Wantables — The Back in the Saddle Edition

Wow, it's been over a month since my last post. I've been meaning to get back at it for a while now. Alas, I've always wound up shrugging it off and being just all-encompassingly lame.

Lame no more!

Leave it to Seed to inspire me to blog again. This Costa Mesa eco-super-store is an oasis for me; when I'm there (and just in The Camp, in general), I don't feel that spirit-crushing feeling I usually have when out and about in Orange County. Even though I'm not too terribly granola crunchy, or tree-huggish, I always want to buy everything in this store...even the camping stuff!

On last weekend's trip, I had to limit myself to a Livity sunhat (I got #38) and a Strawberry Shortcake picture disc from the used vinyl stacks. These other goodies caught my eye, too, though...

31 Bits necklaces and stackable recycled paper bracelets

These are gorgeous handmade fair trade accessories from a collective of women in Uganda. I could see pairing the necklaces with shirt-dresses and sweaters for Fall and giving the bracelets as gifts. Just a small criticism: Were there no Ugandan models available for the photo shoot? Their shopping page is a little Ann Taylor Loft.

Tiny Whales onesies and T-shirts

Okay, their site is kind of jacked up, what with the annoying music and the non-functioning shopping page and all. (EDIT: Just found out about their Etsy page, which is infinitely more functional.) The line itself is quite striking in person; really clever graphics, sophisticated color palettes and super soft cotton. Honestly, being the snob that I am, I was rather surprised to find out the designers are a husband and wife team from OC. It's a different aesthetic than I'm used to seeing in this Spongebob/Disney environment. Personal reminder: "When you assume..."

Kids Konserve reusable, waste-free lunch kits

Thankfully, my daughter's school serves an incredible hot lunch every day (as well they should, given the king's ransom we pay each month). If, however, we were stuck at one of those Jamie Oliver intervention schools, I might consider copping one of these kits. Each recycled cotton bag includes a cotton napkin, stainless steel water and food containers, and a little snack pouch. The idea is to eliminate plastic bags, paper towels, aluminum foil and the rest.

They are pretty much too good for kids. I mean, the total cost of all my daughter's preferred snacks all together (nori, apple slices, pretzels, yogurt and cheese) is nowhere near the $45 asking price. But can you really put a price on moral superiority? I think not.

Seed sells each of the kit's components separately, in case you need multiples of any one thing, or if you just want to try the Food Kozy out without spending a small fortune for the rest. I think I may buy a pair for field trips.

"Moon Walks A Tightrope" poster

We have been looking all over for a print to fill some empty living room wall space. I came across Slide Sideways' stationery at Seed and found out some of the same designs are available as prints on the Seattle couple's Etsy site. Great timing, too, because they're having a sale!

I've Forgotten How to Write a Music Review*

*...though, some past colleagues/editors might argue I never knew how to in the first place!

I went to a show! What's up?!

Saturday night, I went to Costa Mesa's Detroit Bar to check out The Morning Benders (who I've mentioned before).

I'd seen them before, in an opening act role, and was impressed. Add to that, there was a lot of SXSW-generated buzz about them, making this a moderately hot ticket. I just can not express how suddenly age 32 has swooped in and left me grasping at every last thread of coolness. Finding out about and seeing a band before their single becomes a car commercial? Seemingly major.

Saying I was going felt great (I rather relished the faint hint of jealousy in the eyes of the other park moms when they heard of my plans). Being there, on the other hand, was a pain...literally. I needed epsom salts and two next-day naps after that show.

The sets (including the first one, by likable unknowns The Miniature Tigers) were as short and tidy as one would expect from bands with not a lot in the way of a discography. But, for some reason, they didn't start until 10:30, or so. "This is inching up on your bedtime!" my knees seemed to scream out at me. (Though I tried to appease them by wearing sensible-ish shoes, the knees were not happy and they would not be ignored as the night wore on.)

The Morning Benders is a seriously cute band. Their songs are melodic and catchy without being cloying. They're definitely keeping that whole "modern barbershop quartet harmonizing pop song" momentum going and I don't mind it a bit. The audience was a mix of the curious and the ground-floor fans who sang and hugged their significant others through all the songs. I was in the former camp, but I watched them thinking: They are so adorable, I want to put them in my pocket...or, at least, in my earbuds as I'm grocery shopping. One smile- and sway-inducing song led to another. Then they finished up with the pay-off everybody in the crowd had been waiting for — their single, "Excuses," a song so all-encompassingly catchy that any band with aspirations of longevity would put a moratorium on, if they knew what was good for them.

Before the last guitar strap was removed, I made a move for the door. I know now that I am too old to wait for an encore (not that there was one). I had gotten my $10 worth and it was finally time to appease the knees. Will I go to another show anytime soon? No doubt. Will there be a mandate that it be a seated show? No doubt.

Wantables — Laguna Beach Window Shopping Edition

These are far more fabulous in person, trust me.

After sharing a tasty bite at Downtown Laguna's Zinc Cafe and stocking up on kids' paperbacks at Latitude 33, my friend Audra and I hit up the over-priced but noteworthy Laguna Supply. There, she and I fell in love with many things (this is an uncommonly chic OC spot), but none more than the incredibly soft and lovely cotton scarves by LemLem.

I first heard of the brand when they collaborated with J. Crew's Crew Cuts, a couple of years ago. The buzz was that it was the pet project of model Liya Kebede and that she was making floaty, beachy sun dresses for little girls (her own daughter was a poster child for the line). I was excited for the launch because — as silly as it is to admit that one has a favorite — she's my all-time favorite model, for not just her beauty, but also for her international philanthropy on behalf of mothers and children. (BTW, LemLem goods are hand-woven and embroidered by Ethiopian women, who benefit from the proceeds.)

Alas, when I finally came face to face with the Crew Cuts smocks and tunics, I had to leave them on the shelves; there is no way my little cookie monster is ready for white gauzy material, no matter how chic it is. I, on the other hand, could rock it non-stop. So, I was really excited to see Kebede's line offering grown-up goods, even if it was just scarves and sarongs. Alas, I had to pass on them, as well, because I'm saving up for my Euro excursion and $130+ for a scarf doesn't fit into my budget. (Net-a-Porter has them for somewhat cheaper...not that $78-$120 is cheap). I will, however, be stalking these bad boys once sale time rolls around.

P.S. — I wanted to include images of the other things that caught my eye, the store's selection of tunics and bags by Laura Urbanati. While the line's bright yellows, oranges and pinks show zero subtlety, its super-duper uninformative website is the hallmark of restraint.

Caught That Pigeon

Yesterday, we got gussied up for a day at the theatre. The family took in "Pigeon Party," a kid-centric hour of well-meaning inanity at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. My daughter giggled, she cheered, she ultimately curled up in daddy's lap and looked kinda' worn out.

The "play" was a montage of three of Mo Willems' children's books starring a lovable crotchety pigeon and was the last U.S. 2010 tour stop for UK's Big Wooden Horse production company. (The center has hosted other book-to-stage performances in its '09/'10 season, including "Stellaluna" and "Strega Nona.")

Tony-worthy, it was not. Two Brits mincing about with threadbare, minimalist props, reciting the books' words and adding none-too-clever original songs. The gist of the popular books is that the pigeon wants to do stuff he's not allowed to do. This meant that, for the whoa!-whoa! price of $18 a ticket, you bought your pre-schooler the privilege of being able to shout "NOOO!" at the top of their lungs, over and over and over again...for an hour. What was I thinking? Once again, Willems is all up in my pockets and, this time, I paid for something I can get (in bulk) for free!

The Sun Was Shining, I Went to the Mall

I dipped into the The Shops at Mission Viejo today and came across this, where Crate + Barrel was until a few months ago.

Euro fast-fashion chain, Zara, will soon open across from Caché and between Chico's and Bebe — three stores that are pretty emblematic of this cultural terrain (and I want to stress the extreme looseness with which I apply the term "culture" to southern Orange County). It's an interesting development in a mall where stores have been closing left and right (Kate Spade, Kenneth Cole, Mercer and Forever 21's Heritage 1981, to name a few), or have played musical chairs from floor to floor.

The majority of the mall shoppers around me today were stroller-pushing moms in capris and Gap knits, so maybe knocked-off goodies like this, and this will be ripe for my own picking. Who knows? If it's as picked-over as the outposts in South Coast Plaza and The Grove, I'll continue to ignore it the way I do the rest of the mall. But if it has a kids' section...bye-bye, money.

OC Oasis — milk + honey

Twice this week, I've popped over to milk+honey. It's a bit of a trek (I have to take a freeway and a toll road to get all the way to Costa Mesa). But the last time I went to my usual haunt closer to home, neither of the two new girls behind the counter knew how to make a macchiato. So, there you go.

milk + honey is located on the edge of The Camp (which, along with The Lab, make up "The Anti-Mall"). It's the kind of humble, yet stylized independently-owned coffee spot I don't often find in Orange County.

Even though I usually go for a red eye, or straight espresso, I like their adventurous take on coffee drinks. The English Toffee latte made me smile and I plan to try the PB&J mocha next. They do the standard drinks well, too (Matt gave his macchiato the thumbs up).

Inside, there are only three small tables — not exactly ideal for lounging, though the sweet oldies and indie rock mix and stack of board games entice you to stay a while. (It was a little too crowded to take pix inside, btw.) Outside, there's a small "garden lounge" of sorts. A hodgepodge of sofas, tables, succulents and Christmas lights that all remind me of Austin's Spider House and reminded the girl sitting beside me of Berkeley.

The patio atmosphere is almost relaxing enough to make you forget that just beyond the wall is a busy corner gas station. (Almost.)

The last time around, I ordered the honey tarragon tuna sandwich out of sheer curiosity and I'm sorry to say it fell flat. The sweetness over-powered even the taste of the tuna and the tarragon flavor was lost completely.

Luckily, my cucumber-ade was exactly what I'd hoped for. It was the kind of mild and mellow drink you enjoy at a spa.

Maybe I'll stick to beverages here for a while, or at least, keep food orders as simple as a bagel.

As soon as temps start rising above 70, I plan to try some of their funky sounding cold treats — maybe the M+H Chai Delux, which is the bonkers-sounding combination of Japanese-style chai tea-flavored shaved ice with a NY cheesecake center, topped with strawberry, mochi, kiwi and almond slices.

If you're in Costa Mesa making an Ikea run, or doing some luxe shopping at South Coast Plaza or Room + Board, this is a worthwhile addition to your itinerary. It's just across the 405 from those big-box attractions.

Their site is down for a re-design, but their new hours are Monday-Friday, 7a to 9p and Saturday & Sunday, 9a to 9p.

A Hitchcockian Occurrence

Pardon the rather random post...

This is one of the few quirky little things I like about Capistrano Beach. For some reason, seagulls like to circle in large numbers, high above ground and relatively far from the water. There are dozens and dozens that congregate a few times throughout the day. After making like an avian twister, they break away in groups of three or four, all without their usual annoying screeching. I've never seen it anywhere else I've lived (though, the pigeons do something similar above the elevated F train stations in Brooklyn). My kid calls it a "bird party."

Can't believe I've only just now decided to snap pictures of it...and I really wish I had an undamaged camera with which to snap.

Any bird buffs out there have an explanation for this occurrence?

Prayers answered...then, dashed...sort of.

I hit up the Design Sponge blog almost compulsively. One of my favorite features is the city guide. And, as if in response to my "Boo-hoo, I'm wasting away in the cultural wasteland that is Orange County" post from the other day, there's now this.

Attempting to dispel the "myths" propagated by the "Real Housewives," the guide offers up a list of non-chain store, independently-owned and relatively unique finds throughout the sprawling county. At first, I was giddy. After reading it, though, I laughed at how the entire area south of Laguna Beach was excluded almost entirely (and, wouldn't you know it...I happen to live south of Laguna Beach).

I can attest to the noteworthiness of the Detroit Bar — the OC version of The Echo — and the awesomeness of Japanese supermarket, Mitsuwa. Overall, though, the guide seems like a bit of a stretch (Wahoo's Tacos? Not one, but two different crystal stores?).

All the same, I will remove the chip from my shoulder long enough to explore some of the items. Handmade Brigade of OC caught my eye, straight off (though, at first glance, I'm skeptical as to whether four members constitute a brigade). The Crosby might be a good place to take the few friends who deign to come and visit us down here (hint, hint). My love of cute things that nobody needs will lure me to Otto soon enough. Also, Santa Ana and Fullerton need a little more of my attention. And when I head up there, I'll have to see if the Jetta can pick up KUCI.

I will take what I can get here, folks.

The Taming of the Shrew

In my maiden entry, I referred to myself as a "suburban mom." If you'd known me two scant years ago, you would've found the thought of me being a suburban anything to be laughable (do your best impersonation of "The Jesus" when saying that last word). But then, the family had to move to Tan County for work purposes.

The long and short of it is that I am a black D.C. native (with pitstops in NY, TX, SF and, most recently, LA) who now lives in an OC "city" with a black population last documented as 53.

Ah, how to explain what it's like to go from being one of five interracial families on line at the Silver Lake Trader Joe's (not including all the others browsing the aisles and pulling into the parking lot) to being gawked at just for walking to the curb for the mail? I'll forego being verbose and get right to the best word that describes the sensation...lousy.

Hey now! Before this entry goes off the deep end of downer-dom...here are the things that have made it more tolerable to live in Agrestic.

Sapphire Pantry — LA Mill coffee (I'm not a froofy coffee drinker, but...butterscotch + espresso = yes!); mini-pastries; a cheesemonger and free parking!

Laguna Beach Books — This family operation shares a parking lot with Sapphire. It's bright and beach-y with a good selection of kids' books, regular literary events, plus the owner is very sweet. It took a good minute to find decent non-chain coffee and books down here, but I managed. (Also worthy of note are Downtown Laguna's Zinc and its tiny little neighbor, Latitude 33...but their parking situation is the pits and the meter cops are straight vultures!)

Rancho Niguel 8 — For the longest, I just referred to this place as Loehmann's Theater because my movie buddy, Audra, and I often find it hard not to duck into the designer discount store that faces this (um, I guess we're calling it "arthouse") theater. A bagger at the neighboring Ralphs, where I get my contraband movie snacks, recently said to me, "They play weird stuff over there." "Naw, dude. It's indie!" said the cashier, giving me a knowing nod. "Oh," said the bagger, "I seen an indie movie once." Ah, Orange County.

Irvine Spectrum Center — Yes, this is just a huge mall. And, yes, you can't get more suburban than a huge mall. But this huge mall makes me so very happy. Fancy Target, Anthropologie, Veggie Grill and plenty of stuff to keep my kid happy (ferris wheel, carousel, pop fountain, train ride, seasonal ice rink). We were just there today, dammit! We rooted for little kids competing in a hula hoop contest. And I was, indeed, so very happy.

Home Goods — I knew of these mega-TJ Maxx stores, but until OC happened to me, I'd never set foot in one. It's like the most awesome/ridiculous gussied-up garage sale that you never needed to find. In the time it takes your kid to eat a cereal bar (our bribe of choice), you can sift through the crap and unearth a set of Aaron Meshon melamine bowls, a pair of Matiko flats, Le Creuset cookware, Cal-King bedding and a heavily discounted Tinkerbell doll.

San Juan Capistrano Library — Michael Graves designed this little branch, tucked behind the city's famed mission. They host great little storytimes, multi-culti music and dance performances and movie screenings for kids, as well as, cinema buffs. Aside from all the little extras, they have fabulous holdings. On a good day, they're 'new arrivals' cart looks mirrors that of any bookstore.

These distractions help keep me moderately sane until the husband's off the clock and we can head to L.A., or San Diego. What should I add to my list?