adventures

Photo diary: San Francisco houses

July 27, 2015 by Angela

Writing to you from not-San Francisco. Not-favorite city. Not-simply-walk-to-the-top-of-any-hill-for-a-bay-view. What my location is (Los Angeles) matters less right now than what it’s not. Because when you come back from a place—and here’s the part where it’s different for everyone but still universal—that you really feel you belong, at least for any moment of your life which could be just that day or two years or forever though it’s most likely not or even in memories real or made up (both truths), your location afterward is only that: a place.

Levi’s, Air Plants, & Pasadena

July 9, 2015 by Angela

Do you ever wear something and then have that thought, This is the same outfit I’d have worn at 15.? I have this kind of a lot. Looking at photos from college the other day, I know that a lot about my personal style and beauty regimen has changed. Thankfully! But denim cutoffs and a printed crop top? Yeah. Some things never change. Lately, if I’m not in a loose, flowy dress, I am in thrifted Levi’s like these from the Rose Bowl Flea. It’s summer, and I know it’s the perfect opportunity to wear some really beautiful outfits, but it’s. just. so. hot. Not to mention how lazy with style I am. If it’s not cozy, I’m not wearing it. But if I can handle denim on a hot day, I’ll go for these shorts. [Read more…] about Levi’s, Air Plants, & Pasadena

Flower Friday: Dahlias & Bougainvillea

June 12, 2015 by Angela

Hi & happy Friday! It’s been a long week, I won’t lie. Mishaps at work are a lot harder when your work is also your passion, but I have to take the good with the bad and there’s also a lot of good. One thing is that I have heaps of work to get through but because my job is even a bit flexible I can at least take the time re-prioritize when needed. So for the next few hours I’m working some things for the blog as well as a post for The Blog Market that I hope will be inspiring. Amidst the madness Kevin and I went on a few sunset walks this week and I took a few farmers market dahlias long for the ride.

I haven’t felt like doing too much editing on my photos lately, so I’m lucky for VSCO film with Lightroom. I don’t use it for everything, but if you want to play with lighting, it’s the way to go. More on dahlias and summery walks later, I’m off for a quick walk on a very cloudy day. Follow my instas for more #onmywalk.

The last Victorian houses in Los Angeles

June 11, 2015 by Angela

Okay, on to part II of my walk in Angelino Heights last week. Like I said, in this historic Los Angeles neighborhood, there were Victorians sprinkled throughout. I love historic homes and Victorian is one of my favorite styles to swoon over. This is one of the reasons I am so enamored with San Francisco, so imagine my delight when I found some here in LA. Of course, they’ve basically all been used in film.

A winning color combo.

I think this is the house from Charmed.

One of the famous Carroll Avenue Victorian houses.

The facade used in Michael Jackson’s Thriller video.

Just booked a quick trip to San Francisco next month so I think this lovely architecture is enough until I get to take in more Victorian gorgeousness. If you are in Los Angeles and love old buildings, Angelino Heights is just a few minutes from downtown and perfect for an evening walk.

Urban sunset

June 9, 2015 by Angela

Whenever I go to a new coffee shop, I can’t leave without exploring the neighborhood. Actually, this time I did–but I came right back. After spending a morning at Woodcat Coffee Bar in Echo Park, I knew I needed to explore Angelino Heights set right behind it and up the hill. Spotted one old home from Sunset Boulevard and I knew there was something special at the top. Turns out Angelino (or Angeleno) Heights is the 2nd oldest neighborhood in LA, one of its first suburbs. Like many parts of Los Angeles, a lot of the homes are now long gone–the 101 freeway responsible for many of these homes’ disappearances–but there are actually quite a few old Victorians (among other) sprinkled throughout the neighborhood. But before posting about those, I wanted to share an outfit from our adventures up on the hill and the amazing golden hour light we caught while walking around.

Hello, beautiful archway!

I couldn’t ask for a prettier light to reflect off my flyaways…

Really, the frizz is real. And yes, I did totally forget to take off Kevin’s sweatshirt before posing. Chilly nights. But in between Victorians and small unkept yards are empty lots and peeks at either the Downtown LA skyline or palm trees, depending what direction you look. So different than the suburbs many of us are used to. A smile on my face the entire time.

I know I am not going to live in Los Angeles forever, but the fact that I can, after two years, wander into a neighborhood I’ve never set foot in and be surprised by what I find, means things are still new and ready to be explored. Also, more people need to walk. Everyone sits in traffic for hours and hours. You don’t need to give up your car or quit your job to walk. Just get out of the car at the end of a road and see what’s there. You’d be sitting in your car anyway.

Top: Nordstrom | Shoes: Boutique | Bag & Skirt: Thrifted | Necklace: Flea Market

Los Angeles at sunset + announcements

June 2, 2015 by Angela

There are vantage points all over Los Angeles so whenever I have out of town visitors I always make sure to show them around. I’ve written about the Griffith Observatory before and it’s always a nice low-key thing to do, especially at sunset. Not only can you see basically all of the LA sprawl, but several different hiking points around Griffith Park + the Hollywood sign. The roads leading up to the observatory also run through such a pleasant, peaceful Los Feliz neighborhood that walking at least part of the way up is a must. A few photos from this haziest of evenings…

Now I’m back to working from local cafes + planning my many calendars for June. Ahead on some things, very very behind on others. One reason I redesigned the blog and started afresh is because I felt I needed a jumping off point for all the plans I had. Many of those haven’t really been put in place yet in six months of posting. So with the year at a halfway point, I wanted to share my plans. I’ve still been writing about LA adventures and DIY projects, but there are a few other topics on my mind. On The Blog Market, I write about blogging and shop-owning, and as a freelance editor, I do a lot of social media. And as a freelance blogger, I write on pretty much every lifestyle topic under the sun. But here, I have the chance to be 100% in control, meaning that I can write a post on anything that interests me. I’ve been wanting to share more about living on a small scale–shopping small, highlighting artists, showing that you can actually avoid a lot of the unethical consumerism that seems hard to leave behind, in favor of a more handmade, conscious life. In small ways I am doing this myself, but it can be frustrating at times because it is by no means taking the easy way out. So that’s one thing that I want to become a bigger topic.

To kick this off in June, I’m going to de-clutter my mind a bit and finally share a handful of the amazing resources I’ve been happening across, mostly on Instagram, including shops of all kinds, online destinations, and artists that not only provide great alternatives to a lot of the other shopping posts you see on lifestyle blogs, but offer great inspiration for your own creative life. I’ll also be adding to my list of ethical home decor shops and seeking out more to share. Hope you’re on board with this evolution, and here’s to hoping this post will keep me accountable! Happy June.