Misty weekend trip

The headline describes my last weekend spent in Turku both literally and figuratively. These pictures don't show how much mist there was, but within an hour after taking these photos – when I drove back home –  it was almost impossible to see further than 50 meters. My mental state wasn't far from misty either. The purpose of the trip was business + pleasure, which is a pretty tiring combination. Nevertheless, had tons of fun with good company and got to see a city I had only passed by before. 

Before leaving Turku, the first capital of Finland before Helsinki stepped onto the scene, we took a little walk by the river Aurajoki and visited the beautiful Turku Cathedral. The locals have a genious way of telling the difference between the sides of the river. "On this side of the river" refers to the side where the church is and "on the other side of the river" is... well, the other side :). Compass points – so overrated! 

On the other side of the river: second hand fake fur vintage coat (made in Paris), second hand boots, Gina Tricot jeans, Steve Madden satchel.

Away above the Los Angeles chimney tops

The Griffith Park was on our to do list in L.A., but since we went there only on one of the last days of my trip, we didn't have too much time to spend. I could have wandered at the park and checked the other activities such as The Griffith Observatory exhibits for the whole day. Or two. However, at the southern slope of Mount Hollywood (where The Griffith Observatory is located) we got to see the breathtaking view over Los Angeles, which was amazing in itself. It's also a good spot to phorograph the Hollywood sign. By the way, did you know they have altered the sign during the years? Wikipedia says that for example in 1987 when the Pope visited L.A., the second L was covered to make the sign say HOL YWOOD. Rad! :)

 Zara blouse, second hand lace shorts, Michael Kors handbag, Jeffrey Campbell clogs, Cheap Monday shades, vintage jewelry. 

Sand in my toes

On one of my last days in L.A. we visited Paradise Cove in Malibu. It's a private beach you have to pay 10 dollars to get in, but for the money you get a less crowded area to enjoy the sun and you also get to bring your own drinks or buy them at a kiosk. Not that big of a deal for a Finn, though, since we wouldn't get arrested for drinking at a public beach in Finland as long as we behave well. Big deal or not, even for a person like me who doesn't drink beer, having a few sips of malt liquor in this hot weather was a total treat!

Second hand blouse, Victoria's Secret bikini, Weekday shorts, Cheap Monday shades.

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

Let's go surfing now!

I bought a LivingSocial deal by Smile's Surf School before the trip for one hour surfing class. It cost 39 dollars and was held at Venice Beach. I've never tried surfing before, have never even tried skateboarding or snowboarding (only skis), but despite of that it was easier than I thought. Even the teacher (Preston, whose pic you can find on the website) was surprised of how fast I learned, yay! I actually got to stand on the board for some time and ride on the waves (not seen in the pictures :D). Definitely doing this again!

What gave me the kick to try surfing was a dark, snowy night last winter when I saw an award-winning Finnish surf film Finnsurf . It was the coldest time of year and the film really made me long for sunny waters... and live to the fullest. Not only does the film tell about surfing, but also reaching ones dreams, no matter how irrational or impossible they may seem. 

So, here I am, living my dreams and SURFING!

Rocking the roof

 Second hand studded denim vest, fringe top/scarf from Carlings, Forever 21 denim shorts, John West boots, RayBan shades.

 Another day for second hand shopping! I don't know about you guys, but some days I let my inner rockstar tell me what to wear. Regardless of the Mötley Crüe groupie indications I may get from friends :).

These boots are one of my favourite pairs, got them from Valtteri (flea market in Helsinki) with only 15 euros. Not a bad price for almost unused pair.

Falling for Escondido Falls

If you love beautiful nature and sweating visit Escondido Falls in Malibu. There's a nice hiking path with breathtaking views. The path is tricky and steep at times and at some points you have to use ropes to proceed, but it's definitely worth the dirty clothes and perspiration!

Malibu hippie

Second hand hooded blouse, second hand flare pants, Via Spiga wedges, Lindex bikini, Cheap Monday shades.

Views from the Pacific Coast Highway are amazing. We stopped at this a bit less crowded beach in Malibu to relax, listen to good music and dip in the sea. Everyone keeps saying the water is extraordinarily warm, and they are right!

I found these amazing hippie flare pants and wedge shoes at Crossroads (Santa Monica), along with several other things!

Looking forward to tomorrow, the 4th of July celebration. We are supposed to start the day early with a champagne breakfast, yay!

Different juhannus @ LA Film Festival

We were lucky to get tickets to LA Film Festival through a friend (thanks, Ashlee!). It was held at Nokia Center, which warmed a Finn's heart. Juhannus, the big midsummer celebration is taking place right now in Finland. This is one of the rare midsummers I'm not spending at a summer cottage swimming and grilling sausage.

The festival is about feature films that are trying to make it through to big distribution. We went to see Gayby by Jonathan Lisecki (gay himself, he gave a hilarious speech before screening). The film was superfunny, it's about long-term best friends, a woman and a gay guy, who decide to have a baby (gayby) together. Loved the dialogue and the characters! There must be so many amazing movies out there that never reach the big audience. Hope this one will!

Ready for the night:
Blouse and denim shorts from Weekday, Asos boots.

After the film, we crashed a celebrity party for an actress apparently from HBO's Game of Thrones (someone with too blonde hair and a revealing dress but don't ask me who, don't watch the show :)). Got free drinks and a nice view over L.A. downtown. We chatted with one of the waitresses until a guy with a suit came to say to her "he's leaving". Apparently she needed to escort out a guy, who had been sitting on a nearby couch. He turned out to be Quincy Jones.