My name is Allison. Welcome to my blog.
Here's a bit about me, if you're curious:
I grew up in the idyllic hills of the San Francisco Bay Area. Though I didn’t realize it at the time, I was spoiled at an early age by the perfect weather, diverse culture, and incredible food of the region. Hoping for somewhere not-too-close but not-too-far-away, I went to college down the coast at UC Santa Cruz. Though the campus nestled in the woods was gorgeous, my love of fashion and design was not easily satisfied in the quaint seaside town (despite my attempts at fashion shoots amongst the Banana Slugs).
I grew up in the idyllic hills of the San Francisco Bay Area. Though I didn’t realize it at the time, I was spoiled at an early age by the perfect weather, diverse culture, and incredible food of the region. Hoping for somewhere not-too-close but not-too-far-away, I went to college down the coast at UC Santa Cruz. Though the campus nestled in the woods was gorgeous, my love of fashion and design was not easily satisfied in the quaint seaside town (despite my attempts at fashion shoots amongst the Banana Slugs).
A semester studying abroad in London convinced me I needed to head to the big city. After graduating with an (extremely useful) degree in American Studies, I moved to New York and enrolled at Parsons to study fashion design. An internship at VPL turned into countless freelance jobs working with up-and-coming designers after graduation. I spent my days running around the garment district sourcing fabrics, making t-shirts, sketching designs, or assisting on photo shoots. The work was fun, the designers were amazing, but the hours were long and the stress levels high.
After five years of cold New York winters, the laid-back Californian in me started thinking that maybe the Bay Area was where I was meant to be all along. Dreams of backyards and abundant avocados convinced my then-boyfriend to make the move with me. We bought a car, packed up our lives, and headed across the country with our little mutt, Dexter.
We settled in North Oakland, got married, and planted a garden. Now I spend my days making things look pretty as a buyer and merchandiser for a boutique in Berkeley. I still travel to New York on buying trips, but I’m happy to just be a visitor. Despite my degree in Fashion Design, I am still not on good terms with the bobbins in my sewing machine. In my spare time, I like to ride my bike, eat Mexican food and hunt for bargains.
I started Kinda Pretty Great as a way to document projects I’m working on and fantastic things I find around the web. I like to keep things fun, fresh and colorful with affordable shopping guides, simple seasonal recipes, and DIY projects that don’t require a degree in engineering. No need for things to be too perfect, it's time to get creative and make the most of what you have. My goal here is to offer small ways to make your day a little more, well... great.
So go on- let your hair down, pour yourself a drink, grab that gold spray paint, and let’s do this.
