LA Arts District Adventure

Alright everyone, this is my second post of the day. My first was to announce the awesome record release show my brother and his band Mojo Stone are putting on in Silverlake on March 15th. I will be there and I suggest any other LA locals should come and support too. The music will not disappoint.

I want to show a little more Los Angeles love today and share some pictures I took yesterday in the arts district in downtown. I met my brother there so that I could retrieve my digital camera from him and also spend some time catching up, getting food, and enjoying the perfect weather. The arts district seemed like the perfect spot since it's relatively small with some neat pockets with cool graffiti and architecture.

I would say the main stretch is Traction Avenue which is where we spent most of our time. There is a small art/architecture supply store on Traction and I have been going there since my freshman year at USC architecture school, eight years ago. The area has really developed and become a destination, there are a lot more trendy restaurants and art galleries around. Old warehouses are getting converted into new lofts and more apartment buildings are springing up so the streets have a lot more life. It's a great spot to sit and people watch.

The toy district is adjacent and you can find some old, fading signage on abandoned warehouses.

Colorful murals and intricate graffiti and street art are on every corner. It makes the area feel vibrant.

David (brother) and I had four cameras between the two of us, plus two iPhone cameras. A bit much but I bet the people in this neighborhood are used to picture-takers.

New apartments on the right, old church and buildings on the left. Uber-trendy German restaurant Wurstküche straight ahead. It appears to be a major scene. We ate a few doors down at the Novel Cafe. I really recommend this place. The food and drinks are great and it has an inviting atmosphere. It has been on Traction since I started coming here. 

We couldn't resist getting dessert at The Pie Hole, a fairly new establishment in the arts district. This place was perfect, my kind of atmosphere and design. It felt very European with the bistro chairs on the street and since it was a beautiful day, David and I opted to sit outside for our pie consumption. It has very simple, minimal design inside but some beautiful furniture and design details. I'd say their delicious pie is the main thing on display. It was so yummy! We tried two flavors, Mexican Hot Chocolate and one called The Lonely Pie which consists of chocolate and peanuts and crushed up potato chips...kind of like a Twix bar in a pie. It sounds weird but it was great, salty and sweet. 

And boy did those pies get devoured. Yum.

I had such a nice, relaxing afternoon. This is a favorite pocket of LA for me and of course the company couldn't be beat. Yes, the trip prevented me from doing some work but sometimes you just need to stop and eat some pie. Happy Thursday everyone!

Featured: Postcards & Pretties DIY : Dessert Table Backdrop

Hi everyone!  Today I am sharing a super romantic and whimsical dessert table backdrop that I created for Chris of Postcards & Pretties.  Chris has been on vacation and she asked me, along with a bunch of other talented bloggers (see all of the posts here), to come up with a unique DIY for her readers as a guest post.  I was more than happy to oblige since I am such a P&P fan and I just so happened to have a little project in the works that I knew would be perfect.  So last week the dessert table backdrop that I came up with was revealed.

I have been wanting to do my own take on a dessert table backdrop for awhile now and this idea of hanging fabric circles is one my mind has been pondering.  So I decided to combine the two ideas together and I think the result is simple (it won't draw all of the attention away from your yummy desserts) but still dreamy and light and whimsical...all things I love.  

And it is hard to hate this backdrop when that delightful gold-sprinkled cake is sitting right in front of it.  Oh my, this cake was sure yummy!  I won't lie to you all, it was seriously $3 at Albertsons with some grocery store icing thrown on top of it.  But clearly $3 is the magic number because it was dang good (super moist).  My family and I feasted on it for a few days.

This DIY may seem complicated (someone commented that it looked tedious) and yes, it wasn't a quick project but the effect is definitely worth the time you put into it.  DIY doesn't always mean "quick" and if you are making some special handmade elements for your wedding, I recommend spending the time to get things beautiful and just right.  I am definitely a believer in details and having good craft.  In my own experience, when I put a little more time and effort into things, I usually like the outcome a whole lot better.  What about you?  When you see DIY do you expect it to be something you can finish in a flash?

Head over to Postcards & Pretties to see more pictures and a detailed description of how I made this dessert backdrop.  Also, check out my mason jar save the date that was also featured on P&P at the beginning of this year.  Does anyone remember this baby?!

I hope you all enjoy the DIY today.  Happy Tuesday!  

Whisker Graphics August DIY

Another month has passed (wow!) and that means another Whisker Graphics DIY that I get to share with you all.  If you haven't heard, I am part of the Whisker Graphics Design Team which shares original DIY ideas twice a week over on the WG blog.  All of us seven ladies are working with the same materials, Divine Twine, Bitty Bags, and the other stickers and digital downloads available in the Whisker Graphics shop.  But despite starting with the same materials, we all come up with such different ways to craft with them.  It is such an inspiring project to be a part of and so I have to give a big shout out to all the other ladies who are involved.  If you're looking for more inspiration, be sure to check out each of their respective blogs:

:: Ashley N. Newell 

:: Ashley Harris

:: Carly Robertson

:: Jenny Dixon

:: Keisha Campbell

:: Michelle Philippi

So for my August project I used just a few materials to make some cute treat or favor bags.  

From Whisker Graphics, I used their Striped Bitty Bags in aqua and pink and also the orange and blueberry Divine Twine.  I filled the bags with treats and then tied them shut with the twine.  Finally I made some fabric buttons with the Dritz button cover kit (I found mine at Joanns) and fabric scraps in complimentary colors.  The buttons are super easy to make and the kit comes with everything you need.  You can glue or double stick tape the buttons onto the bags.  Or glue a pin back to the button so that your guests can wear them as pins once they have enjoyed their treat.

Be sure to check out the Whisker Graphics blog to see this post today.  I will be back next month with another creation.  Any suggestions on what I should make?  Maybe I will do something wedding related for September.  I will definitely be in wedding-mode next month.  I have my friend's wedding where I will be the maid of honor as well as a client's wedding who am helping do different handmade decor elements.  Busy, busy this coming month!

Thanks for stopping by today.  Happy Thursday! 

Valley and Co Guest Blogger

Happy Friday everyone!  I have a great DIY holiday project to show you today but you'll have to head on over to Valley and Co to check it out.  Aleah and Nick Valley, the amazingly talented duo behind Valley and Co, were in need of some guest bloggers this week and I was so happy to be able to help them out with a post.  I created a mini all-in-one s'mores kit that is perfect for the holidays (or a winter wedding) and is quick and easy to put together.  Make a few of them and hand out as favors after a holiday party or use as stocking stuffers for friends and family.  Or even better, make one and gift it to yourself.  Even though the s'mores are mini, they are still delicious! 

Here are a couple of teaser pictures but make sure to check out the full post here to see the whole tutorial.  And don't forget to leave Aleah and Nick some love...they are the sweetest!  I can't thank them enough for having me today and for their overall kindness and support that they have given me here on my blog and on Twitter.  It is people like them that make me feel so welcome in this wedding blogging community.  Thanks A + N!!

Oak Glen Excursion

Hi friends! 

I am back from blog hiatus today and have a lovely post filled with all kinds of fun pictures for you.  I also have posts lined up for the rest of the week so be sure to check them out.  Lately I have been bad about blogging but the last few weeks have been busy ones for me so I have had to be a bit neglectful (not by choice of course...if I could throw loveliness at you everyday despite my schedule I totally would).  

Today I am going to recap on my fun Sunday excursion to Oak Glen, which is apple country here in Southern California.  Last year, my bestie Elysse and I headed up there for apple pie and other apple-related shenanigans and we decided to do a repeat this year (the only difference this time was the added company of Elysse's friend Mr. Tea - she picked that nickname and I rather like it so he will be referred to that from here on out).  Although there is not that much to do up in Oak Glen (especially for adults who are no longer intrigued by fake gun shows, wild west costumes, and petting zoos), I like the mountain woodsy atmosphere and with all the fall foliage, it definitely felt like autumn had arrived.  But for the most part, I go for the great company (thanks Elysse and Mr Tea!!) and the apple pie!  Last year, we got pie from Los Rios but on Sunday we decided to be adventurous and try something else in hopes of finding the best pie Oak Glen has to offer.  We chose Law's and were very happy with our choice.  The pie was really good, so good in fact that Mr. Tea and I both bought whole pies to bring home to share with others.  Here are some pie pictures:

Pie must be accompanied by ice cream.

Quickly devoured!

And the Law's sign...it is very retro but I like that about it.

Another stop on our journey was Snow Line Orchard for apple cider donuts.  Now these little donuts have kind of been a big deal to Elysse and I and we have been talking about them for awhile.  See Elysse's in-depth analysis on the apple cider donuts here.  The donuts were really good, mostly because they were super fresh (we watched them being made) and because they were covered in cinnamon and sugar (never a bad thing in my book).  There was a line out the door to get the donuts (like the country bumpkin version of Sprinkles) which we of course waited in.  Along with some cold apple cider, it was a tasty treat and we all enjoyed it.  The only downside was that Elysse wanted the donuts to taste more appley.

Cutey Elysse with the pie and then the show stopper...the apple cider (mini) donuts!

I do love them...they are delicious!

Old apple farm signage.  

The donut line...it had shrunk by the time I took this picture.

So that was our little excursion, or snack trek as Elysse would call it.  It wasn't too eventful but the company and food were great so I couldn't ask for more.  Maybe this will be a yearly jaunt that Elysse and I make and one day down the road we will be the hipster families sitting at the picnic benches with our flock of children (last year we enjoyed observing a group of families just like this and wondered if it was a sign of our futures).  

Here are some more images that capture our pleasant afternoon:

Chilled apple cider, yum!  After getting this shot I was scolded by the teenager working the cash register for taking pictures inside.  Yes, because clearly this picture is giving all of their secrets away.  How ever will they stay in business now that this picture is loose in the blogosphere?

I wanted to include these last two pictures for a couple of reasons.  One, I like all of the fall leaves and being able to see the seasons changing.  But the real reason for including them is because the picture on the right totally reminds me of Lord of the Rings.  I feel like that path exists in the Shire, no?  To me it has the same feeling as the road the hobbits are traveling on in the first movie when the ringwraiths are after them.  In that scene Frodo stares down a tree-lined path and it seems like the path is converging around him.  Ok, nerd enough for you?

Do you have any fall activities that you like doing?  Any places you escape to?  Have you tried delicious apple cider donuts?