21st birthday at the slanted door

the slanted door

champagne

For my birthday BF took me to Charles Phan's restaurant, The Slanted Door, in the Ferry Building. I'd always wanted to go there since I first moved to the Bay but never had anyone to go with until now. I love cheap Vietnamese street food as much as any other person who grew up eating it but our meal last night satisfied me just as much in a different way.

slanted door spring rolls

grilled ribeye steak

Obviously I'm still very new to this DSLR thing and I cared more about gorging myself with delicious food than getting the perfect photos of the food. So here are the two most semi decent ones I could find of the Slanted Door spring rolls and grilled ribeye steak with garlic soy sauce and fingerling potatoes. In addition to the spring rolls (which were spectacular, I must say) we started with their chilled wild louisiana gulf shrimp which I was too excited about to get a picture of. Have I ever told you guys about my obsession with shrimp? Probably. These were on a whole other level, however. BF doesn't even like shrimp and he enjoyed the dish! Also not pictured is the chicken claypot with caramel sauce. Out of the two entrees my favorite was the grilled ribeye steak. It reminded me so much of the grilled beef in the Vietnamese rice dishes that I grew up eating... except a million times better. I think that's what I liked best about last night's dinner: the forerunning of familiar smells and tastes coupled with an extraordinary attention to enhancing them without overpowering their original essence.

cutie

haggard looking

And well, here we are with our cocktails. It's my 21st birthday, remember? I can't remember what my drink was called (our waiter reccommended it to us) but BF got a whiskey smash. I definitely preferred that to ordering a bottle of wine and letting him be the one to invariably drink most of it since I'm so much of a lightweight.

finished

view of the bay

And finally, this is what we got to look at all night, other than each other of course. What a perfect way to end a perfect night. I'm glad BF has already realized that the way into my heart is through my stomach. This also marks eight whole months of us dating... has it really only been that long? Ahh well, cheers! As an added bonus, here's what I ended up wearing:

birthday outfit
vena cava dress, h&m wedges, bottega veneta clutch
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Crossroads

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Trench Dress: The Battalion, Blazer: Express, Sparkle Tights: Banana Republic, Boots: Cole Haan

I haven't blogged in about a week and it feels like forever! I've just been so busy with work and spending time with my family. But I'm back to the blogging world and I'm lovin it. I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving filled with a lot of yummy food! And I did manage to do a little after Thanksgiving shopping which was so fun. I bought a few basic silk tanks, trousers, and amazing Zara booties that I cannot wait to wear! Thanksgiving holiday still isn't over, we still have the whole weekend ahead and I'm going to make the most of it! The leaves outside my house turned such a beautiful color and I love the wet pavement after a little rain. Definitely want to spend a little time outdoors!

xoxo, Natalie
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testing, testing

eating

beef curry ramen

I am quite happy with my new camera. Ended up going with the Nikon D5000 which has a video feature! I want the 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX lens but that can wait for now. At the moment I'm just glad that I have a working camera. Today I went to eat ramen with my mom for lunch and pho with my dad for dinner. No major shopping for me today other than motorcycle boots from Anthropologie and some make up. Birthday party at home tomorrow, then my actual birthday in the Bay! Can't wait to see what surprises BF has in store :3
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molto bene

fresh egg noodles from Lucca

It's no coincidence that the number of times we've cooked Italian food has increased since BF moved into his new apartment. Lucca, a local Italian store, is right around the corner and we've been stopping by there at least once a week. This time around we tried their meatballs and fresh egg pasta. Delizioso! It's the closest you can get to a perfect homemade Italian meal without having to actually prepare it from scratch. Okay, I know that's cheating but it's much better than prepackaged items from the supermarket. Not that that's bad, either.

On another note, I just saw these pictures of me taken by Sophia a while ago before lunch. If only I had enough time and money to devote to getting into medium format photography. Sophia took these without a light meter and they still came out amazingly well. I want to see more!

meatballs and sauce cooking

meatballs and egg noodles

almost done
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done with film for a while

after the rain

I just developed film and man, this is getting expensive. Don't get me wrong, I love using my film camera every once in a while but since my digital point-and-shoot started crapping out I've been using it significantly more often. Need my DSLR now! I still really like how these three photos came out. I ruined my oxfords after an impromptu game of kickball with friends at midnight when I happened to be the only one lucky enough to step in dog crap. They still smell like shit.

straight hair

red tights
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I heart ELENA CRUZ

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Blazer: Vintage, Dress: Free People, Boots: Cole Haan, Ring: Elena Cruz

Jewelry Designer, Elena Cruz from Barcelona, Spain sent me this beautiful sterling silver ring. Handmade with love by Elena Cruz herself! I love its vintage feel and the gorgeous rose design. It's so unique and pretty, I am definitely going to be wearing this daily! I just want to thank Elena for making this for me, it's a very special piece that I will keep forever. "Handmade=Heartmade" indeed! Her work is amazing. She makes beautiful necklaces, bracelets, and earrings! All can be seen on her blog!

Also, check out my Style Guide for PONY RYDER from New York!! Just a few looks I put together with my own clothes that contain the" must-have" pieces for winter! It was so fun putting together these looks and I'm so happy Pony Ryder (one of my favorite fashion blogs) loved it! Check it out!

So there is soo much I want to put into this post! I won't have too much time to post tomorrow due to work so I'm doing it all now! lol

The lovely blogger of BY THE GIRL, Ida all the way from Copenhagen, Denmark contacted me to do an interview. She is so sweet and I've been a follower of her blog from the very start. She has great personal style and I love her taste in music. She had some great questions to ask me so read it HERE!

Woowwee, that was a lot for one post! Oh, and I just have to update you guys on the Revolve shoot. It was so much fun putting together looks using all of Revolves' amazing clothes! The photos were very teen vogue, very quirky but cool, and I cannot wait to see the results. They will be up online soon, in about 2 weeks!!

I am exhausted right now, and have work tomorrow. Will be hitting the sack! Night!

xoxo, Natalie

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still searching

11-17-0911-17-09
vintage striped one piece, thrifted skirt, old jazz shoes, bdg cardigan

Only one more week until I get my new camera! I love using my film camera but it's too expensive to develop film once or twice a week. The quality of the photos I take with my broken camera is dreadful but I'm trying my best to work with what I have. I'm heading home in exactly a week and coming back to the Bay the day of my birthday. I still have not found my perfect birthday dress and may just end up wearing something I already have or buying a random dress at Zara or H&M. I'm actually really tempted to buy the Shipley & Halmos dress that I modeled for Tobi a couple months ago. I'd like to find a simple strapless cocktail dress that I can wear two different ways: first, with my family on Saturday and second, with BF for dinner on Sunday night. Anyone have any suggestions?

And so the pictures don't seem completely unrelated to the text: I threw this outfit together last minute after a night of fishing around in my closet. The striped top is actually one of those old school one pieces (with the buttons at the crotch and everything). I also haven't worn this skirt in ages plus the shoes are ones that I wore for a dance class in high school. I'd love to go out shopping but this will do for now. I also found the photo below which I took last year around this time. I dislike the cold weather most of the time but this photo reminds me the reasons why I love autumn so much.

coccus
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Warm Spectrum

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Blouse: Vintage, Sweater: Vintage, Shorts: Lux, Belt: Vintage, Booties: Burberry, Jewelry: Vintage

Recently, these warm vintage colors have been taking over my wardrobe. I just found this sheer blouse in the back of my closet and cannot believe I've left it hanging there for so long! Love that it is lightweight and a deep burgundy color. It's still sunny and warm here in SoCal so I am still wearing shorts and light layers. I threw on my favorite vintage cardigan and was good to go. These colors are so warm, great for fall.

And exciting new: I'm shooting a Style Guide for Revolve Clothing tomorrow mixing their pieces with my own personal style. Similar to what Rumi from FashionToast did a while back. Should be fun, can't wait!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week! :)

xoxo, Natalie
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you and me could write a bad romance

11-12-0911-12-09
vintage dior sweater, thrifted uniform skirt, thrifted booties

Maybe I'm the only one who can tell since I know my own body well but can anyone tell that my thighs are swollen? I somehow ended up doing more physical activity than I'm used to this past weekend and my body is killing me. Somehow a couple friends and I ended up playing a few rounds of kickball late at night and I was fortunate enough to be the only one to step in dog crap and ruin my favorite oxfords. I also had a slight limp for two days because my knee popped when I was squatting down looking at books. When I tried to get up I heard a loud CRACK and suddenly I was on the floor unable to get up for ten or so minutes. I have the body and stamina of someone 30 years older than I am :/

My body may suck but my hair actually turned out the way I wanted it to today! I'm quite proud of this at the moment so I'm taking a moment to gloat... this doesn't happen very frequently. Oh and, I've decided not to cut my hair. To answer your questions, yes, I've had short hair before and I hated it a couple hours after. The last time I cut it that short was right before college since I was convinced I needed a fresh start but it pissed me off more than anything. It also didn't help that it looked terrible with the chubby face I was developing while gaining twenty pounds my Freshman year. I'll save the weight discussion for another post.

good hair day
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wandering around san francisco

pier 14

pier 14

I have this strange habit of wandering around aimlessly in various settings whenever I'm feeling terribly anxious or somewhat depressed. There's something slightly intoxicating about not knowing where I'm going in the immediate future, especially when I'm feeling uneasy about where I'm going to end up in the long run. For someone as uptight and order-obsessed as I am, being impulsive like this is a nice change. It felt surreal at first to come across this scene: it was eerily quiet except for the clamor on the street at the beginning of the pier and everyone seemed absorbed in their own worlds. I even felt weird about whipping out my camera to capture the moment so I waited until no one was paying attention.

I mean, you'd think a spectacular place like this right off Embarcadero would be more infested with tourists but I suppose no one really seems to wander past the Ferry Building unless it's to go the opposite way towards Pier 39. I'm not saying that this should be a tourist attraction but if you're in town and looking for a quiet photo-op, go to Pier 14. It's something you have to experience for yourself.
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If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out

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Sweater: Abercrombie, Tank: Forever 21, Jeans: Silence + Noise, Belt: Vintage, Booties: Stefane Kelian

I've been really into these big, chunky knitted sweaters with the cool patterns. I finally found the perfect one at a local Abercrombie. It's sooo cozy and so good for everyday. I'm obsessed with it. It is more like a big blanket that I can take anywhere. I feel like lounging in a log cabin with hot chocolate by a fireplace in the middle of nowhere!! The thought warms my heart!

And remember how I said that I might post a video on a cover song I did? Well, here it is! I recorded this yesterday during my spare time. It's a cover to Stevie Nicks, "Edge of Seventeen". One of my favorite songs of all time. I'm revealing my inner rockstar haha! And as you can see, I get reaaaallyy into it. haha! enjoy chickies! and do request some songs you'd like me to cover. I'll sing it personally for u lol! :)




xoxo,

Natalie
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Bike Trail

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Sweater: Madewell, Tank: Forever 21, Shorts: Marc Jacobs, Hat: Urban Outfitters, Boots: Vintage

It was a gorgeous day to take a hardcore bike ride. A little sunny, but with a nice cool breeze. I always feel so much better after doing a little exercise, riding my bike is my favorite, next to yoga. I threw on these "Jacob by Marc Jacobs for Marc by Marc Jacobs" shorts and my favorite Madewell cardigan and hit the streets. The shorts are actually from the mens line, but they are nice and boyfriend fitted on me. Love how Marc made fun of himself by using his name a gazillion times on the tag haha. Anywho, it's just a casual Sunday, and I'm so happy tomorrow is a holiday! wahooo! I don't know what my plans are yet, but I'll think of something fun to do :)

Inspiration:

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something (a bit) different

11-07-0911-07-09
11-07-0911-07-09
h&m trench coat, alexander wang skirt, thrifted sweater, vintage dior tights, vintage etienne aigner oxfords

Outfit for a rainy day. Or the day after a rainy day where you think it's going to rain again and realize that you're completely wrong when the sun is shining down on you. Ahh well. This is my favorite type of weather (not too hot, not too chilly, and clear skies) but the rain yesterday was a nice change. I had a great time in the city with BF eating Mexican food and staying in to watch movies. I love lazy days.

Like the new hair? I'm getting really sick of it and have thought about chopping it off but I know the novelty will wear off in a day when I look in the mirror and realize that I wasted two or three years of growing it out. For now I'll just stick to styling it differently (aka side part and bangs). For now...
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ike's place

hella fat bastard from ike's

change from ike's

I'm looking through old pictures and DYING. At some point BF and I were going to Ike's on a regular basis but more recently we actually haven't been since the summer. I do remember that there was this one weekend where I had it twice and wanted to die since it really doesn't help that I like to order the behemoth known as the "Hella" Fat Bastard. See that white blob in the center of the first sandwich? That, my friends, is a fried mozzarella stick. A F-F-FRIED MOZZARELLA STICK!(?) I'm dead serious, just look at their giant menu. Oh my g...

But really, if you haven't been there yet and are/will/may be in town sometime soon, you MUST go. We usually call in and pick up (it usually takes 45 minutes to an hour) but you can easily just show up and order. Just avoid peak lunch hours because those waits are impossible. My friends called in recently and were told they had to wait two to three hours for their sandwiches, wtf. But trust me, it's worth it. Just look at these pictures!
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Nature Valley

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Blazer and tank: Forever 21, Shorts: Paige Premium Denim, Tights: DKNY, Boots: Cole Haan, Bag: Vintage

Today I finally got the chance to head over to the Huntington Library. There was so much ground to cover that wearing my trusty combats seemed like a must. I haven't been to the Huntington Library in years so I was so happy to go. It is seriously one of the most beautiful places. So calm and peaceful. I could live there forever! There are acres of beautiful landscapes. I felt like running barefoot with a long flowing dress. The place is just perfect! I want to go back more often now. It's one of those places where you could do yoga or just meditate. Ah, it was so relaxing and such a pretty view.

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The Japanese Garden is my favorite. So beautiful and clean. The plants and flowers had such a strong, pretty scent.

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Bamboo!!

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My favorite painting in the whole house. Pinkie!! Love the pose and rosy pink cheeks!

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As you know, I went to see Cirque Du Solei Kooza last night and it was so fantastic. It was so funny and dramatic all at the same time. The music was amazing too, and very loud, just the way I like it. It was a great birthday present and I had a blast! I definitely recommend seeing it though the tickets are pricey, but hey, it's sooo fun to see a real circus show. I wish I took pictures, but obviously, NO flash photography. boo hoo. haha!

And before I forget, I had an interview with blogger of The Fashion Suitcase, Lia from London. She's so sweet and really knows her stuff. Read the INTERVIEW here!!

Thank you all for the birthday wishes!! Means a lot to me! :)

xoxo, Natalie


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