Urban Outfitter's Epic Roadtrip

I can't stop reading about the cross-country adventures of best friends/cool girls Cassie Coane and Clara Balzary on Urban Outfitter's blog. I have an extremely romantic view of road trips, despite my relentless carsickness and fear of driving, and few things sound better than jumping in the car and seeing where the wheel takes me.
The girls are going from Los Angeles to New York, with fantastic stops along the way. So far, they've stopped in the Grand Canyon; Marfa, Texas; and New Orleans, all places I've always wanted to visit.If you haven't read Urban Outfitter's blog, you're really missing out. I don't know who's behind their computer, but the writer has a quirky personality and the kind of taste in pop culture you would expect from someone who works at a store like UO. From point-of-view of an addicted shopper and computer geek, I think the importance of social media for retail brands should not be underestimated.

Read more about my thoughts on the relationship between social media and the retail industry on Ypulse!

San Francisco, Part Two

Inside our super-glam hotel (striped walls will make an appearance in a future apartment at some point in my life), I'm wearing my didn't-expect-it-to-be-this-cold-in-California denim jacket and leggings uniform. Come to think of it, my outfit didn't change the entire trip, aside from a rotation of dresses.

Despite—or maybe because of—the dreary weather, all I wanted to buy were summery sundresses.
The last thing my closet really needs is more chambray and floral, but I couldn't resist. These two cost $30. Combined. How have I been missing out on Urban Outfitter's seasonal sales all my life? Oh. That's right. Because I don't live within two hours of one. Maybe that's a good thing?

The floral belt on the left is a Mayle find from The Wasteland on Haight Street, the single best thrift store I've ever been to. I also found...
...this dress (chambray again!) by Sunner, a label I frequently stalk on Shopbop. It's a few sizes too big, but nothing a nice wide waist-cinching belt can't fix.

I loved San Francisco, but I didn't leave my heart there. It was much too cold for that. Read about part one of my trip here!

San Francisco, Part One

Birthday cake donuts, the perfect accompaniment to my morning iced latte from the corner Starbucks, also known as my wake up call every morning.
Day one at Coit Tower, an art deco landmark and one of the prettiest views in all of San Francisco. From here we explored Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, and the Golden Gate Bridge. I'm wearing a striped tunic (Gap Kids), navy leggings (Old Navy), a cream double-breasted sweater (Gap), and coral Chuck Taylors.
Day two, in front of Ben and Jerry's on the intersection of Haight and Ashbury. This area was the number one place I wanted to visit, because I have a longtime fascination with the 1960s Summer of Love culture. There were no Jerry Garcias roaming the streets, but our taxi driver claimed to have known him, so that was enough for me. I'm wearing a plaid ruffled dress (Gap), denim motorcycle jacket (Gap), navy leggings (Old Navy), and gold gladiator sandals (Coach).The best chocolate chip cookie in the world from Ghirardelli Square. It was the size of a scone, so I shared it with my parents, but the oozing chocolate chips had me fighting for every last crumb (even though lunch, a dungenee crab grilled cheese sandwich for me, was just minutes earlier). In front of Owl Tree, the bar of my dreams. Not only were there adorable owls everywhere, but also every delicious beer in America on tap. From here, we searched the streets for San Francisco sushi and ended up at an Italian restaurant with the tastiest fresh calamari imaginable.

San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)

Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving for a few days in San Francisco. I'll be speaking at Ypulse's conference about youth marketing (and signing books! So fancy!), but I'm staying a few extra days to explore the city with my parents.
If you have any suggestions, from shopping to sightseeing, we're pretty much without a plan. Our hotel is in the Union Square area. So far, I know I want to go to The Curiosity Shoppe, Barneys, and Bell Jar (how can you not love a boutique named after one of the greatest books ever written?). Oh, and the Golden Gate Bridge.

I've been obsessively reading Legal Style (pictured above), one of my favorite Bay Area style blogs, in hopes that I'll pack appropriately for the famously unpredictable weather.