This Week's Boutique Stops

exact location will be announced the day of.

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Important Announcement

For months now, we've been hard at work on a large project...something that will possibly change the way we shop...maybe forever!

We've been playing in the same sandbox as jewelry lines Alex & Vina and Dollhouse Republic, collaborating at local events, fashion photo shoots, and pop-up shops.  After many successful runs, we've decided to collaborate on a permanent basis!

Having done business in areas around Los Angeles and beyond, we've noticed one important thing about Fashion.  It's not just in the big cities, in those "select areas" where everyone gravitates...No Sir!  It's at the ends of the County, it's alive and kickin' on the East side, and it can be seen all over the Valley.  And after that, it's just keeps on goin'....Because Fashion is Everywhere!

So it was only natural that our boutique would be mobile, with the ability to visit all areas of Los Angeles...and beyond.  And that is the important announcement...the launch of our mobile boutique, Le Fashion Truck!

Featuring vintage finds from Yours Truly, we are proud and excited to stock the truck with clothes, handbags, purses, accessories and more!  Oh!  And did we mention our Bitchin' Stitchin' line will be available on a permanent basis?!

Ok, we can't help but give you a sneak peek preview.  Come by Thursday night, Jan. 13th, starting at 6pm in Downtown LA during the Art Walk.  We'll be opening the doors to the boutique for the first time and it's gonna be fab!  Just look for the pink fashion truck at 340 S. Spring St., in the food truck lot!

Lots of Local Fun

The past week was filled with lots of local fun and shopping.  It was so great I just had to write about it and share pics!

It started with Wednesday when I finally popped into Studio Vintage.  I wasn't expecting to find anything, as typically vintage boutiques are high-priced. Well, thankfully I was wrong about this one!  I enjoyed looking through clean racks of vintage duds, all in fantastic condition and fairly priced.  If that wasn't good enough, they were normal sizes!  Within minutes I had an arms full to try on.  I'm heading again on Sunday for the ONE DOLLAR SALE!  After many visits to the dressing room, I walked out a mere $62 later with these two beauties:

ONLY $31!!!

I wore this @ the Launch Party of Last Minute Bride!

The next evening, I headed out to the Launch Party for Last Minute Bride.  Held at James Gray Gallery at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica, the Los Angeles based bridal pop-up shop introduced themselves to the city with a fabulous bash!  Lola's catered the event, serving up the most delicious appetizers.  With homemade Sangria to wash it down, I enjoyed a bite (or 2 +) from Fantasy Frostings table...they had EIGHT different bite-size desserts to choose from!  Everyone, including myself, got to enjoy free pics from the photobooth provided by Poetry Photobooths!  Vini's Party Rentals provided the beautiful Tiffany Blue linens, cocktail tables and swanky lounge furniture, as well as the easels that displayed the art work up for raffle.  Can you believe there was an art raffle starting at only $15?  Wedding Photographers donated non-wedding art pieces to the raffle, and in turn all proceeds went to Wish Upon a Wedding!  All together Last Minute Bride raised over $250!  How do I know so much, you ask?  Well, Better Than Naked was a sponsor!  Here are some pics I took that night:

Gino and Stacey, creators and owners of Better Than Naked!

Jeanine Romo of Dollhouse Republic and Moi.

Fashionistas Denise and Nicole Vega. A Mother & Daughter Team!

this was just one of 3 packed rooms at the Launch Party!

Tiffany Blue linens from Vini's and Flowers by Heavenly Blooms.

After sleeping off the long night, the following day I just had to stop by my friend Audrey's store.  Friday was her first day open in her NEW location!  Having moved from one charming neighborhood to the next, Audrey K has expanded her store and is located in Burbank, on the fun street Magnolia Blvd!  In desperate need of therapeutic shopping, I definitely got my dose.  Her vintage section has expanded, and there are still some purses available from us!  She also had new purses and adorable '50s style dresses, perfect for any outing!  After browsing through great selections of handmade jewelry, I got 2 adorable bottlecap necklaces (Wonder Woman for myself and James Dean for my niece), a couple handmade cards, a gorgeous gold ring and this art piece that was all too inspiring not to buy:

Damn Straight!

The LA Flea Market

One day, a man in Los Angeles came up with the clever and risky idea to create a whole brand new flea market in the huge city of angels. The flea market would be held at the parking lot of Dodgers Stadium, overlooking the gorgeous backdrop of downtown Los Angeles.  New and Crafty Items as well as Vintage and Antique Collectibles would be made available to shoppers.  Fantastic finds, new and old, could be found, and their prices would be both desirable and affordable.  There would be live music at this event.  The Salvation Army would offer items at a 50% reduced price (as if their prices weren’t already cheap enough).  Celebrities would cruise the market, and Rick Dees would be there to say Hello.  This market, he decided, would be called...The LA Flea Market. 

Guess who was a part of this fun-tastic event?!  Yes, yours truly, BETTER THAN NAKED!  Among 400+ vendors, our forever favorite Dollhouse Republic was there, too!  Although it was a sweltering hot day, we had a great time.  We met new people, we scratched the heads of many panting dogs and offered them ice cold water while they basked in the shade with their owners.  We offered 3 crates full of rare vintage vinyl records at an astounding $3 each or 4 for $10.  Vintage purses were going for as low as 5 bucks.  Vintage and retro jewelry flew out as low as $3.  And the clothes?  What clothes?  We’re practically all out!  Retro Nash roller skates?  All gone.  With cute and funny vintage mugs at only $3, we were practically wiped out! 

While we didn't get the chance to do too much exploring, we did manage to get out and see some cool stuff in the vintage and antique sections.  Our hearts melted (not from heat) at the sight of the refurbished vintage and antique furniture by Antique Rose Show. 

Why Do I Like Palm Springs, you ask?

Every time we travel to Palm Springs, I’m always excited for three things: yard sales, thrift shopping and food.  This past weekend, with temperatures at 112 degrees, neither myself nor others were much in the mood for yard sales.  So that left only 2 other fabulous choices: local shopping and food.

After I got over the excitement that there’s now an IHOP off the strip (yes, my guilty corporate pleasure), I turned my gaze across the parking lot to a slice of heaven.  Or as others call it, a store.  Located in a mini-strip mall with a 2 entrances, I entered Swank.  

Let me just say: I <3 Swank!  Can I get that in a girly tee, size large, puh-leeze?  It’s true, I love Swank.  I love people with swank, I love my husband ‘cause he’s got swank, and I love Swank, the vintage furniture and home accent store on the southern end of the strip in Palm Springs.

As I swaggered into Swank with the dude-man, I immediately scooped up this fantastic glass ice bucket with serving tongs.    It goes well with my growing set of 1950s Franciscan Atomic Dinnerware and Serving Set.  At only $28, I would’ve been a fool to let this baby sit on the shelf a moment longer.

As I wandered from front to back and side to side, I took in all the beauty: matching 1950s Danish chairs, vintage fabrics in flawless condition, unique accent tables, vintage art and accents. 

One of my favorites, at only $850: a round table with 4 matching chairs.  The set, including the fabric, is in great condition!  

Every time I turned my head, I saw new items: leather-padded desks, vintage rugs, paintings, lamps and hutches!  Heaven, I tell you.  

Riding out on Cloud 9, we headed back to our place to get ready for dinner.  Yummmmy....dinner.  We had a list of recommendations from friends, and we had our own personal recommendations from dining experiences past.  However, we found ourselves at a spot that we’d never heard of, and no one had told us about: Roscoe Grill.  

Taking advantage of their Summer Special, I ordered the Filet Mignon (medium), had the steamed veggies (because I’m a good girl) and threw in mashed potatoes...(because I could).  As if it that wasn’t delicious enough, once I finished licking my plate clean, I managed to find room inside for dessert.  After all, could you have passed up a brownie sundae?

I've been stocking up quite some time now on vintage and vintage handmade dresses.  The dresses have made it out to many events, but for some reason they haven't made it online...until now!  Being that it is the first day of Summer, despite the June Gloom we are experiencing here in Southern California, I've put together a few Summer Vintage Outfits, all with items available from my online boutique and inspired by my own Summer vacation planning.  

This light cotton red dress with matching belt features an island floral print.  Pair it up with this Straw Bag and carry your toiletries safely in the blue vintage Samsonite Small Luggage Case.  Get this look for only $91!

Retro Red Floral Dress: $18

1950s Straw Bag: $38

Vintage Samsonite: $35

Looking for something a little more classic?  Make a statement with this 1960s red and white handmade polk-a-dot dress with high collar and matching belt.  Pair it up with this 1950s Navy Blue and Red Handbag for an authentic vintage look!  Traveling?  Add the small beige leather makeup case and you're ready to go!  Get this look for only $72!

Red Polk-a-Dot Dress: $18

Blue and Red Handbag: $32

Beige Makeup Bag: $22

Spring Shopping Party!

March 21st was not only the 2nd day of Spring, but it was also Better Than Naked’s 2nd Backyard Boutique! Celebrating the sun, flowers, birds and local businesses, we opened the Boutique for a 3-hour Shopping Party and offered Spring shoppers the latest in Vintage and Handmade Clothes and Purses, vintage-inspired Baby and Kid Tees by PunkBaby Wear, skin care and candles by Witchy Poo Bath, and...for the first time ever...a Wax Bar! Yes, a Wax Bar! Jennifer Grubbs, owner and esthetician of Valentino’s Salon and Spa, set up a private Wax Bar indoors and offered pain-free waxing!
Better Than Naked pulled out the arsenal of Kids Vintage and Handmade and featured vintage sweaters and osh kosh overalls, handmade hats and wraps, and retro roller skates! Vintage Bracelets flew off the counters at only $5 each. Lucite screw-on earrings and pendants started at only $3.


PunkBaby Wear was selling onesies and toddler tees for $15 each, and as cheap as 3 for $30! Pink Skull tees were a hit with the little ladies and the retro comics logos were popular with the boys. It’s always good times when mom and kids agree on fashion!

My favorite corner of the Boutique was the Wax Bar. Jennifer Grubbs makes waxing fun and painless. In the privacy of the Wax Bar, we listened to Jessica Fichot as she waxed my gams. Others took advantage of Jennifer’s Brow talents. Whichever the choice, everyone left the bar happy...and sober!
Staying in the Skin category, Witchy Poo made an appearance and offered up Bath Salts, Skin Scrubs, Makeup as well as their sister line, True Apothecary with their soy-wax candles!
Moms and daughters came shopping together and new friendships and connections were made. I was so excited to meet Shawnie from the Backyard Boutique Party Network! She made time in her busy schedule to visit our Shop and we are very grateful for that. As karma would have it, she won a Vintage Evening Clutch in the Chinese Raffle!
Other creative people and local businesses stopped by to show their support. Skin Care Specialist Fern, from Faces by Fern, enjoyed the Witchy Poo booth and was happily chatting away with owner Tonya. Attorney at Law, Brian Ward, made an appearance with his lovely wife Brandi and we were able to congratulate him on his new office in Pasadena. I had the pleasure of meeting Graphic Designer Martha Camacho of MC Design Studio, who also has a talent for knitted handmade items! I’d have to say the biggest bundle of joy that day came from Kennedy, the 5-year old daughter of Robyn Reynolds, owner of Organize2Harmonize. She was kind enough to show us scenes from her upcoming school play, Annie. Although Robyn is serious business when it comes to business, her soft side comes out to play on the weekends. Check out her radio show. I did and I learned in a quick 15 minutes the importance of getting my affairs organized. What a fabulous, FREE service she offers.
With this last Shopping Party, flowers and friendships blossomed alike. It was nice to look out among the shoppers and see smiles, friendship and excited eyes over their new finds. Looking forward to the next one!

This One's for Me!

yeah, ok, so i’ve been on strict orders from the dude man to chill out on the inventory shopping. and I did! But, as I have said numerous times, you can’t fight the feeling when it comes calling. Anyways, thank goodness for a somewhat stable last couple months on the business end...it allowed for me to see what all was out there to see...and buy.

I came across, and bought, fun stuff this time around! Not a single purse, and I didn’t even mind! I found many fun trinkets, odds and ends...those of which I typically steer clear from. Not because I don’t love them. It’s quite the opposite, actually. Anyways, I ended up buying a few things for my home: a California Pottery Wine Carafe, 2 Stainless Steel oversized serving trays (for our “romantical” meals in bed), as well as a few bad-as* vintage art wall hangings.

However, my favorite, most priced-possession of this week’s shopping was the Ceramic Japanese White Owl I purchased...for only 1 dollar.


Measuring in at 4 inches high and 1 1/4 inch wide, this Owl is definitely a piece that Jonathan Adler used for inspiration when designing his line of white animals. His pointy ears and stoic face leave no room for play time. His feathers are so defined you almost believe they're real.



True to his breed, he still bears his blue 'JAPAN' sticker on his bottom for all to his admire his authenticity.


When I saw him, it was instant love. I’ve always been a skeptic about love at first sight, always playing those emotions off as lust. Well... skeptic I am no more. His milk-like white guarantees him a spot in my bedroom, I just haven’t figured out exactly where yet.

The Old Ridge Route

By the time Monday came around, I was in desperate need of some shopping. Unlike most women in the City of "Angels," I do not enjoy day-long shopping sprees at the Beverly Center, Colorado Street, Melrose Ave., or any other over-priced shopping areas LA has to offer. Instead, I enjoy leaving the city and traveling a mere 50-60 miles North to the mountains, where vintage and antique shopping is patiently waiting.For many years I've wanted to check out View Larger Map">Old Ridge Route Antiques in Lebec, CA. Having traveled up and down that part of the 5 Fwy my whole life, I walked in with high expectations...and left on Cloud 9 (hours later).
I got sucked into the $1 jewelry box the second I walked in the door, where I scored great sterling silver necklace charms, old pins and a gorgeous pair of faux gold cuff links - which my husband claimed before I could even finish cleaning them.
After I left my thrifty finds with owner Paula Clevenger, I made my way through the huge layout of antique furniture sets that were in impeccable condition. If you are in the market for a vintage vanity set, well...this is your place! I believe the most expensive vanity I found was $200, and all of them are complete with a stool and mirror! If I didn't already have one, I would have come home with two!
After browsing through antique beaded handbags, vintage toys and dolls, household items and many more goodies, I made a final stop to the $.50 picture box. For some reason I was drawn to a picture of a woman who wrote on the back of her photo that it is "horrid" and to "destroy it."

I can't help but think that maybe I should obey her wishes that weren't met all these years and destroy it; or, if I should be selfish and keep it alive, in spite that she wanted it destroyed decades ago. What would you do?

Of the items I walked out with, I'd have to say that my favorite find of the day was my latest home decor project - 1950s pictures of Rome, Italy. Each photo includes a detailed description of the sites on the back in pencil, by the photographer I'm assuming. Having traveled to Rome a few years ago, the connection was immediate to the pictures. And the passion and interest in each description motivates me to keep those pictures alive.