Smith - Seattle

The night before I left on the trip (see post below), we went to dinner at our favorite gastropub Smith to get one last American meal in before heading to Asia where we'll predominantly be having Asian food for the next month - no complaints here, but we jump at any opportunity to go to Smith since we love it so much, we're practically Mr. and Mrs. Smith.. plus we always get VIP parking right outside which is always a reaffirming sign that this is our go-to spot.

Taxidermy. Chill yet bustling vibe. The garage door was open on this warm summer night and let in a lot of natural light.

Sweet corn and Dungeness crab salad with butter lettuce and Fresno chili vinaigrette.

Fries with cheese curds and gravy. The most amazing poutine ever, we get it every time, and they recently added a "add short rib" option so we had to try that.

Mac and cheese with English peas, celery, bacon, and parmesan.

We usually also get the hanger steak salad and a couple cocktails/local beers but decided to go a little lighter and stop by Full Tilt after for our favorite salted caramel ice cream. Just loading up on all the comfort foods to remind us of home when we're halfway across the world.

Off to Southeast Asia!

The day has arrived! Finally taking off for our month-long trip to Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. I get asked a lot of travel/packing questions, so I thought I'd do a post on some of the stuff I packed for this trip. The hot weather and hopping around so many destinations really influenced what I brought. Most of the items are basic in color and design so there's room to mix and match, but I also added pieces with unique patterns and bright colors to keep things fun of course.

1. Pants - I'm hyperparanoid about bug bites because my blood is sweet(/cursed) and I get afflicted a lot so no matter how humid and hot Asia is I am bringing pants. I brought my lightweight cotton Rag & Bone "jeans" and Zara linen pants so it'll still be breathable.
2. Donna Karan Mist deodorant - has a pretty fragrance while doing its job.
3. Kodak underwater camera - we bought this for snorkeling in Cancun and didn't use up all the film, so taking it across the world to use at the beaches of Phuket, etc.
4. Maxi dresses/skirts - aka uniform of the trip.. They allow for airflow while warding off bugs (refer to my OCD in #1), plus I can dress them up for nighttime while sipping cocktails on rooftop bars.
5. Basic tees - loose, comfy and flowy. The ones pictured are a cropped black Surface to Air, linen Vince, and a neon J.Crew v-neck.
6. Sunglasses - wayfarers and Free People rainbow mirror aviators.
7. Cardigans - some slouchy linen cardigans from Forever 21 I can ball up and throw in my purse in case of a night breeze (doubt it).
8. Basic tanks - refer to #5 but cut off the sleeves.
9. Shorts - if I ever get over my said bug bite fear I will wear these...
10. Scarf - can serve as a wrap when in air-conditioned places.
11. Colorful belts - small accessory to spunk up outfits. The rainbow studded one is a Sonia Rykiel I picked up recently, so fun!
12. Swimsuits - two bikinis, one monokini, and one completely hideous actual swimsuit for morning laps in hotel pools.

Capitol Hill Block Party

Freeloader fringe tank, Forever 21 skirt, Juicy Couture moccasin sandals, Marc by Marc Jacobs bag, Free People rainbow mirror sunglasses

It finallllly broke 80 degrees this weekend in Seattle, perfect weather for the annual Capitol Hill Block Party, a three-day long outdoor music festival that's always crazy fun. These pictures are from when we went yesterday... friends, sunshine, bands, making fun of hipsters = guaranteed good times. Pardon the photo quality, boyfriend couldn't bring in his DSLR so he just snapped a couple with my point and shoot. Unfortunately the angle of the first pic gives me a bobblehead effect... Hope you all had a fun weekend!

Lights will guide you home

Initial drop hem blazer dress, Vince shorts, Kenneth Cole pumps, Marc Jacobs rings

I bought this drop hem blazer dress with suede lapels from a boutique in Hong Kong called Initial last summer and totally forgot about it until now. The way it hangs reminds me of the Acne Dolphin dress. Got these quad-toned pumps years ago and also pulled them out today, the peek of fuchsia is so cute. I should seriously take inventory of my wardrobe.. eventually.. (never..) An online shop might be in the works..

So my obsessive personality extends to music as well, when I like a song I play it 100 times on repeat. Right now it's the cover of Coldplay's "Fix You" by Javier Colon from The Voice (where the post title is from). I love when he changes a part of the bridge to say, "Tears stream down your face, I promise you I will learn from my mistakes." I just imagine how beautifully desperate someone must get to profess that. Music is what feelings sound like..

Let all go, dear - so comes love

Free People cropped dip hem floral shirt, ASOS fishtail dress, Rebecca Minkoff booties

These pictures were taken a little past golden hour - you know, that magical time bloggers love for photographing when the light is perfectly soft and allows for lens flare galore. The thing about chasing light is you get to witness how fast it disappears, and when it's gone you can't get it back. For some reason that's a wistful yet lovely experience for me. Anyway, frolicking in a field in boots is not ideal but I haven't been able to stop wearing these booties since I got them, plus their nude color and the weather being mild lately are convincing me (because it takes so much convincing) that they can work as summer boots..

The title of this post is a line from one of my favorite poems by e.e. cummings, posted on my tumblr.

The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are

Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair tank, ASOS Africa tribal maxi skirt, H&M sandals, Banana Republic weave belt, Marc Jacobs shoulder bag, Free People mirror sunglasses

Here is the full outfit to the post below. Maxi skirts are so easy to wear, I'm going to pack a bunch for my upcoming southeast Asia trip (leaving in 2 weeks eeee!) They allow for plenty of airflow to keep you cool yet ward off bugs (speaking of, my forearm is super swollen from a mutant mosquito bite I got at a BBQ this week and now I look like Popeye). The tribal print is what got me with this skirt from ASOS's Africa line. More amazingly, these pieces are made in Kenya by SOKO, a workshop dedicated to developing sustainable long term solutions to economic problems, and ASOS is donating a share of the proceeds to support this community.

Hitchcock - Bainbridge Island

Baby greens, cava vinaigrette, cherry tomatoes, blue cheese.

Manila clams, charred garlic scapes, fregola sarda, parsley oil.

Grilled hanger steak, panadera potatoes, PX sherry gastrique, fiddlehead ferns.

Pork belly, collard greens, bacon, white beans, cabbage.

This past weekend, my boyfriend and I took the ferry over to Bainbridge Island for a fun mini getaway. The views of Seattle are so gorgeous, especially when the weather is sunny. We strolled around the cute little town and then went to dinner at Hitchcock, a farm to table restaurant featuring organic local produce and seafood. Anyway, I was wearing a Shipley & Halmos sweater over my outfit, that post coming soon!

All black everything

Maison Martin Margiela dolman shirt, Under.Ligne by Doo.Ri jeggings, Givenchy lace up boots

If you've ever dressed according to the way weather made you feel, you may understand why I went all black on an unfortunately gloomy summer day. It was so gray out that it just felt comfortable to be in one shade, a simple shape, and swim in the massive Margiela shirt (which is actually a size 36 = XS, believe it or not). Pulled back hair, minimal jewelry, and Russian Red MAC lipstick for a touch of color.