Relaxing Sunday
WARNING EXCEEDINGLY LONG AND VERBOSE POST!
It's been (quite) a while since my last update... A lot has and hasn't happened that was worth blogging about, though I always got lazy and just never got around to writing about it... I'm the writer who is too lazy to write. (Sloth is my worst enemy. The animals are cute though!)
Since I actually have plans to be out more for the next couple of weeks, I figured I'd document my trips and make it seem like I actually get out these days (which I don't... especially since these past few weeks have been midterms galore). Getting more acquainted with SD was one of my goals for this year, and it's one of the few that I managed to more or less follow through with, albeit a little unintentionally most of the time.
So, today I present... Downtown La Jolla! It's ridiculous that it's only a 15-20 minute bus ride away, yet I've never actually taken the chance to go and explore till today. However, I quickly realized that there actually wasn't much to explore... Walking up and down the main street reveals many pricey boutiques and popular mall chain stores (ala Gap, Banana Republic, Talbots, etc.) though there were a few unique spots worth checking out.
downtown La Jolla and the ocean
inside The Living Room
yummy mocha + Warwick's goods + planner
tried to get the cup, but forgot to use macro
click thumbnails for larger versions
First off, I headed to the Farmer's Market at the local elementary school. Although I'm quite familiar with the flea market/swap meet setup (having lived half my life next to the De Anza one), I've actually never been to a pukka farmer's market - the tiny one they have at school on Tuesdays doesn't count! Size-wise, it was a bit small and cramped, though its selection has a good variety of produce/food/merchandise.
After that, I walked back up the street and found Warwick's, an independent (yes, independent!!) bookstore/stationary shop. I found it through yelp while looking for stationary shops. For those who aren't aware: I've recently redeveloped a horrible pen/pencil addiction and am constantly on the lookout for new snazzy writing implements. The only options lately have been the school bookstore, Staples (too 'office supplies' oriented... ugh), and Target - all of which have exhausted my interest. So yelp poops out answers to my search for stationary and off I go!
When I got there, Warwick's turned out to be a nice and friendly bookstore-slash-stationary-shop. The environment is browse-friendly, so it made sense that there were quite a few people inside doing just that. The place definitely caters to the stereotypical La Jolla clientele, making me feel a little out of place beside all the moms with school-age kids and elderly couples. Staff is very friendly overall. As for the pens/pencils selection, it was decent... but nothing blew my mind and I could've found most of it at the school bookstore. What I like is that they sell single pens, so you can test them. They also carry 'fine writing instruments' ala Mont Blanc, Lamy, etc. for hardcore pen enthusiasts who spend hundreds on those things. Prices are reasonable for an independent bookstore. I ended up getting a pad of pretty lined paper and 2 pens. Book-wise, I didn't see anything that caught my attention; Warwick's focus seems to be more on 'contemporary adult fiction,' which I don't tend to read.
After my writing implement curiosity was satiated, it was time for some real food... coffee! I realized that The Living Room was just down the street. Oh, how I love cafes! This one was the perfect mixture of coffee and homeliness, though I don't think I'd make it a regular study spot (aka a second home). Online reviews say that it's one of the only spots open past 8pm in the area, so it tends to crowd. Apparently it also turns into a bar/hookah lounge at night, which I can imagine would be uninducive to studying. According to their cup (featuring an old lady and a punk?) there's going to be one opening on campus soon... Which means I HAVE SOLVED THE MYSTERY OF THE MYSTERIOUS SOON-TO-OPEN COFFEESHOP ON THE 2nd floor of PC! Which means it wasn't really a mystery in the first place...
I'll say that I was surprised at the smoothness of my mocha (take a hint, Starbucks, make one that doesn't taste like tar please). Food and drinks are on the pricier side, so I won't be frequenting it, but maybe for the rare treat... Apparently Pannikin, which I passed earlier, is even better... so I might have to try that one next time!
Once my caffeine was obtained, I proceeded to wander back in the direction of another bookstore I'd passed earlier - DG Wills. Rated as one of La Jolla's top bookstores, of course I had to check it out! It turns out it's this quaint little shop run by an enthusiastic guy who keeps the most eclectic and interesting stock of books. There are used and new sections, but browsing is not for the faint of heart. The shop itself is pretty small for a bookstore, and shelves are crammed up to the ceiling and shelved two books deep by genre and author. You will find aging gilded leather bound editions of Vanity Fair alongside the latest trade paperbacks. Shelves are jammed close together, sometimes so close that there's only about a two foot wide aisle, and the aging brownness of it all combined with the the dim lighting and musty aroma of so many books evokes a sort of fear and awe that is hard to describe... I think of it as something like Belle's amazement upon discovering the Beast's library crossed with claustrophobia.
What was even more phenomenal was the fact that they had a copy of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South! I have this weird habit of judging bookstores by the number of my favorite books they carry, and until today, I haven't found any that carried North and South except for this one, and they even got my favorite edition right! (Penguin Classics) I ended up getting it, seeing how my only copy is currently on long-term loan to a friend. (I seem to have a habit of lending out my favorite books only to never see them again... sadness!) Anyhow, DG Wills is definitely the place to go if you're looking for an author's more obscure works that the mainstream bookstores tend to gloss over. You may even be able to find them well-aged and cheaper in the used book section behind the secret door.
And to conclude, here's what I wore today, in my first ever "What I Wore Today" post:
pulling down shirt + pulling up bag + self timer = awkward pose
yup, I need to trim my bangs...
~ black military jacket (Target)
~ black cardigan - under jacket (Forever 21)
~ maroon long sleeve shirt - under cardigan (Forever 21)
~ jeans (Target)
~ orange/yellow scarf (Marshalls)
~ grayish-brownish tote bag (from Japan via Taiwan. my great-aunt originally got it for my cousin, who didn't want it and left it with my grandma, who gave it to me)
~ black Converse
The end! And if you read all that, thanks!... I don't know what else to say. -_-"
It's been (quite) a while since my last update... A lot has and hasn't happened that was worth blogging about, though I always got lazy and just never got around to writing about it... I'm the writer who is too lazy to write. (Sloth is my worst enemy. The animals are cute though!)
Since I actually have plans to be out more for the next couple of weeks, I figured I'd document my trips and make it seem like I actually get out these days (which I don't... especially since these past few weeks have been midterms galore). Getting more acquainted with SD was one of my goals for this year, and it's one of the few that I managed to more or less follow through with, albeit a little unintentionally most of the time.
So, today I present... Downtown La Jolla! It's ridiculous that it's only a 15-20 minute bus ride away, yet I've never actually taken the chance to go and explore till today. However, I quickly realized that there actually wasn't much to explore... Walking up and down the main street reveals many pricey boutiques and popular mall chain stores (ala Gap, Banana Republic, Talbots, etc.) though there were a few unique spots worth checking out.
downtown La Jolla and the ocean
inside The Living Room
yummy mocha + Warwick's goods + planner
tried to get the cup, but forgot to use macro
click thumbnails for larger versions
First off, I headed to the Farmer's Market at the local elementary school. Although I'm quite familiar with the flea market/swap meet setup (having lived half my life next to the De Anza one), I've actually never been to a pukka farmer's market - the tiny one they have at school on Tuesdays doesn't count! Size-wise, it was a bit small and cramped, though its selection has a good variety of produce/food/merchandise.
After that, I walked back up the street and found Warwick's, an independent (yes, independent!!) bookstore/stationary shop. I found it through yelp while looking for stationary shops. For those who aren't aware: I've recently redeveloped a horrible pen/pencil addiction and am constantly on the lookout for new snazzy writing implements. The only options lately have been the school bookstore, Staples (too 'office supplies' oriented... ugh), and Target - all of which have exhausted my interest. So yelp poops out answers to my search for stationary and off I go!
When I got there, Warwick's turned out to be a nice and friendly bookstore-slash-stationary-shop. The environment is browse-friendly, so it made sense that there were quite a few people inside doing just that. The place definitely caters to the stereotypical La Jolla clientele, making me feel a little out of place beside all the moms with school-age kids and elderly couples. Staff is very friendly overall. As for the pens/pencils selection, it was decent... but nothing blew my mind and I could've found most of it at the school bookstore. What I like is that they sell single pens, so you can test them. They also carry 'fine writing instruments' ala Mont Blanc, Lamy, etc. for hardcore pen enthusiasts who spend hundreds on those things. Prices are reasonable for an independent bookstore. I ended up getting a pad of pretty lined paper and 2 pens. Book-wise, I didn't see anything that caught my attention; Warwick's focus seems to be more on 'contemporary adult fiction,' which I don't tend to read.
After my writing implement curiosity was satiated, it was time for some real food... coffee! I realized that The Living Room was just down the street. Oh, how I love cafes! This one was the perfect mixture of coffee and homeliness, though I don't think I'd make it a regular study spot (aka a second home). Online reviews say that it's one of the only spots open past 8pm in the area, so it tends to crowd. Apparently it also turns into a bar/hookah lounge at night, which I can imagine would be uninducive to studying. According to their cup (featuring an old lady and a punk?) there's going to be one opening on campus soon... Which means I HAVE SOLVED THE MYSTERY OF THE MYSTERIOUS SOON-TO-OPEN COFFEESHOP ON THE 2nd floor of PC! Which means it wasn't really a mystery in the first place...
I'll say that I was surprised at the smoothness of my mocha (take a hint, Starbucks, make one that doesn't taste like tar please). Food and drinks are on the pricier side, so I won't be frequenting it, but maybe for the rare treat... Apparently Pannikin, which I passed earlier, is even better... so I might have to try that one next time!
Once my caffeine was obtained, I proceeded to wander back in the direction of another bookstore I'd passed earlier - DG Wills. Rated as one of La Jolla's top bookstores, of course I had to check it out! It turns out it's this quaint little shop run by an enthusiastic guy who keeps the most eclectic and interesting stock of books. There are used and new sections, but browsing is not for the faint of heart. The shop itself is pretty small for a bookstore, and shelves are crammed up to the ceiling and shelved two books deep by genre and author. You will find aging gilded leather bound editions of Vanity Fair alongside the latest trade paperbacks. Shelves are jammed close together, sometimes so close that there's only about a two foot wide aisle, and the aging brownness of it all combined with the the dim lighting and musty aroma of so many books evokes a sort of fear and awe that is hard to describe... I think of it as something like Belle's amazement upon discovering the Beast's library crossed with claustrophobia.
What was even more phenomenal was the fact that they had a copy of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South! I have this weird habit of judging bookstores by the number of my favorite books they carry, and until today, I haven't found any that carried North and South except for this one, and they even got my favorite edition right! (Penguin Classics) I ended up getting it, seeing how my only copy is currently on long-term loan to a friend. (I seem to have a habit of lending out my favorite books only to never see them again... sadness!) Anyhow, DG Wills is definitely the place to go if you're looking for an author's more obscure works that the mainstream bookstores tend to gloss over. You may even be able to find them well-aged and cheaper in the used book section behind the secret door.
And to conclude, here's what I wore today, in my first ever "What I Wore Today" post:
pulling down shirt + pulling up bag + self timer = awkward pose
yup, I need to trim my bangs...
~ black military jacket (Target)
~ black cardigan - under jacket (Forever 21)
~ maroon long sleeve shirt - under cardigan (Forever 21)
~ jeans (Target)
~ orange/yellow scarf (Marshalls)
~ grayish-brownish tote bag (from Japan via Taiwan. my great-aunt originally got it for my cousin, who didn't want it and left it with my grandma, who gave it to me)
~ black Converse
The end! And if you read all that, thanks!... I don't know what else to say. -_-"