an afternoon at the palace {taylor stitch}

Shirt: Taylor Stitch (available for pre-order now); Shorts: Levis; Sandals: Zara; Hat: Janessa Leone; Bandana: Target; Bag: Ali Golden (available from Taylor Stitch here); Watch: Daniel Wellington; Necklaces: Jennifer Zeuner

You might recall from this post a few months back, that I'm trying my hand at this whole hopping back and forth across the country thing. Between the flights, packing, unpacking, security lines and hitting rush hour traffic en route to JFK, I have to admit, it's proven to be more exhausting than I originally thought. 

But I'll also admit, it's definitely worth it when I get to see warm, friendly faces upon arriving back in San Francisco and that familiar, potato patch fog-ridden skyline that I've come to love (and miss!). You might have spied on Instagram that I recently went back last week for a quick work visit -- which was then parlayed into an excuse to cruise up the Highway 1 coastline over the weekend. Before hopping out of town, I had a chance to catch up with the guys at Taylor Stitch to pick up a few oh-so-necessary pieces for the road trip, including this new striped gauze blouse which hit their workshop yesterday (get clicking right this way to pre-order yours now) and a little denim for good measure (more to come on that next week). 

Of course, when Mike suggested shooting at the Palace of Fine Arts, I was more than game (ahem, clearly, I'm a sucker for that place). I just love how these shots remind me of certain afternoons of mine in that city by the bay: blanket and magazines in tow, a jacket tucked away in case the fog rolled in and perhaps an impromptu visit to Swensen's later in the afternoon for an ice cream pick-me-up. 

So when the in-flight wifi is slower than dial up speed or I'm stuck in the middle seat again, I think I'll just remind myself of afternoons at the palace and smile to myself before ordering a glass of wine.

Photos by Mike Armenta

left my heart in san francisco {2100 post street}

On Krystal: Bonmot shirt (20% off with the code 'iheartsf'); Jeans: Abercrombie (old); Shoes: Manolo Blahnik; Necklaces: Jennifer Zeuner

On Elvis: Nothing! Just his amazing fur coat :)

I get oddly nostalgic about moving out of apartments. Even if I'm simply moving across town, there's something about that feeling of finality that hits me pretty hard. Will I ever walk up these stairs again? Will I ever see that downstairs neighbor that I never got along with but desperately tried to befriend? What about the nice ladies at the Starbucks on Fillmore who always remembered my order -- will I get to see them again? And don't get me started on the bay windows -- that perfect morning light will be hard to top elsewhere.

While I was moving out of my apartment last week, frantically cleaning, organizing and donating things along the way, I made a point to gather mental images of my most favorite and dear moments in this place. Because this apartment marked a lot of firsts for me. I brought my first dog home to this apartment. It was the first time I moved in with a boyfriend. It saw me through a few promotions, birthdays, anniversaries (and some heartache) -- it was my home base after countless trips and my refuge when I just needed a break from the world.

I loved that apartment.

Which then, got me thinking. Isn't it funny that we often christen a new apartment when we move into it, but we hardly ever give it a fitting goodbye? We'll toast the new beginning with champagne, but we skip the adieu part. Goodbyes are hard -- I'm not denying that. But it didn't seem right (to me anyway) to leave Apartment 15 without a proper send off -- a thank you and a celebration of sorts of all my favorite moments in that little one bedroom apartment on the third floor, tucked away in Lower Pac Heights. 

Given that my space was pretty empty for those last few days, Elvis and I set up camp on the floor with pizza (from Pizzeria Delfina, naturally), beer (Blue Moon!) and lots of magazines (or chew toys for him). I just love how Anna captured not only some great images but images that convey such a moment of transition. Bittersweet but with a heavy lean on the sweet side. We toasted the evening, shared stories of our favorite San Francisco memories and even ventured out to my fire escape, which I've been wanting to do for over two years now but never got the courage to do it. It was a lovely bookend to my California chapter -- just the right final notes to start my next one here in New York.

That also means, this is the end of my "Left My Heart in San Francisco" series. I hope you enjoyed following along as much as I loved revisiting and sharing places and memories that are near and dear to my heart. I know I have plenty more adventures to document in California, and the West Coast for that matter -- so we're not finished there just yet -- but I can't tell you how excited I am to embark on this next adventure. It's new and exciting and shiny and terrifying all at the same time. But I'm ready for it!

And in honor of that, my good friend Becky, the creative tour de force behind Bonmot (I'm wearing her marble tee here), is offering 20% off for This Time Tomorrow readers to put toward their next purchase. Simply use the code "iheartsf" at checkout.

Enjoy and I hope you all have a beautiful weekend, making memories wherever you are! 

Photos by Anna-Alexia Basile

left my heart in san francisco {palace of fine arts}

Dress: Preen; Shoes: Manolo Blahnik; Clutch: Charlotte Olympia

While I visited San Francisco pretty often with my family when I was growing up (it's only about a 3-4 hour drive from Reno), I'd have to say some of my most vivid memories of the city came much later when I would trek back with friends in college for different concerts. We would make big weekends out of it, leaving early on a Friday afternoon after our last class and pile into a car, armed with lots of iPod playlists (ah, remember those?!), ready for far too many pit stops at In N Out (animal style, please!). Outside Lands. Kings of Leon. Cat Power. Smashing Pumpkins. Feist. The list goes on and on. 

My favorite concert from this part of my life would have to be when Devendra Banhart played at the Palace of Fine Arts (the amazing building you see above here). My boyfriend at the time surprised me with tickets and true to form, we probably missed a class or two to make it out for a long weekend in San Francisco. We booked a small bed and breakfast just off Lombard Street (The Edward II!) and spent most of the evening just strolling around the Marina, getting lost in (and tumbling down) San Francisco's  many hills.

As for the concert itself, if you ever get the chance to see anyone perform at the Palace, I highly recommend you go! Naturally the acoustics inside the building are nothing short of amazing, but walking around the Palace grounds and surrounding park are actually what made me fall in love with it that very night. Simply put, it's beautiful. The sheer height and scale of the columns and overhead dome are humbling -- we actually were some of the last concert goers that evening milling around, mainly because we couldn't stop looking up while we were strolling. And we did just that. For hours, well into the night after the concert ended. The city grew still and quiet, the fog coming in like a blanket overhead, and yet there we were, roaming around this beautiful building like our own private playground. I may not quite remember the songs that were played that night and that boyfriend is no longer in my life, but something about it has stuck with me -- a very tangible memory of an evening that felt so alive and full of possibility. 

And to this day, I can't help but think of that night whenever I visit the Palace. 

Photos by Anna-Alexia Basile

You can see the rest of my farewell San Francisco series right this way...

left my heart in san francisco {closet cleanse with the realreal}

Dress: Derek Lam; Shoes: Manolo Blahnik

Those who know me pretty well, know I'm a late packer. For everything. Trips abroad. Or weekend getaways to Napa. It doesn't matter. I usually wait until the zero hour to pack my bags. Even when I was moving from Reno to San Francisco years ago, I managed to pull it off in record time, throwing most of my belongings into garbage bags over the course of an afternoon, stuffed into my tiny red Honda Civic. And for the most part, I survive, unscathed at the end (usually with time to spare at the airport to pick up a few extra magazines).

As for moving across the country? Let's just say, nothing could have prepared me for this. Between the moving logistics ('Should I go with full-service movers vs. a storage unit that I pack myself?') and tying up loose ends ('What do I do with the aforementioned Honda Civic?'), it seemed every time I checked something off my list, I had 10 more to add. 

Oh, and then there was the closet. The closet.

I'm a big proponent of doing closet cleanses and push myself to do them often. Especially when you're in the wake of a big life change like this, it's sometimes nice to really step back and evaluate what you love wearing and parting with the things you just don't anymore. 

 And luckily, the folks at The RealReal makes this process incredibly painless. I've professed my love for The RealReal here on the blog before -- namely for some of the amazing pieces I've managed to snag on sale from them, but I've never shared my consignment experiences with you. True to form, this past weekend, I set up a White Glove appointment with one of their consignment specialists literally the day before I was leaving town (hence the empty apartment you see here), armed with far too many shoes and that Stella dress of my dreams (which just doesn't fit me how I'd like it to).

 From start to finish, everything took about 15 minutes to go through, with my luxury manager snapping photos along the way, so each item could be reviewed and eventually listed on site. Plus, they take the items they think they can sell on the spot back to their warehouse, leaving me with just a few pieces I then took with me for my Crossroads haul.

Have you guys ever tried consigning with The RealReal? Would love to hear your thoughts about the process! And if you haven't, they have a promotion running right now where if you consign 10 pieces with them, they'll send you a $100 gift card to Neiman Marcus. 

Photos by Anna-Alexia Basile

left my heart in san francisco {girlfriends and girl bosses}

On Heather: Romper: Reformation; Belt: Gucci; Shoes: Sergio Rossi; Bra: Love and Lemons

On Krystal: Dress: Karla Spetic; Shoes: Manolo Blahnik; Clutch: Charlotte Olympia; Sunglasses: Celine

As I (slowly) approach 30, I've come to really appreciate a lot about my mid to late 20s, particularly what was once considered unthinkable by my younger 20 something year old self: I feel comfortable in my own skin. I care less about what people think of me. I focus more on what makes me happy. I don't sweat the incredibly small stuff. Sure, some days are easier than others, but that's also why I made a commitment a while back to surround myself with people who share this same outlook and refuse to blaze any path other than their own.

Cue my friend Heather.

Heather and I met a few years back through a mutual friend who found it really hard to believe two fashion bloggers both working at Google somehow hadn't met yet (you were right, Alicia, that was strange!). And really, the introduction couldn't have come at a better time. I was just getting somewhat settled into my new life in San Francisco professionally speaking, but had yet to make any lasting friendship connections that extended themselves well outside the office. We met over lunch and have been friends ever since. 

I think what I appreciate the most about my friendship with Heather is that, while we have a lot in common, (we both work in the tech space and fashion world), we're actually quite different in a lot of ways too. An odd couple if you will. And I love that about her! We challenge each other in ways that we don't normally push ourselves. Equal parts cheerleaders, encouraging each other to take risks and think outside the box, as well as each other's biggest critics, calling out bull shit when we smell it.

She's been my travel partner, my sounding board, a shoulder to cry on when needed and also one of my biggest fans when it comes to just going for my dreams (like this one I'm doing right now in NYC). We may live on different coasts now, but that just means we're cheering each other on from afar. And of course, gives us the excuse to rack up some frequent flier miles throughout the year and sneak in a few Broadway shows, right Heather?

Photos by Anna-Alexia Basile

You can see the rest of my farewell San Francisco series right this way...