Where’s My Chauffeur
Essie/Avenue Maintain

I think this kind of makes up for the lack of posts–it doesn’t really, but I’m making amends! Nail art is something I’m getting into mostly because it’s a great stress relief. Plus, buying new nail polish is like back-to-school shopping. So exciting!

A Lame Apology, Fashion Eye Candy to Sweeten the Deal

It’s February 12… in the year 2013.

Ugh.

It’s been almost three months since my last post and I feel awful about it. Normally I would go into a full recap of all the cool wonderful things I’ve done the past few weeks, but then it would feel like those apologies with a ton of excuses and backstory that serves to only alleviate my guilt. So, simply put, I’m sorry mostly to myself for slacking big time.

In far better and prettier news, can we please talk about this head to toe look from Chloe Moretz?

Image via gofugyourself

I freaking love this.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a dress on a celebrity that makes me so envious. I even love her nail polish with all the different pastel shades.  I think the whole look is super cute with the hair and reminds me of the post I did after the Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton show. The dress here is actually from Stella McCartney and the shoes are Christian Louboutin.

Pointy heels are apparently back. I’m not sure how I feel about this because while I love them, they tend to hurt more. But I love the effect of them. While browsing Zara for bags, I came across a similar pair for $80. It’s not see-through like the Louboutin pair, but the white contrast is still great.

Now, to find that dress in my price range.

Jewelry Trends: Pyramids, Triangles, and Bunting, Oh My!

I’ve become obsessed with the triangle shape in jewelry lately. It might have to do with my affinity for bunting right now. I know bunting flags are all over Pinterest boards and they’re not necessarily unique to parties anymore, but in the form of jewelry, it can still be striking and bold, yet still feel delicate.

I’ve been a little crazy over isosceles, but I love jewelry that has character and triangle shapes can really do that. It makes pieces seem special without feeling like you can only wear them once in a while.

Necklaces

This is just perfect–I even added it to my wish list for a Secret Santa exchange I’m doing. It’s made of copper and the letters in your name are stamped on. I’ve been looking for a “name” necklace for a while that didn’t feel too much like Sex and the City, so this find made me squeal. I love it! There are many options available at Etsy without any custom lettering, as well. (via hersilverlining)

Again, sharp but delicate. The cut out triangles make it feel lighter. It also has different metal finishes to give it a little more jazz. (via ASOS)

In case you were looking for a little bit more color. On Etsy, there are a ton of multicolored options as well as different types of material including wood and fabric. I like how this bright piece can give some life to the darker hues of Fall and Winter. And it’s under $7! (via LDnest)

The chevron shape is great too. I love the black and gold contrast, like the wood was dipped  in ink. The seller has other jewelry that likes to play with geometric shapes. (via Jess)

Rings

This ring is actually made from a button. I love the metal and wood contrast and the color gives it an earthy feel despite the deco elements. The angles contrast nicely against the round shapes. It’s all about softened edges. (via SilkPurseSowsEar)

This is so cool. A pyramid ring–an inverted pyramid ring to be exact. It’s almost as if it’s waiting for a diamond to be placed there. (via CSfootprints)

Triangle rings for your nails! I love me some nail art, so these rings are awesome. It can dress up any simple manicure when you’re not doing work on your nails or even add to an existing design. This is such a clever idea. (via superwicked)

As my 8th grade English teacher used to say, “keep it simple, silly.” Sometimes, the beauty is in its simplicity. Ah…a tiny triangle. The perfect little piece with an “edge.” ha. (via NoaNoaJewelry)

I really am partial to black and gold, especially in tiny earring form. I chose this pair over the dozens of triangle earrings you can find on Etsy because of it’s three dimensional quality. (via PetiteCo)

I have earrings similar to these ones and I wear them constantly. These are a bit more pricey but I think worth the investment since they are gold-plated and a great everyday stud earring. (via Kate Spade)

I’m not normally a fan of jewelry made of Swarovski crystal, but I like how this feels like it has a roughness to it that tones down the flash of the crystal. It comes in a different color too, which looks more like amber and achieves the same rough diamond look.(via MASHUGANA)

Sometimes one triangle isn’t enough. I love how light these must feel with that silver wire and with most things, I want a pair in every color! (via foxtailboutique)

Election Day 2012: Props, Ballots, and Votes

Finished voting today after spending the better part of the morning going over propositions in the state of California. I can’t believe this was my third election! Felt good, even if it made me a feel a tad bit old. Since I voted at a community center within one of the student housing complexes, lots of students in line. It seemed like it might have been their first time voting. How exciting!

*UPDATE*

I realized that I didn’t talk much about the propositions in California which I felt, as much as the presidential election, were just as important. I based my voting on the research I did over the last two days and considered endorsements by both the Los Angeles Times and The Santa Barbara Independent. Again, I considered their endorsements as they didn’t wholly agree and thought carefully about what I had read by publications not necessarily left leaning.

To get the straight facts as well as pros and cons of each, I first used the Official Voter Guide for California as well as Ballotpedia. I think research on the propositions is important–no matter which side one votes for. There’s too much talk online about not bothering to vote which seems wasteful and incredibly stupid to me when it comes to the propositions which directly affects each state. For example, why bother asking if an uniformed vote is worse than not voting at all?

How about…get informed.

Okay, mini rant over.

 

My Facebook and Instagram feeds are blowing up with “I Voted” stickers and other such typical election day posts. I don’t mind since it really is such an important day and crucial part of our democracy.

It’ll also be nice not to see so many voter ads while watching TV. Ha. Tonight, I’ll be glued to the screen watching exit polls and USA maps turning red or blue.

My obligatory “I Voted” sticker picture.

Enjoying my post-vote tea in my Obama cup.

Happy Election Day 2012! And, not as if you needed another reminder, don’t forget to vote! (At least if you’re an American reader.)