Dude. My weekend tho. The past four days have been the best of my year so far. Partly because I caught up on some much needed sleep, but mostly because of the constant good energy from the lovely people around me. So your Guide to LA #1:
FRIDAY NIGHT:
On Thursday, at court, I got a call from my friend Sam – WHO NEVER CALLS ME. So, thinking it was an emergency, I picked up and she was like, “Um do you have a second to chat?” which was followed by, “What are you doing tomorrow night?” And my response was cleaning my apartment, which is so embarrassingly boring for a Friday night. To which she responds, “Do you want to see Adele?” OMG LIKE WHAT I CAN’T EVEN.
Sam is part of the super fan club and, by the grace of all that is good in the world, managed to secure two tickets to the surprise show at the Wiltern. Adele is everything everyone has said. Her voice is unadulterated, perfect, and bold. She has the charisma of a diva with the down to earth quality of your best friend. I cried. Twice.
Chow down at the Commissary for a late dinner:
I could barely walk after Adele. Mostly because of emotional exhaustion and also because my sandal broke. Sustenance was much needed. Jeff, Jaime, Sam and I grabbed the french fries, the deviled eggs, the bok choy and cauliflower tempura
The atrium full of draping greenery and industrial chic vibes felt oh-so-trendy and legit. Of course, Roy Choi’s menu was en pointe, but you really have to check out this spot for the ambiance.
SATURDAY:
My new roommate Becca moved in this weekend and as a welcome present, I made her a bouquet of Protea, Billy Balls, and Freesias. I have to admit that a trip to the flower market may be more often more for me than for my flower arrangement recipient. For a dollar admission fee, I can spend two hours perusing the freshest, prettiest and most unique flowers. It’s therapeutic and beautiful.
After a quick hike with Sophie post-flower market, I hit up my favorite Spin class with Traci Palmer. She played three Beyonce songs. #heaven. I literally shrieked when Beyonce’s Formation came on. Surprisingly, I was the only one to do that. Traci has the best music, but also makes a 45 minute spin class so fun and she pushes you without being militant.
I’ve been looking for a volunteer opportunity close to me and attended an orientation for TTR this weekend. It is a horse stable + garden + mini farm that runs after school programs for at-risk teenage girls and focuses on horseback riding, gardening and cooking. I actually teared up hearing about the sense of community these girls have found with the organization. I am super excited to become a full-fledged volunteer and should be starting in the next week or so.
My favorite couple, Becky and Freddy, hit me up for brunch on Saturday. We hit up my old standby for ghost pepper bloody Marys and breakfast pizzas and planned trips to Mammoth and Coachella. I’m obsessed with them and I really think they should have their own fashion catalog. #stylin.
Words cannot express how much inspiration I draw from Jaimie. Before I wax poetic about how legit she is, I’ll just underline how she gets me to do things that I want to do, but wouldn’t have the wherewithal to follow through with. Indigo dying being one of them. She set up the vats with all the ingredients and I just had to show up with some white cotton t-shirts. Our big reveal is coming, but it was super fun (and surprisingly difficult) for my first dying experience.
Another local discovery by Jaimie and Jeff, we ordered in Fix burgers, medium rare and chowed down on the patio in the golden sunset. The restaurant itself isn’t too welcoming, but the burger is one of the best I’ve had. And dem onion rings. Whoa.
A night stroll around Echo Park
SUNDAY:
Grant and Elisa met me for a V-day coffee in the Arts District and gifted me the sweetest card, “You kick ass and take names all while wearing a stylin’ onesie and some fly boots,” which is so fitting as that was exactly what I wore on our date. Grant and Elisa are my family. I also met Ash, a gorgeous great dane puppy, and asked him to my Valentine. He was into it, I think… his hot owner, not so much.
Shopping at Social Study, Highland Park
This lifestyle boutique is in the vein of Individual Medley (Atwater) and Moorea Seal (Seattle) aka plants, wood, natural fabrics and curated books, so obviously I was hella into it. I immediately walked in and bought a linen dress, which I wore for two days this weekend. The shop owner is a firecracker of humor and artiness. I could have chatted with her all day.
Beer and a book at the Hermosillo
I started and finished Marina Keegan’s The Opposite of Loneliness this weekend. Keegan was a fresh graduate of Yale, when she was tragically killed in a car accident. A prolific writer, her parents published this work posthumously. Keegan has a grace and gravity that far surpasses her age. This collection of fiction and non-fiction is devastatingly beautiful and inspiring. Her dedication to the craft of writing and her nuanced understanding of human characters is totally mind-blowing. I highly recommend this. It’s the type of writing that after every paragraph, you have to take a deep breath, a sip of saison and mull over the depth of it all.
Backyard cocktail party in Silverlake
My friends Mark and Brandon hosted a little get together at their gorgeous little house in Silverlake with a phenomenal view and a cheese plate comforting enough for this single girl’s Valentine’s day. I finished up the night with wine and 50 Shades of Grey (awful!) with my roommate plus our misguided attempt at learning Beyonce choreography and some embarrassing texts to my exes. Whoops.
MONDAY:
My new roommate, Becca, and I started the morning off with Happy Cacao smoothies at Lassens with Sophie, plus a long trip around Echo Park Lake. This is a favorite routine of mine and I was happy to show Becca my Echo Park as well as get to know her more. (Hint: She is hella legit).
Spin + yoga sesh with Sam, who managed to drag me out of the Eastside to the YAS studio in Venice. I needed the detox sesh after a V-day of In N Out, See’s candy and wine. Felt oh so good.
Sushi and Ice Cream on Abbot Kinney
And then of course, we treated ourselves to Salt + Straw (for me) and Blue Bottle New Orleans Cold Brew (for Sam) after a quick sushi lunch. It was my first time having Salt and Straw and it did not disappoint. I had the honey lavender (I’m so predictable) and the Salted Malted Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough complete with a waffle cone. DEE-YAM. I’m salivating just thinking about it.
Because nothing is better than my mom’s Mediterranean food at home (lamb rosemary kebabs and pita) plus falling asleep on the couch with the X-Files on.
As that random girl in Mean Girls basically says, I just want to bake a cake of rainbows and smiles and share it with everyone. xx
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