I used to have a strong love/hate relationship with the pink (let it be noted that this does not include the singer of the same name). Thanks to an unnecessary and baseless gender norm, most barbies, games, clothes and books that were marketed specifically towards girls managed to incorporate this stereotypically feminine hue in some fashion. When I finally became old enough to know better, I rejected the color –– along with its clichés –– and proudly flaunted my affinity to (literally) cooler, “boy” colors like blue and green (because I was so “quirky” and “different” –– and totally not like the “other” girls).
But as I grew up further and became fortunately less pretentious in my color preferences, I could no longer deny my natural attraction to the typical “girl” color. From bright pink lipsticks, to vibrant peonies and cute pastel pastries, I wanted it all. At some point I even painted my room an obnoxious shade of magenta, with decor to match. I went full on la vie en rose.
Thankfully, the obsession went away when I discovered my obvious calling to a monochrome aesthetic, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy a faint pop of color every once in a while to make my life feel hopelessly girly and sickeningly sweet.
1. If I could only eat one stone fruit for the rest of my life, it’d probably be peaches. From their cute, gradient exterior to their delectably juicy interior, this summer delicacy is just doin’ the most for me. So when I saw this precious frizzy, peach drink at my nearby Asian market, the packaging and –– almost disgustingly –– sugary scent coming off these bad boys on the shelf drew me in (until I read the sugar content on the back, that is).
2. When my best friend lovingly bought this zine to send to her boyfriend, I couldn’t help but laugh at her style of a romantic gesture. Though confusingly weird, I also somehow relate to the two illustrated and strangely adorable dudes on the cover. Like yes, I see how big y’all are and now I can’t stop flipping through this lil’ book.
3. I was met with a wave nerves at the Baker Beach one day, when my friend encouraged me to climb with her over a tricky set of tall rocks, in order to get a better view of the Golden Gate Bridge –– all while we were both shoeless. I had ascended this route countless times before, but for some reason anxiety returned as if it was my first time. After lugging my unfit self over the obstacle, I was happily greeted by these random and flourishing flowers, placed in the middle of the sand, seen right as I finished my treacherous –– and notably barefoot –– climb.
4. I regularly use this blog as a platform to profess my love for various foods, and so this post is no different. Pocky has been my “A1 since day one” Asian snack, and so when I saw this gigantic –– yet cheap –– knock off version of my favorite frosting-covered, biscuit stick I couldn’t resist. After passing by them countless times in my local Sunset Super, I finally made my move and paid the small price for what I thought was going to be a blown up and equally delicious dupe for Pocky. Sadly, I left disappointed and three dollars poorer.
5. Let me tell you about my obsession with donuts. If I had to imagine my perfect food, it would be these fluffy deep fried rings with a cloyingly sweet amount of clear glaze. And while it’s not like I’m stuffing Krispy Kremes and Dunkin Donuts down my throat on the daily, the dessert has a special place in my heart (besides in the ways it’s probably interfering my heart’s ability to pump blood) –– as most of my first semester in New York was defined by two a.m. donut runs with friends. I may try to cut out dozens of junk foods in my lifetime, but this therapeutic and luxurious treat will surely never be one of them.
6. In comparison to my best friend Gaby, I am merely the princess of pink and she is the ultimate queen. Her aesthetic is so carefully cultivated and consistent, it’s hard not to applaud her strange devotion to one color. Seriously, please look at her Instagram so you see what I mean. She lives in a constant state of being tickled pink, so everything from her food choices to her phone case selection is determined by the hue. One sunny day in Dolores Park, my water bottle happened to compliment her mobile device, so we also threw her lighter in for good photographic measure –– creating the ultimate pink trifecta.
7. Following an eventful day touring hidden, historical and family-favorite spots in Chinatown, I spotted this typography art on the side of a construction site as I reentered downtown. Part of me had a hint that this was an appropriate welcome back into San Francisco’s capitalist and culture-less metropolitan hub –– or its placement is just a mere coincidence.
8. Since making the choice to stop eating dairy two weeks ago (Shoutout to my pesky lactose intolerance!), this picture of Mr. and Miscellaneous’s “pink squirrel” ice cream now feels like a distant memory from another life. Thankfully San Francisco has a plethora of soy and sorbet options to choose from, but nothing will ever compare to the real thing.
9. Even while running for the bus, I always find it necessary to stop and take pictures of sights I find aesthetically pleasing. This snap was a lucky break, as I found the time to capture a bunch of options and still made the 7-Haight bus with time to spare. Let this also act as an unintentional goodbye until my next post!
