And I Was Your Silver Lining As The Story Goes I Was Your Silver Lining But Now I'm Gold

The combination of chunky knits over flannels and plaids has quickly become one of my favorite go-to outfits. The right amount of comfort mixed in with the right amount of style is all I need in San Francisco. While my ever-growing collection of sky high heels has yet to find its way on to the concrete sidewalks of the city, my favorite Nine West kitten heels walk with me everywhere (one of the best shoe investments I've ever made). I also have them in a higher version and they are equally as comfortable, as they are fashionable. Take them to the cobbler every now and then and your feet are set. You've seen this men's flannel before, but I can't stop wearing it. It warm and has pockets -- why are guy flannels so much better?? Seriously, ladies, don't be afraid to shop in the men's department...I maybe do it more than I should. The grey purse is pretty old but I recently dug it up in my bin of bags and now I reach for it whenever I run out the door. These are the second set of photos from last week's shoot with Tim. Aren't they pretty?? I am so excited to continue working with him -- he is an AWESOME photographer (like you couldn't already tell).

Pants: Guess; Sweater (c/o) & purse: Forever 21; Flannel Plaid: Ezekiel via Nordstrom; Necklace: H&M; Heels: Nine West; Photos by: Tim Wong

Rilo Kiley - Silver Lining

In other news, my birthday is next week! By now I usually already know how I want to celebrate, but this year I'm stumped. I thought it would be kind of fun to do a special Q&A post in honor of the day, so please feel free to comment below with some burning questions you've always wanted to know about me. I realized that I've never done a post addressing my most frequently asked questions, so this will be fun! Looking forward to reading what you've got for me! :) ALSO, don't forget that my Benefit Cosmetics giveaway ends this Friday! So get those entries in!

Food Friday: Golden Goodies

Golden Gate Bakery 1029 Grant Ave


One of my absolute favorite things to do is spend an afternoon exploring the diverse culture and food in a neighborhood in the city. The boy and I have recently decided that we will pick one neighborhood a week to walk around and play tourists in. Then, at the end of the day, we'll dine at a restaurant the neighborhood is known for. Not bad, right? This past Saturday, we were in the mood for dim sum, so we hopped on the 30 and made our way into Chinatown. And boy, did we pick a good weekend to go. Chinatown was more crowded than usual due to Chinese New Year, so the streets were alive with fresh produce and plenty of people. Aside from that, the city was filled with delight and spirit in anticipation of Sunday's 49er's game. It was a sea of red and gold in the streets, buses rode around reminding pedestrians of the city's best, and street artists painted beautiful murals all around. As it turns out, however, our dim sum plans were a bust. If you're ever walking around Chinatown, don't be fooled into the $5.99 all-you-can-eat-dim-sum spot. It is NOT the business, if you know what I mean. Leave it to us to walk into the worst dim sum spot in town. Yikes. Luckily, the day was made better when I finally got a taste of the golden goodies at Golden Gate Bakery. Warm, flakey crust with a soft, melt-in-your-mouth, buttery filling, Golden Gate Bakery is THE spot for egg tart custards. At $1.25 a pop or $15 a dozen, you can bet that the wait to get a taste of these pastries is going to be a while, especially when the owners are often on vacation and the bakery is seldom open. If you do go, be sure your pockets are filled with some cash monies, because this place doesn't take plastic.











Oopsie - I forgot to add that I'm making my way down to LA next week! I will be there from Thurs to Mon and would love, love to meet up with my beautiful Los Angelenos! Feel free to email me or comment below if you will be in town. I'll also be at the PoshMark party on Thurs evening, so that will be a great way to meet up and have fun!

I was a Heavy Heart to Carry But He Never Let Me Down When He Had Me in His Arms My Feet Never Touched The Ground

I was working on my usual Wisdom Wednesday post, when Tim sent over the batch of photos from our shoot this past Monday. I quickly stopped in my tracks and lost all focus as I "ooh'd" and "ahhh'd" over his amazing, amazing photography. I assure you one thing: I am not a model. I blink 9/10 times when people count to three, I make really awkward faces, I don't know how to "smize" (as Tyra would say), and I don't know my angles. Having said that, when you work with an patient, fun, and extremely talented photographer, such as Tim, somehow, with very little help from my end, you get amazing photos such as these. I've wanted to shoot at the Palace of Fine Arts for some time now. I've mentally put together scores of outfits and thought about different concepts for shoots. Finally, I got lucky and this happened. We were fortunate that day, as the rain stopped pouring and the tourists stayed away, which ultimately lead to rather peaceful result.

Dress worn as skirt, ring, & belt: Forever 21; Vintage Sequin Sweater/Top: Crossroads Trading Co.; Bag: Urban Outfitters; Shoes: Charlotte Russe; Photos by: Tim Wong

Florence + The Machine - Heavy In Your Arms

I got this dress (which I styled as a skirt) a while back at Forever 21 and fell in love with the terra cotta color. The vintage sequined top I picked up at Crossroads for a whopping $7.50. Yeah. You read that right. I love everything about it, from the intricate design to the lovely detailing at the top. The shoes, I've worn maybe twice now and have quickly come to the realization that while I do love to collect heels, I cannot for the life of me walk in them. To be fair, these shoes are half a size too big, which is probably the reason why I can't walk in them. Sure they're about five inches tall, but sky's the limit right? If anyone thinks they can show the shoes more love than I can, let me know as I'm thinking of putting them up for sale. Stay tuned for round two from Monday's shoot. You can bet your bottom dollar that Tim's photos won't disappoint.

pancakePRIZES: Benefit's Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation!

A little Monday treat for my beauties out there! As you remember, last week I attended Benefit's sneak peek rendezvous for their new liquid foundation, Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow. A quick reminder, the new liquid foundation, which officially launches this March, can be found in nine different shades, with three lights, three mediums, and three darks. I fall into the medium skin tone range and my shade match is Toasted Beige. Aside from my own shade match, Benefit supplied me with three others and I want to share them with y-o-u! So, I'm giving away three shades (one light, one medium, and one dark) to THREE lucky ladies out there! 

Light

Medium

Dark

ENTERING IS EASY: 
(1) Leave a comment on this entry with your contact info & tell me which foundation shade best matches your skin tone: light, medium, or dark.

EXTRA ENTRIES (Leave a separate comment for each additional entry):
(2) Become a follower of pancakeSTACKER on Google Friend Connect
(3) Become a follower of pancakeSTACKER on Bloglovin' & "like" this post
(4) Like pancakeSTACKER on Facebook & "like" this post
(5) Follow pancakeSTACKER on Twitter
(6) Tweet me! "I entered @pancakeSTACKER's @BenefitBeauty giveaway & you can too! http://bit.ly/wfNhH8 #imflawless"
(7) Follow pancakeSTACKER on Instagram! Be sure to leave your Instagram handle, if you do!
(8) Follow @BenefitBeauty on Twitter
(9) Like Benefit on Facebeook & let them know pancakeSTACKER sent you!
(10) Tell me what makes someone a flawless beauty :)

THAT'S IT! HAPPY ENTERING & GOOD LUCK, BUTTERCUP!

This giveaway ends Friday, February 3, 2012 at 11:59 PM PST. Please note, this giveaway is only open to US Residents.

Food Friday: Come And Gott It

Gott's Roadside 1 Ferry Building, Space #6 (Ferry Building Marketplace)



This past weekend was truly amazing. Actually, all of January (and 2012, for that matter) has been. On Monday, the boy and I spent a beautiful afternoon enjoying the Ice Rink's last day in Union Square. We skated up quite the appetite, so we headed towards the Embarcadero for a delicious meal at Gott's Roadside.  Everything was so absolutely mouth-watering and the menu was so tempting, that it was hard to pick just one thing. In the end, I ordered the Smoked Chicken Po'Boy, the boy had the Let's Be Frank Hot Dog, and we shared some garlic fries. I have to admit that before this, I haven't actually had a Po'Boy anything. Who am I, right? Anyways, the cool, crunchy American slaw was a perfect juxtaposition against the nice smoked flavor of the chicken. I like my sandwiches drenched in sauce, and this one met my expectations. The garlic fries were filled with flavor and I only wished that I didn't have to share, ha! I didn't get to taste the hot dog, but to be fair I totally forgot to offer a bite of my sandwich because I got lost in how good it was. Either way, I have no doubt that it was equally as delicious as my sandwich. Next time, I hope to try the Shrimp Tacos and a milkshake! Has anyone else been? What other menu items do you suggest I try next?

Let's Be Frank Hot Dog

Garlic Fries

Smoked Chicken Po'Boy

Hello Flawless! Benefit Beauty Event

Sweater & Blouse c/o Forever 21; Pants: Guess; Necklace: H&M

I was invited by the sweetie pies at Benefit Beauty Cosmetics to preview the new Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation, which officially launches this March. As most of you know (and can probably tell, haha), I'm a light makeup-user. The extent of my daily beauty routine is mascara, lip gloss, eyeliner, and sometimes some eyeshadow or bronzer. However, as of late, I've been really intrigued by different products and all the ways to experiment with makeup. I have to admit that I have been blessed with good skin (thanks, mom!),  so foundation and concealers have been somewhat of a foreign concept for me. But, when I do have a blemish here and there, I struggle to find something to cover it up. Because my skin is so virgin to powders and foundations, it's important for me to find something that won't leave me with an allergic reaction. When my skin is upset with what I've put on, you can bet that it lets me know. So, natural products that allow my skin to breathe are of the utmost importance. Cue Benefit's Hello Flawless Foundation. Oil-free and with an oxygen hydrating complex, Benefit's Hello Flawless is amazingly light, airy, and breathable. It honestly feels as though your face is wearing nothing on it!

Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation,  $34

CUPCAKES -- My favorite was the chocolate raspberry-filled one! Yumm :)

Amber finding her Flawless match

Benefit's Global Beauty Authority, Annie Ford Danielson

My Flawless shade? "Warm Me Up Toasted Beige"

Serenaded by a Soul-ar Sister

Sippin' on that Rosé Champagne. Oh you fancy, huh?

Amber's shade? "Cheers to Me Champagne" and Kim's? "Gotta Know Me Nutmeg"

Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation is SPF 25 PA+++, contains Vitamin C and E derivatives known to prevent the signs of aging, helps protect against environmental stresses, and helps to boost cellular respiration for a "plumping up" effect. There are nine different shades -- three lights, three mediums, and three darks. Each shade corresponds with Benefit's Hello Flawless powders, which makes it that much easier to "choose" and "use." So, for the women out there who are looking for barely there makeup, I truly recommend trying out Benefit Cosmetics. Your skin will illuminate with flawless beauty!


Special thanks to Kate and Annie for inviting me to preview the new line! Please note that while I was provided with complementary Hello Flawless Oxygen Liquid Foundation, these are my own honest opinions.