Jackalope Arts Wrap-up!

Remember that crazy calendar of spring and summer events that I shared with you last month?  Well, I have been out and about every weekend, and I really wanted to let you take a peek at the Jackalope Arts fair that I went to in Pasadena.  It was a wonderful venue and even though it rained on Saturday, the talent really shone through!  I found tons of amazing new shops that I will definitely be featuring on Shop Small Saturday Showcase.  There was so much to see that I couldn't share it all here, so I hope you saw for yourself!


No fear if you missed it because they will be coming back to Pasadena on November 7th & 8th!  Also, if you live in Denver or Phoenix, they will be in your town soon!  Click here for more details:

• Denver dates:  July 25th & 26th  +  November 28th & 29th
• Phoenix dates:  December 12th & 13th

Now, to the pictures of what I saw at Jackalope!

Robert Kramer Woodworking  +  Twenty One Glass

Of course, I ran into a few shop owners (Clay and Fabric, Foxboxes, Woodbrain, and Squshies) that I previously featured at Shop Small Saturday Showcase.  Hello, friends!

I also found some friendly new faces that I hope to feature soon!

Kenna

Chachi Loves Design!

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Upcoming Events: Food, Drink, Crafts & More! - Spring 2015

It's April, and that means all of the fun spring and summer events are starting up again!  Last year, I shared my plans, and I dare say that the next few months are even busier!  There are some old favorites that I visit every year, plus a few new kids on the block that I'm excited to see for the first time.  If you plan on going to any of these events, let me know!


Jump to:

• 4/16 = Oh Joy! Book Launch Party
• 4/18 = Whitney Port Appearance
• 4/25 & 4/26 = Jackalope Arts Fair
• 4/25 & 4/26 = Artisanal L.A.
• 4/25 = Newport Beach Beerfest
• 4/26 = Vintage Bouquet
• 5/2 = Sabroso Craft Beer & Taco Festival
• 5/9 & 5/10 = Unique L.A.
• 5/16 = Bite at the Beach
• 5/24 = Patchwork Santa Ana
• 6/6 = Tacolandia
• 6/7 = Penelope Lane Boutique
• 6/27 = Patchwork Long Beach
• 7/11 = L.A. Street Food Fest
• 7/11 & 7/12 = Renegade Craft Market

Oh Joy! 60 Ways to Create & Give Joy Book Launch Party!

Joy Cho is one of the bloggers, and I'm look forward to checking out her new book at next week's launch party!

Oh Joy! 60 Ways to Create & Give Joy Book Launch Party at West Elm LA!
Date:  April 16, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Location:  west elm, 8366 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048
More Info & RSVP:  https://ohjoyla.eventbrite.com

Whitney Port Personal Appearance

My friend and I just had to go to this because it's so L.A.!  She'll be showing off her latest Whitney Eve designs and sharing some fun freebies too.  Fun!

Whitney Port Personal Appearance
Date:  April 18, 2 pm - 4 pm
Location:  Nordstrom The Grove, 189 The Grove Drive Los Angeles, CA 90036
More Info & RSVP:  http://shop.nordstrom.com/st/nordstrom-the-grove/Whitney-Port-Personal-Appearance-for-Whitney-Eve/64026

Jackalope Arts Fair

This is a totally new art fair that I am pumped to check out!  Over 200 local artisans, crafters, and DIY enthusiasts will be bringing their locally handcrafted goods to the community over two days!  They have two other locations in Denver and Phoenix, so my readers from those cities will be able to find the quality artisans that have been curated by the talented founders of Jackalope Arts.  Nice!

I found some of my amazing Shop Small Saturday Showcase features on their vendor list, so I will definitely be catching up with Clay & Fabric, Foxboxes, Hallo Jak, Kheel's, Squshies, TeaDrops, Wood Brain, and Zazu Faure.  Then, I will be sure to find some fresh new shops for future features to share with you all!  So excited!

Jackalope Arts Fair
Dates:  April 25 & 26, 11 am - 6 pm
Location:  275 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105
Tickets:  FREE
More Info:  http://www.jackalopeartfair.com

Artisanal L.A.

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Weekly Wrap-Up: L.A. events & O.C. shopping!

I had so, so much fun this week!  A couple of amazing events in L.A. and so much fun with friends and family.  Let's get to it!


Precap (jump to):

• Sights:  Crave Expo, The OC Mix
• Eats:  Lobster Roll Rumble, N'ice Cream, Long Beach Cocktail Hop, Industriel

Crave Expo

Mid-week, I went to the Crave Expo, a food expo with a fun mix of chefs, event planners, media, and individuals looking for inspiration.

I was just a bit more interested in the food than anything else, of course.  :)

However, I found some great desserts that may be destined for my sister's engagement party, bridal shower, or wedding some time soon!

It was a fun time with some serious party atmosphere!

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Weekly Wrap-Up: Sake Express, Renegade Craft Fair, and more!

Last weekend was so much fun, because I was REALLY looking forward to Renegade for the longest time.  At the last moment, I thought that I wouldn't be able to make it yet again... but luckily I did.  :) Let's get to the wrap-up!


Precap (Jump to):

• Sights:  National Dance Day, Renegade Craft Festival
• Eats:  The Oinkster, Sake Express, Fugetsu-Do

I was stuck way out in the middle of nowhere (a.k.a. Sierra Madre) and dinner plans had changed.  So, we visited one of my favorite spots: The Oinkster!

Besides the awesome burgers, a pastrami sandwich, piggy fries, and an ube milkshake, we had this banana split cupcake!  To see more delicious photos and one of my favorite signs of all time, head over to The Episodic Eater.

On Friday, we went to Sake Express, a fundraiser held at the iconic  Union Station!

There was tons of sake, beer, and plum wine to try.  :)

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Wrap-Up: Craft-Shows Galore

Last week, I shared my wrap-up on all the food adventures that you missed out on while I was studying for my test.  There was so much food, that I had to break it up into Part 1 & Part 2!

In the last several weeks, I attended a few fun craft events that I wanted to share with you.  It was so much fun, and this is just a fraction of the pictures I took of all the fun.  Exciting!


In this post (jump to):

• Etsy Craft Party at Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles
• Penelope Lane Boutique
• L.A. Sewing Blogger Meet-Up

Etsy Craft Party at Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles

On June 6th, Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles, held the 3rd annual Etsy Craft Party on their grounds.  It was so much fun!

Crafted just celebrated their 2nd anniversary, so they had lovely totes for anyone who Instagram-ed and tagged a picture of the event.  It was a good idea to tote all of the craft party items back home!

Here are a few of the projects that were set up all around the area.  The cute succulent mason jar in the middle was featured on the morning news!

There were also free craft booths where you could make cute projects.

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Weekly Wrap-Up: Patchwork Long Beach & Lamb-a-Palooza!

This weekend was full of fun and of course we observed Memorial Day as well.  Let's take a look!


Precap (jump to):

• Sights:  Patchwork Long Beach
• Eats:  Lamb-a-Palooza, Chronic Tacos

This weekend was one of my favorite craft shows: Patchwork Long Beach!  It was a beautiful day by the ocean, and almost-perfect weather because the wind did kick up a bit, wreaking havoc with some of the booths.  Eek!

Lots of crafts to see and buy, plus some delicious food and food trucks!

I remembered these fellas from the Patchwork Santa Ana show a couple years ago: Hedgehog Swing! They are awesome, and you should check them out!

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Weekly Wrap-Up: Exploring L.A.!

Originally, I had zero plans for this weekend, but then my friend and I decided to catch a last minute craft fair and have fun being tourists in our own city!


Precap (jump to):

• Sights:  Echo Park Craft Fair, Echo Park, Carroll Avenue, Grand Park, Walt Disney Concert Hall
• Eats:  Oaxacan Quesadilla Cart, Bouchon Bistro, Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ, Creme de la Crepe

I invited my friend to go to the Echo Park Craft Fair, which was not in my original upcoming events post.  It seemed like it might be cool and had some shops I hadn't seen before, so we met up!

It was kind of a strange craft show: very crowded, dark, and not conducive to showing off the best of the goods.  Still, I did find some awesome features for Shop Small Saturday Showcase!

However, outside the craft fair was something pretty awesome: the Oaxacan Quesadilla Cart!

The fresh, handmade blue corn tortillas were shaped and formed for a long line of hungry people.  To see the whole process and where to find the cart, check out The Episodic Eater!

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Weekly Wrap-Up: Delicious food & Unique LA show!

This was one action packed week!  We celebrated, ate, shopped, and really had a whirlwind of a time.  Let's get to it!


Precap (jump to):

• Eats:  Forage, Brite Spot, Guisado's, Providence, La Tavolata, 85°C Bakery Cafe
• Sights:  Dad's wine birthday, Unique LA, Banksy in L.A., Driving in L.A., Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

This week was my dad's birthday, so he decided to open up a ton of his wines.  This is only 1/3 of the bottles, but I know how much fun they had.  My guy was especially excited to try some of these, since he is becoming an amateur connoisseur, following in my father's footsteps.  :)

I was more interested in the pickles, olives, and corks that my father's chef friends brought.  I always have dibs on the corks and I may have pilfered a jar or two.  :)

The next day, my friend and I went to Unique LA!  I loved the holiday show a few months ago, which I recapped here.  :)  I actually think this one was better!

It was held at the California Market Center on the penthouse floor, with a pretty fantastic view all around the L.A. skyline!  By the way, for any of you street art lovers, my friend pointed out the Banksy at the bottom of the photo.  There was a second one that I was unsure about though on the roof.

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Weekly Wrap-Up: Artisanal LA & more!

This weekend was really fun and the start to the craft show season, as I mentioned in last week's post of upcoming events.  Let's get to it!


Precap (jump to):

• Eats:  Casa Inka
• Sights:  Artisanal LA

On Saturday, my guy went to a beer festival with some of his friends and although it would have been fun, I ended up catching up with my friend.   We spent a ton of time chatting about blogging and how to get started.  Sometimes we are crafty and cook together, but it was just a major gabfest!  P.S. - She is the one I mentioned in my Blogging 101 series post yesterday.  :)


Afterwards, we met with my family at Casa Inka and had yet another Peruvian meal!  This time it was much more casual and traditional.  :)  This dish was absolutely fantastic!

And how could you go to a Peruvian restaurant without ordering ceviche!  For more, including the beautiful and tasty fish, chicken, and vegetable dishes that we ordered, visit The Episodic Eater for the full meal and photos!

The next day, my guy and I hit up Artisanal LA.  I was extremely excited to go because this was my first show and I could finally make it!

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ANNOUNCEMENT: Upcoming Food/Craft/Sewing Events + Meet Me :)

Oh my word.  In the next month, I have so many events to attend!  In fact, there is a weekend with three different events plus my dad's birthday, so I have to skip a couple.  However, I wanted to share a few of the awesome events that I will be attending in Southern California over the next couple months.  Let me know if you'll be attending and we can meet up!


Jump to:

• 4/26 & 27 = Artisanal L.A.
• 4/29 = TEAVANA & Starbucks Oprah Chai Tea Launch!
• 5/2 & 5/3 = Queen Bee Market
• 5/3 & 5/4 = Unique L.A.
• 5/17 = Bite at the Beach
• 5/25 = Patchwork Long Beach
• 6/14 = LA Blogger Meet Up
• 6/15 = Patchwork Santa Ana

Check out the events below.  So much good stuff!

Artisanal LA: 

This weekend, they are having a wonderful food event in Downtown L.A., which I am excited to attend!  Past Shop Small Saturday Showcase features, Pernicious Pickling Co. & Moxxie Essential Care, will be there and I can't wait to say hello and meet some new friends!

I will be there on Sunday if anyone wants to meet up!  More info here: http://artisanalla.com

Artisanal LA
Dates:  April 26 - 27, 11a - 6p
Location:  LA Mart: 1933 Broadway, Downtown L.A.
Tickets: $12.50 + 1.65 processing fee

TEAVANA & Starbucks Oprah Chai Tea Launch:

Yesterday, I had the privilege to sample the Oprah Chai Tea that will be rolling out in Starbucks and TEAVANA stores across the country on April 29th.  I Instagram-ed this picture below, but I have so much more to share with you soon!  I have a sneak peek on The Episodic Eater right now, but believe me, you definitely need to try it when it is available in less than a week.  I know I'll be in line!

For more info, click here!

TEAVANA & Starbucks Oprah Chai Tea Launch
Date:  April 29th
Locations:  TEAVANA & Starbucks stores, worldwide!

Queen Bee Market:

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Weekly Wrap-Up: Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles, B-day dinner & X-mas!

It's the last weekly wrap-up of the 2013!  I cannot believe how time flies!  These weekly wrap-ups have totally evolved this past year, but I'll chat about it a bit later.  :)


Precap (jump to):

• Sights:  Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles, Christmas!
• Eats:  FIG & OLIVE

Saturday

I convinced my guy that we should head to Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles for some last minute Christmas shopping!

It is located in San Pedro where the weather is absolutely amazing!  For this weekend, there was a special little Mom and Pop Up shop from the SoCal Etsy Guild for the holidays.

But first, I had to pop in and say hello to my friends at the Artisan Candle Company, who mentioned that I should drop by their permanent store after meeting them at Patchwork Santa Ana.  What a great suggestion!  On Instagram, I shared the candle that I picked out here.  It was a really hard choice!

It was especially a fun time because we were introduced to the Crafted's Executive Director and Leasing Director, who gave us a tour and introduced us around a bit.  Also, they gave us an inside scoop on their current location and their plans to open up a brewery, testing kitchen, and food artisan selling area for the building next door.  It sounds amazing, and I can't wait for that to open up!  By the way, this is all after filming their three separate segments on KTLA and staying up late for the Happy Hour shopping the previous day.  How nice of them, right?

Also, I had a chance to visit more vendors that I can't wait to feature on the Shop Small Saturday Showcase series soon.  I loved so many of the vendors, and my guy enjoyed his beer tasting while I did my rounds.  See, it is perfect for both crafty and non-crafty folks!  :)

Here are a few pictures from the non-vendor areas of Crafted.  A DIY ornament station, a photo booth, a free gift wrapping station, and a 10 foot tall wire baby art piece.  Yep, you read that right!

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Weekly Wrap-Up: Macklemore, Unique L.A. and food adventures!

This was another busy week!  It was like a carbon copy of last week actually with another concert, craft show, and LOTS of food.  But before we get to all of the fun, here are last week's posts in case you missed them!

Precap (jump to):

• Sights: Macklemore Concert, Unique L.A.
• Eats: Mendocino Farms, Best Fish Taco in Ensenada, House of Pies

L.A. view through the windows at Unique L.A.  It's an urban jungle with a pretty sky...  :)

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Weekly Synopsis!

Wednesday:
* Post #1:  Tricia Ree's "25 Days of Handmade Gifts" feature with beautiful ceramics!

Thursday:

* Post #1:  Vintage-inspired jewelry ideas for your holiday outfits

* Post #2:  Sachi Love Accessories' feature with pretty lace jewelry

Friday:
* Post #1:  Delicious M&M Chocolate Crackle Cookies PLUS a chance to win $250!
* Post #2:  Foxboxes' feature with a GIVEAWAY of awesome map flasks with two winners!

Saturday:
* Post #1:  The Shop Small store directory and introducing the Shop Small Saturday Showcase series!
* Post #2:  Pernicious Pickling's "25 Days of Handmade Gifts" feature and promo!

* Post #3:  33stewart's "25 Days of Handmade Gifts" feature and GIVEAWAY of a gorgeous California Wood Block Succulent Planter/Votive Candle Holder!

Sunday:
* Post #1:  Hallo Jak's "25 Days of Handmade Gifts" feature and GIVEAWAY of crocheted boot cuffs!
* Post #2:  Petal and Paperie's "25 Days of Handmade Gifts" feature with beautiful cards and stationery!

Monday:
* Post #1:  M&M's and Forza deal alert PLUS a chance to win your own Xbox One prize pack!
* Post #2:  Rainy Dawn in April's "25 Days of Handmade Gifts" jewelry feature and promo!

Tuesday:

* Post #1:  Introducing Do Tell Tuesday, a new link party that I'm co-hosting.  Come link up!

* Post #2:  Little Things Happen's "25 Days of Handmade Gifts" jewelry feature and GIVEAWAY!

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Now, to the fun times!

Wednesday

I was sooo tired for the Macklemore concert, but I sucked it up to have a great time with my guy and some friends.  :)

First, we grabbed a quick bite at Mendocino Farms.  Check out the whole spread we ordered here on The Episodic Eater, including this Steak Sandwich on a Pretzel Bun, and the most awesome wall decor I've seen in a long time!

I did not bring my camera, so I hope you don't mind this phone shot.  Then, when all heck broke loose on stage, I just partied it up!  So that means no picture, but I'll get the ones my guy took with his phone later!

We headed up to WP24 afterwards to hit the bar, but of course it was closed for a private party.  It has the greatest views and delicious food, but I'll have to save it for next time!

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Weekly Wrap-Up: Thanksgiving, Craft Shows & Food!

This was a busy, busy week!  Before I get to the Thanksgiving festivities, the craft shows (Makers Mart & Patchwork Santa Ana), and all of the yummy restaurants, here are last week's posts in case you missed them.


Precap (jump to):

• Sights:  Thanksgiving, Makers Mart craft show, Patchwork Santa Ana, John Legend Concert
• Eats:  Il Garage, The Southern Girl Bakery, At Last Cafe, Big Mista's Barbecue

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Weekly Synopsis!

Wednesday:
* Post #1:  Traditionally Unique's "25 Days of Handmade Gifts" feature with a special discount!

Thursday:

* Post #1:  Warren Tales' feature with a GIVEAWAY and a freebie for everyone!

* Post #2:  Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday:
* Post #1:  Reclamation Dept.'s feature with a GIVEAWAY and discount for everyone!
* Post #2:  Reverie's feature with a GIVEAWAY and discount for everyone!

Saturday:
* Post #1:  Bless the Theory's "25 Days of Handmade Gifts" feature!
* Post #2:  Smell Swell's "25 Days of Handmade Gifts" feature!

Sunday:
* Post #1:  Kheel's "25 Days of Handmade Gifts" feature with a holiday discount!
* Post #2:  Third Palace's "25 Days of Handmade Gifts" feature!

Monday:
* Post #1:  My "I ❤ Fall" Tag post!
* Post #2:  Lettre Sauvage's "25 Days of Handmade Gifts" feature!

Tuesday:

* Post #1:  Maiden Voyage Clothing Co.'s "25 Days of Handmade Gifts" feature with GIVEAWAY!

* Post #2:  Tips for Perfect Holiday Appetizers!

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Wednesday

Can you say Thanksgiving prep?  I swear that my Sweet Potato Souffle smiled at me just before I mashed it all up!  There were four eggs in there, but these "eyes" just popped up, so I had to snap a quick pic.  :)

Proof that I need to check on my recipe every so often!

Thursday

It was a stuffed Thanksgiving table yet again!  LOTS of food, and we still have leftovers!

Friday

So, how did Black Friday go for you?  The whole family slept over and we had a fun time with lots of cousins and the bunch of us eating leftovers for lunch and alternating between Glee, Parks and Recreation, and Scandal episodes on TV.  There are way more of us girls in the family, so guys were relegated to a smaller TV for football games.  :)

Later on, the family went to Il Garage, a hidden gem in Stanton with an organic garden.  Check out the TONS of pictures of delicious food and a quick garden tour on The Episodic Eater!

Saturday

My London & Paris buddy had her birthday!  Since her big plans were the next day, we decided to do something fun on the day of.  First, we headed to a craft show that I heard of from Bless the Theory at Patchwork Long Beach.  However, we were sidetracked on our way there by The Southern Girl Bakery.  Find out what I ordered below on The Episodic Eater!

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Patchwork Show Wrap-Up & "25 Days of Handmade Gifts" Series!

Last week, I posted about how excited I was to attend the Patchwork Show in Long Beach!  I gave you guys a little preview and had the chance to ask Nicole & Delilah (the awesome founders/organizers of Patchwork) a few questions too.

Today, I'll share as much of the show as I had the chance to photograph.  It was really huge this year!  I had a chance to speak with a bunch of really talented and creative folks and peruse their wonderful handmade goods.  In fact, it was so amazing that I have more than enough folks to cover my next series just in time for the holidays...

25 Days of Handmade Gifts!

For all of the details on the amazing shops involved, interviews with the creators, and giveaways, read on.  But first, on with the (Patchwork) Show!

First of all, can I make you guys jealous?  The walk up to the festival is along the beach, which was only made better by the perfect weather we had!

About ready to enter the show, there were tons of people shopping and more than enough handmade goods to go around!

Located at different spots were all kinds of fun things.  I totally missed the kids DIY, but I'm sure I didn't meet the age requirement.  :)

Here's one of the music tents with an awesome band that had the crowd rocking out.

The ukulele group was so cute!

As for the food, I did a terrible job of documenting what I ate that day.  I had an Avocado Taco from the vegan Seabirds Truck and more tacos from Piaggio on Wheels!  It's the perfect street food.  :)  I was tempted to get a potato from Tornado Potato, but I had some shopping to do!

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Mini-Disclaimer Time: There were sooo many awesome vendors and it was impossible to visit all of the booths.  I made my way through almost the entire space and these are the ones that I handpicked to share with you.  They're not giving me anything in return for the features, I just really wanted to promote the handmade movement with some amazing shops where you can get a unique and creative gift.  Show them some love by visiting their stores and stay tuned for the "25 Days of Handmade Gifts" series for posts dedicated to my favorites plus some extras for y'all!

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Besides the food trucks along the side offering delicious treats, there were plenty of food artisans with delicious items for sale.  Lucky for me, there were samples of everything and I put together a few of my favorite items to share with you!


Want to give a deliciously perfect gift?

Pernicious Pickling Co:  Have you tried Sour Garlic pickles?  How about Pickled Cauliflower or Pickled Red Onion?  No?  You have to try them!  These guys had so many varieties of pickles to try that I was in heaven.  :)  *Feature & promo here!*

Peppered Up Foods: Griselda introduced me to Peppered Up Foods' entire line of sauces and seasonings.  These sauces, some of them straight from her grandmother, are so awesome that she uses them at her restaurant Sliced and Diced.  *Feature and giveaway here!*

P.O.P. Candy Co.: Maybe this is a little unfair, but I bought this candy at one of my first Patchwork Shows and have been buying it ever since.  I knew this was one of my features before I even arrived!  They have so many great flavors from Pecan to Rosemary Almond and even had two new ones this time: Hot Curry and Carrot Cake.  Yum!  *Feature and giveaway here!*

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