playoffs

Forever 21 tank, Guess? shorts, Jessica Simpson shoes, Timex via Gilt watch

A lazy weekend doesn't exist in my book, unfortunately. After relaxing in the jacuzzi on Friday night and lounging poolside Saturday morning, the boy and I set off to find breakfast. Five hours later, and starving to almost-death, we found the 3 Square Cafe + Bakery. And thankgod for that. Burger, shoestring fries, Italian sausage and scrambled eggs, mixed nut tart... we were set. Took pictures on and around Abbot Kinney, which kind of make me look like I'm in Mexico in the middle of summer.

We headed to LMU for a rugby playoff game, looked for but did not find a "legit" psychic and ended up at Norms, gorging on pie and coffee (among other things). Ended the night with a movie and a foot rub. Stressful, but all in all, an exciting weekend.

Today, we ate, cooked, ate some more, had some wine and planned vacation. Sounds like the ideal Sunday to me! Vegas in t-minus-4 days.

Also, don't forget that the giveaway, which ends on March 31. Don't miss out!!

fridays on sunset

Silence + Noise crop top, Forever 21 bandage dress and knee-highs, vintage velvet blazer via mom's closet, boutique shoes, Bill Blass purse

A couple of weeks ago, my wonderful boyfriend took me out to dinner, which was completely planned for me. I was fully surprised when we showed up at Yatai, an Asian tapas restaurant. Delicious! The crispy rice with spicy tuna made my night. Well, that and the fact that he made me feel like a princess. I'm such a lucky girl!

After tapas, we wandered up Sunset, took some grungy pictures on an abandoned couch and ended up at the Mondrian. We finished the night off at some dirty hole-in-the-wall bar on Hollywood, enjoying the company. :D

This top was a Secret Santa gift from my friend Rob and I must say, he did a great job picking it out. I love that it shimmers... and its easygoing shape makes getting dressed up easier. The velvet blazer is something my mom allowed me to "borrow indefinitely." My words, not hers. But either way, it adds a touch of luxe to this otherwise street walker outfit. The multi-colored nails are the product of a recent trip to American Apparel. They have the best colors and for $6, this nail polish is a steal!

joan's on third

unknown dress, Charlotte Russe sweater, Forever 21 bag, H&M sandals, vintage bangles

On Sunday afternoons, my favorite thing to do is roll out of bed extra slowly and stroll out to brunch in the early (or in this case, late) afternoon. My boyfriend and I went to Joan's on Third the Sunday after daylight savings. After perusing the marketplace, we settled on the spinach and mushroom quiche, the apricot glazed ham and brie sandwich and the raisin toast with fig jam and goat cheese. We highly recommend the raisin toast! They bring it out freshly grilled and melted. Ideal with a glass of wine in the late afternoon (though I opted for coffee on this particular day). Anyway, this makes me want to give you my top 3 breakfast spots in LA (whoo, a list!)...

King's Road Cafe
Located on Kings Road and Beverly, this cafe offers perfect outdoor seating, amazing Americanos and the best chocolate chip banana pecan pancakes (complete with chocolate syrup!).

Lighthouse Deli
One of my hometown favorites for its seaside breeze, small town friendliness and breakfast nook-like corner booths. They have daily fresh muffins, granola and vanilla yogurt and potato cakes that come with your order of breakfast entree. If you decide to venture out here, let me know so I can tell you about other gems to visit after breakfast.

Amelia's Espresso & Panini
If it says it in the name, you know it's famous! In this case, the Espresso... I love my coffee (could be the Eastern European heritage) and as picky as I am, Amelia's really hit the spot. This is where Natalie, Becs, Mel and I met Jasmin (picture below). We walked around Main Street after our meal and did some browsing and shopping.

Hope you try some of theses! I'm planning on compiling more favorites in the future, so keep an eye out!

BOXeight

warning: picture-heavy post




Models and mortals






One of my favorites









With Laurie B. Style and Ana

With Becs, Patty Ann and Mel

Patty Ann & I love our bling. Mine is from Topshop, boutique on Melrose, nail polish from American Apparel


Met up with KVN (ok, I just like calling him that. His real name is Kevin).




What can be said about BOXeight? The night was perfect: beautiful people, open bar, the best house mash-ups, great friends and random bump-ins with old college friends. Oh and there was some fashion.

Who am I kidding? I thought the fashion was the best part! Lloyd Klein, Eduardo Lucero, Le Sang Des Betes, Michael Costello and Lekuin all showcased their Spring 2010 collections. Instead of runway shows, they had five stations set up, one for each designer, where models showed off the designs and photographers snapped them in a magazine spread-like shoot. The lighting was ideal, so I (and the boyf) got in on the action too. We got some pretty hot pictures, I think.

Edit: check out Racked LA's article on the event to get a little background on the designers from the evening.




Boutique dress and belt (from Melrose store Diva), GoJane.com shoes, vintage clutch

I have a couple of more parties to attend this week, so keep checking back for updates. Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway!

CSN Stores Giveaway

Last week, I was contacted by a representative from CSN stores asking me to do a giveaway. I took a look at the site and was quite impressed. They have everything from sheet sets to wall paper to home bars and bar stools! And you know what the coolest part is? They're letting you choose your prize! Yup, the winner gets to choose anything valued at $60 or less. Trust me, there are plenty of things to choose from! My choices would be either this organic bark pillowcase or this bamboo wallpaper. Both are valued at under $60!

To be eligible, you must:
1. Reside in the United States or Canada
2. Visit CSN stores and/or their linked affiliates
3. Comment on this post and tell me what you'd like to receive if you win (make sure to link me to it)
4. Include your blog or an email address so I can contact you
5. For an extra entry, Tweet the following and leave another comment here to let me know: I just entered a giveaway @LiveLoveLA http://bit.ly/93cpst

The contest will run from now through Wednesday, March 31 at 10pm Pacific Time, at which time I will close the comments and choose a winner at random. I will notify the winner shortly thereafter.

Good luck, ladies and gents! Can't wait to see the prizes you'll choose.

I've got a few more LA Fashion Week things to do this week and lots of outfit shots, so I'll be updating quite a bit in the coming week. For now, I leave you with a couple of my favorite pictures.


Rain...

... or shine

GenArt Alumni Celebration

Roosevelt hotel, poolside. Probably one of my favorite LA spots


Jen Egan & Amber Rose among designers and muses (wish these were a little clearer)

Eduardo Lucero & my favorite model (she told me she liked my outfit!)

Met the lovely LaurieBStyle

She had her name on the back of her belt - I wish I could find a "Neekoh" one!


Laurie B. with Kelsi and our new friend, Pat The Rocker


Mel, Becs and Tiffany mingling and looking hot


Patty Ann and her stylish plus-one





Accessories are so important!

My FAVORITE of the night, by far! Reliving my youth by being Prom Queen for a picture. Thanks, Kelsi!

On Tuesday night, I got to attend Gen Art's Alumni Celebration. I love Gen Art! Their shows and events are always the highlight of LA Fashion week. There were so many fabulously-dressed people, from pseudo-celebs to rockers (see Pat above) to bloggers and wannabes. I wish I played photog more because words can't even describe some of the awesome I saw.

I do have to admit though, the best part was getting to hang out with my new friends. I feel lucky to be part of this community. It's great to talk to like-minded people and get inspired by my peers. It's just beginning and I can tell it's gonna be a fun ride! Make sure to check them all out: Tiffany, Amy, Victoria, Sasha, Kelsi, Laurie, and Macala. And of course, my go-to group of ladies who I've known for (what seems like) forever: Mel, Becs and Patty Ann

And, for the record, I was wearing my mom's blazer (possibly made by my grandma for her back in the day), Forever 21 tank and skirt and unknown yellow pumps. No purse because the camera was enough.

See more on this event here:
Laurie B. Style's post
Dedicated Follower's attendee pictures
Dedicated Follower's event pictures
Racked LA's coverage
LA Times via All The Rage's coverage