Santa Cruz Boardwalk and Wharf

I don't know if I've ever been to the Santa Cruz boardwalk or wharf before this. I'm pretty sure I haven't... how could you forget all those neon colors everywhere? The day was perfect to walk around the beach and grab some fried food.



We even got to see plenty of sea lions canoodling underneath the wharf. How the heck do they get up there?







Wearing: Vintage sweater, American Eagle jeans, White Mountain boots from my moms, and Ray Ban sunnies. 

Santa Cruz: Cafe Brasil

My DB and I have this whole week off, but lucky for us, we got the terrible cold that's been going around. It seems to have a cough that lasts forever. Since our original plans for traveling abroad didn't look too appealing, we decided to have our own mini day vacation instead once we were both feeling a little bit better.

My DB's never been to Santa Cruz and it's only an hour and a half drive from where we are, so we figured it'd be the perfect mini destination for the day. I did my research on restaurants and where to eat, and it led us here:



Cafe Brasil. It's a little house that's been remade into a quaint and comfortable restaurant. There's a lot of Brazil pride going on. The walls inside are even painted the same green and yellow.


We ordered the Beef a Cavalo (two eggs over easy on top of a steak on a grilled bread topped with tomato and mozzarella cheese. served with potatoes) and the Churrasco (grilled beef pressed sandwich with tomato and mozzarella cheese).

 

Everyone kept ordering at the Juice bar, so we couldn't leave without having something sweet. I was full, but my DB surprised me and asked for a junior acai bowl to go when the waitress came and asked if we wanted anything else after we finished our meals. I'm so glad he did that.

Have you ever had an acai bowl? If you haven't, you're surely missing out. The bottom is an ice cold, acai blend. It's topped with sliced bananas, almonds, fresh strawberries, and granola. So. So. Good.

Cafe Brasil
1410 Mission Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-429-1855
Open Monday through Sunday from 8am to 2:45pm

Military Style

I'm in love with Forever 21's muscle tanks right now. They're the perfect material for layering and wearing under military jackets for those sunny, but breezy, days. Wore this outfit out for a quick little brunch.

Wearing: Forever 21 top, Gap jacket, Abercrombie & Fitch shorts, Sperry shoes (courtesy of DB's mom), & EBay sunnies.

 

Book Review: Let's Pretend This Never Happened

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson is about Lawson's experience growing up and dealing with her social awkwardness. Let's be real here: I'm sure we can all can relate to that. Growing up isn't easy for everyone, and Lawson translates her stories into a light-hearted and comical book.

This book, however, isn't for the faint of heart. There is a lot of vulgarity and cursing, which isn't for everyone. It was certainly hard for me to read through since I'm not one to cuss... ever. I did find myself  giggling out loud at times, which is rare for me.

I didn't know that Lawson was a blogger prior to publishing a book, which makes a little more sense to me now. The style of writing and flow definitely seems more blog-esque. It seems to jump back and forth a little bit with scattered thoughts.

All in all, I'd recommend this book if you want a good laugh. Don't expect anything too formal, though.



 "This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own." 

Book Review: A Good American

A Good American by Alex George is a story about a family's immigration from Germany to the states. I enjoyed reading this story because I grew up hearing the tales of my own parents' hardships coming over from Vietnam. Although the reasons for migration are different, my parents came over because of war and the couple in the story comes over because of love, there are many similarities among the two situations.

The family in the book struggles to become "Good Americans," by understanding and adapting a different culture than they're used to. George takes the story through different generations, making you laugh, cry, and turn the pages in anticipation. I think a lot of people can relate to this book because America is made up of immigrants. Everyone has a story and a background to share. What does it even mean to be "American," anyways?



 "This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own."