Burger Quest: Rustic Canyon

When the boy and I attended the "Taste of LA," a long time back, Rustic Canyon won the competition for best burger.  It became a sort of beacon to us - A place we simply had to conquer on the quest.  But it's rather fussy.  We tried to stop in for a dinner once and were turned away for lack of a reservation.  But finally we were able to plan ahead, booked in advance and attended the laid back, yet pricey venue on a cool Saturday evening.  

We ordered a bottle of wine and took in the atmosphere.  The place was full of young, professional types - A mix of yuppies and hipsters - I shall call them yippsters.  The wine was nice and the joint has a low-key vibe about it.  Though in a way, that vibe comes across as slightly pretentious as you start to notice just how contrived it actually is in it's easy-going feeling.  This place is not actually that easy going.  When you ask for water you are asked if you want still or sparkling, and then if you select still, they ask if you want bottled or tap.  If it was actually easy going you wouldn't get a choice.

But of course the focus is the burger...Let me get back to the burger.  

how it should look...source

how mine did look...source

The Rustic Canyon Burger is made with premium beef and comes on a lush brioche bun.  It's the very essence of a high-class burger and yet, it left something to be desired.  Specifically, in the presentation.  I asked for the signature burger sans the cheese (as per the burger quest agreement) and was given a burger with no sauce, no lettuce, no vegetables - just the meat and the bun.  Most of the fixings were given to me on the side, but not all that were listed on the menu, and for $18 I wasn't really that keen on building my own burger.  I don't know what to think of this burger, because essentially I didn't taste it. 

The icing on the cake was the stomach ache I had by the time we got home.  Maybe we hit the Rustic Canyon on an off night, but all in all, our experience was not pleasant.  And we can be yippsters with the best of them!  I really wanted to love Rustic Canyon, but the burger was an overall disappointment.  All I can say is, order it with the cheese....I'm sure that will make all the difference. 

The Scores:

Meatiness - 3

Succulentiousness - 2
Bun -3

Flavor - 2
Stay Togetherness - 4

Joint - 3

Sweet Valentines

I am definitely in the Valentine's Day mood.  Something about hearts, flowers, red and pink just delights me year after year.  The boy is not a huge Valentine's Day fan, and I understand his point of view.  I mean why do we need a designated day to tell the ones we love how we feel about them?  I know it's a bit of a racket and an excuse to sell cards and flowers, but I still love the idea of Valentine's Day.  

I've been curating my favorite V-day images over on Lockerz.com.  It's a wonderful way to save and share images, inspirations and things that just straight up make me happy.  Plus, everything I share has the potential to earn me points which equate to amazing savings on some of my favorite brands!  

If you haven't checked out Lockerz yet, I highly recommend it...It's totally addictive and fun!  Plus you can view more of my Valentine's Kisses Collection and help me spread the love!

**All sources linked within here **

Valentine's Day Candle

Over the weekend, I worked on a quick little Valentine's Day craft with my mom.  She had bought a pair of tall, red, cylinder candles - The kind that are like the religious candles you can find at the super market - And we decided to cover them with some Valentine's embellishments.  

These candles are totally inexpensive and easy to personalize.  All we needed was some scrapbook paper, Valentine's stickers and vintage-style valentines, along with double sided tape and scissors.  Simply cut your paper and embellishments to size and tape to the candle.  The scrapbook border stickers worked especially well, and the whole project took about 10 minutes to complete!  It's a craft that's easy to love!  

Spring Sweetness

The weather has been warming up here on the west coast and even though it's supposed to cool down again over the next few days, I am already all set for Spring.  I'm ready for sandals, spring cleaning and fresh starts!  Transitioning from one season to the next always holds such positivity and excitement for me.  I can't wait to start wearing my sundresses again...Sans tights.  

Serenade

Ballet's like Serenade by George Balanchine make me miss being a dancer more than anything.  It was one of the first ballets I ever saw in person and was one of the first Balanchine ballet's I learned.  There is something about it that speaks to me as I know it does so many others.  It somehow encapsulates the essence of being a ballet dancer.  And the music.  Oh, the music.  Serenade is one of those ballets where everything comes together perfectly and it may be one of the most pleasant ballets to watch and dance...Maybe that's why I miss it so much.  

Here is NYCB principle Ashley Bouder giving a bit more insight into this magnificent ballet...

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

This weekend, the boy and I embarked on an apartment hunt.  And it was...Challenging.  I guess in a lot of ways we were confronted with many of LA's issues.  You see, there are so many different areas in this city and while, they all have lots of perks, they also have many set backs.  

We looked at a couple places in Venice, literally right near the beach.  But they were all overpriced, sort of scary and there was no parking to be found anywhere.  Plus then our car overheated and we had to get towed back to Beverly Hills.  

Then we looked at a few places near Franklin Village and, while there were some cool spots, I didn't feel particularly at home in any of them.  I am still looking at a couple of places in Beverly Hills over the next couple days, so hopefully that will lend a bit of perspective to the mix, but the whole adventure brought a few things into perspective.

Firstly, it made me realize just how nuanced this city is.  Also how spread out it is and how lovely it is.  It also reminded me just how lucky the boy and I have been with our apartments.  The places we've found and the deals we've snagged...It's all pretty amazing.  I realized how comfortable I am in Beverly Hills and I also realized how spoiled I've become.  I realized that I have been really fortunate to feel safe in my neighborhood, like super safe, but I also came to realize that I have gotten perhaps a bit too safe and unwilling to try new things.  

The boy and I have some thinking and decision making to do this week and I don't think it's going to be easy.  But at the same time, I'm excited about the possibility of a fresh start....We'll just have to wait and see.... 

Our car getting towed from Venice

New Decade, New Blog

So, I actually kinda started a new blog.  And yes, I feel a little bit guilty about that.  But in the interest of honesty, I felt like I better come clean about it.

The thing is, upon turning 30, I felt like I started a new chapter in my life.  I feel like things are changing and I wanted to make something of a fresh start to document it.  But that's not to say I am abandoning Lilac & Lace.  Heaven's no!  I will keep this blog strong with burger quests, ballet and crafting galore, but my new blog, Heather Hearts, will be my new outlet for fashion and my personal style as I redefine it in my 30's.  I plan on keeping it more personal and more photography heavy.   

Currently I only have one follower, but I'd like to change that.  That's where you come in.  Check out Heather Hearts and follow along if you feel so compelled.  I think you may enjoy it and I'm looking forward to carving out this new little online space.  Come by and say hi if you can! 

Burger Quest: The Honor Bar

Just the fact that a bar opened up in Beverly Hills was exciting for me and the boy.  Now sure, it's not really all that exciting.  Lots of dark oak wood, decent wine list, live jazz on certain nights, you know, the usual.  But still, the Honor Bar is an exciting addition to the Beverly Hills affordable culinary landscape.  And they also have a burger...

I had the pleasure of sampling this burger during a typical lunch break from work.  I only had 20 minutes, so this burger quest had to be fast.  Luckily, the Honor Bar was quick and efficient with my order.  They even managed to refill my Diet Coke twice, despite being very busy with the business lunch rush.  

The burger itself was good.  Extremely juicy and succulent.  It had all the earmarks of a tasty, bistro burger and the skinny fries were a delicious complement.  The bun, another delectable edition of sesame, was actually exceptional.  All in all, a very good burger.   But not quite one that you'd crave.  Still, it's tasty and filling, a better lunch burger than most.  And if you're ever in BH, let me know and I'll meet you at the Honor Bar for a beer and a burger. 

The Scores:

Meatiness - 3

Succulentiousness - 4
Bun - 5

Flavor - 4
Stay Togetherness - 3

Joint - 3

Have fun storming the Castle!

While in England over the holidays, we took a trip one day out to Pevensy - A tiny country town in Sussex that boasts it's own castle ruins...Complete with a Roman wall.   That's one thing for which I will always envy Europe - Castles.  Don't care how dilapidated they are, castles are just cool. 

Phone Booth Book Exchange

Over the summer, I wrote a post for the Jigsaw London blog about how people all over rural England were giving new purpose to their local red phone booths by turning them into book depositories.  So I was super thrilled when I saw one on our way to a country side pub!  I made the boy stop the car so we could go out and take some photos.  

Here's to a new week!

Style for Hire Interview: Laurie Brucker

Just before the holidays I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing stylist Laurie Brucker.  Laurie is a Los Angeles based stylist who works as part of the Style For Hire team, transforming the closets of regular women and providing styling tips unique to each client.   

Laurie has killer taste and amazing style (just take a look at her inspiration boards below.)  Read on to get to know this talented lady a bit better and check out Style for Hire if you want to take advantage of their expert styling services.

How did you get started working with Style for Hire?  Tell me a bit about your background as a stylist?

I've been a huge fan of Stacy London for years and years, so when I heard she was hosting a workshop for stylists back in 2011 I absolutely had to go.  I had been styling privately in Los Angeles for two years prior to that and for 7 years even before that I was living in New York City working as a fashion designer.  But to be 2 years into starting a new business I knew learning from the master would make me a better stylist. And let me tell you, it was such an incredibly invigorating experience.  Stacy couldn't be more captivating as she speaks so passionately about helping real women find their style and their confidence again.  It's everything that I was so passionate about and for the first time I realized, I wasn't alone.  After taking her workshop, I was so fortunate to be hand picked by Stacy to join her Style for Hire styling team.  Think of us as your personal styling army for the real woman and Stacy is our style commander.    

What to you are the most important elements to consider when it comes to shaping one’s personal style?  Is there a science behind styling?

When shaping style, I look at my clients "story". We all have a story. It's the story of our style and it's our story that leads us into our style slumps, insecurities, poor shopping habits, and at so many times the feeling of just giving up.  From there I believe in education, (and this is where the science comes into play!)  Teaching my clients about their unique body type and how to work with it is the first step to empowering them again. When we know how to work with our bodies, to create balance, to flatter our best areas, and disguise and distract away from our least favorite areas we begin to see our selves in a whole new light.  This way style doesn't come from being "in fashion", style comes from within; style is confidence.  

How do trends influence your styling?

I love a good trend and being on top of the trends from the runways can always enhance my styling.  But the key is about how to translate those trends for the real woman.  Not every trend works for every body type, or every life situation.  When working with clients we talk about timeless style while infusing trends here and there in a way that is right for them, their bodies and their lifestyle. For example, ankle strap shoes may have been the one of the hot trends for Fall 2012, but I would never recommend this trend to a petite woman or a women with a wider ankle as it would make their legs appear shorter and wider.  Definitely a styling no no!  My goal is to make my clients look taller and slimmer! Now bold or printed blazers?  That is a trend I can get behind for everyone. Give me good waist definition any day!

Being a stylist in Los Angeles, how do you think the city landscape effects your fashion preferences? 

I love Los Angeles. I grew up here so there is definitely a beach, breezy, laid back and effortless approach to style that always infiltrates my own personal styling aesthetic. But when it's comes to my clients, I will only use that whimsy if it is right for their overall style.  Typically the "LA uniform" isn't appropriate for most corporate or office settings.  But it doesn't mean we can have fun with colors, prints and textures to add a touch of Southern California whimsy to a structured business suit.  It's all about how you put it together and of course how the client feels in the look.   But I will say the bonus of Los Angeles is you definitely can wear heels during the day for longer as with having to drive everywhere, we spend a lot of time sitting!  

 Who are your fashion icons?

Gwen Stefani is always and forever on the top of my list.  She marches to her own style drum. She can rock any look from glamorous gowns to dropped crotch pants and still look fabulous.  No matter where she is, she always appear put together, effortlessly (in heels!) and confident.  Plus she has the best accessory around: Gavin Rossdale!

How would you describe your personal style?

My personal style is confidence.  I really can change up my style inspiration everyday like a fashion chameleon.  From classic and simple to creative and bold I love to try it all.  I also love to look at how I feel that day.  When I feel structured and chic, or when I feel laid back and bohemian.  I learn from my own fashion adventures how certain styles make me feel and from that I can better educate my clients on what they should be wearing based on how they want to feel in their life.  If they want to feel empowered, strong and assertive, I have the formula for that. If they want to feel romantic, sweet, and flirtatious, I also have a styling formula for that. I try it all so I can use that knowledge to help more women feel confident in every situation of their own lives.  And yes I get to feel confident in mine as well!

If you were going to give just one piece of fashion advice what would it be? 

Fit matters. And that is the bottom line.  Fit is truly the key to effortless style.  If your clothes don't fit you it tells the story to the world that you don't have an understanding of your own body, a pride in what you have to work with and especially when clothes are oversized, the appearance of giving up.  So when you have the proper fit clothing, which as a general rule you should have your clothes fit along the curves and lines of your body.  Tailored edges, defined waistlines and slim but structured fit you can instantly look 5-10 pounds slimmer!  If the world only knew! 

To book a Style for Hire stylist in your area, please visit www.styleforhire.com or Tweet us: @styleforhire

Let's Live in a Country Town!

Alfriston.  An ancient town not destroyed by the blitz.  Church.  Pub.  Country life.  This was perhaps my favorite village that we visited during our recent trip to England.  It was so quaint and cute - Like Disneyland, but real.  Lovely.  Just lovely.