something to look forward to.

equinox.

i haven’t done this in awhile, but i’m going to start again. i feel like the only way to truly keep my faith alive these days is to just keep doing a little more every single day. and today, my friends, is the day that i start writing again.
some things i’ve done the past few days and nights that are worth mentioning…

yamo for lunch — there is something about the food here that is so honest and great. knowing that you can go somewhere in the heart of san francisco and never pay more than $10 for a delicious meal is comforting and reassuring. nick and i headed there for lunch today and had the curry chicken and curry tofu both with noodles and some sambusas. i’m seriously beyond stuffed, but that also might have something to do with me grabbing some herb slab and brie from bi-rite after getting ice cream at the creamery. burp.

the town — i have always wanted to know more about boston, and although i’m pretty sure this movie has really nothing to add to conversation about boston’s history or its current state, it was still extremely entertaining. Ben Affleck actually didn’t make me sick, and seeing Jon Hamm out of a Mad Men role was fantastic. i recommend it to everyone. who doesn’t love the bad guys every once in awhile?

pencil skirts, animal prints, adina mills — three of my fall basics wrapped into one sentence. i cannot get buy without any of these things now that i have them. i absolutely love my pencil skirt and new leopard top from h&m. whether they are put together or worn apart, they are amazing. and my new ring that i picked up this past sunday from Adina is gorgeous and show stopping. i get nothing but compliments when i wear it out!

indie mart — this past sunday was a great success, despite the drizzle hanging above our heads for most of the day. i feel like i’ve finally gotten a handle on the event. though there were some shortfalls, it’s impossible for any event to go perfectly on the day of, no matter how prepared you and your staff are. the best decision i made? swallowing my pride and putting on my nike court forces instead of a cute pair of flats. my feet no longer hate me for longer than an hour during post-event down time. i didn’t get to shop as much, but i will be posting a guide to my favorite vendors lately that i have been loving!

catching up with old friends — over the past week, i’ve been reuniting with some old faces that i haven’t seen in some time. i feel like i’m finally emerging from the time warp that i went through after moving and i’m starting to get adjusted to my faster pace of life. regardless, it’s been nice and refreshing to reconnect with people that i haven’t seen in some time. i have plans with many of them in the near future, and i am really looking forward to it!

tonight i am going out reporting, and for real this time. i’m heading out to Stuart’s Still Broke As Fuck night at Doc’s Clock and hopefully I’ll get some great interviews. i’m having a glass of bulleitt to calm the nerves and get in the mood, but i am jumping in the cold pool again. terrified, but it’s like riding a bike. i know after the first block, i’m gonna be fine. catch up with you guys soon!

church and state.

It’s far too early for me to be blogging — and far too early for any of you to be reading! You should be cozy in your bed with someone you love or with your fine little self, not out with all of this Black Friday nonsense. I guarantee people will be selling their stuff cheaper as the season wears on. It’s so silly to sacrifice beauty sleep to save $10. Think about how much your body will thank you for the rest after that marathon feast yesterday!
Regardless, I am up early and at the airport. I didn’t sleep a wink last night and my mom decided to wake me up late to get to SAN; what a disaster! Regardless, my luggage was under 50 lbs, my shuttle is booked and surprisingly, I’ve learned to own the foundation and mascara look. I heard a great quote this morning that made me realize I need to invest in something:

“Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.” — Gwyneth Paltrow.

So I’m on the hunt for the perfect red. My mom got me this Target Red nail polish from L’Oreal — turns out they have a lipstick that is exactly the same! I might start there and see how red I can go.
The real reason for this post, though, is to show you this fabulous line called Church and State. One of my favorite blogs, Where The Lovely Things Are [isn't the name darling?], had a post this morning on this cute little independent fashion line and their dresses are so dreamy. I feel like i could throw a trench on any of these and dance across the pages of Lula.

And speaking of Lula, I finally got my copy of Issue 9, and I still haven’t had a chance to look at it. I’ll have an update about that later. Now, for me to hop a jet plane back to the City That Knows How — as Stuart always says, the best part about leaving San Francisco is coming back to it. Get back to bed, beautiful! Lets get drinks later tonight.

xoxoxo
Monica

PS: I was feeling down last night and this really cheered me up.

gobble gobble cluck cluck.

Happy Thanksgiving, lovelies! I just wanted to drop in and wish you all a proper thanks, as well as a warm hug for coming by and reading my blog. I know there aren’t many of you, but soon I will be relaunching with a bigger and better than ever place to write with more content and more great things for you to read. I hope all of you are with your families, and if you’re not, that you’re with someone or something that means home to you. I cooked up a storm today with my dad and brother, and now i’m having pie and coffee and cigarettes with my mom. Perfect end to a great day. I usually am a bit more cynical and uninvolved with this holiday, but I thought I would make a small list of things and people in particular I am thankful for…

My Family – They have been there for me through my many frustrating phases and have still managed to accept me for who I am. They taught me to never take anything for granted, and to always know what your next move will be. They instilled in me some of the prize-winning characteristics for my personality, and for that, I’m eternally grateful. Plus, they’re fucking nuts and I love that!

My Friends – Whether its my fantastic roommates, my Mission crew, my Workshop loves or any other, all of them are unique, beautiful, intelligent and completely captivating. I’m in awe of every single one of you and I’m extremely honored to be in your life.

Xpress Crew – You guys are some of the most talented journalists I know. It makes me very fortunate that I am riding on such a wave of talent and innovation. We’re going to change the industry together, and I’m humbled to be counted among you as the next wave of writers, photographers, producers and editors.

Lose It!, Matt Props and Vegetarianism — This is going to sound cheesy, but if it wasn’t for the combination of these three things, I would not have dropped as much weight as I have in the past six months. I’ve turned into an advocate for better diets and new nutritionism, something that I hope to write about in the future. By using the app to count my calories, Matt teaching me about food and how to cook it and cutting meat out of my life, I have officially been able to drop 55 pounds and I’m still pushing for it. I’ve become healthier and a happier person because of it — I’m more confident and excited about my figure, and fashion is no longer a dream, but a reality!

I could think of countless other, materialistic things to be thankful for, but these things have really changed my life this year. I’ve realized if I don’t stop and think about how lucky I am, I forget what got me there in the first place. I feel its better for everyone to always take a minute to remember what made you who you are.

Real posts coming soon
xoxoxoxoxo
Monica

Frock Off.

The photo of the week has to be this Lady Gaga spread from Vogue. I’m impressed that Anna Wintour has made such a bold move, but this seems relatively tame for the Lady. What do you think?

Refinery 29′s list of “9 Things Every Guy Should Buy And Wear” is a total keeper. I think if more dudes adhered to this simple dress code, we would have a lot more head turners around the City! I love the simple and chic basics that they use as an outline to create a wardrobe.

One of my favorite designers, Luella Bartley, lost her financial backing this week and it is unclear whether she will continue to produce her designs. Such a sad sign of hard financial times — I hope that someone as ingenius as she will be able to keep working.

A local designer, Micaela Greg, hits a high note at Shoptometrist. I love the use of pattern and draping on the skirts — this shape is becoming increasingly popular along with the crazy shoulder pad look. My roommate has a similarly draped skirt and I wanted to steal it off of her when I saw her leave the house this morning.

If I could ever be in love with a coat, Camilla Wellton has completely won my heart. I know that there is no way I could afford this without a loan and quitting college, but the amazingly beautiful and versatile design is drop-dead gorgeous. Functionality paired with elegance is always a huge head turner for me.

The new holiday catalog for Urban Outfitters is out and I can already see a wish list manifesting. There is a real emphasis on lots of structured skirts and boots. Totally loving their winter looks!

stopping bad habits.

My life has been so exciting lately that I haven’t thought twice about updating any of you, and for that, I apologize.
I haven’t really been into blogging the past few weeks — I think posts here and at BAS.com reflect that, but I’m trying to kick my ass back into gear. I’m hoping to plan a redesign of this blog and relaunch it next year, maybe even with a new name.
To those of you who actually still read this blog from time to time, thank you. Your support has always been appreciated more than you know.
To the rest of the world, I’m looking to conquer you. Trust that it will happen sooner than later.

xoxoxo
Monica

PS: In my absence, I became even more obsessed with Lady Gaga. Either I’m trying desperately to hang on to youth or I’m going mainstream. Or maybe neither. Go ahead. Judge me.

get spooked.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, Y’ALL!

this is still an all-time favorite for me.
what are you doing for the holiday? parties? going away? i’m going to see sleepy sun tonight and possibly a party to kick off the weekend, and then going hopping all around the city tomorrow night as sookie! its going to be fantastic. whatever you do, make sure you have fun, and BE SAFE.
if you’re in SF, luxor cabs is giving free rides all night to people so they can get home. just make sure you say that berg injury lawyers is picking up the tab!
have a spooky, wonderful weekend, everyone!

that’s rough.

Hello Saturday!
I’m not having the best of mornings, but it’s a morning nonetheless. My date went well last night until we went on a walk after dinner. Then it managed to crash into a tree, run across a field and totally drive into a lake. I suppose it’s better in the long run, but I went on a crash course last night and luckily stopped myself before I got out of hand. I bumped into a lot of people when I was upset and hung out with a few that were hilarious, so it made me feel a little happier. I’m determined to forget it ever happened and I really want to just leave it in the past, where all unsavory memories should be kept.
Even though shopping is never the answer to anyone’s problems, I feel like I need some retail therapy today. My Sookie Stackhouse costume [I KNOW, I'M STILL SO STOKED] is almost finished, but I still need a wig and a pair of black shorts. I think i’m going to do a bit of shopping today and just take money out of my savings. I’m over not feeling like I’m worth it.
Which brings me to my second point: the holidays/my birthday are coming! I don’t want to make anything a big deal this year — every time i try to plan something, it foils miserably. I just want to tell everyone that I love that they mean something to me. Ryan told me he would teach me how to knit, but I’m not holding my breath. So I’m looking for good cookie recipes cause, really, who doesn’t love great cookies and a really cute card?
I need to get ready to go see Where The Wild Things Are — finally! Hope all of you have a great Saturday!

xoxoxoxoxoxo
monica

narcolepsy.

The past few days have been insane. In order to recap, I think I’ll do a bulleted list.

Treasure Island Music Festival was amazing. I only was able to attend the second day, but it was such an experience. I am definitely going next year, even if I have to pay. Stu ended up getting shut out for interviews, so I just hung out and enjoyed the day off. I’m really kicking myself for not taking more pictures, but I was having too much fun. I got to see Wayne Coyne in the inflatable ball, which feels like a rite of passage in awesomeness at this point. They also played “Enthusiasm for Life Defeats Internal Existential Fear”, which they said they would only play once earlier at the Pitchfork Festival this year, so that was super awesome. Beirut was definitely the highlight of my day though — Zach Condon is amazingly dreamy and sounds so pretty all the time. I think they’ve officially turned into my favorite band. Indie Mart was rad and Stu and I gonzo-ed it all the way through. I have to say its one of the best days I’ve had in some time.

Hearst Interview went fantastic! I was pre-interviewing for the Hearst Fellowship and the recruiter was impressed. Considering he’s one of the biggest hard asses that has worked at the Chronicle for the last 20 years, I am extremely flattered. Applications are due in January — you bet your ass I’m submitting one!

The weekend coming up is going to be amazing! Tomorrow I have a lunch date with Jack Turner, and then I’m going out with a boy tomorrow night. :] Saturday, I’m finally going to see Where The Wild Things Are with Kayla and hopefully chill and get the rest of my halloween costume. Sunday, I’m working the vintage event at Indie Mart — I feel like I need a new vintage dress but I don’t really have one that fits! Maybe I’ll peep around on Saturday.

I’m kicking things off tonight with a Mad Men marathon. I have some mad catching up to do.
I’m off to finish some posts for BAS.com. You’ll hopefully hear from me again soon!

xoxoxoxoxox
monica