bye bye la la land

getting back to LA after a four day bender in Vegas was amazing. it was great to unwind with nikki's family (since she had to head right back to work)- having lunch with her mom and her sister, sharing stories from our time together at college, getting to know them better, and taking my final stroll around Rodeo. we decided to spend the late afternoon/early evening before my flight just the two of us, and (of course) she knew the perfect spot.

I had been yammering on about how I wanted to visit the Beverly Hills Hotel, see the quintessential palm leaf wall paper, and have a drink at the Polo Lounge basically forever, but after hearing some appalling information about the owner of the hotel (the Sultan of Brunei- yes, seriously), it didn't seem to high up on my to-do list. instead we opted for the retro Avalon Hotel that is everything I could have ever dreamed of. the 60's have been one of my favorite decades for as long as I can remember, and it was like going back in time stepping into the Avalon. the decor was a mix of graphic prints, white and mint with gold accents and minimalist everything. the cabanas around the pool were perfect little bungalows, and since the hotel doesn't have a roof over the pool, we were able to soak up the last bit of Cali sunshine before my red-eye, munch on incredible pizza (which I was told is a good example of a "california pizza", as opposed to east coast pizza) and sip on pretty cocktails. it was beyond amazing to be able to spend a birthday with one of my best friends, finally be able to meet her family after hearing about them (and basically knowing them) for seven years, and have the perfect Beverly Hills/Vegas experience.

don't worry LA, i'll be back before you know it ;)

xx, marissa

california here we come

back from a bit of a blog hiatus, but traveling across the country and spending 4 days in one of the biggest party destinations will do that to ya! to say that California was amazing would be an understatement. even to say it was one of the best weeks of my life wouldn't quite do it, so lets just say I fell in love, and leave it at that.

what would a trip anywhere be without the standard cloud and wing pic? flying over all of the desert between boston and LA was amazing- I love deserts. but nothing compared to the palm trees that were waiting for me in La La land. everywhere I looked it was like a postcard. since it was a standard work week for nikki (I got there around noon on wednesday), i entertained myself for couple hours before we met up for lunch. my first stop in any city? cupcakes, of course. since sprinkles claims to be the original cupcake bakery, I knew the true cupcake connoisseur in me had to try them, and it was on my LA bucket list. tasted the chocolate marshmallow and the salted caramel, and let me tell you, HOLY YUM. the chocolate marshmallow was the best cupcake I have ever eaten, hands down. and isn't the cupcake ATM the cutest?! we spent the rest of the day exploring Beverly Hills, doing a bit of shopping for a much needed California accessory and enjoying the gorgeous sunshine before jet lag set in and I needed rest.

Beverly Hills was my playground for day two; window shopping on rodeo drive, popping into cute boutiques, and ducking into hotels and out of the sun for pretty drinks. as a self respecting julia roberts fan, I knew I had to make a stop at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and have my own Pretty Woman fan girl moment. the Blvd Lounge was the perfect place to rest my feet, sip on a pretty cocktail (the 20th Century Fox was my go-to), and people watch. after meeting up with nikki after work, we went to the Honor Bar for their amazing chicken sandwich, since we both have a chicken sandwich obsession.

that night we headed up the hills into Hollywood (which side note- those hills are HUGE!) to kick off the birthday celebration with margaritas and nachos with one of nikki's best friends from high school and ending up at Saddle Ranch. cotton candy at the bar (which we carved into faces as the night progressed), a scandalous bull to ride and Israeli men buying us roses- the perfect way to wrap up part one of LA. next stop, Vegas.

what's your must see spot whenever you're in LA?

xx, marissa