would it kill you to smile

zara shirt, lf stores pants, steve madden heels, tsovet watch, urban outfitters bag

FYI, this is a very delayed blog post. I'm not as consistent as I'd like to be on here but instagram and twitter are always better ways to follow me along . Anyway, I went to Twin Peaks and Marin Headlands with Alex and his dad one weekend in April. Got lucky to see the best views in SF with the weather so nice. Found this top at Zara that happened to match his favorite t-shirt. Together with our matching Tsovet's, I think we made a very cool bershon photo.

destination: san diego

These photos are long overdue. Went to San Diego two weekends ago for Maria's bachelorette party. SFO's terminal 2 has the best food options for an airport. Stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel in the Gas Lamp District. Rushed and had no time to shop for the trip so I borrowed Rachael's top and wore it as a dress for one of the theme nights. Jumped around to a bunch of clubs and realized I haven't danced my butt off like that in forever. San Diego has a huge nightlife/party scene. Stingaree and Fluxx were probably my favorite ones. I'll admit I feel a tad old being out but since we were celebrating and for all those who ask about nightlife questions.. there you go. Had a massage and super fun spa day with the ladies. Took a Zumba class. Ate at La Puerta for some tasty Mexican food. I was on a roll with my health conscious/no alcohol diet but was sold on the sangria, chicken tacos, guacamole and chips and salsa. Oh, and the bike rides to get to/from each club were a fun highlight for some strange reason. Maybe bc it was a weird switch up from being used to taking a taxi. All in all it was an exhausting 2 days but very fun experience!

@hellonikki

I suck at blogging lately but I promise promise this will be updated very soon. In the meantime feel free to follow my meanderings on instagram: @hellonikki

not leopard? not interested.

lf stores car mar jeans, milau sheer blouse, ferragamo bag, steve madden heels

I need to kick this horrible habit of my late night eating out business. I don't remember the last time I had red meat but for some reason I had 3 cheeseburgers just within this week. 1 from in-n-out, 1 from pearl's deluxe, 1 from umami. And the winner? umami. I'm a sucker for sweet potato fries and though the thought of anything cooked medium grosses me out, it hit the spot at 1AM. Anyway, I was saving this outfit (the top mainly) for something exciting but decided it will be my staple uniform when I'm in a rush. Anything leopard catches my attention, that's for sure and I can't tell you enough of how many compliments I've gotten from these extensions. It's nice but it also gives me this weird complex that you can tell it's obvious but for the most part I think I have people fooled.

black on black

hm top, hk tights, jessica simpson shoes, lf hat, zara bag, rayban sunglasses

I haven't gone shopping in forever and am now making a conscious effort to look for outfits for all my upcoming trips. So far I've nailed down 2 solid ensembles and other than that my radar is still on. I had dinner at BIX the other week which is an excellent place to go on a date. I'm obsessed with Mexican food and Colibri's has some of the best fish tacos and happy hour I've tried. I've raved about Bikram at Being Yoga in the past but am so in love with Vinyasa at Yoga Tree in the Castro. St. Patrick's Day was quiet for me. The past 2 weeks actually. Oh but I participated in my first Trivia Night on Wednesday at Tonic on Polk St. Sad because the only contribution I gave to my team was my knowledge of Tupac which shockingly nobody else knew! #WhereAmI? Anyway, there's your mini update of March.

a disciplined mind = a disciplined body

I started this juice cleanse suggested by my girlfriend Liz and so far I'm on my last jar and one night away from food-- can't wait! I recently had a colonic, the idea is gross- i know but combined with fasting for 3 days, I must say it's been quite the experience. The purpose of doing this wasn't about weight loss though it is a nice added benefit. The older I get, the more I find it a challenge to maintain my body and at 28, it takes a lot more effort than just working out. Don't get me wrong, I love my age-- I own it. I just had a lot more motivation when I was younger to go to the gym and the signs of aging are beginning to be more noticeable, for me at least. I'm not a fan of dieting, I love food too much and intend to eat just as normal once this is done. But I did this mainly because I wanted to release all the toxins inside my body and it just seemed like a good thing overall. I like to be proactive and lately after limiting my intake of alcohol and focusing on a healthier lifestyle, I've increased my energy and feel as clean as a whistle. Also, it was a perfect transition in switching to my next invisalign liner since downing liquids doesn't interfere with the pain. It's a nice way to start fresh and press the reset button on life. I've said goodbye to a lot of things in 2011 and doing this served as a symbol in letting go. I'm surprised for my determination in committing to this straight with no cheating at all. (It allowed a few permissible eats but I held strong.) I was even able to go out for *drinks* with some friends without caving. We hit up this dive bar Bloodhound in SOMA and you won't believe they served beverages in the same exact cans these juices come in. The whole time I was thinking of ways to devise a plan to avoid the pressure of alcohol-- my friends are notorious in forcing people to drink so thank goodness I had one of them in my bag. Haha.. I even felt a little ghetto popping it out but it was better than giving in. I promise it's really not bad as it seems and I highly recommend you try it. After all, everyone can use a detox to clean out their system and this is one way to go.

coachella day 2

lf stores shorts, milau top, tiffany's & f21 necklace, sam edelman wedges, jcrew hat

The second day was definitely more exciting and this time we came prepared for the cold weather. Tumbled around in the day on the grass and poolside before we headed out. Drank an excessive amount of Jameson and ginger ale. Hung out by the beer gardens till we caught Bon Iver and met up with the rest of the folks at Kaskade. The VIP bracelet is pretty useless in my opinion. That or I just didn't know how to utilize it best. But all in all after today, Coachella was beginning to feel like I remembered it from last year. #awesome

Must. Have.

Most recent purchases I'm in love with

Got the cutest sunglasses turned eyeglasses the other day at Ilori. This place has the best selection when it comes to eyewear. A statement necklace from Urban to spice up any outfit since I've been spending ludicrous amounts on my health/wellness opposed to clothing/shoes. Still looking for an everyday necklace to wear like my old peace sign now gifted and hopefully in safe keeping. Lost my beloved honeycomb ring so I'd like to replace that as well. I love the smell of Baise, a Diptyque candle that I can bring around during my travels. Obsessed with this granola. I go through bags in just a week and goes perfect with my fage greek yogurt. Finally updated my cosmetic regimen. I'm old school and have been a MAC addict for years. I've tried to switch over to Makeup Forever but for some reason I did not like it. So many people have suggested it but I prefer the Studio Sculpt from MAC instead. I've been a die hard fan of Studio Fix Fluid but this gives me the same amount of coverage without such a heavy feeling. I swear it goes on like butter on my face. And I've changed my typical and messy lipglass/lustreglass to Creamsheen. This lip product gives enough color to achieve the perfect stain that adds some shine sans the stickiness. Next up is an iPhone 4s and maybe a new bag. I make lists of things I want and they magically always manifest.

double trouble

olsen twins

Highlights from the weekend: Brunch at Park Chow with my favorite LA road trip gals- Rach and Ruby. Reuniting with my other bests Liz and Cath at Mosto- a super cool tequila bar in the Mission-- excellent excellent scene. Imperial Day Spa because it was the only place that had 3 appointments available at the same time and despite our hesitancy, it became such a good massage. Our first choice Nob Hill Spa at the Huntington Hotel was completely booked but am planning to check that since I hear amazing things. Oh and I managed to eat lunch at La Mediterranee every single day this week! #success

coachella Day 3

zara shorts, lf shorts, goorin brothers hat, hk flats

Day 3 involved another pre game pool party and riding my first ferris wheel ever. Had a Pink's hot dog and chill cheese fries before we met with everyone. Went crazy when The Weeknd played Crew Love. Caught a glimpse of Gotye then hopped over to Calvin Harris, one of my highlights of the trip. Stayed for 20 minutes into Avicii's set and watched these girls throw glitter everywhere and go wild, which btw looked very cool.  Headed over and squeezed our way up close to the Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg show. Absolutely the best part of the whole festival. I realized there is an inner gangster rapper in me for the fact that I knew every single song word for word. Blown away by each surprise performance-- to get such talented artists all on one stage. And just when I thought Kanye's performance last year would be tough to beat, Tupac was such a treat that it made it a million times better. Looking at these pictures already give me withdrawals but now with Maria's wedding, I'm so preoccupied and beyond exhausted from traveling and adjusting with the time difference that my schedule is way too hectic to pause and think of it. Luckily I had some down time to get these up before I lag again. My body still thinks it's at Coachella and wanted to reminisce while it's fresh. I'll return back here with pictures from the Philippines once I get back next week. Till then, toodles.