East vs. West: Land's End

Hello all! I am a little bit late in the game today, but life happens and what can you do? I am here now though and have another installment of East vs. West for you all! Today Abby and I are talking about our favorite hiking spots in our cities. There are a few places that I like to venture around in this big city by the bay, but my favorite by far is Lands End, on the west tip of the San Francisco Peninsula. It is called Lands End because it is quite literally where the...land...ends. Quite (not) creative, right? At any rate, onward we go!

This is one of my most favorite spots in the city because it really has everything that I love: stunning views, the ocean, dog friendliness (and off-leash at that!), and beautiful nature. What's not to love?




My lovely friend, Ola, accompanied me here this past Sunday. It was great to show her a new part of the city since she moved here from Poland only a year ago, and have nice company along the way.


Have I mentioned it is one of this boy's favorite places too? He cries and whines once we reach the edge of the city because he just knows somehow that we are going here. He just runs and runs up the stairs and down the trails, looking back at me every few moments to make sure I'm okay. Then, of course, he is sound asleep, curled up in a ball in the backseat before I even pull out of the parking lot.

This unique hiking spot begins in a parking lot (duh) and takes you out onto a dirt trail, that winds through the woods, and spits you out on cliffs that overlook the ocean, like this one. There are many wooden stair cases leading to new places and adventures, and eventually down to the beach. In all honesty, I hardly ever know just where I am going in this place, and often end up somewhere new each time. It was particularly frustrating this time since I had a specific vision in mind for what kind of picture I wanted to paint of this place for you all. But, fate would not have it that way (and my silly lack of direction in this giant place), and I had to learn to just roll with it.


Though I sometimes have a hard time making it back to my favorite spots in this wilderness built into the side of the cliff, it just goes to show you how much there is to explore here, and I am always up for a new adventure :)

If there is any non-touristy spot I recommend in San Francisco, it is definitely this one. There is just no other one place that can give you a beach, a view of the Golden Gate Bridge & the ocean & the bay, the woods, and great hiking. I dare you to find one!

Definitely be sure to head over to Little City Adventures to see what kind of hiking Abby has in store for you, AND next week come back for a very special GIVEAWAY we are putting together to celebrate this wonderful series that has become a highlight of my week :)

When Your Writing is Feeling Uninspired

I usually love English classes, but I have had the hardest time with the current English class I am taking. I have found myself awake until the early hours of the morning more times than I would like to admit. And you know what? It is awful. Like, I consider lighting my hair on fire awful or think about maybe dropping out of all my classes and moving to England to become an au pair (which isn't actually a half bad idea!) kind of awful. And no one likes that. So, as I was deciding between these two options, I came up with these tips and then decided to try them, since I am far too attached to my hair and am not ready to move to Europe quite yet.

- Take a shower.

This helps me tremendously sometimes, just like the other night. I think my best thoughts in the shower, and my quiet break clears my head and makes me ready to focus when returning to my computer. Sometimes you just gotta stand in some hot water for ten minutes, you know?

- Go for a walk.

I don't have to tell you how lovely it is to get out for some fresh air. It just is. And of course, there is tons of science-y talk behind it too. But the bottom line is this: Put on a coat, pull your Uggs on, grab your dog's leash, and just go. Bonus points for bringing along a cup of tea.

- Change your scenery.

I hardly do work in the same spots these days. It just depends on my mood. Sometimes I need the bustling sounds of the 24-hour Starbucks and endless cups of coffee to distract me from the fact that I am working so hard, or other times I need the comfort of my own room, a blanket spread across my lap, my luscious candles burning, and my pup at my feet. When your work is halted, try picking up and changing your writing environment to keep things interesting.

- Turn off the computer.

What?! Yep, just do it. Sometimes I get so frustrated at my words on the screen and the blinking cursor waiting impatiently for my next thoughts that I haven't even thought of yet. Then I just save my work (or don't if it is that bad!) and turn the damn thing off. Walk away for a while or revert back to writing with good old pencil and paper.

- Read some of your successful past writing.

It is nice to look back at some of my writing that was actually considered good. It's a wonderful confidence booster and reminds you of what you are capable of, and that this writing block won't last forever!

Eventually, after following a bit of my own advice, I was able to break through my writing rut and power through the rest of that essay. And now I have vowed (for the billionth time) that I will not procrastinate an essay ever, ever again. Got it?

Whether you are procrastinating or not, I hope that this advice will help your writing and creative flow!

What do you do when you are stuck in a writing rut?

Good-bye September, Hello October + Sponsor Love

We are so ready for you! So far, October is looking better than September. It's going to be a busy, busy month over here on the blog! I've got some new projects, photo shoots, and a trip to San Diego already planned so far. Hopefully things will become more fall-like here and I will get to dive into some of my favorite parts of this season! 

So to wrap September up, I just wanted to share some of my favorite happenings around here this past month! Let's see what September brought for this 'ol blog...

- The new series East vs. West was launched!

- My outfit photos were a failure.

- I shared some tips for acne prone skin + my journey with it.

- I talked about my happy place + shared some outfit photos that were not a failure.

- I went to LA with Dai and we wandered around the city. And it was awesome.

I also want you to meet Lix of A Classic Notion! She hung out on my sidebar all September long and I loved having her here. Lix lives in Spain (oh how I envy her!), and has a lovely Etsy shop where she sells her beautiful photography prints, iPhone cases made from her photographs, and even offers product modeling!

As a way to get to know Lix, I asked her to share with us some words or a motto that she holds close to her as a reminder for her life. Here is her response, and I hope you enjoy getting to know her as much as I have!

"I don't have any one motto that I always follow — or rather, I have many small ones that are less about the phrasing and more about the sentiment behind them, like "it's okay to ask for help" and "you can cut toxic people out of your life" and "the best time to do anything is now." I also like to tweet sweet nothings at myself sometimes, like "you're doing great" and "you are awesome." But I guess the one thing that I keep closest to my heart is this: There is more than one path to go where you want to be. I've struggled a lot with wanting to get my life back on track, and for a long time I wanted to grab it and squeeze it into what I always thought my life would look like. I dropped out of college twice in two years, and the second time — and when I thought about going back after that — I wanted to take several years at once. I felt like I'd lost time and I wanted to make up for it.

The truth is, I didn't lose time. I needed that time to figure myself out. The years I've spent at home, not doing much of anything — they've molded me into a better, more confident person. And so now I'm almost twenty-four years old and I don't have a college degree and I live with my parents — but I'm doing something I love and trying to make a living out of it. And it may take longer than I'd like to make enough money to support myself, or to move out, but there's no need to rush it. I'll still get there."

Blog // Etsy // Twitter

Thank you so much for sharing with us, Lix! Be sure to check out her insightful blog and her gorgeous Etsy shop!

Happy October, friends :)