(Topshop coat, gifted Mercury Duo dress, Doc Martens)

So many times I’ve stared at the sunset from this spot..the field and collection of dirt patches overlook a sheer rock face rising 300 feet above the ocean. Basically the perfect vantage point to see the last of the daylight and just kind of sit quietly or yell for no reason. I always look for the green flash that’s supposed to be visible before the sun completely disappears but have never actually seen it. I’m about to stop believing in it entirely but I probably won’t ever stop looking..

Clothing-wise, I predict I’ll be living semi-exclusively in this coat this autumn..never mind the fact that I have about 3000 times more outerwear than any Southern California resident should ever own. And I just added another vintage one to the collection..a gray blanket-y cape with a Nordic knit collar and horned buttons..felt good to go thrifting again.

(Free People dress, Alexander Wang Angela clutch, Jeffrey Campbell boots, re-strung Forever 21 necklace)

My friend Kris over at Free People sent me this dress a few weeks ago..along with a note with one of her crazy illustrations taking over most of the page and a description of what inspired her to design it that made me smile hard. Of course I can’t find said note and am kicking myself for losing track of it..but as I remember, it was something along the lines of stranded gothic Pilgrim boys and ancient fishermen (or bored sirens?) sucked into a vortex in the sea (this is all surely 100% wrong). Definitely some ’90s minimalism at play there too. Anyway, I love all henleys. Seriously. Even though when I wore the henley in it’s purest form (Alexander Wang’s thermal long johns…yeah I’m still standing by that one) people got all mad about it on here. But yeah, striped, thermal, sheer, ribbed, oversized, skintight..all awesome when henley-ified. Buttons are a powerful thing. However, a good long dress version has been evading me for so long that I stopped believing in it..imagine my surprise when it showed up on my doorstep. Pretty rad..and kind of weird. Such a good basic to have around.

(poncho courtesy of Leyendecker, IRO bodysuit, Fiorentini and Baker boots)

The fact that this thing looks exactly like the blanket stashed in my car for spontaneous picnics and bonfires makes it feel like I’ve already owned it forever. Though this version 2.0 deal might be a little more flattering to drape all over the place and I’ll probably think twice before laying it on top of questionable grass and sand. Wore this to Venice Beach and it was all so quiet and perfect and warm that it stopped feeling real pretty quickly.

My love affair with Elizabeth and James’ Stevie jeans continues. I must be on crack because the idea of a burnout top suddenly took on appeal after eons of staying away from the stuff.

I’ve been in LA for the past few days – a couple photo shoots (one of which ended in face paint, coon hats, and Polaroids), two rounds of vegan Thai food, catching up with a friend I hadn’t seen in too long, sharing a dressing room with the boyfriend at Live on Sunset (our joint new favorite brand = Iro…henley for him and a bodysuit for me in the same moth eaten ancient sweats material), trying to look helpful while he replaced doorknobs and put together massive shelving units, frequent caffeine fuel-ups at 7-11, and deciding that a vintage trunk full of shoes is a highly acceptable and much sturdier stand-in for a coffee table. One more meeting before heading back to San Diego…and a week left before we leave for New York!

(Stylestalker top and J Brand jeans courtesy of Stylestalker and J Brand, Sam Edelman Falken boots, F21 headband)

The more everyday-wearable counterpart to Stylestalker’s Vulture dress I posted a few months ago..I unlaced the front to leave the grommets open and kept it simple with jeans.

Enjoying the last of summer in San Diego and LA before leaving for New York and New Zealand next month. For now, focused on the glamorous task of driving to the Canon service center in Irvine..ugh.