san francisco

Yayoi Kusama at SFMOMA

 in Events / General Fashion  tagged art / outfits / san francisco / sfmoma / staycation / yayoi kusama by
yayoi kusama sfmoma exhibit experience
yayoi kusama pumpkin sfmoma
yayoi kusama polka dots
outfit yayoi kusama louis vuitton vintage

wearing: earrings / pink sweater (old, also love this one) / parka / black belt / beige jeans (old, also love this pair) / nail polish / Yayoi Kusama x Louis Vuitton handbag (old, similar bag) / black lug sole boots /

Throughout the years I have incorporated polka dots into my wardrobe. About ten years ago, Yayoi Kusama did her first collaboration with Louis Vuitton, and this is when I discovered her work. Kusama is a pop artist from the 1960s whose work is in the same genre as Andy Warhol and the like. She works in bright hues and polka dots.

Kusama’s work is inspired by her hallucinations and life experiences. She brings them to life through sculptures and mirrored experiences, as well as through performance art and other forms. I am taken by her pumpkins, although her flowers are fabulous too. All of her work has some form of dots, or polka dots.

The SFMOMA in San Francisco currently has an exhibit which features two of her experience rooms and a large pumpkin sculpture. If you love modern art, and you enjoy Kusama’s work, I highly recommend stopping into the SFMOMA and checking out the exhibit. It is amazing, and I am so happy I went with my family!

You can learn more at SFMOMA’s website at SFMOMA.org. Tickets are required for the Yayoi Kusama exhibit, and they go quickly! So act fast.

Of course, I wore my Yayoi Kusama x Louis Vuitton handbag which I purchased ten years ago during the first collab Kusama had with LV. I mean, I had to blend in!

While the handbags can be found on the secondary market now, you can still find other polka dot handbags for a fraction of the price. I linked up a couple cute ones below.

Do you love Yayoi Kusama’s work too? I hope you attend the exhibit and enjoy it!

Thanks for stopping by,

XOXO
Cathy

yayoi kusama 2013 experience

Margaret O’Leary sweaters

 in General Fashion / Shopping  tagged casual style / eco chic / investment dressing / local shops / margaret oleary / outfits / san francisco / san francisco designers / sweaters by
san francisco designers sweaters

pictured: Chelsea Pullover in spice stripe /

Margaret O’Leary is a fabulous local designer with a beautiful boutique on Fillmore in San Francisco. She came to San Francisco in 1989 from Ireland and instantly realized San Francisco had the perfect climate for sweaters! I mean, it is the city where Mark Twain declared “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”

Margaret O’Leary was on to something! She quickly began knitting, and by 1990 was selling sweaters to local boutiques and was soon picked up by Barney’s. Her company is still independently owned and operated, making it an amazing San Francisco design house. I even had the honor of meeting Margaret O’Leary herself while sweater shopping last week! She was amazing!

If you have not stopped into her shop on Fillmore, what are you waiting for? The boutique is filled with beautiful sweaters ethically made as well as party attire, scarves, and ethically sourced handbags and shoes. Love!

I instantly fell in love with this Chelsea sweater in spice stripe. I have also added to my wish list this grey and white version called “marble” and pictured below.

quiet luxury sweaters san francisco margaret oleary

pictured: Chelsea pullover in marble /

Isn’t it fabulous? I am in love! There were more sweaters to fall in love in with as well. I loved the beautiful hues in blue, green, and purple. There is a lot to love at Margaret O’Leary! If you are local, definitely pop into her shop! You can find her boutique locations online at MargaretOLeary.com and you can also shop her beautiful collection online too! Love that!

So, I ended up taking home this beautiful Chelsea pullover in spice stripe. Isn’t it fabulous? It will look amazing with jeans and casual skirts, as well as casual pants. Love!

margaret oleary sweaters san francisco

Try-on: Chelsea pullover in spice stripe (This is what I took home) / tweed jacket in background / holiday nail polish / jeans / hoops /

Of course, I did shop around with my mom! She took home a sweater too! I can’t believe I didn’t snap a photo of her in it! Stay tuned, next time I see her I will snap a photo of her wearing it and share it with you. She bought the sweater pictured below in spice. It is named the Molly pullover. You can find it online here. Apologies for the grainy photo of us, I used my iPhone instead of my camera.

Margaret O’Leary’s designs are all investment pieces, so when you invest in one, you know it will be part of your wardrobe for years and years. Love! Timeless style is where it’s at! Her sweaters will also make fabulous gifts this holiday season, so be sure to check out one of her boutiques or her online shop. Love it!

You can learn more at MargaretOLeary.com.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

*I was gifted a sweater by Margaret O’Leary, all thoughts and opinions are my own. My mom loved the collection so much, she purchased a sweater.

quiet luxury sweaters margaret oleary san francisco

Places to eat in Chinatown

 in General Fashion / Travel  tagged family / outfits / restaurants / san francisco / staycation by

wearing: statement earrings / sweater (sold out, similar here) / black handbag / bracelets (local designer) / summer nail polish / black belt / jeans (sold out, also love these) / sneakers /

It is always a fun day in Chinatown with our family. We tend to gravitate towards the same restaurants when we visit, but this time we decided to try a new place, and we are so glad we did!

Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company

We started our day by visiting the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company. While an obvious tourist destination, us locals love going there too! They have really yummy chocolate dipped fortune cookies. If you visit the city, be sure to pop in and pick up some cookies!

Far East Cafe

On KTVU Amber Lee filmed a segment where she highlighted her favorite places to go in Chinatown. She mentioned Far East Cafe and how it has been in the city for over one hundred years. How did I not know about this restaurant? So, of course, we had to try it!

Far East Cafe has a large menu and we ordered just enough for the five us to enjoy for lunch. The decor inside the restaurant is traditional and the overall vibe is old school San Francisco. Love that! We will definitely go back in the future!

Another recommendation by Amber Lee was to try the mango cake and mango desserts at AA Bakery. Unfortunately, I forgot to snap pictures, but take my word, it is delicious! We tried mango pudding as well as other breads and pastries which we took home. We will be back there too! The food is delicious and next time we want to pick up a full mango cake. Yum!

Hi Sweetie Tea and Treats

What day is complete without boba? We found the cutest boba place with squishies for sale, and games you can play while enjoying your afternoon boba. Hi Sweetie Tea and Treats was a fun place to pop into for tea and few games. The Creme Brulee boba is my favorite. yum!

Our family also loves the moon cakes at Eastern Bakery. So, we picked up a box to bring home, as well as an order of their sesame balls. Seriously, they have the best sesame balls; and they are huge! I highly recommend enjoying one while they are warm. So yummy!

Locations:

Far East Cafe is located at 631 Grant Ave., San Francisco.

Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory is located at 56 Ross Alley in San Francisco.

AA Bakery is located at 1068 Stockton Street in San Francisco.

Hi Sweetie Tea and Treats is located at 775 Jackson Street in San Francisco.

Eastern Bakery is located at 720 Grant Ave., in San Francisco.

I hope you have a chance to try at least one of these yummy locations!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy