Jaunted - los angeles

Score 'Steaktionary' and Other Quirky Holiday Gifts at UNIQUE LA

Heidi Atwal — 2009-11-24T12:19:32-05:00

An example of the quirky goods you'll find at UNIQUE LA

Shopping for presents at malls and chain stores will do if you're pressed for time, but with a solid few weeks before holiday delirium fully sets in, we suggest turning elsewhere for your gift-giving needs. In Los Angeles, one option is hitting up the UNIQUE independent design sale, set to return to the city on December 5th and 6th.

UNIQUE has enjoyed considerable success and garnered buzz among L.A.'s cool kid contingent, who head downtown to support their artistic friends, or sell wares of their own. The selection of artwork, beauty products, jewelry, handbags, home goods, and creative miscellany is vast, and it's guaranteed that you won't find items like these at your local Wal-Mart. Plush, California-shaped pillows by Love, California, "Steaktionery" by Pamela Barsky (steak-themed paper goods, just as the name suggests), and hammered jewelry by A Stone's Throw are just a few of the awe-inspiring finds at UNIQUE. Attending is essentially like walking through the real, live version of Etsy.

Los Angeles' MOCA Celebrates 30 Years With a Behemoth of a Retrospective

Heidi Atwal — 2009-11-23T15:59:32-05:00

MOCA's First Thirty Years is a retrospective that covers 30 years of the Los Angeles museum's artistic contributions to the public. Since opening its doors in 1979, MOCA has prided itself on making the best of contemporary art available to the masses, and this behemoth of a collection—featuring more than 500 pieces by over 200 artists from 1940 to today—is a reflection of this cultural richness.

Novice art connoisseurs, or even those who don't know Mondrian from Michelangelo, will inarguably be impressed by this compendium of some of the 20th Century's most impressive pieces. Diane Arbus? Check. Jackson Pollock? Check. Mark Rothko? You get the idea. The list goes on and on, and the exhibition will enjoy a long run at the downtown location—through May 3rd of next year, to be exact.

Leapin' Lizards! Cali Man Busted Smuggling Aussie Reptiles in Money Belt

Victor Ozols — 2009-11-21T12:21:07-05:00

Things travelers should put in a money belt: Passport, tickets, cash, emergency contact information. Things travelers should not put in a money belt: lizards. It may seem rather obvious to most readers of this blog, but there's one guy in California who somehow never picked up this basic tenet of travel wisdom. As the LA Times points out, 40-year-old Michael Plank was arrested by U.S. Customs agents at Los Angeles International Airport this week when he was found to have 15 lizards stuffed in a money belt. Plank was on his way back from Australia and apparently decided to bring 11 skinks, two monitor lizards, and two geckos with him to his LA home, where they'd be worth around $8,500.

One Year Later, 'Slumdog Millionaire' Stars Jetsetting Couple

egw — 2009-11-20T10:29:30-05:00

Last year, audiences around the world watched as Jamal and Latika (spoiler alert!) reunited for a Bollywood-style dance on a Mumbai train platform. Now Dev Patel and Freida Pinto, the stars of Best Picture Winner "Slumdog Millionaire," are a jet-setting couple chasing their next big projects all over the globe.

The young actors, British and Indian by birth respectively, were spotted recently at LAX after a romantic lunch at La Conversation Cafe in Los Angeles. Pinto recently finished filming her role as the title character in "Miral," a drama about adoption shot in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Israel with Best Director nominee Julian Schnabel. Now, she's filming Woody Allen's new movie "You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger" in London with Naomi Watts and Sir Anthony Hopkins.

Football Rivalry Travel: The Bruins And Trojans Head To The Coliseum

kjb — 2009-11-20T09:39:30-05:00

The weather is getting cooler, and college football is going strong. Here’s the scoop on just one of the country’s best rivalries to help your sports travel planning.

· Rivalry Match-Up: UCLA at USC on November 28.
These two teams have been playing since you great grandparents were in college, so there has been plenty of bad blood over the years to get the rivalry going. Students see each other around town since both schools are located in Los Angeles, so the constant trash talking isn’t just between the schools’ coaches. Yes, they too love to mouth off at one another whenever they get the chance. USC leads the all time series and will probably bring home the win this year. However, if UCLA can pull out a win, the Victory Bell will be sporting Bruin blue for the holiday season.

Stadium Info and tips on where to sleep and party, after the jump.

Can You Guess The Stylish Flight Attendants?

juliana — 2009-11-19T15:34:30-05:00

Yesterday we were participating in some research at Los Angeles International Airport around the baggage claim at Terminal 4 which aside from being home to domestic airlines like American, is also a part of the airport's international terminal.

While we were there, three young ladies in stylish khacki trench coats with adorable little bows in their perfectly coiffed buns caught our attention. We've seen these international flight attendant uniforms before but we were never quite sure what airline they worked for. We now know the answer but do you? Hint: The answer lies in the hair bows.

Do you know the airline that puts their flight attendants in such pretty outfits with cute hair decorations? Put your guesses in comments below. We'll reveal the answer tomorrow.

Off Rodeo Drive: Our Guide to Shopping LA's West Third Street

Heidi Atwal — 2009-11-18T14:28:06-05:00

In this installment of Off Rodeo Drive, we're calling attention to a Los Angeles shopping destination that some would say looks like a shadow of its former self. Driving down West Third Street just past The Grove, you'll notice many more empty, stripped-down storefronts than there were just a year ago. Contemporary favorites like Built By Wendy and Pixie Market—both New York transplants—have shut down, along with a beloved cookbook store whose departure locals mourned.

Yet, West Third Street remains one of our very favorite places to shop in the city. Stores that have stuck around have earned their loyal clientele, customers which include oft-photographed celebrities ducking into Joan's On Third or Toast for a post-shopping lunch. So, without further ado, here are five stores to hit in the area for a quality retail fix—after the jump.