I’m really into succulents right now. I suppose they’ve become quite the trendy accessory for any design-conscious home or wedding, but my black thumb loves them for their low-maintenance geometric-meets-organic beauty. I picked a few of these little lovelies up over the weekend to make my own arrangement. If you’d like one too but would rather leave the arranging to the pros, Succulent LA will send you one for $45.

I recently moved closer into the city - closer to all the places and things I love. So this week I thought I should share some of my favorite places to eat, shop, and hang out in L.A.:

Tiara Cafe is my place to have brunch on the weekends. It’s a pretty pink palace of a restaurant in the middle of the Fashion District - very fun and frivolous in the most stylish and well-executed way. And very opposite the celebrity-infested Hollywood ultra-lounge that’s so common around here. They serve up lots of organic and locally grown fare that’s unbelievably tasty. And if you’ve ever wondered what the inside of a jewelry box looked like if we could all fit in it - well, this would be it. They even play jewelry box music during lunch.

Sarah Sloboda has an intriguing style of photography, particularly with children. Her photos are neither precious nor precocious, the two categories that such portraits usually fall into. I am also a fan of her blog, the University of Sarah, where she documents her artistic experiments behind - and even in front of - the camera.

I’ve been a fan of Vena Cava’s for quite awhile. I love that you can’t quite put a profile on the kind of girl who wears their clothes. They hit on every element of style - sophistication, bohemian, lady-like, whimsical - and approach their designs in an almost philosophical, worldly way to still end up with something fun and approachable. I truly love them for that. And that they are originally from Los Angeles too.