hooked.

thrifted sweater and purse/ gap tank/ vintage necklace/ target sunnies/ uo pants/ indigo sandals.

spent the morning prowling pleasure point and watching the surfers at the hook. it rained like mad yesterday and has been blustery all day- just when i thought summer might actually find its way to the coast, thus enabling me to pack away all things cuddly... good thing i had this trusty ol' sweatery jacket combo on hand to cuddle up in. my new tangerine nail polish also helped brighten my mood.

oh santa cruz. i love where i live.

pop!

graduation presents from amb and my parents!

mikkat market shorts/ target shirt and sunnies/ lucky flats/ tiffany's bracelet

i am obsessed with every article of clothing and every accessory in this photograph. i can't stop wearing this chambray shirt with almost everything i own, and these black lace shorts are flat out adorable and add a great dose of texture to my outfits. amb gave me the bright yellow clutch for graduation and i l.o.v.e.i.t. for someone who wears as much gray as i do it ads a healthy pop o' color. 

i'm also thrilled i finally found new sunglasses that work with my face and hair cut that aren't aviators or ray bans (sorry, they're great and classic, but i'm over both styles). and finally, my new pearl bracelet from tiffany's was a graduation gift from my lovely parents. i don't usually wear things on my wrist, but it's so delicate and simple i've found myself putting it on almost every morning when i know i'm not going to get my hands dirty. 

that's a whole lotta love right there.

mesmerized.

via pennylifeinpics.

i have completely failed to tear my eyes away from these stunning missoni ads featuring kate moss and drew barrymore. they're both so sensuous, the clothes so exciting!! drool.

oh baby baby.

images via ilovewildfox, carolinesmode, dirtylittlestylewhore, freepeople, and various tumblrs.

today is brought to you by the color pink, of the soft, sweet and not-so-innocent variety.

walk this way.

n21 resort 2012.

ladylike cuts made with a badass mentality? yes please.

socks.

when i saw the new collection from mulberry, my eyes immediately locked in on the model's feet. i loved how they matched the shoe and sock color! it's such a simple and easy trick, but it really elevates the whole look and makes it look finished and styled. it also creates the same legs-go-on-for-days effect you get when you wear black tights with black heels.

glimpse.

 

photo via carolinesmode.

the elegant simplicity of the sheath-like dress contrasts perfectly with this uniquely tailored leather jacket. the keyhole seems almost accidental, and is perfectly sexy. the cuff and heavy rings give the look just enough edge.

on stunners.

"Vogue and Harper's Bazaar were doing a similar thing, but they photographed only name people at society events. And Women's Wear has been photographing socialites and celebrities for years. But the difference for me is I don't see the people I photograph. All I see are clothes. I'm only interested in people who look good. I'm looking for the stunners."

- Bill Cunningham, The New York Times

armor for reality.

secondhand everything/ target sunnies.

my first order of business as a real life graduate was to have a playdate. amb and i spent the day enjoying mochas in the sun with real whipped cream spooned on top (yup. that's us eating it with our fingers), riveted by the documentary bill cunnigham new york (a must-see), and of course ended the day with some thrifting and frolicking around taking pictures while using one of santa cruz's many murals as a prop. the film was truly beautiful, enlightening and inspiring. bill really is the most personable enigma i have ever encountered.

evolution. and human popcorn.

i have an explanation for my absence. i promise. you think i would just leave this darn thing hanging here in the ether, getting out of date, letting the world and the dear people who follow it forget its existence without a darn good reason?

well i have one. a few, actually.

the first reason has to do with a milestone. i hit one. i graduated college. hoo boy, have the last few weeks been a stressful time for li'l me. i won't even go into it. let's just say that i hope i managed myself with grace but i largely failed to look very stylish. milestones will do that.

the second reason personally involved this page you're reading this on right now. i know that i need to change the name of my blog. when i picked 'notthatpretty', it fit my philosophy at the time, which was that you didn't need to embody someone's idea of 'pretty' in order to be stylish, and i wanted to celebrate the wonderful and inspiring fashion and style choices that are unique and maybe even a little ugly. sincere uniqueness, not just for uniqueness's sake but an external expression of self that could not be contained, the pressure of which forced a minor outward explosion of beauty not unlike a human piece of popcorn, is one of the most precious things in existence among a lot of useless crap. i wanted to celebrate that.

i also wanted to be able to take photos of people on the street without having this conversation:

me: "you look amazing! can i take a photo of you for my blog?"

them: "sure! what's it called so i can look it up?"

me: "it's called not that pretty."

them: ...

them: "are you saying i'm not pretty?"

yeah. really wanted to avoid that little scenario. 

alors, within the next week i will be moving to humanpopcorn.blogspot.com (sorry, i should probably have said 'spoiler alert' or something back there). it's meant the world that you have followed me thus far, and i hope that you will continue supporting and sharing this space with me.

and you wonderful people, keep living like the birds of paradise that you are. you inspire me every single day <3

xo

p.s. normal posting will resume now that i've had a chance to rant. thanks for listening.

rocks.

images via oraclefox.

i'll fly away in the morning.

photos via fashion156.

perhaps not the most practical of beachwear, but the dustbowl youth imbibed into the prints, cuts, and styling is definitely something i will carry with me this summer.

personal jesus.

 

via fashiongonerogue.