Darian & Chris of ReCircle Matter (and me!) at The Melrose Trading Post.

Meet Darian and Chris. They are artists, craftsman and all around creative peeps who I just adore. They operate under the name ReCircle Matter and their philosophy is,”Everything in the universe travels in circles, in circles, and in circles. Everything you put into the world, be it energy, creativity, hard work, suffering, and even simply thoughts and intentions… all circle through the universe and return. Each may return a bit different…. changed…. sometimes a bit hard to recognize but they always hold a part of their original matter. We believe the same about art.” They make awesome, affordable, handcrafted furniture and home goods and will work with you to custom make whatever you can dream up!

The ReCircle Matter booth at The Melrose Trading Post.

If you live in or around LA and have never been to the Melrose Trading Post you must plan a trip. It is the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Not only will you find artists like Darian and Chris, there are antiques, great food and amazing people watching. It’s a street style bloggers dream come true. It goes from 9-5 every Sunday. Check it out!

These fun, repurposed silverware hooks are great in the kitchen for hanging towels, aprons, or tools!

Supporting local artists is always a good thing!

Darian and Chris were commissioned by one of my favorite stores, Topshop, to make custom pieces for their grand opening at The Grove in LA!

I feel so fortunate to have such talented, creative friends and I love sharing their stories!

Congrats to the the happy couple! They just got hitched in Las Vegas last weekend!

You can find Darian and Chris at the Melrose Trading Post in LA every Sunday from 9-5, online at ReCircle Matter and on Etsy.

Which pair to you like the best?

I am excited to rock a pair of Warby Parker glasses with my new haircut!

*One tip when ordering, not only do they need your prescription but they also need your pupillary distance.

fox & moon

Fox & Moon boutique owner Kristen Luna.  2746 E. Broadway  Long Beach, CA.  (562) 206-7676

1) What is your history in the fashion industry?
I graduated college with a degree in fashion design and have been designing young women’s clothes in the fashion industry for 13 years.

2) When and why did you decide you wanted to open a boutique?
I decided about 3 years ago that opening a boutique was definitely the right path for me. I really love clothing and the way it makes a woman feel when she looks good. Designing for some pretty large clothing manufacturers really taught me a lot about this industry, but that side of it all just didn’t feel like enough. I almost felt like the “man behind the curtain” all of those years. I didn’t seem to know who was actually wearing the clothes I was designing since it was on such a large scale. I really want to know and become friends with the women who are wearing the clothes I’ve designed and also offer them the unique brands I’ve admired and been inspired by all these years. There is an un-describeable feeling that comes over me when I am able to help a woman look and feel beautiful. It’s just the best, really.

3) What is the inspiration behind what you are carrying?
Love is my inspiration. It might sound cheesy, but it’s the truth! If I look at a line of clothing and find pieces that make me feel love, I know somebody else will love them too. That’s what you’ll find in the boutique…a whole lot of clothes that I just love!

4) Can you virtually walk us through the store? What do we see? What should we expect?
As you walk through the red front door of the 4 story brick building built in 1912, the first thing noticed is probably the giant floral head dress hanging from the high ceiling, which gives off a very natural and feminine vibe in here. Both white walls have steel pipe racks draped with pretty, easy to wear garments with a subtle novelty to each of them. There is also a great display of locally designed jewelry and re-constructed vintage jewelry too.

5) What brands are you carrying? Is there a focus on local, LA based designers?
Currently, I am carrying Gentle Fawn, BB Dakota, Bobi, Ark Clothing, and Groceries Apparel. At the end of the month and in June I’ll be getting some styles in from a line called Knot Sisters and some denim pieces from Dear John. Groceries Apparel is very local…they design and manufacture their entire line of knits in downtown Los Angeles. I also carry my own hand made label fox & moon clothing. You can’t really get any more local than in your own shop! Not all of the brands in here are produced locally, but I’d like to say we are all neighbors here on this planet we all call home. We all need to make a living and survive, no matter what city, state, or country we live in.

6) What is the price range in the store?
I would consider the price range to be in between “better” and “contemporary” pricing. You can definitely walk out of here with an outfit under $100.

Prism Boutique

Prism Boutique is at 406 Termino Ave. in Long beach, CA. (562) 433-4341

1) What is your history in the fashion industry? Fashion has always been my passion. To me it is a form of art and expression. When I was young, playing dress up was my favorite. I have worked in retail since I was 14 years old. I love working with and talking to people, that is what gives me my energy. For the last ten years I worked for Urban Outfitters, inc. I worked my way up the management ladder and for the last five years managed the Anthropologie in Newport Beach. The company also sent be all over the country to manage store openings, which was an incredible learning experience. Mentoring and training, and working with inspiring people was one of my favorite parts of working for Anthropologie. And the clothes of course!

2) When and why did you decide you wanted to open a boutique? It has always been my dream and I finally felt I had the background and skills to bring it to life. If i didn’t take the risk and try it, I would look back my whole life and wonder “what if.” My husband and I want to have a family, and I felt that if I was going to take this kind of risk, the time was now. I also dreamed of working in my own community, after commuting for the last ten years. Now I can walk to the shop and I have loved getting to know more people in my community. People are craving shopping locally and buying things that are not mass produced and are more unique and special. I am thrilled to have contributed to Long Beach in this way.

3) What is the inspiration behind what you are carrying? Well, I am carrying the brands and styles in the store that inspire me and that I love to wear. There is nothing in the store that I wouldn’t wear myself. My style is very edgy, fashion forward, bohemian but also very wearable and comfortable for everyday. Sophisticated street style in a very Southern California way. I want every woman to leave with pieces that she can’t live without and that make her feel beautiful.

4) Can you virtually walk us through the store? What do we see? What should we expect? Big windows, high ceilings, clean white walls. My husband and I, along with a couple artist friends, renovated the run down space ourselves. It turned out beautifully. Everything in the store is handmade, ranging from the copper and wood fixtures to the 7ft tall macramé weaving that hangs from a piece of driftwood found on the beach. The space feels very light, airy, modern and clean. Large Moroccan rugs cover the cement floors and bring warmth to the space and beautiful cases are filled with artisan jewelry. We just finished hand painting a new display onto the windows for Summer, you must see it.

5) What brands are you carrying? Is there a focus on local, LA based designers? I have a large variety of designers, styles and brands. You may recognize Free People, Indah, Bless’ed are the Meek, TIgerlily, Lilya, LA Made, Jen’s Pirate Booty, Flynn Skye, Junim, Chaser to name a few. What also sets Prism apart is the wide array of local and worldly jewelry of all types. I have a lot handmade jewelry that is crafted in Long Beach, LA and OC. I love supporting women that are also trying to do what they love. I also have locally made stationary, terrariums, candles and accessories. There is a treasure for every woman in here.

6) What is the price range in the store? I try to provide a wide range of prices. There is jewelry ranging from $12-$130. Dresses range from $64-$184. There is a little something for everyone!

Congratulations to both of these lovely ladies for opening beautiful boutiques in Long Beach and living their dreams! They are so inspiring! Kristen and Dayna have put so much love, hard work, and passion into their stores and you can see and feel it! Check them out!

The beautiful city of Hoi An, Vn.

Wade and I getting measured for our custom clothes.

My custom outfit! I took a picture from a magazine, got measured, and it was ready 24 hrs later!

I also had this jacket made for just $35!!

Wade had a tuxedo made for $100!

The men got suits made at Gia Hung’s tailor shop. We all felt like royalty! It was such a fun experience. I would love to go back one day with $5000 and get an entire wardrobe made!

The charming streets of Hoi An.

Hoi An is so picturesque no matter what time of day it is.

We were lucky to have been there for a full moon lantern festival!

We had a cute little old man row us around the river in his boat during the lantern festival.

There were adorable little women selling lanterns during the festival. You lit the candle, made a wish or said a prayer for someone, then let it float into the river.

I loved the charming little city of Hoi An, VN. Not only did we get custom clothes made, we caught the full moon lantern festival and we had a great hotel, Thanh Binh II, with a balcony that overlooked the main street for only $35 a night. The city was full of tourists but I didn’t mind. We were in plenty of other rural areas on the trip that were off the beaten path. Getting custom clothes made was definitely a high light for all of us. We had so much fun doing it and felt like royalty. Before we left town we found out that they also make custom shoes in 24 hrs! Shoot, that would of really been the icing on the cake. Thats one more reason to go back one day!

This was the entrance to the grounds of an emperor’s tomb in Hue, VN.

We caught this amazing view just as the fog rolled in at the Khai Dinh Tomb in Hue.

This spectacular art covered the ceiling above the emperor’s tomb  in the Khai Thanh Temple.

Wade and I took charge of The Imperial Palace!

Who needs cars or the gym? Wade got his workout for the day!

There were so many beautiful walls, colors and textures around The Imperial Palace. It was hard to imagine that it was once a battleground.

This spoke to me. I love the colors and textures.

The dragon stairs at The Imperial Palace were breathtaking. So beautiful even in shambles. I can’t even imagine what they must of looked like originally.

The grounds of The Imperial Palace in Hue, VN. Yes, I am eating an ice cream cone. They sold them everywhere and it was so refreshing  in the heat. I must of had a dozen of them!

Hello from The Imperial Palace!

The picturesque estate of the Tu Duc Tomb in Hue, VN.

This gorgeous spot was somewhere in Vietnam between Da Nang and Ha Long Bay. Our driver insisted on taking us here for a boat ride and cave tour. We were not disappointed!

We had quite the spelunking adventure!

Everything was so picturesque. I love how peaceful and mysterious it is inside a cave.

A beautiful morning for a boat ride.

This was the entrance to a cave in Marble Mountain just outside of Da Nang.

Inside the cave at Marble Mountain.

Our captain of the water cave.

I love this stalagmite. It reminds me of a Gaudi building.

This beauty was in a cave at Marble Mountain.

Being on the river was so serene. I didn’t want to leave!

There is still more to come from Vietnam!

The street food in Vietnam was amazing. If I had skipped it, I would of missed out on a huge part of the culture. My favorite things were the fried hard boiled quail eggs on a skewer.

This was my favorite street vendor in Da Nang. He had the quail eggs and this delicious, sautéed corn. The kernels are larger and chewier then what we have in the US. It is served with a chili type sauce and it is delicious!

This vendor is making a traditional Vietnamese sandwich called Bun Mi.

This adorable little lady was making a flat bread of sorts along with flattened banana snack. I never got hungry walking the streets. There was something new to sample around every corner!

Shellfish anyone?

Bun Mi in Ha Long Bay. I love Van’s t-shirt and smile!

More delicious corn!

Anything your heart desired could be found on a stick at a street vendor!

This was a typical “street restaurant”.

Every city had it’s own signature noodle dish. This was in Hue. It was like a spring roll but it was wrapped in a thicker noodle. It was pretty yummy.

Hey, do you think I liked the corn???

We drank a lot of fresh coconut water. Half the fun was watching someone hack it open.

A typical night scene along the streets of Saigon. I love the woman’s face in the polka dots on the right. Two piece, same patterned outfits were very popular with the women.

Stay tuned, there are still more adventures from Vietnam to come!

The crazy power lines and scooters were the first things I noticed when we got to Saigon.

Look at all the stuff she is carrying on that scooter!!! Amazing!

A typical afternoon near our hotel in District 1 in Saigon. Note the child on the scooter without a helmet. That is just the norm.

(My apologies for the “vertical videoing”! I know Carrie is cringing! What can I say? I was caught up in the moment!)

Wade, at the rooftop bar of our hotel, The Duc Vuong. It was very scenic, a great place to have a cold beer, and the staff was super friendly!

Good Morning Vietnam!

Our first Pho of the trip at the morning market. It was delish! This noodle dish is served morning, noon and night there!

It was very common to see people preparing food along the sides of the streets. They don’t have the health department “A, B, C” ratings we have in LA. “When in Rome” was a theme on this trip!

Ice delivery!

The little kids were the cutest!

Saigon also had a lot of modern, high end boutiques. I loved this ad from a shop window.

I got these fun sunnies from a shop in Saigon!

This temple is at the top of a hill in Van’s hometown of Tay Ninh, about 3 hours outside of Saigon. Now you can take a sky tram up to the temple, but when Van was little he had to climb the mountain to get there.

This was another beautiful, ornate temple in Tay Ninh.

We spent a day with Van’s family for the End of Mourning Ceremony for his father who passed away 3 years ago. White is the color they traditionally wear for funerals. Here, the family was praying with Buddhist Monks. There were 19 of them present.

All of the white gowns worn for the ceremonies were burned for The End of Mourning. It was so special to experience this with Van and his family. A day I will forever cherish.

Stephanie and I got to participate in a prayer and offering to the monks.

These boxes were made up for the monks and included toiletries, a new robe, and cash. There were 19 of us who held the boxes on our heads and walked around the monks in a line 3 times before placing the boxes in front of them.

After the ceremony Van’s family had a delicious, catered, vegetarian meal for everyone. It was a very emotional and beautiful day.

Saturday night in Saigon. Look at how cute the girls are on the scooters in their date night dresses.

Party scene in the streets of Saigon where the tourists and locals intermix.

I loved this couple. They were a little apprehensive to have their picture taken as they didn’t understand English very well.

Van, Wade and I taking it all in. Saturday night in Saigon.

We have so many photos and I had such an amazing trip that it is hard to narrow it down. In this case, I feel the pictures speak louder then words. I couldn’t even begin to describe some of the things we saw, experienced, and ate. So, I will continue to share my trip through photos city by city. Stay tuned for more from Vietnam!

The gorgeous sunrise over Angkor Wat.

To our surprise, we were not alone waiting for the sunrise at 5am!

Within a temple at Angkor Wat.

The entrance to Angkor Wat.

Angkor Wat

Guess who?

Angkor Wat

This is where the movie Tomb Raider was filmed with Angelina Jolie. I see how she fell in love with Cambodia!

Group shot at Angkor Wat with our awesome tour guide Sarak. I would highly recommend him if you are planning a trip to Cambodia!

Angkor Wat at sunset.

There was no lack of monks in this town!

The streets of Siem Reap were alive with food and shopping! Can you find me?

Fish pedicures were happening on every corner. They eat the dead skin cells and for some it can be very ticklish!

Wade and I just returned from our whirlwind trip through Cambodia and Vietnam and I couldn’t wait to start sharing our adventures! We are extremely jet lagged and loopy so please excuse any spelling errors, typos, or just plain craziness. This has been one heck of a trip. We were on 8 different flights in 2 weeks. We have never traveled like that before but it was worth it to see all that we did. We flew into Saigon on a Monday and were on another flight to Cambodia the next day and spent 2 days there. We were picked up in Siem Reap by an awesome guide named Sarak and a driver who took us to our hotel (thats another whole story…no A/C and wild, barking dogs, but part of the adventure) and then right out to start seeing the sights! I had no idea what to expect of the country but I immediately fell in love with the beauty, the kind people and culture. I can see how Angelina Jolie embraced Cambodia when filming Tomb Raider there. I too wanted to adopt a bunch of the kids. They really are the cutest! I would highly recommend planning a trip there and I can’t wait to go back one day!

This weekend, my husband and I will be taking off on a whirlwind tour through Vietnam and Cambodia and I couldn’t be more excited! I can’t wait to see the ancient temples of Angkor Wat, meet my friend Van’s family and visit his hometown Tay Ninh, have custom clothes made and shop in Hoi An, relax on the beaches of Ha Long Bay, EAT all the delicious street food I can stuff in my face and see everything else in between!!! So, needless to say, I won’t be updating the blog until I return in April but you can follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to keep up with my adventures along the way!