Culver City Expo Line

Yesterday, Sharon and I went just down the block to Washington Street for the new stop on the Culver City Expo line's Grand Opening.

The station is beautiful!!! It is pretty high above ground so it has a fantastic view of the city. It is very easy to get to, and has a fair sized parking lot for park & ride users. Best part however, It felt like we were on the train momentarily and we were already downtown! I would say 20 minutes or less, which definitely beats taking the 10 FWY depending on the time of day you are traveling. It is definitely a perk - having public transportation so close by to downtown Culver City. I am so glad everyone else will get to have the convenience of coming up to my favorite neighborhood on the metro now!!!

Seriously, check it out! You won't be disappointed :)

 XOXO, KC

Day Trip - Keys Creek Lavender Farm

Last year around this time I found out about Keys Creek Lavender Farm but was unable to make it down before the season ended. Sharon and I made a pact that we would go this year for sure!

They have more than two dozen varieties of lavender on the farm. Each variety typically blooms at different times from May into July, however the largest field blooms mid June. The weather plays a part in timing so they say any time during May and June is a great time to visit. With a few more weekends left where the lavender is is bloom this is a great weekend adventure to add to the mix if you are looking for something to do.

They offer free "Walk 'n Talk" tours in May and June on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only at 10:30 and 1:30. Also, they have an English High Tea on the weekend. We went on a week day so I can't express how yummy the tea must be, but on my next visit I am trying out the tea for sure!

They have distillery on site and a wonderful gift shop where you can buy all kinds of lavender goodies.  I made sure to bring home a half-pound bag of lavender bulbs for upcoming craft projects :)

The farm has a TON of pollinators, but not to worry they are way more interested in the lavender and don't seem to notice anything but the flowers.

We made sure to get their specific directions on how to get to the farm from their website here. The grounds don't get the best cell phone service and GPS directions tend to not be the best at navigating to the farm.

Make sure to wear some sunscreen and a hat. Also a suggestion - save your appetite to re-fuel at the Yellow Deli just down the road from the farm. We had lunch there (and no embellishment needed) we had the most amazing meal at the Yellow Deli. Seriously they have this sourdough bread that I am still thinking about...
Yummy!

Enjoy and have a fun trip!!!
XOXO, KC

Dekalb Market in Brooklyn, NY

Dekalb Market has a motto "eat.shop.drink.play."  That sounded like something that approaches a lifestyle similar to our Make Shop Live community.  Located relatively near the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn, NY this outdoor vendor market has a unique and upcycled design.  All the retail shops are in freight containers!

The bright colors really caught our eye from the street.  We grabbed some breakfast sandwiches and walked around the market on Memorial Day.  Unfortunately, it was generally sparse for the holiday, but we still each found a store we loved.

The community garden is arranged at the entrance and is full of life! 

This is Kevin's favorite.  Check out the vintage toys!  Nice clean display too.  Tron action figure from the 80's!!

The shipping containers are stacked so you can see the sides uniquely colored and numbered with each market stalls for easy visibility and maneuverability around the marketplace. Plus, it looks really great too!

If you are ever in Brooklyn, and want a nice place to shop outdoors that would entertain a whole family, go to there!

Dekalb Market info:


Beer + Wine
Sun - Thurs // 12pm - 10pm
Fri - Sat // 12pm - 12am

Food

Sun - Thurs // 8am - 6pm
Fri - Sat // 8am - 8pm

Retail
Tues - Sun // 11am- 6pm

MAP

Open 7 Days A Week

138 Willoughby Street (@Flatbush Ave), Brooklyn, NY 11201

B, Q, R to Dekalb Ave

A, C, F & R to Jay St. Metrotech

View Larger Map 

Long Beach City Guide on Design*Sponge

Sharon wrote an Ah-Mazing Long Beach City Guide for Design*Sponge this week. Major Kudos to Sharon for such a thorough and encompassing list of all that the LBC has to offer. If you haven't had the pleasure of checking it out yet, hop over to her full post here.

Maybe it can inspire some fun weekend plans ;)

We hope you have a super weekend!!! Until next week...

What I Wore- Friday 4/27/12

Hi Everyone! TGIF!!! I hope you all had a stunning week and are excited for the weekend. With just two short weeks until Unique LA things have kicked into over-gear here and I am super excited to crank out some projects this weekend :) 

Here my outfit is composed of some pieces that have been in my closet for quite some time:

The dress I picked up at a store in Hollywood while on a shopping trip with Kevin. I really like the all over rose pattern and the colors of the floral print on black. Its got a cute strapless neckline without being a tube top, and it also has pockets!  

The top was a find at a discount dress shop during my last trip out to NYC. It is a lace crop top that has details that have a military feel to it across the bust.  

The bow necklace I found at the Melrose Trading Post Flea Market, which is one of my favorites!!! If you have never been you should totally check it out this weekend. They are having a special day this Sunday - The Slow Art Day where they are highlighting local art and artists. Check out more details here.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!!! XOXO, KC

Just Back from the 1st Ever Craftcation Confrence

I am back from the Craftcation Conference and somehow managed to wind up with a TON of stuff as seen below:

The best part is not only did I meet some really great people and get hella Jazzed about what is on the horizon for new "calls for action" here at Make Shop Live, but- I also wound up with a bunch of super awesome and helpful things. It was such a wonderful time that I can't wait to bust my butt organizing this disaster in my living room so I can tell you all about it in better detail. Seriously I love going to conferences and this one was by far my favorite!!!! I could probably stretch all the info into a months worth of blog posts since I learned so much from it so streamlining it is going to be interesting :) 

Our newsletter is coming up later this week and will cover behind the scenes of the conference- make sure you sign up to receive the inside scoop here. I will talk about what cool tools I have now added to my tool kit, some helpful things that sunk into my grey matter FINALLY! that I am going to reflect upon, and if I can start to dig through everything I took ~30 pages of notes it seems like soaking everything in :) Basically it was Paradise with knowledge & new friends! 

Speaking of new friends- we have all been tweeting up a storm. Check out the conversations here for the 140 character overviews and fun people to follow. Well, I guess I should keep plugging away. My husband, Kevin is still at work himself so I am trying to keep up the pace while he is hard at work too.

Nice meeting everyone at Craftcation!!!! Big thanks to everyone involved for providing somethings so amazing for us :) More details to come-

XOXO, KC

What I Wore- Friday 2/17/12 (Joshua Tree Adventures)

 Joshua Tree Adventures

Alisa and I took a quick snap of our outfits before we all hit Joshua Tree National Park and Pioneer Town for a full day of adventure in the Desert.

This post is just a ton of pictures, so click for more posts after the jump if you want to see the full day of fun :) I wanted to put more details in everything- However, posting without details is better than sitting in my draft box.

What I Wore- Friday 1/27/2012 Ladies Night: BURBANK

Tonight I am off to Burbank to check out Ladies Night with my pal Dena of Freckled Pancakes and meet her sister finally too.  I am hoping to stop by the Mindful Nest and eat from some amazing food carts.  

*update- I did both! Ran into a new friend from last weeks Church of Craft Meeting in Mindful Nest which was surprising, AND I finally ate from the Grilled Cheese Truck!!! Such a great time!

I went for white! I almost NEVER wear white but the weather has been wonderful and I just felt like it was needed to finally pull out this white dress I found Jet Rag shopping. It has these faint black polka dots that make it a fun pairing with all my black accessories.

Cut to a Saturday recap since yesterday got to crazy to finish the post:

While driving towards downtown to get to Burbank I was making super time. Then from downtown to the 5 hwy I sat for 45 min! When LA traffic kicks your butt it also spits on you and laughs while you are down. But then at least it will give you a smile while stuck in a prison of automobiles-

Only in LA would I be beside a PINK "Royalty Ambulance". What does that even mean you think? I joked with everyone that it would be hilarious if it was for those pregnant in heels ladies & husbands with champagne. Whatever it is special for was fun to day dream while jamming out in my pretty much parked car.

BUT IT WAS SO WORTH IT!!! I had a ton of fun and I didn't put 2 and 2 together & realized I knew Dena's sister and brother-in-law from SCAD. Our little SCAD community out here never ceases to amaze and impress me :)

Oh, I failed to mention my favorite touch to my outfit! These adorable owl earrings Sharon gave me for Christmas was the best touch to turn any outfit into a real hoot! (Yes, I did just do that. You secretly love that I went there!)

Hope your last January Weekend is a real hoot too!
XOXO,KC

Graffiti Beach Holiday Pop-Up Shop

The Graffiti Beach Holiday Pop-Up Shop opens TODAY! Yay!!!

Graffiti Beach 

Holiday Boutique

@ 1221 Abbot Kinney Blvd- Venice Beach

STORE HOURS
Sunday - Tuesday: 12 noon - 6pm
Wednesday - Thursday: 11am - 6pm
Friday - Saturday: 11am - 7pm  

We have 3 Record Accessory Stands displaying merchandise as well as for sale in this Pop-Up Shop, which is super exciting! I saw a sneak peak of the space and I can't wait to check it out fully displayed and merchandised.
BTW- The Featured Fashion Designers are pretty amazing making this a must for you fashionistas out there ;)

Abbot Kinney is an amazing shopping destination for independent designers, awesome boutiques, galleries, great food and furniture. Every genre is pretty much covered all in one street and easily navigated. Too good to pass up- Add it to your Shop Local Holiday.

* The Graffiti Beach Holiday Pop-Up Shop is inside the Altered Space Gallery FYI.


They have one of those super awesome cork chairs I re-pinned to my Made with Corks board on Pinterest and all kinds of cool re purposed art so make sure to give yourself time to shop in both- super inspiring!

Shop and Enjoy! XOXO, KC

What I Wore- Friday 11/11/11 Metermaids Tee

 (I am trying to figure out if I should do a wrap up on Friday and take pictures in advance.  There is quite a bit of readers for this segment and I am trying to figure it out still. Comments are welcomed. I don't have an option for a photographer  during the day and I don't have a good mirror for those cell phone to mirror pics- that I don't really like anyway... So shooting in advance seems to be the best option to add some more outfits to the mix. This will be something that I put into effect next Friday so stay tuned.)

 'Yo! It's just past the last 11:11 on 11/11/11!!! What did you do to celebrate today? I have been putting the pedal to the metal and working my little fingers to the bones getting ready for Patchwork Culver City on Sunday and some wholesale orders that have to go out first thing on Monday.  I was beginning to have  a migraine today so I focused on pincushions and allowed myself to dress comfy.  My new favorite shirt to wear around the house has been this Metermaids tee.

One of the main things I have missed about NYC since I have left is the music. While living there I was into Brooklyn Hip Hop and between hip hop shows & going dancing at the bar at all hours with my friends (Not quite hittin' up  Misshapes but still out on the town) I got my fill of amazing music while in NYC.  Towards the end of me living there I got super into a band the Metermaids and I would go see them anytime, I mean ANYTIME they were playing.  Pretty much if I didn't have a good excuse like work or something extremely important I was there enjoying the music because I knew one day I wouldn't be able to see them whenever I wanted to. 

I am glad I went to all those shows - their music makes me super happy. When I first moved out here singing along in the car was the only thing that made the traffic enjoyable. I note updates and buy the CDs from afar now with the distance to get my fix. Hopefully on one trip back East there will be  a show I can catch or I have been waiting quite sometime for another West Coast tour, maybe that can happen soon too. I geeked out on my last trip to Brooklyn because while I didn't get to squeeze any concerts in, I was flipping channels at almost 3AM and their music video came on a indie music program. I Wish I knew  the name of the program at the moment but it was the middle of the night and a show that New Yorker's would know but I don't remember currently- I do however remember that it was a pretty awesome moment to stumble upon. Until another show, I'll rock the music here in Los Angeles and enjoy my new favorite T-Shirt. I got when I ordered their most recent album and it has basically been my lounge shirt since it arrived.

I found these pictures from when I first moved to LA and Kristin came to visit LA and we went down to the Prospector in Long Beach I thought I'd share:

When Kristin and I caught this Metermaids show it was  back in 2009 and she came out for a job interview while she was trying to relocate. It feels like forever ago and just yesterday at the same time. I really can't believe how fast the time has passed since I have moved out here. Kudos Kristin for all the accomplishments you have had since then!

Here are some pictures of Sentence, Swell and Domer at after the show at The Prospector: 

I feel like I should call them by their artist names, but since I worked with Mike, not Sentence and then found out about their music where he is Sentence -I still feel like that's weird when putting a tag to these pictures.  In hindsight I wonder if  the Metermaids secretly laughed at my almost Mel from Flight of the Conchords obsession once I heard their music. The Urban Outfitters I was working at in Manhattan was one of the largest grossing stores and while we worked together closing a lot I don't think I give off a vibe that this type of music is something I am really into and I was super glad I happen to have checked it out when I heard people from work were go to a show.  I really don't care what anything is labeled if I like it I like it and I just absolutely loved what was happening in Brooklyn Hip-Hop wise at the time. The best part of getting into the Metermaids was the other artist they collaborate and perform with are super dope too so going out to the shows were really enjoyable.  

It was like a transcending art documentary unfolding and the first time I saw them play and I was hooked instantly.  It was such a bizarre experience that could only happen in New York.  It was where the mix of the company/ friend I was with + the venue + the atmosphere was something I just couldn't get enough of. I love how music really can just take you there when you hear it. Those were some good times!

Now back to the present-

This morning was the first time I  had a migraine and an acupuncture appointment where I used acupuncture to treat it.  It definitely helped! I think a big part of it helping is the level of relaxation it helps me achieve if I am able to relax my mind and sink into the treatment.  Sometimes you have a session where you run through your to-do list and that is therapeutic but not as dramatic when it comes to fully helping.  Today my mind was definitely racing some so I didn't fully sink into full relaxation, but Sun (The acupuncturist I blogged about briefly here) treated my hands so good that they are feeling day and night better.  I am really enjoying Costa Acupuncture and going all last week has definitely made a huge difference in how I am feeling today. I strongly recommend checking them out.

Even if I wanted to sleep in there is a Unique LA meeting downtown at the Grammy Museum followed up by Patchwork set-up in the afternoon. I really should wrap this post up now and retire to bed so I can be rested for tomorrow.

Best wishes to everyone & thanks to all the Veterans Today on Veteran's Day!

XOXO, KC

What I Wore- Friday 10/21/11

Tonight Kevin and I went to Yen Sushi & Karaoke in the Westfield Culver City Mall. This was our first time checking it out- we went to celebrate our friend Cathy's birthday.

 

For the party, I wore another Jet Rag $1 dress.  I will have to add some close up details in a later post because there is great stitching detail down the front and across the skirt mid-thigh.  This picture is after the long night of karaoke which got intense and I had to roll up the sleeves. We were all rocking out hard core! My personal highlight I'd like to think was when I discovered Zombie by the Cranberries in the song book.  While I love the durability of polyester I neglected to think about what temperature it might be in the private room we were in for the party. This is definitely going to be one of my go to dresses this winter!

My staple accessory is this button covered clutch that was one of the first projects I made from a thrifted item, way back in high school.   I  found a peachy/ pink clutch and covered it with all my favorite buttons from my collection. I really need to make some more of these...  They are so much fun!

I really had a great time at Yen Sushi :)  Kevin had gone to Korea town for karaoke with the same group of friends before, and they went to two locations for dinner and then had to drive to a separate place for karaoke where the parking was almost nonexistent.  Yen Sushi is super close to our house and has unlimited amount of parking since it is in the mall- which is amazing!  The food was really good.  The prices were super reasonable and the song list/ play book was HUGE! Overall a super evening.

Hope the rest of the weekend is equally exciting for us- And even more exciting y'alls way!

XOXO, KC