301 S Broadway, Downtown Los Angeles

I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to write up Pharmacia Millionaire with you guys. It was definitely one of the more unusual spots we visited in LA earlier this year. A treasure trove of magic candles, potions, elixirs and voodoo dolls, the crowded pharmacy sits across the street from the more traditional tourist spot, The Bradbury Building. We walked away with a candle for home cleansing, which once burned to the end offered some charms that we were instructed to put under our mattress. We skipped on the vagina candle and anything black magic related but might be back one day for the bat’s hearts if I can figure out a way to use them. Even if you have no plans to purchase, the iconography and design for the products are worth a peek in this surprisingly friendly shop.

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Posted on August 29, 2010

546 Broadway

Take note bold men of fashion: Uniqlo is currently selling the most adorable bright, sometimes neon sock and I think you should get some. Four pairs for ten dollars, how can you resist? Especially since it’s always tough to add a touch of color to men’s outfits in a great way.

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Posted on July 25, 2010

at the Metropolitan Pavilion

I hadn’t been to Manhattan Vintage in years, but am glad I made it to this months event if not to gawk at amazing gowns, jewelry, and hats, then to be surrounded by sometimes fellow lovers of vintage (sometimes kind of famous ones at that). The place is certainly not for bargain hunters (which I am, I admit) but the selections from an array of dealers are not bargain bin either. You will find well curated clothing and accessories that after a couple hours will make you spin with want.

I’d recommend it for lovers to browse, designers to find inspiration, the very wealthy, or those looking for a special something for an occasion where they don’t mind spending a little extra for a one of a kind piece. Of course, I could hardly leave empty handed and with my own special ability, managed to root out an beautiful Egyptian inspired necklace that was sold for about a third of the price most booths averaged. It came from Fool’s Gold and I love it dearly.

I also dearly love my good friend Stacy and her shop Exquisite Costume, which boasted an impressive spot full of incredible pieces.

While this season’s show is at an end as I speak this, the next one will be October 8-9. Then you can see for yourself as I neglected/was too scared of the vendors to take photos.

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Posted on April 25, 2010

Where Live Music Lives

Jim stumbled across Wolfgang’s Vault, a site that specializes in live music downloads and memorabilia and is currently holding a pretty awesome Family Dog sale poster. For those not in the know:

The Family Dog was a loose collective of free spirits managed by Chet Helms, a contemporary of Bill Graham, who put on rock dances at the Avalon Ballroom more or less continually from 1965 to 1970. These almost-nightly events, like those hosted at the Fillmore, were more than conventional concerts; they were social gatherings with plenty of dance, music and light. Some of the early Family Dog posters are among the most significant art of the period

The posters are fun to browse and worth checking out for those of you looking to add some psychedelia to your walls; there are some pretty great prices for first run printings.

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Posted on March 21, 2010

1618 Silverlake Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

Right next door to the La Mill Coffee shop is Ivanhoe Books, an art and design specialty store filled with tons of great stuff. We had a lovely time browsing the collection of design, fashion, and art books and, while we were hesitant to bring any over-sized books back in our luggage, the shop introduced me to a book called Handmade Woodstock Houses that I couldn’t get out of my head and ended up finding on eBay.

While some of the books they offer can be purchased for slightly less online if you’re willing to shop around for awhile, others (like the Ossie Clark book that I really want) are priced better than other book sites. You can find some selections from their very select and tasteful collection on their site as well as on their blog which just informed me of a Soho Deborah Tubeville exhibit that I’ll try to swing by on my lunch hour next week.

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Posted on March 14, 2010