Summer Layers

If I have learned one thing from a summer in California, it's dress in layers. The Bay Area consists of many microclimates with drastically varying temperatures. One minute it's sunny and 70 degrees, the next it's windy and 55 degrees. It's sounds dreamy, but it definitely makes for a challenge in my daily style. One I'm happily willing to tackle.

Happy Friday!

On Saturday we're going to the launch party of the new book, This Is Oakland. It's a book that explores the best boutiques, shops, restaurants, and bars that make Oakland the fun and culturally diverse city that it is. I've had the chance to visit a few shops here and there, but I can't wait to wander around the beautiful stores this weekend. The photos in the book are amazing and I'm itching all week to check them out in person.

Have a great weekend! Stay tuned next week for a new video (If I can figure out how to make it not so blurry after I upload it. Any ideas?) I'm really trying to get back on schedule and post every Monday, Wednesday, Friday like I used to. Life is busy but I miss posting more frequently. I'm also finishing up the final touches to the new website so I can finally share it with you guys! 

Images via

Go Blog Social 2014 Recap + Reader Survey

Photo by Katie of To Live For Style 

Photo by Cassandra Castaneda

I'm still on a weekend high, you guys. Go Blog Social was more than I ever expected, and I still get excited when I think about all of the wonderful memories and amount of knowledge I took in during the weekend. I was blown away with how open and inviting everyone was. It's always intimidating walking into a room of hundreds of beautiful, successful bloggers, but I never felt more comfortable despite my shy nature and that's because of the positivity and genuine personalities of everyone I met.

With a packed full schedule of 7 speakers both days, I was surprised how fast the days flew by! Each speaker presented great, relevant information along with action steps and I found myself taking diligent notes because I didn't want to forget a thing. They weren't afraid to share resources that worked for them, tell stories, and give us advice for taking our blog to the next level. I was relieved to see no one felt entitled, despite how big their blog following. In fast, the speakers were just as excited to be there as we were, and I felt lucky to be surrounded by such inspiring, motivating individuals. As bloggers, it's easy for us to get caught up in the numbers and compare ourselves to others as if it's a competition. It was so refreshing to hear speakers address this and emphasize how important it is not to compare yourself. At a blogging conference we are all there to learn, and it's important to help each other out. Aside from learning blogging tips, I was inspired by everyone's drive and motivation. We all share a common interest and it was great to bond and give each other advice.

I'm coming away from GBS feeling renewed, energized, motivated, inspired, and happy. Not only do I have a new perspective of blogging and hopes to build Hammer & Heels into a community you will all love, but I developed genuine friendships. Erin was an absolute joy to meet. She is so down to earth and honest, and inspires me to be a better blogger and person. Jessie is incredibly beautiful inside and out. Mary is an amazing food blogger (and author!) who I am so thankful I got to know over the weekend. She's one of the friendliest people I have met.

Photo by Mary of The Kitchen Paper

In the coming weeks I am working on several changes for H&H and I can't wait to share them with you! As much as I didn't want the weekend to end, I was anxious to get home and get to work on new ideas. On Sunday I purchased a domain and now I'm working on a blog redesign! I also have a few other things in store as I refine my focus, write new post ideas, take better photos, and integrate more original content, but first, I need your help! You are what makes H&H worth it, and I want your feedback on blog content. Please take a couple minutes to take this quick survey so I know what you like, what you dislike, and please give any honest suggestions! This will help me create content you will love.

Thank you and I look forward to reading your answers!

*Click here to take survey*

A Girl and Her Pouches

I love pouches. Any kind, any size. I don't know what it is about them -- maybe it's because I feel extra organized? Traveling with them is essential and a complete dream. All of my jewelry, make up, lip gloss, hair accessories, trinkets, and anything else I need quick access to but I don't want floating around my suitcase, go in pouches. Do you do that too? There are so many cute pouches to choose from, which doesn't hurt my little addiction either.

I had way too much fun putting this post together, you guys. I already had lots of pouches pinned and favorited in Etsy, but now I found even more I want! Etsy alone has a huge selection of pouches. A couple of my favorites are Zana, handmade in South Africa, and Pamela Barsky Shop which have hilarious sayings. Another great brand is Truffle, which have multiple sizes with a clear front so you can see what's inside!

Ooh La La, Snakeskin, Gold, Clear, Clear red, Anchor print, Ta-da!, Important things

My Trip in Photos

Georgetown

The best ice cream ever.

Lincoln Memorial

On the field at Washington National's stadium

NYC view from New Jersey.

Ground Zero

He was posing perfectly just asking for a photo. 

The White House

My final year of college has officially begun! The first week of classes are syllabus overload but I don't mind. So many different feelings now that's it's my last year. 

Last week I was on vacation and took time off from blogging and my computer for the majority of the trip. Whenever I take a few days off I always get anxious to come back and get back to working and blogging, but I tried hard to take in everything while on vacation and be present. We toured most of the monuments and visited the Holocaust Museum. Had some $9 beers at a couple Nationals baseball games and got to the see Redskins win. 

My favorite part about the trip (besides the Redskins win) was walking around Georgetown. It's a quaint neighborhood in DC with great architecture and cute shops and restaurants. So many great outdoor spaces and menus I wish we could have spent a whole week just trying the different restaurants! I don't think my stomach would have been too happy with me though. It was so fun walking around the city, exploring new places, and people watching. Have you tried it before? You just find a comfy seat in the mall, on the sidewalk, anywhere and watch all of the people come and go. A lot of my outfit inspiration actually comes from people watching. It's really interesting to see how people interact especially in different cities. 

Since my new Canon T3i and lens arrived in the mail the day before I flew out, I used my vacation as practice learning to shoot my new camera. I must say it's a bit intimidating converting from my iPhone camera to a DSLR. No joke I read the camera's user's manual while on the airplane just so I had a little information on the different settings. It was actually very helpful in understanding when to use what setting and what each one did. All of the pictures above are taken by me during my trip. Some of the photos were taken using the auto and landscape setting, but I played around a lot with settings to create blurred backgrounds, which is actually my favorite technique. 

Here are a couple helpful resources I used when shooting and editing my photos. Do you have any great resources for photography tips? 

Until Next Time

Tomorrow I fly out for DC for my long awaited vacation. Words can't express how excited I am to get away and travel around, try new restaurants, and do some shopping! Traveling always bring a new kind of excitement. Many years ago I took a class trip to DC for school. I remembered how much I loved the pretty city and learning about all of the history it offers. Of course, we have to do the touristy things like the walking tour of all of the monuments, but we plan on hitting a Washington Redskins football game as well. My boyfriend is a huge Redskins fan so he wouldn't miss it for the world. 

Since I plan on spending my days touring the city, I will be stepping away from the computer and taking the week off from blogging. Be sure to follow me on Instagram for photo updates and to see what I'm up to. I plan on taking lots of photos with my new Canon T3i that I am sooo excited to use! Lots of learning with this guy so I'll take all the advice I can get. I thought it was time to take photos with something else other than my iPhone. 

Those of you familiar with the DC area -- any restaurants I should try? Places to see? 

Have a great week!

Images via