Greetings from Venice

Cardigan - my sister's, top - Madewell, cuff - antique, shorts - American Apparel, shoes - Marais USA (via ModCloth)

I mentioned upcoming travels to Los Angeles... and here I am. I'll be in Venice (and wherever else in the vicinity!) for the next few days. We arrived at LAX Friday morning, then visited my uncle's apartment before heading over to Malibu for the afternoon. I wanted to swim, but as it turns out, it is quite chilly and windy. I left the beach shivering and hung out in the area for a while. Later on we finally made it to our hotel, which is actually quite nice. There's a small gallery in the lobby; I'm sold. We went over to the Venice Ale House (with huge appetites) and all left incredibly satisfied. I ordered a veggie taco - my first taco ever - and it was very, very delicious. I spotted an moon-like orb in the sky, which turned out to be part of the set of an indie film. Upon asking an observer, we also discovered Californication was shooting just two blocks away.


Today we ate brunch while sitting in the sun at a small cafe (Figtree Cafe) and ended up slightly sunburned. Oh well, the food was delicious - I had a tofu scramble and what was easily the best green tea I've ever drank. We walked along the Venice boardwalk, wandering in and out of shops and passing numerous herbal medical healing centers - only in California, right? I was pleased to find an American Apparel Outlet store... normally I'm not a huge fan of the brand for its questionable CEO and overpriced items, but I did walk out with this pair of shorts. They're significantly shorter than what I'd normally wear, but the high waist keeps it a little less denim underwear-esque. Or so I like to think.

After laying on the beach, we cleaned ourselves up and walked along Abbot Kinney Boulevard, where we ate (Abbot's Habit), browsed shops and galleries (Very Venice Art Gallery) and discussed wishful plans to move to Venice. I'm quite satisfied with the day, and I can't say I really want to return home... it's so beautiful and dream-like here. It's essentially everything I imagined California to be - endless beaches with palm trees, organic cafes scattered about, sky-high rent prices, chain-link fences covered in desert flowers, the dodgy nighttime surroundings with questionable characters.

xox Catherine