Best second hand in L.A.

In L.A. you make better deals with second hand items compared to Finland. More people, more stuff to get rid of, so it's obvoious. At second hand stores in L.A. you can always see people lining up to sell their treasures to the store. That means they get a LOT of stuff to sell every day.

Based on my shopping experience in the city of angels, my recommendations for the best second hand store chains are:

1. Wasteland: Wasteland sells both second hand and new stuff, designer and generic brands. I've visited Wasteland in Santa Monica and Studio City. Shopping here is breathtaking both mentally and physichally: first, they play good music, rock and grunge, and the selection is amazing. Second: it is hard to not go through all the items, so it gets exhausting! :) Wasteland is a bit more pricey than other second hand places, so what you go here for are the edgy and personal pieces you can't find everywhere. They also have the best selection of second hand designer shoes, I found 2 pairs of beautiful Jeffrey Campbell's here. They also sell Unif, which has lately become a brand to drool over for me.

Footnote: the clerk in Santa Monica is a Kurt Cobain look-a-like ;).

 2. Crossroads: Second hand and new stuff, both designer and generic. I've visited Crossroads in Santa Monica and Studio City. For general brands and shoes Crossroads is a bit less pricey than Wasteland, and especially Santa Monica seems to have reasonably priced Marc Jacobs clutches on display almost every time I walk in. (Got one for myself, too, check the last photo of this post). You are not likely to find as unique pieces as you are at Wasteland, but then again this place is full of surprises. One good example is a pair of amazing hippie flare pants.

 3. Buffalo Exchange: Second hand stuff, both designer and generic. I've visited Buffalo Exchange in Santa Monica/Venice and on La Brea Ave. Pricewise this place falls in between the upper two. Perhaps BE is not that good for finding designer items, but definitely a place worth visiting. I spent 2 hours at the Santa Monica store and got a parking ticket! If you like Converse sneakers, you will most likely find a nice, cheap pair of them here.

P.S. Am I the only one who didn't know Converse All Stars are generally called also as "Chuck Taylors"? I've never heard anyone call them that in Finland. My American pals sophisticated me with this fact and told me a basketball player Chuck Taylor used to wear and promote the brand. I guess I've never taken a closer look at the All Star logo, or I'm just blind, but somehow I've missed his signature around the star. :S

Santa Monica Stairs

Back in Finland again! Sorry for the gap in posts, I blame jetlag. There are still a few topics from L.A. I want to share... going through these sunny pictures in rainy Helsinki makes me want to book another flight to somewhere warm :).

Santa Monica Stairs or Steps – a steep wooden stairway near the beach – is a popular place for exercising outdoors. It's common to go jogging on the beach first and then finish the workout at the stairs. Or vice versa. Plus a paleface like myself hits two birds with one stone: you get both a good workout and some tan!

I was told that 9 a.m. or before is the best time to hit the stairs, otherwise it gets pretty crowded and harder to keep the pace you like. But to be honest, even walking these stairs from bottom to the top made me gasp.

Vintage shopping and sushi – love at every sight

Yesterday almost turned out as a perfect day, unless we hadn't had a parking ticket while shopping at a vintage store Buffalo Exchange. Santa Monica parking regulations are strict: after 6 p.m. only the ones with permission can park. In Finland it goes vice versa, you pay for parking on the street during the day, but it is free during the nights. So besides what I paid for the things I got, there's also a 60 dollar extra bill waiting, yay! Ok, I spent 2 hours in the store, so perhaps this was a wake up call for me to control my inner shopaholic.

Gina Tricot lace top, Sandro shorts, RayBan shades,
second hand hippie bag, Urban Outfitters sandals.
I found this hippie bag at a flea market in Helsinki (Valtteri).
All Maya inspired designs seem to attract me right now.

Los Angeles loafing

On Wilshire Boulevard

Hello there dames and dudes! I've been planning to start a blog for a while now and figured an LA trip might make a good enter. My stories will be about personal style, travelling, food, interior decoration, and what not.

 Leaving on a jet plane...

SO.. this is my third day in LA (staying at my friend Javan's place in Brentwood, West LA) and will be here until the July 12th. The California bug bit me in 2007 when I came here as an exchange student. Two years ago I came back, rented an apt in Santa Monica (only a few blocks from the beach) for 3 months. And this year I'm spending my whole 4 week summer vacation here.

So far it's been mostly recovering from jetlag, couldn't really sleep during the flights. You know how annoying it is to sit next to someone who's constantly poking you JUST when you fell asleep. On Helsinki - Chicago flight I sat next to a drunk Finnish guy who kept ordering wine and placing his arm on my leg (!!!! :S). From Chicago to LA I had a window seat (=freaking cold and they didn't even have blankets!) + a huge guy next to me taking 1/3 of my space and playing some iPad game which included moving his right arm towards me all the time.

First breakfast: berries, banana and
cottage cheese

 Happyhappyjoyjoy

That's where the complaints end. When I arrived I had sparkling wine and berries waiting for me. Passed out after one glass next to Javan's dog, Kaiser. He made a good pillow :).

Santa Monica (through car window)

On the first day we went shopping on Wilshire for all the necessities I couldn't fit in my luggage such as shampoo. The highlight of the day was Santa Monica, it has changed so much since my last visit. The big shopping center was under construction then and now it was open, yay! And strolling on the 3rd Street Promenade (the best shopping street) again brought me back memories. 

The 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica

We also went to Melrose Avenue for shopping, but hit only 3 stores before they closed. Did some good finds at Urban Outfitters. More about shopping later!

We got tickets to LA film festival for tonight, so excited to go! More about that later, too!