{show & tell} LA souvenirs

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After returning from our visit to LA a few weeks ago it really hit me that London is my new home home. Los Angeles is where I'm from but when I unpacked souvenirs from the trip like gifts from friends and found storage items, I did so in our London flat - our home. It's been really strange to go back and forth between calling LA and London home...I only really ever had one to consider. When strangers ask me where I'm from they inevitably follow up with "which place do you prefer?" That used to be an easy question to answer but I genuinely love and enjoy different things about each city. Also, they're apples and oranges so it's practically impossible to give a straight answer. I often think back to the metro rides to/from work in LA while Joe was living here for a month before I joined him. I would listen to Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zero's song home on replay and remind myself why I was leaving the only home I had ever known. Now when I look at some of the goodies I brought back from LA (and Joe's hometown, Anchorage) I think yes, "home is wherever I'm with you" but it does help to have a few personal mementos to remind you of your roots...or at least from the shops where your roots are ;)

Images from top/bottom left/right: card by The Great Lakes Goods bought at Lula Mae prescription glasses, frames by Chanel bought at Specstacular 1986 Ovation guitar, gift from Joe's parents ballet flats by TOMS, gift from friends (no a child will not receive the same ballet flats, click here to learn about TOMS's One for One) vintage dress bought at Shareen Vintage art square by a former co-worker's talented mother childhood photo of Joe, we'll get the entire album next time joe's ID bracelet from when he was six years old. fits me perfectly and of course...an awesome CA necklace from one of my besties, Vikki

 

 

This old thing?

Earlier this month Joe and I attended the first annual Two Point Oh LA Snow Ball. Two Point Oh LA is a fashion bloggers organization established by the sweet Kelsi Smith. Kelsi and I met last year at Unique LA and it's awesome to see the incredible things she's doing with it.

While I don't think I fit into the fashion blogger category, I do love to tag along and play dress-up whenever possible.

For the Snow Ball I decided to take it literal and get my glam on with a full length vintage dress. Heck, Joe even dusted off his tux!

I was so excited to have found this green beauty at Shareen Vintage just days before the event. What made the score even better was that during the pre-purchase inspection (a must for any vintage buy) I noticed a label that had more than the standard "Made in the U.S.A." often found in garments from the past. This one had an official stamp from the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.  A google search later and I learned that the ILGWU was established in 1900 in NYC and has since merged into Unite Here, a service based labor union. Even found a nifty little video for a campaign in the 70's to "Look for the union label" when buying garments. Apparently the 60's and 70's were the decades when production overseas ramped up and production quality declined.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Lg4gGk53iY]

It truly is incredible to own a piece that was made here and was so well stitched that I can now enjoy it decades later. Hooray for vintage!