Ace Is The Place

Last night I engaged in a "proper" happy hour at the brand spankin' new ACE Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.  If you've been reading this blog for a while now, you are no doubt aware, that as far as I'm concerned, the Ace Hotel brand can do no wrong.  (See my posts about two of their other locations here and here).  There had been speculative rumors going around for the past year and half, or so, that an Ace Hotel would be opening in downtown Los Angeles, which was of particular interest to me as my parents own a loft there, my office is there and my sister lives there (see photos of her downtown Los Angeles loft), but I dismissed said rumors as too-good-to-be-true pretty much up until the point that they opened their doors - literally right across the street from my office (and also next door to my parents' building).  And then, at that moment, I had to comprehend the fact that my fantasy and reality had become one - T.R.I.P.P.Y.

So anyway, yesterday afternoon, the stars aligned for me to experience this gem in true après work fashion.  My cousin was in town visiting and my sister made things happen so that we scored a primo spot on the roof just as the sun was setting and we were sipping 'champs (and PBR tall boys) amidst insane views.  One might say it was, idyllically ideal.  My official ruling is: the Downtown LA Ace does not disappoint! 

HAWTIES!

Now, since we were talking about Happy Hour after all, in terms of the edible kind of refreshments, there is a lacking, if you're actually hungry.  To rectify this situation, however, I was told by our server, that I could go downtown stairs to the adjacent best-little-taco-stand-north-of-the-border, "Taco's Mexico" (where my dad has been know to satisfy a case of the drunk munchies - yes, that actually happened) and bring 'em back up to enjoy, in true B.Y.O.Food. fashion.  A better solution or the BEST solution to "hangry" situation?  Now, if you are just in the mood for something light (and perhaps also nostalgic), you can access their selection of throwback snacks (read: Bugles, Red Vines, Peanut M&M's) from your rooftop seat, as those items actually are on the Ace rooftop menu.  Random sidenote, I know, but I felt it best you know your options going in, so you can plan accordingly... you're welcome.

In other non-consumption news about this PL-ACE, the whole vibe is on-point.  The hotel is housed in the old United Artist building and was restored just enough to nail the purpose without losing its remarkable original features.  To give you some quick history, the building was initially built in 1927 and was the tallest building in the city for one year after its completion.  It was designed by the renown theater architect at the time, C. Howard Crane, who was commissioned by the "United Artists" (a group of united artists, formed with the intention of controlling their own interests rather than depending upon the powerful commercial studios).  The United Artists Corporation was founded by Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, and DW Griffith.  The theater, a classic movie palace, deemed "the final word in theatre construction" by Motion Picture News in 1927, was the first of many constructed by United Artists and served as the first major premier house located in Los Angeles rather than in New York City.  The theater was built in a Spanish Gothic-stlye and is lavished with ornate details meant to mimic the Segovia Cathedral in Segovia, Spain.   

I mean, how cool is cool?!

The theater, in my humble opinion, can be described in no other way than: OUT OF CONTROL.  See for yo'self:

There is a restaurant on the ground level which is superb (I speak from experience).  And the rooms are true-to-form Ace style - unique, casual, cool but cozy, and with a pinch of hipster (just the right amount ;). The pool sits on the roof separated by a classically trendy bar from the lounge area where I mentioned earlier.  Please feel free to peruse more photos of the hotel below:

Quite simply, it is the ULTIMATE addition to this area of downtown and I could not be more excited to welcome it to the neighborhood - which I will do by patronizing the sh*t out of it, obvi!  I highly recommend you do the same if you are in or around the downtown Los Angeles area at any point.

And with that said, enjoy your weekends, ya party animals!

Sticky Fingers

Confession time here:  My nail care is atrocious.  I'm a biter, I play sports, I'm sometimes working outside or with machinery and mostly, just lazy when it comes to nail upkeep.  Additionally, I am related to a "kind-of-a-big-deal" hand model who takes nail appearance very seriously and quite frankly, has seen the value in doing so :).  It is therefore amazing to me that some people actually comment on my nails with positive feedback, given my blatant disregard for their maintenance.  I've therefore decided to share with y'all my "trick" that is apparently still fooling people into thinking I am much more proactive than I am. 

As someone who jumped on board the acrylic nail train BIG TIME in middle school and rode it all the way through half of college (Shh, don't tell anyone else about that), I pretty much used up most of my allocated manicure funds for a lifetime.  I also don't have the time to sit and get my nails done as frequently as is demanded nor the patience to be still for the necessary time afterwards for them to properly dry.. which always results in at least one smudge, without fail, every single time.  So when I found this loophole for "pulling it off" and even getting compliments on occasion, I knew I was onto something! 

I've now been employing this method for over 2 years, so I would consider myself an expert.. and can attest that it's legit.  Therefore, may I introduce: NAIL STICKERS! 

Tacky as they may seem (no pun intended), once applied, these suckers look just like the real deal.  PLUS, they last longer, don't get smudged or incur air bubbles.  But the best part...... is that it literally takes 5-10 min to complete all 10 nails and after they're applied, you're done.  No dry time.  If you're like me and really SUCK at painting your nails yourself, they solve that problem too.  You can apply them yourself and once you've finished, it looks like a professional job.  And, they have a bunch of really rad designs, including 3D ones that you can't achieve from painting them.  Allow me to elaborate about the designs, through visual examples: 

They're very easy to put on, you just match the correct size to your nail, take off the backing from the sticker, apply it to your nail and then use a nail file to file away the excess sticker (like so):

I've used several different brands: Sally Hansen (which can be found at Target, Walgreens, CVS, etc), Sephora, I've even bought some at Nordstrom and they're all more or less the same in terms of quality and price (they seem to range from $8 to $15) so it mostly comes down to selection, in my opinion.

Here are my top three picks at the moment:

Get 'em HERE, ladies!

I suggest trying it out because at worst you just peel them off and are out the cost but at best:  you have found a "better mousetrap"!  And it could change your life!  I'm only half joking about that last line :).

xoxo

Office Tray-ning

Last week, my desk (that I posted about here) arrived.  And OH MY WORD, is it perfection! 

It's so gosh-darn gorgeous that sometimes I just step back and stare at it for a good 5 min.  I imagine this behavior is a bit like what new parents do when they have their first child and they just watch it, in awe, while it sleeps.. Haha kidding, I'm not that extreme.  Am I kidding?!  At first I felt like a fraud being in the presence of such exquisiteness but as time goes on, I am getting much more used to feeling like a B.O.S.S. when I sit behind it.  Problem is, there's a lot of empty table top space that I fear will get eaten up by clutter and papers and whatever else it is that seems to accumulate on my desk and never get put away.  I've purchased some file cabinets that, of course, came unassembled in a million little parts and as a result, are sitting in pieces all over the floor, unable to h̶i̶d̶e̶ hold anything.  So I've now taken to putting all documents on the table at the other end of the room to avoid the calamity of contaminating the clean glass top with actual work-related things and ruining its pristine beauty.  Using the desk for real work, ugh!  Can you imagine??

HOWEVER,  I was recently enlightened by someone very wise to the perfect solution for problems such as this.  The solution, is to invest in a tray sits upon these desks without drawers.  Genius!   By using a tray, there becomes a higher clutter threshold that is tolerated.  In this scenario, stacking and stuffing necessary but ugly papers and the like, is generally accepted as long as it occurs within the confines of the tray... Which leads me to a new (but much more manageable and fun) dilemma:  THE TRAY.

What type of tray is appropriate for the aforementioned desk?  What tray enhances but does not detract from the glory of this brass sawhorse desk? 

I've created a little compilation of some options* I am considering but haven't selected a clear winner just yet.  So, I NEED YOUR HELP, READERS!  Which tray is your fave for this application? 

See if you can spot my favorite which, coincidentally happens to be the most expensive BY FAR -> WAAAY OUT OF MY BUDGET.  #tears

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

Talk to me.  Please.  

Just WHAT is a girl to choose?

* In the spirit of full disclosure, not all of these are options, due to budgetary constraints, but I still want your fiscally unbiased opinion :).

Happy Humpday!

Gittin' My Drool On..

If you're one who is out and about on the design blogoscene, then this post may be a bit redundant for you... but honestly, that's no reason not to bask in the inspiration one more time around.  And if that sphere is not really your "scene" but you can respect it, then allow me to blow your mind and reduce your control over keeping the saliva in your mouth 'cuz I'm about to have you droolin'.. no foolin'!

Christine Dovey, writer of the uber-popular blog, Bijou and Bohome and also an extremely talented interior designer, just allowed another celeb-status blog, Style Me Pretty: Living, to post photos of her home, HERE.. and let me tell you, it's got design enthusiasts all up in a tizzy.  Personally, I DIE.  And so, I thought I would share the greatness with all of my readers just in case these photos had not circulated into your purview. 

Therefore, BEHOLD, this classically glamorous abode that will leave you incurably jealous of the fact that you don't get to live among such perfection. 

Did I lie?

Psh, of course not!  J'ADORE!

A Crazy Little Thing Called Self LOVE

On this day of pink, red, Hallmark and hearts, I'm going to be totally cliche and blog about a crazy little thing called:

(LOVE!)

... And I will feel no shame or embarrassment about it!  However, I'm going to talk about the BEST kind of love and in my opinion, the most important kind: SELF LOVE.  The springboard for all other kinds of love.  Not to be confused with narcissism or having a big ego or being selfish, self love is one of those things that in practicing and applying, you are helping to create a better life and world not only for yourself but everyone else around you.  There is no shame (in fact shame is the antithesis of self-love) or selfishness in practicing self love and by loving yourself you can in turn be more loving to those around you.  Perhaps a more appropriate way to describe it is to be loving to yourself.  Don't punish yourself, forgive yourself, treat yourself how you would treat a loved one and god dammit, DON'T BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF!  (I should maybe be having this conversation with myself).  By having compassion for yourself, you will naturally be happier and more pleasant and present to those around you.  And maybe, just maybe, you can actually step outside of yourself and be there for others because you are not wrapped up in a tight ball of self doubt, self-loathing and self neglect which our mind (and society) are constantly trying to tempt us into.  

So if I've convinced you of the value of this even crazier l̶i̶t̶t̶l̶e̶ BIG thing called (Self) Love, then here are some ways you can try to cultivate it:

PRACTICE SELF CARE 
Whether it be eating healthy, or getting enough sleep, or exercising, or watching TV, going to the movies, or getting a massage, indulge in whatever it is you need to make you happy and put forth your best "YOU!"

FORGIVE YOURSELF
You're not doing anyone any good by continuing to ruminate over the past that you can't change.  We are human, we are designed to make mistakes.  Torturing ourselves will not even necessarily ensure that we won't make the same mistake again!  Whether the cause is big or small, guilt is an illusion of an emotion that won't do anything other than eat you up inside and perpetually keep you from getting what's best for you.

BE MINDFUL
Being mindful if forcing yourself to consider what you think, feel and want.  By being complacent or in denial, you are not living for you and can end up acting on what other's think is best for you.  It's your life!  

LIVE WITH INTENTION
When you live with purpose, you give yourself the opportunity to feel good about yourself when you succeed in this purpose.  It will be easier to love yourself if you see yourself as a capable person who is able to accomplish what they set out to do.

SET BOUNDARIES
If you set limits that are right for you ahead of time, it makes it easier to say no to situations that aren't in your best interests.

PROTECT YOURSELF
Don't keep people that aren't contributing to your happiness or success in your life.  Spend your time with people that love and respect you.  Life is too short to try to figure out how to make relationships that aren't working work.  There are plenty of people out there who are secure in themselves and genuinely want the best for you.  Seek those people out and get rid of the rest.  You will be much happier and better off in the long run.

So there you go!  On this Valentines Day, please make a promise to stop sabotaging your happiness and neglecting yourself and if you're already practicing self-love, frankly, YOU ROCK!  I love you for loving you!

And for all my (fellow) single ladies (and gentlemen), here is my Valentines Day gift to you (it's a picture):

NOW HOW'S THAT FOR SELF LOVE?!?!

Here's to holding out for the right thing!  REMEMBER: You are special and awesome and quite frankly, if you don't believe that, no one else if going to do it for you.. Except me, maybe.  I think you're all special and awesome, ESPECIALLY because you're reading my blog ;).

But really, I Luvvv Y'all!

XOXO