April 30, 2014

Interweb Goodies: Mean Girls Edition

On Wednesdays we wear pink.



Today Mean Girls turns 10! Can you believe it!? To celebrate we wanted to share some of our fave interweb finds on this great film, enjoy!

First things first, lets catch up with the cast and see where they are now

Now that your up to speed on the cast let's test your knowledge of the film via this quiz from Buzzfeed

Buzzfeed can also help you figure out what level of fandom you possess

Your such a super fan you probably already know these secrets about the film

Mean Girls even makes math better! Check out these great charts that would make the Mathaletes proud

Amazing Mean Girl accessories can be found here and here

See Mean Girls Disney Style - Warning, it is amazing

And for our last link, lets take it all the way back to check out the premiere of this great film




-A&K



April 29, 2014

Sustainable Fashion

All of these amazing jackets were found second hand!

Fun fact about us: we love thrifting

When we were in high school we were always really into dressing up for spirit week. While we did babysit and work after school we had to make magic on a budget, thus we went on all-day hunts for the perfect finds at some local thrift stores. 

Since April features Earth Day we wanted to share some sustainable and fashionable tips for helping you look good, save money and be nice to mother earth!


One great way to save money is to shop at thrift stores or other second hand stores. The selection is always varied and sometimes it may seem like there's not much around you would really want to wear, but with a little patience and some digging, greatness can be found!

Insider tip: Be in the mindset to thrift! You will need energy and time for this kind of shopping, do not go on an empty stomach or a sleepy one.

Kira's parrot jacket from Buffalo Exchange is also reversible!


Another great thing about these stores is you can often sell and/or donate your clothes. Selling back is a little more difficult, but worth it if you have pieces in good condition that you no longer wear. Often you get more money in trade than cash but either option great, especially if you shop at the store often. I mean what else are you going to do with clothes in your closet that you no longer wear. Free up some space for yourself, make some cash and donate the rest to others who aren't as lucky to have a surplus of clothing. Its a win-win-win!

Now that you've read how amazing thrifting can be check out some of our fave spots to thrift!

Fave Shops:

Gold greatness from Thrift Town


Thirft Town: multiple locations in the Bay Area. We usually go to the one in El Sobrante. We have found some uh-mazing finds, black body suits, gold cheetah print jackets and everything in between.

Goodwill: Found all over the US, heres some of our local faves
Albany - This Goodwill is newer so its very clean and organized. Ashley was able to find a copy of one of our favorite movies, Save The Last Dance!! While her mom picked up a great Kate Spade bag!

Richmond - One of the smaller Goodwill stores, which means less inventory but also less items to sort through. One of the few thrift stores you can go through quickly. Kira was able to stop by here last new years eve and 20 mins later walked out with the perfect $5 Eileen Fischer sequin top for that night.

*All locations also take donations so do a little cleaning before you head over and reward yourself with some shopping. Whats great about Thrift Town and Goodwill is that there are other items besides clothing. Great place to buy cheap books as well as housewares.


Resell and shop: multiple locations throughout the Bay Area and US.

- Buffalo Exchange: Spent countless hours in Buffalos all over, with many many great finds under our belts. More expensive than a thrift store but with higher quality pieces. Kira's most recent fab find here was a great fitting chambray J. Crew button up for $20 which is a steal compared to the original price tag which was closer to $100. I have also sold clothes back to Buffalo many times. They are picky but its usually a pretty seamless process.

Crossroads Trading Co:  Very similar to Buffalo. I recently sold clothes back to Crossroads and was very happy with my exchange. I was able to pick up a great J. Crew skirt here too!

Eileen Fisher top and J.Crew skirt mentioned above + Ashley's fave pink blazer from Thrift Town




Wherever and however you like to shop, think about the impact your clothes make on the world. Donate what you can and think sustainability when possible. Lots of little actions can go a long way!

-A&K

April 28, 2014

Spring Decor Inspiration


I'm feeling greatly inspired to add some much needed color to my living room! My living room has a lot of tans, and deep colors such as blue, green, and burgundy. I'm ready for some bright pops of color that can liven up the space a little bit.

I'm thinking of purchasing some fabric and making pillowcases for the already existing pillows, it will save a lot of money and when the darker colors seem more appropriate for fall and winter, I can simply take them off.

My roommate and I were thinking of re-organizing the furniture as well, to make the space more livable. However, these few items below can help switch up a room quickly!



Spring Decor Inspiration


1. I'm loving the idea of wooden words, it will give off a nice casual vibe

2. Some bold printed pillows in primary colors will look nice to my already existing blue chairs 

3. I would love to bring out the colors in the pillows in some nice lanterns, candle holders, or other extras 

4. A nice mail holder will make everything a little more organized, and will look nice with the decor! 

5. This spring and summer I would love to have some fresh flowers in the house 

6. This fabulous candle would look great on my glass topped coffee table

7. White wicker is a great way to store items while still looking chic (I'm thinking extra blankets or even board games 

8. This graphic will look great on a gallery wall mixed with other pictures

Make sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram to follow along with all of our adventures! 

-A

April 25, 2014

Fashion Fridays: Summer Jumpsuit

I'm on the hunt - for a summer jumpsuit!

I have a jumpsuit that I bought for the recent Yeezus concert. It's black with these fabulous pockets, from Necessary Clothing, it isn't currently on their website, but I found a few other items that I love!. I saw a friend wearing one when we went out one night and it just looked so comfy. It is a great piece - and works well for nights out and concerts. However, I'm on the hunt for a flowy, lightweight one that I can wear during the summer months. 

These are some looks that I am currently craving! 

I'm loving the white and breathable fabric with this look. 


Although this one is dark, since it is done in a navy it can be wearable more during the day as Lauren is doing here. Also, with a cropped leg, it gives off more of a casual vibe. 


Kim K's just looks so flowy and fabulous. The fabric looks wearable, and in a cream color it is perfect for spring and summer! 

Images via Pinterest and Glamour 

-A


April 24, 2014

NOLA: Places and Spaces


Hello and welcome to my third and final installment on my amazing trip to New Orleans. This post will cover some must see spots as well as where to stay while your out there and how to get around. Check out my other posts on Nola for the full experience. You can read all about the food here, and the music here!

New Orleans is full of amazing places to see and explore. It is a unique city with a lot to offer.

Where to go:

Louis Armstrong Park: Beautiful park, cool sculptures with great plaques to get your learnin on.

Besthoff Sculpture Garden: Lovely bike ride down Esplanade St gets you too the coolest sculpture garden I've ever been too, bonus its free!




Algiers: Quick ferry ride across the Mississippi gets you to the mellow streets of Algiers.

Garden District*: Gorgeous neighborhood filled with historic and famous homes. Sandra Bullock,  John Goodman , Peyton and Eli Manning to name a few of the stars in this neighborhood. See the house that inspired Disney's Haunted Mansion, many of Anne Rice's books and countless other films.

Home where football stars The Mannings grew up

Tulane: One of the prettiest campuses I've ever been on.



Audubon Park: Huge, amazing park right across the street from Tulane. Has a bike trail, walking trail and a golf course.

Lafayette Cemetery #1 & St Louis Cemetery #1*: New Orleans cemeteries are unique and beautiful. At the St Louis cemetery you can see the famous grave of Marie Laveau and the future resting place of Nicholas Cage.



Magazine Street: Great shopping and food.

*Must take walking tours if you can. Found a great free company: Free Tours by Foot. If you like them, tip them. They also do free bike and bus tours for a fee.

We took a fantastic Garden District/ Lafayette Cemetery Tour as well as a St. Louis Cemetery tour with them.

Beautiful street in Algiers

Where to stay:

The Diversity of New Orleans is apparent everywhere including the places to stay. They have lots of upscale downtown hotels, quaint bed and breakfasts, hostels, Air BnB's. Whatever your looking for you can probably find. For my stay I choose to stay in an Air BnB during the week and a hostel during the weekend.

Air BnB: If you are not familiar with this service, get familiar! It is great while traveling. Basically folks rent out a room or their entire house/apartment to other folks. It is in nearly every city in the US as well as abroad. It can be done online or through an app. New Orleans had a wide variety of places to choose from and we ended up with a great place and a great host. All the money is exchanged via the app or website and depending on where you stay it can often be much cheaper than a hotel and more fun. Hosts are usually helpful and knowledgeable about the city and the best thing about ours was that there were multiple bikes available for use to use.



India House Hostel: We stayed here for the weekend so that we could be more social and just to check out a different area of the city and have a different experience. It was great. The house is super cool and interesting, really good vibe, staff were people you would want to hang out with and had great suggestions of places to visit. The location seems a bit random but there are places to eat, drink short walks away and the streetcar is right there which easily takes you back into the hustle and bustle. The best things about the hostel was the people, the breakfasts (cheap and delish!) and the porch. Great place to sit, talk, drink and socialize with people from all over the world.

*note! Depending on when your going book early!! Air Bnbs get booked up as well as India House. New Orleans is constantly having fairs and festivals and it can be very hard to get a place last minute.




How to get around:


New Orleans is very easy to get around. Most likely if your staying in the downtown or French Quarter area most of where you'll want to go will be close by. While I was there I took pretty much every form of transportation available. But my favorite modes by far were to bike or use the streetcars.

Bike: The easiest, cheapest and best way to see the city is to bike it. New Orleans is flat flat flat, which equals easy easy easy to ride a bike. I am by no means someone who bikes often or long distances but both my friend and I found it very easy and very nice to bike the city. We were lucky to get an Air BnB with bikes available to us however there are lots of opportunities to rent bikes elsewhere around the city.

Streetcar: Not the fastest way to get around but its fun and if the car is not too full can be relaxing. The St Charles streetcar is beautiful and iconic and something you should just do for the experience. Its also very cheap. Each ride is $1.25 while an all day pass is only $3! The pass for the streetcar is also good for the bus system which is doubly nice. The streetcar also runs often and late, til about 2am.

Bus: We took a bus from the airport to downtown for only $2 (the A2)! It took longer but it was a nice ride through the outskirts into the city and a good way to just hang out with locals and have a less touristy experience. The bus also runs through out the city and can be taken during some areas where the streetcar is not running due to construction.

Taxi: Easy to get and nice to use when your going a little further out at night. There are a lot of local drivers that are super friendly and knowledgeable about the area. Our first driver was the best; telling us where to eat and what places to avoid. Best cab company was Nawlins Cab. They have a great tag line and an app that was super handy to have.

Algiers Ferry: $2 dollars each way, fun to cross the Mississippi and check out the cool mellow area of Algiers on the other side.

Last but not least good old fashion walking! New Orleans is also very walkable and there are lots of walking tours you should check out. Either self guided or through a company.


Make sure to follow all of our adventures on Twitter and Instagram, and make sure to follow the blog! 

-K

April 23, 2014

Interweb Goodies

Our favorite finds from the week... 

Love this boy's look


Lovin' these kids styles! We wish we were this fashionable!

Emma Philips' photos of Australian salt mines are breathtaking.

A funny take on the English language.

I've made the tomato & basil one, delish! Can't wait to try these other one-pot-pastas out!

Yes, you can live without these things.

-A&K

April 22, 2014

Earth Day

First off shouldn't we treat everyday as Earth day!? I mean technically everyday is unless your an astronaut or alien... but before I go off on a complete tangent lets get back to the holiday.

So today is Earth Day, yay Earth! I surely take you for granted but I must say you are great. I'm a huge fan of air and trees, waters not bad either. So my sincerest thanks to you on this day and every day for I truly wouldn't be here without you.


There are countless ways one can be kind to mother earth but one of my most favorite ways is to recycle. Not just sorting bottles and cans but really reusing items and thinking outside the box when it comes to giving old items new life. I recently went to a great event at the Richmond Art Center entitled: Upcycle. It was a free event that featured interactive booths on various ways to upcycle. Up cycling is essential giving life to old items, finding unique and practical applications to things that might otherwise be thrown out. They had booths on quilting, mosaics, screen printing and my personal favorites; smoothies made via bicycle and crafting items out of intertubes from bikes!

It was so cool to take these random items and create something beautiful and something I will actually use again and again. My friend made a wallet out of the inter tubing, one that she now uses everyday while I made a hair bow/ bow tie to be worn in the future. I also made a little pouch as a gift for a friend. It was fun and it really helped to open up my mind on how to reuse old items.

It was a great event for a great cause. I grew up taking classes at The Richmond Art Center and it was so nice to revisit the space and to see the positive things happening in Richmond. We often get a bad rap but it is a great city with great opportunities and potential.

Have a beautiful Earth Day and remember to do something nice for the Earth today and everyday! Tune back in Friday for a post on recycled fashion and be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates throughout the week!

-K





April 21, 2014

Ashley's Obsessed


“California here we come, right back where we started from” 



Does it feel like 2003 yet? My roommate, Nicole, got me the complete series of The OC on DVD for Christmas and ever since then we cannot stop watching it! From the adorable Seth and Summer relationship, Ryan’s bad-boy attitude, and Marissa’s over-dramatic life it truly does bring me back to high school! My friends and I would get together and watch it or call each other immediately after it ended to recap everything that happened. If you were as big as a fanatic as me, do yourself a favor and start watching it again from the beginning, mornings at the Cohen’s with bagels and coffee will feel incredibly familiar. 

April 18, 2014

Fashion Fridays: Chris

This is a very exciting day for us here at AKA Blog! We really feel that we have extremely fashionable friends and we want to highlight them and their impeccable taste. We are going to use Fashion Fridays not only to highlight what we are wearing but what our friends are too!


I met Chris my Junior year of college through my roommate, Katie, and we instantly clicked. He is such a great person; so easy to talk to, amazing King's Cup player, and an true friend that is always there for you through thick and thin. We have had some crazy college nights... everything from missing shoes to 90's parties. However, Chris is not only someone to have fun with, we can have incredibly deep conversions and just simply enjoy each other's company.

Oh yeah this isn't just about how I miss my friend since I moved back to California. Back to fashion, Chris has amazing taste. Definitely sporty-casual during the day, but when he gets dressed up he knows just how to put together a great looking fit. When I asked Chris to send me one of his favorite items, I knew instantly what he would pick.

His favorite Steve Madden Preston Boots.




From Chris "When I throw on my jeans and a warm ironed shirt, I know it's going to be a good night. When I lace up my Steve Maddens it seals the deal and gives me the confidence to be in the spotlight wherever I go. It's amazing how an outfit can give you such an empowering feeling"



Chris also said he recently brought these with him to Vegas for Spring Break and wore them out, said they were comfy and worked with different outfits. I also somewhat believe that he purchased these because Ryan Gosling wore a similar pair in Crazy, Stupid, Love.

I hope you like this fun new way of highlighting some very fashionable people! If you are interested in being a part of our Fashion Fridays please send us an email! And make sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fashion throughout the week!

-A



April 17, 2014

NOLA: MUSIC

As you may have read last week I recently took a trip to New Orleans. I was only there for 6 days but I packed in a lot. Last week I wrote all about the amazing food  NOLA is famous for and this week I'll be featuring the other star of New Orleans; the music!

Rebirth Brass Band killing it at The Maple Leaf

New Orleans is a city that has something to offer every night. Any day of the week can easily turn into a party and it does. NOLA is literally filled with amazing bands. Just walk around and hop into bars and you will find great local music. Another great thing about the music scene in NOLA is that there are huge bands, I'm talking Grammy winning folks that still play smaller local bars for small local prices.

I wasn't able to make it to all the music on my own list but you should definitely hit up a few of these spots on your visit.

Tuesday: Rebirth Brass Band at The Maple Leaf

Wednesday: Treme Brass Band at The Candlelight Lounge

Thursday: Kermit Ruffins at Kermit's Treme Mother- In-Law Lounge
The Soul Rebels at Le Bon Temps Roule

These band usually play these nights but they do play other events and go on tour often so be sure to look them up in advance!

Maison on Frenchmen

Another great way to check out music is to stroll down Frenchmen Street. It offers a few blocks jam packed with great bars and venues. Some with cover some without. You can find some of the big bands playing there that I mentioned above plus local stars and the great unknowns as well. Just pick a spot you like, grab a drink and take a listen. If it's not your style, take your drink to go (open containers are awesome and legal here) and wander into the next spot. Frenchmen also has street musicians, great food, and a really cool art market.


The quality of music out there is insane you really can't go wrong. I was able to see both the Rebirth Brass Band and the Treme Brass Band, both shows were incredibly fun and different from my typical nights out in the bay. I highly recommend them both, The Maple Leaf is an iconic bar with a lot of history and the folks that work at the Candlelight Lounge are amazing. Shout out to Gladys, the most incredible host and the most honest person I've ever met.

Stay tuned next week for my third and final post on NOLA!

Check out our Twitter and Instagram to see other photos from the trip and don't forget to follow!

Great mural on Frenchmen


-K



April 16, 2014

Interweb Goodies


Nothing better than seeing Fake Drake ask people what they think of real Drake. (Warning: you will develop a crush on Drake by watching this video)

Irritated that you groceries don't last? Here are some helpful tips!

The things that people do to get their creativity flowing

On your 11th birthday, did you wait for a letter from Hogwarts like we did? Well here is your opportunity to attend (and teach?) at the magical school

This leading man sure knows how to live up to the phrase "Dance Like Nobody's Watching"

April 15, 2014

Pre-Party Planning Tips

Some of my current inspiration


As many of you know, I love a great party!

I'm currently in the process of planning a couple of different parties; bridal shower and bachelorette for one of my cousins, graduation party for my youngest brother, and a birthday party for a friend.

For each party there are specifics, however in a more general sense I go about planning each party the same way.

1. Pick your date/time/location. This is crucial in planning the rest of the event, it will play a big part in many of the other decisions including food and decor.

2. Pick your theme. Each of the parties listed above have completely different vibes. Some parties don't need a "theme" but an overall feeling is great. For instance; outdoor BBQ, brunch, or Italian dinner party. They aren't themes that you would find at a party store - but it will give you some direction when looking for food and decor.

3. Look for decor and food inspiration. When thinking about any event do some research online or look through magazines for inspiration. It will give you some great ideas for drinks to serve, decoration ideas, or favors! Pinterest is always a great place to look and with their "secret boards" it is easy to keep an element of surprise!

4. Start picking things up as you see them or set things aside in your house. If you are hosting a backyard BBQ and you have seen a few decor ideas on Pinterest that use mason jars, look in the Sunday paper or online for coupons. If you plan far enough in advance you can save yourself a lot of money. Joanne's and Michael's always have amazing coupons. Also, you can look to see when alcohol is on sale and start picking that up if you know it will be something that you will be using! Also, creating a little section of your house or garage where you can keep things will make it easy the day of!

5. Ask for help! If people offer (especially for a big event) ask them to help out. It will make your job a little easier. Even bringing a bottle of wine or an appetizer can make a huge difference. If you know that for your dinner party you want to serve water in wine bottles, ask a few friends to save their's for you!

What are some of your tips when planning a party?

-A

Make sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter

April 14, 2014

Kira's Obsessed!

While recently perusing Instagram I found two amazing new sites that then lead me to one amazing hat!



The hat is from CRSHR and I originally found it via Wildfang. Earlier in the week my friend and I had been dreaming up a pair of dinosaur print shorts we both wanted and while CRSHR doesn't offer shorts the hat is not a bad alternative.

The brand is full of fun and funky prints. No clothing as of yet but they offer great accessories like hats, backpacks. belts and wallets. I also had my eye on the dino print backpack, especially because as of now the hat is sold out. Guess I'm not the only one obsessing!




-K

April 11, 2014

Fashion Fridays: Tie Dye For

Months ago a saw a post on A Fine Day for Sailing that I fell in love with. The outfit was so simple but so me, I loved the printed button up and got so excited when I realized that the shirt was tie dyed and thus something I could try to recreate!


First I had to gather my supplies. I bought Rit powder dye in Royal Blue from Joanne's and picked up the white button up for a few bucks at a thrift store. The jeans are old and faded but I love the fit so I decided to dye them too.

You will also need:
-A bucket to dye items in
-Rubber bands
-Plastic bags
-Gloves
I suggest you use gloves to avoid becoming a Smurf

If you use powder dye like I did, start boiling some water before you do anything else. While your water is boiling get your work station ready. Outside is best, but just make sure your area is clean and that only things you want dyed are near by. Dye tends to travel.

Dissolve your packet of dye in the hot water, less water = a more concentrated and darker color.

Now you need to pick out a tie dye pattern. Check out this great wikihow page for various tie dye patterns. I decided to just do a random pattern and just bunched up my shirt in a ball and added rubber bands. Than I dipped the entire shirt in the dye. The pants I just dunked in as well as I just wanted them darker, no pattern or rubber bands required.


After the fabric has soaked up the color, wrap your item in a plastic bag and set outside. The items won't necessarily dry in the bags but the heat and time will help the color set. I left my items out for several hours but there's no rule as to how long you need to leave them in plastic.


After I removed them from the plastic bags I let them hang dry to help the color set a little more before rinsing them out. Be advised, the color you see at first is not what you get. I washed my items in the washing machine which caused the color to dull, but will help it from washing out further in the future. I liked that the shirt was dulled as it made it less hippie/summer camp and more wearable. Also be sure to wash it separately or with dark colors as the dye will run with the first wash.



I had a lot of fun doing this project and there will definitely be more dyeing adventures for me in the future!

-K