Surprise

Guess what?

Come on, guess!

Gap top, jeans & City Flats, Homako necklace

OK, I'll tell you.

I'm blogging from my home state of South Carolina! (Admittedly, these photos were taken in SF. No, my parents home isn't identical to mine.)

My dad and I pulled off a great surprise for my mom: me showing up to hang out for a long weekend visit. Dad picked me up at the Charlotte airport (it's much cheaper) and after a huge traffic jam, followed by a detour, we made it home to surprise my mom, who was really excited.

She's a teacher, so I wanted to make sure to make it back to visit before her semester started. I'm looking forward to our shopping trip tomorrow! (You'd better believe Target will be one stop.)

I had the chance during my travels to try out my new NOOK, which I'm really enjoying. Has anyone read The Hunger Games? The sub-$5 price on Barnes & Noble convinced me to try it, after several recommendations from friends. I'll let you know what I think.

Conte's Gluten Free Margherita Pizza Review

This is what I look like when I wait till I get home from work to snap my outfit photos:

Target dress, gifted cardigan, F21 belt, bracelets & necklace, Old Navy boots 

That first one is rough, I'm tellin' you. Out of a total eight photos taken, these two were the only salvageable ones. But I'm not here to talk about the bags under my eyes (particularly since it's Friday, y'all!), I'm here to talk about this:

Conte's Gluten and Wheat Free Margherita Pizza

I picked this Conte's pizza up the other day while I was browsing at Whole Foods. (Darn you, Whole Foods. You always convince me to buy things I wouldn't otherwise.)

It wasn't cheap. Maybe $9 for a 3-4 serving pizza. Not too shabby, but not great either.

But it is gluten-free, and that's the point. Gluten-free products are often more expensive. So I was willing to give it a shot for an easy weeknight dinner (accompanied by a spinach and mixed-greens salad, of course).

The pizza baked true to the package instructions. I left it in for a few minutes more, which is typical for my oven, so I wasn't surprised. What I was really impressed by was the crust. Very crispy, thin and satisfying for a gluten-free crust (well, for any crust). The part I didn't love? The gobs of sauce. I know it's a margherita pizza and the point is the sauce and the cheese, but the sauce was applied a little heavy-handed.

All in all? Pretty good! Now I'm just waiting to find a good gluten-free, dairy-free frozen pizza. I never really stock up on frozen pizzas in the first place, but occasionally they're nice to have around. Especially on a baggy-eyes work day.

Wrong Shoes

I love this cute little top I got from--you guessed it--the Gap sale rack. (Seriously, guys, I need another shopfast.)

Problem is, the shoes look rather terrible with this outfit. Even the hubs thought they weren't quite right. Lesson learned.

Well, my Barnes & Noble Nook just arrived in the mail today, and I'm so excited to get started on it. I added several free books and bought one for under $5, just for good measure. It's so tiny! I wasn't prepared for how small it was. Once I've given it a go I'll give you some more details on how I like it. For now, I'm just excited to carry around several books in a little tiny electronic device.

 Gap top, Seven for All Mankind jeans, Urban Outfitters boots, Banana Republic bag, F21 sunglasses

One of these days I'm going to figure out how to find more time for this blog so I can fill it up with more interesting content. Since I blog for work, it's a little difficult to figure out how to do that. But soon, my friends, this blog will be more interesting. Promise. Till then, you just get to look at my mug:

Sudan

On Saturday night, we attended a very special event: A Night for Sudan. My church partners with an organization called City Hope. City Hope supports lots of great programs in the city and beyond, one being Harvesters, a non-profit committed to caring for orphans worldwide. 

Right now, Harvesters is working to build a hospital in Southern Sudan to serve the community there by providing basic, preventative care.

Next month, a group from my church is heading to Southern Sudan to help the hospital with whatever they need.

One of the sweetest girls I know, Heather, is going on the trip for a second summer in a row. It's so great to hear her talk about it, because she gets so excited about her role there.

The event was great--and not just because get got to dress up. They raised a lot of funds for the trip and the hospital.

I can't wait to hear about the trip.

Gap dress (yes, that's the Kendi dress), Banana Republic clutch, F21 bracelets, gifted (from Sudan!) earrings

If you have any interest in donating to Heather's trip or the Harvesters, you can do that here and here.

Flare

What is this, middle school? I thought JNCO's went out, like, ages ago.

Well, I thought I'd give some flares a go anyway. And, you know what? I dig 'em. Fortunately, if I didn't like them, I only paid $15ish for them on sale at Gap. (Yeah, I'm a bit addicted to the sales at Gap.)

This was Saturday, when hubs and I had breakfast in the Mission (yum to Pork Store), cappuccino at Four Barrel Coffee and a visit to The Common to pick up the hubs' custom made--in California!--Taylor Stitch shirt.

It's pretty cool that he got to pick out his own fabric and collar style (club collar) and such. Their trademark? The bottom button on the shirt is grey.

 Gap top & jeans, Old Navy scarf & bag, F21 sunglasses, Urban Outfitters sandals

As of right now, Taylor Stitch only makes men's apparel (they're about to dabble in denim!), but every time we drop in, I remind them that I'm waiting to be able to get my custom-made shirt dress.

But, if you're a dude who likes checking out sweet, custom-made duds, you should check out this shop. Plus, the guys are really nice.

Above check out some photos of The Common, where you can find Taylor Stitch shirts and order your custom-made shirt.

Below see some weird girl posing by a very happy looking door. Can you tell I hadn't showered in a couple of days in these photos? (Hint: How I fix my hair is always indicative of whether or not I've showered recently.)

Seven

Here they are. My first pair of designer jeans. I'm such a proud mama.

Now, for those of you who don't know, my husband works in denim. No, that doesn't mean I got these for free. But he did buy one of those daily deal coupons for a local boutique so that I got them pretty much half off.

But he knows denim. So I let him help me pick them out, and we settled on this high-waisted boot cut style. The cool thing? I'm not supposed to wash them. Like, for a year. Sound strange? It's true. I'm supposed to let them develop their own "wash story" through wear and tear, not tumble dry low. (Ha! See what I did there?)

And so I guess I'll be styling these a lot and watching their wear evolution through my outfit photos. Pretty cool, huh? Oh, and they fit like a dream. I guess now I know why people invest a lot of money in their denim. It only makes sense for someone like me; I can wear jeans everyday at work if I like, so might as well get some great quality, right?

 Banana Republic top, Seven for all Mankind jeans, Mossimo wedges, Gap scarf, F21 locket, Mango blazer (bought in Spain in 2004)

Maxi

I'll admit I've been slack posting since the end of the 30. So sue me. Or don't, because I really don't have the time to be sued right now. And that seems like a lot of hassle for lack of blogging.

OK, enough silliness. I bought a maxi skirt, but you already know that. It was on final sale at Gap, with an extra 50% off because they're crazy, so I grabbed it for under $10. That way, I won't feel guilty if it doesn't get a lot of play.

But I think it will because I really like it. And it has pockets. I didn't think I'd end up with a pocketed maxi skirt, so that's an added bonus, for sure. Also, I finally wore my Renegade Craft Fair necklace. Isn't it just adorable?

 Gap top and skirt, Homako necklace, Minnetonka mocs

I'm loving Homako's Etsy shop. It was down a while during the craft fair, but now it's back up and I'm eyeing some of the lovely jewelry. I especially like the Oragami Rope necklaces.

I'm excited to catch you up with what I've been up to lately, and particularly about my first pair of designer jeans. But all of that will have to wait, as I've got to get ready to get some tapas with a friend.

Later, friends!

Day 30: Finished

And thus ends another 30 for 30. Oh, what fun! This second time around was much better than the first.

But I gotta say, I'm happy to get back to the rest of my wardrobe. I'll work on a roundup of the 30 this weekend. But, for now, here's the final outfit, in all of its simplistic glory.

 Old Navy top, necklace and boots, Gap jeans

Also, I bought a Nook, which I'm really excited about. Perhaps I'll do a quick review of it for you. Wouldn't that be exciting?

Day 29: Bib

This top has a built-in bib. So, that's pretty cool.

I went with some friends to an Avett Brothers concert last night. They're pretty amazing live. You just want to hop up on stage with them because it looks like they're having so much fun. And how the heck does the cellist carry his instrument around while he's playing? I was looking for some sort of strap or something holding it on, but I couldn't figure out. Any cellists out there who could venture a guess?

 Collective Concepts top, gifted jeans, Urban cardi, Old Navy earrings, Madden boots

Day 28: Fall

What? Did we skip the rest of summer? Friends, I know that San Francisco summers are cooler than usual, but I had gotten a little used to the beautiful scooting weather. Remember the days during this 30 for 30 when I could wear this dress without leggings, boots, a cardi and a scarf? Well, gone are those days. Hopefully they visit again soon.

Either way, I suppose it was fun to experiment with the hot pink dress and some layers. I'm less than thrilled with the results, but that's how the 30 for 30 goes. You win some, you lose some.

I'm thinking I should revisit getting a pair of Warby Parker's. I should be able to get a huge discount after insurance, which will make them really cheap Rx frames. Or I could just go with full price and save the insurance for a different pair of sturdy frames. That's been my one worry about WPs, after all: the sturdiness. Has anyone had any experience with them?

I sure am asking you a lot of retail advice this week.

Oh, and I'm leaning toward the Nook. My mom brings up a good point about checking out library books. And we all know I'm much to cheap to always purchase a book. I'd much rather borrow when possible. 

 Old Navy dress and boots, Prana leggings, Gap cardigan, gifted (from Venice) scarf, H&M bracelet, gifted (from Africa) earrings

Day 27: Scarf

This is the first time I've worn my second prize from the dash dot dotty give away: this lovely scarf. I think it works perfectly with this dress. Sadly, the dress on its own is a bit low for the office, so a scarf does the modest trick.

See those wimpy arms? Yeah, I need to get them back into shape. I started doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred last week, so hopefully that'll help tone the ol' arms up a bit. I like Jillian's style: quick from one move to another, cardio in between strength training and abs work.

I also ran three times last week, so hopefully I can keep this new-found momentum going!

 Gap dress, Target leggings (no, they don't count in the 30 because it's a summertime accessory in SF), Madden boots, won scarf, Old Navy bracelet

Day 26: Slow

Though I've been really slow in getting these 30 for 30 outfit photos posted, I'm already done with the challenge. But I promise not to blog-celebrate till each and every photo is posted.

Did anyone else see HP7.2? It was sad to say goodbye to my magical friends; It's been a swell run. You know, this movie definitely isn't my favorite. My fav remains "The Prisoner of Azkaban." But it was a lot of fun seeing the film with a crowded theater at midnight, everyone super excited to see it all go down.

 Gap top, Urban cardigan, gifted jeans and earrings (from Africa. The earrings, not the jeans.), Madden boots

OK, off of Harry Potter and on to fashion, of course. I'm embarrassed to tell you how many articles of clothing I've acquired since the shopping ban. The good news is it was all either gifted (thanks to the hubs) or super cheap on sale (I got a full-length black skirt that I'm really excited about). And I'm keeping my eye out for goodies showing up for the fall.

Has anyone seen these desert boots at Old Navy? I might have to go check them out.

One last question for you all. I'm considering getting an eReader. I've got the money saved up, but don't know which one to choose--if any. Does anyone have any recommendations? Nook? Kindle? Kobo? Something else? I'd love your input!

Day 25: Bag

See that guy with the big trash bag walking behind me? I wonder what's in it.

Anyhoo, you get another not-boring collage today. That's what happens when hubs is the photographer. He does not like photos, y'all. Taking them or being in them. (Can you tell?) So it's really cool of him to give in to me when I beg him to take my photos.

Just kidding; I don't beg. I just sorta say, "Guess what time it is?" And I begin to pull my camera out of my bag. He sighs a little and then does it. Because he's sweet like that.

I'd love to chat more, but I have a sushi dinner to get to and then the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" midnight showing to attend. Peace out!

 Old Navy top and boots, Urban cardigan, Banana Republic pants, F21 locket

Day 24: Boring

Don't you think my typical collages are kind of boring? Yeah? Me too.

So, in today's collage, you get to see the triple chin I didn't know I had and the ridiculous face I make that's apparently supposed to communicate to the hubs that I'm done taking pictures. Enjoy.

This was Saturday, outside our usual Saturday morning spot, the movie theater. Yeah, we go to movies pretty much every Saturday morning. It's our cheap date. We bring along some Starbucks coffee and oatmeal a go to the $6 early showing. Pretty good deal, huh?

And, no, we don't sneak our snacks in. We carry them in in plain sight and no one seems to care. Hm.

Speaking of movies, is anyone else super excited to go to the midnight showing of HP7 Part 2? Oh, man. I'm going to have my box of tissues ready. And I don't mind admitting that.

Saturday was also the Renegade Craft Fair, which means lots of crafty and creative (and even the not-so-creative ones) come out to sell their wares. I couldn't stay very long, but I did stay long enough to pick up a necklace from this booth:

Her necklaces were just adorable. So adorable, in fact, that I may just have to buy another one from the Etsy shop. Hm, perhaps I should wear the one I already have first?

See those long, off-white buildings? That's where the fair was held. pretty sweet, huh?

Day 23: Skirt

This is not a skirt. Oh, snap! It's a dress. This dress, actually. But I successfully fooled you into thinking it was a skirt, right?

I wore this on Friday. Totally not a Friday outfit, I know, but I just felt like dressing up a bit. Being a little dressed up makes me feel more confident.

As for July's Give Up/Take On?

Give Up: Sleep. Let me explain. I'm giving up "sleeping in." I've had unproductive mornings simply because I tend to sleep in until I have just enough time to get ready and get out the door. Well, for July, I've been getting up 1-2 hours earlier than need be. What do I do with that time? Exercise, prep for dinner, whatever. I just miss the days when I was productive in the mornings, so I'm trying to get back into that routine.

Take On: Reading. Not reading in general, but reading specifically a book. Focusing on one book to read and finish. Want to know what I'm reading? "The Neverending Story." No foolin'. Hubs claims it's his favorite book ever, and I bought him a hardback copy for Christmas a couple of years ago. Now I'm finally taking the chance to read it.

Do you have any challenges you're taking on this month?

H&M top, Banana Republic dress and leather bracelet, Mossimo wedges, F21 belt, gifted, handmade bracelet

Day 22: Rickshaw

Local businesses throw great parties. I went to Rickshaw Bagworks' 4th anniversary party and it was just lovely. There was a food truck with free (for the first 50 or so) food, free drinks, yummy ice cream, and friends. And, of course, we had a chance to check out the cool bags.

The funny thing is, I went to the same party last year. The company's 3rd anniversary party. And I still have a $20-off coupon from it. Supposedly it never expires, so I think I should start thinking about what I want.

I already own Chrome and Timbuk2 bags. What can I say? I like carrying my stuff.

I dig this yellow bag, but it might also be cool to customize my own bag, or even bring in my own material ('cause they let you do that).

Old Navy top and bracelet, Gap cords, Madden boots, necklace purchased in Guatemala

I am way behind in posting my 30 for 30 pictures, but just know that I've been keeping up.

And now, some photos from the Rickshaw party:

Happy 4th, Rickshaw!

Stuff to make bags

It's a warehouse, manufacturing floor, office + retail store!

Where they cut out the patterns for the bags.