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Here it is, folks, the first official FFAF post of the year!

Picking out the first outfit of the year was a challenge – I felt like it had to be special, but at the same time the tomboy and I wanted to get ready in a jiffy for an afternoon playing around in San Francisco and at the beach (after a deliciously long morning in bed). Luckily, we spoiled Californians had lovely weather. All of these photos were taken at the Pacifica Pier, a quarter-mile long pier jutting out into the Pacific Ocean from the tiny coastal town of Pacifica, which is about a five-minute drive from our house.

Blue skies, just a hint of chill in the air, and a bit of haze around the edges to soften things up a bit. (I’m sure the hungover masses appreciated that last merciful touch.) If it’d been a touch cooler, I would have layered my lime green blouse under the sweater – how cute the pointed collar would have been against the black! Alas, t-shirt weather.

Even though in my world this is a pretty un-fussy, low-key outfit, I sure got some looks from the anglers on the pier in Pacifica! Good thing these tights are nearly as thick as pants, what with all the wind blowing around. I could never wear this skirt without super thick leggings underneath – in addition to being terribly sweet it’s also obscenely short.

Sometimes I see other style bloggers bare-legged in skirts this short (sometimes shorter still) and my mind is thoroughly blown. What about wind? What about sitting down? What if – God forbid – you drop your bloody lens cap? Are they outfits for blog purposes only and not IRL? If not, what’s their secret and must it exclude modesty? I NEED TO KNOW.

Daytime snuggles on the beach are kind of the best snuggles, no? I don’t ever do my hair this way, but I kind of love it, especially after seeing the pics. This is second day hair, teased a whole bunch at the crown with the top third or so pulled back and pinned into place, with a spritz or two of trusty Elnett to keep it all secure. I just used some shine serum on my brushed curls and heavy bangs (they’re growing out so quickly), and that’s it! Of course the sea breeze whipped things up, but it appears to be for the better.

I’m gonna talk about my nails, and then let y’all look at the rest of the pictures sans interruption. I saw an online tutorial for ombre nails, yes, just like the clothes or hair, but for nails. It was metallic and blue, but I wanted to do a girly pinkish gold version for NYE, so I picked out four colors (yes, four) and went to work. I layered a muted brown (Zoya Dea) over a pinkish nude (Who Comes Up with These Names? from OPI) over a creamy pink (Zoya Lo), and then blended it all together with a glittery layer of Butter London’s Tart with a Heart. Success!

Details

Skirt: Zara
Sweater: Target
Leggings: Silence + Noise
Studded Suede Ankle Boots: Trouvé
Patent Leather Clutch: Alice + Olivia for Payless

Silver Cuff Bracelet & Ring: BCBG
Silver Thorned Bangle: Made Her Think
Rhodium “bamboo” hoop earrings: Lauren Adams
Watch: Citizen

Last Saturday felt lazy, even though we left our cloud (our nickname for the fluffy new king-sized Ralph Lauren blanket we bought recently) to run a handful of errands. I wasn’t feeling super well, but we needed to go out and forage for driftwood-y tree ornaments and find an HTML5 book for M, so off we went! I perked up a bit when I snagged the very last copy of this Lula magazine and after a few sips of a gingerbread latte.

Lula and The Gentlewoman are two fancy-pants magazines I really, really look forward to buying collecting, whenever new issues come out. In a way they feel like sister magazines; one girlish, whimsical and very clever, the other almost frighteningly smart, self-possessed and beautiful. Both are incredibly lovely. I’ve noticed a few similar magazines pop up in the market, but I don’t think there’s really a comparison. The thoughtfulness of them isn’t something that can be hastily replicated!

If you’re in the SF Bay Area and wonder where you can get your hot little hands on either, try Issues just off Piedmont Avenue in Oakland (they carry everything under the sun and staff are always genuinely friendly and helpful), or the incomparable Fog City News on Market in SF (they double as a candy shop that carries one of the most outstanding selections of artisan chocolates the world over as well as a grand array of old-fashioned soda pop).

Bonus tip: Tomboys might love the high-end magazine selection at F.S.C. Barber’s tiny boutique on Valencia, or the ones at Unionmade in the Castro! They make fantastic stocking stuffers, if you happen to be looking for those final little items.

My Eleven Objects collar is on its way to me, and so are my five frames to try on from Warby Parker! I’m so excited. M has a pair from them and a handful of my friends have their frames, too, so I’m giving some a test-drive in anticipation of my annual January optometry appointment. I got it into my head that I need a pair just like James Dean’s, so I narrowed it down to these bad boys and one will surely be the winner!

It’s a total departure from anything I’ve had in the past, and I hardly wear my glasses as it is, but perhaps with a cheeky new pair all that will change! It’s all part, I think, of my gradual migration into an occasional tomboy femme aesthetic. First, the Everlane t-shirts, now this…what next?!

Dress: Fire
Tights: Hue
Blazer: Asos
Calf-Hair Ankle Boots: Adrienne Vittadini

I just tossed on some of these Old Navy bracelets and my Betsey Johnson sugary skull earrings, and called it a day! That, a fishtail braid, bright pink lips and soft grey eyeshadow, for a mellow and relaxing day.

Greetings from San Francisco Bay! While it is borderline insane / reckless / madwomanish to want to be out on the bay right now with all of this terrifying wind, I kind of want to be anyway. I mean, how exciting would it be!? All jostled and wild and free in the night! Not on a ferry, though, on something sexier and more, uh, seaworthy. I could be wrong, but ferries seem to be meant for quick, repeated jaunts back and forth short distances on mostly calm waters.

In that top top top photo, you can see the Golden Gate Bridge braced against the Pacific Ocean, on a very gloomy afternoon. Just above, behind me, you can see San Francisco. The hilly bit is Pacific Heights, I think. This is the commuter ferry, it hops from Pier 39 to Tiburon and Sausalito for a mere $21, round-trip. ($9 if you have a Clipper, such a steal. I also recommend a bag of hot baby donuts to keep you warm and happy, all smothered in cinnamon and sugar. So good.)

A very long time ago on a beautifully sunny, cool day, M & I took this very ferry to Tiburon, a teeny tiny Marin peninsula that sticks out into the bay. We wined and dined on freshly made beds on a huge, gorgeous wooden balcony overlooking the water with a most spectacular view of the city, while a DJ played Thievery Corporation-esque music in the background. On the ferry ride back, as the sun was setting and the big, heavy Fall moon rose like a sparkling jewel in the bosom of the sky over the Oakland Hills, we noticed a very sweet old couple nuzzling and holding hands on the ferry. It was so terribly romantic and tender, I thought, and M later confessed that she noticed them, too, and had secretly hoped that we’d live long enough to be like that one day together.

The obvious takeaway here is this: Ferry Dates, FTW!

The boats in Sausalito, where we went to this particular day, were kind of scattered at the far end of the island, and we stuck to the main drag for lunch and to wander around. There were so many tiny, fast little crabs hiding in these rocks I stood on. M & I tried real hard to catch one, but I chickened out and M just wasn’t quick enough!

So, outfit stuff:

Corduroys & Striped Sweater: Gap
Plaid Shirt: Full Tilt
Boots: Adrienne Vittadini
Coat: H&M
Fur Collar: Vintage
Leather Gloves: Cole Haan
Earrings: Banana Republic

And hey, like you need the reminder, but…

We took these yesterday, when the ground was still soft and wet from Saturday’s rainstorms. I was still recovering from all the fun we had at the Wild Flag show at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.

After so many years of seeing lots of amazing shows in the Bay Area, GAMH is hands-down the winner. It’s over a hundred years old and lovingly restored despite its seat in the less than desirable Tenderloin, it always feels incredibly intimate but never awkwardly so (like at Cafe du Nord or Bottom of the Hill – both definitely great, but not in the same league as GAMH), its got food and well-made drinks and just feels comfortable. I walk in there and it somehow feels homey to me.

WILD FLAG! They were really, really perfect. I haven’t danced like that in ages. Everyone was amazing, but Carrie especially so – there was a lovely amount of cheerful bantering with the audience, and she’d would bounce back and forth from being very deeply and seriously draped over her guitar to being unable to suppress infectious ear-to-ear grins that we all lapped up like drunk kittens. I wish I could have asked her where she got her blouse. It was really gorgeous on her.

There was plenty of slithery slithering of guitar parts and a line about hair-pulling in a new song which nearly killed me and trademark Carrie-kicks and the exceptional Racehorse went on for like 20 minutes and I. didn’t. want. it. to. ever. stop. Ever. I think I’m mildly whip-lashed from working it out so hard during the show. Perfect, perfect, perfect. 

The audience was, as expected, heavily queer. For instance, I bonded with another femme over our identical cowgirl bags and we ran into some friends whilst foraging for a bite or two. I managed to scare off the one rude (and very tall) hipster who tried to elbow his way in front of us right in the middle of the show. M bought one of the band’s t-shirts – it’s so awesome, wait until you see it! – and I had a major fangirl moment (aside from this entire post), but I refuse to bore you with the details. When the show ended, we took off for a midnight adventure by-the-sea under a sky full of stars, and slept like babies once we were home and tucked into bed.

Trusty, Rusty Corduroys: Gap
Fringed Pony Tank: Lovebyrd
Denim Shirt ,Fur Collar: Vintage
Calf-Hair Wedge Boots: Adrienne Vittadini
Necklace: Galibardy
Earrings: Betsey Johnson

Hope everyone had wonderful weekends and remembered to Fall Back. Posting daily sure is kicking my ass, but surely somewhere in all this is an effective lesson on self-discipline, right?

Cheers,

FFAF

Welcome to Fort Funston!

It used to be a real live military fort until 1963, but now it’s mostly known for being THE place to take your dogs off-leash, and besides, it’s bloody gorgeous, isn’t it? Our New England friend was astounded by the dramatic terrain and sights of all the hang gliders preparing to take flight where we descended a bajillion stories of uneven, sandy, log-and-cable-made steps to the beach. Such a long way down, but definitely worth it.

Once again, I forgot my camera (it was a kind of unexpected detour after brunch, after all – hence the suede heels!) so these are sub par cell phone photos, courtesy of our HTC EVOs. M was determined to find dead stuff, which she did (a HUGE dead bird, piles and piles of dead crabs), so she moved on to looking for live crabs. No such luck!

Tomboy + femme footwear. Hers are Asos brogues, mine are suede Franco Sarto pumps in maybe the most perfect shade of red I’ve ever seen. M discovered that her RSQ skinny jeans are way too snug for being doused with salt water, then a hike, but they sure look cute with her plaid Alfani shirt and vintage cardigan. I paired a Calvin Klein skirt with an old camisole and denim vest, plus an antique gold rope chain necklace M got for me recently. I also love the wrap dress our friend wore – such a bright, beautiful print!

The next day we drove along the Pacific Coast HWY to get to Half Moon Bay, and we were all very intrigued when we passed this cove. It’s called Grey Whale Cove. It’s also more widely known as Devil’s Slide, and we decided to stop and explore it on the way home. It was another beach requiring quite a hike up and down many sets of wooden stairs (at least these ones are level).

Devil’s Slide is also more locally/commonly known as a particularly terrifying stretch of the 1, where people plummet to their deaths in M’s own personal worst nightmare, and terrible landslides that cause impossible road closures for days and days at a time. They’re building a tunnel, but nobody’s holding their breath because they’ve been at it for decades.

See that thing down there? It’s what remains of an old military observation station last used in WWII. You can even hike up there, and I plan to before the year ends. It’s goddamn awesome.

Lovely, no? We’re also all ignoring the creepy nudist strolling around 25 yards or so behind us. As far as I can tell from the beach’s official website, it’s not that kind of beach! No idea what this giant concrete thing is, probably some sort of unfortunate drainage malarkey, but it looked like a good place to hide a dead body so naturally I went to check it out. M made me climb down (I’d been on that top ledge at first) and having discovered zero corpses, I made my way gingerly over a rusted, broken down wire fence and ran around like a chicken with its head cut off!

Running ’round the barnyard
Fallin’ in and out of love

Poor thing’s blind as a bat
Getting up falling down getting up

My heart’s runnin’ round
Like a chicken with its head cut off

I’ve got on some Banana Republic plants (sounds better than jeggings), a fun deer print top from H&M, and a vintage sweater from IndieMart. The black canvas + brown leather boots are by Seychelles, so comfortable and I love them. 6pm has ‘em for cheap in all three color combos!

Pumpkin patch, rodeo, YES RODEO, pics coming soon! M is taking me TO THE GRAND NATIONAL RODEO tonight, surprise! They’ll be announcing Miss Grand National and it happens to be “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” night, plus cowboy mounted shooting. Can’t wait!

Love,

FFAF

Typical day wandering around the forest drinking Blanton’s and pouncing on tree stumps. It’s a gloomy, rainy Fall day here at home, which is very lovely – the rain sounds divine – but the downside is that it means yet another canceled riding lesson. I haven’t been riding in two weeks, and it was something like 80°F then. My instructor just texted to tell me that my pony is lame, to boot.

Did y’all have a nice weekend? Ours was awesome. We had dinner at MUA in Oakland with an out-of-town friend who was interviewing for an exciting new position nearby, and the evening weather was gorgeous, the streets packed to the gills with Art Murmur-goers. The tomboy called the shots on Saturday, so we stayed in our PJs, slept in, watched movies and lazed around all the day long. Yesterday I got to call the shots, so we brunched in the Mission and soaked in the blues skies at IndieMart in Potrero Hill, petite in tow.

M found us some DIY mimosa kits (paper lunch sacks containing a bottle of OJ, a can of Sofia, and a plastic cup) and Korean tacos, and I scored some lovely finds – a vintage sweater with a tribal Pendleton feel, a nudie girl friendship bracelet, and a friendly, soft-skin making solid lotion bar.

Later that night I got all dressed up to meet a friend on the Embarcadero, where we attended a Fleet Week formal reception aboard the HMCS Ottawa at Pier 35. It was so much fun! The Snowbirds (officially known as the Canadian Forces 431 Air Demonstration Squadron) were all there and as they are basically rock stars, or the Canadian versions of our Blue Angels, it was so cool to hang out on the same awesome WWII destroyer ship as them. After my date – an officious member of the Canadian Consulate – and I got our sea legs over cocktails, we eventually scampered up and down four levels of the ship on an excellent tour, which ended in an invitation to sit down and have a beer (Canadian!) in the Ward Room. There may or may not have also been Canadian hip-hop playing.

OK, let’s discuss this outfit. I really like this dress and both times I’ve worn it so far, it’s gotten lots of compliments. People can’t believe it’s not vintage when I tell them. I feel like it’s really versatile – can be dressed up or down, worn in mild or cold weather – and features a print that’s somehow both attention-getting and soft, muted.

Dress & Pony Watch: Asos
Belt: Vintage
Shoes: Seychelles (so comfortable, you guys)
Necklaces: Culp Baubles (lipstick bullet), Mariele Ivy (bear tooth)
Bracelets: Lori’s Shoes (leather + gold cuff), H&M (braided friendship bracelet)
Ring: Crossroads
Clutch: Handmade by this smart, foxy lady

What’s it like where you are? I know it snowed in Utah, finally stormed in Austin, and that Boston saw a little Indian Summer of its own this weekend. All the weather-y things.

XOXO,

FFAF

Welcome, dear readers, to Trinity College Dublin! Its story begins all the way back in 1592, incredibly, and is the oldest university in Ireland. It has over 16,000 students and is #52 in the world’s Top 100 universities. It’s really, really gorgeous. We were very lucky to be escorted around the 51-acre campus by a generous friend who is currently there working on her PhD.

Two marvelous things are at Trinity College and sadly, neither permits photography. Those are the Old Library and the Book of Kells Exhibition. The former is referred to as the Long Room and was built in 1712, is over 200 feet long and quite narrow, and very grand and lovely. Of course, it contains the most ancient and rare books – all of which, I think, must be handled with gloves and special care, and only after one has acquired permission to do so.

Here’s a photo I’ve found to give you an idea of how magnificent it is:

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Photo courtesy of The Modern Day Atelier

And even then, it absolutely fails to do the beauty of the place any real justice. Trust me.

The Book of Kells shan’t be bastardized with a sad Google search, because it’s much too extraordinary for that. It’s one of the world’s oldest books, experts put it around 800 A.D., and was created by Celtic monks. Though I’m sure many find it inspiring due to its religious nature – it contains the four Gospels in Latin and has over 500,000 visitors every year – I was spellbound by its remarkable age and lustre of the script, decoration and scenes. You must see it with your own eyes! It’s considered a national treasure in Ireland.

Back to the famous Campanile in the quad, or the Library Square, of Trinity. The four corners halfway up each have a statue to represent Divinity, Science, Medicine and Law. There’s an amusing superstition for students – if you walk under the tower, you’ll fail your exams and won’t graduate! It’s taken very seriously.

M chatting with a lovely local femme – she happens to the fiance of our friend at Trinity, and was a fabulous tour guide as well (she should be, she too went to school there)!

They’re both really fantastic people, and we were incredibly happy to spend so much time with them in Dublin! They took us to an amazing dinner with fabulous cocktails, a mind-blowing drag show at one of Dublin’s most popular gay bars, gave us the VIP tour of Trinity College and hung out with us at the Old Jameson Distillery. Not to mention the super helpful (seriously, I do not know what we would have done without it), custom Google map of all the best places to shop, eat, drink and visit in Dublin. Thanks again, you two! XO!

After the library, this damn sphere is for sure my favorite. It’s by an Italian sculptor, Arnaldo Pomodoro, and his series of these – “Sphere Within Sphere” – are in places around the world. Even San Francisco’s de Young has one in the sculpture garden, but not quite so grand (and shiny)! as this.

Also, this conversation was funny:

“That sphere is amazing. How awesome it would be if it could spin around!”
“Oh, it spins.” (You have to imagine the soft, pretty Irish accent.)
“WHUT. No way. Lies.” (And then my bossy American one.)
“It does! I’ll show you!”

Cue to the delicate femme creature you see above marching right over to the sphere in her fancy outfit and giving it the old heave-ho! A gal after my own heart, she got that sucker spinning gently ’round and ’round, and we were delighted! Onlookers must have thought we were insane.

TA-DA!