This set is actually from a few weeks back, when I had the chance to work with one of my favorite little kittens. Our schedules rarely link up but any time I get with her is much appreciated. It's both important and rare for a photographer and subject to have great chemistry together, and I felt that as well as a mutual respect right off the bat with this lil cat. We shot this casual fit that's perfect for those sweaty summer days out nearby my old neighborhood in South SF where she currently puts in werk. You can't go wrong with the brand with three stripes!


Chemistry is a subject that is still applicable almost everywhere in our lives. Just not necessarily the way we were taught back in high school. It's necessary for a team to mesh well and come together to produce a great end-product. It's necessary for lasting friendships and relationships to form and grow. It's necessary when two creators come together on a project with visibly pleasing results. And of course, it's necessary when it comes to all the unique elements of an outfit.


Even when it comes to the simplest or most relaxed of fits, it makes a world's difference to make sure every piece fits together as perfectly as puzzle pieces. This outfit is a decent example of a quick but put-together fit I'd throw together for a very casual day out, such as one filled with errands.


This top was a rare find at a local thrift store which I pulled off the racks with such a quickness that I almost pushed the rest of the clothes over. I loved the bright colors and unique speckle pattern, and I automatically thought up infinite ways to wear it. For this quick fit I paired it with my acid wash cut-offs and threw on a two-toned fedora. To tap things off I paired the look with my favorite American Apparel lace-up leather oxfords, and kept the shade at bay in some pink/orange reflective sunnies.


Personally I always like to put together a fit I'd be proud of, even if it's a quickie. Not even for others, but just for myself—my form of expression, my creative outlet. My form of art & storytelling. A reflection of my mood, my character for the day. I've always loved playing dress-up and creating my own stories through my wardrobe, and I adore that blogging gives me a chance to do so professionally. As Vivienne Westwood said, "you have a more interesting life if you wear impressive clothes." And who knows, you never know what characters you might meat along the way. ;)

Standards. Stereotypes. These days, in the surface-based generation we live in, it's easy to get these two concepts confused. The key to living a fruitful life in this day and age is to shed yourself of any of these ideas, and simply dive in below the surface. People come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colors, numbers, blah blah and so on. If we shed ourselves of our normal judgments and biases, we can discover the greatest treasures. Come with me and we'll wade away from the shallow end...


When our first standard of judgment is one's superficial being, it's easy to jump to some overly-spread stereotypical conclusions. Some of them can range from silly notions to more serious hard-hitting ideologies. All of them are equally as dangerous to spread, an infectious disease we must rid ourselves of.

One thing I always like to do is get a bit more personal and share with you all from my own point of view, to bring a better understanding behind the ramblings of my mind that come out like word vomit with each outfit story. So some stereotypes I would definitely want to squash include the idea that girls and boys can't be raised or do the same things (my dad's always taught me things like maintaining my car's oil and tire pressure and renewing my passport if needed to make sure I could be just as independent as my brother when the it came time to taking care of things), that females only dress up or wear makeup for the attention or standards of males (I, for one, love dressing up for just myself), and that the creative area is one that should be ignored (especially in this day and age where the creative types are able to make use of and cultivate their passions and hobbies).


Ever since I was a kid, I loved putting together outfits. As someone who was once a known introvert, I used fashion and style to express myself and my creativity. Even as a toddler I'd sometimes make four or five outfit changes just within one day. As I grew into my awkward years, I continued to express my different moods and phases through style. However, the more awkward I got, the harder it got to truly express my sense of fashion without feeling the stares any pre-/pubescent tween might mistake as a negative deterrence. Finally, through the later years of high school throughout college, I was able to reunite myself with my voice and express myself as truly as Ariel did once she got back her shell necklace containing her ability to speak.

Now, as someone who can definitely be branded as a transformed extrovert, I find the joy in using my style to speak out on a bit of who I am. I love having a few eye-catching elements added to any typical outfit, adding just a sprinkle or two of a bit more of a signature feel. This outfit is a great example of what I'm attempting to describe, with its racy lace bralette adding a pop of color under a layer of black mesh. The ripped-knee black denim helped keep the fit below the line of "just enough skin," while the black patent platform boots added to the dark beach goth vibes.


This is probably one of my favorite shoots with Melissa, I loved how the outfit came together as well as the spot we found to shoot it just behind AT&T Park. Summer and adventure were in the air, and surprisingly so was Katy Perry. Turns out she was doing a show for Genentech just inside the park, so we had a fun little soundtrack to shoot to that brought on a lot of energy. If there was a possibility to jump on one of the boats for shoot's sake, I'm sure we would've taken it.

As I've made clear time and time again, Los Angeles is where my heart and spirit truly reside. But over the past couple of weeks, and being able to stay closer within the heart of the city, I've started to grow a personal affinity with San Francisco. It may never reach the depth of my devotion for LA and everything it symbolized for me, but it's definitely a very welcomed newfound appreciation.


Wednesday Addams has always been a sort of spirit animal for me, so it's only fitting I chose to show up at the pier in some meshed threads. The only difference might be, if you ever spot me in this fit screaming out beach goth vibes, you can count on the fact that you can definitely [approach &] mesh with me. Til next time, loves! xx

What is a "bad girl" these days anyway? The term can be misinterpreted so easily, with the infinite number of definitions floating around out there. From girls that don't fit your idea of a "well-behaved female", to people that don't fit into your little box of how a girl should carry themselves, to those good-old fashioned rulebreakers—whether that be in school, ideology, fashion, or something else. But as always, Hellz Bellz defines them best. Good girls go to heaven... bad girls go everywhere.


Recently I've been balancing a lot on my plate in terms of work, family, and whatnot. A lot of hardships that have been hurdled my way, but looking back at how old me would've handled things, I can definitely say I'm at peace with how things are unfolding this time around. Anyway, going back to my very-full plate. Or should I call it a platter at this point, a big portion of that platter being filled with "whatnot."

A lot of miscellaneous things going down in whatnot. This includes the fact that I've been talked down upon regarding things that make me "me" in more occasions than one in just the past few days alone. It's pretty sad that people are still being judged based off of silly little things like appearances. Tattoos, piercings, nor the hair are pointers of what one might call "bad behavior." They also aren't sure signs or confirmation of any sort of discomforting character qualities. The very well-known and overly practiced "don't judge a book by its cover" comes to mind.


I appreciate having my blog for reasons such as this. It's a place where I can easily let myself be heard through both style and writing. A place where I can prove that my cover does not necessarily clearly translate the true depth and quality of the story within. Where I can be free to shed the burdens of some of the whispers and stares I have felt pressuring me to quiet my voice. Or at times even my being.


Though this fit was shot a month or two ago back in LA, the timing to release it today coincided perfectly with the drop of Tobi's newest lookbook we've been working on. ・ For those of you who keep sticking around for every next chapter, I genuinely thank you for wanting to read deeper into what I have to offer and for delving below the surface. And just as a fun little twist to add some perspective into your lives, I implore you all to look deeper into someone whose cover you might have judged a bit too swiftly in the past. You really never know what treasure you might find with all judgments and biases aside. xx

Following your passion: a topic that is almost always on repeat. Of course we all know the struggles that come along with it—backlash, doubt/feelings of defeat, and a whole list of all that nonsense. But we can't let that stop us from pursuing a life filled with nothing but epic passion.


About a year ago (or in a month, exactly a year ago) to the day, I packed up all of my belongings on a whim as soon as I was offered a step into my ideal career path. I drove North to join the Tobi.com team, only to start a fashion-filled journey better than my imagination could've ever sought out. Though my journey since then has definitely had its fair share of hardships, I wouldn't have followed my dream down any other road than the one I've been on.


As you all probably caught on by now, I still consider Los Angeles to be home since that's where my heart truly lies. But moving back to NorCal has opened up so many doors that there's literally no room for regrets. From blossoming friendships to restarting my blog in full force, I've immersed myself in every single opportunity and taken advantage of whatever has revealed itself to me on my journey.


Of everything in this lengthy list of opportunities, full-time blogging has to be my favorite pursuit that I've taken on since following this inspiring path. Not only does it challenge and teach me new things everyday, but it's given me the chance to network and create with a plethora of high-caliber folks and brands. Two of these noteworthy brands include Zaful and ZeroUV, both of which inspired me to create this street-chic look with a hint of a little boho betty.

Though I'm not usually one to be immediately attracted to boho pieces, this kick-ass crochet top from Zaful was crying out to me in a way that I just couldn't deny. I loved the delicacy of the knit crop as well as the powerful pattern play up top, and I couldn't live another day without it! I decided to put a bit of a streetstyle twist when putting together this look to make it a little more casual and a lot more me. I knew I wanted to work in this amazing 'Epic' snapback from the ZeroUV x Epic BMX collection, and to keep the look light and airy for summer I went with my favorite pair of distressed light wash jeans. Since the crop top was a little high-cut for even my comfort, I added on a simple and breezy striped cardigan both for cover and pattern-play.


I'd definitely rock this look for a casual everyday sort of thing. I topped it off with one of my favorite pairs of sunnies, also from zeroUV, as well as my favorite patent platform boots and lifesaver of a leather backpack from Missguided. The boots and backpack have pretty much become necessary staples in my wardrobe as of late, especially what with my daily routine consisting of a whole lot of commuting. Comfort and cautious over-prep have now become specialties of mine.


When your true path reveals itself to you, don't be afraid to fully immerse yourself and take charge of the road you're headed towards. Thanks for walking along this exciting journey with me and continuing to check back for new posts! As always, be sure to click back on next week for more.

Nothing like a catchy lil tee throwing some good ole-fashioned cattitude. Always thankful for the customizable characteristics of QTee and the much needed slogan sass that they continuously bring to the table. I was lucky enough to team up with them once again and as always I couldn't help but gravitate towards my hair as inspo. However my hair faded quite a bit in between, but at the time it was a mix of pinks, purple, and a final layer of shark blue.


As you may know if you've been following my Instagram journey, my hair changes color more than cats take naps. Regardless I love the outcome of this particular QTee, the girlier side of me has always loved this particular color combination.


I've never been one to categorize myself into a single column and this is pretty apparent even within my personal style. For starters, I love mixing casual pieces with sleeker ones, so I chose this circle skirt to pair my tee with. And of course I couldn't stop adding in my favorite Vans Sk8-His to roll with the more casual side of this fit.


I had to keep the gray-dient tones going and what better pair of sunnies to keep the shade at bay than my bug-eye 'Cross My Heart' pair from none other than ZeroUV? I love how well both the color and saying complemented my QTee.


Thanks for checkin' back in with me and be sure to click onto the blog next week for some more new content. And don't forget to use my code QTA15 on QTee.com for 15% off your purchase! It's worth it, fur-real. xx