california style

well, i will say one thing about california: it truly does make one want to spend far too much time on appearance... like the whole nine yards, hair, make up, nails, clothes... AND THEN, after spending all that time on said appearance the end goal being to look like you have spent no time at all!

california style. at its finest.

so i have yet to be in san francisco or LA, but in palo alto and san mateo, the look is chic and undone. i am loving the messy buns and beach waves, but with a mix of the fall season with scarves and boots... vivid brights, sheer lace, heels.
im also kind of loving that friendship braceletes are back with a vengance, but this time around the brightly coloured string has some fun embelishments, like stones and charms.

so while i noticed all this fun cali style, i decided that while im here, even though im working it could be a fun time to take more time for myself.
 maybe i should spend more than 3 minutes on my make up? maybe i should actually check to make sure that half of my hair isnt still curly post round brush blow dry? the answer to all these questions and more is YES!

so i bought myself a little inspiration:

in true california style, i sat in a starbucks and read the local magazine, aptly names california style!

(side note: kate bosworth- can you be any more excellent?)

this little gem cost me only $5 and is full of little tid bits on where to shop and how to "get the look"

3 weeks in cali, i guess i should give it a go!

i guess i was on the right track because just as i temporarily left life behind i had begun to dabble in nail art.

essie nail polish is my best friend on the road and it turns out that to purchase in the states is considerably cheaper, so spend more time on my nails? check!

also, i have been eating better! a night sans pizza! check this out:

after leaving the mountains it turns ou that real food does exist!

poached peach salad with blue cheese and walnuts on spinach with a side of pea and barley soup. delish.

tomorrow im off for an evening in san francisco. i will do my nails, add some eye liner and see how it goes.