The Beauty of Fall

Halloween and Fall are my favorite times of the year. I have always been drawn to the spooky…even though I am a scardey cat! Haunted locations, horror movies, falling leaves—I love it all.

Unfortunately, I live in Southern California so I don’t get to experience the New England supernatural, which by the way is my ideal of Halloween/Fall. Here, our leaves don’t really change (in fact we don’t have many trees to even allow for a color change), our history is fairly new, and most people don’t partake in the Halloween spirit. It’s really quite sad.

I especially enjoy reading blogs that allow me to live vicariously through them. My favorite is New England Girl. In addition to being a totally sweet blogger, she has the best stories and awesome pictures to illustrate life on the East Coast. You seriously need to check out this blog.

I also recently came across another cool blog, New England Love. This is another fantastic place to see beautiful Fall colors and photographs of historical locations.

Do any of you know of any New England/East Coast blogs?

I decided since I cannot see Fall in real life yet (I am making it my mission to get to the East Coast next year though!), I would browse the web for some photos. Here are some that I particularly adored:

Please not that none of these images are mine. If any belong to you and you would like me to remove a photo, please let me know and I will do so immediately. Thanks!

P Hits the Sunset Strip

Last night was all about fashion thanks to my gal, Elana of Diary of a Personal Shopper, who invited me to yet another LA fashion event! Instead of a fashion show, we got to mingle with other fashionistas at the opening of P, a new men's and women's fashion boutique situated in a rad 1920s building on Sunset. In addition to clothing, shoes, and accessories, P also features artists at their two-story shop.

Maybe the coolest part of the night? Ten percent of the boutique's opening night proceeds are going to the LA division of Susan G. Komen For the Cure! Nothing better than fashion with a meaning!

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to take any pictures because the place was packed...

After browsing P, we decided to head over to Formosa Cafe for some food. It's a place right by my house that I have been wanting to try forever. It's a place that plays good music like the Foo Fighters, the Killers, and Incubus, has a pretty good food menu, plays sports games (I got to watch the Angels victory over the Yankees! woo hoo!!!), and has an outside upstairs area perfect for cocktails. But the coolest part is the history of the cafe.

Situated across the street from Warner Hollywood Studios, Formosa has been a magnet for celebrities. Back in the day, some of the frequents guests included: James Dean, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Elvis, and maaaaany more. More recently, sights have consisted of Bono, Britney Spears, and Nicolas Cage to name a few.

This history is a 5 minute walk from my apartment and I never knew until last night. I really need to start exploring my surroundings more!

Photo courtesy of: hollywoodmuseum.com

Let's Talk Leather

I need your help readers! I want a leather jacket so bad, yet I cannot seem to find one I like. I tried the usuals, H&M, Forever 21, Nordstrom, but nothin'!

Any advice where I can pick one up? My only three requirements: 1) I want it to be normal length, not short. 2) It can't cost a fortune. 3) I'd prefer if I didn't have to order online.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Photo courtesy of: Stars With a Bang

Cowgirl Heaven Impresses

Last week I had the pleasure of attending Fashion Week at the Palooza. In front of a crowd of 200 fashion lovers, this show displayed the collections of four designers. Houstina Summers, designer of Cowgirl Heaven, stole the show!

When her models strutted their stuff down the runway, the guests went wild with cheer. Described as a Betsy Johnson protege, Summers has a playful, fun style. Colors are abundant and hems are flirty. Upon seeing her collection, you can't help but be filled with cheer.

What blew the crowd away was the end of the show performances. Models paired in twos and threes walked/danced together down the runway for one last look. These ladies had choreographed poses that were like anything else I had ever seen. It was very impressive. The girls totally rocked it!

Here are a few pictures from the show. The clear, nice, top three photos were provided to me. Mine are the darker ones. Notice the choreography in the first picture.

For more information about Houstina Summers and her line, please visit Cowgirl Heaven online.

Photos courtesy of: CGH Management and my camera

Grayson Saige Starfish

About a month ago I was lucky enough to win a giveaway hosted by Monograms and Martinis in Manhattan/Boston. And what was the prize you ask? Grayson Sage starfish! They are so sparkly and adorable!

Check out the pics of these little treasures and the adorable packaging they came in:

Photos courtesy of: my camera

My Time in Bluegrass Country

A few weeks ago I traveled to Kentucky for work. My company puts on events that raise money for cancer, such as walks, runs, and bike rides. I traveled for the latter.

The Ride to Conquer Cancer in Kentucky is a bike ride from Louisville to Lexington and back, about 150 miles total, over two days. Participants who sign up raise funds to be used to fight cancer and it is an incredibly inspirational event. The courageous individuals test their strength and perseverance in the name of finding a cure for cancer.

I was there to help in any way that I could. That translated to me putting up and taking down signage for the route, cleaning up trash, and making sure that the riders’ bikes were parked for the night and checked out to the right riders the next morning. Hard work, but well worth it.

Because I am from California I did have trouble getting enough sleep. When I got to Kentucky I lost three hours. So our 4:45 a.m. wake up calls were like 1:45 a.m. wake up calls for my body’s internal clock. Somehow I kept ticking though and actually handled the lack of sleep pretty well.

I was lucky to have assignments that allowed me to see the beautiful homes and ranches in Kentucky. Everywhere you look there are rolling, bluegrass fields. Horses weren’t as plentiful as I had imagined, but there were certainly equestrian sightings.

The Ride was a success and I am grateful that I was able to experience it in person.

After the event was over, a co-worker and I took advantage of being in a new state and explored the city. I was surprised how small downtown Louisville is. That may be because I am from LA which is so spread apart. You can’t really walk anywhere in LA! It was nice that we were able to walk everywhere we needed to go and figure out the city pretty easily. It was also a nice change of pace to be around such nice people!

Due to a luggage replacement need by my co-worker we ended up traveling outside of downtown Louisville. This required a buss ride—my first public buss ride ever—which wasn’t as scary as I had imagined. We ended up at the Highlands, a neighborhood that has a bohemian vibe and cute shops. Then it was back downtown. I headed over to an old cathedral that has some stunning architecture.

Next it was my biggest sightseeing thrill of the trip, the Louisville Slugger Museum! I love baseball (go Angels!) and have played softball for about 20 years, and still do. In fact, I have my first bat, a Louisville Slugger, under my bed should anyone try to break into my apartment! =)

The tour consisted of a behind-the-scenes look at bat making in action. Did you know that a wooden bat is made in 30 seconds? Pretty cool! Of course at the end of the tour I had to purchase an engraved mini Louisville Slugger with my name engraved on it.

We ended our time in Louisville with a trip to see Col. Sanders a

nd grab a Starbucks before boarding our plane. A plane which was also occupied by Laura Bush, one of her daughters, and a few secret servicemen.

Overall, a great little getaway!

P.S. If you ever go to Louisville and need a hotel to stay in, I recommend Galt House. It is a huge, beautiful hotel located downtown right next to the Ohio River. From my room I could see Indiana across the river…even though I didn’t actually get to visit Indiana.

Photos courtesy of: The Ride to Conquer Cancer and my camera

A Surprise Giveaway?

Nautical by Nature, a fab blog if you weren't already aware, has been hosting giveaway all this week in celebration of Kate's birthday. Today may be the best giveaway ever because it's a surprise. I love that! It's cool to anticipate what you, or someone else may win!

Giveaways from earlier this week were: Anchor tote from Ballard Designs, Lily Pulitzer Beachy Candle, Lighthouse Tote from the Preppy Princess, and a houndstooth set from Three Chickadees.

So you know that this last one is going to be good!


To enter this super-fun giveaway, visit Nautical by Nature.




Photo courtesy of: Nautical by Nature

Fashion Week at the Palooza

As a member of ClosetMouse I was invited to attend Fashion Week at the Palooza this evening. The private showing, held in Santa Monica, will consist of showings by Houstina Summers, Leondra Renee and Rochelle Carino.

It's been a year since the last fashion week I attended (the Gen Art show), so needless to say I am pumped up!

My only concern at this point is what to wear?! From the advice of my personal shopper/blogger friend, Elana of Good Girl Gone Shopping - you never want to be too dressed up, but you do want to fit in.

Be sure to check out my recap of the event sometime this weekend!

Photo courtesy of: CGH Management

Here Piggy Piggy!

I came across this article on MSN today and just had to share. Teacup pigs are apparently all the rage in England right now.

These precious little oinkers measure up anywhere from 12 to 16 inches tall and approximately 65 lbs. Don't you just want to squeeze them?

The cost of a teacup pig: up to $1,100 each.



Photo courtesy of: MSNBC.com

Hillary Duff Makes a TV Comeback

I am a huge Hilary Duff fan! Being in my late teens/early 20s didn't stop me from watching Lizzie McGuire when it was on TV, or buying the movie. And of course, I have her CD.

Those obsessions being disclosed (haha!), I was psyched to see her on Gossip Girl last night. Her sweet girl performance was much like that of her McGuire days. I really hope her role is reoccurring.

On top of just being excited to see the star back on TV, I was happy to see Hilary looking great! She has put some weight back on and looks healthy again. Her teeth were even "normal" so she must have gotten a veneer adjustment. I am so happy with her current appearance.

Did anyone else catch the episode? If so, what did you think?

Photo courtesy of: The Los Angeles Times

Enjoying Los Angeles

After being gone for the better part of September, I am back in LA and loving it! This past weekend I spent time hanging out in the areas that I never visit and generally take for granted. After exploring, I realized that I am lucky to live in such a great city, and I need to take advantage of that!

Friday I headed to Hollywood and Highland for some dinner where I was pleasantly surprised to see Brody Jenner. I was going up the escalator and he was going down. For the brief three seconds that I got to stare at him it was delightful! His skin is so perfect and flawless. In fact, he was pretty...which I am usually not a fan of, but it's working for him!

Saturday consisted of the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. Starbucks and shopping were the main attractions. Following those fixes, it was off to the Santa Monica Pier for Bubba Gumps. Nothing beats enjoying good seafood on the boardwalk with a Malibu view in the distance! (Pictured below, right)

On the way home, driving past The Grove, I spotted Jared Leto! Yummy! I wasn't positive it was him until my mom got excited and confirmed that it was him. Gorgeous eyes!

The weekend was finished off with breakfast at The Griddle on Sunset Blvd. We waited in line for nearly two hours, but it was well worth the wait. The food was great, HUGE proportions, but great.

I am glad I took a step back and enjoyed my surroundings. We get so busy in our daily lives that we're stuck in a boring routine. If you have the opportunity this week, stray away and enjoy yourself!

Photo courtesy of: Big Hollywood