Every time I go on vacation or away for business I always have the best intentions of blogging, but somehow it just never happens. This time my excuse is a really good one. After BEA and the luxurious digs that North Light put me up at I moved in with my friends Lisa and Matt to crash on their couch for the rest of my stay. They did not have wireless at their apartment so I just checked email from my Blackberry and blogging never happened. That being the case I have a super long pictorial roundup about the rest of my trip.
We left off after my first day at the book convention which went swimmingly. Saturday was also spent at the book convention giving away free T-shirts, chatting people up about Naughty Secretary Club and more fun. That night my friends Kate and Lisa came to stay with me in my hotel room and we had pizza delivered and watched The Other Boleyn Girl on pay per view. Nothing too exciting, but girl time is always fun and we did things like watch Mike Rowe in his QVC days on You Tube and got a good giggle.
Sunday we awoke and headed out for a long day of shopping. We started with lunch at a yummy Ramen shop. We then shopped at the Giant Robot store right next door where I fondled more books as if I had not just seen enough over the past few days. I had made a short list of shops I wanted to visit while I was in town and our first stop was to Reform School. Lots of cute handcrafted goodness that curled my toes in delight. We shopped up and down the street and I actually ran into an old friend that worked on the first season of Knitty Gritty who I met on a trip out to Los Angeles years ago to visit Vickie. Next stop Show Pony. I’m a bit of a Kime Buzzelli fan (can’t wait for her line of Vans) and need to add her to my list of art I may not be able to live without. I periodically check in with her blog Moldy Doily and heard the legend of her Los Angeles shop. Let’s just say there was a giant pink taxidermy head in the store, so I like to think she and I would get along just fine. I was smitten on all the feathers by Miss K. It was a pleasant surprise that Show Pony was right next door to one of my jewelry making idols Han Cholo. I drooled over the jewelry and thought of what I could pawn to get the Medusa necklace, but opted for a T-shirt instead. After a day of shopping we took Kate home and Lisa, Matt and I had dinner in South Pasadena at a fun little restaurant called Gus’s.
Monday was also to be all about the shopping. Lisa and I headed to Japantown first thing to get an early start. It took us a bit to find the Kinokuniya bookstore, but it was heaven when we finally did. I had been to this store in San Francisco and loaded up so when I heard that there was one in LA I knew I had to stop by. I scored two Petit Pattern Books: Kids & Toys and Pop & Modern. Just fun patterns that I am not sure what I will use them for, but I love them so. I snagged 3 different Japanese fashion magazines including my favorites Fruits and Cutie, Nylon did not make the picture because it is still in my purse from the plane ride home. Last of all I had snagged several issues of the Paris Apartment books last year in San Francisco and loved the pictures so much I was hoping to find more. My wish was granted (just look at that pink kitchen in the picture) and I also found one with pictures of apartments in Stockholm! I managed to spend more money than I did on the rest of the trip on books and magazines that I can not read, but whatever. After books we had a yummy lunch there in Japantown and then had to stop by Pinkberry since I keep reading about it in the tabloids. Believe the hype it was pretty dang yummy. Monday night we had a reunion of sorts with people I used to work with on Stylelicious and Craft Lab. Old directors and productions assistants. It was great to see everyone plus I got to eat at my old standby Gordon Biersch in Burbank.
Tuesday I had to make a pilgrimage to H&M. We don’t have them in Texas so I like to stock up when I stumble upon one. Stock up I did. They have a line with Marimekko right now how could I not. Lisa and I cruised down to Melrose so that I could pop into Slow & Wasteland to check out the vintage ware, but there were no scores to be had. After shopping we dashed off to the Arclight to meet Kate, Stacy and dang another chick who’s name I can not remember to see Sex and the City. It was a cute chick flick and it was fun because it appeared a lot of the ladies in the audience got dressed up for the event.
Wednesday was my last full day in Los Angeles. Lisa had to go back to work so I spent the day on foot walking through South Pasadena. Fine by me there are lots of antique shops and thrift stores. That evening was one of the highlights of my trip. Cathie Fillian and Jenny Ryan threw a Naughty Secretary Grillathon at Cathie’s adorable casa. The food was amazing and there were even party favors (I took a glue gun). I had mentioned wanting to put something together at a bar so I could see all my crafty internet friends and meet new ones while I was in Los Angles and these hostesses with the mostesses took matters into their own hands and threw quite the crafty throw down. Its so fun to finally meet crafty ladies you know from the internet as well as see old friends. Just to name a few of the attendees: Jenny from Felt Club, Craft Magazine & Sew Darn Cute, Cathie and Steve from Creative Juice, Hannah from Made with Love by Hannah, Erica from My Imaginary Boyfriend, Laura from Charcoal Designs, Cathy from Cathy of California, Nicole from the Los Angeles Craft Mafia and Mucha Muchacha Jewelry and Cathie from Bead Brains. Another added bonus, I scored 3 gorgeous necklaces (glass pie from Bead Brains, Deer from Charcoal Designs and Higgins inspired glass by Mucha Muchacha). Man I made out like a bandit. Oh and we all got to pose with Jenny’s neighbors giant pinecone for a new Flickr group called Hot Babes with Gigantic Pinecones.
Thursday I headed home and Chris greeted me at the airport with a car load of doggies. I swear Ella grew in the week I was gone (we had her weighed today 65 pounds). I was so happy to be home. We had Mexican food for dinner, watched the Quiet American and I went to be early and slept until noon. Needless to say I have spent the entire day catching up on email but I am back on blogging track now! See you tomorrow bright and early!
is that a pinecone in your pocket or are you just happy to see me??
sorry couldn’t resist!!! LOL
looks like a fun time was had by all!
WOW, I am so bummed I missed seeing you, and that you didn’t get to come to the big party this past SAT! We fixed up the shop more and all the crafty ladies in echo park made more stuff. I adore that Japanese book store too, and buy a lot of my drawing markers there. Love your blog
xoxo
Barbe they were seriously big pinecones. Scary big almost.
Kim I was hoping you would be at the store so I could introduce myself. Oh well, next time I’m in LA I will stop by again. Too bad I missed the party it looked like fun!