Summer Lovin'

Enjoy your three day weekend! One last summer hurrah...

Fall is right around the corner xo

Burgers for Everyone!

Umami Burger seems to be popping up everywhere at the moment and DTLA is no exception. UMAMIcatessen opened on Broadway and I love coming to eat here for a few different reasons. One being that they have an outdoor patio where we can take our trusted companion, Patrick. Two, they have delicious vegetarian options and their ahi burger is fantastic. Three, the Velvet Mule. I'm a sucker for any drink with Ginger in it, so naturally The Velvet Mule (made with ginger beer) is one of my favorites.  With a variety of options, who doesn't love a good burger? 

 Located directly across from the Eastern Columbia building, Umami has a great view and never disappoints in terms of people watching. My only real complaint is that for dessert they have only one option, Donuts. My advice: Order fries to share, a drink, your favorite burger, and pass on dessert. Overall it's a great spot with a cool crowd.

Arabian Nights

Chances are if you've spent anytime downtown you've heard of Hotel Figueroa. You've most  definitely seen it (it's always covered in a three part mural), and you may have even walked by. But, if you've never been inside, you have no idea what you're missing.  You will have to see this oasis in the middle of DTLA to believe it. It truly is remarkable. 

I love sharing this treasure with friends because it is completely unexpected. Directly across from LA Live, I don't know why more people don't come here to enjoy a poolside cocktail before a game or concert. As you can see in the photos, the ambiance is out of this world (or at least the country)! xo

Let's Get Lifted

Located thirteen floors up, on the rooftop of the Pershing Square Building, Perch is an "elevated resting place" that offers amazing views of the city. 

I love the fabulous french, boho-chic vibe. Just follow the little bird and you'll find yourself in the perfect place to have a cocktail and take-in the wonderful views of downtown. 

Perch offers dinner and drinks throughout the week and a Sunday brunch -- if only they were open during the week for lunch. I highly recommend taking advantage of the happy hour and watching the sun go down. If you want a table though, you better make reservations ahead of time because they are always full -- with this view, I'd expect nothing less!

Skin Savior

My gorgeous friend January started the most amazing skin care line. No really, it's the best. I didn't have the heart to tell her I was totally hooked on products from her last premier skincare line - I didn't think I'd ever give them up! Yet, after she gave me some samples from January Labs, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the cleanser, tonic and moisturizer. I use them everyday without fail. My skin has completely transformed from the use of her products. With %100 natural ingredients, I love that the product is gentle enough for my sensitive skin, but still effective. 

My favorite product is the Glow & Go. It instantly smooths fine lines and gives your skin a fresh start --  it's like a facial in a bottle! Ahh-mah-zing!

You can buy it now at Fred Segal Beauty in Santa Monica and several other locations throughout LA, or click here to order online! 

Paper Hearts

Did you know that according to tradition,  the one year wedding anniversary gift is Paper? I had no idea until it was just a few months before. Sounds boring, right? Well, with a little inspiration from one of my dearest friends Morgan, I made Chad a wonderful gift with just the right amount of sentiment. Take a look...

To make, I found images of vintage looking maps online -- places we've visited, where we met, our honeymoon location etc... I then printed the files at my local photo kiosk where I also picked up a poster board and a foam board. I used a compass and ruler to make the prefect heart, which I traced onto all of the photos. From there it was a little cutting and pasting and viola, a work of art! To make it extra chic, I used foam board to mount the hearts and the molding.

The original idea came from Smith, Here - Morgan is a DIY genius and my biggest blogging inspiration! 

One year down... a hundred to go!

Today is my one year wedding anniversary. I married the man of my dreams. He truly is the love of my life and I don't know what I would do without him. It's amazing how someone can affect and transform my life in such a way. He truly is an unbelievable human being. Thank you Chad for giving me my happily ever after.

Our wedding day was a dream come true. It seems like it was just yesterday. I'm proud to say I planned it all myself in only four and a half months (trust me ladies, get it done as quickly as possible!)

Happy Monday!

Chad and I had a fantastic weekend in my hometown, Laguna Beach. It was just what we needed to get ready for this week. We celebrate our one year anniversary tomorrow, so we spent the romantic weekend visiting some of our favorite spots...

Hope you had a great weekend xo

War of the French Dip

There is a long standing rivalry downtown between Cole's and Philippe the Original. Both restaurants were opened the same year (1908), and both claim to the the originator of the French dip. Chad and I decided we had to try them both and then we could determine which was the real originator. Let me start by saying that instead of of the traditional roast beef filling, both places offer a variety of meats. I chose the lamb. We started with Cole's...

Cole's offers a really cool vibe. They have table service, a full bar, and even a speakeasy in the back. The French dip was just okay -- I ordered a large and it was still small. However, I will say that the spicy garlic fries were delicious and I had a fantastic cocktail. We went with my brother and his girlfriend and it was a good time. 

Pilippe's could not be more different...

 Philippe's is a cafeteria style restaurant. We ordered at the counter and carried our tray of food back to our table. The cole slaw was amazing (I don't even like cole slaw) and the sandwich was pre-dipped. We were told before we went that we had to get it double-dipped which means that both sides of the bread are dipped as opposed to just one. The sandwich was delicious, I'd say better than Cole's, but again not amazing. I wanted more au jus! This would be a great place to go before or after a Dodger game.

Overall, I don't really care who was the original, but I think it's Philippe's. We were told they sell nearly 3,000 sandwiches a day and Cole's does not even a fraction of that.  Both offer a pretty good sandwich and I would recommend Cole's for nighttime and Philippe for daytime. But to be honest, I've had better French dips elsewhere.

PS. My sister told me last night that they added a new word to the dictionary to define my eating habits. It's called a Flexitarian! Now isn't that just perfect? :) 

Juicery

While living in Newport I loved Ritual Cleanse. I enjoyed their 3 day cleanse on more than one occasion -- one being right before my wedding. While I wouldn't recommend a juice cleanse for weight loss, it is a great way to jumpstart a diet and rid habits of eating processed foods. I always see such a difference in my skin and hair. Plus, my eyes sparkle! Well, lucky me, just yesterday I was on a walk and I discovered Pressed Juicery in The Cooper building on Los Angeles St. With several locations throughout LA, Pressed Juicery offers cleanses similar to Ritual Cleanse. What I love even more, is that you can buy the juices one at a time (which is great if you're not sure about a cleanse)! There's nothing like a fresh pressed juice to put a little skip in your step... 

Fashion District

If you have any interest in fashion design, crafts, or DIY projects, then the Fashion District is a must. Although it can be a bit overwhelming, whatever you're looking for, it's there at an incredibly low price -- sometimes even lower than the wholesale price! 

I spent a lot of time down here before my wedding. I found the materials to make beautiful sashes for my bridesmaids at a fraction of the price they were selling for at the bridal salon. For a map of the area click here. Happy shopping!  

FigOly

Last week my mom came up for a visit and we went for lunch to a recently opened restaurant called FigOly (it's on the corner of Figueroa and Olympic). It's a part of the Luxe Hotel, directly across from LA Live. Over the weekend, I went back and took Chad for drinks and a quick bite on our walk home from the cinema. The patio is great and the food was delish -- the perfect place to go before or after an event at Staples or LA Live. Take a look...