Walking through SF’s Ferry Plaza one morning, I overheard one of the restaurant workers outside belting out Otis Redding’s classic and that song stuck with me all week. Spring feels like it’s arrived in the Bay Area and I’m fully welcoming it, so I grabbed a pastry and coffee at Blue Bottle and met Julia for a morning stroll along the water.
We have plans, let me tell ya. I think we’re still jazzed from our NY trip. She’s insanely motivated as a shooter and we both want to help see each other’s goals through. Grateful for our working relationship that’s turning into friendship.
SF Spring weather usually requires a jacket, so this thrifted denim piece I got for $6 in Denver last year is something you’ll be seeing more of. By the way….I’ll be in Denver with @twelfthknight last week of this month, so come with me as I eat my way through and thrift some more :D
Spring is my favorite time of year in the Bay Area. You’ll be seeing a lot of new looks, bigger campaigns, new hair, and more travel. Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!
Hi everyone, hope all is well and you’re having a nice Spring thus far :D Life has been busy with all kinds of things and I definitely don’t take anything for granted (you’ll see eventually here and/or on Instagram.) I will be in LA next month, and then @Twelthfknight and I are going to Denver, so I have a few things lined up there already.
Now, being human and my own boss, I really feel it on occasion. They say the hustle is real, well it is, but it’s something I’m used to. Sometimes I get a little squirly, really tired, and maybe slightly pent up if I’m lacking inspiration and content. And then sometimes…. my calendars don’t sync and I miss a doc appointment (twice.) Or I am a little groggy at 5am and I don’t manage to make it 4 lanes over into the 101 northbound and find myself detouring around SFO airport to make it 35 miles north in time for a magazine shoot. (fact)
But because we as multi-taskers and boss ladies do so many things all at once while still trying to keep cool, man….I will allow myself the occasional haute mess moment. Because maybe your coffee tasted weaker than normal and you ran out of milk, or you got stuck behind a Prius who pumps the brakes too often to be safe which sends you into a mini Mad Max fury, or… you might just wake up salty for salt’s sake like I do sometimes. It’s the little things guys. As @Twelfthknight says as we walk through Safeway, “you’re like the red Kikkoman bottle, you should be less salty.” (He’s a funny guy that guy..)
So naturally, exhibit my tee from @BasicBtees. Jules gets me. Because sometimes you may not have your life together, but you sure as hell can still look good :D
Jules makes these hilarious eco friendly T shirts in Los Angeles and a portion of profits are donated to her organization Paving Pathways, helping women in Haiti become more self sufficient through business. Her Instagram is hilarious too and some of her tees are sold at various Cardio Barre locations for those who love the Barre. Lastly, if you want to order a T of your own, you can get 10% off by using code “shoesandsashimi” when you check out!
As always, thanks for reading. It’s nice to be real on here, and I think by doing so you’re getting to know me better! Does anyone have a haute mess moment they’d like to share? :D
Last post of the year and I could very easily just talk about what I’m wearing here or how this could be a versatile NYE look…but I would prefer to recap what a ride 2015 has been and get a little deeper.
I wish you all a wonderful New Year and a huge thank you for being such a supportive community.
I have genuinely grown homesick for Los Angeles, a feeling I’ll never have for SF proper, however I do like the Bay Area and the things that are brewing here on this side of the East Bay. It is where I was born and raised after all.
So when I shut my door in Sherman Oaks and took my last stroll through Sawtelle Blvd and sipped my last Urth latte in Downtown for a while, it was a bittersweet closing; not just on the year but because I knew things were changing yet once again.
I quickly had to hone a new set of skills, all while maintaining my personal style and creative bent. Prior to all this, I didn’t know how it was possible to grab a foothold in the oversaturated Content Creator world, but somehow brands and small businesses found me and now I’m in this full time. It was honestly hard to get inspired because my pride may have been hurt a little at first, but it’s been working and there are bigger and better things coming that I’m excited to be working on. From food styling to product styling, I’m your girl.
Now with Instagram practically running itself and growing each day, collaborations in motion, small businesses wanting product shots, and clients seeking wardrobe updating… I think I’ve been quite busy! But I couldn’t do it all myself, that’s for sure.
So thank you to these special people for helping Shoes and Sashimi get underway during such a crucial trial period:
@Twelfthknight for being patient and helping me shoot throughout the year. Excited to see what new adventures bring us in 2016
Mom, for being even more patient and mentally invested in everything I do. It’s not fair that you’re often the casualty of my very short fuse sometimes, but I acknowledge it and appreciate you always being there
“Moobie” the fur baby for being happy all the time and for lighting up even the most frustrating of days
Hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving, it’s been a little while. The blog has taken a back seat as of late due to work, holiday festivities, cold season, and all of life’s curveballs. There just isn’t enough time in the day to juggle everything but I try and now it’s paying off slowly but surely.
In case you aren’t following me on Instagram, here are daily snippets that you won’t find on the blog. I’ve realized that channeling all my focus to growing my Instagram has finally caught some fire; leading to bigger brand collaborations (you’ll see in the next week) and providing daily accountability which is easier to manage. I edit every photo with the help of shutterbugs @Twelfthknight and my Momma on occasion, thank you both and love you lots. With their help I have amassed over 1500 followers as of today and I couldn’t do it without them. I know that’s a dinky number comparatively speaking, but it’s noteworthy and lifestyle brands are taking notice.
Follow me for daily snaps :D @shoes_and_sashimi I recently made over a friend’s entire wardrobe, starting with the bare basics. #POV nowadays..it’s Fall after all. I love my lattes. #coffeesnobsociety D’orsay flats and a Wayf plaid shirt. #FallTrends Black and white forever. Melie Bianco Bag, Minkpink sweater coat, and Loeffler Randall loafers. #whatiwore Capes, Dole Whips, and new hair color by Rudy at the Elan Salon in SF. Snapped by @Twelfthknight last week.
So there you have it, my most recent posts. Catch me there daily to see where I’ve been, what I ate, what I wore, and where I’m going next :D
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.
Happy First Day of Fall everyone, tis my favorite time of year! This little post is a mashup of my favorite things: coffee breaks, work, and fall fashion. I apologize for being missing in action though, I took some time to recover from styling a commercial in Los Angeles as well as wrapping the whole thing. After being gone from set-life for a wee bit, I am happy to say I nailed it. Getting that confirmation from an all male production company as well as Client is really satisfying. Per usual no photos or more info until the actual thing airs, however this was my 3rd International shoot that I have single handedly been Wardrobe Head. for; this time shooting with Nongshim Co. the biggest instant noodle and snack company in South Korea :D The Dominos of Asia if you will. The commercial will air overseas featuring a certain known actor, he has a movie out now in theaters, maybe you’ve seen it already…but until then I can’t say much more….I hate that. *waits patiently.*
Anyhoo, now that I’m back in the Bay, it’s starting to feel like Fall…kind of? It was about 98 degrees and rising in Los Angeles and I’m happy to be incorporating some of my favorite Fall trends into my closet such as the color Blush (pullover from Banana Republic) and this awesome faux suede 70’s skirt from H&M. I don’t normally veer too far from my relatively basic neutral outfits, however I like these two trends and I think I’ll be wearing more of these skirts with some button down blouses and T shirts just to get out of my wardrobe rutt. Gotta stay fresh, people.
Hope you’re having a great week and as always thanks for reading!
Blush is the color for Fall, and since I’m not a pink gal I prefer this tone because it’s a subtle one :DDetails on this $35 skirt from H&M.My only down time for myself in LA was found at Coffee Commissary. They make a mean latte and are located in WeHo, Burbank, and Culver City.View from our shooting location in the LA hills. That’s a wrap folks.
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:
Happy New Year everyone. It seems like yet again another year goes by faster than the last, which is great in some respects, but it’s also left me feeling a bit glum if you will. Maybe because 2014 was a whirlwind of changes where I had to adapt and make bigger decisions rather quickly. With LA’s movie industry going away to budget friendly states like Louisiana, work as a Costume Designer took a big dip. That trickled into the Styling world and I was choosing my jobs very carefully which is fantastic, but sporadic. With work being so dry, I decided to move into a new more affordable apartment in May with a room mate and a little dog named Mister Cosmo. We get along splendidly.
And though 2014 was a year of change, I do think it was one of my favorite years to date. These changes made me incredibly selective with work and career. Once again I have to leave those who do not serve me kindly and learn to let things go. Self awareness and happiness brought by morning yoga is probably my highlight each day. Work is not life, I can manage my time with family who still lives in The Bay, along with my wonderfully supportive boyfriend and his fluffy four legged counterpart Boo (Boo makes appearances on my Instagram from time to time.) And if LA is changing, then so do I. Which is why I started this blog in the first place. Feeling bold, I took a shot in the dark one morning and emailed Ryan Chua, renowned blogging photographer in SF and he graciously agreed to shoot this photo set which came out beautifully. Thank you Ryan, here’s to many more.
Cheers everyone. To a full and happy new year!
Lauren
Walk it out. This top is everything…sheer but just enough. Did I mention that these jeans are my go to basics as well? JBrand is my all time favorite when it comes to denim. Never fails.
All black errthang…this peplum top from For Love and Lemons is one of my favorites.I’m a Bay girl tried and true. Stylist by trade. A little nostalgic maybe, but the iconic Ferry Plaza is somewhere I have been going to since I was little. Shot by Ryan Chua.The Bay Bridge…what can I say, it’s home.
Jewelry from the gracious hands of designer and friend Marrin Costello. She’s also a Bay girl! These are some of her new pieces from her Stoned Collection.
