Living a tasteful life

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Los Angeles (Barbie Party): #TBT

As I mentioned  previously, I thought it would be fun to do an occasional "throw back Thursday" post once in a while. If any of you have the Time Hop app, you will know that every day you receive a notification with photo reminders of what was going on in your life years ago. It’s always fun to look back and reminisce on the past, and sometimes cringe at the outfit choices. Around this time two years ago, my best girlfriends and I took a trip across the country, to LA for my Barbie themed bachelorette party. One of the great things about this trip was the fact that none of us had ever been to LA before, making every experience that much more memorable.  It was seriously one of the most fun trips I've ever taken. 


We rented a house that we found on VRBO, and arrived only to realize that air was not an amenity. We were in disbelief that you could rent a house without air! The thought of seven girls blow-drying their hair, in this house, with no air, caused panic to set in. A few phone calls to the landlord and bottles of champagne later, we had our very own mobile air conditioner.  And so the weekend began...We were like a bunch of giddy school girls, struck by the Hollywood lights, stopping at all of the hot spots, in hopes of a celebrity sighting. 

Day 1

The first night we were there, we had a casual dinner at Don Antonio's. If you were a regular viewer of the past MTV hit, The Hills, you may remember that this was the Mexican restaurant that Heidi and Spencer frequented. We may or may not have asked to sit at "their booth." 

After dinner we made our way to Chateau Marmont, a historic hotel, located on the famous Sunset Blvd in Hollywood. Our original plan involved going into Chateau Marmount for drinks, but let's just say we made a shameless failed attempt. Apparently you have to be an A-lister to get in late in the evenings, but that didn't stop us from having a good time. We walked next door to the iconic hotel lounge, Bar Marmont and spent the rest of our evening there. 


Day two: Hollywood Barbie

Brunch reservations were at Urth Cafe, a casual spot offering organic coffees, and buzzing with a trendy Melrose Avenue crowd. 






 After brunch we explored the area, popped in out of various shops along the streets and obviously stopped to take a photo or two. 


We then set out for some fun in Hollywood. Our first stop was the Hollywood Walk of Fame.



Then we found Marilyn!


After exploring Hollywood Blvd and all it had to offer, we moved on to more important things, like shopping at The Grove, a retail and entertainment complex, suited to meet any and all shopping needs. 


 We had a great afternoon in Hollywood, but we were more excited about our plans for the evening.
We had dinner reservations at SUR, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, Lisa Vanderpump's restaurant in West Hollywood. SUR is also home of the Bravo TV show, Vanderpump Rules. Our group is no stranger to reality TV, so this was super exciting for all of us.  
We enjoyed a nice dinner in one of their stunning private rooms. 



And had a cocktail or two...







Later that evening, we met Drew Kenney, a runner up on Desiree Hartsock's season of The Bachelorette. To say we were excited, would be an understatement. 


                       We had a successful evening full of laughs and minor celeb sightings.

Day 3: LA Barbie



The next morning we sluggishly rolled ourselves out of bed and headed to The Ivy for brunch. This stylish restaurant, known for celeb sightings, was absolutely gorgeous. Inside the restaurant was shabby chic decor along with fresh flowers that filled every corner, creating a bright, colorful and inviting atmosphere.


We were immediately greeted with chilled champagne the moment we walked in the door. 






No celeb sightings here, but the lobster salad was delicious!


 After brunch we headed to the intersection of luxury, fashion and entertainment, otherwise known as Rodeo Drive





We made a stop at the Beverly Willshire Hotel, a glamours hotel that also happened to be where the hit movie Pretty Woman was filmed. 








 After a long day of shopping browsing, we headed back to get ready for a night out on the town. We hopped around to a few places, one of which was called Supperclub, a lively bar, lounge and performance space. 


Not many photos to show from the evening...we were too busy taking it all in.

Day 4: Beach Barbie


By day four, we were in need of some rest and relaxation. What better place to chill out than Manhattan Beach?!


This beach was so beautiful and much different than our beaches in South Carolina. The mountains in the background created a picturesque view. But the water was absolutely freezing, so much so that I only got my toes wet. 









We somehow found the energy after our day at the beach to go to Runyon Canyon for a hike. I mean, we couldn't go all the way to LA without getting a closer look at the Hollywood sign.



#cautionrattlesnakes


The views from the top were breathtaking.


So, we may not have gotten close to the Hollywood sign, but at least we had a nice view of it. 








Getting to the top to enjoy the view... took some time.


We stopped to take a few photos...in our matching sweatbands. 








Who knew hiking could be so much fun?



 By the time we made it back to the house, we were exhausted. We all had our first In-N-Out Burger experience for dinner and planned on a low-key evening since we were flying out the next day. After thinking about it for a while, we decided we had to make the most of every minute left in LA. So, out the door we went!

We were walking down the street, trying to find a place to stop for a cocktail, and heard the sounds of a piano.  We landed at Don't Tell Mama, a piano bar and restaurant with great entertainment.  



We had to get one last night of celebrating in!



 It was an amazing trip, with an amazing group of ladies... ladies that I'm lucky enough to call my best friends!



















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4 comments

  1. What a fun trip! I love that y'all did all the touristy things. I would be the same way since I'm a reality junky too!
    Ally- Life as I know it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it was such a good place to go for a girl's trip.

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  2. Looks like a blast!!

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