Weekend in Los Angeles (West Side)

After we landed in Los Angeles last Saturday, we went straight to Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice. There were a few cool shops and restaurants there when we lived in LA, but it was nothing like it is now—Steven Alan, A+R, Jack Spade, Firefly, Linus… and a few dozen delicious places to eat and drink line the blocks.

We started with brunch upstairs at The Tasting Kitchen.

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Great.ly (Make Better)

Have you heard of Great.ly? Sarah Bryden-Brown, a wonderful person I’ve met through blogging, recently founded the online marketplace which aims to compensate all involved—the maker you love, the tastemaker you trust.

Essentially, “tastemakers” (bloggers and the like) curate their own shops and do all of the selling, so that the makers are left to making and creating rather than to marketing and selling! It’s a lovely concept and everyone is invited to join. In support, I’ve chosen some favorite items to feature today (and of course, they’re all available in the boutique I’ve created as well.)

Leather Switch plates // Scarf // Bookends // Leather Tote // Giraffe Chalkboard // Draw Your Own Postcard // Cork Planter // Cushion // Bowls and Cutting Board

Check it out! And if you’re a maker and you’re interested in selling on Great.ly, here’s how to apply.

Have a great weekend!

[All images via makers on Great.ly. Here’s the link to my boutique. And to shop Great.ly at large.]

 

MiniVacay (& Dinner at Blue Plate Oysterette)

We skipped town this past weekend and headed south to Los Angeles. (Thank you for your tips!) We had some business to attend to and decided at the last minute to extend our travel and bring everyone—except Sawyer, who had a mini-vacation of his own thanks to DogVacay. (More on that below.)

Even though we used to live in Los Angeles, we hardly know the west side at all, so we decided to restrict ourselves to the coast (with, okay, a small detour into Brentwood).

I took a bunch of photos and will share more about some of the highlights next week, but—in the meantime—one of our favorite stops from the weekend: Blue Plate Oysterette in Santa Monica.

We walked from our hotel to Blue Plate Oysterette—which sits right on Ocean Boulevard off Santa Monica overlooking the, well, overlook to the beach. It’s a popular spot (as are the other locations in the restaurant group: nearby Blue Plate and Blue Plate Taco), so because we didn’t have reservations, we just crossed our fingers and showed up early. The wait wasn’t too bad (about 45 minutes to sit outside), so they took our number and we walked down to the sand and played a bit before dinner. But even without that option, I loved that they had sidewalk chalk at the ready for antsy kids.

When we did sit down, I knew exactly what I wanted: a Lobster roll! While the scene was very Los Angeles, the menu was very East Coast, and I was offered a choice of a Lobster Salad roll or a plain, warm Lobster roll with drawn butter on the side. There are two camps on this, but I’m more a lobster salad gal—and this was a good one.

A sleeping baby, plenty of french fries, lobster and fresh tuni, beer and rosé, and a setting sun… could dinner be better?

Um, yes. Yes it could: Key Lime Pie. (And, frankly, the best non-homemade Key Lime Pie I’ve had since visiting the keys nearly 12 years ago. So good.)

Actually, there was more that made it great: while we were out, Hudson told the waiter all about his “black doggy named Sawyer.” We always tell Hudson that Sawyer is having a playdate while we’re away—and this time we were able to give details with full sincerity because we were getting little updates on how Sawyer was enjoying his weekend!

Before our trip, DogVacay got in touch about trying their site and the timing was perfect! DogVacay is a website and app that helps you find great pet sitters. We searched for nearby sitters, booked our stay, and paid online. Sawyer’s host took care of him in her home, sent us cute little emails and photos of what he was up to while we were gone.

We learned that he spent the weekend with lovely Mia (in the photos on the left) and a pug named Auggie, as well as Charlie the kitten (on the right). He also got a bath!

A funny combination of topics, I know, but knowing that Sawyer was happy made the entire weekend better. If you’re looking to take a night or two away and need a good pet sitter, I’d recommend the site. New users can get $10 off their first DogVacay with the code HITHER!

P.S. Sawyer as a puppy! More from Los Angeles (and from our earlier Pacific Northwest road trip)  next week!

Thank you to DogVacay for putting Sawyer up for the night and for supporting Hither & Thither! All DogVacay reservations include free pet insurance, 24/7 customer support, and daily photo “pup”dates, so pet parents can rest easy knowing that their best friend is in great hands. We’ll definitely be using the site again!