// sunkissed //

The other day, I ran away up to the top of Mt. Pinos with my love Darius Twin to capture this warm magic!

The light was oh-so-heavenly, and paired nicely with that dreamy, lacey bralette! We found ourselves on a new path that we normally don't explore. It guided us to the top, and we found ourselves at a perfect viewpoint of the setting sun. So y'all know me by now -- I pulled out my speaker, opened the bottle of wine we brought for our picnic, and danced around the open field while Darren captured me in my (and the sun's) best light!

It felt so amazing, and I felt no shame as people passed by wondering what the heck I was doing. 

Sometimes you just gotta let go and dance like no one's watching! Peek what I'm wearing with the links below. 

// silver haze //

I always find myself yearning to go back to Mono Lake - there's something so special about that strange location, especially during a sunset. The ever-so-still water creates a crystal clear reflection - and it is mesmerizing, I tell you! This time I wanted to match the metallic-like reflections by adding a silver silhouette, so I gathered all things silver and created this funky number. 

These dainty jewels by Jen Leddy were shining bright under that golden hour light. I absolutely love her designs - they add such a nice, delicate touch to any ensemble and are just fun to look at! So when I first laid eyes on that silver dress by Native Rose, I knew the jewelry + dress would be a match made in heaven. And it was ::) Peep what I'm wearing in the links below!

Photos shot by Darius Twin.

// moody wanders //

Into The Mountains

What an adventure it was driving up the Angeles Crest Highway to Mount Wilson with this lovely lady ~ Hieu ~ and of course the one who documented it all with one hell of a vision, Darius Twin. The drive up there was a journey in itself, because as we saw cars driving the opposite direction down the mountain, we noticed the roofs were covered in snow. 'Do we continue?' we asked ourselves, 'YES!' So we did (with a little hesitation) ~~ and it was such a magical journey that ended with snow and a dreamy sunset. It was really fun combining forces and creating some stunning imagery with vibrant colors ~ how amazing is Hieu's hair by the way?

// redwood riding hood //

I felt a bit like Princess Leia during this shoot -- if you aren't sure why, well it's because this is one of the locations they shot Return of the Jedi at, and it looked even more amazing in person! We were most fascinated by the moss and ferns (as I'm sure you can tell based on our photos, ha!) but because of the moisture and fog that filled the air, the vibrant green hues appeared to have a neon glow. 

// sunset coast //

As I'm sure you guys already know, I'm a huge sucker for sunsets ~ I just love how each sunset is different and illuminates the environment with a colorful glow. If you're looking for me, you'll find me under the sunset ::) This particular shoot happened while we were on our most recent adventure through the redwoods -- we stopped here at Clam Beach right as we began to see some color fill the sky! The sky was on fire that night, and so was the location we stopped at. 

Paisley on My Mind | Valley of Fire

Magic on the Dunes | White Sands

Watching the sun set over these white sand dunes was one of the most beautiful experiences of my entire life. It didn't seem real because it was all too perfect. I took all of that positive energy flowing through my body and used it to dance to some heavenly beats (one being the song of the day below) because I couldn't sit still! Oh, and also because my get up left me feeling like a desert princess. So I danced and Darius Twin captured the moment. Love, light, and magic were surely present that night!

Follow The Fire Trail Track

Road trips aren't only about the final destination, but also (and importantly!) about the journey getting there. Don't rush through your drive, make the most of it and enjoy some stops along the way. Whenever Darren and I plan road trips, we always use satellite view and seek out cool spots that are on (or near) our route.

Before leaving Monument Valley, we did just that and looked for interesting locations along the way to Albuquerque. We found a spot called Bisti Badlands - so we wandered off on a desolate, dirt road and drove along until we found what we saw in those photos. Well, we never did find the location we were looking for (no service!), but the road we were on suddenly became so magically lit by the golden hour sun and we were enjoying every moment of that drive. 

Sometimes your journey can take you on some unexpected turns, but you just gotta roll with the punches and live in the moment.

// autumn in zion //

Autumn in Zion is quite a treat, yall ~ 

// psychedelic kingdom //

Shot by Kelly Lee

I always enjoy a good adventure with Kelly Lee (@kellee_lee on IG) ~ my psychedelic sista sista! She has such an incredible vision, and I love being a part of it! These particular photos were shot in Big Sur at Pfeiffer Beach. If you haven't been before, I recommend it!

// touch the sky //

Native Rose skirt // Kristinit top // Blk Sheep Empire shoes // Worlds Apart cuff

I gotta say - this moment took my breath away and carried my soul along with the dancing winds - so I danced too. That seemed like the only way I could truly show my appreciation for witnessing something so enchanting, natural, and brilliant. And these moments don't last forever, so you have to take it all in while you can. So, my way of absorbing as much sunset as I could was to climb the tallest rocks in sight and see that majestic beauty from every angle. It's this sort of experience that keeps me moving, breathing, and seeing the world.

// mono-chrome //

Native Rose dress // Teva shoes // Inverness & Crane rings

I just returned from the most amazing journey with my best friend and love, Darius Twin. We spent the week traveling up the 395N for my birthday, stopping at all of our favorite locations, plus stumbling upon a few surprise locations along the way. I am so excited to show you all of the photos from our adventure, but I wanted to start with this series at Mono Lake. I love this place. Anytime we happen to be close by, we always stop to explore it. This time we discovered a hot spring near by! It's forbidden to swim in it - up to 6 months in jail? - but maybe, just maybe I will swim in it one day ^_^ In case you are wondering what those large formations are in the photos above, they are tufa towers - aka limestone. How crazy are those things? Surreal, eh?

// adventure awaits //

Indosole shoes // Native Rose top // Levis jeans // 2020ave sunglasses

This abandoned house is located at the top of a big cliff right outside of San Francisco ~ what a cool spot, I gotta say! I keep finding myself standing/sitting on extremely sketchy spots, but I always remind myself that it's "all for the photo." I guess this one wasn't AS scary as it looks, but anytime I'm sitting on the edge of anything with height, my nerves start to tremble. I'm getting better at hiding my face of fear (ha!) Anyhoo, here's another pair of shoes from Indosole - where they repurpose tires for the soles of the shoes. They are extremely comfortable for my daily adventures, and I always get so many compliments while wearing them. 

// like a sun upon the sky //

Native Rose top // Levis jeans // Sarah Mulder necklace & bracelet  // 2020Ave sunglasses

The best get up for a road trip, that's for sure -- as the golden tones were glowing "like a sun upon the sky" ^_^

// silver rocket //

Pippa Lynn jacket & skirt // Barbara C Pellegrino necklace

"All silver everythang" -- my thoughts exactly while styling this shoot at Red Rock Canyon. I felt like a lady from the future, as this two piece from Pippa Lynn shined bright with the golden hour light. 

I'm sure many of you guys wonder how Darren and I usually go about these photo adventures - in terms of getting there, where we stay, etc. Well, it may come as a surprise, but we drive to and camp at almost every location we travel to. Not only does it save a ton of money, but it makes the experience all the better. I usually fill the back seat with clothes, props, shoes, and jewelry and treat it as a temporary closet to do my styling with. Most of the time, I try to plan the styling ahead of time, but every now and then it makes more sense to style once I see the location. Normally we leave with an expected itinerary - camping one night at a particular location, then driving a few hours the next day and camping at another location. Or sometimes we finish it all in a day, and drive back home in the late hours of the night. We love what we do and we are so dedicated to doing it. Traveling is what keeps us happy, creating, & inspired.

We're headed out to Mt. Pinos in a few hours or so to do some shooting in the forest! I can't wait to show you what we create ^_^ we have some cool ideas planned. 

// last light //

Native Rose top & shorts // 2020 Ave sunglasses // Nasty Gal shoes

I found myself traveling to Red Rock Canyon again the other day, wearing this amazingly-patterned two piece by Native Rose. While the winds are always strong at Red Rock, this get-up flowed well with the breeze and was so comfortable for me to do my usual exploring in ^_^ Every time I'm wandering around Red Rock, I always discover new places to see (and climb hehe) -- as you'll see in these photos, I climbed up some pretty steep spots to see the sun creep behind the mountains. 

I'm posting another track today that has been on many of my playlists for the past few years -- it's one of those songs I think all of you should hear. It makes me want to drive with the windows down through some exotic & enchanting location, while his soothing lyrics blast through the speakers.