i blame my obsession with bows on my mother.  when i was a baby, there was always a bow clipped to the side of my hair (i had a tuft of black hair since birth).  when i was a little girl, there were bows at the end of my pigtails and more bows at the bottom of all of my dresses.  when i was teen, i hated the mere sight of bows (because their sweet quality didn't mesh well with my teenage angst).  and now?  i can't get enough of bows.  when i stumbled upon petitor's etsy store and found this dainty gold bow necklace, i knew i had to have this piece to add to my collection.  the delicate 14 karat gold filled wire and chain make a simple and utterly feminine statement around my neck.  i snapped a pic of my new favorite piece of jewelry with two other things that currently have my heart: vivid yellow pom pom flowers and my alexander mcqueen: savage beauty book (courtesy of our other bestie M all the way from the mcqueen exhibit in nyc).    

i can't wait to place more orders from petitor (i have my eyes on the geometric triangle necklace and the wishbone necklace).  the designer's name?  courtney!  i knew there was a reason i liked her so much just based on our etsy messages.  ;)  courtney was an absolute doll to work with and i received my gorgeous necklace in the cutest packaging in lightning fast time.  take advantage of petitor's great labor day sale and get 15% off all orders from september 3 - 5 by using the coupon code labor15 when you check out.  

warnemünde is a beachy, resort city in northeast germany.  while i was little bummed that we couldn't make it to berlin, i was enamored with how relaxing this port was (a slight california vibe meshed with a posh european style - my kind of combo).  the views of the baltic were impressive, the air was fresh and overall it was nice to return to germany and see a radically different part of the country.  we had no itinerary other than to get a bratwurst and a beer...mission accomplished.

train station.  i firmly believe bart would be more enjoyable if the signs looked like this.

packed with boats for an international competition.

intricate sand sculptures...

smoked fish (a local delicacy).

sculpture/fountain in the cutest alley...

for A & her fiancé: haribo candy in all its german glory.

bratwurst time (the perfect snack - and i don't eat hot dogs): smoky, grilled with the perfect "snap."  the mustard was glorious (thanks to the brats guy who denied my request to have my dish served plain).  

rostock beer.  auf wiedersehen!  

Dim lights Embed Embed this video on your site  

video by: darryl baybay of 60mwp  |  photography by: calvin ma  |  set assistants: arnold dizon & victor aguirre  |  music: "never saw the point" - cults

in high school, we used to take pictures in the photo booth at chuck e. cheese (unfortunately not kidding).  here's a behind-the-scenes video of our first professional photo shoot together commemorating dartsmeetheart's first birthday.  enjoy!

for those of us that missed it...

my fingers are crossed that these pieces make their way to sf, because as stunning as they are in the video just imagine how absolutely magical they would be in person.

let's be honest: i had to google "tallinn, estonia" before i left on my vacay because i had never heard of it before.  i had no expectations and thought tallinn would be a mere destination...a stop before i got somewhere better.  boy, was i completely and utterly wrong!  it was as if i walked onto the pages of a storybook come to life...

the gates leading to old town - a unesco world heritage site.  does it surprise you that my favorite  beauty and the beast song was playing in my head all day (okay, maybe i sang a couple of bars while skipping on the cobblestone streets).

flower shopping is even more charming abroad...

i love these old-fashioned nut carts!  toasty, caramelized, crunchy and sweet almonds cooked for hours in a large, kettle pot.

 enamored by every street and every corner.

handmade puppets from the cutest craft shop for my niece.

local band performing "sweet home alabama" for all of the american tourists.

the only reason why my feet didn't ache after miles and miles of walking...

old world astrology.

don't let this fool you: skype was invented here.  old meets new in this fairytale of a city!

twiddling my thumbs.  i'm ready, indian summer...so hurry up!

(images via fashiongonerogue)

model: christine loekkeboe / photographer:  rickard sund / stylist: kattis lindogg / hair: kalle eklund / make up artist: therese svenbo / styleby #3 summer 2011

a couple reasons why you'll  love best coast's "our deal" music video:

1. it's a mini movie about fake gangs and forbidden love

2. drew barrymore directed it

3. it stars the super cute rising star, chloe moretz

4. (most importantly) the song rocks!

want more?  best coast will be at the academy of sciences nightlife this thursday and outside lands this saturday.

isn't this cuteness overload?  check out the behind the scenes video of baby gap + gap kids' portobello road collection?  i've already picked up some london-inspired pieces for the tykes in my life because i couldn't resist.  now, if only i was that cool (and well-dressed) when i was little...