There are many pieces that make us whole, so when I first came across Pieces of Me on Instagram, I really was intrigued by how they mix personality with wearable merchandise. Picking one trait that sums me up in a nutshell was tough actually, but I chose the Confident symbol.
The cuff’s description: “With a strong and bold center, confident people never waver on who they are.” Sold. That’s me. I’m a go getter, I’m terribly stubborn, and I’m very confident in listening to my intuition, because it’s never really failed me.
I used to not be very confident in myself, but when you finally grow into your own skin you realize that you’re capable and a lot stronger than you thought. In Los Angeles, I had to be confident enough to run an entire Department myself, whether it was Wardrobe Styling for International commercials or an Editorial Shoot on the fly, I did it well in a very male dominated industry. And I did it by myself, no assistants no nothing. Every shoot I’d be on, crew would yell “Where’s Wardrobe Dept?” You’re lookin’ at it.
And when I left LA last year to pursue Shoes and Sashimi full time, I was confident that I would slowly but surely make this venture succeed. And it has. It’s not easy by any means, but I’m sure thankful that I trusted my gut because there are so many things I have in store for this blog.
What’s your dominant trait? How do you stay empowered?
If you would like to wear your trait on your sleeve (or wrist) you can pick your own cuff from Pieces of Me here. Using “Lauren10” will save you 10% at checkout.
You all know I love my M.Gemi shoes. I wear one of them on my Instagram feed at least once a week it seems. They’re one of my absolute favorite brands to wear (and work with) but overall they’re just beautifully crafted and so amazingly comfortable. I have literally walked miles in my Stellatos without a single complaint from my feet.
M.Gemi has become a part of my weekly wardrobe, I wear them so often and they’re definitely part of my lifestyle. From running around town for errands, to dressing up jeans for coffee and dinner, M.Gemi takes me everywhere. Which brings me to Goop. If you are a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow, then you know about her lifestyle site. I personally am not a fan of she herself, however I do like that Goop is a one stop shop type of deal that promotes quality, often times green, and trusted products that cover all lifestyle needs.
M.Gemi and Goop launches their capsule collection today and I wanted to share their new styles for you. There’s something for everyone, a sneaker, heel, flat, and sandal. I personally love the pointed toe flat.
As always, thank you for reading. If you have any questions regarding M.Gemi as a company or how the sizes fit, I’d be happy to help.
*You can also shop my M.Gemi Style Page where you can find my favorites year round (new customers get $40 off automatically at checkout when you go through my page.)
I’m still flipping out over the Game of Thrones finale, anyone else a die hard fan? In the spirit of all things metal, chrome, and armor, I’ve been wearing these boots by Public Desire non stop. Public Desire has now launched from across the pond to the U.S and I’m really excited because their shoes are the most affordable, faux leather styles that are actually insanely comfortable.
I can walk a mile in these little booties, and if Cersei or Daenerys were here in modern day, I’m sure they’d be a fan as well :D
Hope you’re having a great week, can you believe the month of June is almost to a close? Time flies I tell ya.
Hi all, hope your week is off to a good start. I recently sat down for coffee with local jewelry designer April May in Oakland, CA after I found her metal pieces on Instagram. Be sure to follow her @Aprilmayjewelry :D It’s fun to meet cool people in your neighborhood and April is just that. She makes all her pieces by hand and you can definitely check her booths out if you’re ever planning on going to SF’s Treasure Island Flea Market.
If you’ve been seeing my Instagram feed, you’d see that I wore April’s bangles a lot around town, I don’t really think I took them off for the most part mainly because they’re just so easy to wear. And you can too, just enter our contest at the bottom of the page and April will send you your own necklace and bangles to wear about :) Remember, the more ways you enter the better luck you’ll have.
Contest runs for one week and will be notified by email at random.
Good luck and thanks for reading!
Lauren
April’s best seller’s which you can win: Enter with the link at the bottom of this page.Chucks and BanglesFlatlay with InStyle, Sam Edelman, and April May.Took my bangles to coffee at Maiden Lane’s Iron Horse Coffee Bar, they make a mean dirty chai.Current favorites in my bathroom: April’s handmade hairpins and her fun ring. All I need is some polish by Butter London.OTK boots and an April May Ring
It’s been a while, hope you’re all well and thank you for being patient as I’ve been a little behind lately here. However you can always find me on Instagram to see what I’m up to each day! I’m happy to finally release two of my projects that I’ve been Department Head on, a commercial for Nongshim USA featuring Ki Hong Lee (The Maze Runner franchise) shot in Los Angeles and the November Issue of Diablo Magazine on stands currently, shot in Oakland, CA.
Fun Fact: It took 14hours to shoot this 30 second commercial in the Hollywood Hills. As per usual, I was the only female on an all male film crew.
Ki Hong Lee for Nongshim USA: Watch the commercial here >> Full CommercialFun Fact: Lena Ahn is wearing a Hye Park & Lune Baseball Tee. Ki Hong is wearing Marc Jacobs.And that’s a wrap. Hope you enjoyed, this specifically airs overseas on all networks in Seoul and Hong Kong, however you can watch it on Youtube of course. >> Full Commercial
Soon after I got back from LA, Diablo Magazine called to have me style their November Issue and I happily signed on because it marks my first editorial shoot in the Bay Area. The Food and Wine Issue is an important one because let’s be honest, I love to eat and what’s most fitting is that we shot the whole thing in Oakland, just minutes away from where I grew up. Be sure to pick up a copy, on news stands, grocery stores, and Barnes and Noble in Northern CA. Cheers!
We made the cover!Behind the Scenes with Model Hannah Tokuno for Stars Management. Fun Fact: Hannah is wearing an Ulla Johnson dress, pulled from local boutique Shop McMullen.We shot this set at Pican Restaurant in Oakland. Photographer: Norma CordovaFinal Edit.Hannah wearing BCBGeneration.Final EditFinal Edit: Hannah wearing an Ulla Johnson dress and Cate & Chloe layered necklace (my own.)
As always, thanks for reading and keeping pace with me.
I’ve been caught up lately which may explain the lag in blogging, however it’s been filled with all good things that have needed my full attention. One of them wrapping a successful editorial shoot for Diablo Magazine, I styled their November Issue on news stands in a week or so. You may have seen a glimpse of BTS on Instagram, and I will be posting the full story when it comes out. It’s good to be back in the game, especially shooting in the Bay Area. With that, revamping my credits list and styling portfolio has taken much of my focus. I’m not a newbie when it comes to shopping my portfolio around to agencies, and I’m now reminded again how hard it is to become represented, but if it’s one thing I’m good at it’s being stubborn and persistent. LA is a slaughterhouse when it comes to agencies, it seems SF is no different for whatever reason…send good jujus please :D
What else..oh, I turned 29…and I was so consumed with styling the editorial 48hrs before my birthday that I almost did indeed forget that I was turning a year older. I had an amazing dinner at The Progress in SF thanks to @Twelfthknight with our two friends, a lovely double date with good food, drinks, and laughter is all this girl needs :) Thank you again.
If you’ve been seeing on Instagram lately, @Twelfthknight and I took the fur baby to Pacifica last weekend for a day trip to find some relaxing ocean air. If you’ve never been it’s a really foggy, but quaint beach town north of the Peninsula. We came, we saw, and we ate a ridiculously good Italian sandwich from Colombos Delicatessen. You’d also think I’d wear a more beach friendly outfit than this crop top and high waisted shorts number, but hey, whatchya gonna do. NorCal beach towns are quite different than SoCal beach towns and my growing monochrome wardrobe is still getting acclimated for these times :D
Thanks for reading and catching up with me. I look forward to sharing behind the scenes photos of my recent shoots when I get permission, including the commercial with you soon.
I feel like the culottes get a lot of negative press. Why? Because a lot of people are confused by them. Culottes can’t make up their mind if they’re pants or a skirt (depending on the fabric) and the length is always tricky depending on body type. Believe it or not, culottes were first worn by men during the Middle Ages. Flash forward to current day, and they’re some what of the “it” trend, who knew :D
I was approached by eShakti to try their custom services recently and they created these amazingly tailored culottes for me. If you aren’t familiar with eShakti, they are an online retailer who has an array of women’s clothes in all sizes. The neat thing is that eShakti will custom tailor your order to your specific measurements! Fit is everything, I’m a firm believer that you can have the best clothes and if they don’t fit right they’re worth near to nothing. Does anyone agree with me?
In an attempt to hold onto the last bit of Summer here in the Bay Area, I paired my culottes with a cropped top by Lulus. I love that the waist of these pants offer me some room but are able to be high enough to wear tops like these. Flat sandals such as my Loeffler Randall gladiators offer a casual look. However, I switched into these heels by Chinese Laundry to add just enough height and extension to the pant leg. Either or, they look good and at 5’3 I’m proof that you can wear these pants without fear!
Thank you to eShakti, be sure to follow them on Instagram :) And for my readers, I’m giving you my special promo code “Shoesandsashimi” to get 10% OFF when you shop at eShakti – valid for unlimited use from 09/08/2015 – 10/08/2015.
Happy shopping everyone, and as always thanks for reading!
Lauren
Proof you can wear culottes with flats, these sandals are from Loeffler Randall.Heels with culottes give you a more elongated leg.Crop top by Lulu’s.Walk it out. These pants have the best swoosh actionBest thing about these pants: Pockets. They run deep.
I’d like to give a big thank you to Elizabeth from Clothes to You for nominating me for the Sunshine Award, it makes me incredibly happy to know that my blog is getting enough momentum that people are willing to share with the world. So thank you Elizabeth!
I really liked Elizabeth’s questions, I think you’ll learn a lot more about me, prior to Shoes and Sashimi :)
What did you aspire to be when you were younger?
Believe it or not, from a young age I wanted to be a Costume Designer. “Little me” grew up watching films, TV, and being enthralled with pop culture and music. I loved fashion, movies, and the idea of being part of the behind the scenes excitement if you will. So I thought hmm…”if I combined all my favorite things together I’d have my dream job.” And so I did. I graduated from the prestigious California Inst. of the Arts in 2009 with a BFA in Costume Design and I’ve been designing and wardrobe styling in LA since then. It’s not all glamorous though, it’s a dog eat dog world the entertainment and PR life. They say it’s tough, it’s probably 10x tougher than anyone thinks, but it’s sure exhilarating when you get to do what you love to do for a living.
On set in the 90210 with AT&TMy favorite studio to work out of, Slickforce Studio.Wong Fu Productions on call.
2. What is your greatest achievement outside of blogging?
That’s a tough question, because quite frankly I feel like I haven’t achieved all that much. I know, I know, maybe I’m being too hard on myself, but really I don’t think I can answer that one. I’ve had a good highlight reel, that’s for sure. I’ve had some terribly disappointing ones too. If I had to pick some proud moments throughout the years though, I think it would come down to these: Not having any debt, that’s something I’m really proud of. Also being able to move as often as I did and hustle in between shoots when there are bills to be paid and things to get done. Lastly, as I look through my portfolio I remember that I’ve had some really good moments in time and I’m proud of my work. I can firmly say that.
Actor & Model Rob Ryu shot by Sheri Angeles.Recording Artist Jason D Chen shot by Melly LeeWong Fu Productions shot by Melly LeeActress Ciara Hannah. Catch her as the Yellow Ranger on Nickelodean’s Power Rangers Megaforce.Q Modeling Agency Test Shoots in Palm Desert. Shot by Sheri Angeles.
3. Who takes the majority of your photos?
I’ve had a lot of great photographers over the year, Melissa de Mata (SF) and Erich Chen (LA) for starters. But as momentum builds with the blog, it’s becoming increasingly harder to shoot a full set when you’re not with a photographer day and night. This is where @TwelfthKnight comes in. He’s my rock, our fur baby’s papa, and man of the hour. I am fully spoken for and am happily living in the Bay Area this year, having best of both worlds :D He’s not a photographer, but we’re becoming a tag team in this blogging venture together and we’re learning along the way. It’s trial and error, and we’re having a lot of fun with that.
:DPlaying around with the Canon EOS Rebel T4i. What are your preferences when it comes to cameras?
4. What would you say is the biggest challenge about blogging?
Where do I start…being consistent with content. It’s even harder when you’re part time or full time elsewhere. There’s just not enough time in the day or should I say light in the day to drive the blog further. And if you’re like me, you’re not going to settle for poor lighting just for the sake of content, am I right? Right. How do we maneuver around this lighting challenge and time crunch? On the weekends we like to go out for day trips and you’ll probably find me changing outfits somewhere, creating different looks along the way in the hopes that they make enough content for the week to come :D Quick changes, I’m a professional. Literally.
5. How would you describe your personal style?
My personal style is pretty casual currently. Jeans, a dress shirt, shorts, and a sweater (It’s pretty cool and casual here in the Bay Area.) If you met me in LA though, you’d see me more on the dressier side every day, even going to set and especially on the weekends. I would be buying for multiple shoots at a time so I’d really have fun pulling and putting things together. Wasteland on Ventura or Melrose has some fun things, I’ve found amazing discounted designer finds there including Philip Lim and Givenchy. My secret weapon for my own shopping fix is going directly to the warehouses in DTLA for the samples. I’d swing by Lovers & Friends, For Love and Lemons, Joie, you name it. I sure miss those times, I’ll be back down soon for my next big wave of raiding hopefully.
Neutrals are the building blocks to a wardrobe, male or female. If you have cream, navy, black, and white, you can mix and match and look like a million bucks.Boo is neutral year round, unless he has a sweater on. We all should dress more like Boo :)
6. Is there a person who is a fashion inspiration to you? If so, who is this style icon, and why do they inspire you?
I’ve tracked Monica Rose‘s work as a stylist for some time now, and after chatting with her at her trunk show at Dash this year you could imagine my respect for her went up ten fold. She is incredibly chic, she dresses the Kardashians for Christ’s sake. But what’s really nice and refreshing is that she’s humble, a mom of 2 little ones, a wife, and she seemingly does it all in heels. Our mutual friend and owner of Slickforce Studio, Nick Saglimbeni was saying that a career is all about timing no matter how hard you hustle. I couldn’t agree more. Her timing couldn’t have been more perfect, I applaud her work ethic, and I wish her the best, truly.
The one and only Monica Rose.
7. What would you say is the greatest satisfaction about being a blogger?
There’s a lot of satisfaction that I get simply from penning my thoughts on a virtual paper, private or not. I like the idea that I might have an interesting story to tell when others have gone a linear path. I like that the blogging community is so supportive. I’ve gotten more love from strangers in different parts of the world than I have from people I know personally. That speaks volumes, so thank you for the undying support, near and far!
To keep the support flowing I nominate fellow bloggers:
It’s already been a busy week and I’m still thinking about the lovely brunch we all had to celebrate my boo’s 35th birthday :D What’s our favorite brunch spot in SF? We head to Noe Valley of course. This might be a bold statement, but I would voluntarily wait a good hour or more for Griddle Fresh‘s souffle pancakes, and if you know me then you know how I feel about waiting excessively for things. Anyway, I highly recommend their fired banana mascarpone souffle stack while their lemon ricotta pancakes are equally as delicious.
What to wear to brunch on a fine Saturday morning? It was warm by SF standards, so I paired a cream BB Dakota sweater that I got from Shopbop.com with my favorite Lovers + Friends denim shorts. Heels might sound a bit crazy on such a steep incline combined with limited parking, however these ones by Chinese Laundry were good to my feet. And my cream & black bag, I’d like to tote with me everywhere now thanks to Deux Lux. It’s a great bag, and I’m a sucker for tassels.
After brunch, we roamed Noe Valley’s farmer’s market and grabbed some green juice from Juicy Lucy. There was even face painting action for the birthday boy (he’s a kid at heart) who I’m sure will be embarrassed if I give more detail. So let’s just say he’s my Batman :)
Thanks for reading, you can keep up with me on Instagram @shoes_and_sashimi
It’s always sweater weather here. But with shorts and a basic heel, you can really dress up a casual look.Some of this week’s newest neutrals: Deux Lux Bag, Epona Square Bracelet courtesy of Cradle Jewelry, Vintage Gold Bracelet, and of course my cup of joe.Neutrals & a Juicy Lucy filled with spinach and a lot of ginger.Fired Banana Mascarpone Souffle Pancakes….*droolsThis incline…I should know better.Pluots at the Farmer’s Market.Wind action..
This would have been a really light “What I Wore” post, however I’ve come down with some severe writer’s block the past couple of days do to circumstances that have since put me in some sort of mood. I have now composed myself, as well as my thoughts and I’d like to communicate them as best I can.
Relationships are hard. I’m really talking about the relationship you have with yourself. Even though I have a great guy that is kind, supportive, and thoughtful whom I proudly stand by, you will often times find me alone (never lonely though, there’s a big difference.) I’m perfectly content being by myself, always have been. That takes a certain amount of confidence absolutely. But even the people who have a tough outer shell have feelings. I’ve been hurt one too many times (professionally and personally) to even begin to tell you how hard of a person I’ve become, I’m getting much better though. The silver lining to all this is that with all the lows (many painful) and hurdles life throws at you, it has made me really self aware. After all, the most important relationship you can have is with yourself.
The older I get the more this saying “it’s best to be alone than in poor company” rings true. Quality over quantity. Stick up for yourself, fight for those who will fight for you. Bonus points if you look good doing it. And finally… don’t look back, you’re not going that way :)
Will I ever be too far away when you feel alone? (No way, no) – Magic
Will I ever back down my sword to protect our home? (No way, no) – Magic
Unfamiliar with the lyrics I’m referencing? Watch the music vid here:
