[LA Love] The Last Bookstore is the Only Bookstore You Need

March 16, 2015March 16, 2015Leave a comment

Photo by Daniel Leist Photography

Though we haven’t yet fine tuned the ability to time travel, thanks to the power of the written word it’s possible to walk into a room and simultaneously transport yourself in a thousand different directions spanning the course of several millennium, in irrational, fantastical ways. Where science boldly says no, literature proudly asks ‘Why Not’ in a thousand shades of possibility. Over the past few weeks, I’ve proudly ebbed and flowed through my bookshelf with new eyes and an open mind – there’s no topic to small to ponder and no question to big to tackle; but often that leaves me holding seven books, wishing I had six extra sets of eyes so I could read all of them at once.

After seven years in Los Angeles, it’s easy to believe that you’ve seen it all – but let me tell you, in a city of bewilderment, wonder and constant creation – there’s always something hiding just around the corner, waiting to make your day; which is precisely the case with The Last Bookstore. An exciting hodge podge of new and loved books and records that shop frequenters can buy, sell and trade – the Last Bookstore the largest independent bookstore in the world, and simply the only bookstore you’ll ever need in your life. Considering w shops like Borders and Barnes & Nobles falling by the wayside, this very well might be the last bookstore we have left in LA.

Located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles’ Financial District, The Last Bookstore is much more than home to thousand upon thousands of stories, dreams, diatribes, poems, whimsical words and resilient reads. The first story is a beautiful open air bookstore, with loads of literature for every type of reader, and high vaulted ceilings with a view into the shops of the Springs Arts Collective, with their unique creations peaking out for the world to see. As you walk up the steps into the second floor, you’re whisked away in the same sort of wanderlust I lose myself in while reading. Instead of noticing things in a sequential order as I ascended into the Labyrinth, they were all thrust upon my brain in simultaneous artistic attack. Books were suspended in mid-flight, exploding every which direction to the delight of everyone around. Incredible sculptures crafted from books adorned the walls and aisles, while the floor was lined with contemporary galleries and art shops.

Photos by Daniel Leist Photography

Photo by Daniel Leist Photography

Two of my personal favorites were from David LoveJoy (above) – a contemporary designer who forges unique, otherworldly designs, gadgets and gizmos – and the FOLD Gallery (below), the niche boutique brainchild of Jena Priebe. The third Thursday of the month marks Downtown LA’s Art Walk, and The Last Bookstore and Labyrinth gallery are definitely a hipster hot spot; but would you expect any less?

Additional Pics: Daniel Leist Photography

For more on The Last Bookstore, David Lovejoy’s art or the FOLD Gallery, head to their socials –

The Last Bookstore: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

David Lovejoy | #LoveJoyArt: Website | Facebook

Jena Priebe | FOLD Gallery: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

[Weekly Dose of Wisdom] Spring Forward

March 12, 2015March 12, 2015Leave a comment

While March marched on into our lives hail paraded down on Southern California, eliciting a sonic onslaught as if it were a troupe elephants gallivanting over tin roofs while blanketing Orange County beaches with a coat of unprecedented snow. And now? Spring has yet to be sprung, and it’s been a lovely past few days with a threat of a heat wave flowing in tomorrow. In a monumental personal feat, this is the first morning since Daylight Savings Time that I’ve woken up naturally and with my usual bounce in my step! For multitudes of reasons, I’m enamored by these few months before Summer – life is passionately on display as blossoms and wildlife color the sky, humans and animals alike couple up in cute, baseball gets into full swing and festival season reigns supreme. In the spirit of Spring’s impending arrival – here are some of my favorite seasonally inspired quotes on blossoms, flowers, nature, love and life with pictures from various trips to Big Sur, Ventura, Colorado and around Eagle Rock.

[Oh, Snap!] Eagle Rockin’ and Eagle Walkin’ v7

March 8, 2015March 8, 20152 Comments

So far this year I’ve learned that if you’re on the West Coast you should literally pay no mind to Punxsutawney Phil; he might know a thing or two about weather on the East Coast but when it comes to us, just consider him Jon Snow: he knows nothing. For the past few weeks, Danny and I have been on a determined fitness kick. With festival season right around the corner and the wicked terrain of Lightning in a Bottle heading our way in almost T-3 months, we’re planning on kicking our own asses, taking some names and making our bodies into lean, mean, workout machines. A few weeks back, I snagged a sweet crystal ball off of Amazon and we’ve been having a ball (pun) snapping pictures using it. We’ve even managed to discover a few new walking trails around our apartment. Enjoy our journey!

[Oh, Snap] Sunday Funday at Thousand Steps Beach

February 26, 2015February 22, 2016Leave a comment

The tides are in our veins.

Photo by Daniel Leist

Calming and cathartic, the ocean beckons with a quiet roar masked as a whisper – cascading from shore to shore in enigmatic harmony. Growing up in the Bay Area, only a hop, skip and a jump from local beaches like San Gregorio, Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz and Capitola, and spending a good amount of my childhood on the Oregon coast – I have a plethora of fond memories building sand castles and feeding s

ea gulls while unearthing sea glass and haphazardly discovering beautiful raw stones. And even though I spent my collegiate years right on the beach in Santa Barbara, I could’ve spent a lot more time actually at the beach. So whenever I get the chance to finally hit one up, the five year old trapped in this 6’0 body gets butterflies in her stomach and stars of excitement in her eyes.

Photo by Daniel Leist

Life, as they say, is what happens while you’re making other plans and the other weekend was no different. After a haphazard morning leaving Los Angeles, timing had proven tumultuous and schedules had shifted. Thankfully, it was a beautiful day and there’s nothing quite like hitting the road with some good jams and great friends. Soaking in the wonderful weather over Valentine’s Day weekend, a great few days filled with lots of love and great company, my wanderlust waved me over to Laguna Beach’s Thousand Steps Beach. Located just off of the Pacific Coast Highway, tucked away between two bluffs – Thousand Steps Beach is a gem among beaches with loads of soft sand, caves to explore and loads of blissfully breaking waves for hydrophilic humans. Though it’s not technically a thousand steps to get down to the beach, there are definitely enough to warrant a lazy afternoon soaking up some rays.

Photo by Daniel Leist

We couldn’t leave before Sunset on the beach and as we thought, it was absolutely stunning. Sprinting out to the water to snap a picture, my body tangled in itself and the necklace I was wearing broke and my pendant, a beautiful little piece of Amethyst that I got at the Gem Fair in Tucson, tumbled through my sweatshirt and plunged into the current. I watched three or four waves swoop, swish and rearrange the stone and instinctively thrust my hand into the water. Miraculously, I saved it – and it hasn’t left my neck since. This was almost two weeks ago and I’m still finding grains of sand on it!Last, but certainly not least – as the sun went down, the creativity heated up and we tried our hands on some light painting. Danny took hold of the wand, our friend All Day Jimmy was behind the camera – and the result: magic!

What’s your favorite beach to soak up the sunshine? Let me know in the comments below!

[Get Free] Los Angeles Museums Offer Up Free Admission On January 31st

January 7, 2015January 7, 2015Leave a comment

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I don’t know about the rest of you, but FREE is one of my favorite F words. Get free, be free, freedom…and then – there are the free things in life that make our already glorious lives that much sweeter. For the last few seasons, I’ve shared my assorted adventures gallivanting through some of the most gorgeous gardens, arboretums and parks on the West Coast. in search of the perfect picnic plot, a summertime reading nook or simply a splendid location for an afternoon stroll. From Southern California through Utah and Colorado, Northern California into Oregon, Washington and Canada – I’ve loved them all, and I’m still on the hunt for more. With the Getty, Getty Villa, Huntington Gardens and UC Berkeley’s Botanical Garden – though the main attraction truly is the astounding grounds they all reside on, the museums that each facility boasts is creme of the crop, top notch and has international acclaim.

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At the end of the month, some of the best museums in the Los Angeles area are pairing up the local Metro to celebrate a decade of free education at the “Museum Free-For-All”. On January 31st (and, for some, February 1st), assorted museums are slashing their admission prices so the general public can ogle for free. Any specialty ticketed exhibitions are except from the offer and regular parking does apply, but that’s a small fee to fork over for an amazing, mind opening day. Participating museums are as follows – and if the museum is offering a Sunday admission, it’s noted.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Annenberg Space for Photography
Armory Center for the Arts
California African American Museum
California Science Center
Chinese American Museum
Craft Folk & Art Museum
Fowler Museum at UCLA
The Getty Center
The Getty Villa (Timed Tickets Required)
Hammer Museum
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
Los Angeles Fire Department Museum and Memorial
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA)
Museum of Latin American Art
Museum of Tolerance (Sunday, Feb 1)
The Paley Center for Media
The Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits
Pasadena Museum of California Art
Santa Monica Museum of Art
Skirball Cultural Center
The Torrance Art Museum
USC Pacific Asia Museum
William S. Hart Museum
Zimmer Children’s Museum (Sunday, Feb 1)

Whether you’re a science nut, a nature nerd or an art afficianado – there’s absolutely something for everyone, and a perfect excuse to get your family, friends and favorites together for a wonderful weekend at the museum. After rummaging through the list, I realized that I’ve only been 20% of the museums – most likely, I’ll be running around between the California Museum of Sciences, the Annenberg Space for Photography and hopefully I’ll be able to squeeze in the Getty Villa one more time too. I love learning, I love expanding my center of knowledge and I love doing it with the people nearest and dearest to me. If you can’t make it out that weekend, don’t sweat it – there are loads of museums and gardens that offer spotted free admission once a month.

The Arboretum – Free the 3rd Tuesday of Every Month

Descanso Gardens – Free the 3rd Tuesday of Every Month

The Huntington Botanical Gardens – The First Thursday of Every Month

Getty Villa – Admission is always free, Parking is on a Pay Basis

What are your favorite museums? Do you have any tricks of the trade for free admission? Let everyone know in the comments below!

[Eagle Walkin’ and Eagle Rockin’ v5]

October 24, 2014October 24, 2014Leave a comment

Leaves are changing, seasons are rearranging – and I’m falling in love with this town all over again…

[Doing it Right] Krewella’s Get Wet Tour with Candyland + Seven Lions

September 17, 2013September 26, 20133 Comments

This is the face of a girl who’s been battling the most ridiculously annoying cough and cold combination from hell for a week. I’ve sneezed more times than I could count and essentially coughed up my body weight; so, why’s she smiling, you ask? Oh, because she gets to do her second big show review in the history of ever. Whether you’re a new follower or you’ve been around the block with me a few times, I’m sure you’ll come to notice sooner or later that the passions I have in life are what makes my world go ’round. Music, writing, cats, beauty in the world, my boyfriend and our friends, sunshine and the good life – in any and every combination possible.

A few years back I was talking with a good friend of mine who continually maintains two jobs – one job being a pain in the ass but money in the bank, and the other the exact opposite: the only richness she got from the job was a feeling of pride. And my, oh my…isn’t that enough? Ever since then, I’ve thought about a two fold approach to what “work” is supposed to be. “Work” is what you do to support your dream job and as a writer for the renowned EDM Web-zine The DJ List I’m now a walking, talking example of it.

I’ve gone to the Palladium at least fifty times in the last two years, possibly over 100 times in my five year span in Los Angeles; but never have I ever stammered when I talked to doormen, and been so confused at a simple press ticket – what I kept forgetting was I got this job by being an avid and energetic EDM fan, not by letting my nerves get the best of me. Thank-fracking-goodness my boyfriend knows how (and when) to take control of a situation that’s slipping through my anxious little fingers. After stopping by the wrong booth, I finally heard the magic words I’ve been waiting for: Here’s your VIP wristband and your photography pass. What. If I died at that very second, which is in fact what my heart felt like it was doing, I would have died the happiest little bouncy kitty on planet Earth.

When we walked in, Candyland was rocking the stage with their OG swag and EDM style; their fusion of grimy Hip-hop, dubstep and electro house got the crowd jumping like crazy. From the rafters, it honestly looked like popcorn just going off in every direction. Not to mention, the duo – better known to their friends as Ethan and Josie – hail from Santa Barbara and know some of my college buddies; small, talented world, right? After their set was another 805 local, Seven Lions. There aren’t even appropriate words to describe how his music moves me – he takes chilled out trance and indie rock, pairs it with some of the most stunning synths and rumbles I’ve ever heard and simply put – the man makes musical magic. His set was effing phenomenal and after seeing him be the opener for Porter Robinson and Krewella I cannot wait to see him headline his own show; shit’s gonna get real!

Finally, after a palpable intermission where we refused to leave our spot on the dance floor – the house lights dimmed, the Volcano was unveiled and Jahan, Yasmine and Rainman took the reins at the DJ Booth; it was all uphill from there! Churning through hit after hit, the sisters interchangeably jumped to stage level to interact with their immensely diverse fanbase and feed off of each other’s electric energy. They went through their entire repertoire – Come and Get It, Live for the Night, Candyland even came out to perform their OG remix of Legacy – their song with Nicky Romero. This Chicago trifecta has worked with some of the greatest across all EDM genres and paid homage to many others that I’ve considered incredibly influential. Pendulum, Knife Party, Gareth Emery, Skrillex, Adventure Club, Nicky Romero, Fall Out Boy. No doubt this list is going to get exponentially longer as their careers catapult – and they’re still fresh on the scene!