monday
Monday morning, my friend from Texas, Tessa, was still in town from her weekend trip. I took advantage of the fact that she was staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel, & spent the afternoon working by the pool, eating over-priced fruit plates + club sandwiches.
When I say over-priced, I mean the fruit plate was $34 & included mostly melons. Why does this shit keep happening to me? Can anything in Los Angeles be normally priced?
Honestly, when I go somewhere that has any type of snack/meal in the $10-15 price range, I am SHOCKED & AMAZED. Don’t even get me started on the pricing of food/drink in New York. I do not know how y’all do it.
Monday evening, I headed to DAVE & BUSTER’S for my collaboration with them. Let’s take a moment to cheer for me & my middle-class-American soul. Momma, I made it.
I brought Claire & Kristen along for the food + fun.
Claire & I have been wanting to shoot in an arcade for awhile now, so we took this opportunity to fulfill our content-creation dreams. We shot this look for Urban Outfitters ( one of my favorites we’ve done, I think ) at D&B while completing my partnership with our local location. Killing two birds with one stone. Productivity makes me so happy.
Needless to say, unlike the rest of LA, the Dave & Busters patrons were NOT used to bloggers & photographers running around shooting & changing into 10 different outfits. We didn’t exactly blend in with the crowd.
As for booking a partnership like this, I was reached out to by, again, a PR company. PR companies definitely tailor there reach-out strategy for brands to connect with bloggers that make sense, so I love that I was contacted for a D&B collaboration. Lolling.
tuesday
Tuesday is the day I fell head-over-heels in LOVE with Silver Lake. Also, it was a long day.
In LA, we do this thing where we are very dramatic about leaving our neighborhood bubbles. When I lived on the west side ( west of the 405 ), I rarely ventured across the 405, unless I needed to for work or I wanted a night out in West Hollywood.
To our credit, it does take approximately 1000 years to get anywhere in Los Angeles, so even the shortest distances require a travel time commitment, depending on the time of day you’re driving.
After a quick outfit gifting at a PR company for Wednesday’s event, Kristen & I “ventured over” to Silver Lake from West Hollywood to explore for the day. The drive to Silver Lake was 4 miles in total, btw. We fully planned & packed as if we were going on an African safari for a month.
ANYWAYS- I fell in LOVE with Silver Lake. While we were on our road trip to SL, I was making fun of the hipster-nation Silver Lake boasts, acting as if they’re ~too cool~ & ~different~ & ~off-beat~ to hang out in West Hollywood or Beverly Hills. After our brief afternoon, I kind of understand.
We started off the day lunching at Go Get ‘Em Tiger, where Kristen got the Biscuit & Eggs and I got the vegan frittata ( which was unexpectedly SO GOOD ).
Then, after snapping photos for a few sponsored posts, we did some vintage shopping ( the stores on Vermont ave are BOMB ), picked up the cutest bouquet of flowers from a street vendor, & relaxed at a cafe for a bit.
Let me just say, Silver Lake is SO AFFORDABLE. The vintage stores are well-priced ( Kristen picked up some stuff for her online vintage boutique, High End Hippie Vintage ). I got a custom bouquet of roses ( + eucalyptus + baby’s breath ) for $5! Like ???? At the cute cafe I mentioned, Figaro Bistrot, they were serving cappuccinos in LITERAL BOWLS ( no like, an actual bowl. that’s how huge they were. ) for under $5.
What is this magical place???
Not to mention, we saw John Mulaney & Stella Maxwell in one day. My West Hollywood/Beverly Hills celebrity sitings are always so douchey, but my SL spottings were actually worth mentioning. I didn’t even notice it was Stella Maxwell ( Kristen had to point it out to me ), because I was too busy staring at her AMAZING cropped denim jacket. Focussing on the important things, ya know?
We headed to Beverly Hills for the Nasty Gal pool party that afternoon. Upon walking in & saying our hello’s, I spotted the buffet table with a spread of fruit + BEYOND BURGERS. I decided then & there that this was the absolute best event ever.
We walked out to the pool, stopping for some CBD lavender lemonade ( click here for why I love CBD! ), a quick cannabis-laden goodie bag ( Kristen’s favorite part ), & fruit ( with tajin! ) from the authentic fruit truck they brought in.
There were also kombucha + tequila cocktails, tattoos by a local tat legend, & plenty of photo opps. I absolutely LOVE working with Nasty Gal, so attending one of their events & feeling like it was legit catered to ME was fucking amazing. I love when brand collaborations make so much sense.
We rounded out the evening with Calpak, in celebration of their newly-launched travel wallet. I’m actually ALL IN for this versatile bag, & I wear it as a purse somewhat regularly now. I got mine in white, and I wear it as a cross-body, a clutch, & a hip belt. I’m on board.
Also, Claire was there shooting the event, & I was surrounded by so many of my favorite bloggers. I know this phrase is so overused but it was SUCH GOOD VIBES!
wednesday
I worked mostly all day Wednesday, catching up on e-mails & to-dos. On days like this, I sit in front of my computer for 8 straight hours or more, in a total productivity-induced trance.
I got out of the house to get a quick HIIT treadmill workout in ( took 30 mins! ) before my event on Wednesday night.
Wednesday, I got dressed in my pink blazer dress ( couldn’t find this exact one online anywhere! ) + headed to Delilah to celebrate the launch of Paris Hilton’s collaboration with Boohoo. For events in the middle of the week like this, I like to show-face, say hi to my friends + girls I work with, stay for a bit to get a good photo, & leave relatively early.
Keeping it professional, because otherwise, I’ll be posted up by the bar for an hour, & I can’t afford to do that mid-week. I’m Sober Sally during the week, most of the time.
thursday
On Wednesday night, as I was leaving the Paris Hilton x Boohoo event, my friend Alex ( who runs Bloggers Who Brunch ) texted me last-minute to invite me to a daytime excursion to Malibu with OPI the next morning.
Hesitantly ( because I had A LOT of work I needed to do ), I said yes, knowing that any opportunity I get to spend a day in Malibu with my friends is probably worth it. Also, Claire was shooting the event, & I like to go to events/etc with her.
I took a bunch of vlog footage from all of Thursday, so y’all will see that more visually soon.
Basically we were bussed out to Malibu to spend the day at Malibu Wine Safaris with OPI to celebrate the launch of their new polish line, coming very soon. We were told to keep details hush-hush until the line is officially launched. We sipped wine ( limited myself to a half glass, because HEALTH ), fed a bunch of weird animals, & brunched in the most beautiful vineyard setting.
Upon returning to LA, I quickly shot an upcoming collaboration with Claire on Sunset Blvd., and I headed to the gym for a quick gym session before the night’s activities.
I planned on doing a strength circuit focussing on butt/legs & abs that day. I threw on my new leather-look sports bra + legging set, feeling very swaggy & happy with the look of the outfit ( a brand sent me this workout set, so I was basking in the glory of my free look ). I picked up a medicine ball to start in on my squats, and 2 squats in my leggings RIPPED UP THE ENTIRE ASS-CRACK. Literally one butt cheek was just hanging out, hogging all the attention.
Because I was rather stressed about getting to all of my to-do’s that day, I knew I NEEDED a quick, intense workout for at least a few minutes to calm me. Instead of retreating to the bathroom to make a swift exit, I found a back corner of Equinox that housed a stair master, and literally ran up stairs for 15 minutes.
TBH, I was kind of proud that I didn’t let my literal butthole being out ( okay, dramatic, I was wearing a thong ) stop me from getting a workout in.
I quickly got ready & headed to K-town for the Frankie’s Bikinis runway show, which ended up being absolutely unreal but SUCH A SCENE. Imagine every model you’ve ever gawked over on Instagram being in one room.
Me & my zits were like K cool yeah, me too.
I’m consistently impressed by Francesca Aiello’s creative direction for her swimwear line, as well as her badass-ness. She’s MY AGE & she runs a successful bikini line that draws in celebrity customers like crazy.
She’s also SO creative with her shoot + show concepts. Very rarely do I see original content + designs when it comes to clothing/swimwear brands, & it seems like Frankie’s Bikinis always kills it in the department. SUCH A FAN.
friday
Friday was another long work-day.
Emails, scheduling posts, planning Miami Swim Week, micromanaging Claire to get me my images. The usual.
I feel the need to mention here: I am LOVING these Mighty Muffins from Flapjacked. This is absolutely not sponsored ( but, like, hey Flapjacked ), I just really love these protein-packed muffins.
At this point, I’ve only tried the double chocolate flavor, & I’m HOOKED.
I just ordered the value pack from Amazon, so details-to-come on those flavors. I was DMing with the brand last week ( #normal ), and they also told me you can create-your-own collection of Mighty Muffins to have shipped to you. Dreams do come true.
I stayed in on Friday night, & found myself typing away on my laptop at 1AM to create my 4th of July Swimsuit Round-Up, because I felt it was necessary to get that up ASAP. Definitely check that out if you’re in need of a suit for the 4th.
saturday
I headed out to Malibu on Saturday morning with Kylee & Kristen to brunch with Public Desire. We had QUITE the spread for our morning brunch on the pier at Malibu Farm, a spot I’ve detailed on my LA Guide.
After that, we headed back into LA for a late brunch with Rheya Swim, my roommate, Chloe’s, swim line. I’m SUCH a fan of her suits & so lucky to know someone who is killing it like she is. She’s always on her A-game. Rheya Swim has the best, flattering, simple swimsuits designed to make you feel comfortable AND hot. & there’s a HUGE SALE going on right now.
Highly recommend shopping that. I have the Ibiza top + bottom in blush & the Maui top + bottom in black. I’m a medium/large in tops & small in bottoms, for reference. After brunch, all of my friends were going out around town to be social + have fun, because that’s what weekends are for.
But, honestly, I hit a wall on Saturday afternoon, and had a bit of a weak moment ( that lasted for a few hours ) that’s been coming on for awhile now. As some of you know, I’ve been struggling with skin issues in the last half-year or so. As a person who’s never had BAD skin prior to recently, I’m finding it difficult to stay confident + happy with myself.
I’ve tried everything from talking to dermatologists, naturopaths, & estheticians, to perfecting a rather expensive skincare regime, to changing my diet, to taking supplements, to undergoing LED light therapy, facials, peels, etc. to alleviate my acne breakouts. It’s exhausting.
Not to mention, cystic + hormonal acne are as painful as they are unflattering. The whole thing has really taken a toll on me mentally, & on top of that, I feel guilty that something so superficial has gotten to me so much. It’s not the first thing people notice about me, I’ve been told by very honest friends, but I see it, and that’s enough to drive me crazy. Also, it’s difficult to be confident in front of a camera when you want to hide away in your room in the dark for the rest of forever.
I’ve found myself avoiding social scenarios + opting out of going out, because I can’t enjoy myself when I feel so gross.
I’m not sharing this to make anyone feel bad for me. I’m simply sharing this to show y’all that absolutely everyone has things they are self-conscious about & everyone experiences moments of weakness ( or maybe weeks/months of weakness ). I preach a lot about lifting yourself up + moving forward, which is something I talk frequently to remind myself as well. It’s okay to have moments of weakness. We’re all human.
So, I spent Saturday evening at home, trying to decompress ( maybe getting a mini-breakdown in, lol ), relax, & get some sleep instead of socializing. In the midst of my mini-breakdown, my Grandma sent me the cutest text including a picture of my dog, wishing me a good saturday afternoon, saying that her + my grandpa were thinking of me. It totally lifted my spirits, at least for a moment.
It’s the little things, I guess.
I don’t have many photos from Sunday, because it was a long work day. I started AND finished the podcast S-Town, which is something I recommend to EVERYONE. It’s totally not what I expected. I can’t say I DIDN’T shed a tear or two while listening ( damn, it was an emotional weekend ).
That’s it for this week, babes. Hope everyone is embarking on a productive NEW WEEK today.
Also, keep your eye out for a skinny french fry recipe coming to H+H today, just because. They’re so yum.
Talk soon, xx