blogging buddies meet up for a ride

on sunday the cutie tina from city girl rides and i made plans to meet up. she just recently moved over to my side of pond and i thought it would be a great idea to finally go on that bike ride we had been meaning to take. i met her at a local coffee shop called the brown couch cafe. we sat and talked while enjoying coffee and a bit to eat. after we hopped on our bikes and rode around lake merritt. it was such a beautiful day, not a cloud in sight!

just had to share this extreme silly picture of myself while riding :D

lake merritt is just so beautiful and full of people running, chatting, playing and walking. we stopped at the bird sanctuary to check it out and then walked a bit around the lake. it was so nice to get to talk and get to know her a bit more. i am so happy we met up! i thought i would take the opportunity to snap a picture of what she wore as she has great style and i find her girlie style so inspirational! she exemplifies cycling chic and that you don't have to wear spandex to ride a bike!

and this is what i wore...a little low key but perfect for a sunday ride around the lake :)

i love meeting my blog buddies!

xo,
cb

guest post: riding in sf

since i normally do a bike post on wednesdays and i thought it would be fun for another bike enthusiast  to share some of the reasons she loves to ride while i am away..enjoy my sweeties!

riding through the city streets and hills of san francisco, i'm tina, blogger of city girl rides who brings you inspiration, adventures, tips, and elegant finds to suit a ladies stylish, sustainable, and elegant lifestyle to ride along with. 

i had not always been a bicycle enthusiast. the thought of riding a bicycle in san francisco was crazy at best, dangerous at worst. yet, until my bicycle fanatic boyfriend introduced me to my christmas gift of a 1983 varsity hot red shwinn (shwing!), i feel in love. my first ride with her made me feel like i was peter pan flying through neverland, thus i named her... wendy bird. ahh, the feeling of riding in full speed down hill or pushing and sweating up hill has taught me the strength of endurance both physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

as i've continued to ride with great wonder and knowledge lust, i have just about learned and seen every sort of bicycle from road bikes, dutch bikes, cruisers, fixies, single speeds, townies, mountain bikes, mixte's, track bikes etc. i have made friends on the road as i have inspired friends to get on the road. i have adopted a lifestyle that takes responsibility to loving the earth as well as loving the city i ride in. i had learned what it is to be a safe, responsible, and a respectful road sharer. i ride my bicycle in my girly clothes never letting an adventure pass me by. i confidently walk into a bike shop to order new components or just a little tune up. i've learned to love the smell of bicycle grease as i've learned to fix my own bike. i have had road battle wounds and have accidental scars but i still ride on. that's what life is about. sharing what you love, enduring them even when they throw you head over wheels.

i love riding my bicycle, and what i've learned from writing inspirational posts of adventures, bicycle treasure finds, cycle chic, and riding tips, is that our cities deserve safe and better roads. unsafe and poor road infrastructure is the leading cause why women refuse to ride a bicycle, and i don't blame them. we deserve the right to ride down in safety, at our own pace, in our dresses, with heels, on whatever bicycle we love, on secure roads, with our friends, children, groceries, pets, school books, errands, etc. without feeling like the "other" on the road. by breaking barriers, cycling becomes not just for the cycling sports rider but also for the city girl rider.

be inspired and ride on.

peace, love and bicycle grease,

xoxo

tina of city girl rides

owls, vintage fashion and a sweetie!

sunday was awesome! i always love hanging out with my mommy! she picked me up sunday and we headed out to sf to the yearly vintage fashion expo! this place is amazing! if you live in the sf area this is a must do! there are tons of vintage stands from all over the sunshine state selling all things fashion from every era! as i had mentioned before we went last year and i bought my wedding ring and the mister bought his shark skin suit there, all in all we walked away with some beautiful things for our special day.

yes, aubergine's shoe collection is crazy, their clothes selection is crazy and their purse selection is INSANE!

 i was really happy to see one of my favorite and not so secret now vintage stores. aubergine is located in sebastopol which is about 1 hour north of sf. it is truly AMAZING! the place is HUGE and they get all their inventory from europe so there are some really awesome finds there, plus the prices are really really great! i have a sneaking suspicion that maybe it is a drug front...every time we go up north we always go there to pick up some great stuff...while we were there i ran into my landlord, who is a treasure hunting QUEEN! she finds the most amazing things! i love her and really would love to adopt her!

as i was walking around, the cutest little lady approached me and asked me if i was cristie...caught a bit off guard BUT  i knew right away who it was...tina from city girl rides! she was perfectly dressed in one of my favorite color combos, red and blue, her hair looked amazing and she is just beyond beautiful! i was soo excited to meet her! she is a fellow bike enthusiast and let me tell you...she really knows how to ride a bike and look AMAZING! i am a little bummed i didn't get a picture but i was so caught off guard that i was a little embarrassed to get her picture so i stole this one from her blog...she bought that amazing skirt at the expo...isn't she AMAZING?!?! ladies...she wore that outfit while riding...pretty sweet if you ask me!

there was soo much to see that my eyes were on overload and so for some reason i only took pictures of owls... guess it shows how obsessed i am with them...

these are hairspray covers!

sadly this owl lamp was NOT for sale :( i had to ask though!

and here is what i walked away with...

a great 60's shift dress with a really awesome pink and green paisley print and this SUPER awesome belt with frog buckle! i am soo in love with this belt right now...want to wear it with everything!


what is your most exciting vintage buy?


don't forget tomorrow i will announce the winner of my bloglovin' giveaway so if you haven't entered today is the final day...also a reason why i will be m.i.a next week!

xo,
cb