Recently I went to LA for my birthday and some business. I had such a fun time and want to share my discoveries and some pictures.

The first order of business was Barneys NYC, the ultimate shoe and purse heaven and everything in between. How cute are those Tabitha Simmons booties!? Flat shoes come in handy when having to schlep around baby Lenox, and obviously I prefer cute looking ones. These are really comfy and actually look cute with my new Isabel Marant romper, a 30th birthday gift – thanks, Mom and Dad! A bootie that looks good with jeans and skirts and rompers is a must, and they don’t cut off my legs in a bad way to make them look shorter than they are. Who want’s that? They come in such fun colors, as they are more casual and have less going on, I think they’re a better option for me than the Chloe booties. Trust me, I do love the Chloe booties, but it was one or the other. I decided for the nude color, even though the gold and baby blue were a close cut.

Of course I couldn’t leave the store without thoroughly inspecting the beauty and purse department. I am totally in love with this Celine purse, now on my wishlist! I came across some great finds in the contemporary department as well. I found a nice pair of patterned silk pants, which fit perfectly for a really cute butt; a gray casual sweater, something I was really missing for flights or weekends; a cute purple short that looks like a skirt (a practical option for a mom since skirts can be tricky when you have to maneuver on playgrounds) – all by Isabel Marant – and an amazing light gray pair of skinny jeans by Acne, which doesn’t make me look fat. Voila! Some great casual everyday pieces that, if I’m not kidding myself, I will wear way more than the uber-femme stuff I love that’s highly impractical, such as sky-high heels (see me trying on the killer purple Tabitha Simmons heels) or structured dresses. I guess you could say my purchases are model off-duty aka a good investment! For a shopping break, I  like going to Barneys rooftop restaurant for coffee or some food, my favorites being the breadsticks that they serve with cream cheese and the berry fruit bowl or their delicious dutch pancake. The black and white photographs in the restaurant are my inspiration for a little gallery I want to put together at home.

For my birthday we had brunch at the Beverly Hills Peninsula, which is one of my all-time favorite hotels. They have spot-on service, amazing facilities, and a great spa. I love everything about it from the fresh beautiful flowers and décor to the chic tea room and rooftop garden restaurant… I am ready to move in! It was so nice to see all my friends, some of whom are young moms as well, which means baby tips were shared around. My friend Vivian, whose son Liam is Lenox’s age, showed up with two amazing purchases, a silicone baby bottle sans BPA by Como tomo and a Sili Squeeze – “It’s not a bottle. It’s a squeeze.” They’re like those organic fruit packages that my son loves by Happy Baby, but you can fill them with whatever puree you want. Genius invention! My son doesn’t really take the bottle, so it’s hard to get him off the boob. Those fruit packages have been a great success as a replacement and now I can’t wait to make my own and fill it in the Sili Squeeze. He just sucks on them to get the puree out and knows how to do this better than taking a bottle. I have tried a million bottles to no avail, but he grabbed this Como tomo out of Liam’s hands to suck on. I couldn’t have witnessed a better sign that we finally found a bottle he likes.  Vivian, you rock! I can’t be sure why he liked that particular bottle over all others; our conclusion is that the bottom silicone part feels a bit like a boob and that it’s a medium flow bottle. Maybe Lenox was always frustrated that not enough came out of the slow-flow bottles I have been buying.

I couldn’t wait to buy those two products and made a trip to celebrity fave Bel Bambini, which carries both items. Love that store! Right across the street is another celebrity infant it-store called Petit Tresor. I went over there to get Lenox a Little Giraffe luxury baby blanket square. This was a great tip from my mom to help babies fall asleep with something comforting (besides your boob). Moms know best; it has actually been working. Hurray! Now when Lenox is supposed to sleep, I give him the mini version of his large Little Giraffe blanket, which is way better for when he’s in a stroller or car seat, or even when in bed. I bought him a pacifier clip-on and am using it to fasten the mini Little Giraffe blanket to his stroller so I don’t have to worry about losing it all the time. Mini blankets are like socks: they kind of disappear all of the sudden when you turn your back. Petit Tresor also had this amazing airplane for kids that we had to try out. I left the store with a cute sunhat, the mini blanket by Little Giraffe, and cute onsies by Petit Bateau.

One birthday get-together is rarely enough, so at night we went by invite-only celebrity hot-spot Soho House. New partner (NEWSFLASH!) and celebrity stylist Sophia Banks-Coloma took me there to celebrate, and I couldn’t have wished for a better evening with friends, family, and great food. Located on the rooftop of a high-rise in West Hollywood, it makes for a gorgeous view at night. I had to sneak in a photo even though it’s not allowed. The kale salad and fish was so yummy, and we couldn’t pass on having fun in the photo booth. Everyone finished the evening with Soho House’s warm chocolate cookies and an odd Australian meringue that Sophia, being from Down Under, ordered. (It’s a dessert special that is not included on the menu, so you have to ask for it.) Good thing I am breast feeding because I can’t even tell you how many calories I consumed at un-godly hours during this trip! Sprinkles cupcakes, anyone? Double chocolate at one am – not only one, but two!

Oh, and how can I forget the first birthday dinner of them all? It was at one of my favorite restaurants, CUT by Wolfgang Puck. His chocolate soufflé is to die for and so are the bread basket and dinner entrées, including awesome steaks. I ordered the chicken – I know, an unusual selection for a steak restaurant, but you would understand if you had tried it!

This is the first part of my LA adventure. Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3!

Xx

S