Tag Archives: San Diego

Fashion Blogger Day at Flower Hill Promenade

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This post is just the first of a flurry of events I have attended in the last couple of weeks, which means I’ll be posting something everyday this week!  This event was a couple of weeks ago, and was at Flower Hill Promenade in Del Mar.  We pass this mall whenever we take a trip to Los Angeles, or whenever we go to the San Diego County Fair.  I’ve been to this mall a couple of times in the past, but never ventured deeper than a restaurant or the movie theater, and I haven’t been there since their renovations (for instance, that movie theatre is now a Whole Foods).  When an invite was posted on the San Diego Style Bloggers blog to check out their newest boutiques called “The Row”, I jumped at the chance to see what’s new.

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Our day began with delicious drinks and starters, courtesy of Sea & Smoke.  There, we met up with Heidi and Lauren of J Public Relations and a couple of ladies with Flower Hill Promenade.  We had a tartine with cheese, spinach, and figs, and a lovely selection of meats, cheeses and nuts.  The drinks were a citrus spritzer, along with my staple of coffee.  All of it was perfect, light and delicious.

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The Lexington Cardi by Street Chic.  Outfit post to come!

Of the five bloggers present, I hung out with Bianca of The In Between Girls, and a new addition to the San Diego Style Bloggers network, Abigail of The Fabulous Life of a Natural Disaster.  When we were given our itineraries, the three of us immediately wanted to go to the same place first:  Vixen Pop Up Boutique!  We were greeted by owner Vanessa Johnson, who gifted us with cute little friendship bracelets made by a local surfer.  The space is quite large and full of fashionable items from clothing, to accessories, to home goods.  We also got to meet Alison Choi, founder and owner of Street Chic, who had some real estate in Vixen, stocked with her fabulous clothing and jewelry, in addition to some curated items.  I bought the Lexington Cardi, pictured above.

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1. Vanessa, owner of Vixen, with Abigail and Bianca, choosing their bracelets; 2. My picks.

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With Bianca and Abigail at Vixen.

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Vixen Collage 4Vixen Collage 3Because the weather started to deteriorate, we had to limit our visit to the shops immediately around us.  I couldn’t take too many pictures of the shops upstairs because the rain really started to come down.  Below are the few pictures of the shops we actually went into prior to the weather change.  Rest assured that this won’t be my last visit to the Flower Hill Promenade.  Thank you to J Public Relations and Flower Hill Promenade for hosting a fashionable and fun day!

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Love this seating area in Lone Flag, which is a concept space and shop, filled with high quality core products ranging from homeware to clothing, shoes, and accessories for both men and women.

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Rais Case 2 (1280x960) (2)Rais Case & Mr. B’s Luminaries are two different shops sharing the same space.  Rais Case presents pieces made with repurposed materials to make unique accessories.  Mr. B’s Luminaries offers all natural, individually hand poured candles, good for you and the earth.  Both very green endeavors!

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Van de Vort showcases lovely statement pieces, encompassing the style of the California woman.  That dress is adorable, and I love the couch, very elegant!

Fashion Week San Diego: The Trunk Show

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Here is the final post of my Fashion Week San Diego experience, the trunk show.  I really had a great time because it was a very relaxed vibe, and we got to meet many of the designers.  They announced the winning designers of #FWSD, and we got to partake in the celebration with several champagne toasts.  I also met up with a few of my blogger buddies at the show, and not only left with goodies courtesy of the #FWSD VIP gift bag, but I also made a purchase from Dexter Simmons, who will appear in the reality show Styled to Rock later this week.  I took pictures galore, but here are the highlights.  Hope you had a great weekend!

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Hats and shirts by Dexter Simmons, including the one I purchased (photo courtesy of Dexter’s Instagram).

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The man himself, Dexter Simmons!  He is such a nice guy, and it was nice to know he is definitely influenced by music in his designs. I wish I could have met Cecilia Aragon and Andre Soriano (who is from San Diego).  I will definitely be watching them this Friday on “Styled to Rock“!

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Designer Lauren Cram of Victrola Designs; designers Otilia Mendez and Denise Munoz of Diestra Brand and a beautiful gown from Ashley Raymond.

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Pieces from WM Couture Designs and Noia by Evelyne.  So pretty up close!

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Gorgeous jewelry by Yuwei Designs.

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Runway models from A’doreus

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Vanessa of Fashion Mixtape and I with A’doreus designer Sharlene Estrella Borromeo.  In front of us is a table with wrapping paper made in the same print as that on the dresses in her runway show.  Quite lovely up close!

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The #FWSD Advisory Panel, including announcer Jeff Krapf.

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Toasting the winners of #FWSD:  3rd place, Greenpacha; 2nd Place, WishNow; 1st place, RHCreation.  They are seen with sales and marketing director of #FWSD Rhiannon Marquis and Allison Andrews, director and founder of #FWSD.

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Cheers!  Celebrating with Laura of Laura Neuzeth and Alessandra of Alessandra Gonzalez.  Photobomb by the Peroni Italy poster gal!

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Greenpacha, Hats for a Better World

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Dresses from WishNow Designs.  The detailing was exquisite!

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Richard Henderson and Timothy McGee of RHCREATION.

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The Naughty Monkey Shoes display.  I had no idea they were based in San Diego!  I would love to tour their facility someday.  They provided shoes for the runway shows, and designers even got to design their own shoes!

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With Kendall of The Fishbowl by Kendall and Laura (photo taken by Alessandra).

My outfit:  Oasap dress; GUNAS purse from Modavanti; Steve Madden shoe boots; Honeybadger glasses from BonLook  

Cupping: A Caffeinated Performance by Mostra Coffee

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I’ve been incredibly busy lately, so I’m playing catch up with some events that have happened over the past few weeks.  Recently, my sister and I attended a “Cupping” session with a local coffee company called Mostra Coffee.  Since the location of the session was in the Rancho Bernardo area, it was easy for my sister to meet up with me prior to her going to work.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, except that maybe it would be like a wine tasting, but with coffee.  What we got was a fabulous coffee experience.  I discovered Mostra Coffee through their Instagram account, and learned about the cupping session on their Facebook page.  The pictures below tell the story of our experience, and if you’re a coffee fanatic like me, the Mostra Coffee cupping session is a must. Have a great weekend!

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We all start off with the ground coffee first, smelling the coffee to distinguish the different aromas.

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Hot water is added to each bowl, and we “slurp” the coffee to see if it brings out more aromas or other flavors.

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This is a flavor wheel.  It helps those of us who are novices to coffee tasting (like moi).

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After trying the coffee hot, we then were able to try to their “cold brews”, which surprisingly altered the taste and brought out even more flavors.  I loved the Guatemala because it was deep and rich like a French Roast.

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After the tasting, we were treated to a siphoning demonstration by Mike, master roaster.

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The coffee used for the siphoning was the Guatemala beans, and it was blended with a wonderful Teavana tea called Toasted Nut Brulee.  After adding a bit of cream to this blend, it tasted like dessert!

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The cupping session took place at the Abnormal Wine Company in Rancho Bernardo, right next to where I work and across the street from where my sister lives.  If you would like to attend a cupping session by Mostra Coffee, you can do so by checking out their Facebook page and you can also find out about their events by going to their official site.  FYI – this is a Filipino owned company, and they hope to introduce coffee beans grown in the Philippines!

Beautiful Bits & Bobbles at Bubbles Boutique

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Shopping is always a favorite pastime of mine, and part of living in San Diego means shopping in beautiful places.  Once of those places is a shop in Downtown’s Gaslamp District called Bubbles Boutique.  I first was introduced to Bubbles Boutique when I attended my first San Diego Style Bloggers event last year (original post here), and it’s where I met and befriended one of my favorite independent jewelry designers, Suki of Suki Bijoux.  Other than the fabulous fashions and accessories, I simply adore the eclectic décor.  There are so many delicate details and it reminds me of a lovely French boudoir.

I visited Bubbles Boutique again last Saturday, and after some much-needed retail therapy, I chatted with owner Gayleen Nichols about her fabulously sophisticated, yet fun and unique boutique.

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How long have you owned your own boutique, and how did you get started in the business?

I have been in business for over 10 years.  The idea of opening a retail shop came when a friend opened a franchise shop called Splash Bath & Body. I fell in love with the concept and the products. I took a leap of faith and left my corporate property management job, sold everything and moved to San Diego from Long Beach.

How did you come to the decision to own your own boutique/business?  How did you come up with the name of your boutique?

After 2 years it became apparent I would need to sell more to keep the doors open. This was against the franchise guidelines so we parted ways and I became Bubbles…a Unique Boutique.

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What would you say is your “style” and how is that reflected in what you have to offer?

What has emerged after 10 years is a new tag line that speaks my style:  “Eclectic fashion for every mood”.

I think fashion is an expression of our thoughts and feelings. Somedays I want to be funky , retro, biker chic and Audry Hepburn. I don’t believe one has to dress the same every single day. Mixing it up keeps it fresh and fun!

I buy with an eye for the unusual. You know…that keeper piece in the closet. I receive many compliments every day about what a fun shop and customers often thank us for having a really fun shopping experience.

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How do you choose who to feature in your store as far as independent designers/jewelers are concerned?

A big part of my niche market is featuring over a dozen local artists who create amazing jewelry and accessories. My business is driven largely by tourism and it is exciting to offer keepsakes other than San Diego shirts and mugs.

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Suki Bijoux

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What do you like best about what you do?

I love what I do because it provides an outlet for the creative side in me. I put much energy into merchandising in a fun way that is enjoyed by my customers.

I am blessed each and every day with the opportunity to meet people from all parts of the world. The reward is in helping women feel awesome about themselves and encouraging them to step outside the fashion rut box.

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I absolutely love, love, LOVE this display!

Thank you Gayleen for taking the time to chat with me!  After you shop til you drop at Bubbles Boutique, please make sure to stay connected with them through their official site, Facebook page and on Instagram.

226 5th Ave., San Diego, CA 92101 619-236-9003

Weekend in Pictures: South Park Wild West Walkabout

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This past weekend, I met up with CC (I formerly referred to her as Pink Candles) from the blog Pink Candles at Ridgemont High and we took our kids to do the South Park Wild West Walkabout.  Because there was so much to cover, I thought I’d break up the post into two parts, and this post will focus mainly on the atmosphere and food.

What’s a Walkabout?

It’s a fun-filled evening festival to introduce you to the shops and cafes of South Park.

From Kalima to Beech Streets, you’ll find shops open late, entertainment, specials, and surprises.  Browse, explore, shop, and celebrate the independent spirit of our neighborhood.

– From the Wild West Walkbout flier, www.SouthParkScene.com

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Charm in the Heart of the City

Nestled between North Park and Golden Hill, South Park is a historic enclave with a welcoming variety of independently-owned gift and clothing boutiques, markets and cafes, taverns and restaurants, art galleries and salons.  Enjoy our special events and unhurried visits to our warm and friendly neighborhood.

– From the Wild West Walkbout flier, www.SouthParkScene.com

South Park reminds me of an area like Shoreditch in London, very artsy and quite eclectic. I would love to go back down there to take more pictures and maybe even do some outfit posts because there’s just so much visual candy out there. I’m glad that we started early because as the night went on, it got more and more crowded. Not only was there a lot to take in visually, music filled the air around every corner. Being bloggers, CC and I were snapping pictures left and right. Had I known that I would be taking as many pictures as I did, I would have charged my camera. Sadly, it died as we got to some very interesting art (which consisted of mutilated dolls and BBQ skewers).

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Although there were dozens of places to eat by way of cafes, restaurants and food trucks, we opted for convenience (and a place to sit).  We decided on a San Diego staple, Sombrero Mexican Food.  If you like Blink 182, this local chain is one in the same in the lyrics from the song Josie:  “She brings me mexican food from Sombrero just because” (I’ve read that fans still drop off letters and gifts at the Poway location).  CC and her daughter had fish and chicken tacos and a combo plate, while I had my favorite rolled tacos.  Dominic had been asking for french fries since we left the house, so we were lucky that they had it on their menu.  Afterwards, we treated ourselves to fantastic ice cream at The Daily Scoop.  CC explained that their ice cream comes locally from Niederfrank’s, who makes ice cream handmade from their location in National City.  The reason I took a picture of the awning is because she also said that it was the former location of M-Theory Music, which can still be seen underneath.  In that last collage picture, you can see my delicious waffle cone filled with two scoops: Butterscotch Marble and Blueberry Cheesecake. Yum!

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CC’s daughter was so awesome and did her best to keep Dominic occupied during the evening.  He was a bit grumpy because we woke him up just at the beginning of his nap right when we arrived.  The only way we could really get him to enjoy himself more was to tell him that he could get his face painted at cute children’s store called So Childish, where they had many of the kid’s activities.  Dominic got his face done up like his favorite superhero, Spider-Man.  As a plus, every child got a free cowboy hat in line with the Wild West theme.

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We ended the night with a couple of items for the road: a key lime cheesecake for CC’s hubby and a cafe latte carmelato for moi (made with Illy coffee) from Cafe Madeleine.  The quaint corner location and French inspired signs reminded me of the little cafes I saw around Paris last summer.  The coffee made for a nice handwarmer for the ride home.  Dominic and I had a great time with CC and her daughter at the Wild West Walkabout.  Part two of our South Park adventure will be about the shops we ventured into and some of my cool finds.  Hope you had a great weekend!

San Diego Style Bloggers Meet Up

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Vanessa, Jennifer and Paulina

You know the saying, “No man is an island”?  I think the same applies to bloggers.  We can’t and shouldn’t blog in a vaccuum, so it’s important to develop blogger friendships and networks, not only for support, but to share fresh ideas from other perspectives.  I was invited to the most recent San Diego Style Bloggers meet up, arranged by founders Rachael of Da Paura and Paulina of Lil Bits Of Chic along with eco-friendly VavaVida.  It was held at Bubbles Boutique in the Gaslamp District of Downtown San Diego, and was so much fun!   We had snacks, champagne, and even little gifts from VavaVida and Bubbles Boutique.  Not only did I get to meet the lovely Paulina and reconnect with Jennifer of Malcriada and Vanessa of Fashion Mixtape, I got to know a few more awesome local bloggers: Pat and Paula of Pat Flor, Jess of Jess Glam Diary, Tuyayamya of White Tee Black Dress, Lua of Miss Lulu Blogs and Lindsay of Elle Web Style.  In addition to meeting a bevy of fashionable bloggers, I also met two talented San Diego based jewelry designers: Deneace of Mad Rain Designs and Suki of Suki Bijoux (check out my cute ring by Suki Bijoux, pictured below).  I had a wonderful time chatting with both ladies, and I will have interviews with both of these designers in future blog posts.

We are all individual, beautiful, and stylish.  We are of different ages, sexes and walks of life and we all have something to offer.  If you have a chance to attend a local blogger event, I suggest you do so and often.  Get out there and get to know your fellow local bloggers!

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Posing with Vanessa (and my Wendy Brandes rings…again!)

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Chatting, sharing, mingling, and shopping! (My Jump From Paper bag can been seen in the backgroung while I’m chatting with Suki Bijoux.)

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Ring by Suki Bijoux (made from a vintage map)

(Photos 1, 2, 3 and 4 are courtesy of San Diego Style Bloggers)

My Finest City: FTF Blog Event for 4/6/2011


Kristy Elena of Sunglass Hut’s Full Time Fabulous is hosting a blog event today centered around either heritage or your current home city. Because putting together a post about my Filipino heritage would take more time than I had available for this event, I decided to post a simple pictorial of my hometown and current residence of San Diego, California.

I used Polyvore to gather some of my favorite images of San Diego, including the Jeffrey Campbell shoes I posted about yesterday named after my hometown. Being a native, I had to include my favorite hometown teams:  the Padres baseball team and the Chargers football team. I also added a couple of things I like to do like getting around my beautiful town and the world-famous Comic Convention, affectionately known to all here as “The Con”.

If you haven’t had the chance to visit “America’s Finest City”, come on down! It’s a big city that feels like a small town. But if you’re itching for some bright lights and big city, it’s just a 2 hour drive to Hollywood and a quick flight to San Francisco. I was born and raised here, met my husband here, and we are raising our son here. Although I claim to love several cities out there (especially London), my heart will always be right here in San Diego.

(America’s Finest City by sighgee featuring pewter shoes)

The Con

Comic-Con International

 It happens every year at this time.  Thousands of people flock to San Diego for the pop-culture event of the year.  I’ve gone a few times a few years ago, but now you have know someone to even get a stab at pre-sale tickets.  

I’m talking about the San Diego Comic-Con International (affectionately called “The Con” by regulars).  This is the premier event during the 3rd week of July where movie buffs, geeks, video game enthusiasts and comic book readers gather to take a peak at the latest and greatest.  During this time, it is not unusual to see people in full costume regalia.  The characters you see on the streets of Downtown San Diego will depend on what the hit movie or trend is out that year.  But I can guarantee that there is not a shortage of your Star Trek characters, especially the Klingon.  Did you know they have their own complete language?  It’s true, I think my sister even has the book. 

Mei-Lin in wings from Comic-Con 2008

My sister, brother in law and now their daughter go every year.   When I went with them, I got to meet Kevin Smith (“Clerks” and “Mallrats”), Wil Wheaton (“Stand By Me” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation”), and I received an illustration from William Tucci (“Shi”).  I was also into Cyberforce because they have a character named Cyblade (they called her “Cy”), so I have a few Top Cow Productions comics.  I even have the sealed issue of “The Death of Superman” that I purchased at The Con.  What I’ve missed in these last 2 years is the “True Blood” panel.  My sister will be checking that out for me tomorrow. 

I hear through the grapevine that The Con may be relocated.  I hope not!  This event is such a boost to the economy, and it’s nice to know that we have an event synonymous with San Diego.  I want to buy tickets for next year to take my husband and son.  

I’ve included a picture of my niece from a year where she went in her fairy best, complete with wings, Comic-Con pass and Spider Man flip flops.   As Olivia (“Nick Jr”) says, “Whatever the question, costumes are always a good answer!”  I’m sure my niece and many Con goers would agree, whether or not they realize they’re agreeing with a cartoon pig.