Autumn

Posted in Beauty, Fashion, Food, Treats by C.

Fall officially joins us tomorrow. Unfortunately, in Los Angeles, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Summer seems not to want to let go in harsh protest from the 100+ degree weather we’ve been enduring for the last few weeks.

The transition from Summer to Fall is always bittersweet for me personally. I’m a California girl through and through. I love summer dresses, warmer temperatures, sunglasses, beaches, iced lattes, shorts, flip-flops, sunlight until 8:00pm, and days when you can roam the city streets without lugging a sweater around. Gratefully, Fall brings equally fond happenings as well: boots, scarves, pumpkin spice lattes (pumpkin everything!), Halloween, Thanksgiving, and a mellow coziness to the air.

While it may take a few more weeks for the weather to catch-up with the calendar, I’ve been making a few special preparations to enjoy the upcoming shift in the climate:

On the make-up front, I recently stumbled upon Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks and found the perfect new warmer tone for Fall. It’s my first time using a cream blush, as opposed to powder, and I’m really enjoying the versatility of it. Color: Milk Chocolate.

{Photo Courtesy: Cupcakes and Cashmere}

Thanks to the great taste always highlighted on fellow blogger Emily Schuman’s addicting Cupcakes and Cashmere site, I’ve found my first new wardrobe splurge for Fall. Sweater: Free People.

I cracked my coffeepot a few days ago while hand-washing it in the sink. It was a very kind second-hand gift for my new apartment, which really bummed me out. The bright side was that I went out and bought a new one earlier this week and didn’t break the bank. This coffee maker is programmable to brew at any time (so I’ve been waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee every morning), is perfect for one person, and the carafe is stainless steel – so there’s no way I can break it in the near future. Here’s to many cups of delicious homemade coffee in celebration of Autumn temperatures.

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall….eventually.

12Sep2012

“Flea-ing” It at the Rose Bowl

Posted in Explore, Fashion, Fun by C.

Location: 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena

In the spirit of my newly discovered obsession with flea markets (read about my first successful experience at the Melrose Trading Post here), we made the trek to the mecca of flea markets over the weekend to the Rose Bowl. Every second Sunday of the month, over 2,500 vendors set-up on the seemingly never-ending Rose Bowl grounds. I’m still in the process of finding artwork, furniture, and unique vintage or second-hand goodies for my new apartment. Let’s be honest here, a nice piece of jewelry for the ol’ jewelry box is never a bad idea either.

{Tickets.}

{Entrance.}

Free parking (yay!) and $8.00 admission (boo!) gets you access past the big gates and into a world filled with old books, necklaces, rings, bracelets, handbags, clothing, art, china, furniture, and random junk from every decade imaginable.

{Jewelry booth.}

{Artwork booth.}

It was a beautiful day to be at the flea market, but is was H.O.T. 101 degree weather swarmed around us as we walked through hundreds and hundreds of booths. Not much shade or a place to sit comfortably didn’t help matters, though the $5.00 fresh squeezed lemonade was a nice treat to sip on. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great experience with lots of interesting treasures, but I will NEVER (and I mean NEVER) go out in that type of heat while trying to shop and look for awesome bargains again! It’s almost pointless because you’re constantly wiping your forehead, thinking about air-conditioning, how far you have to walk back through Hell to get to the car, and still pay attention to all the “flea-ing” you’re supposed to be doing. 🙂

Suffice to say that because the place was so huge and the weather not very kind, it made taking in everything more work than I would’ve liked. I didn’t find anything that grabbed me in a way where I had to have it, but this wouldn’t prevent me from trying again in the near future.

I couldn’t believe that by the time we got back to the car after nearly passing out from heat stroke (not really, but it felt like it) it was only 2 hours later! I’d swear we’d been there at least 4 hours, but walking in the heat sure does tire you out and make the days feel longer. If you’re ever looking to trick yourself into making your weekend seem prolonged, just wander around in 100 degree weather for a few hours!

I’ll definitely give the Rose Bowl another go, but will wait until the weather catches up with the calendar that says summer is supposed to be winding down, and fall joining us in 2 short weeks.

If you’re reading and happened to make your way to the Rose Bowl Flea Market over the weekend, I’d love to hear about your finds. Please feel free to leave me a comment below. At the very least, a comment about how hot it was in Pasadena over the weekend would make me happy because I couldn’t believe how many people were there despite the harsh temperature.

5Sep2012

Girl’s Night Out (in the Shade)

Posted in Cocktails, Explore, Fashion, Food, Fun by C.

Location: 1221 North Valley Drive, Manhattan Beach

Labor Day weekend officially kicked-off with a much-needed girl’s night out! Thanks to my successful girl night in the night before, I was excited and beyond ready to blow off some steam. I’m always up for trying new places and/or hot spots around LA.The night’s venue at a friend’s suggestion: Zinc Lounge at Shade Hotel in Manhattan Beach.

I walked into the well-designed ultra blue lit location, looking forward to catching-up with a new circle of friends of mine. In many ways Zinc didn’t disappoint. The drinks were fabulous, the DJ kept us smiling, and as the night progressed the lounge got darker and the music louder. I didn’t order any food, but some of the other girls did and you couldn’t ask for better presentation. A special highlight? I had my first sub zero martini. It’s a cocktail served in a glass made of ice. I went with the “Honey Money.” Ingredients: ketel one, strawberries, honey syrup, and lemonade. Très sexy!

However, as the night wore on, the DJ lost his touch (and actually played “Sexual Healing” at one point?) and I began to realize that Zinc wouldn’t be somewhere I would frequent very often, but wouldn’t mind meeting a friend for a quick drink or to have dinner. The vibe in Manhattan Beach, as opposed to say, Hollywood, is super relaxed (and I mean relaxed). While many of the ladies brought out the high heels and sexy party dresses, the men looked like they just got back from golfing. Understandably, it was a hotel lounge and Shade caters to a wealthy, older crowd (of which I’m neither). Think “Real Housewives” of (enter any city here). We even had a spotting from a real “Real Housewives” cast member in Adrienne Maloof’s soon to be ex, Dr. Paul Nassif.

Either way, it was a fun night filled with chatting, dancing, and lots of laughter. I even did the running man in heels when the DJ had the audacity to put on “Poison” by Bell, Biv, DeVoe. Hello 1990! It felt great to put on a dress, my favorite purple booties and breakout the more dramatic eyeliner. As always, and regardless of the venue or even the people around you (sun visors, polo shirts and all), it’s about the people you’re with and I couldn’t have asked for better company as we spent a night out in the Shade.

4Sep2012

Girl Night In

Posted in Beauty, Books, Dinner, DIY, Fashion, Film, Food, Fun by C.

The long holiday weekend started off on the right note (if I do say so myself). I spent my Thursday night celebrating with a girl night in. Girl night in? Yes, a girl night in. A night to be home alone and do those things that are completely girly, yet make you feel like a million bucks because you took some time to focus on you. I wanted a night to decompress and prep for the next 4 busy, but fun-filled, days off to come. This included an evening dedicated to a little self-pampering, some relaxation, good food, a glass (or two) of wine, the ultimate “girl night in” flick; followed by some reading while the iPod did its thing filling my humble abode with just the right music. By the time I made it to bed, I had completely reset from the work week and was ready for a very special weekend. Posts to come on all the labor day weekend festivities! Here are some of my tricks to the ultimate girl night in:

{DIY hydrating facial using some of my favorite Dermalogica products.}

{DIY mani/pedi. China Glaze nail polish, color: Sexy Silhouette.}

{Girl night in flick: Sex and the City: The Movie.}

{A glass of my favorite white wine, Moscato.}

{Trader Joes’ BBQ Chicken Pizza. Fresh from the oven and super yummy!}

{Current read: The Cider House Rules by John Irving.}

What are your girl night in tricks? Please feel free to leave me a comment below. I’m always looking for new ideas!

31Aug2012

Effortless Style

Posted in Accessories, DIY, Fashion, Fun by C.

We’ve all had those lazy hair days. You know, the days where you’d rather sleep in for another 20 minutes and just throw your hair back and call it a day? I’ve been having those days lately and while I’m all for ease, I do like to make it look like I still put some effort into something that didn’t require a lot of effort in reality. I’m calling it effortless style.

After wearing my hair back most of the week, I decided to put a different touch to my look by adding a simple brown scarf as a headband. It’s a 2 second trick to spruce up a bun or any pulled back up-do. I put on a pair of chandelier earrings to dress up the look a bit more. I then realized this is also a better way to show off chunkier earrings that would otherwise be hiding under your hair. This gave me further confidence in my excuse to be lazy more relaxed. Win, win! I was ready to go in 5 minutes flat, with 20 more minutes of sleep.

P.S. I got more compliments on my look that day than if I’d gotten up and put those 20 minutes into flat ironing and styling my hair down as I normally do. Needless to say, I’ll be on the lookout for more hair scarves and accessories when I’m out and about. I’m loving this newfound effortless style concept. Enjoy the long weekend!

15Aug2012

In Her Shoes

Posted in Fashion, Shoes by C.

A sweet and unexpected surprise came my way recently. A colleague of mine and I were chit-chatting away and somehow got on the topic of shoes. She looked at me and said, “What size do you wear? I have a pair of gray patent leather pumps that I can’t wear anymore.”

Now, I’m a size 10 (huge feet, I know) by trade, so when she mentioned they were a 9.5 it didn’t stop me one iota when she told me she’d bring them in for me to try on to see if I liked them. Note: I can wear a 9.5 when the shoe is designed slightly too big or they’re cute enough (and free) to deal with a bit of a snug fit!

Say hello to my new gray, patent leather, mary-jane, peep-toe pumps (whew!) What I love about these shoes is that yes, they actually do fit (who-hoo!) and typically, this is a shoe that if I saw sitting on a display, I wouldn’t even consider wearing. When I got home and tried these guys on with a few looks, I was pleased that I actually had something different from the heels that are my closet. Ironically, I’ve been itching for a bit of a tweak to my look and I know these shoes will carry me from the office to any plans I might have after work. A win on all fronts and a lesson learned about being more open with your style! Maybe my tastes are simply changing. A huge thanks to the kind fellow shoe-lover that passed them on rather than let them collect dust in her closet.

8Aug2012

Bagging It

Posted in Fashion, Handbags by C.

Thanks to my blossoming Pinterest addiction, I’ve been able to fantasize about my dream closet stocked full of the latest and greatest on the fashion front. Unfortunately, every time I get excited about a wardrobe themed pin and click the image that takes you back to the original website for purchase, the item is usually already sold out (damn!) or it’s $500.00 (double damn!)

Being a girl on a budget, I was beyond excited when I found Kaela Designs and their California chic handbags while killing some time updating my pin boards.

Cheryl Katch Hobo Bag w/ Acrylic Ring Handle

After some research, I discovered that the bags originate from a small mother-daughter business and all bags are handmade in their San Diego studio. I instantly loved this bag so much I actually paid $12.95 for shipping and I usually refuse to pay such outrageous shipping costs!

The treasure arrived 4 seemingly long days later, well packaged, very well made, and even had a beautiful hand-written note from Rita, one the designers. Talk about classy!

I get compliments every time I stroll the city streets with it on my arm!

6Aug2012

“Flea-ing” It on Melrose

Posted in Explore, Fashion, Fun by C.

Location: 7850 Melrose Avenue

Deets: 9:00am-5:00pm every Sunday, free parking, $2.00 admission

Typically, anything with the word flea in it is usually a turn-off avoided at all costs on my part. Unless it involves a day in the warm sunshine, sipping a fresh squeezed lemonade (with a hint of mint) as you peruse the Melrose Trading Post; one of LA’s most popular flea markets. I spent hours this past Sunday strolling aisles of vintage jewelry, handmade artwork, furniture, handbags, shoes, and clothes galore! Let’s be honest there was some junk too, but I’ve come to love the saying, “another man’s trash is another man’s treasure” since moving into my own apartment a few months ago and needing to fully furnish it. Not looking for anything in particular and flying solo turned out to be best recipe for truly savoring this first experience. It’s like the universe knew exactly what I needed and boy, did I SCORE: a little something for my new place, a little something for my jewelry box, and a little something for my accessories collection. Check it out!