sweet lady jane

Sweet Lady Jane cafe reminds me of tiny cafes in NYC.  You would think no one is inside, but the place has a house full of people sipping tea and enjoying some dessert.  The cafe is located in an odd place around random stores in West L.A., like a hole in the wall with nice decor on the front and inside.  They have some tasty cakes, coffee and tea in decent prices I might add.  Another gem in the city.

black swan

A good film is when it disturbs your thoughts and allows you think about the character living in her own conflicts. I was impressed with Natalie Portman's performance as Nina;  an Oscar contender indeed.  I saw Black Swan at one of my favorite places, the Landmark theatres in west L.A. I must show you the sketches from the talented sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte, who designed all the ballerina costumes and the amazing white dress of Natalie Portman's character Nina, during the scene where she debuts as the new Swan Queen.  Designers should showcase their sketches more often because you can see the beginning to the end of their masterpieces.  Anywhoo, go see Black Swan.

anthropologie mood

One of my favorite stores to peruse when I'm out and about shopping.  Anthropologie is top notch when it comes to store displays and the holiday season is a fave of mine because the trimmings are unique with a vintage flare.  The store's theme this year is cabin chic' and they manage to fit a tree, log cabin and this adorable owl.  I enjoy perusing their website as well and must share with you the outfits: holiday do's.  Here are my favorite looks from the holiday do's:

tree farm outing and bakery stop

hosting at home and cocktail party

magnolia bakery

To be so lucky to live in L.A.  One of my favorite cupcake places from New York makes a new home on 3rd Street in West L.A.  The bakery is huge compared to the original bakery in NYC.  The bakery reminds me of some good times when celebrating my sister's birthday last year.  Here are some nostalgia.

              

My sisters and me at the Financial District and me at Strawberry fields in Central Park.

The Beduya sisters resting after our walks around the park.

At the MOMA: Moi at the courtyard and My sis with Egon Schiele.

The original Magnolia Bakery in the West Village.

The Brooklyn Bridge and the Guggenheim. The Guggenheim is a true gem in the city.

The second time around in the Empire State Building and enjoying the night time view.

Moi and Hello Kitty and Time Square aka Disneyland.

tis the season to be jolly

I rarely get into the holiday season, but this year has got me and everyone in the mood. It must be the cold crisp weather L.A. has been having. I have purchased many lattes to warm up for the past week because it has been uncharacteristically cold.  People are wearing scarfs to warm up, rather than wearing it as a fashion statement.  Now everyone seems to be wearing leather gloves as well to keep their digits warm.  Sometimes it makes me laugh because there are colder parts in the states, but you can't blame L.A. people since we are not used to this type of weather.  Here are my hipstamatic shots around the Farmer's Market at the Grove.  This place will get you in the mood due to the gingerbread house and the massive tree decorated with sparkling lights.  Happy shopping!

black friday

Instead of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, my family ended up having lunch. I ended up doing multiple things since I woke up early and wrote my paper. Conveniently, coffee bean was open and had my holiday drink of the moment, peppermint vanilla latte. I also saw Harry Potter after our Thanksgiving lunch and of course went shopping on Black Friday.  It's starting to be a tradition for my sis and I because we have been going for 2 years straight at the Camarillo Outlet for some shopping.  They had some good deals all across the shopping spectrum.  If I had a living room to furnish, it's a good deal to buy a Sony flat screen 48 inch t.v. for 900 bucks!  Anywhoo, here are a few buys from 1 to 8:

1) Merino wool from J. Crew, 40 bucks

2) Marc Jacobs clutch, 72 dollars. It was mispriced and so I scored it for the low price. This clutch has been at Neimens forever, but in good condition. Who can complain when the original was around 500 dollars.

3) Canvas bag from J. Crew, 5 bucks.

4) Floral button down from J. Crew, 20 bucks.

5) & 7) Colorful thermals from Esprit, 6 bucks

6) Eternity scarf, mixed blend from J. Crew around 20 bucks

8) Striped long sleeve with a gold zipper at the back, J. Crew, 24 bucks.

a hello kitty sunday

In honor of Sanrio's 50th anniversary, they decided to turn the Santa Monica Barker Hanger into a festival of cute dedicated to the characters we have grown to love during the wonder years.  I was excited to partake in this special event because it brings out the little kid in me who collected Sanrio erasers and pencils. I have been receiving Sanrio pencils, erasers and pencil boxes as gifts since I can remember. My mother would pretend they were presents from Santa Claus because at a young age I believed a fat dude with a beard would hand out gifts.  As a tween, I would save my allowance and every Saturday my parents would take us to the mall. The first stop would be the Sanrio store and see what I can buy for 10 bucks. I had to save a ton of moola to even afford a big plush animal. With my lack of resources, I end up buying an eraser or a mechanical pencil to fill up my stamp cards and to receive the little token when you buy something at the store.

My favorite character was Ahiru No Pekkle because my favorite color is blue. I immediately bought anything Ahiru No Pekkle and had a fairly decent size collection.  I felt a whole lot of nostalgia perusing around the extravaganza along with my sistahs.

The festival consisted of games, food trucks, a ferris wheel, smart cars, art and of course some shopping.

Here I am, waiting patiently for some Sanrio collectibles. Seriously, a line to spend money, Priceless.

Tada... The End!
P.S. Check out my flickr account for all my pictures. Especially the art portion. There were lot's of great kitschy art.
Click here!