Los Angeles trip: Part 1

This past weekend contained both a happy and sad anniversary. It has become tradition for both my boyfriend and I to get away for the weekend and since we weren't able to go desert camping we decided on our usual trip up to Los Angeles. I really do love Los Angeles in small spurts so a two or three day trip is perfect. Lots of driving and walking was involved but it still ended up being a relaxing two day getaway.

Our first stop on our trip was lunch in the Fashion District. Down a tiny nondescript alley is Bronzed Aussie. Blink and you'll miss the sign for it. Bronzed Aussie is a must eat for me because of my love for meat pies. The owner was working there on our last trip up and you could tell how much pride she takes in her food; her face lit up when we said that the pie we had was delicious. This trip we each got a pie. I went with the standard mince pie while my boyfriend got the chicken, bacon and mushroom. The crust was light and flaky on both even after being in a warmer for awhile. The mince pie needed no added sauce. It was filled with tomato flavor and the gravy was top notch. The chicken pie was also delicious but needed a tiny bit of hot sauce. The flavor of the chicken pie was on point but on the milder side.

Alleyway with Bronzed Aussie to the left

Mince pie (left) and the chicken bacon mushroom pie (right)

Bronzed Aussie 
714 S Los Angeles St a, Los Angeles, CA 90014

I wanted to explore more of the Fashion District this time around. We spent quite some time walking around and looking into the various textile, trim and leather shops that surround the area. I managed to find some remnant pieces for half off at Michael Levine's and we stumbled upon a leather shop with $20 hides. I picked up a gorgeous deep purple and rose gold hide. It has some shine and almost looks like the purple was hand painted on. The hide is large enough that I will be able to make more than a few card cases and simple clutches out of it. Santee Alley was also an interesting place. I can see why people flock to it; cheap prices and rows upon rows of shops. I will admit that some of the clothing was pricier than I thought it should be but then again, I've done a lot of looking on AliExpress.

The leather shop

Grand Central Market

After our walk around the Fashion District we rested a couple hours before heading out downtown. Some happy hour drinks at Seven Grand and food from Grand Central Market were in order! We have our own version of Grand Central Market down here in San Diego (Liberty Public Market) but for some reason I prefer L.A.'s version and I can't pin point why. Maybe because it's a bit more gritty and market-like than ours. Like the last time we were there my boyfriend and I split up our meals. I opted for the curried shrimp from Bombo and the boyfriend chose the maccheroni and cheese with added prosciutto from Knead & Co.

Curried shrimp from Bombo

The curried shrimp has generous portions of large shrimp in it and was served in a creamy curry broth along with crushed peanuts, chili paste, roasted onion, kabocha squash, potatoes and rice. It was surprisingly spicy, the good kind. The heat built up the more you ate but the flavors of everything all blended well together. The jumbo shrimp were just a tad overcooked but that may be because I let my dish sit for an extra 5 minutes while my boyfriend waited for his pasta.

Maccheroni and cheese from Knead & Co.

My boyfriend ended up loving his maccheroni and cheese but then again, he's a cheese fiend. Made up of three cheeses (fontina fonduta, goat cheese and mozzerella) it was on the milder side of mac and cheese but all the flavors shown through. He added prosciutto to it and the saltiness of the meat played well with the mild cheese.

McConnell's Fine Ice Cream

After our filling meals we wandered around a bit and ended up sharing an iced coffee from Valerie's (G&B Coffee was closed) and two scoops of ice cream from McConnell's Fine Ice Cream. The ice cream was fantastic. Dense but still light and didn't start melting right after being scooped (which is great because we spent more than a few minutes watching a small protest march by). The churros con leche flavor was packed full of cinnamon and had bits of chewy batter pieces in it. The other flavor we tried, eureka lemon and marionberries, was my favorite. It was tart and tangy with the sweetness from the marionberries. Very refreshing and it paired well with the cinnamon from the churros con leche.

Grand Central Market

317 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Overall, our first day was a success. I may have mixed up our museums (don't ask) but the sights, food and drinks made the day a fantastic one.

October Favorites

I can't believe it's already November! October went by far too quickly

My favorites list this month is fairly small. I've tried quite a few new things but only a handful have made it into my daily routine. 

1. Pure & Aqua Purequa moisture water cleansing sheets ($4.98 for 50 sheets): I'm usually not a big fan of makeup remover wipes but some days you either get lazy or just need a quick cleaning when you get home from work and it's too early to start your night routine. I picked up a pack of these sheets at Marukai and I really, really enjoy them. The sheets are fairly large and moist and feel gentle when removing makeup. Instead of feeling dry afterward my skin feels slightly moisturized due to the hyaluronic acid in the sheets. 

2. Korres bergamot pear hand cream ($14.50 for 2.54 oz): Thanks to the weather and all the fabric dyeing I've been doing my hands have been extremely dry. None of my standard hand creams have felt moisturizing enough. Korres' is great; it's thick and super moisturizing but sinks in fast and doesn't leave my hands feeling greasy (which is a hell no in my book). The scent is also light and fresh. I feel like this tube is going to last me months since a little goes a long way. 

3. Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot powder ($16.00 for 0.31 oz): I'll admit that I only owned this powder for a few days in October but I already know that it's one of my new favorites. It goes on smooth and doesn't irritate any of my dry spots while, at the same time, helping out the oil slick that is my t-zone. I tend to use quite a bit of powder and unlike some that I've used in the past I don't look overly powdery with it. I still need to blot during lunchtime but that's a given. The price point of this powder is also stellar, especially when you use one of Ulta's ever present coupons on it 

4. Too Faced Hangover replenishing face primer ($32.00 for 1.35 oz): I used to think primers were kind of gimmicky but then again, maybe I just hadn't found the right one for me. I had a deluxe sample size of this primer and really enjoyed it; so much so that I'll be purchasing a full size during the Sephora sale. It played well with both my oily t-zone and dry cheeks. My foundation (ABH stick foundation) blended in beautifully and my dry spots stayed moisturized. It even seemed to help my t-zone from becoming too much like an oil slick. 

5. Urban Decay Vice lipstick in sheer Shame ($17.00 for 0.11 oz): After trying out Glossier's Generation G line I've kind of fallen in love with sheer lipsticks. The unfortunate thing is that the Glossier line seemed to dry out my lips something fierce after daily use. To replace my favorite shade, Jam, I turned to Urban Decay's sheer Shame. It's a gorgeous berry, not as deep as Jam, and slightly glossy. Shame is fairly moisturizing and has decent staying power for a sheer. It's a great everyday work appropriate lipstick. One swipe will give you a barely there flush and two or three will give you a deeper berry.