Mermaid Aura

Alright, as terrifying as it is to post pictures of myself in a bathing suit online, I really love these photos. My love Maddy and I took off to Nevada City yesterday. We hit up the very cool shop Kitkitdizzi (x) and then headed down to the Yuba River. After the icy rivers near Coloma and Placerville, the Yuba River was an amazing change because it was soooo warm. I was in love. I wore my simple high-waisted bottoms from American Apparel (the only thing I have ever purchased there) and my little COS bikini. I love the classic black look, but I really loved the way the lens flare in these photos added a little color. We will just call that my mermaid aura. 

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Thousand Steps Cave

This is a place called Thousand Steps Beach. I had seen a few people visit this spot in Laguna Beach but I never knew how to get to it. I put my lil' research skills to work and found out that it was actually at a beach I had been to before, but I never wandered far enough to find this magical spot. So here's the deal with anyone in Southern California or those looking to venture a long way to come here: this can be a dangerous place. You can only cross through this cave at low-tide. Ian and I got here a little later than we had planned and it was starting to fill back up by the time we left. Most people come to this spot because if you go through the cave you can climb over some rocks to get to some gorgeous man-made pools that fill up with ocean water. We didn't want to risk going out to them only to be stuck on the other side as the tide came in so we didn't go to the pools this time. Next time, next time.

Ian has been so lovely to me lately and he takes just the pictures I want whenever we go somewhere. I wore a rather unexciting red slip dress and no makeup. I love these photos--my god, the light in caves!--but they also serve as a reminder to go back. I want to take photos here of whoever will let me. The walls are so dramatic and colorful. I can't wait. 

Dress - Express

Photos by Ian 

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Harry Potter World

I would say with some confidence that my aesthetic is Hogsmeade branding. Or Weasley home clutter. And definitely starry rooms with  magical instruments. I'm not much of a Los Angeles minimalist. I much prefer things to be haphazard and weird. That's why I'm so happy this SHINING BEACON of amazing wizardry aesthetic is just over the hill from me at Universal Studios. So story time, friends: when my best friend and I were 17, our parents allowed us to fly across the country to Florida to go to Harry Potter World when it opened. And now, just 6 (HOW HAS IT BEEN 6 YEARS?!) years later we made our pilgrimage back, this time in LA.

So here are some photos of a really really good day in my life. Don't worry, I made sure to look as dumb as possible. I called my look "Harry Potter Girl Scout." I also bought a ton of candy at Honeydukes that I really didn't need, as well as a cool cauldron mug. So, I guess I can solidly say I'm a sucker for magical packaging. ENJOY.

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For the Love of Flowers

I went home to NorCal this weekend. I wanted to see all the flowers in bloom so I made the seven hour drive with Ian. Oh my god the place is beautiful. I live in LA for now, but I just don't know how long I can deny how much I need to be where the trees and flowers are. Those little white flowers that look like little bells are called Fairy Lanterns and I've only ever seen them where I live. This year there were HUNDREDS of them, and my dad thinks I used magic to grow so many of them. It felt magical...I put a lot of energy into calling upon them and then to see that many was incredible. We also visited a nursery that had at least a thousand calla lilies lining their creek. Ugh it all just felt magical and right. I miss home already. 

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J Tree Chillin

Just more magic from the desert. This was right before sunset when the sky exploded into color; but I am leaving those photos and those thoughts for another story. These photos were calm and perhaps more intimate than the ones Ian took of me in lingerie. That sleepy time as the sun goes down and you realize the strange landscape you've been in all day. 

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St. Valentina

Well, well, well. My Valentine's Day was all that I could wish for and more. Ian and I got up at 4:30, didn't escape LA until 5:30 because of the fucking Los Angeles Marathon, and got to Joshua Tree by 8. We had breakfast at Crossroads Cafe, which is delicious so if you are ever heading J Tree way, I would highly recommend it. (We had Natural Sisters Cafe for lunch and it was equally amazing.) My favorite thing about Joshua Tree is that while there are very cool trails to hike on, you can park your car anywhere in the whole park and set off walking in any direction. Ian and I shot a few sets of photos yesterday: some for a magazine, some for another blog post, and these. These felt really good. I feel like Ian and I are at this magnificent place where I trust him enough to help me make the things I want to make. It takes me a long time to warm up to people taking my picture and I am so happy that I feel secure enough to let him and that he enjoys it and I'm not constantly barking orders at him hehe. I really love him and he makes me feel so calm.

So yeah, I thought about not taking this bodysuit to Joshua Tree. Number one, I had to change into it while we were there--but that is usually totally fine because, like I said, you can wander in this park for miles and see like two people. But number two, I was like "what will I actually do with these pictures?" This is a fairly sheer piece and I never really post things like this. So many of the women I admire are so down to post photos of their body and I have always been a little apprehensive to. But then I was like who caaaaaaaares. Whatever misgivings I had about the way I look or about privacy or whatever are gone. This is how yesterday felt: free and beautiful and natural and I think these photos show that. So I'm really excited to post these. 

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Red Rock

Orange County has it's own Utah and it's called Red Rock Canyon at Whiting Ranch. Ian and I went on a hike there yesterday. There were more people than I wanted there...I mean I would have preferred no one to be there. It's an absolutely stunning place and I can't wait to do a real photoshoot there. But I like the pictures that came out of yesterday so here they are!

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