Stacker Style: Fiesta, Fiesta

It's fun to wear happy things. I've been living in big coats (see here, here and here) and have been itching to get my skin in the sun. Well, as soon as the sun came out, I wore this baby three times. I purchased this top back in February, when I was shopping for birthday outfits. The top arrived just after my birthday, but I couldn't help but keep it in my closet. I mean, hello, are you looking at this walking party? Coincidentally, it's called the "fiesta" top - appropriate, if I do say so myself. When I slip it on, I get happy and can't help but feel good in it. It's a bit more delicate than I'd like (one ball has already fallen off, whomp), but so long as I'm not fiesta-ing too hard, it keeps up. And, because I bought this top for a special occasion, I knew I couldn't strip it of its potential. The perfect opportunity came up and this baby got its 15 seconds of fame. Stay tuned for more on that ...

Food Friday: Dosa

Dosa 1700 Fillmore Street

Imagine this. You're sitting at home on a Saturday, watching a team you picked to get to the finals of March Madness completely toss things up by not winning. #3 seed, Florida State had just faced a crushing defeat to the 11th seed underdogs, Xavier. Needless to say, I was in need of some cheering up because my bracket was getting a bit busted. And what's a better way to quell the bracket blues than some good grub? Nothing, right? Luckily for me, I already had a reservation that evening to try out Dosa for the first time. Dosa had been on my list for years! (Remember when I did alphabet dining back in 2013? Dosa was my pick for our "D" restaurant, but we weren't able to make it!) That being said, I don't know why it took so long to get there - but better late than never!

Stacker Style: The Abominable Snow Woman

Sometimes, you wear an outfit and you end up looking like a fictional character. But you know what? It's totally okay. The funny thing about blogging is that you can style up an outfit, do a couple turns in front of your mirror and think to yourself, "Yeah, girl - you look good." And then, you go out, you shoot your look, look at your photos and go, "Man, did I look good?" That's what we have here. I was super pumped to wear this coat that I've been holding on to for about...two or so years and try that whole tights under distressed denim look. Turns out, there's a reason why I haven't worn this coat as much as I've wanted to. Here, we have a case of oversized being, in fact, too oversized. Luckily, all it takes is a good tailor to chop my sleeves a bit and this baby is back in rotation. The tights under jeans look totally could have worked, but I think I need to invest in fishnet tights. Anyways, you win some, you lose some. Good thing it's just personal style - not surgery.

Food Friday: Luce

Luce Restaurant 888 Howard Street

Luce Restaurant, located in SF's InterContinental Hotel, serves up California cuisine boasting of a Michelin star. A Michelin-starred restaurant inside a hotel? I know, right? You wouldn't expect it, but that's the great thing about SF. There are hidden gems everywhere you go. I had the pleasure of dining at Luce one evening, with a few other foodies and although we all gravitated towards different dishes, collectively, we agreed that Luce is worth a taste.

Stacker Style: Spots and Stripes

If there's one thing I'm guilty of, it's not mixing prints as much as I should. I'm a simple gal. As such, my style is pretty simple, too. But sometimes, simple is too safe. So this year, I'm saying "so long!" to safe and trying to get more outside of my comfort zone.

How I Stay Motivated to Work Out

It's been nearly two months since I've started embracing my new routine and hitting gym nonstop. I push myself to make it to the gym at least 4 days a week. And for me, that's a lot. At my one month mark I lost a total of 6 lbs, which was a happy surprise. My jeans fit a little better, and better yet, I feel stronger, happier and more confident. (Those endorphins are real, guys - get out there and collect them.) Of course, just like everyone else, there are good days and bad days. There are days I really don't want to go to the gym - maybe it's a long day at work, or I'm just being flat out lazy. Yet, one thing has always been the case - I have never regret a trip to the gym. It's my happy place. For the one hour I'm dancing away at one of my classes, I'm solely focused on the here and now of my class. I'm present and everything else (work, to-do list, stress, etc.) disappears. It's just me and the gym for 60 minutes straight. So, how do I stay motivated to go to the gym on days I maybe just want to go home and veg out? Read on to find out my some of workout secrets.

Food Friday: Elena Una Filipino Cuisine

Elena Una 3347 Fillmore Street

Have you ever had Filipino food? It's okay if your answer is "no" - in fact, most people I know haven't had it. I'm half Filipino, so my answer is an enthusiastic "yes!" In fact, I can't imagine my life without having enjoyed such a cuisine. I grew up eating the usual suspects - pancit, lumpia, halo halo - and some of the "unusual" suspects - kare kare (my favorite!), dinuguan, tuyo, buro, and bistek for breakfast. I've always wondered why Filipino food hasn't become more mainstream, because (biased opinion coming through), it's really, really good. The flavors are hearty, and though the food may not be on the healthier side, it's full of culture and to me, it tastes like home. In San Francisco, there's not a whole lot of Filipino restaurants around. In fact, before Elena Una, I only knew of one long standing restaurant in the Mission, along with one pop-up, also located in the Mission, and a food truck here or there (Hapa SF, is that one still around? And Senior Sigig). Then, last year, Elena Una came along. I first found out about the restaurant during one of my walks home - I saw the sign: "Filipino Asian Cuisine," and stopped right in my tracks. Could it be? Truth be told, I was skeptical. Could it really do Filipino food right? And, in the Marina of all places? I was skeptical, yes, but nonetheless, very excited to try it out.

Stacker Style: Super Woman

In my book, wearing a cape is enough reason to call yourself a super woman, so here I am in all my super woman glory. I don't own too many capes; and come to think of it, of the capes that I do own, all of them are black and white. Hm, mental note to also step out of my black and white comfort zone and start wearing more colors. Anyhoo, I grabbed this cape late last year during a crazy Black Friday sale Nordstrom was having. It was a sweet $35 price tag, so I said, "Yeah, let's do it!" Seeing how it's now March, it took me longer than expected to finally wear. But, better late than never - even if Spring is right around the corner, ha. Things I love about it: it's chic (meaning it's great to just throw on when I need to look a little more put together), it's versatile (just because I'm wearing it with black and white doesn't mean I don't see all of its potential!), and it's bad ass (hello, super woman strutting her stuff over here!). So, what's the verdict? All in all, not a bad way to spend $35.

Stacker Style: Snow Leopard

I've been looking for a way to wear more of my closet treasures, especially those that are a little louder than I'm used to. Take this leopard coat (which you've now seen twice!). I love it, because I love, love, love leopard, but, I've had trouble styling it because it's so darn loud. And this top? I love it for it's classic appeal - it's also pretty damn chic and kind of makes me feel like I'm this hip Brit walking the streets of London. But, its big bow kind of also stresses me out, because what do I even wear it with? Well, after realizing that I have a ton of cool stuff in my closet that I bought for a reason, I came to the conclusion that I need to wear them. Thus, came this outfit, which you're now seeing on your screens.

Food Friday: 3rd Cousin

3rd Cousin 919 Cortland Avenue

I'll be the first to tell you that I don't spend much time in San Francisco's Bernal Heights neighborhood. It's pretty much on the opposite side of the city for me, and without a car, it's a bit of a trek. That being said, I live by the saying, "Will travel for food." So, no distance can keep me away from great eats. Cue, Bernal's 3rd Cousin, a New American restaurant serving California cuisine. I'd never heard of it before, but after being invited to experience the restaurant's tasting menu, I quickly looked up photos of its Uni Creme Brulee on Instagram and my stomach couldn't wait. Nor shall yours after reading this post.

Corner 103: A Sonoma Wine Tasting Experience

At this point, I've been wine tasting more times than I can remember. And I'm not complaining - I love it. My palate has developed and my taste for wine has grown. I've done tastings with cheese, tastings with chocolate, tasting with food pairings and more. I've almost done it all. Up to this point, I've figured out what I like and what I don't like, but not why. That is, until my wine tasting experience with Llyod Davis of Sonoma's Corner 103.