I just got back from a short trip to Los Angeles; it wasn’t my first trip to the city of angels, but it was my first time exploring a little more and also more than just on my own. I actually got to experience the city a bit more as if I was really living there, whereas last year, I just stayed in Santa Monica and walked around for a weekend, mostly by myself.
On this trip, I was actually a happy person, too. Last year I took a trip to try and get away from things that were making me sad and feel a lot of pain, and to be honest, it didn’t really help, but that was only my own fault. I didn’t let myself have any fun while I was trying to have fun. Makes sense, right? So this year, I walked a little further, I was a little more social, and I spent it with some special people to my heart.
It was full of exploring, good food, good fashion, and a lot of much-needed sun and relaxation.
F O O D
I made a trip to a lot of the same places I frequented in Santa Monica last year, particularly the boutiques and coffee shops on Main Street from the pier all the way down to Venice Beach. I made that walk all the way down the beach last year, and I did it again this year on Thursday while my boyfriend was at work. I had the day to myself, so I just did some window shopping and coffee-drinking. Coffee shops I stopped by included Espresso Cielo, Urth Caffe, and Groundwork.
I’ve been to both Espresso Cielo and Groundwork before, but Urth Caffe in Santa Monica was a recommendation from my boyfriend and his roommates: amazing vibe, good food, and good coffee; apparently, it’s a favorite among locals, and there are quite a few of them around Los Angeles. This one was quite full around prime brunch time. So how about a mocha and breakfast burrito to start off my day of solo shopping? I think so. Even by myself, I felt fine at this cafe, and managed to grab a seat outside on the patio. For Los Angeles, it wasn’t too terribly expensive, either. I think I paid about $12USD for this meal, and then tipped.
My boyfriend and I did a lot of exploring on Friday, since he took the day off from work. We went to the arts district (passing right by the now-empty giant American Apparel warehouse, wow) and went to lunch at a place called Zinc Cafe and Bar Mateo, a vegetarian restaurant. It might not have been quite noon yet, but we maybe ordered some cocktails, too… who’s going to judge us?! They were super tasty. I ordered a quiche plate with a potato and leek soup and was pleasantly surprised at how tasty it was.
Then walked to a cafe called Blacktop for some cold brew, since I’d forgotten that while the coast might be nice and cool, downtown Los Angeles is boiling hot in the midday sun. Right across the street was the famous ice cream place, Salt & Straw, so we both had to grab a scoop of unique and handmade flavors and take an Instagram photo. Mine was coffee, of course…
That night after dinner we stopped for ice cream at a place in Sawtelle called “Honeymee” that’s all centered around honey! We got a cup that also had dried berries layered on top.
F A S H I O N
I found a couple pieces that I couldn’t live without while shopping in Santa Monica on the Promenade. While I couldn’t afford anything in any of the small boutique shops along Main Street, I found some pieces that will serve me well should I ever go back to California weather and their sense of style.
- Pink Denim Jacket from Urban Outfitters
- “Tilden” Pants from Brandy Melville
- Gingham Button-front midi dress from Urban Outfitters
All three of these pieces form a chunk of a capsule wardrobe based around monochromatic and pastel colors. I’m working on it, and I’m totally going to make a blog post soon about this kind of capsule wardrobe for myself; I’ve never done a capsule wardrobe before. I’m also wearing some new white Vans, a newer style that has velcro straps instead of laces. I never thought I could look cool wearing velcro on my shoes again, but I got so many compliments from people in LA asking where they could find similar shoes (hint, I just got them at home at a Journey’s here!)
Here’s a picture of my boyfriend and I being goofy together because we didn’t realize you had to purchase tickets months in advance to go to the Museum of Ice Cream. Tickets sold out in 18 hours and won’t be available again for months? That’s kinda bogus. I really wanted all those pastel and candy-themed Instagram opportunities! So we just settled for this pink wall that matched my new jacket. Thanks for always entertaining my Instagram demands. ❤
Hope to be going back to Los Angeles soon.
What are some of your favorite local spots to eat and shop? I’d love to know for next time!
Monochrome Caffeine 