a (second) week with audrey

Hello!

It's the last Saturday of my summer break. On Tuesday, I'll be back on the morning train, probably regretting how late I'd stayed up the night before as I ache for another latte. It hasn't quite hit me yet that classes are resuming so soon, especially because I've just had the loveliest week with my friend Audrey.

Most of the week was spent showing her around San Francisco. I've been spending a lot of time indoors lately -- hiding from the obscenely hot weather, mostly -- so it was nice to wander around and show her some of my favorite places. Apologies, this post is a bit of a mess. 

We hit several stops on Monday (8/18). We started with lunch at Onigilly and Plentea, which are conveniently located right next to each other. Every time I pass by it there's always a line at both, but the wait is definitely worth it. Plus, there's a cozy seating area on the second floor of Plentea where you can escape the crowd on the first floor. (There are also outlets so you can charge your now-dying phone because you were refreshing Twitter incessantly in line.)

Afterwards we took the bus over to Japantown. We stopped by one of my favorite cafes in the city (if not my favorite so far), YakiniQ Cafe. I haven't been in there in ages and it's still the same, homey place I remembered it to be. Following our caffeine pick-me-up we strolled through the malls across the street, and headed over to Pika Pika to take pictures together. Both YakiniQ and Pika Pika are musts when you visit Japantown, so bring your friends next time you're stopping by! 

I picked up yet another box of Palty hair dye while we were there -- it definitely lightened my hair (I suppose the third time's the charm -- or was it the fourth?) although it's still not the color I want. Oh well. Maybe next time? I'm so close to achieving my dream hair!

We ended the trip with some delicious takoyaki over at Cafe Hana.

The next day I showed her around Berkeley (around Shattuck and Telegraph). Audrey and I had lunch at Paris Baguette before we browsed some thrift stores and record shops. I got some journals over at Moe's Books -- I'm trying to get back into the habit of writing in a handwritten journal again. I don't know. Something about it feels right at the moment.

On Wednesday it was back to San Francisco. Audrey was curious about Sushirrito -- yes, it's exactly what you think it is, and yes, it is delicious -- so we stopped by to have lunch there before we popped in and out of shops on Haight Street.

^ There was this lovely collared dress I tried on over at Wasteland. In the end, I didn't buy it -- actually, I can no longer remember why, but I'm sure I had a good reason. Something about saving money for the upcoming semester...yeah, something like that.

The rest of the week progressed calmly. After spending three days straight walking around the city we decided to rest a bit. On Thursday we spent most of the day having coffee and flipping through magazines at Barnes & Noble, and then had dinner at my favorite sushi place ever. On Friday we spent the evening reading creepy stories and playing some horror games. I've been in the mood for some good horror lately...I just can't seem to find any piece of media that'll satisfy the particular craving.

Audrey left this morning around noon. I returned home to some gifts she left behind -- some perfume from Lush, along with a lovely letter that made the space she left behind all the more harder to ignore. 

But there's no use in being sad, really -- goodbyes suck, but we talk and make each other laugh every day across various internet platforms, so in a way, it's like she never left! 

That's one of the best things about getting to meet and spend time with friends you made online: after you say your farewells, board your flights, and return to your own corner, you're never really alone -- all you have to do is pull up their name on a screen, and you can pick up right where you left off.

north beach, art update (commissions still open!)

This past Tuesday I took my darling friend Elle around North Beach. It's been years since I've been in the neighborhood, and upon returning, I wasn't sure why it took me so long to revisit it. All those restaurants, all those cafes and cute little boutiques...definitely right up my alley. (Unfortunately, not literally).

Started out the day at Beacon Coffee & Pantry. Very nice place, lovely interior, gorgeous lighting, and the drinks were delicious. Won't be my first time stopping by. There were so many cafes around to choose from, but something about this place sold me when I was reading about it on Yelp.

Caffe Greco was recommended to me by a friend in the city, so I knew I had to take Elle there. I got to try my first cannoli! I thought it would be way too sweet for my taste (I'm not a huge sweet tooth) but it was actually a lot richer than I was expecting. Stil pretty good, though.

I've been spending a lot of time with Elle this summer, and I still miss her every day. It's August, and classes resume at the end of the month, and as much as I'm dreading falling back into that routine, I know I'll have a lovely summer to look back on. Besides! I still have a few things to look forward to before fall semester starts up. Audrey, who I stayed with in LA during spring break, is coming up to visit me!

Other things:

+ I'm seeing The Horrors @ The Fillmore in October. Also, Drowners are playing here again in that same month. Still debating on whether or not I should go since I have class that night, but...I mean, we all know how well I can resist a good show. (Spoiler: I can't. I'm awful. I have no willpower. Especially since there's the chance I'll get to chat with the band again.)

+ Art commissions are still open. As of this moment, I still have four slots available -- please read the information here for details. In the meantime, I've been drawing a lot, to keep the creative spirit alive. Here's (yet another) Holmes and Watson sketch I whipped up:

( post @ Tumblr )

What I've been wearing: I hate summer weather. The end. Summer as a holiday I adore -- shame that it comes coupled with the temperatures I can't stand the most. My sense of style hasn't really changed since spring ended. I've mostly been wearing shirts and my favorite pair of high-waisted shorts. But! I am wearing necklaces on a regular basis again. Here's a photo of the ones I've been alternating between.

What I've been inspired by: Annie Clark (St. Vincent) and literally everything about her aesthetic. Cosmic goddess, Sailor Scout galaxy grunge (by the way I'm enjoying the SM remake), pastel space witch, intergalactic femme fatale, whatever the hell kind of aesthetic you can come up with -- she can do it. I've spent hours on YouTube watching live performances. You should watch this video of Rattlesnake and Digital Witness live @ La Cigale Paris 2014. (Flashing light warning.) I'm still hitting myself on the head for missing her show here back in March, as well as the show in LA that she did while I was there.

What I've been listening to: A lot of St. Vincent, obviously. For some reason I've been revisiting some favorite bands from middle school, particularly Ladytron, Modest Mouse, and Death Cab for Cutie. (Ladytron were really fucking good, man. Forget Lana's "Blue Jeans", Ladytron's "Blue Jeans" still kills me with how great it is.) I had no fashion sense then but damn I had a hell of a music library. Oh, and I'm still dancing along to Late of the Pier, and still waiting for their next album even though it's been six years. On nights I need some voiceless, instrumental fuel for my creativity, I listen to Zoe Keating's wonderful cello work. (You might recognize her from the Elementary soundtrack. Check out "Escape Artist" and "We Insist".)

What I've been reading: Why do I even have this section here? I haven't read a book in months (that wasn't required for class). I've got two literature courses coming up, so that'll be fun. I don't know, do random articles of information about, say, deadly ingredients in cosmetics or the journey your luggage makes in an airport count? Writing murder mysteries with friends puts some really strange things into your browser history, let me tell you. That being said, don't mind me if I wipe it clean -- pardon me for a moment.

keeping it short

Remember how I said in my last post that I was going to update regularly this summer? Yeah, me neither.

July's already ending -- classes resume at the end of August -- and I feel like I've both done enough and not enough this summer. Apart from (unsuccessful) job hunting and watching my sleep schedule resemble that of a nocturnal creature, I've been trying to keep myself busy on the days it's too hot to go outside, which turns out to be most days.

Some things in a short list because I don't have enough to make a proper update at the moment:

+ I'm back to having short bangs. Pictures...eventually. When it's not a billion degrees.

+ Been doing some cafe hopping with my dear friend Elle. We're going again tomorrow around North Beach.

+ ...And writing some murder mysteries at said cafes. (Elementary's third season doesn't premiere until late October so I have to do something, right?)
+ Recently put together a short electronica/rock mix on 8tracks. Listen to CUTGLASS here!

And last but definitely not least: I've opened art commissions! Check out the post on Tumblr here for details. Reproduced below are my rates according to particular illustration style.

summer break

Hey! I figured it was about time I updated; it's been a little over a month since my last post. I've been on summer break since sometime in mid-May -- while I've got twice the amount of free time I had before, I'm still trying to figure out what I can do with all that time. In fact, I have no set plans for this summer other than sticking to my goal of simply doing something productive this summer.

I have a lot to cover in this post, so pardon the mess below. 

Here's a list of what's been going on since my last post:

+ I got a haircut:

  

+ Amidst the nightmare of finals week, I was blessed with a great opportunity: I've been featured in the Golden Gate Xpress under Fashion Forecast! Here's an excerpt of the article on summer style in San Francisco, and one of the photos from the shoot:

“It’s no secret that San Francisco weather is wildly moody, but that doesn’t mean style has to be sacrificed. There are a slew of ways to embrace the sun but still be well equipped for San Francisco’s temperamental temperatures. “I definitely have to pull out a pair of shorts when the heat wave strikes and set the leather jacket aside,” said Roanne Quiozon, a Comparative and World Literature major at SF State who interns for a college fashion website and has her own fashion and lifestyle blog. “I just make a series of simple swaps, such as switching from pants to shorts, skirts and tights to skirts without the tights, or boots to loafers.”

Read the whole article and see more photos here!

+ I turned 21. It's only been a little over two weeks since then, but so far, it's been a great age. There is nothing more refreshing at the end of a disgustingly 90+ degree weather day than a margarita.

+ I know I said I'd do commissions once summer began. For some reason, most of my drawing motivation flew out the window the moment summer break settled in. (It was all over the place during finals, though.) I'm working to get the drawing bug back. In the meantime, there's free shipping at my society6 store till June 8 at midnight, so check it out through this promotional link!

+ A few posts of mine at the Fashion Inspired by Art column over at College Fashion were published since my last update. Click the names of the following artists to see outfits inspired by their work: Suzuki Kiitsu, Wayne Thiebaud, Kobayashi Kiyochika, and Georgia O'Keeffe. I have one coming up next Wednesday, so be on the lookout in case I don't create a post here. If you're a cat lover like me, I think you'll enjoy it.

+ Thanks to the hot weather leaving me clueless on how to update my style (and some birthday money/gifts), here are a few cute things I've bought and have been wearing lately:

1) A bee necklace from J. Topolski. I've been wearing it literally every day since I've gotten it. I wear rings all the time, and I thought I'd try getting back into wearing necklaces on a regular basis. This special little trinket was my birthday present for myself, and it may or may not be a way for me to further express my love for my favorite TV show, and one of my favorite scenes, ever. (One year later and it still gets me.) 

2) Wedges. They're my first pair. Wedges have always looked so cute on other people but for some reason, I could never picture myself wearing them...I've never even bothered to try on a single pair until these came in the mail! These are the "Bamboo Tessa Wedge" from Urbanog.com.

3) Maroon felt hat from Mars Mercantile in Berkeley (a venue I recommend, by the way -- they've got the cutest vintage dresses organized by decade). Anyway, I haven't had a hat I regularly incorporated into my outfits since this one green slouchy beanie I wore all the time in high school. Since I cut my hair, and since it's in that weird, growing out stage right now, I wanted to have something to fall back on when it refuses to cooperate. My short hair looks better with hats than my long hair did.

4) Light wash denim overalls. (Or shortalls, technically.) I was actually looking for medium wash ones as I'm not a huge fan of light wash denim in general, but these were on sale, so.

Some other bits of my life: 

+ Joining the discussion at #YesAllWomen and partaking in countless angry feminist rants -- not that there are days I'm not an angry intersectional feminist. To be frank, I'm a furious one, and the fact that there are people out there that continuously misinterpret feminism and its goals gets on my nerves every day. The fact that there are people who treat these issues like they aren't important puts me in an even worse mood. 

Feminism isn't just some cute trend or man-hating club, y'all. Do your homework, do your research, remember to always keep intersectionality in your feminism, and spread the word because discussing and raising awareness to these issues -- as well as unlearning all the problematic notions you've internalized and continuously checking/correcting your problematic behavior -- is really fucking important.

If you haven't visited the #YesAllWomen hashtag yet, I suggest you stop reading this messy blog post now and go read everyone's contributions. (Various trigger warnings.) If what you read there doesn't open your eyes about the blatant misogyny in our society -- the same blatant misogyny that society continues to ignore -- I honestly don't know what will.  

Wake up. Please. Just because you yourself have not experienced what the women in the hashtag have, or just because you think you aren't part of the problem (being silent about sexism only further perpetuates misogyny and does nothing to help women), doesn't make misogyny any less real. It doesn't mean you are exempt from the issue and the discussion that desperately and continuously needs to be implemented into our daily lives.

+ Elementary ended its second season a few weeks ago, and even though this season was hit-or-miss (don't get me started on the last two episodes), I've felt a void in my heart ever since. I did binge watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine though, which I completely adore, and which I regret watching way too fast because that's left a void in my heart, too. (I'm watching Broad City now.) 

+ Speaking of Elementary, I've done a few doodles since my last update. View them here. 

+ After years of not really doing anything with nature, I went hiking at Redwood Regional Park. 

...I feel like I'm more or less done with this post for now. I'll try not to have such a huge gap in-between updates again to spare you the sloppiness, and to spare myself from trying to remember everything that's happened. I might add a few more things to this entry if I remember them.

One last exciting tidbit of news: Lucy Liu tweeted me. What a bad time to have a play on my name as my Twitter title, huh? (Somewhere, the 10 year old in me is crying with happiness. And by '10 year old' I mean me, now, as a 21 year old, and every age in between. She's just my absolute favorite.)

See you soon!

lana del rey @ bill graham civic auditorium (4/18)

I know I said I'd do a write-up of the Lana del Rey concert I went to, so here it is! Unfortunately I've put it off for too long -- to call this past week exhausting would be an understatement -- so it'll be messy. (Think of it as a way to show off the, what, three nice photos I managed to snap?)

I already knew the crowd was going to be huge. I mean, it's Lana del Rey and people were lining up at the venue since 10am, and probably even earlier. I got there much later than I planned to, around 4:30pm or so, and I greatly underestimated the amount of people there. (I also underestimated the sheer amount of flower crowns in the audience. I don't think I've seen so many flower crowns in one place in my entire life.) The line eventually came to circle the entirety of the park by City Hall. I didn't think there was any possibility of my being at the front, and that was okay -- juts thinking about how brutal and rabid it would be at the pit was enough to let my late arrival slide.

Turns out I did end up pretty close. I don't know what it is about concerts and how I manage to luck out, no matter how late I arrive -- I'm not a crowd bully, I promise! -- but I ended up in the second row, towards the side. And if I thought I underestimated the size of the crowd as it snaked around the park, the sheer size of it only seemed bigger inside the venue. The concert hadn't even started yet and already people were pushing, and I had to steady myself so as to not fall over. I found myself envying those at the very front -- not because they were at the very front, but because they had a barrier to hold on to. By now it was more or less too late to head for a safer spot, seeing as the auditorium was full, and people were reluctant to move out of the way for anyone.

I'll say it now: that was the most brutal concert I've ever been to. Ever. Before this, it was the crowd at Arctic Monkeys back in September, but the crowd for Lana made that past experience look tame and family-friendly in comparison. And yes, I'm still saying that even though I got kicked in the head by a crowdsurfer at AM's show. The moment the lights dimmed the crowd made a wave towards the stage, and I knew it was only going to get more chaotic.

But enough of the crowd for now -- let's move on to Lana! Lana was fantastic. I never thought I'd be able to see her perform live, and I'm glad I didn't let this opportunity pass. She played her new song, West Coast, which was even better live. Here's her setlist from that evening.

Eventually some very tall and very rude people (and extremely hardcore Lana fans, judging from the fact that one of them tried to throw their underwear on stage and hit me in the head with it at one point...yuck) elbowed me and pushed me back, so I had to watch some of the concert through people's phones (or mine). As a result I got more videos than I did pictures. Pardon the bad quality, though. You can watch them on my Instagram: Born to Die, Born to Die (again), Gods and Monsters, Blue Jeans, West Coast, Young and Beautiful.

Anyway, after many a beautiful chorus, Lana sung the last words of National Anthem, signed autographs for those in the center front, and walked off stage. Once I made my way out of the crowd I walked over to the merchandise table, but the line was way too long so I figured I'd pass on a shirt. I met my friend Jasmine after the show as we couldn't find each other beforehand, and after a run-in (or drive-by, technically) with impatient strangers in the parking lot, I enjoyed the rest of the night as we made our way home.

All in all, Lana was glorious live, and I continue to admire her talent and how much she changes up her songs! One thing's for sure, though: next time she comes around town, I am definitely getting seats as opposed to standing. I love you, Lana, I really do, but I plan to keep my limbs intact -- all the better to dance along to your new tunes to!