Sunset in July

OK you may be wondering why I am posting about July...well Sunset in July is the new single from my favorite band, 311! If you are unfamiliar with them, their style is hard to explain. They can't really be put into a genre. I can say, when you listen to the band you instantly feel like you should be sitting on the beach (at least with their last few CDs). You may know them best for Amber or the updated versions of The Cure's Love Song. To put their style into perspective, they were featured on the 50 First Dates soundtrack.

To celebrate their new single and the release of their latest CD, Universal Pulse which is available July 19, Thoughts From Cali's Stephanie and I are heading to a taping of The Jimmy Kimmel Show tonight to see 311 perform. This will be my fourth time at the show, the second for 311. Yup, I'm one of those fans ;)

If you are interested, take a listen to Sunset in July (no real music video yet):

And in keeping with the theme, and the Pink & Green Thursday theme hosted by Pink Preppy Lilly Lover every week, here are some beautiful pink and green sunsets!

via

via

via

via

via

via

Head on over and join in on the Pink & Green Thursday fun!

Oh, How Pinteresting!

I don't know what rock I've been under but I guess last week I emerged and when I did, I discovered a pretty awesome blog hop - Oh, How Pinteresting hosted by Michelle of The Vintage Apple.

So here's how it works, if you're new like me: post you're fav Pinterest pictures of the week and link up. Yup, that easy. I love this link up because I could spend hours on Pinterest, I'm sure just like the rest of you. If you have an account, add me! And if you need an invite, let me know and I'll send you one.

Be sure to join in on the fun and link up!

Although you don't need one because her blog is fantastic, here's another reason to visit The Vintage Apple - a Kate Spade Giveaway! Head on over.

I'm All About GUESS Rings

I think I need to purchase myself a GUESS ring...or several. While browsing on their site, I came across quite a few rings that I adore - and they are all priced pretty well. As you can see below, I have a rhinestone adoration. I may need to check into rehab before it gets ugly.

Triple Band Jet Black Stone Ring - $28

Wide Band Five Row Rhinestone Ring - $28

Enamel Ring - $18

Leopard Dome Ring - $38

Rhinestone Stretch Ring - $28

(Online Exclusive) Black Crystal Ring - $18

Dome Ring With Ethnic Design - $25

Diamond Wrap Ring - $22

And of course I love anything turtle because it's my sorority mascot, so I want this little guy!

Turtle Ring - $32

If you want to check out all of the options online, here's the link to the GUESS rings.

All photos courtesy of: GUESS

Man Candy Monday: Penn Badgley

Happy Man Candy Monday! Thanks for stopping by. I hope my choice, Penn Badgley, gets your week off to a great start. Although this Gossip Girl actor is a bit young, for me, he's still swoon-worthy. Then again he's only three years younger ;)

I think it's the nerd in Dan that does it for me. His character has always appealed to me. Do you agree?

via

via

via

via

Name
Penn Dayton Badgley

Date of Birth
November, 1, 1986

From
Born in Baltimore, Maryland and spent his childhood in both Richmond, Virginia and Seattle, Washington.

Notable Roles
Gossip Girl
The Stepfather
Easy A

Relationship Status
Split with Blake Lively in October 2010 after she reportedly cheated on him.
Reports surfaced in May 2011 that he was dating Aussie actress Jessica McNamee.

Interesting Facts
Got his first big break on Will and Grace.
Was named after a Pen tennis ball.
Sings, writes, and plays the guitar.

Now it's your turn. Join in on the fun and link up, grab my button, and embed the blog hop!

Destination Unknown

Ruby, Ruby, Ruby SoHo! Sorry I had to. Every time I hear "destination unknown" I automatically hear the Rancid song in my head ;)

I love to travel. But who doesn't? This year has been relatively slow for me. Last summer I visited San Francisco, Vancouver, and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This summer I have been on zero vacations. Boo! I did get to return to SF back in March, though, so I can't complain too much.

Nonetheless, here are some pictures of beautiful places I'm daydreaming about right now.

via

Greece
via

Ireland
via

Paris
via

Thailand
via

Venice
via

via

UPDATE: I just booked a flight to Nashville to see a good friend in October! Thanks to Lindsey of The Bargain Blonde, I learned about Southwest's 40th anniversary deal and was able to snag a round trip flight for $280, with tax! If you are looking to fly somewhere, book ASAP because offer ends today.

I am super excited because i have never seen a real fall. Yup, you read that correctly. There are no autumns in Southern California so the only leaves I have ever seen change color are the ones in photos.

Be sure to link up with Trish of Pink Preppy Lilly Lover for Pink and Green Thursday!

Pazzesca!

This edition of Fashion Friday, I am changing it up a bit and featuring a Web site that I recently learned about called Pazzesca. Last week I attended an event called Social Media Breakfast Los Angeles and happened to be sitting next to a friendly young woman, Monique Mitchell, who is the creator of this fashion resource.

Upon visiting her site, I was immediately drawn to it's clean layout adorned with photos of clothing, jewelry, and fabulous shoes. Talk about a fashion lover's paradise! I had to learn more about Pazzesca and Monique so I conducted the interview below.

When did you launch Pazzesca?
I launched Pazzesca in early 2011. I initially had my Wordpress blog, Vita Pazzesca, just to test and decide if I wanted to have a full time fashion blog. I called the first blog a "secret" because I really didn't advertise it at all and it was more like my little fashion diary.

What does the name mean and why did you select it?
Traditionally, "pazzesca" means crazy in Italian. Untraditionally, it can be a word to describe something you think is extra fab or amazing. I chose it because it's one of my favorite words in Italian and it's kind of quirky.

What do you enjoy most about your site?
I enjoy being able to express myself in my unique voice and meet and interview so many different people. It's great to get the inspiration and history behind some of today's great creative minds. I also enjoy photographing my feature "Closet Covets." It's so much fun seeing people's personal style from the source and doing a mini photo shoot with their favorite 5 personal wardrobe looks. Once a month, there is also a Pazzesca original editorial. Producing the editorial is an amazing process and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

Also, I thought I heard you mention you have a journalism background. Did that have anything to do with you starting your site?
I would say journalism had a bit to do with it. Fashion, the collections, street style, photography, magazines etc...really propelled my desire to have my own outlet for expression. The journalist in me comes out when I do interviews. I really enjoy talking and learning about different people, their walk in life and inspiration. With each interview and conversation, there is an opportunity to expand your mind and see life in a different manner.

Here are some random facts about Monique:
Fav Fashion mags - Vogue, i-D, Interview, Nylon, Oyster, Self Service, Elle, Wonderland
Fashion Must Haves - a comfy pair of jeans that fit well, wedges, black boots, chunky rings, my pearl earrings, vintage blouses, black leather jacket

Be sure to stop by Pazzesca and say hello!


And be sure to link up with Kori of Blonde Episodes for fashion Friday!

Six Taste: Hollywood Food Tour

Over the weekend I treated my friend to a Hollywood food tour courtesy of Six Taste and it.was.awesome. I like to consider myself a wannabe foodie so when I saw that Groupon was selling these tours I snagged two tickets right away. Offering the option of seven different tours - Little Tokyo, Downtown Los Angeles, New Chinatown, Santa Monica, Thai Town, Delicious Dumpling, and Hollywood - they have LA covered as far as food goes.

From the moment we arrived we knew we were in for a treat. Our guide Andrea was amazing! It was her first time conducting a tour but she was a pro. In fact, it was more than a tour, it was an experience. Not only did we get to sample food from five different Hollywood locations (all located on or near Hollywood Blvd.), we also received a history of the locations. I was an American Studies major so this was super cool to me.

Because this is going to be a picture heavy post, I'll just do a little blurb before each of the photos. In order of the stops we made, here we go...

Miceli's
Established in 1949, this was the first pizza joint in Hollywood. It's been a celeb favorite for decades and has attracted everyone from JFK to Adam Sandler. What makes this place cool - aside from the delish pizza - is that there are hundreds of chianti wine bottles hanging from the rafters. If you buy a bottle you get to sign it and it will go up!

Loteria
Ranking high on top of food favorite lists, this place offers Mexican food and killer margaritas. I ordered and gulped up the Tamarind Margarita as I munched on fried cheese (pictured below).

Skooby's Hot Dogs
Serving fresh hot dogs, lemonade, and french fries with the BEST aioli I have ever tasted, this tiny hot dog stand is where you want to be on a hot summer afternoon. While everyone opted for the bacon wrapped dog, I got the veggie.

Boardner's
By far my favorite stop! This unassuming establishment served as a speakeasy during Prohibition and was known as Morrissey's Hair Salon (which I love because my last name is Morrissey!!). Check out the menu photo below ;) The place is rumored to be haunted and was also reportedly the last place Elizabeth Short, aka The Black Dahlia who is LA's biggest unsolved mystery victim, was seen alive. Of course we had to order the drink named after this tragic murder. Sad story but a yummy chocolate martini. We also had mmmac and cheese.

Mel's Drive-In
Although Mel's was developed in San Francisco, it's become a famous Hollywood eatery as well. There's something about the 50s-themed diner that makes you feel like you've stepped back in time. An old-fashioned milkshake was the perfect way to end the day.

If you are in the LA area I highly suggest this tour - it's great for locals and tourists alike. I live in Hollywood and learned so much. Check out the Six Taste site for more info!