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Culver City, Food, Life, Los Angeles

#MondayFunday in Downtown Los Angeles

Scott and I celebrated two years of dating last Monday. He’s super fun. And super cute. I love him. Anyway! We started the day with brunch at Akasha in Culver City. Scott loves their pour over coffee and breakfast sandwich and I MUST HAVE their cold brew and salmon bagel plate.

After fueling up, we took the Metro downtown. I’m newly obsessed with the train. HOW CONVENIENT! HOW EASY! HOW FUN! I love watching the city pass by while people-watching the Angelenos who hop on and off. Where are you going?! Where did you come from?!

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We ran into a friend fresh off the train, which made us feel really cool and Los Angeles-ish. (Hi Allie!)

We darted around downtown, running around like kids at recess. There is so much to see! I spent a lot of time wishing I had three hands to juggle my camera, iPhone and iced green tea from Sustain Juicery.

After a shortcut through the Los Angeles Public Library, we marveled at the beauty and coolness of Angel’s Flight Railway and the little park next to it that starred in 500 Days of Summer. So ridiculously cool. Downtown is such an oasis. I can imagine the people who work there appreciate being able to walk outside to enjoy the sun, fresh air and peaceful surroundings.

dtla-10dtla-11dtla-12dtla-13dtla-14dtla-15dtla-16dtla-17Our only planned stop for the day was the Museum of Contemporary Art. Andy Warhol’s exhibit “Shadows” runs through February 15, and the other exhibits in the permanent collection are quite interesting to look at as well. Monday was a great day to visit because we nearly had the place to ourselves. If you go (and you should!) take the stairs down to the Learning Lounge. It’s sponsored by Dwell, Hermann Miller and Design Within Reach, and was designed by Christopher C. Deam. Neat neat neat neat.

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After artsy-fartsying around, Scott had the genius plan to walk to City Hall for a view. On the way, I had a happy attack at the site of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. It’s unbelievable.

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When we reached City Hall, we took a gold elevator up to the 27th floor where we were blown away by the amazing views of LA. A touch of vertigo tends to send me spinning when I’m around tall buildings or heights, but the incredible view was worth it. Yowza.

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When we returned to ground level, we passed through Little Tokyo on the way to Wurstküche, where the brauts and brews are drool-worthy. The weather was perfect for sitting on the patio and our feet enjoyed the break.

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After lunch, we wandered into a couple stores next door, Poketo and Apolis. I’m a big fan of both. (I’ll post more about Poketo later this month.) Apolis offered us refreshing iced tea and strong coffee when we stopped in. Thanks guys! Since we were so close to Angel City Brewery, we haaaaaad to visit. Scott and I love the people, board games, Cornhole and of course, beer. Check out their tours Thursdays through Sundays and definitely sign up for their newsletter to get the scoop on all their fun happenings.

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Photo by Scott Rowan

We hopped the train back to Culver City and ended our day of adventure at A-Frame. It was exactly what I wanted. The vibe was super chill, the lights were dim and the drinks and Furikake Kettelcorn were suuuuh good. The resto is about to morph into a Hawaiian paradise (new menu out on Feb. 13), which means you can bet we’ll be regulars.

What a day, y’all. What a day.

Hi from Mel
Blogging, Life

Annnnnd We’re Back!

Sorry for the radio silence last month, guys! What was supposed to be just a week away for a redesign turned into a whole month. OOPH. Life man, ya know? I’m not very pleased with myself for not keeping up, but January has been a friggin’ whirlwind! I learned a lot. Ya see, what had happened was…

I had the opportunity to join the Buffalo Exchange team as a part-time buyer. I’ve been obsessed with Buffalo for years, and working for the company was on my bucket list. CHECK! If you’re not familiar, Buffalo Exchange is a vintage and used clothing shop that buys and sells used (but fashionable!) women’s and men’s apparel. They’re located all over the U.S. and I always stop into one when traveling because you really get a feel for the style personality of the city. Whatever look you’re into, you’ll find something to love at Buffalo. The employees are super knowledgable about a variety of fashion brands and trends (not just their own funky cool-guy styles), so don’t be shy if there’s something in particular you’re shopping for. They know what’s up!

Want to clean out your closet to make room for more? Take your oldies but goodies into Buffalo Exchange and the buyers will go through your loot. If something catches their eye, they’ll give you 50% in trade or 30% in cash (your choice) of what they think the item will sell for in the store. It’s genius. I loved every second of working there. I fell in love with my fellow co-workers and the diverse bunch of customers I got to chat up while sifting through their goods. (Seriously, I met a clown. In real life.) Every piece of clothing that was brought in had a story behind it. “I wore these leather pants ten years ago in Miami!” Of course the store doesn’t always buy what you bring in. After politely telling a woman we couldn’t buy anything from her pile, she spent the next few minutes showing us photos of her granddaughter. Adorable. I had been missing this sort of people interaction in my life. It was so fulfilling.

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Unfortunately, my life as a buyer at Buffalo was short-lived. I overscheduled myself. Working at Buffalo along with my other coveted gig as a copywriter left me no time to blog or um… check my email! I was starting to go a little mad. Though I had a blast and learned so much about brands in a short amount of time, I sadly had to say au revoir to my friends at Buffalo. Though don’t you worry, I intend to drop into the store way too often so I can see their sweet faces. And buy cool clothes, duh. Who knows, maybe this isn’t the end of my career as a buyer… If you ever find yourself near a Buffalo Exchange, stop in. The shop is a treasure chest—you never know what goodies you’ll find!

So that was January, dudes. Now that I’m back on track and focused on the blog, I CAN’T WAIT to show you more cool stuff and things. Scott and I ended January with an awesome trip to Colorado with 18 friends (and two dogs). I’ll be sharing the pics of our huge cabin and snow-filled sled days soon! Oh, and remember that trip we took to New Orleans for Bonnie’s wedding? (Hi Bonnie!) I have so many photos to share from that incredible trip, so stay tuned! I’ll also be posting more about fun adventures in Los Angeles. Even though I’ve been here 3 years (is that all?!) there is still so much to see. If there’s a place you’d like to visit through my pics and stories, let me know in the comments below. Thanks for sticking with me this past month, and have a great February!

Inspiration, Life

You’re Lookin’ Good, 2015

happy-new-year-2015

I don’t know where this pic is from! I ripped it out of a mag years ago. If you know, let me know, and I’ll happily give credit!

Happy 2015! I hope y’all had an amazing last day of the year, and I hope this new year brings you joy, success, happiness and lots of lurve. I always like to reflect and make goals at the beginning of each year. I’ve heard of others doing the same. Here are a few of my hopes, dreams & goals for 2015. Continue Reading

Blogging, Inspiration, Life

Favorite Posts of 2014

bri-from-designlovefestBri from DesignLoveFest did an amazing post recently about her highlights of 2014. It’s thoughtful, sweet, creative and allows you to see how adventurous and colorful her life has been this past year. I’m a huge fan of hers and the blog, so I was inspired to do my own favorites. I’ve only been blogging since October, but I’ve spit out a few posts I feel really good about. I’m excited to try new things, travel more and share more with you next year. Enjoy! Continue Reading

Life, Travel

Bonnie’s Gettin’ Hitched!

Bonnie is a very special friend. We only had one or two conversations before I moved into her house on the east side of LA. (Mount Washington represent!) It took me two days to drive to LA, my mind filled with endless possibilities of what my new life would be like. I never expected to meet such an amazing friend who would show me the ropes of LA, but more importantly, introduce me to her amazing girl gang she’d spent years cultivating. Continue Reading