Magical Fabric Kingdom

{Be Warned.}

As a your friend, I have to give you a heads up. If you love fabric or trim or street tacos or LA, you must proceed reading at your own risk. 

You may be physically and emotionally affected by these photos. 

Don't be surprised if your heart begins to race, your jaw drops, sweat beads up on your forehead, or if you decide next time you visit CA you're travel itinerary must change.

I'm about to share with you one of the most life-changing experiences of my "sewing/crafting" life.

I had my very 1st visit to the LA Fashion District.  Namely, the fabric/trim section which is around 9th and Maple in downtown LA.  And I must ask you to refrain from spitting or cursing at Joann's next time you walk through the door with your 40% off coupon and think you're getting a deal.

(My Course}

My plan of attack consisted of the following:

1) Leaving the husband and boys back at the condo in Oceanside. Um, yeah...this part is self explanatory.

2) Charting my course.  I found the blogs Lil' Blue Boo and MADE to be extremely helpful. (Thanks girls!) Running a into a local friend--my sister-in-law Tanya's sister Chelsea-- didn't hurt either! I know, totally random and awesome. She pointed me in the right direction of her favorite shops.  (Thanks Chelsea! I also loved that we were both sporting these ginormous backpacks to stuff our treasures in.)

3) Driving myself to LA using my phone and my good friend Google Navigator GPS. (Yes, I went by myself. I guess my years leaving in the New Jersey/NY area toughened me up! Actually, it wasn't even as sketchy as I planned on, and I think its probably good for white girls living in Utah to feel like a minority every now and then!:))

4) Shop. I don't think my eyes popped back into my back until the next day. 

5) Beating traffic out of  LA.  I literally ran around like a wild woman stuffing my backpack trying not to get stuck in traffic.

Running? Really Toad? I hear you, but I also think you would have running right along side of me. Now its time for you to see what all the fuss is about.

Yes, that's $.99 a yard...) And the whole day I shopped the most I paid was $2.50/yd, and that was for 100% organic cotton!

I decided that talking about this unbelievable place is like having a baby...you really can't explain it or know what its like unless you've actually done it.  With that being said, I'll do my best to show you where you'll want to go next time your family takes a trip to the Magic Kingdom.  Just go North to YOUR Magic Kingdom. :)

{Yep}

What do you do with all of this? I have no idea. But I love it. 

I loved the helpers. (You know, the people who answer my random questions and cut the stuff.) Not only are were they a lot of help, and even posed for my pictures. Total keepers.

These were taken at a store called Target Trim. What a place!

And if you ever go in there, just will you tell Raffi "Hi" for me?

{Pit Stop}
I'd never seen a street hot dog wrapped in bacon before in my life. And I noticed that the locals LOVED them.

Here was my criteria for getting food off the street:
1) A woman had to prepare it. (Odds are they are a little more careful, although I know this is a stereotype--:))
2) The cleanest cart I could find.

And I found it.

My gal.

And my lunch choice. Steak street tacos. Ahh, I can't stop thinking about them. I should have eaten at least 3 more before I left. I'm not kidding.

{JJ's} 

This is one of Chelsea's favorite places and it quickly became one of mine too.  Not only did I go crazy on the fabric (my new batch of Camera Coats is going to be S.W.E.E.T.), but I got FOE (Fold Over Elastic=the elastic that everyone makes those baby headbands out of) for $.25/yd and they had every color you could imagine...and more.

The helpers at JJ's.

Carlos the cutter at Micheal Levine's.  He helped me with that sweet cotton laminate that I'll be talking more about very soon. (NEW Rain Slickies here we come!!)

(Line Heaven)
And just in case you were wondering, we did make it over to the other Magic Kingdom.  {Although for my husband it is less than magical...well, unless you're talking about the money in your pocket disappearing.;)}

 But more about the fam's adventures later.  Its time for you to start making a game plan for your trip to LA.  Unless, of course, you live within a 2 hours radius of it and then you can tell us your game plan!! (And if you don't have one, shame on you! ;)  Don't take it for granted another minute!) 



Your fabric lovin' gal,

Toady