The Quartyard

The East Village in San Diego is a place not to be missed. It sits adjacent to the Gaslamp District downtown, and includes amazing bars, restaurants, and shops. The Quartyard is our most recent discovery there, and we have been back every weekend since. The area was originally a large vacant lot that sat empty for years during the recession. A group of students from a local design school decided to make use of the space, and created a gathering place for East Villagers. Using old shipping containers, they opened a coffee shop, gallery, eatery, concert stage, and bar. The spot is so fun because it is all outdoors, and includes a few food trucks on the weekends, too.

During the week, the Quartyard Bar has a happy hour too, so you can grab a cheap drink and play some cornhole in the sunshine. The Quartyard is very dog friendly as well, and even has a little Dog Park in the back. The place definitely draws a lot of San Diego’s cool crowd, so don’t be surprised if everyone seems to have a french bulldog or pitbull (we still can’t figure out how those became the popular San Diego dogs).

Being in the middle of a city, it’s so nice to have an open space among the buildings to relax and enjoy the fresh air. If you ever find yourself downtown, make sure to walk the few extra blocks east to find this cool spot. You won’t be disappointed.

Fairweather

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This bar has definitely made it onto my top 5 list for San Diego. Fairweather is a vibrant and fun speakeasy-style bar adjacent to Petco Park. And when I say adjacent, I mean it is tucked onto a rooftop with a view of the park (!). This tropical oasis is, of course, one of Consortium Holding’s creations. Without a street sign or a marked entrance, the bar is made even cooler by the fact that you have to try and find your way to the roof

The vibrant colors, bright tiles, and living plant wall create a summery vibe in the middle of downtown. The best part, however, is their fun tiki-inspired drink list. During happy hour, Mai Tais, Piña Coladas, and other fun cocktails are $7, and come in crazy fun glasses complete with paper umbrellas. It doesn’t hurt that their tropical concoctions are some of the best around, too. And if there’s a baseball game going on, there is no better spot in the city to watch. You feel like you are a part of the game without the price of a ticket (and over priced cocktails!) At this point, I’m pretty sure Consortium Holdings can do no wrong. This is definitely a must try spot in San Diego (if you can find it!)

C & T Collective // Juice Saves

Can I just start by saying how cool this place is?! The Coffee & Tea Collective and Juice Saves shops share an open warehouse-style space in the middle of East Village (which suits them perfectly). The spot is perfectly split down the middle; a clean and modern barista bar is set up on the left, while a fun geometric space filled with cleverly named juices sits to the right. We stopped in on a Saturday afternoon, so we tried their cold brew coffee on tap as well as a sparking lavender lemon tea. And yes, they were both perfect. I would love to venture to the juice counter next time, and try the fresh pressed Aloe Vera Wang or Mango Unchained (told you they were clever).

Before you even walk in, the place is instagram worthy. Yes, I was the one getting up from my stool in the middle of the shop about 10,000 times to take a picture from a new angle. The two shops are run by Consortium Holdings, which is very obvious if you’ve been to any of their other San Diego spots. The CH group creates the coolest bars, restaurants, and speakeasies in San Diego, and each one is completely unique and inventive. Basically, if you find yourself in awe of your surroundings next time you’re having happy hour in San Diego, the place is probably CH owned. Their bars and eateries have become our all time faves since moving down here, and these two little places have definitely been added to the list.

The Lofty Wedding Collection

This wedding event was so darling I could barely capture all of it’s loveliness! Located in downtown San Diego, The Lofty Wedding Collection is home to several wonderful wedding vendors, which are all anchored by the Elle Bridal Boutique (how could I not love a shop named that?!).

The boutique was launched by the lovely Krystel Tien, who is also the brains and beauty behind Couture Events, one of my favorite event planning companies in SD. Her feminine touch and eye for detail can be seen throughout Elle. I wanted to take everything she had in the shop home with me! I am a huge sucker for all things Rifle Paper Co and Sugar Paper, and of course she had all of their perfect bridal items. Upstairs from the little boutique is a loft space home to additional wedding vendors (Posh Paperie, Garret Richardson Photography, & Anthology Films), making it the ultimate one-stop shop. San Diego was definitely in need of this kind of wedding shop!

Thursday’s event was held as a sort of “second grand opening” with the addition of some new vendors to the loft. It was such a fun soiree, made complete with peach champagne, Parisian treats, and handmade flower crowns by the amazing Wallflower Inspiration. Twinkle and Toast even made the adorable “You are loved, darling” sign as a raffle giveaway (which I didn’t win, but am still obsessed with).

You could say that this event definitely put me in the wedding planning spirit!

Fresh Chop

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[Shirt: Abercrombie // Shawl: Abercrombie // Jeans: J. Brand // Hat: Nordstrom // Floral Crown: Wallflower Inspiration // Shoes: Nordstrom // Temporary Tattoo: Tattly/Rifle Paper Co.]

Last week, I had the urge to do some more hair chopping. For those that knew me pre-January, I originally had hair that somehow managed to grow past my waist. The new year brought a new me, and I cut it all off before my 23rd birthday. Ever since I cut it, I kept feeling like I wanted to go even shorter. Who knew that someone who hadn’t had a hair cut in over a year would want to cut it twice in a matter of months?

So I went back to the lovely Gold & Braid salon where my fav hairstylist Sydnee works (who happens to be the sister-in-law of my dear friend Hannah). She did an incredible job as per usual, and I am just loving this shorter version of my lob.

Besides giving me a great new cut, Sydnee also let me in on her latest style secret… I had asked her where she had gotten her cute white top she was wearing, and she told me that Abercrombie & Fitch had made it. Yes, I know what you are thinking. I, too, thought that A&F was better left behind in middle school. But they have completely redesigned their brand, and are super festival/Free People/ Urban Outfitters now! Who would have thought?! I got this super cool shawl and top there, as well as a few more pieces which you will probably be seeing soon, including an amazing pair of printed pants. And the best part? It’s actually affordable! They have brought their prices wayy down, and even still have entire store-wide sales from time to time. I might have found my ~~new~~ favorite brand. I am still quite in shock, too.

So thanks, Sydnee, for the rad haircut AND style secret.