back from the burn

i'm back from burning man and feeling swaggy af! because gratitude! i have an amazing life and i'm so grateful to live it up and be surrounded by such awesome people! there's not much else to report... 

i played an amazing back to back set with cameron drake at the barechested baristas camp! that was a highlight and i will post our set soon! also, i was finally able to catch a tycho sunrise set (they haven't posted it yet on soundcloud but here's one from last year). to me sunrise is the best time out there and this year i was able to be up for 4! it's worth the sleep debt or the hauling yourself out of bed because... dawn! 

and finally i'm taking my dj skills to the dark room! that's right! this friday i am mixing and teaching my soulcycle class at the same damn time! this will be the first time i'm doing this and the first time an instructor has dj-ed their own class in the bay area! there are a few bikes left so i suggest you grab one here! 

so happy i can wear dope leggings (thank you whitney alix you are a true inspiration) and sequins in the default world! the man burns in 359 days. until then slay honey, slay! :)

also wearing illesteva sunnies and old nike blazers

monday mornin' mangos

"the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." mark twain

yeah, yeah. we get it. summertime in san francisco doesn't really exist. but what does? great summery produce! I use food as a vehicle to remind myself of what I might be missing. In this case, tropical delicacies (in desperate need of a tropical vacay). to make this morning bowl you need:

1 c rolled oats

1 c water

1 c almond milk

1/2 mango

2-3 tbs sliced almonds

2-3 tbs coconut flakes

2 tbs chia seeds

cook oats according to directions on the packaging. sub out half the water for almond milk half way through cooking process (you will notice the oats have soaked up the water. this is when you add the almond milk). 

while the oats are cooking you can cut up the mango. once the oats are done simply top with your ingredients. 

a very simple but delicious way to start your morning! some protein, fiber and carbs to get you going! extra points if you bump some reggae during the process. 

watermelon salad with a kick

i love summer because i love bbqs and i love watermelon! watermelon salad is pretty much my go to for a potluck style bbq. it's easy to make, super delicious and a crowd pleaser. there are literally millions of watermelon salad recipes on the internet. i took the liberty of adding a little more flavor to the traditional watermelon, feta, basil situation. 

preheat the oven to 400 and gather your ingredients. what you need:

2 small watermelons

1 bunch of basil

8 oz of feta in block form 

2 cups of pine nuts

3 jalapeños

2 tbs balsamic vinegar

1 lime 

coat the pine nuts with balsamic vinegar and place in the oven. nuts will roast for about 10-15 minutes. be sure to check them periodically to make sure they don't burn.

while the nuts are in the oven cop up the remaining ingredients to your liking. i think it's super important to buy feta in the block form and chop/crumble it yourself! it's much more flavorful this way... fluffy and moist :) 

take the nuts out of the oven, toss the ingredients together and enjoy! 

bacon bacon breakfast tacos

for those that are unaware bacon bacon has a brick and mortar location in cole valley, my magical little neighborhood. i am obsessed with their breakfast tacos and thought i would share! simple ingredients... eggs, bacon, mashed avocado, pickled red pepper, and hot sauce on two corn tortillas. fast and $3 each! i mean... look at these things

perfect for when you don't have time for a big brunch but still want something delicious. i also love their vietnamese iced coffee. hits the spot. my favorite thing? the perfectly crushed ice they use. it's the details right? #dawning 

she's a boss

nice little 3 track EP coming in from disclosure. who doesn't love songs about ladies being bosses, al green and magic?! 

listen on spotify or purchase on itunes! 

DREAMS OF DAWN AT PUBLIC WORKS

i'm excited to drop some dope beats at public works up in the loft next friday 6/24! tickets are on sale now! you can grab them here. also, be sure to rsvp to the facebook event for the most up to date information (set times etc.). hope to see you there!!!

Crushin' on Chubbies

a few months ago a friend of mine asked if i was available for a photoshoot with chubbies! they were looking for ladies to model their new shorts line for women. i was excited to join the crew and show off my thighs in some chubbies shorts. if you go to the website you can find photos of me here and there with my blue hair!

photo courtesy of Chubbies

photo courtesy of Chubbies

fast forward a few days and chubbies asks me if i want to model their swimsuit. gulp. without hesitation i said yes. was i going to feel comfortable prancing around in a swimsuit in front of a camera all day? no. was it something i needed to do? yes. this is what the movemeant foundation is all about - celebrating and being proud of our bodies. if you haven't heard about movemeant stop reading this and go to their page now! 

i'm not the typical model size. i workout six days a week, eat healthy (for the most part) and my thighs touch... they always will. i have a nice layer of wine and cheese on top of my very strong abs. but this is why it is important to me to model this swimsuit (or any swimsuit really). people need to see real bodies. not photoshopped not altered but just beautiful the way they are. the chubbies photography team made me feel comfortable, beautiful and empowered. statements like "your butt looks great in this suit!" broke the ice as i attempted to get my covergirl on.  

photo courtesy of Chubbies 

next up! videoshoots. they came up with an awesome concept to offer "pants repair" for april fools day. because let's face it, life's too short to wear pants :) 

and then rope swing beer pong. which is as epic as it sounds. we went to the rope swing at bass lake to try out this revolutionary game. check out the video on chubbies facebook page

all in all. the team at chubbies rules. working with them is a dream! great product. great people. #dawning with a bunch of #dawners. what more could you want?

sky's out. thighs out ya'll

LiB

if you are in the mood to have a great time memorial day weekend go to lightning in a bottle! for those that are unfamiliar, lightning in a bottle is a music festival based in bradley, ca. the festival is thrown by the do lab, one of my favorite places to shake it at coachella. this was my first year attending and i will definitely be back! the vibes are right! the art is beautiful. the lines are short (for bathrooms and bars). everyone is camping (a sense of community) and having a great time. what drew me in? the music!

of course jamie xx was my favorite... at one point he remixed drake's one dance and i lost my shit. i made a bad joke "just drop the new drake in your set and everyone will love it". but for real, he was incredible. he took the crowd on a 2+ hour musical journey, mixing vinyl, playing the original songs he's sampled, etc. honestly everyone blew me away minus mr. carmack but i'm not going to get into that... hint: he remixed ultra light beam with a salsa song.

the truth is festivals aren't really about the music. you can have a plan, memorize set times, etc. but you are bound to miss some acts and stumble on artists you've never heard of. i think that's the point! additionally, LiB does a great job of making it about much more than the music. countless workshops, yoga, meditation, etc. you can even go shopping! which brings me to outfits! i love dressing up at festivals because it's an outlet for self expression and creativity. one thing i always make sure of... comfort! recently my friends and i have really gotten into kimonos. they are great to throw on because they are lightweight, you can use them later to sit on or tie around your neck as a scarf. 

i got this kimono on etsy! finding something unique is worth the 30min search! this swimsuit was comfortable, sexy, and cheap. i used tribal markers to paint my legs! they were so easy to use and gave my outfit a nice boost. everyone made fun of my soul patch! i'll try and get better at the face designs ;) 

i purchased this crop top and short set a year or so ago. i also grabbed a fanny pack from forever 21! since we were camping i didn't need to pack a backpack. this made dancing much more enjoyable. i threw on a necklace, some combat boots and more body paint (pretty easy to remove so you can do new designs every day). 

i got my nails done at sparkle in the mission! you can see the dreams of dawn logo on my thumb! 

despite the delicious food i actually lost a few pounds over the weekend from the dancing and hiking (there are hills & stairs). our camping location was sooo far away - i would not recommend rv with hookups. if you're doing the rv thing camp w/o hookups and you will be much closer to the action! the good news was the closest stage to us was my favorite stage - the woogie! woogieing is a thing and i suggest you try it! did i mention you can bring your favorite drink along with you? 

woog vibes ya'll. hope to see you there next year :) 

go dj

me at mighty

recently I've been granted the amazing opportunity of playing some tunes at some local clubs! i pride myself on taking my riders through a musical journey. playlisting is one of the best parts of the job... so mixing is a natural next step! take these mixes with you on your next workout and let me know what you think! 

my public works set can be described as "sassy house". we had a fun time dancing to it. 

at mighty i went for something more mellow... was told to keep it simple. it's a deep dark journey with some sexy vibes... enjoy! 

avocado toast with smoked salmon, tomato and shichimi

pretty simple snack! i like to keep smoked salmon in the fridge as a quick protein fix. it is low in calories but does contain a TON of sodium so be careful. 

what you need for this snack:

1 slice of whole grain bread

1/2 avocado 

2oz salmon 

1 roma tomato

1 tsp shichimi (Japanese 7 spice blend) 

toast the bread and affix with toppings! yum! 

on repeat...

the past couple of weeks i've been rotating through a few albums... Kaytranada's 99.9%, Chance the Rapper's Coloring Book, and The Colour in Anything (as previously mentioned). it typically depends on my mood... if I want to wind things down i'll listen to The Colour in Anything, if I need something uplifting I'll throw on Coloring Book and if I'm looking for good mid-day vibes or driving music I'll give 99.9% a spin. I love how with all these albums you don't need to skip any songs... I appreciate that the most in an album! There's nothing like an artist taking you through a journey start to finish. 

99.9%, favorites include drive me crazy, glowed up, you're the one. 

are you ready, for your blessings, are you ready, for your miracle?

 coloring book, favorites include no problem, blessings, juke jam

The Colour in Anything favorites include timeless, put that away and talk to me, i need a forrest fire

of course i'll still bumping the life of pablo and lemonade! what a great time for music... 

this album is fire! and i needed a forest fire.

i hope you all have been listening to james blake's latest album, the color in anything. i was super excited to hear he was working with frank ocean and hope that collaboration continues to prosper (c'mon frank give us some music)! as a seattle native it's no surprise i love the rainy day vibes and I simply can't get enough of this song. other favorites include put that down and talk to me and timeless! check them out! 

dinner at the coffee shop

if you life in the castro you have probably stumbled on hearth, a cute little coffee shop with amazing croissants! what you might not know is that they offer a prix fixe dinner wednesdays, thursdays, and fridays. 

I teach the 7:30PM class at the castro studio on wednesdays and decided i'd stop in for a little post class fuel with some friends! 

the vibe is quiet, romantic but casual, and candle lit. the music is well curated - tame impala, rhye, aka all the hits. the meal is $29.50 with the option for a $14 wine pairing (duh) and amazing service! 

everything is fresh and delicious! the portions are small but you leave satisfied and not overly full. 

wild arugula salad with cherries, hazelnuts, and pecorino

freshly made amatriciana ravioli in a cacio and pepe sauce 

gianduja tart with cherry gastrique

...it was so good I had to go back the following week! 

fava beans crostini with mascarpone and pecorino cheeses

handmade tagliatelle with crab, time and espelette

triple cream verinne with brown butter streusel

to reserve your table simply email reservations@hearthcoffee.com! tell them paula dawn sent you ;) 

baked eggs with veggies, bacon and avocado

i'm really into baked eggs! it's a fun way to get creative in the kitchen and cook up veggies that need to be used. you will probably see many varieties if you continue to follow along! they are easy to make, delicious and filling!

what you need for this version

2 shallots

3 strips of bacon cut into 1 inch pieces

1 sweet potato

2 zucchini squash

1c spinach

3 eggs

1/2 avocado

preheat the oven to 400 degrees. boil 2 quarts of water with a pinch of salt. chop the zucchini, sweet potato and shallots. place sweet potato in boiling water and heat bacon on a skillet. once enough grease coats the pan add shallots to the bacon.

add chopped zucchini and boiled sweet potato to skillet. add a little bit of water so the shallots don't burn.

next, add the spinach and quickly make three pockets in the skillet for the eggs.

crack the eggs into the pockets

after the eggs have cooked for 2 minutes on the skillet place entire skillet in the oven. the eggs will bake for about 5-7 minutes depending on preference. while the skillet is in the oven clean up and cut the avocado into slices. take the skillet out of the oven and top with salt and pepper and the avocado slices. be sure to have something under the skillet. it will be hot! enjoy!

coffee please

sweat pants. hair tied. chillin with no make-up on... pretty much my uniform! with that said i still try to stay (relatively) cute in my cozys. these sweatpants are sooo comfy and embody my morning character "paula before 10". she's not fully there and could use a little extra boost!

wildfox couture desperate morning sweats

change for the twenty

today, treasury secretary Jacob J. Lew announced Harriet Tubman will be the new face of the $20 bill. this historical moment brought a lot of amazing stories to light. one thing that standed out to me was this quote

every great dream begins with a dreamer. always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.

I've always identified as a dreamer and I hope to share more of my dreams with you. welcome to dreams of dawn!

xoxo

paula dawn