Winter Blooms

 

 

 

When I think of winter I think of dry bare trees, making the city look old and dirty. But if you look closely you'd be surprised to find beautiful bright flowers that spruce up the city. To be honest when I was younger I would never take time to notice these beautiful trees or smell the roses. So one day I finally decided to take notice.

 

Everyday I go to work I pass a factory that has white trees lining their parking lot and in one corner a big orange tree. So one warm Saturday I finally decided to stop and take a closer look. I fell in love with the colors, flowers and size of these trees.  Now all I need to know, what are the names of these beautiful trees?


TBT: New York

 

 Ever since I've known my husband the only place he's ever wanted to visit was New York city. So the second big vacation my husband and I took as a married couple was to New York city. I had gone to New York prior to getting married with my sister and friends and it was a cool experience but very tiring. I guess as an Angeleno I wasn't used to all the walking. Nobody walks in LA! Anyways, in today's TBT post I wanted to share some pictures of the trip my husband and I made to New York. These photos were taken with a basic Cannon camera.

 

To see previous TBT posts click here.

 

What's the point?

 

 The big day of love is over. Valentine's day this year landed on a Sunday. When you work in an office, Valentines starts on Friday. It starts on Friday because some of your coworkers receive flowers on this day. So whenever this holiday lands on a weekend Valentines always starts on Friday. I know this because I've worked in an office environment for about 15 years and have plenty of years to observe this. Every time I wonder why?

 

Why would your love one want to send you flowers on the eve of the holiday or in some years up to two days in advance? Do significant others  feel like its necessary to demonstrate their love towards you in public otherwise it doesn't count? Do they feel like its necessary for their partners to have something to show off to their colleagues so they don't feel left out? Do they get a better deal if they buy in advance?

 

Maybe all of those scenarios apply, but guys, thanks to social media you can show off regardless of when Valentine's day lands on.

 



A Hot Winter's Day

 

 

 

 

On February 7, 2016, it was 88 degrees.



February

 

Can you guys believe it's February? I still can't believe 2015 is done and over with, let alone 2 months into the new year. I've been feeling a little anxious knowing that in one month it will be an entire year my dad has been gone. I can't believe it, and sometimes I feel like time does not help. I feel like if anything its more days, weeks and months that I haven't seen him. Knowing that more time will add up and I will never see him breaks my heart all over again. I still can't talk about him because my eyes fill up with tears with just the thought of him. A knot takes over my throat and prevents me from spitting the words out. Sometimes I feel like this will never change and I worry that not speaking of him is wrong but I just can't. 

My DTLA Favorites

So this post is a little different from my typical post, it's more like a guide to my favorite shops in Downtown LA, specifically flower, textile and fashion district. Now, I should start of by saying that one of my favorite things to do when I get to downtown is eating a hot dog!  This dog is not your typical ketchup and mustard dog, this dog is wrapped in bacon, covered with guacamole pico de gallo, grilled veggies and topped with ketchup and mustard. I usually get mine with only bacon and guacamole pico de gallo, as pictured above. Okay, enough of these delicious hot dogs. 

Where to park? We usually park on wall street, I believe the address is 855 wall street, the entrance is a small narrow drive way that takes you above the building. We like to park here because it's conveniently located to in the middle of all districts. Also, this parking comes with a view.  Another plus of this parking lot, is when you come down the elevator and walk out to the street, you will find a hot dog vendor. I should also mention they sell other stuff like tacos and quesadillas. Okay, I'll try not to bring up the hot dogs anymore. 

On Wall Street you will find The Original Los Angeles Flower Market.  This place is great, they have tons of beautiful flowers at great prices. Keep in mind, they close early so if you plan on visiting make sure you get there early. On Saturdays you will find the Farmers Market on Wall Street between 7th & 8th Street. Oh my God you guys, one of the vendors at this farmers market sells the most delicious hummus and greek yogurt. It's called Brothers Products, all organic and yummy. You must try the cilantro humus, sun dried tomato spread, and the fig greek yogurt. Those are my all-time favorites!! But my number one is the fig greek yogurt. Ugh! It's to die for. 

This next place is not on Wall Street but very nearby, its on San Julian Street and is walking distance from Wall Street, it's Moskatels This place is great if you are planning a party, you'll find things you normally wouldn't find at Party City. This place also has some items you can use for home decor. 

One of my favorite things to do is check out the fabrics! There are so many beautiful fabrics. I don't have a particular favorite store because there is just so much but the general area is off of 7th, 8th, 9th, and Maple Street. I could spend all day in the fabric district, when I'm there I wish I knew how to sew, had enough money to buy everything, and wish I could drape my whole house with  curtains made out of the beautiful fabrics sold here. 

While I've never bought anything at this store I think it's worth mentioning, only because it has some of the most beautiful selection of fabrics that you probably will not be able to find in the other shops. This shop is Michael Levine Inc. everything in fabric and notions. I should warn you, you will fall in love and get heartbroken, this store is pricey. 

Now on to fashion, first store up is Shiba Designs. This is your go to store for boho/ gypsy chic needs! They have everything from dresses, shoes, jewelry, coats, etc. My mom, sister and I can spend all day here. 

If you are looking for accessories that are hot right now, your best bets are  Bijoux-Bijoux and Cebu.  Okay you should know that you aren't going to find any designer handbags at these stores but you will find some designer inspired handbags that are cute, fashionable and very reasonable in price. Let's face it fashions come and go in the blink of an eye and not everyone can keep up getting a new designer handbag every season. So if you want to switch things up for less head to Tuya Handbags. Tons of bags and the owner is super nice. 

My last recommendation is a new discovery to my sister and I, HM Hormiguitas Inc. This store is insanely stocked with low budget makeup like L.A. Girl, NYX, L.A Colors, and Jordana to name a few. These brands are very economical but really great products. 

So this basically sums up some of my favorite shops in the flower, fashion, and textiles district. This is good map of the entire area. I know some of you are thinking hey "she forget a bunch of cool places like the Broadway corridor,  Grand Central Market, and Cliftons."  I didn't forget, I just feel like those places deserve a post of their own. 

Lastly, one of my favorite things in DTLA is to admire the amazing old buildings, it's nice to see how so many old buildings are being revamped lately. 

I'd love to hear what your favorite places and things to do in DTLA, so feel free to leave a comment. 

Resolutions?

Can you guys believe it's 2016? I sure can't. Did you guys make any resolutions? Every year my resolution is to loose weight and every year I fail. This year I decided I would skip making resolutions and get real. Enjoy life, be healthy and if I happen to loose weight along the way, then good for me.  Sometimes I feel when I restrict myself from certain things I put to much pressure on myself and fail. So yes, I did indulge in this amazing crêpe cake four days into the year but I shared it with my friend and we didn't eat the whole thing. Baby steps.

I hope you guys have a great year and achieve all your resolutions and if you don't keep trying, because just like my Pinterest board says:  

"Keep going. Each step may get harder, but don't stop. The view is beautiful on top."