Eaton Canyon

Went on a crazy (for me) 3 mile hike at Eaton Canyon last weekend and it was actually pretty awesome.  I need to go on more hikes around here, especially when the weather is being so great  like it has been lately.  I know most Californians like the tiny bit of cold "winter" we get here, but I crave the sunshine.

Laurel Hardware

Lauren and I had made plans to hang out last night and when I called her to see where we should go, she suggested this new place- Laurel Hardware.  She was all- "they have reclaimed hardwood floors from Coney Island" and I was all- "I'M IN".  I love pretentious hipster things like reclaimed hardwood floors from Coney Island, or chocolate chip cookies that take 2 days to make, like the ones that I made last weekend.  They were the best cookies ever, recipe here.

So we got there and were greeted by ridiculous beautiful people manning the front desk, asking for reservations.  Uh, we don't have those.  We are more "living in the moment" type people.  So we sat at the bar, which was divine.  Lauren got the yummy mojito type thing on the left, which is notable for the float of 12 year old rum on the top.  I told her she should just drink that part and send back the rest but truthfully the whole drink was stellar.  I got the yummy watermelon type thing on the right, which I loved.  The drinks all had awesome hipster-y names like "The Mule's Apprentice" and "Buzz Buttons".  Love that shit.

This is looking outside, where they have a nice outdoor seating area and after dark the lovely fairy lights in the trees look so inviting.

And this is looking at the bar.

We also got a yummy hatch chile, smoked goat cheese, and sardine pizza which I totally recommend but it was too dark by that time to take a decent pic.  Then we had to run away home because this very nice and decent "East Coast" guy was trying to hit on Lauren but she already got a man.

All in all, it was a lovely evening and I am sure we will return to Laurel Hardware again.

What Is A Weekend?

Good weekend y'all, good weekend.

My friend Polly was in town to sell at the Patchwork Craft Fair (read her recap here) and we got to hang out and have tons of fun together.  We ate yummy chilaquiles & cinnamon-tinged coffee, went shopping, got pedis, watched lots of trashy tv (Duck Dynasty anyone?) and topped it all off with a lot of really inspiring girl talk.  Friends are the best aren't they?

Tabletops of Los Angeles

Lately I have been drawn to taking rather random photos of table tops when going out to eat!

Top photo- Cafe Stella

Middle photo- Wurstkuche

Bottom photo- The Market on Holly

Beachy

Because I grew up next to the ocean, I don't find it interesting.  Shock! Horror!

People can't understand this about me.  Sure, the ocean I grew up by was always cold and gray and rainy, and the one I live by now is sunny and warm.  But it's just not something I think about or look forward to visiting all the time.  Then..... I went on this hike by Point Dume in Malibu and it was just inescapably lovely.  It may have almost changed my mind about the beach.  Just maybe.  I'll think about it.

{all photos taken with iPhone 4S, then ran through Cross Process app}

Hedi Slimane/California Song

 

I finally made it to the Hedi Slimane photography exhibit at MOCA at the Pacific Design Center yesterday and it was so good.  The exhibit focuses on images that he took here in California starting in 2007, but I found the photos to be rather timeless, some look like they could have been taken anywhere between 1960 and now.   

The exhibit is pretty small and won't take you much time, I think I spent 30 minutes there tops, but it's worth checking out.  There are 2 floors, the first is prints of his work, and then on the second floor-the best thing ever- they have a giant cube set up and project his photos onto it.  All the while this cozy ambient music is playing and it's really dark.  It's kind of like being in the most creative womb ever and it makes you just want to move in, cozy into a soft bed and live there forever.  It's fantastic.

 

(Susan Feniger's) STREET

Ate at Street and it was amazing and delicious!

Beverages are very important.

Clockwise from top left: some citrusy/sidecar thing, bacon infused bloody mary, fancy take on a manhattan, and goddess cucumber gin heaven.

To read a much more interesting and comprehensive take on the meal we had there, read my friend Lauren's blog, This Is La La Land!



Getty Villa

I visited the Getty Villa last weekend and ended up obsessed with all the marble they used on the floors and walls.  I was amazed at the feeling of coziness and warmth they could get using color and pattern, all from a material that normally seems so cold and formal.



California Cactus Center

I visited the California Cactus Center in Pasadena the other day and it was mind blowingly awesome.

It was fun seeing things I had never seen before.  Cacti and succulents are such slow growing plants, in direct contrast to the instant gratification I usually prefer.  I'm not sure why I'm drawn to them so much.  I think they represent sun and good weather to me.

If you are in the area you should definitely check it out! 

A Conversation With Adam Scott & Jane Lynch

I know it's hard to tell but that is Adam Scott on the left and Jane Lynch on the right.  Either they are such huge famous stars that they glow and you can't look directly at them, or I have a crappy old iPhone camera that I use to take pictures of things from far away.

I love "conversations", when they take two famous people and make them talk to each other and we all buy tickets to see it.  It's so civilized don't you think?  

I have to admit my big draw for this event was Sir Adam Scott, who was adorable on Party Down and continues to be adorable on Parks & Recreation, but I ended up enjoying the heck out of Jane Lynch too.  Strangely enough, her most popular role to date of Sue Sylvester on Glee is my least favorite thing I have ever seen her do, but that's okay.  Lots of other people like it.  She talked a lot about her book and now I want to read it, it sounds really good.  My favorite part of the evening was when she talked about how her whole life she tried to live by the rules and how mad she gets when others don't.  Tina Fey talks about this too.  Oh ladies, can I ever relate.  That pretty much sums up my life.  Wasted on getting angry about other people not following the rules like I always do.  I recently read an article about the financial structure of Germany in Vanity Fair.  The author took great pains to point out that everyone follows the rules there.  When driving down a crowded freeway, everyone stays in their lane with the slower trucks on the right, no one is trying to constantly change lanes so they can get wherever a little faster and everyone uses their signals.  I swear to you, I almost applied for a visa and started packing my bags.  That sounds like heaven to me!  Do you know what I mean?  Anyway my goal in life is to stop getting so mad about it and learn to let go a little bit.  I think it just takes time and growing older.

PS-  I also got confirmation that the Party Down movie is happening!  To be filmed next summer.  I can't wait!

Design Sponge Party

I went to the Design Sponge book signing party at Anthropologie in Beverly Hills last night.  I was so excited to take lots of pictures and share them all with you... and then-

I had to work all day with lots of unbelievably needy women and was super tired and sarcastic by the time I got to the party.

I was carrying around the beautiful but incredibly heavy Design Sponge book all night so while juggling that with my medium sized clutch and a glass of champagne it made it hard to take pictures.

Said glass of champagne made me not care about taking pictures like, at all.

I was at Anthropologie + I am easily distracted= no good pictures.

Anyway, it was a fun party and it was nice to get dressed up and I got to hang out with my friend Lauren all night.  Grace, the author, was very nice and joked around with us while signing our books.  We spotted some local LA bloggers but were too shy to say hi.  Then we went across the street and drank a bunch of sangria.  Here's a picture of that!  I obviously have my priorities straight.

Tasty Treat

Coolhaus Maker's Mark & peach/oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwich.

Coffee, Tea, Or Me?

I have to admit, I'm not much of a coffee drinker.  I know, shocking.  I mostly just drink it when I meet a friend for coffee.  Usually I go the route of herbal tea and it's always mint.  I'm kind of a creature of habit and I don't try new things that often when it comes to social non-alcoholic drinking.  Which is weird because I am so up for trying new things when it comes to food or restaurants or whatever.  Anyway. 
The other day I was meeting a friend for coffee at Lamill but it was just so early and I could tell the coffee was going to give me a stomachache but I wanted a treat.  I looked over the menu and decided to try the Vanilla Rooibos Milk Tea Latte and it was so so so yummy.  I wanted to drink it every day.  So I got home and researched a few recipes online (it turns out this drink is super popular at Starbucks too, who knew?) and decided to whip up my own delish version that doesn't cost me $5.25 every time I drink it. 

After trying to be fancy and make this more complicated than it needs to be, I found the best way is to take a mug, fill half and half with milk and hot water and a rooibos tea bag and microwave for a minute, then add a dash of vanilla flavored syrup.  Of course it's not quite as magical as the one at Lamill, which I think is made out of baby twin tears and stirred with a glittery unicorn horn, but it tastes quite yummy and makes me happy every morning! 

The Jerk

Remember my list of summer goals?  Well, I finally checked another one off the ol' list.  On Saturday night I went to see the delightful Steve Martin comedy "The Jerk" at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.  Normally I am scared of cemeteries and I think they are creepy but it was really lovely.  I kept looking up at the towering palm trees and feeling the warm night breeze and just being in love with LA. 
One small word of advice though- be sure to plan parking in advance, like buy a parking pass because you are screwed if you don't.  There are thousands of people trying to get into this one place so get there super early, just plan on devoting hours of your life to this thing and being ok with it.  Food and alcohol are allowed so bring a picnic and blanket and settle in for some good times! 

Easy Like Sunday Morning

Rather than going off to work last Sunday like I always do, I had a delicious pre-birthday brunch at the Roosevelt Hotel (aka The Roozy) with Lauren.  We consumed between 40-50 bellinis and the rhubarb compote was off the hook.  There is nothing I love more than fancy meals and pretending I'm rich...sigh.

Also, get the duck confit hash if you go, it was outstanding!

Renegade Craft Fair - Los Angeles

I finally made it to the Renegade Craft Fair this year, and it was excellent!

I was expecting a lot of great stuff and people, but it was even more amazing than I could have predicted.  I just kept walking and walking and looking at beautiful and creative things.  I definitely left feeling inspired.  Here are some of the things I saw, ate, & bought!

There were some great food trucks at the fair but I had to go for the one I had heard so much about- the fried chicken Ludo Truck.  It was flavorful, super crunchy, and I am still craving more today!  Read more about the crazy 3 day process that it takes to make this chicken here.

My first purchase was this amazing bright orange cat/mouse print from Strawberry Luna.

Then I got my very own copy of Vintage Craft Workshop, signed by Cathy of California herself!

I was charmed by this bat illustration by Ryan Berkley.

Sadly, I was in such a rush to get to work that I forgot to take a picture of my dear friend Polly in her booth, selling her wares.  Sad face.  Next year for sure!