"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. 

 

pink and green + happy birthday

To celebrate Madeline's 17th birthday we decided on a pink and green theme and just went from there.  Invitations were made using card stock cut into the shape of a tag.  I got the idea of using different fonts from invitations I've seen on Pinterest.

Madeline chose 10 of her favorite quotes and we put them in inexpensive and a few re-purposed frames.  I wrapped them in gingham fabric from Walmart and they played the game of exchanging much like the rules of an ornament exchange.  I found the rules here.

Madeline insisted no candles, no singing happy birthday...so we went with flags made from Lilly Pulitzer gift wrap.  Thank you dear Elizabeth for finding LP paper!

That moment of waiting for her guests to arrive...

Shirley Temples and pink Lemonade. Photo by Bailey.

Twistbands, garden roses and miniature latte bowls from Anthropologie, frames wrapped in gingham fabric and ribbon from Walmart.  I generally wrap everything in Kraft paper, but I was imagining a lot of brown paper covering the table and decided a little piece of fabric would work well. 

Details - The place cards incorporated pink and green twistbands that the girls all love to wear.  I ordered pink stripe straws from Shop Sweet Lulu.  They arrived looking like a little gift...love that.  I made Madeleine's and put them in small cellophane bags sealed with an M sticker.  I used this recipe and they were absolutely delicious!

Brown bags for each girl to take all of her goodies home.