California, I Love You.

Mom and I spent an excellent mother-daughter weekend in Los Angeles, and I absolutely loved it. We did so much and saw so much, and I really enjoyed it all.

Want some trip highlights, dear reader? You got it!

French General





The main reason why we even went on this trip was for an event hosted by French General, a textile and bead shop in Glendale, called, "Art of Craft." This event is hosted by the owners of the shop. Having been to this event with my mom last year, I absolutely loved the community and passion that these ladies have for their craft. I even surprised myself with what I learned how to do - weave a cushion, smock fabric, and other such things.

I really enjoy doing things with French General because it gives me the chance to bond with my mom and take part in being creative together. :)

You can find French General at http://frenchgeneral.com.
They also have a blog, too; they have more information on the craft classes they offer: http://frenchgeneral.blogspot.com

The Grove

One place I'd been dying to go to over the past few months is The Grove, which is an amazing outdoor mall in the heart of LA. The reason why I wanted to go to this particular mall was primarily because of a little store by the name of Topshop.

Topshop only has four stores in the country, and the Los Angeles location is the fourth. I believe it is also one of the only locations on the West Coast - you probably would have to make a trip to Canada if you wanted anything from there just north of LA. To say I was excited was an understatement, since I'd loved visiting Topshop locations in the UK.

Yes, I purchased fabulous things, and yes, I want to go back. :D

Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Flea Market

Mom had been telling me amazing things about the Rose Bowl Flea Market for the past few months. It's held in the parking lots outside the Rose Bowl stadium - famous for the Tournament of Roses and Rose Bowl football game each January - and it is massive.

This was actually my first real flea market experience. I have been thrift store shopping before, but I'd never experienced spontaneous pricing ("Oh, you like those posters? I'll give you the rest of the stack free of charge!") and sheer volume of vendors and merchandise like I experienced there.




I picked up some amazing skull bracelets from a seller who was actually leaving for Thailand soon. They are a little outside my usual style, but I had seen similar bracelets at Urban Outfitters and DIY versions on YouTube, so I decided to go for them. I'm SO glad I did, too.





Another bonus of visiting the flea market was actually getting to see the Rose Bowl stadium itself. I'm from the south, so college football is kind of a big thing where I'm from. Though I'm not as interested in watching sports on television, I love attending live games and seeing stadiums in person. Thinking about being in the empty stadium and how famous it is gives me chills in a good way.

Little Tokyo

This district of downtown LA is one of my personal favorites. I have been interested in anime on some level or another since I was a tween, and I love Little Tokyo for its authenticity and overall fun.

If you are looking for ramen, I recommend Orochon Ramen on first. It's up on the third floor of the main area, and oh my gracious the ramen is amazing. I got ramen with a miso base, medium spice, and extra boiled egg.

After our ramen, we hit Kinokuniya, one of my all-time favorite bookstores. They sell authentic Japanese paper products, books, toys, and the like, and it is awesome. They sell SO many different stationery items, too, and I actually purchased some school supplies for next semester! (Keep an eye out for a school supply video, and I'll be featuring the items I bought)

I am not sponsored by any of the companies or organizations mentioned in this post. All opinions and recommendations are my own.