How much do you like this guy?
Photo from Wikipedia.
If you don’t know who he is, chances are you don’t like OR dislike him. So why keep filling his coffers this month? He’s Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon.com. His net worth is $23.3 billion. Dang, he doesn’t need any more of MY money!
This year I’m trying to shop local(ly) as much as possible. Lucky for us UNIQUE LA is this weekend!
WHAT: Unique LA
WHO: L.A. Artists & Designers selling their wares
WHEN: Sat. & Sun. Dec. 1 & 2 :: 11AM-6PM
WHERE: The California Market Center’s Penthouse
COST: $10 for admission, children 12 and under are free!
Click here for directions & parking.
Kelley Hart is one of the vendors who’ll be there. I met her a few weeks ago at the Palisades High Holiday Boutique. She has the cutest handmade children & women’s clothing. If you live in Santa Monica, the style is akin to the clothes you see at Jackapotamus on Main Street. (For those of you clicking the link, the Etsy store currently has only t-shirts while the brick & mortar store has LOADS of other items – many handmade.)
Here is a pic she just posted of some of the adorable skirts (made from vintage tablecloths) that she’ll be selling:
Photo from Kelley Hart's Facebook page.
Besides the skirts, she has amazingly creative kids’ outfits, hand knit hats, and matching mama/daughter outfits. The quality & craftsmanship is impeccable!
This is my first time attending & I’m so excited. Hope to see you there!
You can’t tell from this post but I’ve been distracted/obsessed with the storm that has devastated (and continues devastating) the east coast. Not only do I have loved ones there (my sis & niece as well as dear friends & extended family) but I worry for the future of my children. We are starting to have 100 year storms every 2 years now?? Can we do anything to lessen the intensity? Or do we just build stronger infrastructure and carry on as usual?
Regardless, I’m posting this as I wrote most of it last week and want to support this special local business that has a ton of heart!
***
It’s so easy to order gifts for people online with Amazon. But all the packaging that comes with it drives me nuts. I am such a cluttery person that I think it’s best for me to make the effort to actually go out & buy presents in person. Not only does it make me buy less, but I also save on all the wrapping & shipping.
The other nice thing about shopping locally is that you are supporting a person instead of a huge corporation. I definitely like seeing tiny unique shops in my neighborhood and the only way they’ll stay is if we actually SHOP there.
So I’ve started getting cute gifts here at Baby Daze lately.
Baby Daze is a resale shop for childrens’ clothing but they also carry brand new toys & books. A lot of the toys are Melissa & Doug (just to give you an idea of what’s there) but there are loads of other things like fancy bassinets
bouncy seats, barely used Bjorns, strollers (jogging strollers, Snap N Go’s and Graco travel systems).
Besides toys/gifts I’ve gotten some excellent deals at Baby Daze since it opened including a ski suit for my daughter for $17.99. It looks brand new. You know how ski suits go in Southern California – you use them 1-2x and the season’s over. That must be the story with this one.
Next year, Bea!
Also found a really cute pair of Tea Collection pants for her
and a Gap jumper.
Angela, the owner, also had (and I’m SORRY to post AFTER-Halloween!! Aggh – sorry Angela!!) Halloween costumes for $7.99.
She has hand-knitted caps right by the door as well as new baby gifts made locally. She also has loads of leg warmers (NEW) which make great baby gifts. If you have had a baby in the past few years you probably used them – great way to keep baby legs warm while making diaper changing easier! I was not able to get pix of everything as M was trying on shoes with abandon as well as packing a Melissa & Doug shopping cart with every baby toy she could find and strolling around and I got busy nagging her to put everything back.
Angela also does special events. On Nov. 17th at Baby Daze someone will be there making these adorable handprint ornaments.
[Photo from Baby Daze Facebook page.]
$19 each OR Free with $50 purchase! Call now to reserve your space! (310)692-9650 or visit the Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/babydazeboutique
[Besides Baby Daze, there is a special little jewelry store just a few doors down - called "Artful Things." Most of the jewelry is made by local artists and is just beautiful but there are other special gifts as well. Also, Twist is around the corner on 17th and has an eclectic mix of gifts including baby Havaianas, Christmas onesies, adult costume jewelry & trendy clothes/shoes, lip balms, jewelry boxes etc. Finally Bob's Market, one of the last small town grocery stores, is on the corner with a coin-operated horsey outside. I'll be writing about more local businesses in the near future & linking to this post.]
Have a big box of old baby/kid clothing? At Baby Daze you can “exchange” clothes for store credit:
[From her website:]
It’s Not Consignment It’s Better!
No need to wait and wonder when you will see the money.
I give Credit of 30% of my retail price per item. Cash will only be given with 3T-6T on request. Also at this time, I ask that you only use half your credit that day and return to use the other half another day.
My credit is good on anything in the store and never expires : )
We accept gently used clothes. No holes, stains, broken zippers or missing buttons. Freshly laundered. No cat hair etc.
Please bring clothes in a bag or box labeled with your name and number. I hope to get through them within a week and call you with your credit amount and leftovers for you to pick up.
Baby Daze Boutique
1706 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA
(310)692-9650
M-F 9AM-6PM
https://www.facebook.com/babydazeboutique
If you need a last minute gift or have a load of outgrown children’s clothing I highly recommend you stop by!
*Photo from this site!
Since Jack & Patsy have been staying on Main Street, we’ve been meeting the food trucks on the corner of Main Street and Ocean Park Blvd. most Tuesday nights. There are about 5 food trucks – that change every week.
It’s in the parking lot of The Victorian,
*photo taken from this site!
this place I’ve walked by for the past 10 years without going inside. Though known for their weddings & events, they also have a teee-rific and surprisingly kid-friendly happy hour!
G and I looooooooooove us some happy hour – ‘specially with the kids since we need to get out early anyway.
Say, what’s the difference between Happy Hour and Early Bird Special?
Anyway, The Victorian lets you munch your food at their outdoor patio tables as long as you buy a drink or two. (Actually – I don’t know if you are required to buy a drink or not but we sure do!) There’s live music outside, it’s totally kid friendly, & the happy hour menu is terrific!
Last night I toted the kids down on the bus in a TORRENTIAL downpour (read: sprinkling) to find a fuchsia sign warning that the food trucks were rescheduled for Wednesday due to rain. No way was I going to wait 15 minutes for the bus in the rainstorm (mist) with a struggling 1 year old, stroll home to make dinner, do dishes & mop up thrown food from the walls, floor and myself! Instead we headed inside the Victorian to the bar on the main floor. There is really only seating for three groups there. It was us, another couple with a toddler, and a poor couple without kids. I mean, not that they were poor for not having kids. Or that they had financial problems of any sort. Well, you know what I mean.
The live music act – Christopher Hawley Rollers was inside hiding from the rain & playing some classic and oldies covers as well as their own stuff. Instead of being bummed about playing for Romper Room (hoo boy, did I just date myself), these guys handed out stickers & gave the kids all kinds of attention! And the kids noticed it too. On one of the more somber songs Maddie leaned over and confided in me, “This kind of song makes you cry and feel scared.” She had a point. Anyway, these guys are cool and are there every Tues. night from now until time immemorial. As Mr. Hawley himself reminded me, “They (the kids) ARE our future fans!”
We had a big time there last night! So good that despite numerous pre-bus temper tantrums, some paint-eating, diaper explosions and various wardrobe changes, we headed right back down again tonight. Today was a beautiful (February) summer day so we sat outside and boy, did we love it!
Patsy, I just noticed you don’t have your Tom’s on. You trying to get yourself kicked out of Santa Monica or something?
There’s G at the Buttermilk Truck. He scored some red velvet pancakes with a mocha whipped cream. Holy heart attack!! Soooooooooooo good…
G and kid under the white lights!
This is some kind of fake chicken sandwich from the Gardein food truck. Tasty and the fries were most definitely NOT fake – not the potatoes, the garlic or the oil they were fried in. Yum!
Mother of Pearl! I failed to snap a pic of Patsy’s heart attack on a plate. She got a Buttermilk Brick. A Buttermilk Brick consists of:
- Hashbrowns
- 2 eggs over easy
- a buttermilk biscuit
all smothered under house made chorizo gravy.
Check out their menu to see more…
TUESDAY NIGHT FOOD TRUCKS/HAPPY HOUR @ The Victorian
5-8PM
Half off most of the food menu (i.e. salads, pizzas, tacos, lobster roll, hummus plate, cheese plate etc.)
$2 off all beers
$5 wines (selected ones)
cocktail specials
Parking is free in the lot by the Victorian BUT it fills up fast! Or you can take the bus and get dropped off by ZJ Boarding House.
You can sit in the patio or just inside the front door with your food truck food! There are heaters & couches as well as live music. You can also sit in the grass across the driveway near the CA Heritage Museum and bring a blanket, your own beverages & chairs. There are heaters over there too for you thin-blooded types!
