VISITING TAYLOR SWIFT'S HOUSE + la travels (iv)

Now that I've gotten your attention, I have to say, I've lied - I didn't go to Taylor Swift's house, but I did visit Greystone Mansion, so basically the same thing! I also went to a few places in Hollywood - Commissary at The Line Hotel, Griffith Park, LACMA, and Melrose Ave.

Greystone was such an amazing place to visit.

When I checked the hours online, it said they opened at 8, so we got there then, and realized they weren't technically open until 10! Fortunately, there are no gates to the grounds or anything, so we were able to wander around, and there weren't too many people aside from a summer camp that was just beginning to assemble.

The whole area gave off a Blank Space vibe, and I feel like it could have been the set from the music video! If Taylor Swift didn't have her New York apartment (and if Greystone were for sale), I'm 99% sure she would live here.

Since we were going to be surrounded by a lot of green, I decided to go with a simple white Alexander Wang tee, my (only) jeans, and t-strap sandals I wear in virtually every outfit. This time I'm glad I didn't wear grey!

It drives me nuts when shirts are see through, but only slightly, so when you first try them on, you think it's okay to only wear a bra, but once you're at home and in different lighting, they're a little too see through to wear to work or comfortably to school.

I'm forever on the search for a nice quality (and reasonably priced) white shirt that doesn't have to be worn with a bandeau or tank top. Though this one is super soft and comfy, it doesn't fulfill the latter requirement.

If you guys have any brands/shirts that work well sans more layers, please let me know in the comments!

Greystone has quite a comprehensive list of "don'ts" - they include: no dogs, no picnics, no sports, no personal training (???), no having fun (jk), and no photography/filming unless you have a permit. I looked it up, and a permit is somewhere around the lines of $300/hr for personal use. For commercial use, it's even more!

So, uh, these photos...

(update: I checked on Yelp, and photos are okay if they are unprofessional! Plus Chiara Ferragni did a blog post there, and I don't think she paid $300 for 5 photos)

I've also been playing around with presets in Lightroom! It took me forever to figure out why certain people could get such amazing colors with their cameras, and why my colors always looked flat and dull.

I've been looking around a lot for free ones (mainly for portraits), so if you know of any, please link to them in the comments! <3

Time spent here: ~2 hrs, you could spend more just sitting in the gardens.
Things to note: You can't go into the mansion unless you arrange a tour (not completely sure how to do that). You can peek in the windows though, which we would have done, had we been able to figure out how to get from the gardens to the mansion - it's on a hill above. Also, Beverly Hills has city wide free wifi!
Cost: Free.

For lunch, we went Commissary at The Line Hotel. It's located in Koreatown, and has pretty good Asian fusion food! I'll admit, I mainly wanted to visit because of an amazing Instagram photo I saw on @discoverla, but it was worth it. 

I just had avocado salmon toast, since we weren't very hungry. Their aesthetic is something along the lines of "quirky and mismatched, while still somewhat upscale". The quirky would be their mismatched dining ware (the dishes, glasses, and napkins were all different), the upscale would be their prices. 

Time spent here: It depends on how fast you eat! The service wasn't particularly fast, nor slow. 

Things to note: They have a pool right outside, and I think you'd probably be able to slip in even if you don't stay at the hotel if you act nonchalant. I love the hotel vibe, and the prices aren't too bad. Their lobby also plays really nice music (think Flume and Lorde remixes), and the people watching is great - everyone is so stylish!

Cost: Somewhere between $$ and $$$. I think the toast was around $20, and it wasn't too big. 

We went back to the Line Hotel a few days later, and tried the other restaurant downstairs - Pot. I would not recommend it. It was more expensive (though to be fair we went for dinner instead of lunch), and the food was eh. We ordered a pot of kimchi, given the name of the restaurant we thought it would be good, but it was basically $50 worth of kimchi floating around in watered down soup. 

After heading back to our Airbnb room for a bit to relax (LA was hot!), we headed out again to Griffith Observatory for sunset. We obviously weren't the only people with this idea, and it was crowded both for parking and while there. 

It was definitely worth it though! The sunset was spectacular, and I loved watching the lights slowly turn on. The best part of the sunset is always right after the sun dips below the horizon, and the pastel colors appear. 

I would've loved to see it at sunrise, probably much fewer people, but no way would I have been able to get up then. 

Time spent here: ~1.5 hrs. We didn't go inside the observatory though, only admired the views from the outside.
Things to note: When we went, lots of people were clamoring to get the same coveted photo spots, so please do try and be courteous. I had to wait an absurd amount of time (to be fair, I'm pretty impatient) for this girl to take her 100 selfies from different angles. Although we didn't try it since we weren't dressed for it, there's hiking available too!
Cost: Free.

This trip was full of museums, and I really wanted to get photos in front of Lacma's famous Urban Light exhibit - I did, but unfortunately they didn't turn out very well.

I did really enjoy this museum though - it's huge, and has a very wide variety of art!

No trip to LA is complete without some shopping! We were living quite close to Melrose, so we spent an afternoon there (mainly for the photo ops). I was prepared to take tons of outfit photos, since everyone's probably used to fashion bloggers, but at the last minute, forgot my camera. Oh well.

There are a few affordable shops, but the majority are for window shopping. Some must sees would be Fred Segal, Paul Smith (the pink wall!), Resurrection, and Creatures of Comfort.

For stores in which you can actually afford more than a clothes hanger, I would go to Crossroads and Wasteland. The latter is much more expensive and high end, but both are significantly pricier than the secondhand stores back home. Apparently celebrities go there to clean out their closets!

This is the last post in my SoCal road trip (you can read the other ones here). Summer truly is over, though it's hard to believe I've already been back in school for a month! 

What would you guys recommend to for activities and must dos in LA? What's the best restaurant there? Any affordable boutiques? Let me know in the comments!

xx

Angelina

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balboa park + san diego museums (iii)

Hopefully, by now you guys aren't tired of my constant vacation posts, but I only have 4 total - I promise (i and ii). I took a loong break to bring some other posts into the mix, but I think I'll just post these in order. San Diego was too beautiful not to write about! We mainly stayed in the Balboa Park area - they have tons of amazing museums and places to visit, all within walking distance!

Standing across from the Botanical Building, this is the view. I think it's probably one of the most photographed places in San Diego, and for good reason too! Apparently, during WWII, they used the lagoon to help teach soldiers how to swim, and afterwards for physical therapy.

I love going to greenhouses and botanical gardens. Flower photography never gets old, and with so many beautiful things to photograph, it's a no fail way to make sure your photos come out well.

The downside is that so many people take basically the exact same shots as you! Because of this, I think I'd have to say I still like portrait photography the best.

On the trip, I brought both my 50mm f/1.4 and 28-105L f/4. I used my 50mm the majority of the trip, and only brought out my 28-105 for a couple of landscape photos.

You can definitely see the narrow depth of field in these photos, and I think that adds to the overall effect I was aiming for. I also love how small the lens is, so I didn't feel weighed down by it, and I also looked like less of a tourist.

Time spent here: 15 mins. You could spend more if you're looking to focus on plant photography, but we were originally planning on also visiting the Huntington Botanical Gardens, so I held off on it. Unfortunately, we didn't end up going, so I wish I'd spent more time.
Things to note: The whole area around here is gorgeous, and perfect for travel or outfit photos.
Cost: Free!

In Balboa Park, there are several museums within walking distance, so it's a perfect way to spend an afternoon. A couple of them are free, but most require tickets. I believe you can also buy a museum pass.

The Mingei was recommended to us by the people we were staying with in AirBnb - otherwise I don't think we would have gone.

Its' focus is on folk art, and has an overall whimsical feel. There was 3D as well as 2D art, and it was a mix of contemporary and traditional art.

Personally, the art here wasn't my style, but it was interesting to look at. They had a few quilts and figurines that made for quirky photos, though it was quite dark upstairs.

I didn't see too many other people either. I felt like it could almost be a slasher film, it was so eerily quiet, and all the figurines were starting to get to me a bit. It was very "Night At The Museum" feeling.

Time spent here: 45 mins - they were in the middle of prepping a new exhibit, so only the upstairs portion was open.
Things to note: Definitely not your typical, stuffy art museum! Closed on Mondays.
Cost: $4-7

The museum I enjoyed more was The Museum of Art (points for creativity?). It's a lot more conventional, yet they still had interesting exhibits - the Coney Island one was showing when we visited.

The building is stunning as well, and there's a fountain in the lobby, as well as double staircases. Just something about that really calls to me. I think it might have been watching Princess Diaries when I was little, and secretly wanting to be able to slide down my staircase on a mattress.

Time spent here: 2.5 hrs. It's also a nice spot to sit and relax.
Things to note: They have a wide variety - Renaissance, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Contemporary. Also free wifi, so that's always a bonus!
Cost: $4.50-$12

Another notable museum that I didn't take any photos in would be the Timken. It's right across from the Museum of Art, and it's free! Mostly Renaissance, with a little bit of 20th Century art. The main reason we visited is because they have a Vermeer! 

The Woman In Blue Reading A Letter is even better in person, and I would strongly recommend going to see it. All of Vermeer's pieces are so much richer in person. I missed an opportunity to see Girl With A Pearl Earring at the de Young, and I've been regretting it since. 

What are your favorite styles of art? What museums are must sees? For series, do you prefer them to be posted one after the other, or spread out (if so, how spread out)?

xx

Angelina

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road trip: unexpected travels (ii)

Part 2 of my SoCal road trip series! You can read Part 1 here. On this leg, we drove from Santa Barbara to Long Beach, stopping in Downtown SB, the Getty Villa, and Self Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine. 

Santa Barbara downtown was such a lovely place to just walk around after a long day of traveling. This was our first stop in what counts as SoCal, and it definitely met my expectations with the palm lined streets and relaxed storefronts. 

This outfit was worn a few times repeatedly, because I'd get way too lazy to find other clothes to wear. My top is chiffon, so it's very breathable, but I can easily throw a cardigan over it at night.

Having a go to outfit while traveling makes your life so much easier, especially when you're running out the door, late to an excursion, or just way too tired from staying out late the night before.

Time spent here: 1 hr of leisurely walking time, could spend more if you went shopping.

Things to note: A nice walk after dinner, not too busy or loud. They have a pretty big Anthropology and Free People here!

Cost: Easy to find free parking, at least when we went (~7pm). 

These bikes. Literally the epitome of sunny California. 

The next destination is a must see if you're in the area. We almost drove past it, it's not very obvious from the road, and you can't see it while driving, but inside, the Getty Villa is amazing.

Rich oil or coal tycoons always seem to be building these amazing houses, isn't it great they end up being open to the public later on? J. Paul Getty actually built the Villa specifically to house his art collection, but was never able to see it in person before his death. 

I believe it was modeled after a villa in Pompeii, where Mt. Vesuvius erupted. It's supposed to invoke feelings of being an ordinary Roman citizen in a villa at that time, and I can definitely attest to how realistic it feels. If you can ignore the tourists and selfie sticks that is!

I'm kind of regretting my choice to wear grey instead of white, it would've popped much better. Photoshop perhaps? 

Inside the Villa, there are rooms and rooms full of ancient sculptures. You could spend forever looking at them, and I'm sure it would've been a great place to sit and sketch. 

I personally like paintings more, specifically Impressionism and Post Impressionism, so I went through them quicker than others might. 

Time spent here: 2 hrs, but you could go up to a half day. A day might be stretching it, unless you're planning to spend time sketching, want to get all your photo ops in, or are really interested in ancient sculptures. 

Things to note: If you're driving from North to South, the entrance to the Villa will be on the left hand side. You'll have to make a U turn and go South to North to get in. Also, you have to get free tickets beforehand from their website (this is probably to control visitor flow). You don't need to print them out, just be ready to show the guard the 6 digit confirmation number on your phone. 

Cost: Free tickets, but $15 to park. I don't think you can get in without parking inside. 

Continuing on the theme of otherworldly places, our next stop was the Self Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine in the Pacific Palisades. There are actually many SRF temples, but this one is the Lake Shrine, so it's a lot bigger. 

Although I'm not religious, I definitely enjoyed stopping here. It was very peaceful and tranquil, and a nice change of pace from all the honking on the road (there is something different about drivers in SoCal, they seem to really enjoy honking at everyone). 

There's a beautiful temple with a bit of a climb, but worth going to. The whole area just doesn't feel like it's only a few miles away from central LA. I took this photo for Urban Outfitter's polaroid contest, and it ended up getting a decent amount of attention!

Time spent here: 1 hr, but more can be spent mediating or sitting by the lake.
Things to note: There is a functioning temple at the top, so if you visit it, be careful to be silent as there are people mediating. You're allowed to take photos, but there's such a calm, serene feeling to this place, I wouldn't go in with tripods and selfie sticks. They also offer weekend retreats!
Cost: Free, but suggested donation.

This was one of my favorite parts of our trip! Everything was just so different from the city, and it was a great change of pace. Neither of these places were incredibly well known or touristy, but still good for pictures and seeing new things.

Next week will be a little bit about my experience on the Carnival Imagination cruise to Ensenada and San Diego!

Have you visited any of these places, or places that remind you of these (Rome, Greece, Turkey, Southeast Asia)? Where are your favorite "off the beaten path" places in your city?

xx

Angelina

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p.s. just curious how quickly my blog loads for you? I've been doing speed tests, and they range from 2-5sec, so wondering if that's accurate for my readers.

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road trip: diverse views (i)

I just got back from my 2 week long road trip to SoCal (you may have seen my packing tips here), and it was great! I have so many photos I'll have to post them in increments. In this post, Henry Colwell Redwoods, Carmel Mission, Bixby Bridge, and McWay Falls. 

Henry Colwell Redwood State Park: We rarely get to go to national parks, so when I realized this was on the way, I was super excited to visit! It was a very relaxing walk (we did the Redwood Grove Trail as neither of us had actual running shoes), and quite shady. 

There were lots of children running around since they have some sort of kids' scavenger hunt, so definitely family friendly. 

Time spent here: 1 hr, but more is possible.
Things to note: Camping is available!
Cost: Free, but parking is $10 inside the park.

Carmel Mission Basilica: I really enjoyed it here. It doesn't seem to be a huge tourist attraction, which is even better for me. The mission has an otherworldly feel, and it made me feel like I was in Spain. 

Great photo ops throughout, and not too many people who stare. Would've loved to spend more time, but we had many miles ahead of us. 

Time spent here: 2.5 hrs, would've liked more just for photo ops.
Things to note: Beautiful photo ops, also has a church.
Cost: $2 - 6.50, free parking.

On our way, we crossed Bixby Bridge, so I thought we might as well hop out and take some photos. For photos of the bridge, it's best to find a turnout about half a mile before the actual bridge, and you can get a full photo. The ones below were taken at the turnout to see the bridge.

I would've loved to stay here for sunset, but the road is pretty windy and tough to drive, so we had to make it out before then.

You can go a bit further down, and the water is so incredible and blue - it honestly looks like Hawaii! Am I exaggerating here?

Time spent here: 20-30 mins (camera difficulties).
Things to note: Many people stop here for photos, so try and be courteous and make sure no one is waiting for your spot.
Cost: Free! Park at the turnout.

Of course, we had to stop for McWay Falls! There are so many gorgeous photos of this waterfall online, I have to say I was really hoping for a bit more oomph.

Also the flowers weren't in bloom, which made me a little sad as well, but still a beautiful must-see.

Time spent here: 30 mins.

Things to note: There isn't an address for the falls, it's a little bit north of Julia Pfeiffer State Park, so you can park on the highway and walk to it. You'll know when you're getting close because there are tons of cars parked. 

Cost: Free! Parking can be tough though. 

I hope you guys enjoyed my (photo heavy) first post! I've split my trip into 4 sections, coming out about every week. 

Have you been to any of these places? What other destinations would you suggest for a road trip - either in California, or elsewhere?

xx

Angelina

p.s. if you'd like to pin this, here's a great picture for that!

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