Generation Love

Have you all heard of Generation Love? If not, feast your eyes on these beautiful creations made by designers, Roni Hirshberg -from NYC, and Audrey Bressa-Valcourt-from France. Founded in 2008, Generation Love is a New York City-based clothing company that focuses on being eco-friendly and animal friendly. That means yes to organic cotton and no to fur and leather! It's so hard to find clothes these days that are made with love and care and even harder to find clothes that are produced domestically! I mean, really, when was the last time you bought some clothes that were made here in the USA? I have to tell you how shocked I am when I go shopping and realize just how many of the clothes I find are no longer made here. Generation Love chooses fabrics that support both Mother Earth and their local community, and that is a beautiful thing. Even more so, they are one of 5%
left of designers that has their line produced in NYC. So, when you get a moment, be sure to check out Generation Love's website and some of their gorgeous designs. Above are some of my favorite pieces from their Spring 2011 Look book. It's so hard to pick a favorite, but if I had to choose, I'd go with the Harrison or Ali top. Which one do you fancy the most?

Pssst... make sure you are following me on Bloglovin' and Facebook because you might just get a chance to win a little somethin' somethin' from Gen Love very, very soon.

Food Friday: Tacolicious & Timmy

 Tacolicious 2031 Chestnut Street San Francisco, CA 94111

One of my favorite days of the week is Taco Tuesday. And, as luck would have it, San Francisco has one of the best Taco Tuesdays around. Believe me, this is a fact. When I get off early enough, my usual go-to spot for delicious tacos in the city is Nick's Crispy Tacos, but this week since I missed my Tuesday tradition, I decided to fill my taco void, later in the week, at non other than, Tacolicious. 

Hello, Mystery, Don't Bother To Explain.

Poncho & rings: Forever 21; Shorts: Random boutique in LA; Watch, braided bracelet, & tank top: Nordstrom (little kiddie's dept!); Necklaces:  Street Vendor & c/o My Name Necklace; Shoes: Jessica Simpson Dany Heels

Miike Snow - Black and Blue

What does one wear when the thermostat reaches close to 90 degrees? As little and as loose-fitting clothing as possible (without appearing nearly naked of course!). My closet is bursting with clothes that are meant to be worn for a day out in the sun. All of my LA clothing (think shorts sans tights, dresses galore, and tanks & tees up the wazoo) has been hidden away, patiently waiting to be picked out of a sea of cold weather items. Well, the day has finally come! While yesterday was the first official day of summer, us Bay Area folks have been frying like eggs on a pan for at least the last couple of days. Personally, I say fry away! I have been waiting for this type of weather for months, and I just love the feeling of Vitamin-D as it soaks through my skin. I spotted this over-sized poncho top at Forever a couple weeks ago, right as I was leaving the store. I felt victorious that I was about to leave the store without a yellow bag in my hand, but true to Forever-21 nature, the store quickly reeled me back in when I saw the solo top just hanging around. Why is it so hard to leave that place without something in your hand?? I swear, man. As it turns out, the purchase was a smart one, because now I have a loose fitting top (with pockets!) that I can wear on a casual day out or by the pool. It just so happens the top goes perfectly with a pair of shorts I purchased back in LA. Talk about a match made in heaven.

One of These Mornings You're Gonna Rise, Rise Up Singing...

Last Wednesday it was 70 degrees out and I had the day off. It was the perfect recipe for a blogger meet up. Kathleen, Cindy, and I had been trying to coordinate a day to meet up and dine out for some time. After a series of internet exchanges, we finally set the time and place, and the rest is history! We spent the afternoon chowing down at Blue Barn Gourmet on Chestnut Street, walking up and down the hills of the Marina district in search of a shopper's paradise, satisfying our sweet tooth cravings with cupcakes from That Takes The Cake on Union Street, and we finished off the day with a photo shoot (duh!). 

Papa Stacker

Papa Stacker, I'm so lucky to have you in my life. My dad and I have been close since the very beginning. Can you tell by this picture? This has to be one of my favorite ones of us two. I remember when I was younger, my dad would always take me to Golden Gate Park Children's Playground in San Francisco. I'd spend hours just sliding down the huge slides with my cardboard box, riding the carousel, eating Wright's pink popcorn,  swinging as high as I could (with some help from dad, of course), and spinning around (as seen above). Today, Dad and I don't frequent the park as much (haha). Instead, we spend time chatting about life, laughing about this and that, or discussing the latest movie we've each just seen. Little does my dad know, talking to him about just the little things is one of the best parts of my day. I always know that no matter what is going on around me, a talk with dad will instantly make things better. And that's how it's always been. So, Dad, this one is for you.

Happy Father's Day, Dad. Thank you for everything.

And All I Wanted Was The Simple Things, A Simple Kind of Life

Dress: Forever 21; Blazer: Nordstrom; Shoes: Payless

No Doubt - Simple Kind of Life

I know most of you were expecting a delicious Food Friday pancakePOST, but hopefully this outfit post will fill you up just as much. I got all three of these pieces a long, long while ago. Picked up the blazer at the Nordstrom Flagship in Seattle back in September. I got the floral dress two or three summers ago, but I can count the times I've worn it on one hand. And, I got the wedges back in high school! Can't even believe it's been that long. Sometimes, I forget what awesome things I have in my closet, but it doesn't change the fact that I am still very happy when I find them (and they still fit). I have a lot of great posts coming up, including a ton of colorful outfits, a lot more Wisdom for your Wednesdays, some tasty Food Fridays, and my day out in the city with Bay Area cuties, Kathleen and Cindy! Have a wonderful weekend, loves!

Wisdom Wednesday

"Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." - Albert Einstein 

Jennifer Humphrey by Andrew Kuykendall for Spanish Moss, June 2011

By now, most, if not all of you, have seen Spanish Moss's new lookbook, which features the beautiful, Jennifer Humphrey. But, for the few of you who haven't, you are in for a treat. These photos blew me away. The styling, the clothes, the setting, the photography, the modeling -- all of it is on point. Be sure to see the rest on Spanish Moss's blog, here.

Now, on to the wisdom. First off, could Einstein be any smarter? I guess it's not too surprising that such a kernel of inspiration would come from the genius himself, right? But, really, let's take a moment to discuss. One of the most important things that has proven itself true for me time and time again, is that everything happens for a reason. While we might not see the reason right away, we shouldn't doubt, even more a minute, that the reason is there. I have always believed that difficulties are only difficult if we fail to see the possibilities in them. When something doesn't go entirely as planned, or everything around seems daunting, it's best not to think that the world is out to get you (no matter how much it may feel like it is). I promise you that life is just helping you form some thicker skin and preparing you for something even better. We face adversity so that we may overcome it. After all, isn't a victory that much sweeter when you know you fought your hardest to win the battle? Today's wisdom is something that I take very close to heart. This last month has been somewhat of a challenge. While I'm not entirely able to spill too much, just yet, I found that those challenges have helped me realize just how much opportunity there is waiting for me. The way I see it, you either sit and stare at the door that has closed in front of you and wonder wonder why it closed or what you could have done to stop it from closing, for so long you miss out on opportunity as it knocks on another door, OR, you leave the door to the past closed and get ready to open a new one to future success. I don't know about you, but when opportunity comes a-knocking, I generally like to open the door, and say, "Hello!"

Love Was Just A Glance Away, A Warm Embracing Dance Away, And...

Sweater, top, & braided bracelet: Nordstrom; Skirt: Urban Outfitters; Flats & necklace: Forever 21; Bracelet (top): H&M

Cake - Strangers in the Night (Cover)

Happy Monday, blogger bees! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are ready for another beautiful week. So far, June has been a pretty busy one. I have been running around and working nonstop, so much so, that by the time I get home all I want to do is knock out. It was nice to be able to wake up to no alarm clock and to finally have a day off to catch up on all the things I love to do. My day consisted of: a morning of guilty-pleasure TV, an afternoon Zumba workout at the gym, and an evening of quality blog time. Nothing too terribly exciting, but, I cherish these quiet times when I get to just be alone and chill out, especially since my daily life is always just go, go, go.  Believe it or not, I still like to dress up on my downtime. This outfit is a perfect example of something I'd wear on just a normal day out. I've never been one to run errands in sweatpants (God forbid!), or... jeans and a tee (mainly because I detest denim). Karl Lagerfeld said it best, "Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life so you bought some sweatpants." Haha, that one always has me chuckling.

I'm So Wrapped Up In a Daze, Hoping This is Just a Phase. But When All Is Said And Done, I Know You Are Still The One.

Top: Nordstrom; Linen pants and rings: Forever 21; Red Sweater: Random; Necklace: c/o My Name Necklace

The Black Keys - The Only One

I am starting to think that red might just be my color. A lot of you will be proud to know that I have incorporated a lot of colorful items into my wardrobe in the last few days.  And just to give you a taste, I will tell you that some of these items include a pink sweater, a bright blue tank, and some tangerine flats. Fear not, you will get to see them very soon. The last two weeks have been extremely hectic. I have been putting in some overtime at work, and by the time I get home, I am almost always too exhausted to do anything. I can't remember taking this many little cat naps since... well, college. (As if that was really that long ago, ha). I am happy to report, however, that I am getting over my sniffles, which just so happens to be right on time for the sunnier weather SF is finallyyyy experiencing. I remember the days when I used to scoff at 60 degree weather. Now, I gleefully accept anything that isn't rain. I mean, really, rain in June? No thanks. Anyhoo, this is a little number that I wore to work the other day. Everyone is always shocked when I show up in pants. Truth be told, I am always shocked when I find a pair worthy enough to purchase. When I found these high-waisted linen pants at Forever 21, I almost had to force myself to try them on, as I was convinced I could not pull off anything with a high waist. As luck would have it, the minute I slipped them on, I fell in love. Now, these pants have been somewhat constant on my wardrobe rotation.

Before I go, I'd  just like to give a quick shout out to My Name Necklace. A while back, I received my own personalized necklace from them. If you have been a follower, you will remember that it grew to be one of my most frequently worn accessories. One day, I accidentally snapped it in half and was pretty heartbroken that I had broken my favorite necklace. Well, My Name Necklace heard my cry for help and quickly sent me a replacement necklace. If that isn't amazing customer service, then I don't know what is! So, My Name Necklace, a big, sticky sweet pancakeSTACKER thank you! You guys should all check out their fantastic goodies if you are in the market for a unique statement necklace of your own! Even more incentive, enter "GIFT" and checkout and receive 10% off. Score!

Have you "liked" pancakeSTACKER on Facebook yet?

pancakeLEFTOVERS: May

Okay. Usually, my posts are filled with something insightful (or at least, some commentary that I like to think is insightful). But today, all you get is some good ole eye candy, and not because I am out of things to say, or have some sort of writer's block. Rather, I am sick and sneezing up a storm. In fact, it is a challenge to even write this much without my irritated eyes filling with up tears, or  having to fight off the little drippies that want to come running down my nose. Don't you just love that visual? Hot stuff, no? Okay, enough of that. Enjoy some pancakeLEFTOVERS and get ready to fill up next week with some delicious new posts! Yummm!

So, which look was your favorite? Let me know in the comments below! And, don't forget to "like" pancakeSTACKER on Facebook! Happy Friday, and have a beautiful weekend, lovers!