This time I actually want to post all my LA pictures (unlike the last time I went and life exploded and I got so behind). I figured it would be easiest if I did a couple themed posts just to get everything out there.

This one is all about the work.

Once we got to LA we hopped on the Budget Bus to go pick up our car. I get the lucky job of driving Ms. Claudia all over the State.

First stop Grocery shop where we always buy way more food then we can eat. We always worry we will be stuck at home starving but in reality, we never spend any time at home.

The first night was interesting. The guy who lives in the apartment above us decided that he needed to fix his rood at 6:30 in the morning. I know. There were men and ladders right outside my window and they were talking and moving around a giant piece of metal which was making the weirdest noises. This prompted me to have the weirdest dreams. We were so NOT impressed.

This was the truck that then sat outside my bedroom window idling from 7am to 8am. My number ONE biggest pet peeves is cars that idol. I can’t tell you how many summer nights I’ve spent tried to fall asleep with my window open, only to have some dumb ass car park right outside my window and run for ever. It’s like the seek me out. TURN OFF YOUR EFFING CAR. AHAHSHAHHHHHHHHHH.

First stop is the California Mart.

I’m ready to go.

A sign that we are in the right place.

The Cal Mart is “home to the offices of many of Los Angeles’ aspiring clothing designers, sellers, and buyers”. Exactly.

We go to the Cal Mart to look at Purses and Jewellery mainly.

Here we are in the Fashion District.

LA, LA

A sneaky shot of Claudia at one of our Jewellery suppliers. We bought a LOT from them. Some really amazing stuff I can’t wait to get in. These guys are in a building down the street from the Cal Mart.

While we wait, we wonder around the Cal Mart to see what else is new. This guy was obviously busy watching the World Cup.

The Cal Mart Foyer

I feel like being a Golden Brown hippie this Fall. Hopefully this purse gets purchased, I am obsessed!

These guys are one of the best purse vendors we buy from. This is where I got my infamous Teal over the shoulder bag that everyone loves.

Whats this you ask? I don’t know what its called, but its a sign that these Fabric Vendors are Jewish.

Remember that scene in S&TC when Charlotte becomes Jewish and and hangs this on the door of her apartment and her nosy neighbour asks what shes doing? Same thing!

**UPDATE – Pat says its a Mezuzah

San Pedro Mart. Same thing as the Cal Mart but less classier haha. Anyone can go here and buy things for their stores, you just have to buy packages of 12 in assorted sizes.

We mostly buy burn out Ts.

I tired to convince Claudia to purchase some of these.

An example of some of the printed Burn Outs we buy.

This one has rhinestones on it. Super cute!

Yet another amazing purse, from yet another amazing purse vendor. We’ve got great purse connections.

Something for the holidays perhaps?

Another big part of our trip to LA is checking out things we don’t have in Canada. So, it’s shopping time.

It’s easy to get inspired by clothing. Colours, textures, patterns, designs.

Whenever we see something we like, we take a picture of the detail or buy it as a reference.

No, it’s not STEALING. And if it is, it’s on Claudia’s conscious hahah.

The big parts of this LA trip were the Jewellery and Purse buying, checking out the new Burn Out Ts, checking out some new Fabric vendors (which are always, for some reason, a bust) and seeing whats new and cool in all the LA shops.

Over all, I think it was a great success!

Happy thoughts…happy thoughts.

I’m going to LA next week for work again. I was 100% positive that we were going from Wednesday to Sunday.

I was suppose to book the car rental yesterday, and I did, from Wednesday to Sunday.

At the end of the day Claudia and I started talking about LA and I realized that we weren’t leaving Wednesday, but instead, TUESDAY.

I wrote Wed – Sun to the office calendar, and even though we looked at it 100 times, no one ever corrected it.

I didn’t book the flights, our boss did. Yes I got the email confirmation, but I already “knew” the dates so I just looked at the time we were leaving.

I am not prepared for this.

It’s only one day earlier, but I am so not prepared!

With Elises Stagette this weekend, Fathers Day, my Brothers Graduation, and everything else going on in life, I think my head is going to kind of explode.

Not to mention I just realized we were sent the wrong lining for this jacket that is half way finished.

I think I’m going to puke.

So this was what I was tucked away doing all day yesterday. As Chad says ‘You’re not a Manager, so why were you there?’. Well my friends, I am a design assistant, and since this meeting had to do with design, I was there. It was also  great way to kill an afternoon. Plus, I had to help with a lot of the set up of everything. I have a feeling that every time the design part of me is needed the production side gets jealous because it doesn’t get the attention it wants. Well, that’s just what happens when I have my hands in everything.

Managers meetings always seem to be frantic and rush and behind in time, but once we get our part going, I always find it very informative, even though I should technically already know all the info. It always helps to be fed something in a different manner, because then you learn different things. I love watching Claudia put together outfits.

Yesterdays meeting reminded me of the first one I ever attended, which had to be held on a Sunday when the heat was broken in the office. I don’t know if I ever blogged about it. We were stuck all day because out part kept getting postponed. The heat wasn’t working and we were all wearing 17 layers. It was raining so hard outside and it was so cold I was loosing my mind. I think I actually cried because I was so cold and so frustrated. Wasting a Sunday stuck at work, not actually working, but instead just waiting. Then I went back to Chads apartment where he surprised me by building our first fire. Only problem was that he didn’t open the flout all the way so the entire apartment filled with smoke. So we had to open all the windows and grab all the fans to try and clear out the apartment of smoke. I froze yet again. That was a horrible, horrible day. Well, most of it was.

Last night I tried a new recipe called ‘French Onion Pork Chop Skillet’. I get those free Kraft Food Magazines and I love all the ideas in them. The recipe looked pretty good and really easy so I was inspired to give it a shot. It’s basically like mixing French Onion Soup and Pork Chops together. Well, it turned out, and it was good, but Chad didn’t like it much. That man doesn’t like anything much. He is so simple in his tastes that it is rare that I find something new that he loves. I, of course, was then insulted that he didn’t like the meal, because I take everything way to personally, because I am a girl, and even though it was the recipe and not execution of it that he didn’t really like, I still felt like it was my fault. Yes, I am that crazy when it comes to food, or just in general. Tonight I will make him is favorite omelet and then all will be restored.

I spent the rest of the evening wrapped in a bunch of cozy blankets watching the Hills. Oh yes, guilty pleasure, it took me a million years, but I am finally hooked on the Hills.

Oh life. Where have you gone?

We are a bit hyper in the office today. We just had Apple Strudel and Tea.

Alicia has been looking up wall art all day long for Adams new apartment.

Me, I’ve been playing with my new outfit.

I’ve decided to relax a bit today and not go work crazy like I have been doing all week long. It feels nice.

I solved all the fabric problems, and really, I think that means I’ve worked hard enough.

Tonight is the first game of the Hockey Season. We aren’t having the big party like we usually do. Why you ask? Because we don’t have any more friends. Well, maybe thats not totally true, but none of them seems to be in town right now. Strange how that happens.

Tomorrow is Friday and I have no plans. Then its Saturday and I have no plans. I wonder what the weekend shall bring.

I really have no idea whats going on.

I’m going home and making myself an omelet.

I have technically been working for 11 days straight.

That’s just weird to think about.

It doesn’t feel like it at all.

Well…that was by far the most exhausting trip I’ve ever been on. I really had no idea what I had gotten myself into, but 12 hours of shopping, and meeting with sales reps, and walking around, and driving from one part of the city to the next almost every day, was more then my little body could handle. I don’t know how Claudia and the boss do this 4 times a year. Though, I have a feeling that now that I’ve done it once, its going to be a regular occurrence. The boss is getting older and already has a calendar full of trips that she takes, so I’m sure she would be more then happy to hand off a few of those to a capable assistant. And since I’ve done it once, and am quite comfortable with the surroundings and situations, I would be happy to go again, even though I WILL complain about how exhausting it all is.

The only celebrity sighting of the trip was Jesse Metcalfe. Lame beyond lame. I’m also 98% sure that while dining at Chin Chin on Sunset, Steve Carell walked by in a plaid fedora and smiled at me as I stared at his face trying to figure out why he looked so familiar. The only reason I didn’t name him as a celebrity sighting was because I didn’t have Claudia to confirm the sighting so it could have just been all in my head. Though I’m 98% sure it was definitely him.

Thanks to Alicias keen eye and fashion skills, she informed us that Target was currently selling a pair of boots that looked exactly like those made by Frye but for only $50. Needless to say, Claudia and I made a stop and both made the purchase! Real leather boots, that look like $300 boots, for 50 bucks. It’s a no brainer.

I also went nuts in Forever 21 and blew my budget on jewellry.

I am also majorly obsessed with the leopard print quilted change purse I got at Marc by Marc Jacobs. Had it not been at the end of the trip and had I not run out of money, I would have bought the clutch too.

Koi was amazing. Clearly the best Sushi I have ever had. No celebrity sightings, but one of the most amazing experiences and meals I’ve ever had the pleasure of partaking in.

The only downside to the whole trip was yesterday.

As we are about to board the plane back to Vancouver, an airline employee happened to take a look at Claudia’s Canadian Residency Visa. While Claudia has lived in Canada for the majority of her life, she still has her Chilien passport and is a landed immigrant in Canada. I don’t really understand all the specifics but as it turned out, her Visa had expired. So there we are, about to board the plane, and Claudia gets taken away and I am left standing there not knowing what the hell is going on. I stand by the gate waiting for her to return, thinking she’ll be back shortly. The entire plane boards and there is no Claudia. I get asked to board the plane as ‘it is not likely my friend will make this flight’. I’m sorry…WHAT!?

I boarded the plane in shock. I had no idea what is going on and I was actually quite panicked. They called me up to the front of the plane, only to tell me that they didn’t know when Claudia would be able to fly back home, but I would have to pick up her luggage in Vancouver as it was already on the plane. Both Claudia’s phone and my phone were dead so we couldn’t even message each other. I was left with no other information. I felt so helpless.

Sitting in the seat, all by myself, extremely worried about Claudia, I realized that there was absolutely nothing I could do so there was no point getting all worked up. I was seconds away from bursting into tears because I had never been on a plane all by myself, and as much as I knew everything would be fine and it wouldn’t be that difficult, I was just so freaked out about everything that has just happened.

The flight was fine and I landed in Vancouver, picked up both our luggage, drove home and immediately phoned the boss. Claudia had left a message on her phone so she was a little bit more in the loop then I was, but not by much. The last she heard was that they were putting her on a plane to Seattle so that she could talk to the Canadian Consulate this morning. Other then that there was nothing anyone could do.

I was basically upset all last night. Here, Claudia and I had had this awesome experience in LA, we had lived together for 5 days and had bonded, and then all of a sudden she was ‘taken away’ with out knowing what was going on. I know that sounds dramatic but its exactly how I felt.

Anyways, I got a txt from her last night around 11 that she had made it home, after 3 flights and $200. I don’t know what happened to her, but I will have to find out this morning.

It was a very dramatic and stressful way to end the trip. Ugh.

We return from a rainy weekend in Whistler to a bright and sunny week in Vancouver. Damn you weather! But despite the fact that we were drowned rats, we did have a fun and relaxing trip. I’ve uploaded all the photos and will do a post about it this afternoon. I have an abundance of them!

As for now, its off to work on a bunch of stuff before heading out to LA tomorrow. I can’t believe its time for that already. I do feel slightly panicked about it all, but hopefully we can get everything organized today and then I will feel much better about it all.

There are also men fixing the roof in the warehouse this morning and it is making an huge amount of noise and even more debris falling from the sky. It’s a bit of a bad scene out there right now, and yours truely has to head in that direction in about 15 minutes to go fix a mistake one of the factories made. There is nothing that frustrates me more in this industry then when you clearly show and describe what you want, and then it comes in not as you asked, and then YOU have to spend the next two hours fixing something that should have been done right the first time.

Work Work Work.