A Breath of Fresh Air

This upcoming weekend, my boyfriend and I will be celebrating his birthday at our timeshare near Yosemite.  (These are the moments I feel so lucky to be a California pearl; in close proximity to literally everything!)  

Anywho, a gal like myself can't just wear some sloppy duds...swapping comfort for chic, I must play the rugged role to the best of my ability...Who am I kidding?  My camping tales are legendary and I can go days without a shower, living on hotdogs and beer.  I didn't win Camper of the Year just by sittin' pretty!  But it sure is nice to imagine all the delightful outfits I should be wearing against the dramatic background of some of the world's most gorgeous scenery!

1. Rugged yet fabulous ankle boots, courtesy of Asos

2. Classic plaid button-up in Spring hues, from Forever 21

3. Some skinny cargos to stuff knives and trail mix in my pockets, similar to these

4. A beautiful earth-toned scarf, also from Forever 21

5. For those rainy afternoons, this trench-cape is perfect, and on sale at ModCloth!

And of course, there's no way I can leave home without some of the basic necessities: 

-The new love of my life, (sorry babe,) the Canon t2i.  

-Andre champagne (let's all just finally admit to ourselves that cheap thrills are obviously always the most fun)

-I would never be caught dead without my Tide to-go because I am, hands down, the messiest eater you will ever come across

-And last but not least, my savior, Batiste dry shampoo which smells divine and soaks up all that greasy HOT-MESSness.

You Haven't Lived...

Friends, I'd like to take this time to share some precious memories that have made me who I am today.  I consider myself extremely fortunate to have lived life to the fullest in lands far away, yet I still have much of the world to see!  So without further ado, here's the first part of my "You haven't lived..." series!

Cabo

...until you've almost lost your hat in some of the bluest waters of the Pacific Ocean

...until you've seen the Cabo arch up-close.  (How young we look!  Circa 2007)

L.A.

...until you've had a suite @ The Standard

...OR until you've partied rooftop @ The Standard

...until you've had a Pink's hotdog

...until you've enjoyed the rides & ice cream @ the Santa Monica pier

Las Vegas

...until you've been completely belligerent by 11am on Las Vegas Boulevard, and gotten a balloon hat from a kind wheelchair-bound stranger (OR until you've devoured an Earl's sandwich, I might add)

...but also not until you've had an all-girls trip to Sin City; your only means of transportation being a limo driven by Andrei

Maui

...until you've been to a black sand beach

...or until you've had the most gorgeous picnic at said black sand beach

...until you've pinched the sun rising @ Haleakala

New Orleans

...until you've collected Big Al's tips @ the Funky Pirate

...until you've touched the Mississippi River

...until you've almost lost your liver to a Pat O'Brien's hurricane

...or until you've taunted an alligator with a marshmallow

Etc

...until you've finally won the coveted "Camper of the Year" title

...and definitely not until you've jumped out of a plane at 13,000 feet!

So there you have it.  I hope to add more memories to the list over time.  I'd love for you to share some of your favorite memories...complete this sentence: "You haven't lived until __________"

xo

Dabay

Have a Spring Fling!

Kelly over at Fabulous K had the wonderful idea
 to throw a link party, to get fellow bloggers acquainted, 
and to help them discover new blogs.  It's super easy; 
Click the above link to join in on the fun! 

'Til Summer Comes Around

I apologize for the insanely long post, but i went a little crazy with my new camera last Sunday, as you can see.  Bear with me...the sun was out, it was a gorgeous day by the beach...i.e., i was happy as a clam!  We spent the day strolling the cliffs by the beach in Capitola, and then had dinner & wine on the pier.  I convinced the bf to walk along the boardwalk and it was so eerie to see all of our favorite rides completely empty.  It was so hauntingly beautiful...

On the way home, we passed by a carnival (I am a sucker for all things carnie,) and i tried to capture the essence of the lights, sounds, and aromas.  These are the days that I live for!

Oh, yes...I'm wearing a Forever 21 dress, Grass Collection sweater, tights from Target, Chinese Laundry over-the-knee boots, and flea market sunglasses.  If only every day could be this sweet!

Hello, World.

Just thought I'd share...My handsome godson, Mr. Dominick Dean Sackman, blessed us with his presence yesterday.  Mama is well, and we are all unbelievably ecstatic!

:)

To Trench, or Not to Trench?

*Tyte jeans, Charlotte Russe tank, Express button-down, Studio M trench, Target boots, Forever 21 necklace, Dolce & Gabbana watch, Ban.do shoe clips*

I've been in search of a decent trench for quite some time, but this 7 year-old version will have to do for now.  With clouds looming high, yet meager warm rays peaking through, layering was key on this fickle day.  

And who doesn't love a sequined heart?  I am head-over-heels for these Ban.do shoe clips I got recently, so instead of wearing my heart on my sleeve, I settled to wear it on my boot cuff.  (FYI, I swear I'm working on poses that don't involve me constantly looking at the ground.)  I'm super excited for tomorrow's beach post, full of fantastic carnival-themed images.  Stay tuned! 

Wine & Dine Me

I'm freakishly obsessed with weddings for some reason, and I just recently offered to create an inspiration board for a friend who's getting married this summer.  The theme is romantic vineyard, with tones of rich purple and crisp green.  Just thought I'd share since it's a fun little project to occupy yourself with, if you're into all that.  Head on over to Style Me Pretty to create an inspiration board with ease!