west coast, west coast.

Whoa! LA!
The flight here was endless...I couldn't sleep. The movie was horrible. I ate a ridiculous amount of dried fruit (bad idea) and my stomach was killing me. I read an entire book. I listened to two tapes over and over again (with my new bff, the Sony Walkman). Then I switched to my Ipod. I was cranky. The girl two seats away was moving to LA to live with her boyfriend. Unfortunately it was all she could (very loudly) discuss with her neighbors for the entire flight.

But then...we were here! Our hotel (in Beverly Hills) is tiny and cute, with a Sixties-French-meets-SE Asia flair. Awesome french pressed coffee every morning. Lots of pillows and a down duvet and nice toiletries.

Yesterday: first, shopping in Beverly Hills. Mostly boring, because I couldn't afford anything for myself and I didn't want to blow my sample budget in one day. Next, I drove us to Los Feliz. Things were looking up. The boutiques were cuter/edgier and the prices dropped considerably. And then...the moment I was waiting for: Echo Park! Every Los Angeleno I know has told me that this is the neighborhood for me. Totally true! More amazing coffee...super cute vintage stores...and (last but definitely not least)...Show Pony...a store belonging to Kime Buzzelli, one of my favorite living artists (her blog is "The Moldy Doily"). I swallowed my nervousness and said something silly like, "Hey...I read your blog every day!" And then we talked for at least 2o minutes. I was still excited about this as I drove us back to Beverly Hills.

Items purchased for myself yesterday: a Kime Buzzelli t-shirt and a tube dress made of vintage horse-printed fabric. Not bad when one considers that I had to spend 8 hours shopping yesterday!

Last night: fancy dinner, numerous drinks (an odd assortment of champagne, absinthe, red wine, and limoncello), a hot bath...and then I fell asleep listening to Portishead (nostalgic for the 90s, I guess).

Today: I woke up before dawn to go to the Rose Bowl flea market. Seriously...this was the best flea market ever...at least, for a girl with great interest in ponchos, moccasins, mexican embroidery, and fringe. I could have bought a ton, but I was focusing on work. Nonetheless...I found a pair of vintage overalls (finally!). Also: some cute Native American-ish sweaters and a mindblowing rust-colored suede/alpaca (or something) coat. My total personal spending? $60!!!!

We spent the rest of the day in spendy boutiques...inspirational but mostly unfulfilling. By the late afternoon, we were the walking dead.

I'm back at the hotel...about to take a shower and don my glitzy top, because Corye is coming to my hotel. We're having dinner somewhere vegan-friendly and then who knows? I'm hoping for moderate champagne consumption and maximum girl talk.

I have to wake up early yet again tomorrow, drive to Hollywood and then Santa Monica...and then catch the redeye back to Philadelphia. It sounds worse than it will really be, I promise.

More later (and hopefully some photos, too)...

P.S. The photo was taken in my hotel room (Maison 140). I'm obsessed with the mirrors by the bed. I'm convinced a good composition is in there somewhere.