Shopping Day in Venice, California

I woke up to a cool, crystal clear morning in Beverly Hills, and I decided it was the ideal day for a sojourn to Venice Beach. Now back in the 1980s, when I was a student at UCLA, Venice was a pretty darn seedy area — certainly not one I wanted to go walk around alone. But now, it’s completely transformed into a unique and interesting destination. You’ll find houses painted as if their façade were a large canvas, people biking on their beach cruisers with dreadlocks, and urban socialites taking photos for their Instagram feed.  Main brands are housed next door to local shops, creating a very eclectic shopping experience.

Abbot Kinney is the main shopping street, so that’s where I spent most of my time. My first stop was one of my all-time favorite boutiques, where I find at least one item each and every visit. Which boutique, you may ask? Well, you need to become a member of The Curated Shopper for this intel. On my visit, I was lusting over this coat, wishing I was the kind of woman who could pull off such a bright color palette. Alas, I am not… although I did find a great Pas de Calais duster on the sale rack. And trust me, I NEVER find things on sale!

I was lusting over this coat, wishing I was the kind of woman who could pull off such a bright color palette

I also wandered into Burning Torch, another boutique I adore, where I admired the various Mid-Century modern glassware sets.  Not only does this store have cool upscale casual clothing, but the owner sources rugs and vintage/antique items from around the globe. So inspiring!

Around 1 o’clock, I realized how ravenous I was. I completely lucked out and was able to score a seat at the bar at Gjelina.  Can I say I had the most incredible fried egg sandwich ever?! The combination of prosciutto, tomato confit, and arugula with the fried egg was just dee-lish.  I now understand what all the hype is about this restaurant. Unfortunately, no star sightings, which I know are quite common here.

On the way back to my hotel in Beverly Hills, I made stops at a few of my favorite shops in Santa Monica. Want to know which ones? Subscribe, and I’ll tell you….