i don’t know how many blogs you read based out of northern california, but if you read mine on a regular basis, you’ve probably noticed that i’ve been complaining a bit (ok, a lot) about the unseasonably mild weather we’ve been having here, despite the heatwaves all over the rest of the country. in the mornings while i drink my cup of coffee, i’ve spent a fair amount of time reading blog posts about the unbearable heat… in front of a space heater. in july. so this weekend, after waking up to one too many overcast mornings, we decided to hightail it outta here and take a trip inland to a place where the weather is just right. so yesterday, me and the boy made our way to del valle regional park for a bit of sun.

i have to tell you, i can’t recommend this swimsuit enough. i tried it on immediately after it arrived in the mail and actually kept it on and just walked around the house wearing it because it made me feel so good. a lot of swimsuits are just too flimsy for me to feel comfortable, but this baby fits like a dream and is very supportive.

anyway, i felt pretty shy about showing pictures of myself in a swimsuit, so i decided to break the ice with a list of things you probably didn’t know about me, since we’re getting so intimate today!

1. i’m a middle child. i have an older sister who’s about to turn 30 and a younger brother who’s 23. i look up to both of them.

2. i come from a working class background. when i was growing up, my dad was a truck driver for frito lay and my mom worked as a part time 1st grade teacher’s aid and art teacher at a small elementary school. she sometimes worked up to 3 jobs at a time, for which i am very thankful!

3. when i was in high school, i tried out my first pixie cut. soon after, i experimented with dying my hair cotton candy pink, dark pink, purple, turquoise, orange, and firetruck red. i also remember one summer when i was 15, i wore a ninja turtles muscle tee, a bandanna as a headband, and men’s levis 501’s almost every day.

4. i became vegan at age 15 and stayed that way for about 8 years. now i find it hard to be strict about anything. in the words of maude from harold and maude, “it’s best not to be too moral, you cheat yourself out of too much life.” it’s obviously more complicated than that, but that’s the short story.

5. harold and maude is actually one of my favorite films. i never talk about it on my blog, but i’m really into movies! some of my favorites directors are federico fellini (le notti di cabiria), jean luc godard (a bout de souffle), wes anderson (rushmore), spike jonze, (being john malcovich) hayao miyazaki (totoro), tim burton (beetlejuice), the cohen brothers (raising arizona), stanley kubric (a clockwork orange), todd solonz (welcome to the dollhouse), david lynch (wild at heart), the list is miles long… hit me up if you ever need a recommendation!

scarf: vintage silk scarf from my mom
sunglasses: karen walker
swimsuit: bathing beauty one piece in wine courtesy of modcloth
flip flops: long’s drug store

over the weekend, i found myself browsing through all of my favorite fall collections to get outfit inspiration for transitional outfits and beyond. one of the collections that really stood out to me was peter jensen. it’s one of those collections where i seriously wish i could have every single piece and just wear them all winter. but since i don’t think i’ll be able to afford too many designer pieces come fall, i decided to have a bit of fun putting together a little “look for less.”

j.crew jackie cardigan, old navy women’s perfect tee, american apparel hampton shorts, j.crew large madaket tote (you can also get a similar tote from l.l.bean for much less, i just couldn’t find a good picture of it), tic tac toes celine t-straps, revlon super lustrous lipstick in fuchsia fusion, almay liquid eye liner.

i’ve actually been making a lot of collages lately, so if this is a feature you like, expect to see more in the coming weeks!

it seems as though lately i just can’t get enough of wearing polka dots! i think this may have something to do with my need to constantly wear my new karen walker sunglasses. i keep playing off their shape when i get dressed, so before i know it, i’m wearing teeny tiny polka dots and a big puff ball at my collar. i actually got this skirt at a thrift shop ages ago with the idea that i would hem it up to a mini length, but i kinda sorta never got around to it. but as i think forward to fall, i’m appreciating longer hemlines, so i guess my laziness worked out in this case!

being a mere 5’5″ (if i was talking, you’d sense sarcasm because i know that 5’5″ isn’t short), i’ve always shied away from longer skirts and opted for mini lengths with this idea that i would look bad in a maxi length. but honestly, that’s just silliness. i know i’ve brought this up before, but i think it’s worth repeating: it’s too bad that we’re constantly getting messages that the only way we should want to look is long and lean, or super sexy. why should anyone be made to feel like they’re not allowed to wear certain clothes just because of their body type? it’s kind of amazing how that kind of “advice” can make almost anyone feel bad about themselves if they believe it. so basically, the moral of the story is: go get a maxi skirt. or a skirt that cuts you off at the widest part of your leg. it’s really not a fashion don’t.

haha, ok, enough with the pep talks and onto the outfit:
blouse: thrifted vintage silk blouse
skirt: thrifted vintage polka dot skirt
shoes: seychelles platform clogs
sunglasses: karen walker
pin: loft raffia pin