All posts in: Siesta Key

26 Dec 2017

Favorites of 2017

For once, I’m feeling very on top of my end-of-the-year round up posts. Normally, you would see some of these after the new year, but I guess you can thank the Seattle snow for keeping us indoors these last few days and unlimited downtime. Of course, I’m not mad at it because during the rest of the year, we never get this time to sit down and just write.

Favorite Style Icon: Margot Robbie

Is anyone as excited as I am to see I, Tonya?! I still remember watching the teaser trailer like it was yesterday and while I don’t see movies in theaters often, I’m willing to break my rule for this one. Margot Robbie has been on my list of style icons to watch for some time, but it was this year that I started to notice that outfit after outfit, she was consistently nailing it. Whether it’s getting glammed up for the red carpet or dressing down, Margot’s accessories and beauty look are always a perfect match. With the upcoming award season, we can’t wait to see what she does next.

Runner Up: Gal Gadot

Favorite Getaway: Pescadero / Half Moon Bay

It may have only been a day trip for me, but it was definitely one of my most unforgettable memories from the year. After leaving my job and not having too much time in between to start my new one, it didn’t make sense to come back home or plan an extravagant getaway. The good thing about California though is that there are no shortage of destinations to venture out to even in one day. I picked what I thought to be very quaint and cute, but maybe not a huge tourist attraction, found a friend that was in the same boat as I was and we took off! It was a random weekday and so quiet out on the road, but exactly what we needed. It was so fun to just go to the beach and explore this land that no one was at. It was the most calm and serene that I had felt in the last few months and I knew after that day that we had made a good decision about the trip.

Runner Up: Disneyland

Favorite artist of the year: SZA

Wow, was this a tough decision to make. If I could have had two tied for first place, it would have been SZA and Khalid! But I had to make a choice and the reason why I picked SZA was because I felt her music was so much more relatable to what I was going through this year. 2017 was entirely a year for me and focused on me and listening to her in a weird way made me feel like I could do anything. I owned my mistakes, my flaws, made decisions on a whim, drove away from my comfort zone and never looked back. She’s amazing.

Runner Up: Khalid

Favorite Guilty Pleasure: Siesta Key

You know a show is special when you and your coworker make a whole Instagram Live dedicated to it. Siesta Key was the standout reality series of the year for me. The commercials and trailers penned it as your next generation Laguna Beach, but it is so much more than that. I could talk about this show for hours, but instead of doing that I will just say that the show returns to MTV on January 15th so you should use your time now to get caught up on season 1.

Runner Up: Riverdale

Favorite item purchased this year:

If I could have a wardrobe that only came from Aritzia, I would never be unhappy. I wasn’t expecting to find this dress when I stepped into the store that day. In fact, I was on the hunt for a Teddy Jacket over at Uniqlo and when I didn’t find it, I stopped into Aritzia for lightening round shopping fest. This dress was one of the first pieces that caught my eye and right away I knew I had to try it on. I didn’t even have an event to wear it to if I had bought it (luckily that came later!) but I knew I had to have it. It fit me in all of the right places and was so elegant and beautiful. The great thing about a classic LBD is that there is always going to be an occasion to wear it to. I look forward to keeping this in my closet forever ever.

Runner Up: Gap Denim Jacket

Favorite albums (in no particular order):

  1. Kehlani – SweetSexySavage
  2. Khalid – American Teen
  3. Dua Lipa – Self Titled
  4. SZA – Ctrl
  5. Calvin Harris – Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1
  6. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me
  7. ODESZA – A Moment Apart
  8. Kelela – Take Me Apart
  9. Shawn Mendes – Illuminate
  10. H.E.R. – Self Titled

Favorite Online Past Time: Twitter

When I hate you, but I actually love you. I hate that it was the political turmoil that brought me even closer to Twitter in the last year, but it’s completely true. It’s a large source for my news, but it’s also one of the platforms that can make me laugh consistently. Who knew 180 characters could do that for you… or … however, many characters they allow now? I wish I could say that I was refined and listened to podcasts on my commute, but no, I’m the girl in the backseat of my Uber and Lyft furiously scrolling through my feed to see how much I can get through before I’m dropped off at my local Starbucks.

Runner Up: HQ, Instagram, what else?

14 Oct 2017

September Favorites

Favorite TV Show – Siesta Key (again!)

I tried my hardest to think of another show that I was consuming during the month of September, but to be honest, we were still obsessed with Siesta Key. The last four episodes of the show really turned things around for the reality series. It’s almost a completely different show than when it first started. I know that these kids are sort of the worst, but we can’t stop. In fact, I’ve found another co-worker of mine who loves the show as much as I do and we’ve started doing recap episode on our Instagram Lives. Things really escalated and we’re looking forward to the second season!

Favorite Album – Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me 

I’ve been playing “Sorry Not Sorry” on repeat since the day it came out, but my fear was that it was going to be the only song I liked from the album. I’m happy to share that that wasn’t the case. “Tell Me You Love Me” may have only just came out at the end of September, but that didn’t stop us from listening to this every single day. My favorites:

  • Sorry Not Sorry
  • Tell Me You Love Me
  • Ruin the Friendship
  • Only Forever
  • Lonely
  • Concentrate
  • Hitchhiker

Favorite Product – Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser – $28

I’ve never had a great routine of making sure that I washed my face every day and lately, I’ve been wondering how I could do that. I had this product in my stash and discovered that it was great for washing your face in the mornings or the evenings and when your face was already damp. Solution? Wash my face while I’m in the shower! So it’s not the best habit to have because you probably want to me washing off your makeup every night, but I feel like we’re taking baby steps in the right direction.

Screen Shot 2017-10-14 at 7.31.01 PM

Gap Icon Denim Jacket – $69.95

I believe the last time I owned a denim jacket, I was 13 and headed into middle school. Shopping with my mom, I couldn’t decide between a denim jacket and a corduroy one and convinced her that I needed to have both. Somewhere between middle school and mid-20’s adulthood, the need to have a denim jacket again disappeared! Only recently was I feeling the urge to have one back in my closet again. It is such a classic staple and I didn’t realize how much I had missed it. One Sunday afternoon, I popped into the Gap store in The Marina and saw what I had been looking for. I stood in front of the mirror for 20 minutes going back and forth between an xsmall and a small. If I had the xsmall, it would be perfectly fitted, but then I wouldn’t be able to have that oversized look or be able to layer anything underneath it. I couldn’t make up my mind, until finally, I had kept my friend Winny waiting too long while I was deciding. I chose the small. The small fit just fine. It didn’t look too big, but it would have enough room for me to layer pieces underneath, which I really wanted. I now wear this jacket almost every day and don’t know how I went ahead in life for so long without it.

03 Sep 2017

August Favorites

Is it silly that we feel a little bit sad that we no longer get to anticipate “getting ready for the start of school?” I used to scramble to the mailbox waiting for that piece of mail that told me all of the things I needed to buy for the school year back when I was in elementary. As the years went on, you were getting more sophisticated products like a larger 3-ring binder and switching out crayons for colored pencils. In college, I couldn’t wait to move back into my dorm room or check in with all of my friends to see when they’d be returning from summer vacay and were back in Seattle. It has been six years since I’ve had to do this for myself, but I can’t wait to someday be doing this with my own kids. This year, September is kind of like “whatever” for us. Labor Day Weekend means I get to go back to work on a Tuesday, but I won’t be putting my white pieces in storage just yet. Hello – there is such a thing as winter white. The fact that I don’t have to buy a new wardrobe for the start of the school year means I get to save a little bit of my own money, but I’m putting that towards a new coat living in San Francisco this year. August was so good to us. I’ve officially spent one month in the city and I ventured back home to experience a little bit of the Seattle summer before it left us. Let’s get into our monthly favorites!

Favorite TV Show – Siesta Key

MTV claims that this is the “new” Laguna Beach, but these kids can never replace our beloved LC, Stephen and Kristin. I had my doubts when I heard about the premiere of the show, but you can’t pass judgement until you’ve seen the first episode. I know that this isn’t nice to say, but I cannot tell the girls in this show apart for the life of me. Also, it seems as if the guys in the series, unfortunately, can’t complete a full sentence. It’s a rough life over there in Siesta Key, but it makes for great television. How these guys have so much drama in one summer away from college is beyond me, but that’s why people like me love a series like this so much. It’s not actually a true reality. Don’t knock it until you try it though despite how I’m writing about this show. In fact, my co-worker and I love this so much, we’re considering doing an Instagram Live or a Podcast on our commentary. We wouldn’t be committing to this if we didn’t believe in it.

Favorite Album – Tyler the Creator – Flower Boy

We almost grazed right over this! A friend of mine told me to check it out because his sound was different than what we’ve heard in the past. I normally wouldn’t gravitate towards Tyler, but I found myself really enjoying “Flower Boy” for its laid back vibe. My favorites on the album are:

  • Foreward
  • See You Again
  • Boredom
  • 911 / Mr. Lonely
  • Glitter

Favorite Product – Glossier Boy Brow – $16

So it took me 27 years to figure out that I could try using an eyebrow product. I have gone most of my life leaving them untamed and thought I was getting by just fine. That was until I discovered two products that would change my life and my brows forever. The first one that we’re talking about is Glossier’s Boy Brow. Everyone called this a cult favorite, but I didn’t want to believe the hype at least not immediately. I gave in and decided to take the plunge. The first time I used it, I wasn’t sold on it. Was I even using it right? How could I tell if it was even working? But it was! Boy Brow is a great everyday product. The pomade keeps all of your little stray hairs in place and additionally you can use it even as a filler if you’d like. I’m now their #1 fan. It feels abnormal to leave my house without even putting some kind of product onto them.

Free People – Eye of the Sun Brami in Black Combo – $38

First off, I thought this was a bralette. I have never even seen/heard of the word brami until right this second! Whatever the case, I’m a fan. I actually bought this at the Free People in Stanford Shopping Center at the beginning of August and schlepped this with me over to Seattle on my trip where it was just too hot to wear a regular bra. This is so great for underneath tees or tank tops in which you want to show a little bit more, but don’t want to go without support or bra-less. I pair this with a plain Aritzia tee that I have that has a completely open back so that it adds a little something something. In extreme heat, like we’re experiencing this weekend, this is a life savor because it’s non-restricting and allows you to breathe.

01 Aug 2017

Siesta Key

Up until right about now, I totally thought the show was just called “Siesta Keys.” MTV is advertising this new series as the new “Laguna Beach,” but let’s just be honest with ourselves here…nothing will ever be able to replace the hole in our hearts that was Laguna Beach. Since four of the cast members from Siesta Key were sponsoring The Hills marathon this weekend (which I watched obviously) I decided that I they deserved an hour of my time for the premiere.

Initial thoughts:

  • The main character and also narrator – Juliette Porter is unlikeable. There’s a scene where she confronts the girl that her boyfriend (sort of? it’s unclear.) cheated on her with last summer and they end the interaction with saying they should hang out sometime. Why can’t girls just be real with each other?
  • In terms of diversity… only one-non white male is a part of the cast. I guess that’s more than can be said about Laguna Beach though.
  • Characters Kelsey and Juliette actually look the same. Is that mean to say?
  • So the reason why this series is happening is because one of the main characters’s  (the guy who happens to have 2 girls fighting over him) dad basically pitched the show to MTV
  • For a show that’s “unscripted,” it feels pretty scripted to me.

I should have written this post out while I was watching last night because I think I’m missing a few key thoughts. It’s not a show that I think will be intellectually stimulating for me, but it’s sort of like an awkward mess that you can’t turn away from. How these kids have so much issues at 21/22, I’ll never understand.