Vintage Shopping in Los Feliz

I'm back from my hiking extravaganza! (Complete with sore calves and a new found appreciation for bathrooms with running water.) I have a million and one photos to post from my trips, but before I get to that I need to share some vintage shopping news.

I finally got around to checking out some vintage shops in Los Feliz. Two in particular, I would go back to in a heart beat: Squaresville and Weltenbuerger. They could not be more different, but each was fantastic in its own way. Squaresville (which I have no pictures from sadly) is one of those shops where everything is under $100, and if you look long enough, you will find a lot of hidden treasure. I found an amazing Pendleton sweater that I wish I had taken home since its freezing and rainy in LA right now. Weltenbuerger is the complete opposite. Clean. No clutter. Curated with a vision. Most of Weltenbuerger's pieces would probably not work in my wardrobe since they are very strong, but all the jackets I would have bought in a second. Great canvas and leather outerwear.

The above pictures are all from the Current Affair preview at Weltenbuerger. Current Affair is a pop-up shop, which I have been to twice now, and is coming back to downtown LA the weekend of April 2nd and 3rd! If you haven't been, its worth making the effort. There is always a good range of both merchandise and price. I've found something I loved each time I went. If this sparkly dress is not sold before the pop up shop, I might have to buy it when it comes downtown. It seems the perfect mix of casual/dressy for a summer night out on the town.

PS: How awesome is the vest in the first picture?! It is made from a sheep skin rug!

Vacation Time!

Hi all! I just want to let you know I will probably not be posting over the next 5 days because I am meeting girlfriends at (drum roll please) . . . .

The Grand Canyon! (And assorted other hiking locations.) I've never been before so this is super exciting for me. When I come back, I will have lots and lots to post about! See you in a few days.

The Villa Itself

Finally, here are pictures of the actual villa at the Getty Villa and some of the surrounding architecture. The front of the museum faces a sizable amphitheater. It would be an amazing spot to see music. Does anyone know if they have concerts here or if the amphitheater is just for looks?

The two pieces below might have been my favorite in the museum. One is a statute of Zeus that was probably a copy of a much larger statute in a temple made for a rich citizen. I like this piece so much not for its sculptural value but because it was submerged in the sea for some time. As a result it developed all those neat squiggly lines. Where the statute is still in great condition - the chair and left arm - it was covered by sand. I can just image it stuck on a seabed with mollusks all over it.

This piece is a silver handle to a pitcher or vase. It is Triton (aka the Little Mermaid's father). His waist would have joined at the top of the pitcher and his fish tail would have joined at the bottom where the curve is. I think I liked this handle so much because (1) it would be awesome to have it on your pitcher while you pour out some ice tea and (2) I always imagine Triton as he is in the Disney movie. So it was interesting see him depicted with a more snake-like fish tail.

I love columns. You will see them featured in different ways in the pictures below. This other blogger Saucy Glossie occasionally does outfit posts with column back drops, and I love them. I wish I had been wearing a fabulous outfit (and had a fabulous photographer boyfriend in tow) so I could have done the same. Instead I decided to just peak out from behind a row of them.

What great (and slightly creepy) bench legs!

I wish I had a better camera that could have captured this, but beyond those plants behind me is the sparkling Pacific Ocean. The Getty Villa has such a beautiful view.

Garden Shot from the Getty Villa

I have only been to the Getty Villa in the early spring when everything is just starting to bloom. I would love to go back in the summer and see what everything looks like when the gardens are at their peak. Of the spring flowers we saw, I have to say these pink and white ones were my favorite. I routinely kill everything Jeremy and I try to grow on our balcony, but if I ever have a yard one day, I might try my hand at these anyway. They are just so delicate and beautiful. I love the way they look at the foot of the statute - like he is running through a field of wild flowers.

This picture below is so cute. Lynne wanted to feel the trees because everything was so green and beautiful, it looked like it was fake. I snapped a picture just as she reached up.

I called this the cheerleader tree because it was covered in pink pom poms! Tomorrow I'll put up pictures of the actual Villa.

Getty Villa Preview

I've got a ton of great pictures to post from my trip to the Getty Villa this weekend! I'll have them up over the next few days plus some pictures of vintage shopping with my friend Lynne. Here is just a preview for now.

Cliff's Edge Cafe for Brunch

I went back to Cliff's Edge for brunch when my friend Lynne came to visit. It was just as delicious as I remembered, and this time I got much better pictures since it was light out!

I got the crab hash, which is crab and veggies over a nest of fried potatoes and salad with 2 poached eggs and 2 kinds of salsa. The crab, eggs, and salsa were fantastic. I could have done without the potatoes, which were too crispy for my taste. But at least they looked really neat! My friend and I both washed down our brunch with a yummy white wine sangria.

I am officially in love with Cliff's Edge. It is quiet and secluded, and the lighting is just perfect. At night they have beautiful, dim white lights. And at brunch the sun trickles through the leaves and awnings just so.

Art Law Panel at USC's Fisher Museum

Not to toot my own horn, but this past Tuesday the Art Law Society at USC (which I am a part of) put on a panel with 3 fantastic art lawyers: a gallery owner, a private practitioner, and a LACMA in-house attorney. They talked about what they do on a day to day basis and how they have seen their practice change. The speakers all had very different experiences to share, and the turn out for their talk was great. About 45 people from the law school and the community came out. I got to mingle with the crowd at the reception beforehand, and I was thrilled to meet a attorneys, artists, a curator, and proud parents who came out to support the kids who organized the event!

Below are some shots of the reception. I put up the lights! (With lots and lots of help.)

This is our 2010-2011 Board. The girl in the middle is our presidente; she is really responsible for this event!

I am wearing my go-to black blazer ($8 from Kmart! no joke) and a navy silk DVF wrap dress that I bought years ago at the District Sample Sale in DC ($95 marked down from $495! again not kidding). In my hair is a feathered headband my mom got me. I want to show off my dress more since I rarely get to wear it, but it is super low cut. So I had to keep myself buttoned up!