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!

Just a Normal School Day

(Seneca Rising Aurore Top, Paige Verdugo Jegging in Sapphire, Civico 9 Short Cowboy Boots)

These jeans I got from Revolve are called 'jeggings' and although I am not a fan of the term 'jeggings' these jeans feel exactly how they should feel like: nice denim feel yet the comfortableness of a legging minus the wedgie. I always thought jeggings were super thin denim with that weird elastic waistband but these are just like jeans except it is so stretchy (still maintains its fit though even after an 8 hour wear)
I wanted to dress up the jeans so I chose a feminine drapey top that I also got from Revolve.
You'll definitely see me wearing these pieces more often.

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.

Matte Black

(Vintage Silk Blouse, DIY Levi's Denim Cut-offs, Dad's Louis Vuitton Belt that he doesn't like plus won't fit his waist, Chloe Oxford Lace Up Wooden Heels)

Went thrifting with Annabel & Lulu awhile back and sweet Annabel managed to find this white shirt for me. It was super big with monstrous sleeves so I rolled the sleeves up and used safety pins to hold them in place. I actually use safety pins quite often because I believe in clothes that fit well and unfortunately cheap clothes I find at stores aren't the case and I'm too lazy to alter them myself. Oh, and I realized today that I don't own any white socks that don't have a nike logo on them. Must go buy white socks...

The Earth is Just a bit of Dust Beneath Our Feet

(H&M Men's Denim Shirt, Random Tank, F21 Floral Skirt, H&M Heels)

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!

Genetic Denim Giveaway

(Quiksilver Sheer Racerback Tank & Genetic Denim Shane Cigarette Jeans courtesy of Revolve Clothing)

These are by far the softest denim I own and are super comfortable and extremely flattering (as in, they make my legs look lean but don't squish my butt in. lol) plus they don't stretch like other jeans so even after 3 wears without washing (gross, I know) they still fit really well.
The tank I got is also from Revolve and I fell in love with the sheerness of this tank but was pleasantly surprised to realize it was from Quiksilver.

To make things more interesting and fun, the generous folks over at Revolve are allowing one lucky reader to receive the Genetic Denim Shane Cigarette Jeans in Admiral that I am wearing above.

All you need to do is 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.jspcom/brandpages/GeneticDenim.jsp

Giveaway ends on Tuesday, March 30,2010

P.S. This Giveaway is both open to U.S. & International Readers! =D

-UPDATE-

The winner of this giveaway chosen by Revolve is Dkdang8806@gmail.com

A representative from Revolve will be contact you for your jeans!

Thanks to everyone who entered and there will be one more giveaway coming up.

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...