One of my favorite girls is featured on Daily Candy today.

Daily Candy - Sand and Deliver

www.alexandracassaniti.com

Alexandra Cassaniti moved to the neighborhood last year and took over. All the ladies will be trying to dress like her soon and they sort of can since she's launched her own line. It's an online catalog right now so beg all your favorite boutiques to start carrying her summer themed stuff in time for you to hit the beach. She'll even design you a custom surfboard. (That's Alex in the picture showing off a custom lighting bolt pattern on one of our hometown beaches in Encinitas. That's right. I grew up with an up and coming designer, jealous?).




Available in these LA stores:

CURVE
154 N. Robertson
Los Angeles, 90048
310.360.8008

OPENING CEREMONY
451 N. La Cienega
Los Angeles, 90048
310.652.1120

Labels: design, fashion, shopping

My peeps in the UCLA library sent this on to me today. I think it's one of the best ways to help those affected by the WGA Strike. Anyone who's gone to an industry props & costume sale knows the treasures one might find.


As you may know, a great many people in the film and television industry - especially those "behind the scenes" (grips, techs, designers, etc) - are out of work (and out of an income) due to the ongoing Writer's Strike. To try to counter this effect, the Local 705 Costumer's Guild has set up a "Welfare Fund" to help support it's members who are unable to work during this time.

The 705 is having a HUGE YARD SALE on Saturday, February 9th from 9 a.m. til 2 p.m. The union members will be selling a wide variety of costumes and jewelry (and I'm not talking just the hokey kind of stuff - some awesome, wearable - and often unique - threads & accessories!). Each individual vendor will donate a portion of their sales to the Welfare Fund AND there will be a number of tables full of strictly donated items with 100% of those proceeds going to the Welfare Fund. So do some SHOPPING and help support some of those affected by the WGA strike. Come early to get the grooviest, funkiest and coolest stuff!!


Saturday February 9th, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Local 705 Costumers Union Yard Sale
History for Hire Prop House (a great big parking lot...)
7149 Fair Avenue
North Hollywood, 91605
Just SW of the Sherman Way/Vineland intersection

Labels: local, shopping

Only in L.A. would a flea market call their first weekend outing an opening. Indeed, the folks that bring deal-hunters and trend-makers the Fairfax Flea Market will start another flea market downtown. Every Sunday 9am to 4pm, starting this Sunday, a parking lot gets revitalized. Between Olive and Grand, you'll find the entrance on 8th street. DJs and live bands play throughout the day and typical fair food serves the parched. Admission is only $2. Kids and Seniors are free. A Farmer's Market will also be a part of the usual vendors but keep your leashed doggies out of the food section or risk the consequences of a health code violation. There's more info and booth pictures up on the website southparkfleamarket.com. I wonder if they staged a publicity shoot for the booth pics. How L.A.

Sundays - rain or shine
South Park Flea Market
8th & Grand Parking Lot
Downtown, 90014

Labels: events, food, shopping

Those who know me know I like things - but I am not a material girl - even though my closet says different. I often give in to the fleeting happiness gathered from beautiful clothes, shoes, jewelry and other stuff. These three are on my happy list today:


Atelier Hoodie by Eloise. Available at Anthropologie, just in the stores, not online anymore. Softer than the most expensive terry cloth hoodie and way more flattering. The wide band in the middle hugs the curves in the right spot. The wide bell sleeves and slightly puffed shoulder elevate this to a not-so casual sweatshirt. Plus the crochet details is just right, especially the row on the back, which compliments a lady's lower back just the way we like it. I'm trying out more layering options for this piece because if worn just with jeans the BF thinks I look too much like a Shirley Temple character and calls me good ship lollipop.




Thanks to the eames photostream on flickr I now know the U.S. Post Office will release Eames design stamps later this year. I'm a big fan of commemorative stamps. I'm not a collector, I just really enjoy the trips to the post office when they have a wide selection for you to choose from that doesn't include Christmas imagery or stamps made for weddings. I must plan a Saturday visit to the Eames House in Malibu soon as well as the Eames Office - the gallery/store that's gotta be cooler than the closest DWR.




My inner teenager wants to scribble all over my notebooks I heart Missbehave Magazine. Even though it's New York City centric it's full of sass. Like Jezebel, sometimes the sass needs to be taken like salt in small doses, other days I crave for the foul-mouthed fashionistas in training and say, bring it. I'm indulging in all of their guilty pleasures from ghetto-fab nails to the latest plastic-fantastic accessory. The blog occasionally posts party fliers for the LA area. I'll be checking in often to know which latest trend I'm missing out on.

Labels: design, fashion, shopping

Q: When did the word "provocative" begin to mean "gut-wrenching offensive in your face obnoxious self-glorifying smut"?

A: Right around the time that American Apparel billboard went up above the Echo Park store on Sunset & Alvarado.


For months people are talking about how from the right angle it actually looks like a nearby telephone pole is violating the faceless lady. Yes, it's yet another in Dov Charney's campaign to promote naked hipsters as provocative selling tools. Some people in New York had enough. Someone defaced the same billboard at the Houston Street store to read "Gee, I wonder why women get raped?" Good thing Jezebel shot a picture before American Apparel replaced it with another less provocative ad.


Read American Apparel's retort from a couple months back here. I especially like how they eat up the outrage with a big spoon and call it compliments. That's like calling a Tecate and a cigarette dinner. They belittle the outpsoken complaints from New York by explaining that LA is bored with their ads due to this post from Curbed LA. Exploring the American Apparel Daily Update today I gather sarcasm is not really a part of their "thing".

This is your call Los Angeles. Get up on that billboard and have some fun.

Labels: local, newsworthy, shopping

With the 3-day weekend around the corner I'm making time to get back to an all summer long project - tackling the piece of dirt my landlord calls a lawn.

A little over a year ago my mom, her boyfriend and I made a patio. It was a fairly inexpensive and fairly easy project we completed in one weekend. My landlord even agreed to go half-sies on it with me. Poor renters take note: Always ask when you're going to do some sort of home renovation. You shouldn't expect your landlord to pay for the whole thing but you can usually sway them to help out when you talk about how much you like living there but would love to increase the value in some beautifying way. Be prepared to present a budget and if it's going to create more of an inconvenience for the other tenants than what it's worth.

ReadyMade provides a great how-to article to make a stone paver patio. Leveling the ground with sand is key. I wasn't super concerned as I was just looking for some extra sitting/eating area. We don't get a lot of rain in these parts either, so worrying about puddles forming in front of my door wasn't a concern. Never having to weed again was the objective so we laid a heavy black plastic. Since then I've found damp newspaper also does the trick. When the occasional renegade weed does poke through I opt for boiling hot water or vinegar instead of reaching for icky chemical killers.

My patio care of half my yard problem and provided a great outdoor extension to my free-standing studio. Since then I've fantasized about complete outdoor space to house more guests, more parties, more outdoor time.




When I moved in to my studio I immediately started filling the outdoors with potted plants. The Sunset Nursery is my neighborhood resource. I collect succulents and plumerias. My major concern is that any plant I bring home has to be drought resistant (I'm environmental and I'm lazy!). Both types of plants are easy to care for. They thrive under the LA sun, and remind me of places my family and I visit. The cactus and succulents are for my extended family in Arizona & New Mexico, the plumerias are for Hawaii. I've always kept my plants in pots because I am the non-committal renter ready to move them at any notice.

I've been gathering inspiration little by little to bring continuity to my taste and have come up with a Palm Springs meets Mexican dessert theme. I've been collecting yard sale and swap meet finds. Hopefully by this weekend things will continue to come together.

The biggest hurtle is covering the dirt-yard with something attractive and environment friendly. I do not want to be weeding a garden or mowing a lawn on my off time. I love what Philip Dixon has done with pebbles and concrete.

Labels: design, DIY, shopping

Boy was I excited to get up early on a Sunday, don my Etsy purchases and go out to Felt Club early in hopes of grabbing up a goody bag. Well, me and 500 other Los Angeles crafters had the same idea. By 11:00am - the set time for the doors to open to the pretty little Ukrainian Cultural Center - a line had wrapped around the block. Standing in the hot sun did not look fun.

We all knew it would be packed this year, but the extent of the crowd was intimidating, to say the least. By the time I showed up around 4pm food was sold out, but the crowds had diminished. There was still plenty of merchandise to be had. Charles Phoenix hugged mascot Gluey Gluerson and called the raffle. DJ Lance Rock, never one to disappoint, spinned my favorite poppy re-mixes and I learned that very day he's the new host of possibly the best cartoon show for infants ever, Yo Gabba Gabba.

I was happy to meet Robert from Mahar Drygoods and even happier to learn they had a Mr. Toast affiliation. Mahar Drygoods is a cute online shop that Robert works out of his house in Santa Monica. He aspires to have an actual, versus virtual, storefront one of these days.


I didn't make any major purchases, but was more excited to do a little craft-shopping with as many vendors as possible and sign up on everyone's mailing lists.



This lion t-shirt came home with me from Poketo thanks to their bargain bin. A tip to craft shoppers: always look below their booths for the bargain bin section. Sometimes the cast-offs are more interesting than the "perfect" ones on the tables. The cotton is so soft. I plan to cut off the sleeves and shape the tee into a cosy yet skimpy camisole perfect for layering this summer.



A Happy Bacon magnet by SappyMooseTree now smiles back at me from my fridge. It would have been a crime to leave Felt Club without a creation of felt.

A Lucha Libre stencil kit will encourage me to take up cross-stitching thanks to Handmade Nation who were selling a variety of items for charity.



Fuzzy Balls Apparel had free buttons. My friend and I proudly wore the "I'm Fracking Magical" buttons for the rest of the day. She supports the Battlestar Galactica reference while I post-modernly adore Veronica Mars re-referencing "Frack" in one of her better episodes. Their temporary tattoos were a nice give-away as well.



Fomato stole my heart first with their graphic ghost prints and then with their witty birthday cards. Who wouldn't want a birthday card that reads "I'm celebrating your birthday by going to a dive bar in hopes to go home with a stranger"? There are also informative birthday cards on drinking tea.

I'm still on the lookout for the perfect frilly apron. It's gotta have at least four ruffles and tons of brick-a-brack. I'm probably gonna get crafty and make one.

There were lots of options to solve the small wallet that only holds the vital credit cards, ID, cash & change problem, but not one that was absolutely perfect. The DEVO inspired plastic one from Poketo came close. You can buy it here.



The auditorium lacked good AC or ventilation and word is the Craft Fair will move outdoors in November for their Holiday Expo. They're trying for the LACC courtyard.

Here's the thank you email letter from Felt Club maven Jenny Ryan:

Hello All,

This is just a quick e-mail to thank you all for coming out in droves for today's Felt Club: XL Summer Event. We all had an absolute blast!! Believe me when I say that as great as the press we got was, we still had no idea the crowds were going to end up being so enormous. Clearly we have outgrown our venue! Please know that we are aware of the situation and are hard at work coming up with new and better ways to bring you Felt Club fun in the future.

For everyone who has been asking, we are indeed doing a holiday show on November 18, and rest assured that the venue we're using for that show is MUCH larger, very well ventilated, and just downright fabulous. We'll be able to share more specifics with you on that soon, so please stay tuned! We think you'll be very pleased.

Many, many thanks so all of you who braved the crowds and heat to come support the super-crafty L.A. scene. Heartfelt apologies to those of you who couldn't take it, and we thank you so much for supporting us as we sort out our growing pains in order to continue bringing you the very best handmade awesomeness California has to offer. We're extremely grateful for your interest in what we're doing, you're the best!!

Sincerely,
Jenny Ryan
Felt Club

Labels: design, DIY, fashion, shopping

Kristen Fairgrieve makes up the Girly and Christine Vasquez brings the Surly to their unique cosmetic line Surly Girly. Until July 31st they're offering an unbelievable sale. All online orders are $10 each and shipping is free. A friend of mine swears by their lipstick's deep colors and staying power, and especially likes Darkest Sin. I'm loving the pink and black travel bags that can carry your little purchases. Easy application and accessibility are on these ladies minds and so they take into account that the entire line of lip glosses, eye shadows, and liners can coordinate together as well as bring out a girl's cute punky attitude. The website doesn't reflect the prices by feel free to order up and the discount will be taken into account at checkout.

Labels: shopping, www.internet.com

Just today I discovered a new favorite blog: REFERENCE LIBRARY aka Andy's Blog. Andy likes to do what I like to do. We both scour the Internet for interesting vintage items, covet antique school furniture and modern toys, and get outbid on eBay all the time. Andy doesn't provide a lot of explanation but I'm still just as inspired by all this cool stuff as I would if each item was written up in some glossy magazine.

Labels: design, random, shopping, www.internet.com

A couple years ago my dorkiness reached incredible heights when I saw the Lost Buildings Tour, a live radio show by Ira Glass of This American Life with a slide show by meticulous-is-an-understatement- for-this-comic artist/genius Chris Ware. All of my favorite daydream topics (comics, architecture, antiques, preservation, storytelling) came together in a very touching story of a young man and his mentor's quest to save the original Louis Sullivan buildings of Chicago. Under the golden glow of UCLA's Royce Hall Ira Glass was a maestro in his element as he engineered each sound cue live with a flourish. I assume he does that each week on his radio show. Ware created a companion PowerPoint presentation with detailed drawings of buildings accented by sentimental cartoon characters projected onto a giant vertical screen. This achieved the scale of these buildings and payed homage to the lost art of facade decoration pioneered by architect Louis Sullivan. I became a KPCC Public Radio donor that year just to get a copy of the slide show on DVD, designed by Chris Ware.

Now on This American Life's online store you can purchase the Lost Buildings DVD as well as some of the most beloved episodes of the radio show on CD with covers designed by Ware. They're all quite lovely and a must for any Ware collector. I especially like the The Secret Decoder Program from 2000, where a group of radio serials have secret messages encoded at the end of each story. They'll bring out the dork in all of us in that lovable Ralphie Parker sort of way. If you got that movie reference you deserve a decoder ring of your very own, you geek.

Labels: design, shopping

There's a brand new design co. in town (Mar Vista to be exact). Tiny Face Design is the brain child of recent architecture school grad Katy Regnier. Katy, being from the school of DIY design and craftiness will take any of your photos and with the help of a computer turn them into a pleasing illustration.

That's her and her hubbie gracing the company's t-shirt. She designed their wedding party's souvenirs - his & her brides and groomsmen t-shirts with cartoons of each of the wedding party's faces.

T-shirts are a popular place for your new little piece of art, but Tiny Face can put your design on just about anything. And don't stop at family photos. Pets and custom art pieces can be commissioned as well. Due to the time and creative effort Katy's fee stays at $15 per face. And the more photos you submit the better to give her the essence of each person's (or dog's) personality, expressions, or quirks necessary for the finest illustration. Although, keep the photo choice to just one pose. She'll do some consulting but having exactly what you want reproduced is the most helpful. After the process Tiny Face will host a mini store on customink.com. And then your beloved's face can grace everything from ringer tees to baby onesies.

Labels: design, DIY, shopping

Thanks to technofile blog Gizmodo for pointing out a Dealzmodo (their word, not mine. I swear.)

When you buy 3 $15 iTunes gift cards at any Best Buy, you get a fourth one for free. So that's $60 worth of music and videos for $45. And yes, after sales tax the numbers dwindle a lil more, but not too shabby - especially if you have purchase-itis and need to own every second of Lost on your iPod.

Not sure how long the deal lasts (those tricky Best Buyers) but you can skip the ordeal of stepping foot into the big box store and order your cards online. Just in time to pass on the love this Passover & Easter.

Labels: freebies, shopping

Local gallery and purveyor of all things hipster-y, Ghetto Gloss hosts another Kraftworks flea market on Sunday. If you were a fool like me and dragged yourself over there too late in the day last weekend and realized all the vendors were gone well, now's our round two.

From 11am -5pm local artisans hawk their homemade wares in the Ghetto Gloss parking lot along with hot dogs and cocktails. There will even be a linoleum print blocking workshop for the crafty at 12noon. They're calling it a New York City style flea market. Being a patron of both coasts, I'm not sure how NYC flea markets differ greatly from LA ones. Is it the hot dogs? Is this an obtuse April fool's joke? Better go find out.

Sunday, Apr. 1 11:00am - 5:00pm
Kraftworks Flea Market
Ghetto Gloss
2380 Glendale Blvd.
Silverlake

Labels: art, DIY, events, shopping

I didn't pick up the March issue of Los Angeles Magazine because Christina Ricci was on the cover. I had to have it because of the 25 easy tips they detail on how to live more environmentally aware. I agree, living green should be more than a trend. We all need to examine and make changes in our daily routine in order to conserve the precious resources we have. Mainly that just means treating resources preciously. The drought scare and rolling blackouts got Angelenos off their complacent couches but really it's all in the prevention and setting an example can sometimes be the most effective. The office nags getting everyone to recycle was just the start. I'd like to share and elaborate on some of LA magazine's 25 Ways to Go Green Without Going Insane.

#1. Tune Out, Turn Off
Your electrical devices are still on even when they're in standby - in fact, that's the definition of standby. So until you unplug it from the wall, your microwave, computer, TV set, are all sucking off the power grid. Get in the habit of using power surge protectors with the on/off switch. Every time you're going to be away from your house for a while you can just turn off the switch. Your power bill will thank you - especially crucial to you penny pinchers since LA DWP just raised all their rates.

#2. Clean Kindly
Traditional dry cleaning methods are heinous. The chemicals used to treat your delicate suits and treasured blouses are carcinogenic. That means poison in the air, on your clothes/skin and on the hands of the people who treat it for you. California has already pledged to phase out those chemicals by 2023 but there are alternative methods all around town. The South Coast Air Quality Management District lists a bunch of cleaners who have already adopted nontoxic liquids. I've also gotten into the habit of searching advice websites like About.com on alternative cleaning methods. I found out washing silk by hand in a little bit of water and biodegradable soap is actually better for the material. This goes the same for natural fabrics that require delicate care like wools and cottons. Consult the fabric's labels before tossing everything off at your dry cleaners.

Ask.com and websites of the like also feature alternative uses for all kinds of nasty household cleaning products. Baking soda and vinegar top the list of a natural non-toxic clean all solution. A good rule of thumb is that if the odor of the cleaning product is too strong, or the label has a long list of warnings and side effects, you don't want it in your house and your air. Find something gentle.

#3. Plant a Tree.
Simple. If every American family planted a single tree the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere would be reduced by a billion pounds a year. We'd also save $234 billion in environmental and health care costs. Thanks to Tree People and LA's Plant A Million Trees program, you can request a free tree from the city. Just email milliontrees@hbteam.com.
Also be aware when someone wants to remove trees. We can even out the carbon footprint by keeping the ones we already have. Tree People can help you with advocacy plans when new building developments pop up and tress come down.

#4. Bypass the Trash.
More free stuff from the city? No way. But it's true. Most communities offer free classes and resources for composting. The City of LA Bureau of Sanitation gives composting workshops and discounted compost bins to take home with you. The next class is April 28 at Griffith Park.

Anyone with a garden would be foolish not to compost. In less than a year you'll have all the nutrient rich soil you'll need not to mention you can reuse the seeds from your own crops. You'll never be wasting a trip to Home Depot ever again.

#5. Save Water
LA is a semiarid desert. Do not let the coastline fool you. The biggest way to save water in your house (besides turning off the faucet and fixing all leaks) is flushing your toilet. Or not flushing. The editor of treehugger.com employs the if it's yellow let it mellow method. That's the cheapest habit to pick up - or invest in a low-flow toilet. Low-flow means 1.6 gallons or less a flush. A standard top-loader can use up to 9 gallons per cubic foot per flush. That's like the equivalent to letting the hose run wild on the sidewalk for 15 minutes. Low-flow toilets are a standard choice now in most hardware stores and showrooms.

Skipping ahead...

#10 Waste Not.
Filling your recycling bins with plastic bottles is just plain silly. You may think, but I'm recycling, when in actuality your water bottle habit takes up valuable sorting time at the recycling plant and often ends up in landfills anyway. Re-fill as often as possible. Plastic breaks down after a while escpeically when in the sun or in the fridge so you may want to purchase a glass or aluminum bottle. Get a couple from a local camping store. You can keep one in your car, one at your office, and one in your kitchen if you're concerned you'll lose it or not use it.

Another recycle bin clogger is paper, paper, and more paper. Make a resolution right now to make less trash. Buying pre-packages food is a waste. Look for food that doesn't need a bag, a tray or a box to keep it fresh. Trader Joe's cloth bags are great for carrying your groceries if you don't already re-use their paper ones. Their plastic wrapped vegetables are not so great.

If Junk mail seems to take up the bulk of your bin you can request to be removed from mailing lists by contacting the Direct Marketers Association. They have a simple online form but do require a $1 processing fee. Removing yourself can cut back on those pesky telemarketing calls too.

#13. Return to The Natives
One of the best things about living in California is the abundance of native plants. They're as hearty as they are pretty. Planting non-native species just require more water, more time, so more precious resources. I've never met a SoCal landscaper who doesn't offer a low-maintenance native plant garden. Most garden blogs, like Domino Mag's Germanatrix, offer great tips.
FYI: most palm tress are not native to LA but a lot of succulents are. Go to the cactus section first in your garden store before looking at those non-drought resistant expensive flowers.

#17 Clean Your Wheels
Can't clean commute quite yet? I feel your pain. Maintaining your car, hopefully it's a lightweight low emissions/high gas mileage model already, is the next best thing. If your car is not running at its most efficient 'cuz you've got too much junk in the trunk or your tires are low, you're crippling yourself. Your air filter should always be clean too and regular tune ups must happen as often as your oil changes.

#20 Heat Less Water
Contrary to what your grandmother might have told you, hot water does not get you and your clothes cleaner. Detergents kill the germs. So washing your clothes on the cold cycle is not a bad thing. Ridiculously hot showers also do not provide the health benefits past generations preached. Hot water on cold skin actually dries you out faster. Get yourself a good loofah some eco-friendly lotion and learn to love the warm bath. Hot is not necessary and in fact the most wasteful aspect of your already wasteful home water heater. Concerned about your roommates or apartment sharers? Just turn down the water heater a notch at a time. In a while you (and your neighbors) will never know the difference until you get your next power bill.

LA Mag also suggests maximizing the water heater's efficiency with an insulating jacket. Or just toss the thing for a tankless system. The Gas Company will even give you a rebate if your water tank is more than 10 years old. If it is, you better toss it anyway. The old models are just energy suckers.

For all 25 tips pick up the Los Angeles Magazine before it leaves the newsstand (you can spot it 'cuz Christina Ricci is on the cover) or check out any of the environment friendly sites listed above. The green trend has been out there, now we have to be discerning and spot the best use of our resources.

Labels: environmental, newsworthy, shopping

Naco (rhymes with taco) is the new phase of cool in Mexico and, not to mention, a clothing company. Traditionally "Naco" was Spanish slang for "Tacky" but just like Mr. T gold chains and mullets, what was once hideous is now ridiculously hip. Ok. Maybe not mullets.

Like those lovable redneck lists I give you the tell-tale signs of those possessing a certain Naco (courtesy of today's LA Times article).

I. If you install neon lights around your license plate, you're naco.
II. If you install blacklights under your Acura, you're naco.
III. If you listen to Kiss while wearing a Kiss Army t-shirt, you're naco.
IV. If you wear more than once designer nameplate jewelry at once (Chanel earrings, Versace belt, Dior sunglasses, Voiuton necklace, etc.) you're naco.
V. If you wear sunglasses at night, you're naco.
VI. If you quote Quiet Riot lyrics or can be caught humming at any given moment a Def Leppard song, you're naco.
VII. If you think polyester is formal wear, you're naco.

I could go on all day. The point is, Naco clothing has been around in Mexico City since 1998 but still deserves the accolades for their celver sloganing and constant challenges to the dominant paradigm. Their website hosts some fun facts to get into the world of "Naco" and has choice music picks from the designers themsleves. Thanks to them you can proudly sport a t-shirt that says "Se Habla Espanol" or "Los Ricos Tambien Roban" (The Rich also Rob). As well as "N is for Naco" along with "W is for wetback" and "G is for greencard". Re-inventing a once derogatory word and now celebrating it in good-natured fun is what Naco's all about. Diego Luna, Juanes, and those tough kids in the San Fernando Valley are already fans. Why aren't you?

Naco clothing can be found at:
Aztlan Gallery (various SoCal locations)
Latin Lingo Clothing (Burbank and Northridge)
Bent (S. Pasadena)
Olverta's Village (Downtown)
*Myspace Sale*

Labels: fashion, newsworthy, shopping

Once upon a time I moved to Los Angeles without a care in the world and no idea where anything was. Thank goodness for Citysearch to point the direction to a lunchtime bite or a dingy dance club. But which site would I turn to for dentist suggestions, bikini wax confessions, or really how long you had to wait in line to get into The Short Stop and is it worth it? So thank you, thank you Yelp.com - one of many new sites based on reader reviews. Also, reader submitted pictures give you an idea really what somewhere looks like when often a restaurant's webpage can make a mini-mall corner spot look like the Bellagio, and quite possibly just as tacky. You still have to read between the lines to really get the scoop on one Pinkberry versus another, for example. But so many new reviews are added each day - more than I can say for the cobwebs hanging on Citysearch.

The biggest discovery today: Tiki Ti has a calendar. Here I was thinking my favorite summertime bar kept the regular hours of half past whenever we feel like it to time to get the hell outta my bar. Well, the later time I guess is still true. Their website also has a pretty amusing gallery of the regulars - People to think about next time you see the drones of westsiders lining up outside on some weekend waiting to get in.

Labels: bars, reviews, shopping, www.internet.com

Do you have a special occasion in your office and the basic cake and candles just isn't cutting it anymore? Have you jumped on the cookie bandwagon yet? If not, you and your sugar-fiending co-workers are missing out.
Newly formed Sweet Cheeks Cookies offers dozens and dozens of unique recipes and will make you a made-to-order box and deliver to your next cookie craving crisis. Just contact owner/baker Courtney Cowan to work out all the details.
Each dozen comes packaged beautifully in a white box tied up with a pink satin bow. Priced at just $22.95 a dozen, Sweet Cheeks Cookies is a perfect solution for birthdays, Valentine's Day and just because.
Order by email: info@sweetcheekscookies.com
or phone: (310) 360-1074.

Labels: local, reviews, shopping

I can't remember a time when I wasn't fascinated with pinhole photography. Anyone who has taken a photo class knows the wonder of ultra long exposures. Some of the first cameras were actually dark chambers (Camera Obscuras) with one hole to let the light in, thus casting a real perspective of an image. Duh, you might be saying, but what you may not know is you can make a pinhole camera from practically any light safe object. A step by step guide courtesy of ikea hacker takes some wooden plant holders and develops these beauties:

Even more impressive and inspiring is Ralph Howell's pinhole kitchen, which contains 46 individual pinhole cameras made out of pretty much any common household item and food. Link to the video from EGG The Arts show, originally aired on PBS in 2000.

I love this thorough how-to guide from Fecal Face. And I love that he calls himself Capt. Awesome and decorates the camera with stickers.


My next step is to find someone with ample access to a darkroom. Any takers for a pinhole camera collaboration? I might buy the paper model from Dirkon.

Labels: art, DIY, shopping

For all you shopaholics who have discovered the wonders of Lush, I happened to be in the Santa Monica shop during my lunch break today to find out they are having one sweet promotion. If you don't know, Lush makes a whole line of bath products, like soaps, shampoos, perfumes, lotions all out of 100% natural materials. Their concoctions are unique and all have a trademark musky sweet smell. Most products are also vegan friendly.
Since the products are all natural they do have a shelf life. So instead of tossing the bath bomb out with the bath water Lush is giving away their winter stock for free. Okay, you've gotta spend at least $35 pre-tax in one of their stores, but then you can pick any item in the store for free. It's not one of these coupons for "any item of equal or lesser value" nope - it's actually ANY item. Go nuts. I did this afternoon where creamy conditioner, a coffee flavored lip balm, and lemony cuticle butter set me back $37 and then I picked up a $15 tea tree toner completely guilt-free.

Promotion lasts 'til Jan. 21.

Lush locations in Los Angeles:

Beverly Hills 312 N. Beverly Drive 90210 (310) 271-0880	Los Angeles Universal City Walk 91608 (818) 487-9800
Pasadena 24 E. Colorado Blvd 91105 (626) 792-0901	Santa Monica 1404 Third Street Promenade 90401 (310) 255-0030

Labels: shopping

Just as many craft bloggers inspire each other, I too have been inspired by Ann Wood, an artist out of Brooklyn. She did the paintings for one of my more favorite recent films, Junebug. She also makes a lot of beautiful little things like paper mache ships and vintage fabric birds. She also recently completed the task of creating 100 horses. Each day she sat down and made at at least one out of cardboard, buttons and scraps. She opened up some odd creative channels and even named each one. I experienced the same joy when making my Christmas cards this year, promising myself that like a snowflake, no two would be exactly alike. I've compiled a list of each of her horses' precious names.

The first 11 didn't have names.
12. Betty
13. Giselle
14. Dell
15. Darger
16. Finn
17. Jek
18. Nola
19. Nell
20. Lincoln
21. Betsy (daughter of Betty)
22. Lorraine
23. Patrice
24. Folly
25. Picnic
26. Apple
27. Bitty (daughter of Apple and Picnic)
28. Paddy
29. Poor Walter
30. Mangus
31. Roulette
32. Roca
33. Cormac
34. Forest
35. Michal
36. Parham
37. Willa
38. Elise
39. Jane
40. Baby
41. Telly
42. Adrianne
43. Alice
44. Lawrence
45. Colin (son of Mills)
46. Doe
47. Ada
48. Clark
49. Lewis
50. Becky
51. Roman
52. Walton
53. Ford
54. Otto
55. Beckett
56. Eva
57. Elliot
58. Montgomery
59. Kos
60. Melchior
61. Antonia
62. Wheeler
63. Orn
64. Hudson
65. Elaine
66. Amundsen
67. Roan
68. Lafayette
69. Madison
70. Billy
71. Winston
72. Meg
73. Christopher
74. Pilot
75. Jefferson
76. Poppea
78. Owen
79. Chase
80. Belin
81. Spaulding
82. Salem
83. Charne
84. Sabine
85. Jasper
86. Zal
87. Raymie
88. Folsom
89. Perce
90. Perminder
91. Topal
92. Albert
93. Pelham
94. Dorrit
95. Nevins
96. Pinkerton
97. Sackett
98. Gem
99. Rand
100. Quilty

You can buy her wares in her online store or bid on her ships in the craft auction to benefit the family of James Kim.

Labels: art, DIY, shopping

American Apparel founder Dov Charney is $350 million richer today thanks to the completion of his company's sale to Endeavor Acquisitions Corporation (a smallish investment firm). Charney will still be CEO of the friendly-sweat-shop, moustache-sleazin', panty-flauntin' company. But I guess the extra cash will leave him more time to flirt with barely legal employees and return to his first love: crotch photography.
According to NPR this morning, AA will still operate out of its one LA warehouse with no plans to expand and export labor. Right now they still pride themselves on paying their mainly immigrant staff twice the minimum wage. The staff can now also boast new Endeavor stock options.
Ho ho ho.


Buy an American Appalling 2007 calendar at Bingo's Craft Emporium, a lil' holiday boutique at 2201 Sunset Blvd. two doors down from Casbah Cafe.

Labels: newsworthy, shopping

Felt Club's craft fair last weekend was so much fun, I can't wait for another one. Fortunately, this Saturday is Bazaar Bizarre. Another alternative to the crafting and gifting world, there'll be plenty of unique handmade goods and even a clothes swap. Just bring a bag of clothes and $10 to exchange for as much as you can carry. Finally, that bag of stuff I couldn't sell at my yard sale will find a home and I can get all new junk.

Bazaar Bizarre & Swap O Rama Rama
Saturday, Dec. 16
11:00am - 7:00pm
Shrine Auditorium Expo Center
700 West 32nd Street
$2 at the door

Labels: design, DIY, events, shopping

Felt Club's XL HOLIDAY this Saturday, Dec. 9 12:00-7:00pm. Handmade and crafty gifts fill the Ukranian cultural center for one whole day of fun. Support your local crafters. Enjoy plenty of vegetarian snacks, guest DJs and the editors from Make: and Craft: magazines will be there as well. Over 70 designers hawk their wares and mingle. First 250 in the door get swag bags. List of vendors and pictures of goodies in store for you here.

Felt Club presents XL Holiday Craft Fair
Saturday, Dec. 9 12-7:00pm
Ukranian Cultural Center
4315 Melrose (@ Heliotrope)
Parking lot on Vermont between Melrose & Monroe

Labels: design, DIY, events, shopping

I can't believe 5 days have gone by with no updates in sight. I'm as disappointed in myself as you must be. It just means I have work to do and graduate school to contemplate.

Dear friends of Libby's Vintage Home & Garden, I heard some sad news today. Owner Libby Simon will be closing shop and moving out of her beyond adorable store to pursue her art and landscaping career. By the end of the month, no more succulent displays, no more vintage hankies, no more antique lawn ornaments in Silver Lake. A frequent stop on my weekend stroll around Sunset Blvd. I will miss Libby's. To cheer us up she's having a holiday sale till the end of the month before she vacates. Vintage Christmas postcards make the best snail mail holiday items. Ornaments and handmade goodies abound there too. Libby will throw a holiday party for her friends and faithful shoppers this Friday night.

Libby's Vintage Home & Garden
3821 W. Sunset Blvd.
Silver Lake
323.663.2600

Holiday Reception Friday, Dec. 9
6:00 - 10:00pm

Labels: local, newsworthy, shopping

Let the gift guide officially begin. As the holiday season clutches it's grinch-like grip upon us I'll be highlighting some toys for good girls & boys in the form of local and indie designers. First up, for the Star Wars fan with wit:

Oddica t-shirts have these sweet designs as well as dozens others. Done up by local designers on American Apparel shirts and hoodies they often employ vintage screen printing methods. And the price is right at $15 for t-shirt and $38 for a hoodie.

Oddica has a unique profit-sharing model for the artists, so you won't see any screenprinters getting ripped off and exploited to Hot Topic. Along with Thinkspace, they're holding a gallery of the shirts this weekend. See the designs up close and personal or buy online.

"Cotton To Canvas" special 2-night only event showcasing the artists of Oddica
Opening Reception: Saturday, Dec. 2nd, 2006 from 7pm until 11pm
Show Runs: through Sunday, Dec. 3rd. Gallery hours 1pm - 6pm

Thinkspace Gallery
4210 Santa Monica Blvd.
Silver Lake 90029
(323) 913-3375

Labels: design, events, shopping

While I was away on turkey day, visiting family and friends back home in Encinitas, I came across some pleasant surprises in my sleepy home beach towns. It's definately worth a trip down south when the holiday pressure comes on.

Beach Grass Cafe
159 South Highway 101
Solana Beach, CA 92075
858.509.0632
Could not be a more perfect brunch place. The servings are huge but the food is healthy. Something I didn't know: They ranked #7 in the country for the best pancakes by AOL travel. It's no wonder. I had the blue corn pancakes with pineapple. It was like a navajo pineapple upside down cake. So sweet and cripsy you didn't need the butter and syrup. Their turkey hash is a favorite too - nice and spicy and a good combo with a mimosa, served in a large glass.

Grounded
25 East E Street
Encinitas, CA 92024
760.230.1563
The best holiday shopping this year is local shopping. This home & mainly garden shop has the prettiest gifts. They've got all the modern planters I tought I would never find outside of Palm Springs. Last year I was fortunate enough to receive one of their vases made especially for bulbs. The roots can get a little icky, so fill it with pretty pebbles.

Anthropologie
Forum at Carlsbad #4-158
Carlsbad, CA 92009
760.436.9110
Fashion has hit the strip malls. Their sales rack is impressively full with even more discounts being taken at the register (not something I can claim for all of the chain stores). I found the perfect soap dish I will use for collecting jewelry on my desk instead of soap for $4. Not to mention my dream silk dress.

Labels: food, reviews, shopping

Before I get started with the holiday shopping guides, I'd like to offset the large amount of consuming done this time of year by supporting a worthy challenge. The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday because that's the day the major department stores get out of the red due to all the sales on the first official holiday shopping day. What was once the day where you could get that item on little Timmy's list for a bargain has turned into the biggest display of Americans as consumption fanatics. It's been reported that this year the stores will open even earlier, some right at 12:01 am the get the shopping started with a bang. Across the country people will finish stuffing themselves with turkey and stuffing and then head out to the malls to wait in line through the night in order to be the first people through the doors. In past years, people have been trampled on Black Friday, anxiety and heart attacks are not uncommon by shoppers and store staff alike. Adbusters urges us to stop the mass consumption all together. I like a good deal myself and know that Black Friday is not the only day to get it nor is a giant department store the only place to find gifts. So the plan is simple. On November 24 buy nothing. My mom and I have celebrated in the past by sleeping in late, eating thanksgiving leftovers and going for a hike. Other buy nothing supporters across the country are reporting this year to cut up credit cards or dress up as zombies and parade the mall with the legions of mindless shoppers. There are many reasons for joining in. Off-set what may go down as the year global warming really hit. Escape the marketing mind games brought on by commercials and embrace your own holiday vision. Be it a non-stressed day at home with the fam, or a full-on protest assault, the biggest pay-off is to keep the Buy Nothing Day spirit in your heart year round and make responsible purchases if you must purchase at all.

More Info at Adbusters.org

For a great Buy Nothing Day Commercial click here.

Labels: environmental, politics, shopping

No, not the college game - the Flea Market! Every second Sunday of the month the entire perimeter of the Pasadena Rose Bowl becomes a giant flea market. If you are looking for anything particular of the vintage or collectible kind, they've got it here. In fact, they've got dozens and they're willing to haggle. These vendors know their stuff. Everytime I buy something it comes with a story - my version of an authenticity certificate. And if you can't find it, enjoy the walk, the Pasadena sunshine and the frozen lemonade - there are stands everywhere. And then come back next month. It will be there.

Regular $7.00 admission starts at 9:00am. VIP admission goes up before then til 5:00am but it's fun to go towards the end of the day and catch the bargains as vendors start loading their trucks around 3:00pm. You can play the ol' "I'll take that antique vanity off your hands Mister."
Free easy parking.