"Yes Please"

I asked my daughter over morning coffee if she would like to go to LA for the day and her reply was, "yes please."  Good answer, because sometimes it's just a good idea to get out of the hood...our familiar surroundings.  It's not all that easy to do in Southern California.  It was actually less stressful to go into Manhattan when we lived about 40 miles outside the city in Connecticut.  LA traffic...it's as bad as everyone says it is...period.  Still, there's much to see and experience in Los Angeles.  My daughter Madeline and I love to shop and eat, so that's what we did in LA on this beautiful October day.

We found ourselves complaining that putting in two quarters only registered 15 minutes on the meter.  Wait a minute...that's only $2 per hour.  Aren't we used to spending $15 an hour in some midtown NYC parking garages?  Why are we complaining?  They even make it as easy as inserting a credit card and adding minutes.  Okay, maybe there's a few things good about LA.  We had a good laugh about a Woody Allen quote Madeline heard from her AP English teacher.  It goes something along the lines of "the only cultural advantage that LA has over New York is that you can turn right on red."

We had lunch at Chin Chin in Beverly Hills for less than $20 and brought some home.  This part of BH seems, at least to us, off the beaten path and far less typical of what you might think of Beverly Hills.  Madeline is embracing the preppy style and I have to say I am loving it!  Jewelry:  Helen Ficolora "M" charm necklace, acorn locket on long chain, Madewell, bracelets, H&M, TAG Heuer watch, her dad's.

The corner of Beverly and Charleville.  Dimsum at Chin Chin.

What she's wearing. . . Prep head to toe starting with a Burberry sweater of mine from like 15 years ago, her little brother's Ralph Lauren shirt, Coach bag, a recent Thrift store find, cut off shorts from American Eagle Outfitters and  Sperry Top-siders.

We ended our day by strolling through the Farmers Market and a little shopping at The Grove.  There is so much going on here on a Saturday evening.  We heard live music from Midnight Train and there was an outdoor movie going on as well.  So how did you spend your Saturday?

Preppy Post - Take 2

A while back I did a post on the topic of preppy fashion and apparently I incorrectly linked something and it made by blog disappear.  But with the help of fellow bloggers, I figured it out.  In the 1980s I was as preppy as it gets.  Living in Denver there were stores like Aspen Leaf and the Buccanneer and it was all about prep.  Today I found another copy of the original Preppy Handbook for $1 at a thrift store in Laguna Beach.  It will make a great gift...that is if I can ever let go of any of my thrift store finds.  I become very attached.

Preppy feet...Patrick wearing Sperry Top-Siders and Madeline loves her  Jack Rogers...

Kind of love the Jack Rogers box and I think the Sperry box has the same look as it did in the 80's.

Another come back from the 80's...The original Clark desert boots.  Right out of the box they are so comfortable.....just like they were back then.  I think Patrick will need a pair of these too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We love Kiel James Patrick!  We discovered these bracelets last spring and she's been wearing it ever since.  I think it's about time we look into a fall colored bracelet.  And I'm pretty sure she'll find a pair of these in her stocking...check out their new earrings...clip-ons, if you can believe it!  Everything is made in the USA and most of it in Rhode Island...even the piece of fabric and the string they use to tie it up...it arrives looking like a little gift.  If you haven't already read the interview with Kiel James Patrick and Sarah Vickers in Matchbook Magazine...go...it makes me want to trade in my Volvo for a Ford. 

 

Missoni + Target = madness

I had been planning for weeks to ditch my workout class and head straight to Target for the Missoni collection.  I knew it might be a little crazy, but had no idea that by 8 in the morning everything would be gone!  This is what the racks looked like.

I wasn't really shopping for myself, but had promised my daughter I would check it out for her.  I was thinking some cute pajamas, cute little dress or a sweater....all gone.  Racks were empty and women (the ones that weren't already home having their second cup of coffee) were roaming around with full carts of Missoni stuff.  Really?  It's not like they are giving it away.  When I left I watched as two gals stuffed a couple of Missoni bikes into a small SUV.  Do they really need bikes or will they end up on ebay...I'm just wondering.

I didn't walk away empty handed.  I found a pair of rain boots in Madeline's size and a couple of pairs of gloves and a scarf in kids.  It reminded me of the movie "Confessions of a Shopaholic."  "Do I need these?"  She rationalizes the need for gloves because she has hands...okay then. 

add-a-pearl + madewell and brandy melville

We recently came across my add-a-pearl necklace that I had as a baby.  I hadn't even thought about giving it to Madeline.  As soon as she opened the box, she put it on and said she gets compliments every day.  It really does look so sweet on her.  She's wearing it with a denim shirt from Madewell.  We both LOVE this store!  We started shopping at the first one in SoHo and then Greenwich, CT.  When we moved west we used to have to drive to LA, but now there's one at South Coast Plaza.  She paired it with a stripe tee from Brandy Melville.  We came across this store in Santa Monica last summer and now there's one in Fashion Island, Newport Beach.  The price point seems to be around $28 for tops and surprisingly everything holds up well.  Have you shopped at Madewell or Brandy Melville?

I found out after a google search that add-a-pearl is a Chicago based company since 1854.