Toms Shoes. Shop with a conscious

So, I recently purchased a pair of green tie dyed Toms shoes. Not because I was in dire need, nor because they are the coolest shoes imaginable, but because the idea of the company is both brilliant and makes me wish I'd thought of the idea in the first place.

The idea is simple, buy a pair of Toms shoes, and The company gives a child in need a pair of Toms shoes. So it's a charitable 2 for 1 purchase. Eat your heart BOGO.

Check out the website and get a pair. Love the tie dye.

Now, if only this idea would catch on. For every $250 pair of True Religion jeans, True Religion will clothe an entire small village in the Amazon.

And the WINNER IS...Greg Long

So, on July 26, 2008 California Surfer Greg Long woke up in South Africa and had this inner monologue:

"You know what Greg, it's a cool, crisp morning, let's do something fun today. Let's go compete in the Red Bull South Africa Big wave Awards."

"Hmm...could be cool, where's the break?"

"Dungeons"

"Oh yeah I love to surf way out in the ocean in the middle of a seal colony and watch the great white shark cage diving boats line up around us!"

"Yeah, seals are cute."

"How big are the waves...around 30 feet?

"Sweet. That's so small, I'll just paddle into it, and hopefully catch some tubes."


Congrats Greg Long for winning the Billabong XXL Ride of the year award. Even though you might be insane.

Check out the nominees and winner here.

Foils, Schmoils. Switch to Balayage

You want hair that looks like this? I mean, do you want pecked-by-the sun, I'm 8 and spent the summer at the beach natural looking highlights that you can go almost 6 months between touch ups and have a mane that slightly resembles that of G.Bundchen?

Save the foils for covering up lasagna, and say bonjour to Balayage.

It's the more artistic, free form style of hair coloring in which a colorist freely paints on the bleach or color, and it's AHHHHH-some.

So next time you call for a color appt. ask the salon if they offer it, try it out and then be prepared to be the next VS Angel. Yeah they all use it too.

Russ Mills = MR. Coolness

I can't imagine another artist's portfolio right now that makes me want to grab all my old canvases, sketchbooks, crayons, paints, and go to town. Sheesh this stuff is amazing.

Awwww yeah. You got to check it out here. Prints also are available.

Check it out then go buy some sharpies and fingerpaints.

Inspiration is AHHHHH-some.

Rodolphe Simeon

For some reason I have a huge place in my heart for the homeless. I don't know why, but I stumbled upon Rodolphe's page on Flickr one day and was absolutely blown away. This guy completely captures the expressions and raw emotions of the people he encounters on the streets.

Check out his Street portfolio and be bown away.

Then go volunteer at the nearest shelter :)

I want to be here --->

Grab your floaties.

My brother pointed this pic out to me back at Christmas, and whenever I look at it, half of me wants to be on the boat/jet ski/flotation device where the photographer was that took the pic, and the other half wants to curl up in a blanket and eat a bunch of cookies for emotional support. Anywho...









The surfer is Kerby Brown, and yeah he suffered an almost fatal wipeout at the end of the ride, but it was all worth it, he won the Oakley-Surfing Life Big Wave award for 2008 and probably won just enough money to cover his insurance premiums to repair his torn up shoulder muscles from the ride.

As for the location: a secret reef southwest of western Australia. So all you boogie boarders and snorkelers out there, here's your new favorite spot.

Simple is pretty cool

This is one of my favorite posters, I need to find a print...badly.



The only thing I would add is that it be a french fry from In -N-Out. Oh yeah, one happy bird.

GMAC- Billabong XXL's

So it's T minus 12 days until I get to go to the Billabong XXL awards. After feeling like I was going to spontaneously combust with sheer horror while staring a measly 13ft wave in the face last winter in Kauai, I seriously can bow down in amazement to the kahones that all of the peeps in this competition, or let alone anyone who rides a wave bigger that 15ft. I am biased to be even more amazed at the people who just paddle into these Tsunami-esque swells.

Here's Garrett McNamara's Sasquatch tube ride that paved the way for an entry this year.

Um. Yeah, serious Kahones.




Yeah, he has an awesome job. Check out more of Tim McKennas photos here

One Nation, wearing Nation Ltd.

So I know wearing a purple shirt with a shark on it that says Little Miss carnivore isn't everyone's cup o'tea. So might I introduce you to the best plain t-shirt brand you can buy in the Milky Way, Nation Ltd. These uber soft shirts, dresses and tanks come in a plethora of colors and cuts. My personal fave's are the rio dress, all the v-necks, and the ex boyfriend t's. They even were considerate of their greatness and made guys shirts. Plus, they have a killer sale section (which is where I got my coveted items. Bargain Pirate, I know.) From the looks of it I could live in their new Ex Boyfriend T for at least 2.27 weeks straight.

Yumm...check out the online store

Puerto Rico

Econmony, shamsmodomy, baalopalopony, labotmoy. If you could pinpoint one positive from the financial state of things, it's the crazy deals that you find left and right, Ahem, might I say travel is definitely one of those. I found this killer deal on Travelzoo's top 20 deals of the week. If you don't subscribe, you are seriously missing out.

Subscribe to the top 20 here

So here's the deal, 4 days including airfare to Puerto Rico: $349 Cha Ching! that's as much as some people I know's bar tabs for one weekend. sad. sad.

Here's the deal

Ahh and to top it all of, a little Rincon surfing doesn't seem too shabby. Warm waaaaaaaaaaterrrrrrrr.

Robert Indiana

One day I'll own a print or even an original. Mr. Indiana didn't know how modern he was. Too bad nowadays we all rely on Adobe to make stuff like this.

Wildfox Couture ...Ka-Boom. Instant coolness.

So about a month ago I went on a fit model casting @ Wildfox Couture. I only tried on a few items but am hooked. Seriously I am a t-shirt connoisseur, a purveyor of cotton poly-blends if I may, and these rock. I am broke, so I can't afford any (unless you click on some of the google ads...hint hint.) If I could rename it, it would be WildIcouldlive inthisstuffforatleasteightteendaysstraightcouture.

Check fo yo'self

The Dune

I'm without a gym right now, so I get to take advantage of 1) all the free week trials gyms give you, I'm on my 4th gym. Boo ya. And 2) sweet, gut wrenching workouts that are free and abundant in Southern California.

So I'm off to what can be if you want it to be, seriously the hardest workout ever. The Manhattan Beach sand dune off of Rosecrans and Bell. I've only seen one person be able to run all the way to the top without stopping, and I swear he was on the Kenya marathon team. A cardiovascular freak. Anyways if you just walk up the 200yd dune, it still gets your lungs pumping. But I'm trying to be a Kenyan, so I go for the running.

Try it out.

Tavarua

So, If I was going to pinpoint a dream vacation, this place pretty much sums it up. It used to be a 50/50 tie between a surf charter in the Maldives, but after seeing pictures and hearing my Boss's stories form this place. Sha-Zam! I mean the South Pacific isn't exactly Florida, anywhere you go is sweet. But this place takes it to the penthouse. You get your own private island from Saturday to Saturday, there's a maximum of 30 people, so yeah, I'll stop. Just check out the website, and make friends with someone who is high up in an action sports company-they all get weeks annually.

Check it out

Check out some seriously sweet photos from this stream on Flickr by Darin Moran. No Cheezy postcard pics, you get a real feel for the island and trip.

Check 'em out on flickr