DTLA: Gresescent, Midori Matcha & Pitchoun Bakery

DTLA has come a LONG way since my FIDM days. When I was in school, we had Subway across the street and Starbucks down the way. Now there are tons of options just blocks away. Here's a few spots you should check out.


1. Midori Matcha

123 Astronaut Ellison Onizuka St. #101-C, Los Angeles, CA

Matcha pastries exclusively for Midori Matcha by Pitchoun Bakery.

Matcha pastries exclusively for Midori Matcha by Pitchoun Bakery.

EXPERIENCE ORGANIC JAPANESE CEREMONIAL GRADE MATCHA & DESSERTS
— http://midorimatchatea.com/cafe/

Midori Matcha started with cold brew matcha and has now branched out to a brick & mortar that features premium matcha drinks. You can get anything from the classic matcha latte to iced matcha mimosas. Don't forget to try some of the delicious matcha themed pastries made by Pitchoun exclusivey for Midori Matcha. 


2. Pitchoun Bakery

545 S Olive St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

PITCHOUN
(pronounced: “PITCH-OON”):
French affectionate term meaning “Kiddo” - from the old dialect in Provence and in the Southwest of France.
— http://www.pitchounbakery.com/

Made popular for their delicious French pastries, including the strawberry tart pictured above, Pitchoun features delicious French eat as well. My absolute favorite was the Croque Monsieur, traditional French cooked ham, gruyère, bechamel sauce, butter, sandwich bread topped with a runny egg. 

Pitchoun features fast casual dining with house made from scratch recipes. A perfcect lunch spot across from Pershing Square.


3. Gresescent 

850 S Olive St, Los Angeles, CA 90014

GRESESCENT
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
(gres-uh-suh-nt) adj. Delightfully thick, creamy and vanishingly dense; the magic of ice cream
— http://www.gresescent.com/

Gresescent just opened its first brick & mortar store and it's really worth the visit. At this point, it's hard to have not seen their beautiful ice cream bouquets all over social media. For $9, you get to pick 5 flavors and they turn your choices into a beautiful bouquet. Their artisanal flavors are unique and delicious. My favorites were the Sea Salt Chocolate Ganache and the Grilled Pineapple & Bourbon Caramel. 

Let me know if you get a chance to check these out!

.jenny.

SANTA MONICA: Lattes at Espresso Cielo

Working in Santa Monica has its pros and cons. Traffic is not my friend but the cute eateries and Wednesday's Farmer's Market help alleviate my pain. Espresso Cielo remodeled their Main St location and opened it's second location, on well, Second St. 

The owners of Espresso Cielo source pastries from local artisanal bakeries and frequent farmer's markets for their delicious & healthy food. We got their famous avocado toast with the most orange yolked egg on top, soup & salad, and kale salad. 

The recent LA gloom has me wanting a hot latte & fresh baked pastries. They also serve the Melrose favorite, Neveux Artisan Creamery ice creams. Yes.

If you're in Santa Monica and need a coffee date, hit me up!

.jenny.

SHOP: A Flood of Sales

Clearly a play on words as Los Angeles is turning into an actual river. Jokes on us right? Considering our river is barren - almost always. Anyways, this storm has left me with little to do but go to the malls and shop. Thankfully for me, the best sales of the year are going on right now. Here's what I got so far. I'm thinking there will be an online shopping haul when all my orders come in. 

Steve Madden has a number of styles on clearance for $24.99 and all sale shoes have an additional 25% off sale in store. 

Free People Black Slip Dress; $15.18 similar here

Free People Black Slip Dress; $15.18 similar here

Free People has an additional 30% off sale items in store and a handful of regular priced items at 25% off. They are offering free standard shipping on any purchase online. 

Urban Outfitters has an additional 40% off all home items. I'd stock up on candles if I were you! Especially since these babies retail for $32 each normally. I opted for Pumpkin Spice and Red Nutmeg + Peppercorn. 

ZARA Silky Maxi Dress; $9.99 Velvet Midi Dress; $15.99

ZARA Silky Maxi Dress; $9.99 Velvet Midi Dress; $15.99

We're coming to the end of the semi-annual Zara sale. While options are at a minimum, so are prices. Items are now marked down to basically 80-90% off. I found that the stores have more options but the website has some styles left too. Free shipping on orders over $50!

ZARA White Zip Up; $12.99; Grey Turtleneck $9.99; Metallic Sweater; $9.99 similar here, here, & here. 

ZARA White Zip Up; $12.99; Grey Turtleneck $9.99; Metallic Sweater; $9.99 similar here, here, & here. 

ZARA Blazer; $15.99 Leather Purse; $12.99 Sweater Dress $7.99 Checked Blouse; $12.99

Pacsun had a buy 1 get 2 free sale so I indulged in some high school throwback shopping. Though I will say Pacsun is WILDLY different than the Bullhead denim days I remember. They carry labels like Adidas, Brandy Melville, and Calvin Klein. As shown above. Currently in store, they have 70% off sale items and an additional 50% off sale online. 

 

Nordstrom Rack has an additional 25% off sale items both in store and online. Tons of holiday items are super cheap but only really useful if you're looking to hoard until the end of the year. 

So I think I'm most proud of this little Forever 21 haul. All 4 items above cost me $22. I'm serious. 3 jackets and a sweater. They are doing an additional 65% off sale items in store and an additional 50% off sale items online. 

IMG_0355.JPG

So naturally I had to hit up a second Forever 21 and got these workout items for less than $10. 

I also picked up a few regular priced items including some press on nails and a hoodie with one of my favorite bible verses. And not that it truly matters but I'm Buddhist. I can however appreciate other religions too. 

 

Urban Outfitters Linda Silver Heel; $19.99

Urban Outfitters Linda Silver Heel; $19.99

And finally, I've been wanting a new pair of silver heels and I love the chunky heel on this one. Also it being $19.99 helped my decision too. It's still $49.99 on the website but in store is cheaper. 

Happy President's Day shopping and don't forget to use Ebates! 

.jenny.

FIRST: Let's All Be Valentine's

Happy Valentine's Day, 2017. I've never put a lot of weight into this holiday because I truly do believe that you shouldn't have to designate just the one day to treat your loved ones differently. That being said, I of course buy into the pink hearts and red glitter and love to get festive. Here are some of my favorite memories from this year's celebrations. 

Bouquet Bar

Bouquet Bar was kind enough to send me some sweet treats and the cutest tiny flowers I've ever seen. They dried beautifully and have now become a flat lay staple for me. See below!

Salt & Straw_Feb 2017

Salt & Straw is hands down my favorite ice cream ever. Not only do they have incredible staple flavors like the Sea Salt Caramel Ribbon and Black Olive Brittle & Goat Cheese, but they also conjure up new seasonal flavors every month that blow my little tastebuds. This month's features 5 love themed tastings that I'm confident you'll enjoy. 

I made heart shaped ice cream sandwiches to enjoy post Vday dinner. 

Chomp Eatery hosted the cutest Valentine's Day dinner with Strawberry Roses and Heart Arrow Burgers. I'm already a huge fan of this unassuming eatery but the owner, Rolan, has the biggest heart and most incredibly party planning skills - which she clearly puts to good use. If you love a mix of healthy and indulgent, Chomp is your spot.

My pup Snow has been enjoying her Pawsta from Chewy.  Why can't all dog treats be this cute? 

My pup Snow has been enjoying her Pawsta from Chewy.  Why can't all dog treats be this cute? 

And lastly, my husband ordered this beautiful bouquet of flowers from Teleflora. Lately there have been an influx of bouquets in boxes which I honestly enjoy just as much. But much like a handwritten letter in the mail, there's something special abo…

And lastly, my husband ordered this beautiful bouquet of flowers from Teleflora. Lately there have been an influx of bouquets in boxes which I honestly enjoy just as much. But much like a handwritten letter in the mail, there's something special about a flower delivery that's in it's bouquet with your address and name on the card. This specific bouquet came from Edelweiss in Santa Monica. 

I hope everyone has an incredible day!

xo, jenny