parkas and pancakes

saint james striped top, parka from a korean boutique, genetic denim jeans courtesy of revolve, low top converse

I'm in LA right now visiting family and I've already realized that I didn't bring enough for this 2 or 3 week trip. I naively thought I could get away with shorts and tops but it actually rained here today. Why didn't I pack this parka when I haphazardly put together the contents of my suitcase? Why is the weather even like this in late May? My list of grievances just continues to grow, doesn't it?

For now, I'll just take advantage of endless snacks in my parent's pantry, Dodger games on local TV, and whatever else comes up to relieve me of my boredom (psst anyone want to hang out while I'm here?). Although I REALLY would like to be back up north since I'm currently experiencing an insane craving for pancakes from Mama's. Anyone know where I can find really amazing pancakes in LA? Maybe I'll track down the Buttermilk Truck one of these days and check them out...

camp vivier 2010

Excuse me while I kick myself for not booking a flight to LA in time for Refinery 29's East/West Tag Sale. In addition to skipping out on Thursday's kick off party, I also missed out on the debut of Clare Vivier's CAMP VIVIER collection at 50% off. 50% OFF?! Now that's just not fair. The collection is available online of course but I don't really have the money to spend at the moment. Oh well. I'd originally been saving up for the messenger bag but I may just end up changing my mind when I get the money for this one. BF's sister actually has the all leather Tropézienne bag in brown but I think I'd prefer the canvas one because of the color contrast. What do you think? Should I save up for my original bag or go for the summer-friendly canvas tote? If you haven't already had the chance, check out the rest of Clare Vivier's collection and her blog.

the melancholy of a disenchanted anime fan

h&m tunic and trench, citizens of humanity jeans courtesy of revolve, vintage boots, ray ban wayfarers, marc by marc jacobs bag, black peace now bow

Japantown date was a mild success saved only by delicious food and the fact that BF was there to keep me company. Hair refused to cooperate, weather was weird (60s + wind? in late May? are you kidding me?!), Muni was annoying as ever, blah, blah, etc. Let's focus on the nice things in life, yes? The trip started out with ramen at Suzu (which I've already blogged about and was delicious as always) and a quick walk around the Japanese mall before popping in to New People for Blue Bottle coffee. BF was preparing to roast a 9 pound chunk of pork for dinner and had to leave me at 5pm to baste it. So why didn't I go with him? I had to stick around for the North American premiere of my favorite anime film, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. Yes, I went alone and no, I do not have any friends up here who are as into anime as I am. Maybe I cared for a second, but I wasn't about to force BF to go with me although he did offer to accompany me.

Oh hi, cutie! And look at the sandals (below) which he ordered from OAK just in time for summer. But yes, the movie. I've been writing a long rant for the past 30 minutes but decided to scrap it, maybe that's just something I should keep to myself. Let's just say it involved creepy male anime fans from all over the country who are probably legitimately in love with anime characters, a mini crisis where I questioned my own sanity for going to that screening alone*, and a renewed appreciation for where I stand as an anime fan. Not quite obsessed, but not just a casual viewer. I just really like it, okay? Okay. Although maybe this outfit wasn't such a good idea in a place where I didn't want to stick out like a sore thumb...

*by this I should clarify that by then I'd already watched the movie over five times since I wrote half of my senior seminar's final research paper on it and it was a bit absurd to be purposely hanging around there alone with all these overtly crazy people. My real problem wasn't about being alone, it was about being in a situation where I made an effort to see something I'd already seen and felt weird upon realizing I may be just like them. Eeeesh. At least I didn't audibly gasp and say "OMG!" in a creepy way every time a certain cute character came on? You have no idea how many times I shuddered during the movie. People are so weird.

dinner at garibaldi's

Had a great time at Garibaldi's in Oakland with my friend Mikey's family after his graduation. Did it ever cross my mind that having both steak tartare and a grilled new york steak would be too excessive? Maybe for a split second. I definitely recommend this place if you're in the area. The restaurant has recently been split in half to add a less expensive sister restaurant Marzano which I hear is equally as delicious.

So umm, someone has been partying/enjoying life a little bit too hard post finals and forgot she had planned to start blogging a lot more. Oh well! Imagine my surprise when I logged on to my Google Reader and found my makeup-less mug on Joanna's blog. It was definitely a great way to start my day since I've been following her blog for years so THANK YOU!! For anyone who is new to this blog: hello, and I hope you guys will stick around longer because I have tons of food trips and outfits planned for this summer. (Scratch the planned outfits part, I usually just grab what I can find...)

what i wore during finals

thrifted cardigan, saint james striped shirt, april 77 jeans, abbie clogs courtesy of ugg australia (thank you, misty!)

...because I can't come up with a better title. I just wrapped up my exams today and maaaaaaaan it feels good. Ever wonder why I don't post outfits often during the semester? Part of it is just pure laziness and the other part involves being too busy to care about my appearance and just looking like a hot mess. The easiest outfit usually involves me picking up whatever is in the mound of clothes on the couch in my room (usually a top, cardigan, jeans, flats combination), no make up, and hardly washing my hair. Since this was my last day, I decided to spice things up with these slip on clogs which are actually at a comfortable enough height to wear on a daily basis. So uhhh yeah, this is what I REALLY look like.

Well, at least summer vacation is here for me (although the weather in the bay says otherwise) and I can finally pay more attention to this cute little blog. I think this calls for a celebration so it's time to go dance to this song on repeat. But really, I'm planning on blogging significantly more this summer and trying out new things with this blog so I'm going to request that you guys hold on tight and stay tuned for a long overdue blog makeover! I can't remember the last time I was excited about any sort of project mostly because I'm the type of person who is bored easily with certain undertakings but this is something that I'm actually starting to grow passionate about...

chapeau and cassis

BF's birthday last week was full of food, wine, more food, more wine, and three straight days of bloated happiness. I initially didn't intend to blog about this since I prefer natural day lighting and take terrible shots at night but you know what? Forget it, why not? So here you are, two great meals at two superb restaurants in San Francisco to celebrate Brent's being born 25 years ago. Wow, that's such a bizarre number.

(click through or hover over photos to see what we got)

Four course prix fixe meal at Chapeau for two. Keep in mind I am not including photos of at least three items (fried tiger prawns, creme brulee, etc.) and that all of this food was consumed by TWO people. This was our special night together on the night of his birthday! Of course, Brenty brought the wine but we started off with two kir royales while we waited for our table. Chef Philippe was so adorable and always checked up on us although it was a fairly busy night (on a Tuesday, wow). BF were both surprised to see that we paid so little (well, by fine dining standards) for such spectacular food... for the quality meal we experienced there I'm sure you'd easily pay double for it elsewhere (the atmosphere is so much less pretentious, too). If anyone was wondering, BF got the duck dish while I went with the filet mignon. We had originally intended to just get the three course meal but when our waiter described the tasting fish of the night, a scallop perched on top of a pesto risotto and drizzled with a lobster bisque, we knew we couldn't say no. Overall, it was a memorable meal. I think we may go back this summer for their early bird menu.

Actually, I have a funny story that goes along with this. By the end of the meal, I was so full that I asked BF to zip down my dress in the cab; however, I was wearing my FAVORITE silk shirt underneath and I was so bloated that the zipper got caught and would not budge. Well, when we got home, after a couple pulls and tugs, the zipper came off COMPLETELY and took off a large chunk of my top. If that is not a sign of a successful dinner, I don't know what is.

(click through or hover over photos to see what we got)

The next big meal came less than 24 hours later but this time we were in a bigger party of friends. Cassis was a lot less crowded (well, we were actually the only other party in there) but it was ideal for our large rowdy group. Most of us passed on the prix fixe by ordering a la carte and shared appetizers which included two pizzas (marguerite and campagnarde), escargots, and foie gras. Don't ask me about the wine, I just remember that there were two hefty magnums involved which were demolished by the end of the night. Most of the people in our party were persuaded by our waiter's description of the duck cassoulet (which no one was able to completely finish) but I had scallops and shrimp a second time in a row. Why not? Live large, it's not every day you can do this.

And well, now it's back to the reality of instant ramen noodles and ham sandwiches. One day I'll have a steady job and will treat myself to amazing meals on a weekly basis (hah) but until then, these trips will be sparse. While I do enjoy reliable hole-in-the-wall joints, it's fun to go out once in a while and let loose. Even if your favorite clothes end up ruined...

posing in front of a kitchen does not make you more domestic

thrifted dress, maison martin margiela mm6 waffle cardigan, zara platforms

Do you like my t-rex/raptor imitation? No idea what's going on with my arm there. In any case, this is what I wore yesterday. I don't know what made me want to actually get ready when all I did was work on a paper at home all day. I am currently sitting in front of my computer wondering if I should even bother showering. Nah, don't think so. Until 5pm tomorrow, I will be a slave to this computer working on inserting screenshots (seriously, why has this been the hardest and most tedious task I've done?) and finishing the last two pages of this paper for my anime class. This may be simultaneously the most fun and annoying paper I've ever written in my undergraduate career since I literally spent a month going through seven hours of materials countless times and another month figuring out what the hell I wanted to write. This course was easily the best one I've taken at Cal and it's even a major requirement!

Oh and, sunday morning breakfast: ricotta pancakes. Something so easy even I could make it (recipe here) but I didn't have to since I have an adorable boyfriend who comes over to my place and does it for me. I even got flowers last night! Unfortunately he's getting sick right now and I have finals to worry about so we won't really see each other this week. I'm waiting anxiously for Friday to come so I can finally finish this semester and maybe dedicate more time to this blog...