little dots of light under a purple fog.

my view - dmb concert - the greek theatre - berkeley, ca

dave matthews, his band, and i were finally reunited after a two-year drought.  while waiting in line i met a woman named kris who gives forty a killer name.  not only did she offer margaritas and crackers, but she showed me the best booze-sneaking trick to date.  rather than shove water bottles down her shirt, kris filled plastic freezer bags with the margaritas and placed them in cracker boxes.  cracker boxes!!  genius!  once we finally got in the greek, it was a rush to the pit.  we situated ourselves twenty feet from the stage.  amazing.  and the situation was bettered even further by fabulous company around me.  my favorite neighbor being jeff--a college student from wisconsin backpacking the country.  he had the most incredible positive energy.  within ten minutes we were chatting and nodding and otherwise stoked on the night.  loved him.  

the concert itself was incredible.  i will say that seeing dave without my sister can never be the best, but it was pretty fantastic.  at one point, i looked up to the dusky sky and shook my head, absolutely humbled by how damn lucky i am.

lacquered lips and sailing ships.

my miniature mavens - double dutch - the mission - san francisco, ca

it isn't very often that my mom brings up the fact that i'm without a boyfriend.  in fact, she tends to completely avoid the subject of men entirely, as i consistently respond with an eye roll. simple and plain, i've always prioritized my friendships far above potential relationships.  so when my mom mentioned that once i'm settled back in sf i can start meeting "tons of handsome, tall men," all i could think about was how excited i was to be reunited with all of my incredible friends.  granted, i love me some man candy, but for now, i'm pretty content with being obsessed with those i know.

oh, the ambiance - le colonial - sf, ca

which brings me to the point of this post.  saturday night i hauled it back to the city and scrambled my way over to le colonial to surprise the queen herself, miss victoria dinh.  she's moving to nyc--brooklyn technically--to put her serious skills into motion on the east coast.  so  we wined and dined and toasted and reminisced about first-meetings.  pause. that's what i love so much about dinner parties--that rare opportunity to observe adoration.  okay, that sounds really cheesy, but it's so true.  how great is it to see people love each other and actually express that affection?  i mean, my drinking habits lend me many-a-stage to profess my feelings for people, but i still think that it should be done more often.  sidetrack over.  

we--the women and i--then spent a brief moment upstairs at le colonial.  a kamikaze later, hiking up a cement mountain, i was incredibly thankful to be wearing my fabulous, sparkly flats.  i really can't imagine how hard it must be to actually exist in heels.  on the rare occasion that i'm caught in a heeled shoe, i'm mostly standing and mingling.  never ever walking long distances.  nevertheless worried that everyone's eye-level involves a  view of my breasts.  awkward.  yet another tangent over. 

if brooklyn doesn't work out - strip club - sf, ca

i've decided to keep the rest of the tale brief.  so here's a bulleted version:

*walked uphill for a while

*stopped at a corner store to purchase a redbull for rachel and a screw-top bottle of mondavi sauvignon blanc (to obviously be killed on the way to the bar)

*made it to rachel's car--which definitely donned the club.  i didn't think people actually used them.  but vicki reminded me that she once lived in a sketchy part of the city.  so i guess it's only practical

the club - rachel's beem - sf, ca

*drank wine in the car--yazzy thankfully assisted me

*drove to double-dutch

*met up with kevin

six years running - double dutch - sf, ca

*drank

*drank

*chatted

*left for skylark

*drank

*hugged

*took pictures

*drank

*took a cab home and realized that it's really boring to be hammered alone.  so i went to bed.

all in all, such a fantastic night.  vicki is going to give brooklyn a run for its brass knuckles.  i can't wait to see what becomes of all of us.

closetful of chloe.

stunner - peter som fall 2008 - peter som studio - new york city, ny

my mom and i took a quick trip into the city today.  i squared away paperwork at neiman marcus and saw my bedroom for a split second.  afterword, we shopped for a bit and i found a few great items--can't wait to sport the multi-colored belt.  super retro.  and even though i try to resist, i held a handful of bags that altered my universe (all of which i can't afford in the least).  i've got my sights set on the most beautiful chloe creation--but it kills me to think that something i tote around can cost more than a month's rent.  the bargain broad in me nearly passes out at the sight of the price tag.  

chloe camp: if you're reading, i would love the following to appear as gifts on my doorstep.  at your convenience of course:

boudoir medium tote - stone goatskin and violet lizard (in order of preference)

joan large shoulder bag - honey calfskin and stone python

take a minute to delight in fall 2008 ready-to-wear.  i just sat here in front of my macbook with my eyes closed, imagining what it'd be like to have looks 2, 7, 10, and 15 in my closet.  i wouldn't know what to do with myself.

soup, salad, and sunset.

rockefeller center - nyc

there is something so spectacular about the evening--especially that hour or so when both the sun and the moon's fingerprint are present in the sky.  tonight erin, taryn, and i ate a delicious dinner on the balcony, and the night was perfect.  cool enough for our soup and warm enough to be comfortable in a t-shirt.  i nearly passed out when van morrison's sweet thing came on. 

 

infinite ocean, silly jokes, mismatched beach chairs, and the sky's color-changing performance.  i know for a fact that i've never been this content.  

so thankful.

in this moment, i am thankful for everything.

for my incredible sister.

for the fiesta weekend that reminded me that i can still hang.

for isla vista's remaining charm.

for board games and long walks.

and most of all, for the rush of happiness not induced by alcoholic beverages (though i do enjoy that kind as well).

part of me wishes that i could be this carefree forever, but i think all of the nostalgia i'm feeling at the moment is here to remind me that i can make an isla vista wherever i go.  though i'm not sure many places can top the view from this room.  

and it's rocky and rosie's (my dogs) fifth birthday!

(rosie)

(rocky)