FLOWERS AND FARMER'S MARKETS
We took advantage of this weekend: its sun, its splendor and all that LA has to offer on a gorgeous day in March. We started off the weekend with a trip to IKEA. That massive Swedish store with instruction booklets that look like coloring books. It's a store that serves as a catalyst for couples fighting; if they don't get you at the store, they'll get you when you're trying to assemble the dresser you purchased. But by some miracle, Thira (who I will now refer to as T) and I explored and imagined our future homes with the help of the pre-designed kitchens and bedroom sets, without the use of profanity or angry gestures. We had no intention of buying any large items, like a bed frame - although we do have matching bed frames from IKEA- but instead vowed to purchase little additions for the apartment. Small things that make life easier, but nothing too noticeable or fancy. Simply little somethings to make Mondays a bit brighter.
Our favorite, and most useful purchase was the kitchen side cart, which T put together in under 10 minutes! It will serve as extra counter space, which is always needed, especially during our morning breakfast tango. We also purchased display jars, for our oats, lentils and nuts, as well as a cactus. No you didn't read that wrong, we got a cactus. Really, I wanted a puppy, something to take care of, but a cactus will have to suffice for now. It's fun to be responsible for something, I just hope we don't kill it.
The weekend progressed, punctuated with a few stops at Peet's (our favorite coffee chain, the coffee is much stronger and more flavorful than that of Starbucks or Coffee Bean) and reading long overdue novels.
On Sunday we walked over to the Brentwood Farmer's Market, on Gretna Green Way. I browsed the citrus, T tasted the creamy garlic spread from the two brother's who sell bomb hummus and other spreads. A day at the farmer's market is not complete, without a stopover to the flower section. The stand was filled with beautiful flowers, none of which I can identify by name. I heard someone whispering about a spider lily, I heard spider and hopped a few feet, relieved to see a woman holding an ugly flower resembling a Daddy-longlegs. T, is on the other hand, a flower aficionado. A few minutes of mental debate, resorted in the purchasing of a lovely Iris bouquet. After having spent the last of our cash, we wandered alongside Montana Street, back to our place when we stopped, and noticed something. Somewhere between citrus and Montana, we had hit SPRING. Flowers were blooming all around us, lining the streets in pinks, purples and yellows. We discussed how quickly the year had passed, wondering how it could possibly be spring already?!
After unpacking our newly purchased items, we ventured over to Huckleberry — owned by the same group as Sweet Rose Creamery — for a late brunch.
At Huckleberry we waited in line and struck up friendly conversation with a very attractive, friendly, gay man in a red striped shirt. He was amazing, guiding us through the menu, suggesting his favorite dishes like the eggs and quinoa dish, or the salted caramel bar, if we wanted to indulge. We took him up on the Quinoa dish with squash, kale and eggs any style (T got poached, while I stuck with egg whites) and a cappuccino. The line was a bit long, as you order, take a number, sit, then get served, but we were wildly entertained by the friendly staff and our new friend in the striped tee. After our first bite, there was a moment of silence. It was that good. Nothing beats wholesome, REAL food, YUM. We continued to eat in silence, with some intermittent laughter, and a few comments about the strength of the espresso. Be warned, it's strong.
After removing all evidence that food had once sat upon our plates, we jumped into my MINI Cooperand zipped over to Santa Monica/Venice area for some apartment searching. We discovered that Westside Rentals had a monopoly on most of the listings and succumbed to the fact that we needed to invest in an account. In a moment of accepted defeat, we found a tight parking spot and sprinted over to Starbucks. Not because we needed another caffeine fix, but because we had consumed too much liquid. Unfortunately two women with four children beat us to the restroom and we waited impatiently for ten minutes, cursing our cappuccinos.
After the evil children exited the restroom, we took care of business, ordered a few drinks (because we felt like we should) and took a walk around Main Street Santa Monica. Main Street is filled with boutiques, cafes, vintage clothing shops and hair salons. We took a look around Planet Blue (a lovely, but expensive store) to get a little fashion inspiration, then headed over to Buffalo Exchange to search for hidden treasures. T found a cute t-shirt and peach button-up, I found a D&G jean jacket, but reluctantly walked away, as I already own a jean jacket. I hate it when I'm practical. We exited the store and meandered for a bit, following the sun's rays while exchanging friendly smiles with the other pedestrians.
As the sun began to set, we made our way back to Dorothy.
Later, I found myself with some downtime, so naturally I had a photo shoot by my lonesome, lame I know!
It was a wonderful weekend, filled with caffeine, flowers, food and friends. All I could think this weekend was, I'm one lucky girl.
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