New Year, New Shopping Destinations

Well, here we are.  It's 2010 and I hope you're looking forward to a whole new year of fresh design inspiration!  I started off the first few days of this decade with - what else? - furniture shopping! Not in my usual spots though, but in San Diego, which is mostly undiscovered territory for me.  Sure I've been there, but had other activities on the agenda, so this was the first time that I was out and about with my design cap on.  So what did I discover?  A trip to Kettner Blvd in Northern Little Italy lead to many great finds such as Architectural Salvage, Boomerang for Modern, and Klassik. There were some seriously great deals on some vintage furniture and lots of little oddities like the pink flamingo bottle opener (below) which was one of the goodies I brought home with me.  Every 50's house needs a pink flamingo somewhere, right?  And it might just very well be the only pink that my husband will ever let into the house!  Here are some photos from Architectural Salvage where I snagged my little flamingo and follow me on twitter, where I'm going to share some other great finds at my other shopping destinations.  

Eat.Shop Los Angeles: 3rd Edition

I was thrilled to hear that the 3rd edition of Eat.Shop Los Angeles will be coming out in May 2010! These indispensable guides have introduced me to some fantastic locally-owned businesses, not only while traveling, but in my very own city.  Ahh, I fondly recall the days spent wandering through Portland, noshing on Saint Cupcake and scoring modern home accessories from Canoe. I've also conquered the Philadelphia and Austin guides, which were equally delightful. The Eat.Shop Guides really help you appreciate the local flavor (Read: No touristy stuff here!) of big and small cities alike.

Just released in November were Boston: 2nd edition, Chicago: 3rd edition, Seattle: 4th edition, Vancouver: 2nd edition and the very first edition of New England. Here's a glimpse into these new must-have guides.  Now grab one, hop in the car or book a ticket and start exploring!

Shop At Show: Just 2 Days Left!

If I had to do my Christmas shopping in one store and one store only, I'm sure I could find a gift for everyone on my list at Show.  Brad Cook, owner and curator, has put together a diverse collection of treasures within the four walls of his small shop in Los Feliz.  While it might be small, it's mighty and packed with all kinds of goodies to give this holiday. The things that are on the top of my list include these curvaceous Bahari candlesticks, Klein Reed ceramic catch-alls in groovy shapes, these sweet handmade owls, and cheerful Pantone metal storage boxes.  Happy shopping everyone!

Christmas Countdown: 9 Days Left!

Just nine days left until Christmas and we're continuing our countdown of places to buy unique gifts for all those last-minute shoppers out there. Now, if you aren't familiar with Third Street in mid-city Los Angeles, you are missing out. It is mecca of great shopping and among my favorite stops is Plastica.  While the name is slightly deceiving, they carry products made of many other materials than plastic.  My favorite items are actually felt, specifically fab products from Graf and Lantz. I picked up a business card holder, but what I really want is one of their felt bowls. (Grey and teal, please. Thanks, Santa!) and one of those sweet little Swedish wooden birds as a stocking stuffer. They would also make a great gift given as a set of 3 and nestled in a pretty box and at just $12 a pop, your total gift is still below $40.

When you're tired from your shopping marathon on Third and all those bags from Plastica are getting heavy, grab a bite to eat at 'Little Next Door' deli and cafe. There are no shortage of good eats on this street (Toast and Joan's, for example) but 'Little Next Door' has become my new favorite. The menu is drool-inducing and they have unique specialty items like foie gras macaroons and an assortment of jams, soups, and other goodies packaged in pretty jars. Many put together a gift basket of their specialty items for the food-lover on your Christmas shopping list and voila! All your shopping is done in one afternoon spent on Third Street.

Top to Bottom: Plastica, Royal VKB nutcracker, felt bowl by Graf and Lantz, felt floor and seat cushions from Denmark, Broccoli card holder, Swedish wooden birds, Little Next Door deli and cafe

Spend Some Time "Outside"

I usually have my laptop right next to me as I flip through my magazines and I immediately look up anything that catches my eye.  I hit the jackpot today as I was reading the new Elle Decor and discovered 'Outside Downtown', a chic West Hollywood shop curated by David Serrano and Robert Willson.  Gorgeous color combinations and perfectly edited vignettes elevate this shop to one of the best I've seen (from the photos anyway) in all of L.A.  It looks like I'll be making a trip to WeHo today to see it in person.  More photos to come...