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Adventure

    Outfit, Travel

    Surviving Los Angeles Without A Car

    If you’ve been following along these past few weeks, you might remember that I was in a car accident, and I’m currently on vacation while my car is in the shop. Although many people might be bummed about not having a car while in Los Angeles, the idea was kind of exciting for me. Even though I didn’t have a car for the first few months after I graduated from college, I still found a way to go out and explore and do things around Los Angeles. However, since I bought a car, I feel like I’ve been really lazy and don’t make an effort to venture out of the bubble that is my neighborhood. I think part of that is because, despite popular belief, having a car can be more difficult at times, especially when you have to deal with parking fees and traffic in the L.A. area. That is why not having to rely on my car for a couple of days, actually seemed kind of a relief to me.
    My first day of vacation and life without a car, my sister Ale and I took the Metro gold line straight from Pasadena into Little Tokyo/The Los Angeles Arts District. On our little adventure, we had the opportunity to discover some new cool spots, and visit some old favorites. Keep on reading to check out some of the things that we did.
    Blacktop Coffee: After walking around the Arts District and appreciating all the wonderful street art, my sister and I made our first stop at Blacktop Coffee. This coffee shop opened up earlier this year, and serves delicious Sightglass Coffee. My sister Ale had a macchiato and I had the cold brew, and both were really delicious. The inside space of the coffee shop is pretty small and cozy, and doesn’t have any seating space. However, the shop itself feels very open and welcoming since the doors to the shop are kept open, and it has a very nice outdoor seating area.
    Poketo: I always make sure to stop by Poketo every time that I’m in the Arts District. This store always has beautifully designed decor, clothes and accessories. I always love looking through all of their stationery and kitchenware. You can also usually find me browsing through all of their children’s toys, which are so cool that I sometimes wonder if they’re not actually meant for adults.
    Woo Souvenir Shop: This small boutique is tucked away in a little corner of the Arts District. The only reason that Ale and I found it was because there were a couple of signs pointing in its direction. Although most of the things inside of Woo Souvenir Shop were outside my price range, I’m glad that we decided to head over there. Many of the pieces in the shop were really beautiful to look at, and I would buy them if I had the money to spare. Even though I obviously didn’t buy any  new clothes, I did end up leaving with a really cool greeting card for someone special. I also loved how cute and cozy the shop was; the designer/owner of Woo Souvenir Shop was also really nice, and she had a beautiful dog that greeted Ale and me as soon as we walked into the shop.
    Daily Dose Cafe: Ale and I headed over to the Daily Dose Cafe for lunch. I had been wanting to try out this place for quite some time, simply because I kept seeing pictures of it, and it looked like such a cute space to hang out at. Luckily for my sister, who was really hungry and couldn’t care less what the place looked like, the food was delicious as well. We both had “The Daily Toast,” which was a delicious piece of bread topped with spicy guacamole, grilled onions, peppers, and a fried egg. Another thing that I liked about the cafe was that the inside reminded me of my college coffee shop, The Motley–the interior of the cafe was really cozy and looked like a great place to go work or study.
    My sister Ale was my wonderful partner in crime for the day. She was the perfect person to go out exploring with, because she was down for doing anything. I’m also glad that she didn’t mind all the walking that I made her do throughout the day.

     

    Cafe Dulce: Before Ale and I headed back to Little Tokyo Station in order to go back home to Pasadena, I had to stop at Cafe Dulce in Little Tokyo–one of my old favorites. Cafe Dulce brews delicious coffee, and has an awesome selection of pastries. I’m a sucker for their green tea donuts, which have a delicious cream filling that is just sweet enough for me. They’re so good that my best friend Laura and I once visited the shop about 6 times in one day.
    To end this post, I have to say that although I really liked all the spots I visited on my day trip into Downtown L.A., I definitely don’t want to call this a guide of the Arts District and Little Tokyo. The reason why I don’t want to do that, is because this list in no way reflects all of the things that I like to do in those two places. However, If you want more suggestions of things to do in the Arts District, you can check out this post as well. I hoped you enjoyed reading, and let me know if there are any places that you think that I should check out on my next adventure.
    xoxo,
    Helen Grace

     

    Outfit, Travel

    Lazy Weekend in Boyfriend Jeans

    Photos by Sara Hatakeyama
    Outfit Details:
    H&M Tee (Old)
    Old Navy Boyfriend Jeans
    Lotta from Stockholm Peeptoe Clogs in Tan
    Straw Tote bag (Gift from my Dad from his trip to Mexico)
    This weekend, I definitely made an effort to get out of my neighborhood of Pasadena, and spent some time in other parts of town. L.A. is such a big city, that sometimes it is easy for me to get lazy and stuck in a routine, and frequent the same places week after week. But I need to remember that having access to so many cool places is why I love living here. My friend Sara and I tried to do some exploring on Saturday–I use the word “tried” because the 100 degree weather this weekend drained us of our energy before we could even accomplish much. However, we did manage to have a delicious brunch at Auntie Em’s Kitchen in Eagle Rock, and then made our way over to Highland Park for some refreshing horchata lattes at Café de Leche. Caffeinated drinks and a good meal always make for a successful outing, if you ask me!
    My outfit definitely reflected my lazy mood, in a good way. I got these boyfriend jeans from Old Navy last month, right before I embarked on my 6-month shopping cleanse, and they are super comfortable. The loose fit makes them appropriate for hot weather, since the don’t stick to your body like skinny jeans do. I’m really looking forward to transitioning these into fall and winter, because I think they will look great with oversized sweaters and coats.
    If you’re ever looking for a place to eat brunch in the L.A. area, you should definitely head over to Auntie Em’s Kitchen, which is one of my favorite spots. I wish I had taken more pictures of the place to show you how adorable it is inside. The restaurant has a very cute bakery and shop at the entrance, and I love how homey it feels.I decided to venture out and try something other than my usual order of french toast during this trip, and instead I ordered some delicious pancakes with a peach and whiskey glaze. I’m glad I did, because they were delicious! Sara ordered a Caprese sandwich, which also looked amazing.
    Café de Leche is definitely one of those coffee shops that I need to visit more often. It’s really cute inside, and it seems like a great place to read a book or spend some time studying. More importantly, they also make really delicious drinks. I usually don’t like flavored coffee drinks, but I love their iced horchata espresso. Sara got their iced horchata chai, which she said was also really good.
    I hope you enjoyed reading about my weekend adventure. I need to remember that I started this blog as a way to motivate myself to get out of the house, and not just post my outfits. I’m hoping to have more energy to run around town once this heat wave disappears.
    xoxo,
    Helen Grace
    Outfit

    Chambray My Way

    Photos by Laura Nolan

    Outfit Details:
    Denim/Chambray Dress c/o eShakti
    Lotta from Stockholm Peep Toe Clogs in Tan Leather
    Madewell Leather Purse in Black

    This weekend I made another trip to San Juan Capistrano, and wore this chambray/denim dress that I received c/o eShakti, which was very lightweight and perfect for the warm weather!  I had been looking for a retro style dress for a while, but I couldn’t find one that fit me well. Luckily for me, eShakti is an online retailer that allows you to customize any item to your size and height. Since I am petite, I chose to have them make the skirt of the dress to fit above my knee. I also kind of wish that I had entered in my full measurements when I ordered the dress, because it is a little tight around the chest area. However, that detail isn’t too noticeable, and I’m still very in love with this dress. You can find eShakti on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

    As you may already know, the reason that I’ve been driving out to San Juan Capistrano so frequently is because it’s the halfway meeting point for my best friend Laura and me. In the next few days, Laura will be flying out to China to live there for year, and I wanted to get one more chance to see her before she left. Although I’m really sad that I won’t get to physically see her for a year, I’m really excited about all of the fun adventures that she will have while abroad. We had an amazing time catching up this weekend, and I know that we’ll be able to pick off right where we left off when she comes back.
    xoxo,
    Helen Grace
    P.S. Please send good vibes to Laura as she prepares to go on this new journey in her life!