Category Archives: shopping

Shop for Success: A Pop Up Store

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Nothing quite like shopping for a good cause, right?

Shop for SuccessLA LogoAnd no one does shopping for a good cause, quite like Dress for Success.

This coming weekend (starting tomorrow), Dress for Success Worldwide ­ West is providing the most fashionable women with a head start on their holiday shopping with Shop for Success, the third annual, four-day pop-up shop on December 4-7, 2013.

If designer duds are you thing, you’ll definitely want to check this out.  They’ll be offering deals on merchandise from more than 100 brands like Cynthia Rowley, Catherine Malandrino, David Meister, Henri Bendel, LAMB and Stuart Weitzman.

This event is free and open to the public.  

Thursday-Friday, December 5-6th: 10 a.m. ­ 8 p.m.

Saturday, December 7th: 10 a.m. ­ 6 pm

For more details, visit Shop For Success LA 

Pinup Girl Yard Sale

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PUG-YardsaleWill you be heading to the annual Pinup Girl Clothing Yardsale in Burbank, this weekend? I hear they draw quite the crowd.  And they carry everything from sizes XS – 4X.

November 9th

10am – 4pm

ATB Studios 157 W. Providencia Ave, Burbank, CA 91502

Clothes , Shoes ,Swimwear, Accessories,

Sizes XS-4X Priced from $5 – $60

Food Trucks, Music, and FREE PARKING!

Cash and Credit Cards accepted!

*NO strollers, large bags, carts of any kind.

Believe it or not, it was my husband that brought this to my attention.  Not because he has a thing for pinup girls (LOL – though who doesn’t, really?). Nope, he just wants a bahn mi from the Mandoline Grill.

ZenaMoon: Candles With Intention

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I know it’s been a while….a long, long while, since I’ve written anything here.  To be honest, not all that much has been going on.

Yes, I’ve been traveling.  Yes, I’ve been seeing tons of concerts and shows (including traveling to concerts and shows).  Yes, I’ve been lucky enough to attend some cool events. And yes, I have recently gone gluten free and have been learning my ins and out around that.  But nothing big enough, or exciting enough has gone down that I felt compelled enough to open this puppy up and get writing again.

Until today.  Yep, today I finally felt like it was time to pick things up again.

What’s that magic THING you ask?

Why it’s ZenaMoon and Carla’s amazing candles, of course.  And talk about magical…each candle is handmade with love and intention with a special blend of scents and gemstones.

Now I wouldn’t say these candles are something you buy because it matches your decor or your favorite scent.  No, these candles have a purpose. For my upcoming summer of focus and producivity (after what feels like one of my most wasted and unproductive years in quite some time), I opted for the a candle for writing and coming out of hiding.  And Carla included a fun little giftie self-nurture candle (which I’m burning as I write this).

The orange and cranberry swirled a candle for writing candle is scented with mango and orange and has carnelian gemstone mixed in.  Carnelian is said to protect from bad vibrations, guard against poverty, strengthen courage, vitality, confidence and action. And according to one source, “in ancient times it was used in battle to impart courage to warriors and in public speaking to bestow the gift of eloquence.”  The gift of eloquence will certainly be helpful when writing, no?

The beautiful, purpley-green swirly coming out of hiding candle is scented with freesia and mint (yum!).  And has aventurine which is said to have properties to increase perception and creative insight.  And bring on the luck.  Works for me.

I can’t wait to light them up and get busy!!

You can find out more about Carla and ZenaMoon by visiting her website.

Calling All You Sassy City Chicks!

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One of my favorite fashion events is the Sassy City Chicks event.  And lucky for us, there’s another one coming up on November 3rd.  There’s shopping, there’s cocktails, there’s even spa treatments and goody bags!  It’s a fun night with your girlfriends.

And you can WIN FREE TICKETS: the first 25 fashionistas who enter LAGAL at checkout will win a Sassy Tote Ticket!

*Ticket includes: admission – swag bag – cocktails – spa treatments

And I’ve yet to leave empty handed.  So definitely check it out!

WHO: Sassy City Chicks

WHAT: Los Angeles Fall Fashion Bash

WHERE: 6060 Wilshire Blvd. (@ Fairfax)

WHEN: Thursday, November 3rd, 2011 from 5 – 10PM

Major discounts on Fall apparel & accessories- just in time for the holidays! Featuring deep discounts on major labels like Free People, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Elie Tahari, Denimocracy, Members Only, and LNA. Complimentary cocktails will be served, courtesy of Pinnacle Vodka and Qream Liqueur. Guests can also enjoy FREE mini spa services from a selection of LA’s hottest salons.

Casting Call: Are You a Thrifty Bargainista?

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Is your family the thriftiest in America? Do you refuse to pay full price? Are you always on the lookout for the best deals?

Calling all coupon experts, yard sale fanatics, thrift store wizards, swap meet junkies and super savers for a brand new show on a major network! We are looking for teams of two or more – couples, siblings, best friends etc. This show will be the chance to put your bargain hunting skills to the test in a fun competition and win a big prize!

If you live in Southern California and will do anything to save a buck. Please email your story and a photo to Ellen Rakieten Entertainment.

Interested parties are also welcome to contact her directly.

Emily Sweet
Casting Producer
Ellen Rakieten Entertainment
Office (323) 860-8623

Artisinal LA: A Fun Way to Shop

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Artisanal LA Spring Show 2011 at Santa Monica Place

This past weekend was the Artisinal LA show in Santa Monica.  I wasn’t lucky enough to attend their previous events (sometimes I feel like I live under a rock).  This year the event was held at the Santa Monica Place.

This was my first time at the recently remodeled Santa Monica Place and I have to say, I was impressed.  I loved the open air, beach breezes quality (completely different feel and vibe than the Century City mall).  And of course, the views were amazing.  Now if we could just do something about that traffic and the parking situation all would be good.

The event itself was awesome.  I went late on Saturday so the place was pretty empty (and crazy hot).  It was easy to move around and taste all the great foods and drinks.  Looking over the photos in the Artisinal LA Flickr pool, I obviously missed out on quite a few vendors.  That might have explained some of the empty booth spaces or I could have just made a wrong turn and missed out on something awesome.  It happens.

Some of my favorite products were (in no particular order):

  • Cookie Good – Wow, these were some amazing handmade cookies.  My favorite was the Peanut Butter Candy Bar cookie (it didn’t make it out of the parking lot before my husband and I devoured it!).  And I must say, I loved chatting with them (and am considering contacting them for an interview on my podcast series…when I get that up and running – LOL).
  • Gotta Have S’more – I’ll admit, I’ve known of Carmen for a while now as we’re both in the Crave LA book.  If you haven’t yet tasted her version of s’mores (and I typically don’t like s’mores at all), you will be in head-over-heels, can’t put it down, love!  They’re that good.
  • Sugar Bird Teas – I love tea.  A lot.  So I was thrilled to be able to sample some new tea blends.  Their Earl Grey with Vanilla sounds divine.  But I was impressed with their English Breakfast, a long time favorite of mine.
  • Brandt Beef – You hear about how much better corn-fed, hormone-free, sustainably farmed meat could be, but I wasn’t ready for just how amazingly good it was.  With how infrequently we eat beef in our home I just might be able to convince my husband that this is the way to go.
  • VeeV Açai Spirit – Vodka is my alcohol of choice, but to be honest, depending on my mood, I’ll pretty much drink any spirit (as long as it’s not beer, I’m good).  This was my first time trying VeeV and it had a very smooth, vodka-like taste to it – so I would basically use it in any sort of cocktail that called for vodka.  The Spa Cooler they were sampling was so very, very good.
  • Global Gardens – These guys had some great olive oils and vinegars on hand.  Their olive oil was nice and fruity, but it was their walnut oil that wowed me.  Made me wish I was a bit more confident in my cooking to play around with quality oils.  Both their fig and their pomegranate vinegars were beyond good.
  • Imaculate Confections’ Liquor Cakes – I mentioned that I’m a fan of liquor, right?  Well, it goes without saying that this gal also loves cake.  So combine the two and I am ALL OVER IT!  No really, I make a mean rum cake!  While I was tempted by all their awesomely, boozy cakes, I figured the hubs needed a treat, so I picked up the Dark Chocolate Stout (Guinness) Cake with Vanilla Tinted Glaze.  Um…I don’t like beer, but I loved this cake. Yes, I could taste the Guinness, but I could also taste the chocolatey goodness.  Plus I served it with sliced strawberries so that helped mellow the stout-ness.

I’ll say that I bought a gift for a friend at one of these booths mentioned above, but since she follows along I don’t want to ruin the surprise.  There were many other yummies to partake of, but these guys were by far my favorites.

The cool thing about all of this…in late May (5/21), many of these artisinal food purveyors will be setting up shop in a more permanent way at the Santa Monica Place’s new Market Place.  And my favorite cooking school, The Gourmandise School will also be setting up shop there.  I can’t wait (bet you can’t guess what’s on my birthday wish list?).

I didn’t think to bring my own camera (and my lemon of an iPhone takes horrible photos and has even more horrible connection capabilities) so I borrowed a few photos to share below.  But I do encourage you to check out the pool of photos on Flickr to see everyone that was there.

The KleanSpa table

I do love my Klean Spa products!!

p.o.p. candy

P.O.P. makes some awesome toffee!

Pork nuts aren't what u think @CastIronGourmet heh @ArtisanalLA

Pork Nuts...not quite what you might be thinking 😉

Photo Credits via Flickr: greenlagirl, marco1019 & Caroline on Crack

Who Doesn’t Love a Good Bargain?

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I think one of my favorite things about living in Los Angeles has to be the access to all the various sample sales around town. And not just sample sales, but whole, full-on events devoted to shopping the samples.

We have Shecky’s (though I’ve yet to go), Sassy City Chicks (love them), Pretty City (really looking forward to the next on coming soon) and the premiere Lucky Shops. But I must say, I’m most looking forward to Kurvee. An entire shopping event for the plus-sized gal. Awesome!

If you’re not up for a sample sale event, then be sure to check out Bargains LA and their killer sample sale app (available on iTunes). With the Bargains LA gang and their handy app, you’ll never be far from a sample sale.

Happy Shopping!!!

Win FREE Tickets to the Sassy City Chicks Spring Fashion Bash

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SPRING INTO FASHION: SASSY CITY CHICKS RETURN TO THE PETERSEN FOR ANOTHER FASHION BASH

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WHO: Sassy City Chicks Los Angeles Fashion Bash

WHAT: A highly-anticipated Shopping Event for women in Los Angeles, hosted at The Petersen Automotive Museum on Wilshire Blvd.- the opportunity to shop spring fashions at prices up to 80% off retail and a raffle to include select media to promote the event. Find deep discounts from labels like Kova & T, Genetic Denim, Ella Moss, BB Dakota, LNA, and more! Featuring fab swag bags, complimentary spa services, and FREE Svedka martinis.

WHEN: Thursday, March 24th 2011 from 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

WHERE: The Petersen Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036

WIN FREE TICKETS! The first 25 shoppers to enter ‘BLOGGER GAL’ at checkout will receive a FREE Sassy Tote Ticket!

Don’t want to risk not winning? Then enter ‘LA12’ at checkout for 50% OFF a Sassy Tote Ticket or ‘GEN AD’ for free general admission (gift bag not included).

I was lucky enough to attend last year and had a blast!  I left with a new necklace, two new rings and was *this* close to leaving with a hot new purse.  They’ve got some great deals and it’s in a great and fun venue.

Would love to see you there!

Sassy City Chicks L.A. Fashion Bash

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Earlier this week I was invited to attend the Sassy City Chicks LA Fashion Bash (did you win a pair from my giveaway?) at the Peterson Automotive Museum. Whew, what a mouthful that is!  But oh, it is so worth it!

This was actually my first visit to the Peterson.  I wish I’d taken a moment and walked around the museum floor a bit more.  Did you know they have a Hot Wheels hall of fame?  I had other obligations and just wasn’t able to commit to a longer visit this time around (hello, I had some shopping to do!).  Maybe next time.

Basically, SCC is a shopping Lalapalooza for women.  There are racks and racks of clothes and accessories for deeply discounted prices. In some cases, the designers are there (met a lovely purse designer), in other cases, you just get the killer deals.  I manged to walk away with only a little damage: two cocktail rings and gorgeous Swarovski crystal sterling chain.

This particular LA event was co-sponsored by Chevy and I was lucky enough to be invited by Chevy to attend as a VIP. This got me early access to the Chevy Lounge and some personal time with the new cars along with some live music and a post-drive chair massage. The coolest part, this time around, I was able to actually drive both the new Malibu and the Equinox Crossover.

Now I’ve been lucky enough to ride in both of these cars recently for the Best of Tours/ CraveLA event when I participated in the Best of Women Owned Businesses in Los Angeles.But this is the first time I got to drive…both vehicles!  And both are quite cool for different reasons –  I love the pick up in the Malibu, but it feels a bit large to me.  But I have a huge crush on the Equinox and would love to talk my husband into getting me one of those for my birthday next month (it won’t happen, but a girl can dream, right?).

I wish I could say that my personal pictures came out well enough that you could get a good idea of what the event was like.  But sadly, the lighting was too dim for anything to show up (even with the annoying flash).  So instead, I’ll let the video below to fill you in on what the event looked like.  And next year, make sure you check out the Sassy City Chicks event here in LA (they have gift bags!!)

Disclosure Policy

Sassy City Chicks Spring LA Fashion Bash Ticket Giveaway

Did Someone Say Shopping?

Well what about major designers such as Nanette Lepore, Diane von Furstenburg, Marc Jacobs, Dior, Chanel, Prada, Gucci, Juicy Couture, D&G, Norma Kamali, Tory Burch, and so much more at massive discounts?  They’ve got it all from designer name-brand jeans, jewelry, clothing, handbags, makeup and much more and we’re talking up to 80% off here!

Did I mention that they also have complimentary spa services, cocktails and goody bags for the VIPs (and anyone can purchase a VIP ticket)?

And of course, there’s the “Chevy Lounge,” which will include a designer trunk show, hot cars and the opportunity to participate in a Chevy “Ride & Drive” preview test drive or stylish ride-alongs before and during the event.  I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of that Equinox!

What: The Sassy City Chicks LA Fashion Bash will bring casual weekend “Sample Sale” shopping to a hip weeknight happening. In addition to offering an always stunning array of designer duds at reduced prices, Sassy City Chicks will introduce a special shopping bonus to this event with the Chevy Lounge, a shopper’s sanctuary featuring a designer trunk show, hot cars and the opportunity to participate in a Chevy “Ride & Drive” preview test drive or stylish ride-along before and during the event. With great cars, and 30-80% off stylish spring looks, this is a bash you won’t want to miss!

When: Thursday, April 22nd from 5:30-10 p.m

Where: Petersen Automotive Museum 6060 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036

How to get your hands on tickets: Click here to buy tickets directly OR better yet, enter to win one of 10 pairs of VIP tickets directly from Sassy City Chicks.

To Enter: send an email directly to the Sassy City Chicks with the subject “LA BLogger Gal” to enter for your chance to win.


Good luck and maybe I’ll see you there!

For More Information about the Sassy City Chicks Spring Fashion Bash, visit their website.

Disclosure Policy

Disclosure Policy