Post-vacation wreckage

The day I got back from Big Bear, I arrived to find the shelf in my closet had detached and the rail holding all my clothes fell right along with it. Photographic evidence of the disaster below:

one half of my closet. I'll explain the smiley face backpack

And so began my week-long efforts to organize and clean the closet. Despite the fact that I had no plans to do as much cleaning but instead was forced to, I'm actually grateful because I was able to get rid of bags and bags of clothing. Moreover, I found some mementos from my youth, including my Jansport backpack full of just some of my paperwork from high school, that lead to several bouts of nostalgia . Here are some of the other items I found:

Anyone else get birthday grams from school?

90s- smiley face anything, nanos, Nsync, Lisa Frank, Polly Pocket etc

the box of miscellaneous stuff

early 2000s school paper on the expansion of "the Facebook"

I carried this around with me everywhere!

I am clearly a 90s baby. My family and friends tease me for keeping so much useless stuff but for me it's about sentimental value. I am not a hoarder ( i repeat...).

Check out my After shot which includes my newly decorated closet door. I used all the postcards I've collected from photographers including Herb Ritts, Ansel Adams and Marc Muench.

What are some keepsakes you keep hidden away in your closet? Ever had a closet disaster?

You know you're a 90s kids when...

...Your ipod falls in the tub and despite going into panic mode, you think "at least I still have my portable cd players." Hey, if all else fails... :)

I know the whole "90s kid" list is played out but I still thought I'd list some of the quirky things that remind me of those days and decade that doesn't feel that long ago.

1. Tigerbeat, BBop, Teen and YM magazine... oh and Teen People!

2. The zipper folder- so I could leave all my loose papers in there without worrying about losing them

3. Jansport backpack and white out- only a 90s kid would know

4. Blue make-up ( I was a particular fan of blue eyeshadow but I also put blue mascara on my eyelashes AND hair)

5. TRL, Diary, Making the Video- basically, Mtv when it stood for Music

6. Three-way calling and having to answer every call cause there was no caller ID

7. Before cells we had pagers. Why? There was no practical reason and that was part of the fun 

8. Over exposed photos with those flowery, starry, butterfly-filled etc. backgrounds

9. "bomb" "dope" "diggity" 

10. a world without social media where most emails ended with @hotmail

Sorry I've been away...

E.Weston. I just love this shot. That is all.

My only excuse is that I've been enjoying my time post thesis madness while simultaneously looking for a full-time job. Since I graduated May 22, I've been to San Francisco, Big Bear and I've been sick. In the midst of that I've continued updating the website I worked on for my thesis and I landed an internship at Los Angeles Magazine! I start in August and yes, I'm excited. I also renewed my membership at the rec center at my school ($43 for 3 months!) so I've tried to go to the gym at least three times a week. Working out has proven to be a great stress reliever and with each workout I'm noticing slight improvements that keep me motivated. I've been going to yoga, spin, body sculpting, Zumba and water aerobics and I love them all even when I'm cursing myself for signing up (hello, Spin class!).

Despite my weekly efforts, I initally was still lazy when it came to my eating habits and I kept excusing my indulgences by telling myself I would burn it off the next day. It's true what they say- 30 percent is fitness, 70 is diet. I've since tried to cut down my bread and cheese in take and I went back to the boring yet trusty snack of lettuce and tomatoes with EVOO and balsamic. I also try and eat a hearty yet healthy breakfast and I really have to push myself to NOT eat chips, cheese, or pasta like it's my last day on earth.

One of my eye opening moments was when I visited Big Bear and wore my two-piece to the lake after enjoying a patty melt with steak fries. Needless to say, I had a bloated belly that will forever be etched in memory courtesy of the group shots we took. At the ripe old age of 26, I'm realizing my metabolism isn't what it was when I was 21 so I better start eating like it. Nevertheless, it was a weekend getaway so I felt no guilt about enjoying my time with my girlfriends especially considering it was our first get-together in months. We camped out for the night: we built our tent and our own fire AND survived without a shower and only port-a-potties with no sink. We were practically cave women compared to how we actually live and we enjoyed every minute of it. From cooking s'mores in our fire pit to telling ghost stories (one of the restaurants we visited is supposedly haunted), we were able to get a away from reality for a bit and just enjoy nature.

Likewise, San Francisco was amazing. It's so different from LA and I just love how it reminds me so much of my hometown of Rosario. I really, really love Golden Gate Park, you really need a whole week to truly enjoy everything it has to offer. I'll post more about my adventure in SF soon.

Thus, this post is really an excuse to show off some of my vacation shots. Enjoy!

 How has the last month been for you?

BTW, I promise to post weekly (if not daily) not monthly from here on out and yes, I'm aware of the irony considering my blog title. :)

 

 

Alcatraz

Lombard St aka The Crookedest Street in the World

 

 

Tree at Carmel by the Sea

Carmel River State Beach

Big Bear campsite- Hanna Flats

Boulder Bay Lake, Big Bear