As I said in my last outfit post, I had the pleasure of jet setting to the West Coast to visit one of my BFFS, Tiona,  recently. I’ve known about this trip for awhile but in true cathclaire fashion, I left all of the packing until the last minute. Thankfully, my travelers guardian angel reminded me to pack light and to bring a larger suitcase than necessary in anticipation of LA shopping. Here is what was in my over sized suitcase:

( Utility Camo Jacket: Forever 21 (worn here, & here), Eyelash Slip: Free People (worn here),  Peak Black Multi boots (with a gold sparkle): Steve Madden , Le Color Destroyed Skinny Jean: Frame Denim, ‘Bia’ Bikini: Vix , Remmy Sunnies: Raen (worn here, here, & here), Rykie Ankle Strap Heel: Steven by Steve Madden , Satin Lipstick: NARS “tolede”  ) 

Truth be told, packing isn’t the only task I leave until the last minute. Everything is the only task I leave until the last minute. That being said, I scooted on over to Barnes & Noble with a specific airplane book in mind the night before my flight. Shopping for books is never more fun than when you are shopping for an airplane book if you ask me, but anyway… the book I had in mind was “I’ll Drink to That” by Betty Halbreich. I guess the early bird really does get the worm because this book was nowhere to be found except on the internet with a 2 day shipping timeline that I clearly didn’t have. What else did I have left to do except play the game called walk-down-the-fiction-isle-and-grab-the-first-book-that-speaks-to-you game invented by yours truly. The result? Valley of Dolls by Jaqueline Susann.

Valley of Dolls was published in the 1966 and was well ahead of its time. When I realized that it held world records and such, I dubbed the above mentioned game I played in Barnes & Noble successful. I’ve enjoyed the book in its entirety and found it especially interesting because the 70s sprung out of late 60s fashion, all of which is making a comeback in fashion today. Below are a few pics of Valley Of Doll’s experience throughout the trip.

Valley of Dolls in the ATL airport hanging out at PF Changs.

Valley of Dolls on the flight to California.

Valley of Dolls laying out in Cali.

Despite my last minute tendencies, I made it to the airport with enough time to read a significant amount of my airplane book and to enjoy an airport brew. Two things that saved me on this long a** flight: lululemon leggings & the delta app. The Delta app acted as a pseudo personal assistant for me because it updated constantly and left me a lot of flexibility to wander around the airport instead of my usual: to be glued to my gate when traveling by myself. What can I say, I tend to be a scaredy cat when it comes to the possibility of missing my flight.

Lululemon legging airport attire, check.

Fast forward traveling time and a 3 hour time difference, and I arrived in the City of Angels in one piece. After freshening up and getting into a more Southern California  appropro outfit, Tiona and I headed to Hyde on Sunsent Blvd for Post Modern Jukebox Night. Not only did I enjoy the most delicious cocktail with fresh red pepper extract in it (The Love Unit) but I experienced the best live entertainment. Holy talent. Check out this video to see exactly why my first night in Cali at Hyde blew me away.  Fun fact: Biebs made an appearance the week after I was there. Yes, I am 26 years old and yes, I care.

Hyde while waiting for the beginning of Post Modern Night

The time change was killing me the next morning- but I wasn’t going to let it stop me from exploring. I woke up, got some fuel at Le Pain in Brentwood & began my solo Cali day. What did I do you ask? Well, I spent the majority of my time at The Grove. Malls make me feel at home, especially outdoor ones that Cam Gigandet frequents with a baby strapped to his body. I was looking for something to the likes of this:

My treasure hunt may have not resulted in a Cam Gigandet sighting but I did get a blowout at the Nordstroms Blow bar (a special treat since RVA doesn’t have this luxury yet and only $35), some fun Forever 21 & Free People pieces, & a happy hour glass of Rosè at Morels Steak House.

Being in a family of 9 kids, I am not one to venture off to do anything by myself. Growing up, I always had someone to be my sidekick so I was proud of myself for chatting it up with strangers and exploring LA on my own. After my independence was established (lol), I met a friend for some Cali mexican. (I’m sure this comes as no surprise since we mentioned our love for mexican too many times in the travel NYC post.) I met her right across the street from The Grove at El Carmen Tequila & Taco Bar on 3rd for some catching up & guacamole. I was into the red lighting and the decor, check out El Carmen if you get out to Los Angeles and share my love of guac.

Later that night, Tiona & I made it out to Warwick for some dancing. This place was my jam because they played about 10 Drake songs in a row. If you like Drake and like to dance like moi, that is your place.

The next day, we went to the Chateau Marmont for lunch. Now we are to my favorite part of the whole trip. Once I got to our table on the patio, I loved it so much it was like I was physically glued to my seat and was never going to be willing to leave. My BFF and I drank yummy Rosè, chatted it up with Lenny Kravitz (jk but we did see him), and enjoyed our lunch in the most angelic scenery of all time. Life goal: to frequent the Chateau.

Besides being touristy and treasure hunting around The Grove, I also got a chance to go thrifting and to venture out to Malibu. My favorite second hand store that I visited was Wasteland. There are several locations of Wasteland but I’ve heard from valuable sources that the one on Melrose has the best pieces. I can personally attest to that advice because I scored the most beautiful leather jacket. Stay tuned for this beauty to show up in future outfit posts! As for Malibu, there are no words. Not only is Malibu absolutely gorgeous but the drive from LA to Malibu is absolutely breath taking.

Patio of Paradise Cove Beach Cafe, where we dined that evening.

Don’t you dare think that I was going to end this travel post without a brunch recommendation. Tiona took me to Tarte Restaurant on Fairfax Avenue right next to the Farmers Daughter Hotel. The brunch was delicious but my favorite part was the punch bowls. Yes, they are exactly what you think they are – a ginormous bowl of delicious tasting alcohol infused punch. We opted for the Blackberry flavored vodka bowl called “Blackballing Punch” and it was to die for. If you sit outside on the patio, they have a super fun and talented Bass player named Dream Upright who goes around to each table serenading you. Talk about service. Another fun aspect about Tarte? If you are feeling wild and in the mood for a free brunch, you can jump into the Farmers Daughter hotel pool fully clothed. We witnessed, and by witnessed I mean snap chatted, that plunge first hand and it was quite the cool experience!

I don’t have a single negative thing to say about Los Angeles except for that fact that my trip was too short, Reb & my bf Kevin couldn’t make it, and that Buddha the maltipoo didn’t get to experience the fun Cali vibes. I cannot wait to get back out to California with the whole crew for more explorations and you can bet your bottom dollar its gunna be soon!

PS Stay tuned for my next Cali outfit post and for my latest one here.

Until next time,

Cath xx

The post A Guide to Visiting Los Angeles, California appeared first on the crystal press fashion blog.