eurotrash in front of Flea Market Girl in Santa Monica

I really thought I’d have time to blog from la la land but alas, the warm weather, beaches and great eats took over before I could even log-in onto wordpress. Since this really isn’t a foodie blog I will spare you the details of each mind-blowing meal we had at LA hotspots like Planet Raw, M Cafe, Nobu, Sauce on Hampton and Tender Greens.

I could move to LA in a heartbeat. Even though the Eurotrash offices are firmly rooted in Toronto, I might make the move some day. If I ever decide to move to LA, I’d get the movers LA to help me bring over my closet, my office and my Eurotrash lifestyle to the West side. They do international moving for all kinds of fashion people … perfect for me.

After a good meal there’s no better way to burn off some calories than to power through some shops, but of course. First we hit Melrose and Robertson – the Queen West (east of Spadina) if you will. Flagship stores for Rock n Republic, Paige, Seven for all Mankind and most trendy LA brands lined up one after another. My favourite store in this area is Kitson, hands down. Severely overpriced, yet so much fun to browse through, you can buy anything from a Wildfox t-shirt to Balenciaga sunglasses at this eclectic boutique. Needless to say, my wallet stayed tucked into my purse the entire time.

Flea Market Girl, Santa Monica

Santa Monica seemed much more reasonable with loveable shops like Victoria’s Secret and Kiehls. Yet I managed to stumble upon a hidden gem: Flea Market Girl. Owner, Paco Montestruque, makes all his jewelry pieces by hand and every piece has a sort of  laid back, West-Coast-by-the-sea feel to it – void of embellishment and yet meticulously detailed. He uses materials like precious metals, wood, leather and some gemstones on his larger pieces. My favourite pieces were the leather wrap bracelets, complete with any charm of your choice. I obviously chose a skull charm:

the black leather wrap bracelet with silver skull charm from Flea Market Girl

Single charm necklaces, Flea Market Girl. Perfect accessory for the beach.

Check out wooden skull necklace on the bottom left! Beautiful!

Another great place to shop or window shop if you’re MDF like me who as I get older, cannot justify dropping 300 dollars on a pair of Chloe Sevigny sunglasses for Opening Ceremony. But OMG, are they ever gorgeous. The blue wayfarers stopped my heart.

Right?

Anyways, I didn’t buy them. Although I partially regret that decision because they are still on my mind. But yes, window shopping in Venice beach on Abbot Kinney Blvd was definitely a treat. The stores are all independent, which probably attests to the high price tags, but they are really all quite unique and a pleasure to walk in and out of, empty handed.

Is it any wonder that I should find the best shopping just around the corner from my friend Phil’s house (remember him? he was featured on this blog before for his stellar piece on Missoni and Kenneth Anger – re-read it HERE!) Well now he lives in L.A. and studies film archiving at UCLA, and fortunately for me, lives right around the corner from It’s A Wrap! This store sells clothing from T.V. shows and movies once they’ve finished filming. What hidden gems lie here. I found an Isabel Marant skirt for $3.00 – I’m not even joking. I didn’t buy it though because it was a size 0 and I am not.

What I did find, that fit, was a beautiful Free People cardigan for $48, as seen on N.C.I.S. and a Tarina Tarantino pink skull bracelet for $28. Now, most of you know that I’m obsessed with skulls. But this skull find was fate. Over the past few months, ever since seeing the Blonde Salad sport Tarina’s pieces I’ve been collecting photos of her jewelry, waiting for the perfect time to do a blogpost about her designs. I thought, maybe if I was lucky enough, I’d even be able to purchase one of her pieces. Low and behold, almost ready to cash-out, I spot the pink bracelet from the corner of my eye, mixed about all the other jewelry piled up along the check out counter. Eyes like a hawk, I tell you. Swiftly, I plucked the skull bracelet from it’s hiding place and in an instant I knew it HAD to be a Tarina Tarantino. As I flipped over the little silver tag, a wave of excitement rushed over me.

Tarina Tarantino Skull bracelet

Free People knit sweater

My friends ask me, “How do you do it? How do you manage to find these hidden gems in the most unexpected places?”

I always reply: “They find me“.

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