Summer in Sausalito

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Sunset on the Canal

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A Week in Cozumel

tunic ℅‎  // shorts // avarcas ℅‎  // sunglasses // necklace ℅‎

photos by Miguel Nunez 

Cozumel is the little island off the coast of Playa del Carmen where my family spent the most perfect week earlier this summer! I had never been to Mexico before, so I really didn't know what to expect. From the moment we stepped off the plane, it was such a fun, relaxing time. I thought I'd share my favorite experiences from our trip and what might be helpful if you're heading to Cozumel!   

 

Pack: 

I could have left half the outfits, and packed double the amount of swimsuits, coverups, and these Castell Avarca sandals by The Avarca Store! I wore them in this post, and basically every day of the trip. I could just as easily wear my avarcas to the beach, while we went on long walks through town, or on the few occasions we got dressed up to go out to dinner. They are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn, and since they are so well made, I know I'll be wearing them for years to come! 

Eat: 

Kondesa for gourmet Mexican food. This was hands down the best restaurant on the island, and we actually ended up going twice! 

Albertos for great tacos and even better salsa! Possibly the best I've ever had! 

Guidos for incredible Italian seafood dishes and gourmet churros. Who would have guessed some of the best Italian food I've ever had would be in Mexico?! 

Coconuts for a super tacky beachside atmosphere, but great fish tacos. Definitely a quintessential Cozumel experience!

Shop: 

With the exception of a few kitschy souvenirs, I would say Cozumel was not the place to find the perfect outfit or great shopping in general. But it was fun to bargain hunt and negotiate at the roadside stands!

Do: 

Cozumel is the perfect place to do nothing. The majority of our trip was spent laying in the sun or floating on the ocean. That being said, if you feel like venturing off the beach, there is still so much to do! 

Quad tour for a unique way to see the the jungle and El Cedral, one of the oldest and most colorful parts of the island! It had poured rain the day before we went quadding, so our tour turned into mudding! We thought it made our trip even more fun.

Ek Balam for a stunning hike and the chance to experience one of the most historical sites in South America. This Mayan pyramid still (surprisingly) allows the public to climb all the way to the top. It is definitely a little sketchy, but the views of the jungle are stunning. It is so worth the ferry ride to the mainland and a long drive to get there. 

Snorkel tour for a boat ride to the coral reefs and the brightest blue water. On our trip, we saw tons of beautiful fish and even got less than ten feet away from a little shark! Equally exciting and terrifying!

San Gervasico for a walk through an ancient Mayan city. I would definitely recommend spending a few extra pesos to have a tour guide walk you through the park and explain the significance of each site. 

PS: more posts from Cozumel here and here 

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Stripes + Summertime

dress (similar)//kimono//necklace c/o

photos by Angelika Johns 

Today's look is all about breezy, bright, and summery tones. Lately I've been loving everything olive green. I feel like it is such a feminine and flattering color.  I picked up the actual dress I'm wearing for $14 at a tiny boutique in Venice Beach. I couldn't track down the exact dress online, but I've linked a super similar and even cheaper version from Forever 21! 

Side note: This whole shoot consisted of Angelika and I illegally parking, shooting a few pictures, and then rushing to move my car before I got a ticket! She is absolutely the sweetest, and there is no one else I would rather risk a parking ticket/adventure through Venice Beach with!  I'll be sharing more looks our shoot in LA, and then even more photos from when we were able to reunite on Angelika's side of the country! I was so happy that we could meet up while I was visiting Washington DC! 

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Travel Style

tee ℅‎ // shorts // hat ℅‎ // avarcas ℅‎ // bag ℅‎ // necklace ℅‎ 

photos by Miguel Nunez 

I’m so excited to share photos more from my trip to Cozumel, Mexico last month. Cozumel was the most perfect place to unwind from the busy school year. I was home for less than a day before we hopped on the flight, and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start my summer! It was nice to go from 100% school mode to 100% vacation mode. Cozumel was just stunning. Each morning waking up to that bright blue view was unreal. And I think I have finally found the perfect summertime travel outfit. This combination of breezy shorts, a cute tee, a straw hat, comfortable sandals, and my new favorite bag is essentially what I wore the entire week. I especially love these pieces because they were so comfortable. This tee is possibly the softest shirt I own, I was able to walk miles in these Castell Avarca sandals by The Avarca Store without getting sore feet, and this structured cross body bag was perfect for long days of travel. Do you have a go to travel look? I’m curious because I think I may have just found mine! 

PS: My other post from Cozumel and more travel looks here and here  

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One Year Ago // NYC

dress (similar) // hat // shoes 

photos by Kevin Kim 

I cannot believe that it has been an entire year since I was in New York City shooting with Kevin Kim. If you’ve been reading Practically Imperfect for a while now, you may remember that Kevin and I have the coolest story of how we became friends! We randomly met at the Arc De Triomphe in Paris and stayed in touch when I visited New York later that summer. I still smile about what a small world it truly is. This shoot from the Brooklyn Bridge has remained one of my favorites of all time, and I realized that though I’ve shared various photos wearing this outfit (see here, here, and here), I never shared the full outfit post. So today, exactly a year after I shot this look, I’m sharing this outfit as a throwback! This maxi dress and hat combination is such a bold, fun look. Who knew that neutrals could make such a statement? Though Anthropologie no longer carries this exact dress, I found a few pretty similar ones and linked them below. And as always, my all time favorite hat that I post about way too much can be found at Nordstrom. As I type up this post, my heart kind of breaks that I won’t be in NYC this summer. That city is truly magical, especially during the summertime. While I was in DC last week, I was so tempted to take the 3 hour train ride into NYC for the day! I wasn’t able to coordinate a quick trip into the city, but looking through these photos gave me a little piece of the city that I love so much.

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Cozumel

dress c/o // sandals c/o

photos by Miguel Nunez 

I'm so excited to be sharing my first post from Cozumel, Mexico today. Spending time on this beautiful island has been the most amazing way to kick off my summer. I feel like we've had the perfect balance of chill days on the beach and busy days exploring! So far, I have been able to snorkel in the beautiful bright blue water, climb up an ancient Mayan pyramid, repel into an underground cavern, and also shoot a few travel looks with a local photographer! I'm so glad Miguel and I could shoot together while I was visiting Cozumel! He has been living on the island for over 20 years and knew all the best places to shoot! This light and breezy dress was perfect for Cozumel's hot and humid weather. The heat here is no joke, so I was so thankful for the light linen fabric and flowy fit. I loved the unique stitching on the top too! Shooting this look with Miguel was so fun and felt like a new way for me to see the island. Between the heat, humidity, and accidentally stepping in a pile of fire ants (oops), we still managed to have a great time shooting! If you are ever visiting Cozumel and looking for a photographer, I couldn't reccomend Miguel Nunez more!

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Something About That Hat

dress (similar) //hat//necklace c/o//sandals (similar)

photos by Angelika Johns

I am done with finals, friends! I repeat, I am done with finals! Today I'm packing up my dorm and saying goodbye to LA for the next few months. I'm so excited to welcome summer by going on a few trips, starting a new job, taking a class at my community college (ugh), and working with some awesome brands on the blog. Wow, typing that list out made me realize that it's shaping up to be a pretty busy summer. I thrive off of staying busy, but I'm sure that I'll make time to spend a few days doing absolutely nothing. I always do! When Angelika and I took these photos, it was the first day that it really felt like summertime. Nothing screams summer more than bright sunshine, a fun swing dress, and this hat! I never thought I was a hat wearing kind of girl, but lately I've been obsessed! Something about that hat makes me feel so confident. I've had a black one for a while, and I loved it so much that I recently got the same exact one in a different color! Like I said... obsessed. Need more proof? See posts here, here, and here. Anyway, I know most people are already well into their summer vacations (and to be honest I've been in a summer state of mind for weeks now), but it feels great that it's officially summer now. Happy summer! 

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