Its finally starting to feel like fall, and I’m freezing my ass off! So I was just reminiscing about my awesome road trip this summer, and decided to share some pics will you guys.
My main man, Jeremy, and I drove down the California coast from Los Angeles to San Diego back in August. Here are some of the pics from the road:
Ok, I’ll admit it: Jeremy and I like museums. Is that kind of nerdy? I used to think so, but then the whole “artsy-hipster” movement took over. Now, visiting a museum is cool. It means you’re cultured, or something.
These photos were taken the day Jer and I visited the LACMA museum in Los Angeles. I figured a knee-length dress and a droopy satchel were the perfect choices for a day of playing tourist. My choice of footwear, however, may not have been as sensible–but these chunky BCBG’s are my current favorites!
Dress – Anthropology (sold out). Gold Boyfriend Watch – Target. Satchel – (I stole it from my sister…). Shoes – BCBG Generation.
On the 2nd Sunday of every month, the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, hosts one of the world’s largest and most unique flea markets. Because this coming Sunday just happens to be the 2nd Sunday of August, I figured it would be a good idea to do a quick blog post on the upcoming festivities. This way, I can encourage you to go on Sunday and give you some advice on it!
Firstly, these pictures were taken at the Rose Bowl Flea Market, when Jeremy and I went in July. So, yeah, the heat was sweltering and the sun was super strong–that’s why the lighting is weird in some of these pics. Anyway, if you’re going to the flea market during the summer months (this week included) you need to wear sunscreen, bring water, and rock comfortable sneakers. You are going to be in the sun all day, and the place is HUGE so you’ll do a lot of walking.
You’re also going to want to bring a bag and lots of cash. Most of the vendors at the flea market only accept cash, and they won’t give you a bag for your purchases. Once at the flea market, you can find lots of free parking in the surrounding area (if you’re willing to walk) or you can pay for parking at the stadium itself.
At the flea market, you’ll find lots of cool trinkets, vintage finds, and tons of antiques! Even if you don’t buy anything, a trip to the flea market is like going to a museum–or stepping into a time machine–it’s an incredible experience. Whether you’re into art, furniture, fashion, or just want to see some cool stuff, I recommend you definitely make the trip this Sunday to the Rose Bowl.
You won’t be disappointed!! Take a look at some of the fun I had when I went:
***Check out this awesome antique necklace I bought that day! Keep your eye on my Instagram account today (@fourelevenblog) for a chance to win it!!***
Been enjoying my New York pics on @fourelevenblog’s Instagram? Glad to see you’re all taking pleasure in my pain–it’s freezing here!!
While this Cali girl is having a super hard time adjusting to the drastic climate change, she’s still finding a way to look cute in this weather: the trick is to layer! Instead of wearing a puffy snow jacket (yes, it’s been snowing…I know, I’m freaking out…) I’ve opted to just layer, layer, layer.
Today I’m combining the leather and military jacket trends to create a double layer of warmth. Under that, I have on a big, cozy sweater from the men’s department. To keep my fingers from turning into little purple icicles, I’m rocking basic black mittens to match my black fringe scarf.
As far as my feet? You wish I would wear clonky snowboots–never! Instead, I’m just wearing my regular (and adorable) Vince Camuto’s with fuzzy socks!
Don’t sacrifice your style and wallet to buy winter gear. You can totally wear your regular clothes in the cold–just layer ‘em!
A few weeks ago I posted a picture on Instagram (@fourelevenblog) of me dressing a mannequin. The location of the photo was labeled as the “Cooper Design Space” (a wholesale fashion mart in downtown LA), and a lot of people started asking me about how and why I was there.
For those of you who don’t already know, I’ve been working in a showroom there since October. It’s pretty hard to believe I haven’t written a post about it yet! So here it is, a day in the life of a showroom intern:
What exactly is a wholesale showroom?
A wholesale showroom is where buyers for different retailers can come to pick out the different items that they want to sell in their stores. In other words, you shop retail in Nordstrom’s stores, but Nordstrom shops wholesale in our showroom. All designers and brands have showrooms to display their lines. Wholesale prices are usually half of what you’d pay for something in a store, but showrooms are not open to the public. You need a retailer’s license to shop in these showrooms, and usually you can’t buy single pieces (you would need to order 6 of each piece.)
What are my jobs?
A lot of merchandising. I hang up samples and organize the many racks of clothes in our showroom. I unpack, steam, price, hang, and take pictures of new samples. I also do a lot of paperwork and filing. (Classic intern stuff…)
Do I get free clothes?
No. I wish I was that cool! But I am able to take advantage of special sample sales and deals within the different showrooms in the building. I’ve met a lot of interesting people in the hallways and elevators who have offered me some great deals on clothes! Also, I can put in a “personal” order on anything in the showroom without having to adhere to the “6 piece minimum” rule, so that’s pretty cool. But I think the coolest part of my job is seeing everything before it is available in retail stores. I get to work with lines that wont be released until July 2014! It’s super exciting and like being “in” on a secret 
Wanna come check out the wholesale scene?
Many of the showrooms downtown host “sample sales” on the last Friday of every month, which are open to the public. You can get great bargains with no sales tax. Some tips: you will need to pay cash, you won’t get shopping bags–so bring one, and there are no dressing rooms. For more info, check out the sample sale page on the CMC’s website.
On my first date with Jeremy, I asked if I could show him around downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) for the day. “Downtown?” He asked, “Why? So we could get mugged?”
This basically sums up the view many LAers share of our downtown district. But lately, downtown has really been cleaning up its act. With new cafes, fancy restaurants, gyms, and shopping destinations popping up all over the 90015, the area is attracting more and more positive attention from tourists and locals alike.
Something new to DTLA that I’m really excited about is the FigAt7th Mall.
The new mall (located on 7th Street and Figueroa…obviously…) already features several great commodities, such as downtown’s first Target, a Gold’s Gym, and a new spa center. The list of eateries at FigAt7th is impressively fun and current with famous names like Sprinkles Cupcakes, Starbucks, California Pizza Kitchen, Morton’s Steakhouse, and dozens more joining the scene.
The mall is generating the most buzz, however, for the new flagship stores set to open their doors in Spring 2014. (A “flagship” store just means it’s the bigger, better, awesomer version of the store you see in your average mall.) The names on this anticipated list include Zara, H&M, Victoria’s Secret, Sunglass Hut, and more!
With all the excitement surrounding this new mall, I had to go check it out for myself. And it looks awesome! The mall is modern, clean, laid out beautifully, and in a prime location. I think it’s safe to say that this little shopoholic will be spending a lot of time here once some of these big ol’ stores open up. Want more info? Check out the Fig&7th website!
Look, you guys! I’m wearing the shoes I made Check out the post by clicking this pic.