I'm Feeling...24?

What’s cool about being 24? Nothing really, but celebrating it sure was fun. My birthday is on Valentines Day so I usually have to celebrate on a different day because of the *couples.* Birthdays should last the entire weekend anyways. 

Sweetwater Brewery

Day drinking is a must when celebrating a birthday and Sweetwater has the perfect space for just such a thing. Shout out to Nash for making us so popular at the brewery (everyone loves dogs).

House Party

You have to try very hard not to crash between day drinking and your birthday party. Luckily I had my friend Ida watching out for me, feeding me Japanese food and encouraging me to keep drinking (perseverance!). She also helped me cook all of the party food and didn’t let me burn myself on the oven. Friends are very important.

I got to celebrate with my friend Laura, her birthday was Friday and mine was Sunday so it was perfect. The photo wall may or may not still be up in my apartment (it is).

Brunch & Movies

For as long as I can remember I go and see some move on my birthday, it’s an unofficial tradition since I love movies so much and some kind of chick flick ALWAYS comes out on Valentines Day.

We had brunch at the Pig and the Pearl and then went and saw How to Be Single. The movie was hilarious and you must see it, but it was also surprisingly heart-warming and very girl-power inspiring. We may have teared up at the end a little bit (a lot). The entire cast was perfect, they worked really well with each other and the movie was fast paced and intertwined the multitude of stories very well.

Home is Where the Food Is

Then I headed home to the family and celebrated with them my favorite way: a steak dinner cooked on the grill by my father.

So here’s to 24 and hoping that I might have my life together by the big 25 (doubtful).

xx Kristen

*Gold wall streamers, party crowns and "Champs Drink Champs" glasses from Swoozies

*Photo booth garland and table garland from Target

California Love: Day 4

Alfred’s Coffee

We started our day on Melrose Ave at a cute coffee shop. The line was out the door and it was super hard to find a spot to sit, but it was really good. We’ve heard stars love to go here, but we didn’t see any. Then we walked around Melrose, but everything was closed because it was still so early.

The Grove

We walked to the Grove, an outdoor shopping mall and went in and out of more shops. It had most of the basic mall finds, what looked like some nice restaurants and a HUGE Barns and Noble store. We were told that it was best not to try and eat at The Grove since everything is so expensive, instead you can head next door and get great food for a better price at the Farmers Market.

Farmers Market at The Grove

The Farmers Market was a little strange, very low ceiling and it stretched out much further than we originally expected. There were way too many choices and we were way too hungry. We ended up just grabbing burgers and fries, but they were delicious. We took another lap and saw that it had stands for foods and produce too. They also had random little toy shops throughout. It was a very strange place, but definitely worth seeing.

LACMA

I was so upset we didn’t get to go to the Broad Museum, but I finally got my museum fix at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. We didn’t have a ton of time there since we had to go back and get ready for the James Cordon show. The set up was a little strange, there were so many buildings for the exhibits. I did find some Monets though to my delight. One thing we weren’t able to do that would have been awesome was the Rain Room. You had to buy separate tickets and they sell out pretty fast, but it would have been so awesome. You get to walk around a room that’s pouring down rain, but it never touches you. Wherever you go, it doesn’t. I would for sure have needed a full day at the museum to see everything they had to offer, but I liked what small part I did see.

The Late Late Show with James Cordon

This was probably one of the things I was most excited for when we decided to visit Los Angeles. I love The Late Late Show and James Cordon and I’ve always wanted to go to a taping of a show. We registered for the free tickets online, but had to get there super early to get in line. After waiting for hours and being hoarded like cattle Jessica and I were seated toward the very front. The stage is so much smaller than I thought it would be.

There was a hype guy who told us what we needed to do and instructed us on how and when to cheer. It was slightly exhausting, not going to lie. My hands were red from clapping, but it was seriously so much fun. I got to high five the two guests as they came down the stairs to the couch. It was Nathan Fillion from the TV show Castle and Randall Park from the TV show Fresh Off the Boat. They were both very funny and great guests.

James Cordon is hilarious; I really enjoyed watching him work. It’s also so weird to see him do promos between takes, but it was cool to see how everything comes together. It takes so many people behind the scenes to make the show look so good and natural on TV.

The performers were Cirque du Soleil Curious. At the end of the show they did a short performance and it was insane. They are so talented and I can’t even imagine how their bodies contort like that.

The other star of the show is definitely Reggie Watts. He’s so talented and hilarious; he works really well with James and rounds out the show with humor and energy. I would recommend attending a taping of the Late Late Show to anyone; it was such a cool experience.

The Fat Dog

After the show taping we were dead tired, we did not want to get ready or travel very far for food. We ended up finding the Fat Dog super close to our apartment; we just walked there and had a quick but delicious meal. The best part was the first date conversation we overheard. We were eating at the bar and the couple next to us was telling each other all about their lives. It was amazing, the woman was a production assistant and the guy was in casting. I guess everyone in Hollywood really does work in show business?

The Surly Goat 

We finally rallied after a nap and took an Uber to The Nice Guy. We heard that celebrities hang out there and that it was a cool, chill lounge. Sadly, we had no idea that you needed reservations. We showed up and couldn’t get in so we went to The Surly Goat, a bar I had found on Thrillest or something. It was a Monday night so it was super empty, but it ended up being kind of nice just hanging out and talking about the trip all night. It was a little bit of a hole in the wall, but I really liked it and the bartenders were awesome.

In conclusion, we saw no celebrities in their natural habitat, it rained when we went to the beach and we were too tired to go out most nights, but it was one of the most amazing trips I’ve ever been on. I can’t wait to go back, hopefully when it’s a little warmer and I can stay a little longer.

Until next time west coast.

xx Kristen

California Love: Day 3

Café Primo

We got chicken and waffles, this place was amazing. We sat on the covered patio while it rained. It was our first look at Sunset Boulevard, which was a really cool area. We wish we had had time to come back to that area and explore more.  

Venice Beach

It never rains in California except when we try and go to the beach. It was raining when we got to Venice Beach. We tried to walk over to the boardwalk but the wind was so bad and there was literally nobody out there. Took a quick picture of the Venice sign and walked to Abbot Kinney. 

Abbot Kinney Blvd: Such a cool area, filled with a lot of cool shops (that we couldn’t afford) and what looked like some delicious restaurants. We stopped off at the TOMS flagship store, which was really cool. They have a coffee shop along with the shoe store and a casual place to hang out.

Santa Monica

Santa Monica Pier: The rain kind of ruined the pier for us. The wind was insane and the sand was blasting us while we walked. I thought it would get better if we made it past the sand part, but then we just got hit with ocean spray. It was too much, we had to turn around. On the bright side, the pier was super empty because of the weather.

Blue Plate Taco: We really wanted tacos and this place was right by the pier. It was delicious; we both had an assortment of tacos. The best part was the margarita though. It tasted so fresh and was the perfect compliment to the tacos.

3^rd Street Promenade: This shopping area was huge! It has every shop you can imagine and we were there for hours and didn’t even make it in every shop. The ladies in Victoria’s Secret were kind enough to let us change in their dressing room before we caught a ride to dinner.

Nobu Malibu

It’s really sad that we couldn’t see the water while we drove up the coast to Malibu. I love looking at the ocean. We made it to Nobu early for our reservations and got one of the best seats in the house. The place was packed; we had a nice table looking out over the crashing waves illuminated by a spotlight.

If I could choose one last meal to eat before I die it would be this meal. We shared shrimp covered in a spicy aioli sauce and filet mignon in truffle oil. We had the best Riesling I’ve ever tasted and a chocolate souffle for dessert. Absolute perfection.

Even with the rain, the California coast quickly became one of the best parts of the trip. We decided we would definitely have to come back when it was summer and we could enjoy the beach more, hopefully without the rain.

xx Kristen