these are my fave shopping spots in SoCal;

The Lab – Anti Mall, has become the creative heart of the Sobeca arts district in Costa Mesa. we came here for a yummy brunch at the Gypsy Den and loved the atmosphere.

The Farmer’s Market, where you can find awesome shops, restaurants and grocery stores, is right next to The Grove. this is the place to go if you love shopping and hate malls, like me!

American Rag Cie , founded by Mark Werts, is one of the most innovative and trendsetting stores in California. you can shop and eat, new and old, for her and for him. don’t miss out on this cool shop if you’re around La Brea Ave.

See’s Candies, California’s famous old time candies, was founded in 1921 and it till keeps its original image and quality. thankfully I don’t have a See’s store near home, otherwise I know I would be there too often! my favourite is the caffe latte lollypop!

Just for fun the episode from I Love Lucy for which Lucy and Ethel trained at See’s Candy Factory. The lady in the episode was an employee at See’s.

we had such a nice couple of days in Palm Springs, just two hours away from Fullerton, and it felt like we were on a mini vacation.

i had read about The Parker Hotel here and here, and was dying to stay there myself.

we relaxed in the hotel’s pool, had a great evening at the Palm Springs Village Fest and went sightseeing to the near Joshua Tree National Park.

The Parker, designed by Jonathan Adler, opened in 2004. it has an amazing atmosphere, the food is excellent and its the perfect place to relax in a beautiful setting.

during our trip to SoCal, we did lots of sightseeing, there is so much to see and so many places to go its unbelievable.

there were two sights I didn’t want to miss and would recommend anyone visiting LA to go too.

The Walt Disney Concert Hall – home to the Los Angeles Philarmonic in downtown LA, this stunning and beautiful building was designed by Frank Gerhy, opening in 2003. some say it surpasses the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao…

The J Paul Getty – located in the Santa Monica Mountains, the museum was designed by architect Richard Meier, and founded by oilman J Paul Getty. it is well known for its architecture, gardens and views overlooking Los Angeles.

we spent almost a whole day there and were lucky to see the recently opened exhibition “A Revolutionary Project: Cuba from Walker Evans to Now”, showing Walker Evans and Alberto Korda amongst others.