sushi at the open door japanese izakaya

I'm going through some serious LA food withdrawals and these photos are not helping. Right before I left I finally got to try this little place in the valley called The Open Door in Monterey Park. We tried to go here the last time I was down but the place was so crowded that the wait would have been an hour! This time around we got here right when it opened and easily got a seat. 5-7 also happens to be their happy hour!! I wish I could describe how delicious everything was but all I can really do is show these photos and leave it to your imaginations. The highlights were definitely the salmon sashimi with a garlic citrus soy sauce and the, wait for it, TRUFFLE BUTTER edamame!

If you're in the area, go to The Open Door for dinner! Even with a carafe of peach Chu-Hi it only came out to around $16 per person plus tip and tax. It's definitely not your traditional sushi place but worth a try if you're curious. The people there are extremely nice and the chef is super friendly!

something different

Paige Premium Denim Lou Lou Flare in Black Diamond and Hope tux blazer via Revolve Clothing, vintage silk shirt, Swedish Hasbeens

Yes, I am wearing flares. Yes, I chopped off my hair. My first reaction? WHY DIDN'T I DO THIS SOONER? Cutting it was actually very last minute, my appointment was actually for a body wave perm but I opted out the day before. I've had my hair short for the past few days and have not had to do anything to it since it just magically dries like this. If you guys have been keeping up with my tweets, I've also been testing out these Paige flares that Revolve Clothing sent me as part of a series on denim collaborations between my blog and theirs. I really can't remember the last time I wore flared jeans... maybe it was in 8th grade? I'd actually been contemplating changing things up with flares but just couldn't bring myself to dive in and purchase a pair. Well hey, why not try now? I suppose I'm going through some strange phase where I'm experimenting with new styles and reinventing my image while still remaining true to what I already like.

My final verdict? These jeans are great! They're formfitting like skinny jeans until they hit the knee and flare out without being too extreme. I've already worn them three times since I received them and will probably put them on again today! They're actually surprisingly comfortable, stretchy, and holy crap, look at my rear end. I have a butt! In the end, I'm glad I tried something new and I'll definitely continue to step outside the box and try styles that I don't usually go for.

Guess what guys? Like the last post but with a little twist, we're giving away THREE pairs of the Paige Lou Lou jean (colors based on availability: Diamond, White Stretch Destruction, Coast, Black Diamond, Rebel or Sardinia) to my readers. To enter you must comment on this post by providing your email and and pasting a link to your favorite Paige jean on Revolve. You can find the selection here http://www.revolveclothing.com/brandpages/PaigePremiumDenim.jsp

Please note that by entering this competition you are agreeing to receive emails from www.revolveclothing.com. Only one entry per email address will be accepted. Open to both domestic and international readers!

Closing date for entries is Tuesday, April 6th.

Last week's entries are being processed and the winner will be announced tomorrow!! Good luck with this contest as well, I'm excited to see what you guys have to say.

ps. for those of you who asked, my nail color in the last post from Essie in Tart Deco.

grilled cheese truck in la

Although I'd lived in LA for most of my life up until I was 18, this wave of food trucks is relatively new to me since I'm only here for a couple days at a time when I'm on vacation. Of course, I'm used to the occasional taco truck stop every now and then but this was my first time driving out to track down the Grilled Cheese Truck in Hollywood. My friend Karen is a regular customer but we agreed that I HAD to try it this week while I'm home.

After waiting 20 minutes the truck finally showed up and a huge line quickly formed. I was contemplating getting the special, a pretzel melt with salami, smoked gouda, and spicy mustard (pictured below), but I changed my mind and went with a cheesy mac and rib melt (pictured above) plus tomato soup. Ohhhhh my, it was fantastic! If you want to try the mac and cheese melt, you HAVE to get it with BBQ pork and caramelized onions. If the line hadn't been so long I probably would have ordered a second round. I'm not joking, when I really like something, I obsess over it. Part of me is really tempted to make another trip before I leave but that probably won't happen since I don't have a license :X

In any case, if you get the chance, track down the Grilled Cheese Truck, I guarantee you won't be disappointed. Don't forget to follow them on Twitter! I'm bummed that I won't have the time to try other food trucks until I come back in the summer. I especially wanted to visit the Nom Nom Truck yesterday in Pasadena but I wasn't able to make it in time! Sorry Jennifer, hopefully next time!

let me tell you a something about my denim

Genetic Denim Shane Cigarette in Silver and Kain Dolman Shirt via Revolve Clothing, Zara platforms, vintage sunglasses

Anyone catch the Real Housewives of New Jersey reference in the title? No? Okay. Well, this is exactly what this post is about: denim. The other day I was counting all of the jeans that I have and I am not ashamed to admit that I currently have at least 15 pairs. Blue jeans, black jeans, light jeans... you name it. Don't get me wrong, I love wearing dresses and skirts but jeans are so much more easy to work with. Can you imagine how excited I was to be able to work with Revolve Clothing on this little denim project?

I actually had never tried Genetic Denim until now and I was surprised to find out how soft they are when I first put them on. Even my friend Karen commented on how much she had wanted a pair after trying on a pair! If you have a chance though, try them out. They're seriously soft and fit my body well without being too tight. Did I mention how comfortable they are? I'm even wearing them right now while watching kdramas, hehe.

I'd also been looking for gray jeans for a while which I could wear with light colored outfits for spring. In this post I went with the usual tucked in silk shirt (this cuffed Kain one is perfect for anyone who is still looking) and tan platforms. These jeans are also very light and wearable in warm weather and can easily be worn with a loose tank top in the summer.

If you're interested, here's your chance to win a free pair! We’re giving away 1 pair of these jeans (Genetic Shane Cigarette in Silver) to readers. To enter you must comment on this post by providing your email and pasting a link of your favorite Genetic Jeans on Revolve. Find the selection here: http://www.revolveclothing.com/brandpages/GeneticDenim.jsp

Please note that by entering this competition you are agreeing to receive emails from www.revolveclothing.com. Only one entry per email address will be accepted. Open to both domestic and international readers!

Closing date for entries is Tuesday, March 30.

ETA: Here is another pickle picture for the ride. Thanks to Karen for taking my pictures! I edited the last post to include where her nail polish and ring were from but was also asked about my lipstick and sunglasses. The lipstick is the Morange one that I wrote about in this post (mixed with a lighter pink shade, Please Me, to make it more peachy) and my sunglasses are my best vintage find ever from a flea market.

Good luck to everyone who enters!! I'm really excited to work with Revolve on this project and I appreciate your support. Look forward to more denim posts in the coming weeks!

corner bakery cafe

Random photos from an outing today in Pasadena with my best friend Karen. Man I can never get enough of Corner Bakery when I'm home. Give me a ham & swiss pressed panini with tomato soup and I'm happy all day. I'm keeping this short because tomorrow's outfit post will be much more exciting with, psst, my first giveaway!

ETA: Karen's nail polish is from American Apparel and her ring is from Forever 21! I, on the other hand, still haven't gone in for a manicure but if I had I'd be wearing Essie's Tart Deco...

rabbit ragu with pappardelle

A couple snapshots from dinner prep last Friday, I tried to record a video but my dying battery wouldn't let me. Oh well. I'm sure most of you are wondering what kind of people would even think of consuming something as cute as a rabbit; even I had to pause and second guess what we were about to do. I've had rabbit at restaurants but actually handling and cooking one turned out to be quite the experience. Well, granted I didn't do much but squirm and deal with BF teasing me incessantly about the dutch oven being a "bunny crematorium" (haha?) and jumping around imitating a rabbit (no, just no). Beyond that, the finished product was definitely worth it and was O-M-G delicious.

For anyone who is interested, we picked up our rabbit at Mission Market Fish & Poultry which is two blocks away from BF's apartment and is, in my opinion, probably the best place to go to for meat in the area. The recipe we used is from a New York Times article which has pretty straightforward step-by-step instructions. The article is a good read as well, I recommend it. Also, umm... I know I said that I didn't do much in the previous paragraph but I don't think it was clear enough that I did not cook this. I know I've said this multiple times but BF is the one who cooks in our relationship! I beat him at desserts and baking, so I suppose it evens out...

rain, really?

vintage duffel coat, zara dress, thrifted cutout oxfords + bag, american apparel tights

I don't usually do headless shots but my face looked way too annoyed with the damp situation that I was in. Why is it that the one day you want the weather to be nice it ends up being a complete shitshow? Fridays are usually our date days since we both have it off but it just so happened that this week's coincided with crappiest weather of the week. It didn't just rain, it poured! How is that possible when Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday were so sunny and beautiful? Nevertheless, errands had to be attended to and we made the most of it. I'll save the dinner post for later in the week.

I was a total cranky pants that day until I got out of the rain and shoved this ham sandwich (with provolone and sundried tomatoes!) from a local deli down my throat. One of the things BF and I have in common is the degree to which we are affected by a lack of food: our worst (but not very serious) blow ups with each other are usually caused by being extremely hungry. Seriously, one moment I'll be snapping at him for no reason and the next I'll be addressing him with one of our many pet names for each other while downing a cheeseburger and of course, when the time comes, he'll do the same to me. It's hard to explain on the internet but you get the picture.

On another note, I think I will be listing more clothes in my blog shop around 7pm Pacific time. Stay tuned!

ETA: The shop is finally updated with a bunch of dresses! Check them all out here.

magnolia pub & brewery

Went to Magnolia on Haight Street the other day for some beer and food. I've heard most people don't really like the food there but the open faced meatloaf sandwich was delicious, in my opinion. It even had a cheese sauce and was topped with an egg! BF had a burger which was also quite decent. I can't really remember what beers BF and Mike had but since it was still February I'm going to guess it was something from their Strong Beer Month selection. No booze for me since I was taking medication at the time! Man, I'm so glad I'm starting to feel much better.

spring fever

vintage sweater, ksubi jeans, zara platforms

One day of uninterrupted sunshine wedged between stormy weather and I already think I can get away with dressing like this. Yes, I may not have stepped out of my apartment at all today but I can pretend, right? My bangs have been pissing me off so I'm taking advantage of my day off to explore a life without them. The final verdict? I wouldn't mind doing this every once in a while...

With Spring coming up, I thought I'd tackle the monster mess in my closet to get a head start on spring cleaning. Umm, is it too late to admit that I am a closet hoarder? I found this awesome oversized sweater that I totally forgot I'd purchased and threw it on as soon as I found it. I found a couple other things as well but I should really stick to my resolution and stop hoarding all of these articles of clothing. Wouldn't they be better on someone who would actually wear them? After running into problems with my blog shop (i.e. people not paying, listing the wrong address, etc.) I considered shutting it down but I'm going to give it one more go. I'm listing three cream silk tops this time so stay tuned! The entries will go up around 8pm pacific time.

SHOP BLUSHING AMBITION