YinzerParty

Forever 21 overwhelms me. There are too many options and too many ripoffs, but I can still picture myself wearing almost every piece in the store! We think it’s cheap, but as soon as you buy a few shirts and a skirt you’re up to $100. Therefore, I try to avoid going into the store unless it’s for a costume purpose. Which is exactly what I did when I purchased a studded, leopard tshirt to wear to a Steel Panther show. I returned it and searched around for something I would actually wear with my exchange allowance.

I found a diamond sweater! I used to have a slight obsession with the diamond shape and had necklaces, rings, shirts, dresses, and I even got a diamond tattoo. It got a little played out for me, but seeing it there in heavy sweater format, I was in love. Plus I dig the high-low cut of the bottom.

I am a little confused at the elbow cutouts. The cutouts sit on the front of the elbows-where my arm eye is. Doesn’t seem to make much sense to me. Remember-if you’re going to cover up a lot on top, you can go skimpy on the bottom. I paired the sweater with a cutoff pair of Lip Service jeans I think I once got when I dated a punk rock kid a lot skinnier than myself. The patterned fishnets are to keep my legs warm, and I hadn’t brought out the fringe cowboy boots inawhile, so I tugged those on. I was actually wearing a much more matchy-matchy beanie from Grand Scheme, but it turns out I lost it in a Lyft cab on the way home.

Diamond sweater: Forever 21
Jorts: Lip Service
Beanie: Betsey Johnson
Tights: Burlington Coat Factory
Fringe cowboy boots: Zodiac

In honor of Eater SF’s Burger Week, I thought I’d grab a burger for dinner. Ok, that’s a lie, I always think of grabbing a burger for dinner. But this week, 3 restaurants made especially awesome burgers. Unfortunately, that’s not the point of this post. My friend was broke, and it turns out writing an incredibly mediocre blog about what I eat doesn’t pay the bills, so I took myself and my friend to Roam Artisan Burgers. Since I’ve been exploring the burgers of SF based solely on recommendations, this one comes from my New Years Eve date. I asked him about his favorite burger in town and he said he didn’t have one, but he’d heard a lot about Roam. Except for an occasional 2am text, we no longer talk, so my burger date was just a friend.

I’m not a big fan of burger spots. I want the fanciest of burgers every week for a year, so I try to avoid places with the word “burger” in the title. But sometimes, they get it right. Walking into Roam, Stu and I were immediately reminded of Burgatory in Pittsburgh. There were a few suggested options as well as a build it yourself menu. The milkshakes, artisan sodas, and side options were impressive. Stu is obsessed with truffles and it never fails that he chooses the truffle burger if it’s an option, so he went with the French and Fries: Truffle Parmesan Fries, Gruyere, Avocado, Caramelized Onions, Watercress, Dijon Mustard. For myself, you can slap a sunny side up egg on just about anything and I’ll devour it, so I went with the Sunny Side: Organic Free-Range Egg, Aged White Cheddar, Caramelized Onions, Greens, Tomato, Sweet Chili Sauce. We rounded them out with sweet potato fries.
Our burgers came wrapped up in paper and the yolk in my egg had already cracked, which served as a great dipping sauce for the burger. I like fried eggs on burgers, but they’re not nearly as good as a runny, dippy egg. I want my yolk all over everything, so I couldn’t have been more pleased that it was cooked to perfection. The patty was a bit on the thin side, but all the flavors worked perfectly together. Toward the end of the burger, when the last edge gets soggy and all your toppings have slid to the back of the bun, the sweet chili sauce became too overpowering. The egg and yolk were in my mouth and there wasn’t any other flavor to mask the sweetness. Stu loves his end-of-the-burger soggy mess left inside the paper, so he was happy to take the last few bites. The dijon mustard in his French and Fries took away from the deliciousness of the truffle flavor, but otherwise it was a juicy seasoned burger. The buns were neither awe-imspiring or distracting, which is exactly how I like them. If they hold everything inside, without being too doughy or too soggy, they’ve done their job. They are made a local bakery and the grassfed meat comes from Pacific Pastures.

I don’t like basing an experience on price, but $25 for two of us, compared to $25 for one of us at a nicer restaurant, is a great reason to visit Roam. At 16 weeks into my burger journey, Roam outshone quite a few pricier competitors. Plus, the restaurant was friendly with communal tables and fast service. Great job Roam, and thank you New Years Eve date.

Emo Night has made it’s way to San Francisco. 3 straight hours of singalongs to the best in emo, hardcore, punk punk, screamo and indie on the last Sunday Funday of every month. Yours truly and DJ Noelle will be taking requests before and during the night so that we can all relive the early 2000s together.

There’s no cover-that means FREE guys-and it’s $2 tecates, pbrs and jello shots the whole time. Go grab some brunch, sip on booze in Dolores Park, then make your way to Delirium on 16th in the Mission 6-9pm. Here’s a little spotify mix for a taste in what we’ll play. Comment with your emo night requests!

I never thought I’d end up in California, where I walk outside and it almost always smells like spring with the sun shining. I’m lucky enough to saunter on down to Dolores Park on any given sunny afternoon and sit amongst day drinkers, stoners, and nannies. Sundays, by far, are my favorite days of the week for this. Hula hoopers, yogis, bean baggers, and bike messengers are all divvied up into their own group circles, and it allows for expert people watching. It’s also the perfect opportunity to show off your Sunday’s Best! (Or Worst). Grab some champagne and OJ and head to the park like I did with Cesar

I love when people are completely shocked that I want to take their picture, it’s cute. I can tell they put effort into how they look, and I appreciate it. Lovin the relaxed look with the jacket buttoned to the top, his belt hanging out instead of being tucked in, and aviators to give off an ‘idgaf’ attitude. I don’t think he does.

The denim jacket is Burberry, which  makes for a great mix of plaids.

I can not pull off the whole hippy look, which is probably due to the fact that I hate it. But every now and then, someone does it right. This little lady combined a blue lace top to match her vintage, mermaid blue skirt and it pairs great with her oxfords.

She thrifted the skirt and her shoes are John Fluevog. I hope she bought this skirt to have her tattoo perfectly peak out, I love the placement of the feather.

I will always be a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Now that I have that out of the way, I will say that I also enjoy routing for a team when it means having a good time. Now that I live in San Francisco, and now that the 49ers are in the Super Bowl, I’m going to have a good time cheering them on. A major plus of being around 49ers fans are the Gold Satin 49ers Jackets. Other teams have tried to come close to this glory, but they just can’t match the epic beauty of a vintage satin 49ers original.

Not only am I pumped to watch a team in the playoffs when I live in their city, but the 49erse in the Super Bowl means that I get an overload of satin jackets on Sunday. SF Gate shares my love and put together a slideshow of some of the best jacket shots. I am now on the lookout for a boys, size medium, gold, satin jacket. Go niners!

I had the privelege of attending a nail art show in the Mission last Friday and was pleased to see some rockin ladies and gents at the event.

Ryan was adorable and a girl after my own heart in Betsey Johnson. She got her tights from the boutique-on-wheels, Top Shelf Style, her mini skirt is Bestey Johnson, the leotard is American Apparel and her military-esque coat is BB Dakota. Black n White rockin purple platforms! She’s also a DJ under the name Ry Toast and I appreciated her boombox neck tattoo and amazing custom RING!

Spiked Sam Edelman stilletos? Yes, please.

There were just as many dudes as chicks rockin nail art and good style. I’m loving the clever Chanel spin on this camera strap, and I hope he used his Camel cigarette credits to score the vintage corduroy hat. He’s also rocking a Nail Jerks nail file necklace!

Closeup of his ying yang, smoking alien, and pet dog.

Did you know that camoflauge is a trend now? Yup, it’s like I’m in 6th grade all over again. I’m not hatin it though

A City of Champions 49ers tee actually looks put together when paired with a camo bubble vest and hoodie. The maxi, lace slipdress and fur coat are from Zara. A casual hat can dress down a classic dress very easily.

I adored the gal behind Nail Jerks. Can you even see how amazing her nail shirt and plastic toy necklace are?? She was too busy blingin out nails for a pic, but I was diggin her style. Anything theme-based is my fave. And for some nail art shots:

I had the fortune of attending 24k Gallery’s opening exhibit of “Hand Jobs-Collaborations Between Nail Artists and Jewelers.” I personally cannot stand trying to open car doors and the inability to text, so I do not sport fake nails. I LOVE looking at them though. The show had some great nail pieces and contemporary rings. Japanese nail artist, Britney Tokyo, attended the event looking FAB.

A girl after my own heart. Pink fur, Jeffrey Campbells, and gaudy jewelry.

Unfortunately my camera malfunctioned at the nail shot. Luckily, I found a picture of them on her site. The panther was amazing!

More style photos from “Hand Jobs” will be up in the next few days.

I moved to San Francisco two months ago from Portland. Now I get to enjoy sun, warmth, busses that run 24/7, and an infinite amount of social media job opportunities. What I do not get to enjoy is a ridiculously, melt in your mouth, amazing burger for under $8. I was too busy stuffing my face with beefy goodness in Portland every Friday to blog about it, but I promised myself I would change that in San Francisco. I can’t imagine you’re reading my blog because it’s the best burger blog out there, but for me, this will serve as my diary of burgers in the Bay area.

I will embark on 52 Burgers in the Bay during 2013. I have read the ‘Best Burger Lists’, asked strangers on a bus what their favorite burger in the city is, and google image searched for hours. But I can pick only 52 restaurants! I don’t schedule my Burger a Week, I just grab a friend, opt for their suggestion, and dig in.

Week 1, January 1st, while in the same party dress I wore all New Years Evening, my friend Charlie and I ventured to Monk’s Kettle. And so it begins…

We barely scored a seat in the small restaurant that was bustling with young professionals. There were chalkboards with beer pairing suggestions and a bar full of bottles. The beer menu was huge and I made sure to text my sister, just to surge a bit of jealousy out of her. I’m not a big beer snob, but they do a great job suggesting a beverage choice with your meal choice.

Charlie and I opted for a simple strong ale and didn’t even need to peak at the menu. We both wanted our burgers medium rare with fries.  Per his suggestion, we topped them with bacon jam rather than onion aioli. The beef was freshly ground and topped with aged white cheddar.

A $14 burger to me means something along the line of Metrovino’s double pattied, delicious monster, but I’m slowly realizing that $14 is an average price for San Francisco. Once I got past my shock of ‘this isn’t blowing my mind for $14!?!,’ I realized it was pretty darn tasty.

This may come as a surprise, but I am not the biggest bacon fan. I like it, in moderation, but I find bacon flavored things to overpower all other tastes. I would have preferred the onion aioli, but to each his own. The meat was tender and perfectly cooked medium rare, but it didn’t melt in my mouth. The meat wasn’t as seasoned as I would have liked, but it certainly wasn’t bland. I was impressed that the bun held up and it wasn’t too big or too small. Fries were fries, nothing special there.

I left completely satisfied, but not totally wowed. I enjoyed the vibe of the restaurant, the service, and of course the company. The burger was just the right size for me; I’m glad I wasn’t completely stuffed. Week 1 down, with a pretty alright burger. Scale of 1 to 10? A 7.

Cheers, and on to week 2!

This site is called YINZERparty. If I don’t start with some horrible saying like I bleed black and gold, Pittsburghers will want to revoke my URL. Fortunately for them, I’m still #1 a Steelers fan, but there is something I value more than a Steelers win. Actually there are a lot of things I value more than a Steelers win, but during football season, my #1 priority is having fun and partying. Therefore, since I recently moved to San Francisco, and because the 49ers won the NFC championship, I am REALLY excited to party during the Super Bowl and root Red and Gold.

I settled for a small Irish pub in my Lower Haight neighborhood to watch the game, and was extremely happy with everyone’s game garb. But my fave, by far, was this Ronnie Lott airbrushed denim vest I spotted at Molotovs. Did you know he had 9 1/2 fingers?

Go 49ers!

In honor of the 49ers game today (since they have become my adopted team to cheer on now that the Steelers aren’t playing), I am wearing Gold Errythang. So much gold, that Trinidad James would be proud.

I have a thing for gaudy and gold, obvs, but I also have a thing for Baroque-style prints. When I saw this sheer tunic top at a basement church thrift shop in Portland, it reminded me of that kind of print. I was just imaginging all the gold chains I could accessorize with it.

I recently came across an infographic suggesting what kind of necklace to wear with specific necklines. I wore a long gold chain to match the shirt, a large gold pendant to hit about halfway from the neck to the chain, and then a tighter, short gold chain to accentuate the high neckline.

A guy I was dating in Portland started to button his flannels all the way to the top. Apparently that’s the new trend for dudes, and I totally dig it. (It’s not just for cholos anymore) This shirt is a bit to blousy and flimsy to leave unbottoned, so I went all the way to the top.

Gold Chain blouse: Thrfited
Gold Chains and accessories: Urban Outfitters and Patti Smith West
Gold sequin cami: Found at a clothing swap
Black shiny pants: Betsey Johnson
Black cowboy boots: Patti Smith West

Like this 49ers/The Bay background? My girl, Brit, works at Upper Playground and it just happens to be right around the corner from my house. My favorite gold item in their store was this gold foil “Maybe Partying Will Help Shirt”