The Andaz West Hollywood

Last weekend I hung out at the recently renovated Andaz in West Hollywood and fell in love... with the hotel.

It's proximity to great nightlife can't be matched.

The rooftop pool offers amazing views of the city and the living rooms of Hollywood Hills residents. ;)


The service was excellent as well. I went to one of the happy hours at RH bar and tried their drink special. Delicious. I know it had blueberry vodka in it, but now I wish I had asked the bartender for the recipe. Sigh... I guess I'll just have to go back.


So if you're coming to LA to visit and want to stay somewhere fun or if you're local and looking for a new place to check out, I highly recommend the Andaz!




Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): First two-Andaz Website, Bottom three-L's List

I Like to Ride My Bike...

Well, I actually don't have a bike, but after the amazing weather this weekend I wish did. I'm intrigued by the Urban Outfitters Bike Shop. It would be so fun to "build" my own custom bike! For $399, this is the bicycle I would purchase.


What kind would you get?



Photos: urbanoutfitters.com

Afternoon Tea in Beverly Hills

On Friday afternoon my friend, Jennifer, and I made our way to the Montage in Beverly Hills for afternoon tea in the Lobby Lounge. We settled in to a very comfortable couch and admired the beautiful china and place settings before us. The harpist was an excellent addition to the elegant, yet relaxing atmosphere.


We chatted and enjoyed our individual pots of tea. I chose the Montage's caffeine-free signature blend which was sweet and delicious. Jennifer quite enjoyed her white tea as well. The multi-tiered selection of tea sandwiches, scones, and desserts was excellent. Lisa was our hostess for the duration of the tea and she was a doll.


Everything from the atmosphere, service, and food was exquisite. I'll definitely be back!


If you're interested in attending, see below for address and contact information:

225 North Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Phone number for reservations: (310)-860-7800
Traditional Tea: $28
Royal Tea: $40
Valet Parking: $5 if you are going to tea

(Photos are from Montage website as I did not want interrupt the experience of other guests with all my picture taking! :) )

Score!

Do you remember how much I liked LC's purse? I wrote about it here. I also featured it here. Anyways, I went to the Rebecca Minkoff sample sale on Friday and guess what I got! Score!!!! I bought it in sapphire with gunmetal colored studs. The sale was in the back of Confederacy in Los Feliz and it was awesome! I really wanted to bring the purse out when I went to The Edison last night, but I have to pre-treat it first.

Well I'm off to finish a DIY project which I'll be posting about soon! I hope you're all having a fantastic weekend! XO

Treasure Hunting

Last week I went to the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena.


It was a MUCH better experience than the Antique Expo I wrote about here.


I got some great stuff all for under $80 (including ATM fees and price of admission). I also learned a valuable lesson in vintage purse shopping.

First, I got this gold mesh purse which I love. I call it "the bag by no one" as it does not have a label-just like Carrie's vintage wedding suit in SATC: The Movie!


Next, I got this vintage Furla crossbody.


I also bought this mirror for our apartment. I'm going to paint the frame black.


And last, but not--oh wait--last and definitely least...

In my haste, I thought I scored a vintage Chanel bag. The Cs crossed each other correctly, the logo is on the zipper, and the inside is leather with the gold Chanel stamp. However, once I got home and took a closer look I was disappointed. Aside from missing a serial number, here is the reason I believe it's fake.

See how the area circled doesn't match up with the rest of the row? All authentic Chanel quilt patterns are flawless. Wah-wah.




Wrap-Up:
So when venturing to the flea market, be more careful than I when shopping and hit the ATM before you arrive (the portable ATMs on-site charge ridiculous fees!). I also highly recommend shopping in the eastern part of the country (if you're there of course) as they tend to have more antiques for lower prices. Every industry, including the vintage/antique set, seems to be marked up in LA.

Pasta Ponza

A sample:
Last night I decided to make one of the recipes from my new Giada cookbook.

So I put on some Italian music, poured a glass of vino, and got to work.


Although it was hardly work. It took me 35 minutes to make and it was really easy!

And this made for a fabulous dessert. :)


Mangia tutti!

Giada!

Last Friday, I had the pleasure of attending Giada's cookbook signing at Williams-Sonoma in Santa Monica. The store is beautiful by the way.


I was so excited to get her new cookbook, Giada at Home. And even more excited to meet her!


She is just as cute and friendly in person as she is on TV. There was a little girl in front of me in line and she knew some of the recipes! She must have been born to be a chef to be so interested in cooking at such a young age. Giada recommended some recipes to her.

I am loving that the new book has recipes from California and Italy and I look forward to making some of the dishes.

I'll be sharing my favorites with you of course. :)




Photos: L's List, L's List, GiadadeLaurentiis.com