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: Bite at the Beach & more!

This week was much less crazy than last week, thank goodness!  In a way, I was making sure to prep for an event that I had been looking forward to all week: Bite at the Beach!


Precap (jump to):

• Eats:  Corner Bakery
• Sights:  Bite at the Beach

On Friday, we grabbed a quick dinner at Corner Bakery, which I recapped on The Episodic Eater!

Now, to Bite at the Beach!  It was a fantastic event!  Really, what a way to spend an awesome weekend.  To see the whole thing, with tantalizing dish descriptions, even more photos, and to see the discussion panels with a few faces you might recognize from The Food Network, head on over to The Episodic Eater!

Now, for just a nibble of Bite at the Beach!  :)

Just so you know, the event paired craft beers with restaurants, so you know that both my man and I were happy!  This was about 1/3 of the brewery & restaurant booths, so you know we had a ton to see!

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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: 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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Announcement: Patchwork Show in Long Beach - November 17th!

*Update* Here is the wrap-up post!

I cannot believe it is time for another Patchwork Show in Long Beach!  For those of you new to the blog, I have been going for the past few years to enjoy all of the handmade goodies and food.  In May, I went to the show in Santa Ana, which I recapped quickly in this post.  By the way, they also have shows in Oakland and Phoenix, plus an edible edition in Costa Mesa for any of you in those cities!

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This time, I decided that the show needed to be highlighted in a totally separate post.  I'm not being paid to say any of this or getting anything for promoting the event, but I just think it's so fun and amazing!  So you may be wondering, how awesome is it?

The first time I attended, I was a big food truck chaser and went to try all of the delicious trucks that I heard were attending.  Yum!  Add all of the amazing food from locally made artisans, and I was stuffed!  I was not yet a crafter or sewist and I became inspired to start sewing after YEARS of putting it off when I visited the Long Beach show two years ago.  I saw (and bought) so many lovely and things, that it occurred to me that I could try to take a sewing class and learn how to make simple items that I would love.  I can't wait to see all of the lovely things this year!  I already know that Justine will be there.  Fun!

I contacted Nicole and Delilah, who founded the show 8 years ago, to find out more about this weekend's event.  They were so nice to give me a ton of info and answer a few questions in a mini-interview!  By the way, they are the organizers of Craftcation and have their own blog Dear Handmade Life.  Busy gals!

For any newbies to Patchwork, what goods can I expect find?

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Weekly Wrap-Up: Lobster Roll Rumble, Taco Maria & more!

This week, I did a bunch of really fun things so check them all out!


Precap:

• Activities: Gelson's opening
• Eats: MB Post, Lobster Roll Rumble, Taco Maria

Wednesday

For a special weeknight dinner, we went to MB Post!  It was the best dinner I have eaten in a long, long time.  Definitely one of my new favorites now!  Check it all out on The Episodic Eater here!

Thursday

I was really excited to head to the Lobster Roll Rumble, which I bought tickets to ages beforehand.  It was ridiculously good!  We had ten lobster rolls, which completed to win our votes, so many great side dishes and desserts, and just lots of fun!  Here are a few teaser pictures, but you can see it all on The Episodic Eater here.

The beautiful space where the event was held.

So many great desserts, including these mouth-watering, cream-filled doughnuts!

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SoCal Social 2013 Recap!

I had so much fun this weekend shopping, meeting other bloggers, learning a bit, and making new friends at the SoCal Social!  Thanks to Bev from Flamingo Toes and Viv from The V Spot for organizing an amazing event.  :)

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen a few of these pictures, but there are lots more pictures to share!  Then, I'll introduce you to a bunch of the nice girls I met and give you the links where you can win swag of your own!  :)

For the first part of the day, we did our swag walk in Old Towne Orange.  We met in the middle of the square, where there was a beautiful fountain.  In fact, later in the day there was a wedding taking place right where we met!  We were given a lanyard with our name badge, an empty tote bag, and a map to find our way around.  Then we set on our way!

We first stopped into Tea Leaf Cottage where we picked up our first bit of swag (yay!) and we perused the wares.  This was so pretty!

Next door at Provisions, I had to admire the beautiful ceiling, wood paneled wall, and light fixtures.

We were treated to beer and beet pickled deviled eggs.  Yum!

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Weekly Wrap-Up: Shopping, Eating, and Blogging (need I say more?)

This weekend was such a great one!  I had the pleasure of attending the SoCal Social, of course, but it deserved its own post!  But don't go away, I have lots to share including one of my favorite fabric stores and shopping!


Precap (jump to):

• Eats: Avila's El Ranchito Mexican restaurant, Creative Cakes
• Sights: M&L Fabrics, Super King, SoCal Social

I had no Friday meeting (woo!) so I hightailed it to M & L Fabrics to pick up some fake leather for our Mad About Plaid Challenge.  No exact plans yet, but I will be sure to share them when I figure it out.  :)

Anyways, I love this store because there is a HUGE selection for great prices!

It is impossible to take an entire picture of the store, so this is about half of the space taken from the back of the store.  Aaaaahhhhh!  So overwhelming!

Lest you think that it's crazy to get through, it is amazingly organized!  It is all in rainbow color order, which you know I love from my closet post.  I will show you just a couple of the rows of different fabrics that they have.

Minky/faux-fur/velboa.  I spy the velboa I used for my holiday cape!

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Weekly Wrap-Up + New Website Announcement!

Although the weekend was a restful one, I definitely have a lot to share!

For one thing, I have an announcement to make.  It's rough around the edges right now, but I started a new blog called The Episodic Eater for all of my food adventures!  I will continue to share my foodie fun here, but you can head there to see ALL of the pictures, as well as more commentary on the restaurant decor/ambiance and the food itself.  It will basically be my chance to play amateur food critic!  I hope to see you there!

And now, back to today's regularly scheduled Weekly Wrap-Up post!


Precap (jump to):

• Eats:  James Beard: Taste America event, Pho Tasty
• Sights:  He Cooks!, Cooking time, Car Troubles, Shoe Decisions

Last Weekend

After New Orleans, I had some work to do over the weekend, so I was really delighted when my guy decided to make dinner. Garlic bread and lemon pasta!  The noodles were these fancy noodles with a thin hole in the center.  Delicious!

We broke open one of the caramel apples from New Orleans, which had been sitting on the counter taunting me...  It's so beautiful isn't it?  It is coated in Butterfinger bits, which was really interesting!

Monday - Friday

Here's a little sample of what I made in the kitchen over the week.  Some of these are from my Instagram feed actually, if you want to follow along!  I made a Ricotta & Fruit Bowl with peaches and pineapple, a batch of Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies, Ropa Vieja (to be blogged about soon!), and some yogurt and fruit cups for the upcoming days.  Yum!

Also, I developed a recipe that I cannot wait to share with you soon!  Here is a dark Instagram picture, so I don't give anything away too early.  :)

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Sew L.A. & LAMILL Coffee adventures!

I wanted to mention a few things that I was able to do this week that were so fun I had to share!  I hadn't noticed until I just typed it, but there is coincidentally an L.A. theme involved in their names.

Gertie's Book Party & Retro Picnic

First of all, I didn't mention that this weekend I went to the Sew L.A. event for Gertie's book launch.

It was sooo cute and the picnic theme was adorable!  Check out the spread below.

Credit: http://christinehaynes.blogspot.com/

Also, they had an adorable photobooth station set up with the retro theme.  Cute!

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