L.A.

I went to L.A. this week to visit my friend Spencer who moved there last summer. We've been fortunate to be able to see each other several times since the move, but this past stretch is the longest we've gone in a while. I arrived Monday evening and we drove around several different areas in L.A. Then we headed for a yummy dinner at a place called Bright Spot Cafe. Everyone who worked there was a real character. Very entertaining. It was pretty late so we headed to Spencer's and called it a night.

The next day is when the real fun began . . . :)

First up, a trip to the flower/fashion district in L.A. There are a handful of people out there who know about my deep and abiding love for orchids. Every time I go to a store that sells orchids I have to go look at them and then talk myself out of bringing one or two home with me. I'd compare it to an animal lover who wants to rescue every cute little puppy they see. So imagine what it was like for me when we went to an ALL orchid flower shop! I was in Heaven as well as Hell. It's quite the tragedy in my life that I'm an orchid killer. I need to work on that . . . Anyway, after the orchids we walked around a bunch of fabric stores and made some purchases at an incredible bead store-the biggest one I've ever been to. Talk about over-stim!

Next we went to a beach in Malibu!

We played Scrabble and walked around on the beach.

There were all these cool little caves on the beach to hang out near, or in this case, in.

Me relaxing on the beach!

Spencer and me! It was such a beautiful day to be at the beach!

One of the cooler rock formations on the beach . . .

The view from towards the top of the cliff, overlooking the beach.

When we made it back to the car, Spencer had received a phone call from one of his friends saying that he had tickets to a fashion show that night for us. How could we say no to that?! Luckily we made it back in time to get ready and make it to the show on time. It was very cool/very interesting. After that we ate some delicious Thai food and listened to an Asian do covers of the greatest hits from the 80's and 90's. You should be sad you weren't there to hear him. Too bad I didn't take any pics at the fashion show or the restaurant.

Wednesday was spent in beautiful San Diego! Luckily we made it there in the 2 hours google maps projected and didn't get stuck in traffic at all. We were heading down for a concert (pretend you're surprised) and decided to make a day of it. We ended up hanging out at Balboa Park beading, reading ridiculous magazine articles, and doing crosswords.

Here's Spencer modeling some earrings he made and snacking on turkey jerky. Attractive, I know.

Of course the only picture I have of me at the park is my sandal. I have several pictures of my shoes at the various placed I've visited. Is that weird? Probably.

After the park we did a little shopping. I may or may not have bought a few new pairs of shoes (a future post will come with pictures because, well, I love them that much).

We headed to Lestat's (the coffee shop the show was at) a little early to grab a bite to eat and when we walked in Ian Axel, Greg Holden, and Katie Costello were sitting there chilling. They each jumped up and gave me a hug. We chatted for a bit and Greg mentioned that the show didn't start until 9 . . . TWO hours later than we expected. The food at Lestat's looked pretty darn good, but we decided to go a few doors down to a pizza place we walked past. Thank goodness we did! We ate some of the most delicious pizza I have ever tasted! Different than what you'd expect too . . .

Mmm! Chicken with caramelized pears and then eggplant, tomatoes, craisens, and a greek yogurt sauce. My mouth is watering just thinking about it . . . We also played another game of Scrabble while we ate/waited.

We went back to Lestat's and busted out our computers since they were still sound checking. You know, every time I think I've found the coolest little coffee shop, I find another one! They're all different from each other but awesome nonetheless. Too bad none of them are in DC . . . While we were waiting we met a cute/crazy lady who just move to CA from NYC. She was meeting a date and dreading it. We devised a plan for her to meet up with us at the show so she could cut the date short. I didn't think she'd actually do it, but she totally came in towards the end of Ian's set. Sometimes I just really love people.

Spencer and me waiting in line.

Ian Axel. I wonder how many posts this year have included Ian . . . If you haven't checked him out yet, I don't know what you're waiting for! ;)

Greg Holden. I really need to thank whoever set him up with Ingrid Michaelson's tour last fall . . .

I didn't get a good photo of The Paper Raincoat, but I did however get a snippet of one of their song on camera. Featuring Ian.


The next morning, Spencer had a read-through/costume check for a webseries he's doing. It's a LOST/Jersey Shore parody. How can that not be hilarious?! Anyway, we hit up Amoeba Records, Urban Outfitters, and Borders before he had to go, then I started wandering around Hollywood. I was considering just heading back to Borders to take advantage of their free wi-fi and give my blistered feet a break when a thought struck me. I wonder how far I am from Hotel Cafe? For those of you who don't know what Hotel Cafe is, it's a venue that where a community of singer-songwriters perform and/or got their start (FYI-my being brief with that description is difficult). Check out the FAQ section on their website, it's very entertaining. I knew I needed to find someone to look up the address and not think I was crazy. So I called my friend Trent who I met at The Hotel Cafe Tour in 2008. Turns out I was .1 miles away. How do I know God loves me? The thought struck me to look for the venue as I was crossing the street it was on.

Here's me talking to Trent in front of the mother ship. One day we will go inside!

Me still talking to Trent as I wandered up and down Hollywood Blvd. Interesting place.

Later that night after taking naps, Spencer and I headed to Santa Monica . . . because the opportunity to see Ian Axel 5 times in the space of 2 months could not be passed up!

This time we got to hear Katie Costello play a short, 3 song set. I just love her. She's so sweet and very talented!

Then more Ian. I swear I'm not a stalker. Or a groupie. It just so happens that it's possible in my life to see him perform . . . frequently.

More Greg Holden love.

Spencer and I at the Apple Store for the show.

The Santa Monica pier. Next time I go to L.A. I am definitely going back here. When we got there people were still wandering around, but everything was shut down. A few people out there may recognize this spot. Think Sydney Bristow, Michael Vaughn, and a pager.

Spencer and me at the pier. Sometimes I forget how much I miss/love him. Another reason I know God loves me: incredible friends.

The next morning I was off to the airport and headed back to good old Virginia. It really was the perfect little trip. I will be back.