Memorial Day

I love this day.

With summer basically here, Memorial Day always puts pep in my step, as I begin shedding my winter clothes and pull out the pastels, shorts, and other summer necessities. It's like the start of all things sexy and free. It was a little gloomy this year in San Francisco, but we made the most of it as friends gathered for patio dining at it's finest. Thanks to Matt and Jordan for their delicious burgers topped with a fried egg, balsamic glaze, and arugula which was served with rosemary potatoes and my black bean salsa. That coupled with a few bottles of white wine and Stella, and a few hours of games, I couldn't have asked for a better afternoon.

Black Bean Salsa:
2 cans black beans (strained)
2 cans corn (strained)
1 red bell pepper
2 cloves of fresh garlic
ample cilantro
4 limes squeezed
drizzle of olive oil
salt
pepper
cumin

TMN STYLE: San Francisco Summer

So this is totally normal summer attire...in San Francisco. Days peak in the mid 70s then begin to fall around 4pm. I'm NEVER leaving this city. Highest rent in the country is well worth a comfortable climate all year long.

THE LOOK:
Jeans: Levi's 511
Undershirt: Gap basic tee (blue)
Layered Over-shirt: Levi's
Vest: J.Crew
Shoes: Asics (Tiger)
Glasses: Ray-Ban folding Wayfarers
Scarf: no brand (bought at Haight and Masonic)
Hat: Giants (Go SF!)

Bay to Breakers

Per B2B website:

"Boston has its Marathon... Pamplona has the bulls... New Orleans has Mardi Gras...
San Francisco has the historic Bay to Breakers presented by craigslist 12k.

The 101-year old Bay to Breakers presented by craigslist 12k is one of the world’s largest and oldest footraces, held annually in San Francisco, California. The name reflects the traditional course which takes tens of thousands of participants from the northeast end of the downtown area near The Embarcadero (the "bay" side of the city) to the west end of the city and the "breakers" of Ocean Beach. The 7.46 mile (12 kilometer) race features world-class athletes in addition to costumed runners and 'fun-loving' folks out for a great day of running and walking through San Francisco."

Okay - Basically it's one huge shit show. (In all the right ways). For those in New Orleans, think Red Dress Run. It is technically a run, but many of the participants (including myself) see it as an excuse to dress up like idiots, start drinking at 7am, pAArty, and end the day (somewhere around 2pm) with a ton of food and then bed. Our group of 40ish's theme was cowboys and Indians...clearly. Obviously I woke up for just long enough to eat (again) and watch the Billboard Music Awards, but not much more than that. OMG it was exactly what I thought and so, so fun. Literally favorite day in San Francisco to date.

#klassy

Breathe

Wait. How cute?

My friend, Katherine made these arrangement, took pictures, and sent to me to brag. It just reminded me how important it is to take a second, relax, and enjoy "the now". (Am I a motivational speaker?) But seriously, I have a hard time with not stressing about my next move and just be in the present. For me, I have to realize that so many aspects of my life have finally come together for a perfect fit. Of course, it's important to plan and prepare for things to come, but for now just...breathe.

TMN STYLE: Rock On

Shirt: Vintage Rolling Stones Tee
Jeans: Black Levi's 511

Brave

YES!

Tonight,  Korey and I are going to see Sara Bareilles, one of my favorite artists of all time in concert and I CANNOT WAIT. I've seen her before, but this time will be so much more fun. Instead of having to sit in traffic for two hours to see her in a shitty casino in effing Mississippi like last time, I get to see her up close at Slim's, a super intimate venue right in SOMA in San Francisco. Better company, too. With Brave out, I'm excited to her new material from her upcoming album. Then of course, I'm thinking Sittin' on the Dock of  the Bay as an encore song. Just saying.

Cheers

Friday is here! Here's a beer. This one's on me. Cheers!

When Life Gives You Twitter...

Tweet @anniesloan. Obviously.

TMN STYLE: Uniform

 

At least once a week. That'a how often I wear this look in one form or another. MAybe the shirt changes. Sometimes I wear different shoes. However, with San Francisco weather, this look can't be beat.

Jeans: Levi's 511

Shirt: Polo (Ralf Lauren)

Vest: J.Crew

Glasses: Ray-Ban Meteor

Shoes: Clark's Desert Boot

Flea Market

asdf

Credenza (Final)

 

Friday!

This week has flown by and I'm totally okay with that. I think that part of the reason was that I was keeping myself busy trying to finish this credenza for Korey, my boyfriend, before he left for LA for the weekend. It's the first piece I've done since moving from Louisiana and I'm basically in love.

Step 1: painted the entire credenza in Annie Sloan's Florence
Step 2: painted the exterior of the credenza in Annie Sloan's Country Grey
Step 3: sanded the credenza creating an antiqued/distressed look allowing some of the Florence to show        through in spots.
Step 4: applied clear wax to the entire credenza
Step 5: applied dark wax (minimally) to the exterior completing the distressed/antiqued look

Please keep reading for many more projects to come. I already have one in the pipeline...

BTW - the "M" on the credenza is not for me. His roommate's name is Matt, too. #justsaying

DIY: Credenza {Florence and Country Grey}

Oh it feels so good to be back in action.

This is the preview post to tomorrow's reveal. This is an old credenza that I restored using Annie Sloan's line of paints and waxes. Make sure to read tomorrow for the big reveal!

1) painted entire desk in Florence
2) painted exterior in Country Grey leaving the inside Florence
3) sanded/distressed the exterior allowing the Florence and original wood to show through
3) waxed the credenza using the dark and clear waxes on the exterior and just clear on the interior

TMN {GUEST} STYLE: Street Smart

 

Say hi to Katherine, everyone.

In terms of favorite people in San Francisco (excluding boyfriends) Kat is currently in a three-way tie. She's hilarious, spontaneous, smart, oh...and incredibly sexy. I don't get to see her as often as I's like because of our schedules, but we make a point to meet at LEAST meet once a week for Philz. #twotesorasplease

Literally, I've never seen this girl look bad. Like ever. The outfit above is what she met me in on a particularly cold coffee-date morning. Please note that she doesn't have an ounce of make up on (she had no idea I was going to be taking her picture) and she STILL looks flawless.

Beanie: Burton
Glasses: Vue dc
Wristlet: Gucci
Ring: Tiffany's
Nail Color: OPI - Mod About You
Tights: Target
Jacket: Borrowed
Shoes: Aldo