Mules With a View

Attempting to break out of our introverted tendencies, we ventured out to The Ace Hotel in Downtown LA for some drinks with friends. What better excuse to bust out our leather jackets than moscow mules and rooftop views. After soaking enough city lights, we headed home vowing that we will sprinkle our usual cozy nights in with nights out on the town. It's good to break out of our routine once in a while.

In Contrast

We couldn't end the year without finding one more grimey corner of the world to stomp around in. We stumbled upon this abandoned warehouse on our way to grab dinner at our favorite vegan thai restaurant one night and decided to revisit it to shoot on a recent sunny winter morning. The shadows that were created in this space were breathtaking. There's just something so magical about the sun in the winter time. We love how it becomes softer and just barely there in the sky.

Walk It Out

On a lazy Saturday afternoon, we headed towards the coast to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. We found sanctuary at RaT Beach after grabbing coffee at a favorite local spot, Two Guns Espresso Cafe. In an attempt to get a bit of fitness in, we opted for a walk along the beach. After Friday's storm, it was just chilly enough for us to bundle up in light layers. It was the perfect California winter afternoon--complete with sunshine, windblown hair, and deserted lifeguard towers for us to romp around.

November Outtakes

In every relationship (romantic or not), the honeymoon phase will eventually end. The phenomenon of being new stops being shiny, and the reality of being together settles in. Decisions about committing and moving forward need to be made. Feelings about each other need to be figured out. Visions and goals for the future need to be aligned. Sometimes the shift is seamless and goes unnoticed; while other transitions may require some adjusting. We’d like to think we’re still in the honeymoon phase of our relationship, but our visions and goals for our blog needed to be revisited in November.

A Merry Unbirthday

After getting our first tree together over Thanksgiving weekend, we have begun starting new Christmas traditions. On Friday, we played hooky from work and traveled to the magical world of Disneyland to celebrate Jasmine's 25th birthday. As fans of both Disney and Christmas, it was the perfect way to ring in our favorite time of the year. We arrived when the park opened, and immediately took advantage of the lack of lines and hit the big rides: Space Mountain, Star Tours, Matterhorn, and Big Thunder Mountain--all before 10AM! In between indulging in corn dogs and clam chowder, we managed to squeeze in 25 rides to represent 25 years of life. Our top three favorite rides were Peter Pan, Star Tours, and Big Thunder Mountain. We actually rode Star Tours five times in an attempt to visit all six worlds (we managed to get 5/6!). This Disneyland trip was the best one either of us had ever had and we cannot wait to go back together again!

Daze in the Sun

With no desire to spend money on clothes we didn't need, we evaded the Black Friday crowds by escaping to Santa Monica Pier for a day in the sun instead of in the mall. We took advantage of the summer extension and started with a chill ride on the ferris wheel, where we were reminded of just how thankful we were to live in a place where we can spend the holidays at the beach without a jacket. With nothing but clear skies and sunshine to guide our way, we walked from one beach to another. Once we got to Venice Beach, we explored street vendors and cooled off with ice cream before making the trek back to the pier.

Musing: The Philo Effect

Phoebe Philo remains a constant source of inspiration for us. We love her not only for her impressive accomplishments since taking over Céline, but also for her own personal style and aesthetics. She single-handedly revived Céline with her modern and minimalistic philosophy towards fashion. Her attention to shapes, textures, colors, and materials brought a new subtleness often overlooked by many other luxury brands. Moving away from the maximalist approach, Phoebe’s designs stripped away the unnecessary and captured the essence of each article of clothing. This way of designing was reminiscent of the Bauhaus movement and mid-century aesthetics. The world got a glimpse of her personal style when she was seen during the runway show for Céline 2011 wearing her Stan Smith adidas rather than the fashion uniform of high heels. Since then, the sneaker trend has taken the world by storm, and it was all started with Phoebe Philo.

Because of Phoebe's influence, we no longer have to choose between form and function. It is acceptable to wear sneakers with a suit or a dress. The oversized silhouette is no longer sloppy but is rather a purposeful choice. Phoebe’s passion and her infection style have become a way of life--having us saying “WWPPD,” What would Phoebe Philo do?

Bad Habit

In an attempt to escape from our usual urban environment, we explored the Artists Village in Santa Ana. In such a condensed pretty place, we were quickly bored with the main area of the village and reverted to our bad habit of looking for the grimey, hidden corners of a city. During our urban exploration, we were pleasantly surprised to find back alleys in Orange County that were reminiscent of LA and that made us feel more comfortable. Even though we both grew up near the beach, we just can't deny our love for urban spaces. After chasing the sunset to the top of an empty parking structure, we began the holiday festivities with two friendsgivings and a birthday party.

Less Traveled

The city of LA has been glorified to no end. It's a place where dreams are made of; a corner of the world where the sun shines all year long; a melting pot of diverse cultures; and a blank canvas to graffiti artists. It is also our home. With so many tourist attractions, it's easy to get sidetracked by the glamorous sights this great city has to offer. While we do frequent Melrose Ave and Sunset Blvd, we also find ourselves (literally) taking the roads less traveled, combing alleys and empty streets for hidden treasures. The LA River is a gem that reflects a more accurate view of the city that we know and love. With its many layers, it is the perfect balance of the grunginess of LA and the softness of CA. After walking through the alleyway speckled with graffiti, the first sight of the water took our breath away. Because of its covert entrance, the river is a tranquil place to escape from the infamous traffic jams and the constant stress of finding parking. It is a spot that we know we will visit time and time again. Because of its vastness, we may never finish exploring LA, but we relish in the idea that our adventures will never be over.

Go Outside

After getting our recurring fix of a good chicken sandwich and fries at The Kroft, we explored the Anaheim Packing District. Sitting on top of a railroad track, the packing house is a mecca of good food and drinks with a variety of vendors and restaurants. We had fun spending the afternoon in this cool space relaxing in a swinging bench, enjoying live music, and being surrounded by pretty plants. We paralleled the diversity of the food with our outfits--channeling Japanese and British vibes. After soaking up the last of the sun rays of the Fall afternoon, we continued the relaxed feel of the day with coffee, dinner, and a walk in the park.

Olive Juice

j: zara jacket, rag & bone sweater, zara joggers, toms, nordstrom scarf, raybans

b: forever 21 jacket, blk dnm t-shirt, zara pants, toms, nordstrom scarf, raybans

On a recent Fall afternoon, we gave matchy matchy fashion another try. This time, however, we wanted to be more selective about our outfits to avoid being too obvious or cheesy. Inspired more so by Crystal Castles than the matching couples found in Korea, we wanted to imitate their style cohesion rather than mirror each other's wardrobe pieces. This was made easy by the unisex pieces in our closets, and so we settled on joggers, TOMS, scarves, and our parkas. With subtle differentiations in the details, we avoided being too gimmicky and instead created two cohesive looks that either of us would wear with or without each other. These outfits were perfect for grabbing coffee and sharing our favorite books at a bookstore.

October Outtakes

October was simultaneously the best and worst month--rapidly shifting and taking unexpected turns. We experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows. To say it was a roller coaster would be an understatement. With our high pressure jobs, we often are working long hours and working off of fumes to meet strict deadlines. We sought refuge during the weekends, which seem to be the only time we can relax and make plans. Due to our natural instinct to document our moments together, we are fortunate to have these photos as a reminder that no matter how bad things got at work, a weekend of fun was always just around the corner.

Revolving

Well into our Fall season, we were growing tired of finding new ways to revolve our summer clothes, and so when a rainy day arrived in LA, we were ready to bring on the layers. With Taylor Swift's new album to accompany us through our rainy drive, we ventured to The Grove to shop and to grab lunch at Mendocino Farms. Our excitement for the cold weather was gradually overshadowed by its fickleness that wavered from warm sun rays to piercing cold winds. California just can't seem to make up its mind about Fall. In between shopping and shedding our layers, we dropped by the Revolve pop up shop. The bright pink exterior welcomed us in and we were greeted with curated pieces that could be options for the upcoming holiday season. The mini Sprinkles cupcakes and the DJ mixing fun tunes made our visit even sweeter.

All Over the Place

Mondays are always hard. They're made harder when we have photos to remind us of the good times of not too long ago and of the seeming eternity of five work days that we need to endure til the next adventure. Last Friday, we were both feeling low in spirits with a "work sucks and then you die" mindset, and so this weekend relaxation was just what the doctor ordered after a long, sucky work week. The remedy: A picnic a la Trader Joes in a park shaded by quintessential California palm trees and bougainvillea flowers. An uneventful attempt to vintage shop for halloween costumes that turned into a discovery of cool new stores with labels we love. Finding Toms for $30 at Costco of all places to add to our ever growing list of his and her things. A cliche date of a dinner and a movie with Gone Girl and chicken run burgers at Native Foods. And lastly, a spontaneous, late night visit to the beach complete with star gazing and hand holding. With no real plan, we were kind of all over the place, but in the end, it all worked out just the same. Sometimes the best things in life are unplanned. 

Wild Wash Road

Waking up at 4AM and barely functioning until finding an open Starbucks was worth all the fatigue to catch this glorious view on the I-15N on the way to Las Vegas. That day we had one mission and one mission only---to drive far enough into the desert to catch the sunrise. After driving for over an hour and nearing the sunrise time, we decided to pull over at the nearest exit that looked like it would lead to an empty patch of land. Completely unaware of this hidden gem, we totally lucked out on this random truck stop exit that had plenty of boulders, bushes, and joshua trees for us to romp around and explore. Armed with our trusty parkas and boots, we braved the cold, morning air and relished in the majestically, unreal sky that was gradually emerging before us behind the mountains. We were excited to be bundled in layers for once and get a taste of what Fall should feel like. After playing in this natural playground until the sky was high in the sky, we continued our journey towards Sin City, where we gorged on the best onion rings we've ever had before the Rise Festival.

Rising and Falling

What began as one of the most magical evenings of our lives quickly turned into one of the most awful experiences simply due to poor planning and organization.

Life in Color

After our weekend at the beach, we thought we would ease back into life in LA with a quick trip to Silver Lake. Chain link fenced views of the city skyline; street islands that make you feel like the center of the universe; and randomly glaring wall art are all part of the appeal of this quirky city that we love. $5 moscow mules at our favorite bar and vegetarian indian food made for an easy and perfect bookend to our usual sunset chase. Nostalgic of our past skulls phase, we had fun playing with and wearing this scarf especially when the wind and sun caught it.  This trip was just enough taste of the city for us before our upcoming trip to Las Vegas where instead of chasing sunsets, we'll be chasing floating lanterns and drinks. The weekends just never seem to come quick enough.

Fallin in California

We took a mental health day by getting out of the hustle and bustle of LA and retreating to the comfort of the beaches in Orange County. It just wouldn't be Fall in California without a beach day in the middle of October. We thought we'd be even more festive with some Oktoberfest beer which was just the icing on the cake for our relaxed afternoon. A baseball tee and gym shorts tied everything together since style was the least of our concerns that day. There's just something so reenergizing about a secluded beach, stolen kisses, and the sunset...at least until a huge, random, single wave crashes and soaks your clothes and towels. Thanks to quick reflexes and unisex clothes we were able to scrounge together decent enough change of clothing to enjoy some mediterranean food and bid the weekend goodbye.

September Outtakes

We started off the month right with a quick trip to San Francisco, but when we got back, we realized that adventure was out there in our backyard all along. From Silver Lake to LACMA to Pasadena, in the midst of all the September craziness, we still managed to soak in Los Angeles and all its glory.

Sight of the Sun

In a frantic frenzy to capture the first rainfall of Fall, we scurried out the door armed with our black hoodies and our fujis. However, in true California fashion, the rain didn't stay too long, allowing the sun to sweetly peek through the trees as we explored nearby neighborhood streets.

Coffee Rituals

Over the weekend, we woke up to catch a nonexistent, overcast sunrise and explored a green space before our morning ritual of grabbing coffee at Urth. Strong spanish lattes and cool jackets make our world go round.

Somewhere Only We Know

We spent the weekend chasing the sunset in empty parking lots and lonely alleys in Melrose. There's always something so beautiful in the simultaneous stillness and tension during the transition from day to night. It's a kind of chasing we'll never stop doing.

Art and Boots

We got a taste of Fall and took full advantage of a rare opportunity to wear boots before Halloween. After stomping around LACMA, we stumbled upon a hidden rooftop to enjoy the fleeting rays of sun.

Sun Francisco

The word, lost, can mean so many things: no longer possessed, gone astray, ended in defeat, destroyed, etc; but intentionality can play a role in one's enjoyment of being lost. On this trip to SF, we found ourselves lost a few times. The first was during our trek to get clam chowder at Pier 39 wasn't so enjoyable; but the other times while exploring the Mission area, wandering aimlessly yet intentionally with our cameras, will be moments I will always look back on nostalgically. The quiet sunrise on our last morning there will be another one of those fond memories.