self care.

self care.

I feel it gets ever more important the older you get, don't get me wrong- I'm only pushing 30 - but I swear L.A. adds 10 years to your life- time is valuable and you have to pick and choose where you spend it.

It's taken me a bit to get adjusted in this city, I don't partake in those regular activities that were part of the fabric of my Birmingham life: hosting potlucks, volunteering and service boards, working out over lunch, morning breath-work, studio time, craft nights, making bread etc. etc.

I was determined to just pick up my life in the south and plop it smack dab in L.A. - well lest just say nope to that! I know these things can and will be accomplished - but honestly the only thing I want after a long day is a glass of wine, home-cooked meal and my hammock.

This post isn't to complain about me still adjusting to L.A. - it's to the sliver of self care that has become essential and empowering in this cray life.

So here's to reflecting on the good, the grand and the adventurous. In no particular order.

Valle de Guadeloupe

It's always nice to disconnect, even better yet when you are disconnecting and surrounded by rain, clouds, wine and new friends.

New Years 2017.

They say the first day of 2017 should be spent how you want the rest of the year will be, will in-fact I was pretty pleased with how I spent the first day of 2017- as I felt I have been for the past year. Just figuring it out. In a new country, practicing a new language, making new friends, and getting completely out of my comfort zone every chance I get.

Here were a few of my favorite moments. 

Vinícola Tres Mujeres

Deckman's 

this out house though! 

street ceviche in Ensenada + elote in Tecate 

l.a. dough

thoughts on L.A. but first, doughnuts

ok, I have been in the city long enough to cover this subject, somewhat thoroughly. 8 months an Angelino, and the drivers license (+ plenty of parking tickets) to prove it! A transplant from Birmingham, only now do I fully understand the gratitude and love for a city and way of life I (for now) left behind. However L.A. and it's bustling chaotic embrace have a variety of incomparable perks. So here's to exploring a new home!

A post a week, my 10 favorite things about L.A.

#1 doughnuts. let's be honest did you expect anything less?

    Blue Star in Venice, get the lemon poppyseed now, thank me later.

    Randy's Doughnuts | apple fritter & regular glazed

    California Doughnuts | your Instagram is itching to capture this.

    Bob's Doughnuts | i mean, look at this stand, the long johns are key.

    Fonuts | because gluten free is like water in L.A.
    wait we are in a drought, I mean like plastic bottles, or cars #oof!

    Donut Friend | DIY doughnuts with toppings like basil, cayenne pepper & lime cream

to be continued, still plenty more to try. 

Sunday Sultry Finds

1.  Cuero&Mør is a multidisciplinary design studio that concentrates on design, creativity, and handcrafted minimalist luxury accessories in Los Angeles, California. The brand comes from Cuero, the Spanish word for leather and Mør, the Danish word for well done, which defines the care and importance they put into designing and creating products. I was recently gifted one of their natural vegetable tanned leather wallets, and simply adore it. It's the perfect size for bare necessities, lip gloss, some cash & your cell. 

2. Megan and Emily, the multi-talented ladies behind Enjoy Events Co. and its sister company Shotgun Floral Studio, have an impeccable sense of style and a passion for the business that translates into always-enviable events packed with elegance and a touch of whimsy. Just peek through their event albums! I just adore the neon sign paired with an antique flare and modern pop of color in their studio. 

3.  Creative and entrepreneurial Mimi Scholer arrived  to her Barcelona shop 10 years ago. Mimi works with semi-precious stones: agate, quartz, amethyst or amazonite, that she combines with silver, Swarovsky crystals, hand-painted  elements, silk fringe or leather.

4. inside the danish home of a fashion designer heidi hoffman found via sfgirlbybay. 

5. 21 year old Russian artist Vyguzoy, creates powerful visual statements with photography, nature and fashion. His digital collage pieces are striking, and dreamlike. 

6. Like all bras from the new London-based line, Edge O'Beyond, small 24K gold plated rings adorn the center front and back, so you can, you know, attach a chain, or a ribbon tie, or your keys, or a diamond chain in case you need some more serious bling. this bra though! $222 worth of sexy. 

thoughts on L.A.

L.A. is a city with no borders. 

I had the strangest expectations, hopping from my little big city of Birmingham, AL to the sprawling and enticing West coast, preconceived notions were high. 

Just yesterday I stumbled across this fitting excerpt that stuck. 

"L.A. might be a byzantine petri dish, but at least the things in petri dishes move around and do weird and interesting things." - Moby, Los Angeles Architecture

spot on my friend. 

I can get behind that. That is the part I fell in love with, the quirk. 

Sure, there is a thick layer of atmospheric pollutant that swarms the entire city mid-day. 

It takes fucking 2 hrs. to get anywhere. (this L.A. girl garnered millions of YOUTUBE views after posting celebrity impressions stuck in traffic). 

You spend countless minutes circling the block trying to figure out the parking sign riddles.

Yet one of my absolute favorite L.A. quirks; the random yet surprisingly decadent food pairings and titles. From its namesake California roll, to the ramen burger, fresh organic/all natural 25$ squeezed kale juice green colada, the Korean short rib taco, and the plethora of hole-in-the-wall Chinese food & doughnut shop pairings (if you don't believe me, check out this slideshow). 

The city has more than enough charm. From 360 city views at the Griffith Observatory to day long trips walking the galleries at LACMA, three inch brioche toast with avocado & shaved radish, and yard succulents comparable to Alabama hydrangeas I have merely breached the surface of L.A. 

Here are a few highlights, more posts to come! 

Pierre Huyghe retrospective at LACMA 

photos above by: Drew Tewksbury

This was quite a fitting retrospective to be my first seen in the fantasy realm that is L.A. 

An artist whose fiction gives rise to an alternate reality and shakes your sense of place, Hugye's 50 or so works in the show included living architectural critters building harmonic enclosed ecosystems, thought provoking film, sculptural works, performative pieces & objects. As LACMA director Michael Govan says, Huyghe is "one of the most significant artists working today anywhere. He takes on the big topics of our time, somewhere between media and our biological selves."- KCET

And then there is Human, the nebulous Ibizan hound with a fluorescent dipped right leg. 

I never caught a glimpse of Human, even after constant gallery circling. My friends did, this is what I gather. Human was an integral star of the show, becoming the center of attention whenever she entered the room; her intentional yawns, lazy naps on the scattered fur coats or pensive prances made it seem she was fully aware of her striking presence. 

It was a dream. 

I spent two or so hours roaming, skipping, gazing, listening & crouching throughout the show. 

Thanks Pierre, mind blown. 

Our vivacious local tour guides, bantering in front of the Richard Serra "Band" piece.

Matt (right) is seemingly quiet yet will break it down, hands up/waist shaking dance at any moment. Quin glides with a beaming smile and energy that will melt your heart. I enjoyed galavanting through the city with these two. 

Griffith Observatory

 Sqirl breafast in Echo Park 

 David Kordansky Gallery 

 Pit stop in Beverly Hills 

 Jim Hodges at Hammer Musuem 

 Shopping in Venice Beach 

i'll be back L.A.