Shakespeare’s Corner Shoppe & Afternoon Tea

Earlier this week, after much planning, a few of my friends and I went for afternoon tea at one of my favorite places in San Diego, Shakespeare’s Corner Shoppe & Afternoon Tea. It is probably one of the most authentic experiences in the city. Next door, they also have an adorable little pub that has delicious food as well. We had reservations for tea at noon and when we arrived, we were the only ones having tea on the cozy little patio. Overall, the food is amazing and so is the service. The tea menu is also quite extensive, so there is something for everyone! If you are ever in the area, make sure to go and take a look in the adorable British shop, or make reservations for tea with your friends!

xx
Ashley

Autumn Bucket List

Happy Autumn, Down In The City readers! Autumn is by far my favorite season! I love everything about it; the colors, the pumpkins, the weather and the clothing. This season, I made a quick bucket list of all of the things that i want to accomplish and here it is! Also, comment down below with what's on your Autumn Bucket List!

1. Successfully bake a pumpkin loaf from scratch.

2. Break out all of the scarves that have been sleeping this summer!

3. Come up with a signature autumn makeup look.

4. Have a themed photo shoot in the mountains.

5. Bake a pie.

6. Watch Halloweentown (all of my 90's kids will hopefully agree with this one!)

7. Go on a hayride.

8. And enjoy my last autumn at home before moving to England for college!!!

Hope you all are having a lovely season so far!

xx
Ashley

Throwback Thursday

Last weekend, I was up in LA for the One Direction concert. Before heading to the concert, we went to one of my favorite lunch restaurants, Joan's on Third. While eating our lunch, I spotted my first ever favorite designer Betsey Johnson coming out of a car. I was so shocked and knew that I had to take the opportunity to ask for a photo. So, I shuffled over and asked. She was one of the loveliest people I have ever met! I told her that I wore one of her dresses for my 6th grade promotion and she was quite amused and told me she was flattered. We then started to talk about her new spot on Dancing With The Stars, which I obviously told her that she had my vote. Overall, it was such an amazing experience, I just had to share!

xx
Ashley

5 Things To Do Before Any Vacation

Traveling is a huge part of my life and is something that I hope will be a part of it for the rest of my life as well. I have certainly learned a lot while traveling, wether it was good or bad and I have also discovered some fun things to do as well, so I thought I would share them with you.

1. Print out EVERYTHING!
This is crucial and extremely important. Make sure you have all reservations printed and the information for where you are staying, especially if you are traveling abroad. Trust me, you would rather be over prepared then under prepared. This will be your saving grace.

2. Have a new fragrance that you take with you.
My mom and I started doing this on our first trip to Europe and it was one of the cutest ideas! We went shopping before our trip and we both agreed on Jo Malone Bluebell. Now every single time we smell it, it reminds us of that incredible trip. Because our memory is triggered by scent, its such a meaningful idea.

3. Check the weather of your destination!
This is the best way to find out what you should pack. Make sure you check the weather for the whole deration of your trip too! I have certainly assumed that the weather would be nice when it wasn't and it was definitely a mess!

4. Don't plan out everything.
One of the best things about traveling is having the ability to be spontaneous. That's one thing that I don't like about organized travel groups, you don't have to time to do anything yourself. Go to the little cute restaurant on the corner. Rent a car and just drive or walk around the city.

5. Order a car from the airport or train station to your destination
This will save you so much confusion and time. Ordering a car will usually cost you the same amount as a taxi and is completely worth it if you are not familiar with the city. The first time I was in Paris, we took the Metro to our hotel and wandered around for about an hour with heavy luggage to find it. Not to mention all of the stairs in the Metro itself.

Hope you liked this blog post and the cheesy photos as well!

xx
Ashley

Celebrity Style: Taylor Swift

My all time style icon is Taylor Swift! Apart from being extremely talented and gorgeous, she has the most beautiful sense of style. She tends to wear outfits that are classic, vintage and feminine and she she always pulls out all of the stops when it comes to her outfits for major events and award shows. My favorite outfits Taylor wears, however, are her every day street style looks.

Hope you guys enjoyed this. See you soon!

xx
Ashley

Best Dressed at The Emmy's 2014

One of my favorite award shows is the Emmy's because I watch quite a few TV shows. There were so many beautifully dressed ladies last night and these were my favorites!

Taylor Schilling
Zuhair Murad

January Jones
Prabal Gurung

Octavia Spencer
Tadashi Shoji

Claire Danes
Givenchy Haute Couture

xx
Ashley

7 Non-Touristy Things To Do In: San Francisco

It is no secret that I love to travel! Traveling is probably my favorite thing about living. When ever I am away, I like to immerse myself in the culture as much as possible, and the only way to do that is to step away from the "tourist traps." Now you obviously have to see the classic things in any city you go to, but when it comes to the rest of the days you spend in a place, try and experience the alternative!

The first place I want to write about is the incredible city of San Francisco, California. I've been going to SF all my life and have certainly found some amazing gems! Hope you enjoy!

1. Katana-Ya

By far my favorite ramen I have ever tried in San Francisco. Katana-Ya is authentic and extremely small. Make sure to get there early because the line can be crazy. But locals have nothing but amazing things to say about it.

2. Four Barrel Coffee

In the Mission neighborhood of SF is the incredible Four Barrel Coffee. Came here for the first time on my last trip and fell in love. The coffee is incredible (they roast all of the beans in house) and the staff is so friendly and willing to help.

3. Wasteland

If you love boutique style shopping and fun original pieces, then Wasteland is definitely the place for you. Endless racks of cool vintages pieces and independent fashion labels fill the store. You can also resell your used clothes there as well.

4. Plow

Probably one of the cutest brunch places in San Francisco. Everybody rants and raves about their amazing pancakes and eggs. It is decorated so rustic and fresh at the same time. It's a must try for breakfast and brunch people.

5. Outerlands

Another amazing breakfast place, Outerlands is rustic and so cozy. The entire restaurant is made out of distressed wood. It's so beautiful and they have the cutest chalkboard drinks menu.

6. Park Life

Park Life is such an amazing independent shop. They have beautiful graphic t-shirts, rad art and design books. It's one of those really fun nicknack shops.

7. Blue Bottle Coffee

This is my favorite Blue Bottle location because it's in the Ferry Building. The Ferry Building has an amazing vibe. Blue Bottle makes incredible lattes.

Hope you guys enjoyed this travel blog post!

xx
Ashley