Whew! Scott and I have been so busy lately working on our passion projects—him with his new YouTube channel (go subscribe, y’all!) and me with this here blog! P.S. Thanks so much for visiting! Anyhoo, we’re about to take off for a lil’ vacay, so I wanted to steal him away for a couple special nights of holiday fun.
My friend Jenni (Hi Jenni!) just started working for a delicious water company: Icelandic Glacial. I was excited to find that they opened up shop in downtown Culver City recently. Even better? They share office space with a luxury Icelandic fashion boutique called LastaShop. Last night, the unique duo hosted a holiday party complete with raffle prizes, complimentary beer, wine and of course water! Despite the wet weather, the Culver community came out to meet their new neighbors. Check out the pics from the party, then go wet your whistle with some Icelandic Glacial! Oh, and if you’re an Instaholic, follow them both: LastaShop shares shop pics and dreamy merchandise & IcelandicGlacial shares travel pics that will ignite your wanderlust.
It’s officially the holiday season, woohoo! Time to get those cards in the mail. Check out these finds from some of my local favorites in LA. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be an Angeleno to pick these babies up. They’re all available for purchase online.
Urbanic Paper Boutique in Venice sells beautifully designed stationary, wedding invites and must-have gifts. Find them on Abbot Kinney or visit their online shop. This particular card is designed by the very talented Emily McDowell.
Another favorite designed by Emily McDowell. Get thee to her website now!
Words can’t describe my love for Sugar Paper. They are so good. So. Good. And don’t even get me started on their collection for J.Crew. I can’t!
Paper Source is another go-to for unique stationary, gifts, wedding invites and tons more. This particular one might be perfect for that special bah-humbugger in your life. Side note/hot tip: Scrooged is streaming on Netflix right now AND showing at the Electric Dusk Drive-In in downtown LA this Saturday. EEK!
This last one is from an adorable shop I found while running in my hood of Culver City. SweetWater Letterpress is a quaint letterpress shop that makes amazing goodies like this retro holiday card set. Want something customized? Mmhmm, they do that too. Stop by when you’re in Culver. It’s a lovely little place to stick your head in and say hi!
My obsession for well-crafted mustaches is no secret, so I of course fell head over heels in whisker love when I heard about Movember, the leading global organization committed to saving and improving the lives of men affected by prostrate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health problems. Since its launch in 2003, the company has raised over $550 million by encouraging men to grow mustaches (over 4 million of them so far) during the month of November in order to spark conversation and raise funds and awareness. Amazing!
Scott has decided to become a Mo Bro. My man is known for having a pretty gnarly beard (sigh!) but the official rules state you must start fresh. So we headed over to Movember HQ, which is conveniently located in our lovely hood of Culver City.
The cool dudes and dudettes of Movember are buddy buddy with the cool dudes and dudettes of the Blind Barber, and they’ve opened up Movember & Co., a barbershop inside Movember HQ. This particular evening, they were offering free shaves and coffee with their friends LA Coffee Club & Vittoria Coffee. We even scored a sweet pair of mustachioed MeUndies!
Barber Eric worked his magic and hooked Scott up with a luxurious close shave (and a tall boy PBR). It’s been about a year since I’ve seen that baby face! <insert giggle>
After the shave, we were treated to a tour of the Movember offices thanks to a new friend and PR contact for Movember, Abbie Rumery. The setting reminded me of my start-up days, sending my weetle heart fluttering. What a great organization to work for! No wonder the entire staff was constantly smiling. (It wasn’t just the PBR.)
If you’re looking to have a bit of fun this month and make a BIG impact, sign up & grow. Ladies, you can play too! Follow (and donate to if you like) Scott’s hairy antics. Happy Movember, everyone! Let’s help change the face of men’s health! We do not want to let Nick down.
#stayhandsome,
Mel
I adore the Culver Hotel, a historic landmark that opened in downtown Culver City in 1924. Its history is very Hollywood—John Wayne is rumored to have won it in a poker game and it housed over 120 Munchkins during the filming of the Wizard of Oz. The hotel’s swanky decor and nightly live music create a romantic and magical atmosphere.
I’ve enjoyed many laid-back nights sipping cocktails on velvet lounges while watching black & white flicks screened on the wall in the hotel’s classy lobby. I’ve also experienced (and participated in) lively evenings where swing dancers scooted across the small dance floor, bewitched by the sounds of Dave Stuckey & the Hot House Gang.
Speaking of cocktails, meet the Cucumber Mule, a delicious concoction of American Harvest vodka, fresh lime juice, muddled cucumber and Fever Tree ginger beer. Stop by the Culver Hotel to enjoy this month’s Drink of the Month during their daily happy hour from 4-7pm. Live music starts around 7:30pm. While you’re there, check out the Velvet Lounge in the back, up the stairs.
Another favorite: The Bulleit Old-Fashioned made with Bulleit Bourbon, Angostura bitters, orange bitters and a sugar cube.
Have you been to the Culver Hotel? What’s your favorite poison?
Bar Nine Collective is one of my favorite spots to start the morning in my hood of Culver City. Not only do they make bomb.com cold brews, but they also offer a tasty selection of breakfast treats. Just make sure you get there before 11am, when the (also delicious) lunch menu starts. If you’re serious about coffee (or fun), stop by on Sundays at noon for a public cupping, where you can sample all of their coffees. You can also get down on brunch from 8am-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Psst… They don’t serve Mimosas or Bloody Mary’s, but you’re welcome to BYOB. Enjoy the pics, then go follow them on Twitter for caffeinated updates!
Ladies and gentlemen, Bar Nine’s avocado toast: avocado, radish, chili flakes & lemon.
The beautiful breakfast sammie: Applewood smoked bacon, farm fresh eggs, avocado, Gruyere & kale slaw.
Where do you get caffeinated in Culver City?