Q&A and Pretty Things

Sooo today I got asked to answer some questions for Rebecca Minkoff's official Tumblr (if you aren't familiar with the brand, she makes adorable handbags and accessories), and since some of the questions were fun I thought I'd copy the post here.  It's mostly about things I like and LA in general (where I hear it's actually warm now.  Unlike Boston where it is the middle of April and still barely 50 degrees and raining.  Not amused).


Here's the post:


What are your top three…
LA spots: The Huntington Gardens, a huge collection of various themed gardens that are great for impromptu photoshoots, Pinkberry, cliche but still pretty amazing (and necessary in the LA heat), and Buster’s Coffee, a fab retro coffee shop tucked away in Pasadena where you always feel like a ‘regular.’
Things to see in LA with an out-of-towner: Rodeo Drive for the fun, stereotypical LA experience, Venice Beach Boardwalk for a more unusual but still quinessential look at LA culture, and the La Brea Tar Pits, because what other major metropolitan city has a bunch of tar pits with dinosaurs sticking out of them in the middle of its downtown area?
Cities: Los Angeles because it’s my hometown, Prague because it’s like a real life Disneyland, and London for the shopping.
Musicians: Florence + The Machine for when I’m feeling a little offbeat or ethereal, ADELE for her amazing voice and touching lyrics, and Taylor Swift for cliche, if catchy songs to sing in the shower (where no one will judge you for liking them).
TV shows: Secret Diary of a Call Girl: ridiculously trashy, but well-done and starring some amazing outfits.  True Blood: vampires, camp, and Southern culture.  What more could you want?  Mad Men: both for the nuanced story lines and the fantastic, period-accurate costumes.
Blogs: Cupcakes and Cashmere: the cutest combination of adorable clothes, recipes, and decorating tips, Garance Dore: the famous French street style blogger, and Temptalia: the best makeup reviews and swatches you’ll find on the Internet.
Things to do on a rainy day: Curl up with a blanket inside and watch Pride and Prejudice (the Keira Knightley version, of course), play dress-up in my closet, or bake a strawberry-rhubarb pie (my specialty).
Things to do on a sunny day: Drive around in LA with the windows down listening to obnoxiously loud and happy music, ride my horse, or sit outside with a giant glass of iced tea while reading a book.
Ways to relax: Painting my nails, watching trashy TV, and hanging out with my adorable fox terrier Sophie.
Books: Pride and Prejudice: who doesn’t love this book?  It’s got romance, drama, hilarious relatives and endearingly real characters who actually make mistakes.  100 Years of Solitude: whether you read this in English or in Spanish, this book is stunningly well-written and inspiring, in it’s own dark, mystical sort of way.  The Custom of the Country: the original Gossip Girl (Leighton Meester actually studied the main character while prepping to be Blair), this novel chronicles the rise of a sociopathic 20th century social climber.

One an unrelated but pretty note, here are 3 cheerful summer accessories I'm craving: Raffia Braid Sunhat by Hat Attack, $80 at hatattack.com, Emi-Jay Jewel Collection Hair Ties, $10.99 at emi-jay.com, Kenneth Jay Lane Enamel Branch Cuff, $187 at shopbop.com: I want a cute sun hat.  Of course, that would imply that I was living somewhere sunny (ahem, I'm bitter), but I've been watching a lot of Jane Austen, which always makes me want to frolic around in a sun hat and drink tea.  I have the tea part down, but I need a hat.  I like this one because it's not too wide as to be ridiculous, the raffia is a pretty natural huge, and the chain/floral detail give it a fun, edgy/girly twist.  I've blogged about these hair ties before, but I've never been able to justify buying them because, well, they're glorified hair ties.  But I've seen them on a lot of girls recently, and they just look so cute and pulled together in contrast with a regular elastic.  They come in different colors but my favorites are the jewel tones--they're still fun and bright, but they're a little more sophisticated than a neon.  How adorable is this coral shaped turquoise cuff?!  It's so great for summer because the coral itself is unexpected but perfect for summer since it's so beachy, and the bright blue is just such a fun pop of color.  I'd love this with a white sundress and some brown, cowboyish boots.

Images via: hatattack.com, emi-jay.com, shopbop.com.