Off-shoulder Dress/ Tassel Clutch c/o Rebecca Minkoff / Sunglasses / Necklace / Sandals

This outfit epitomizes my trip to Los Angeles last week. On my way there I was feeling cold, tired, and overwhelmed with my big change to working from home. I was getting a cold and felt pretty lousy in general. On my way back, I felt rejuvenated, happy, relaxed, and sunshine-y (the official term).

The healing process was a mix of the weather (sunny and beautiful), spending QT with my sister, visiting with my grandparents and mom, and eating a lot of incredible healthy food. Five days was the perfect amount of time away and I’m happy to be home snuggling with my puppy who I missed terribly.

It was so nice to be able to walk around with some exposed skin, giving my body some much-needed vitamin D. I love this flowy off-shoulder dress that packed incredibly well (it came out of my suitcase with literally no wrinkles), which is on sale for $50. It’s great for a tropical vacation on it’s own, or belted for a summer night with friends. I paired it with this colorful tassel clutch that I’ve had my eye on for months!

Since I had so many great meals, I thought I’d share where I went in both Venice and West Hollywood below.

Where I ate in LA:

Lunch at Superba– I met Mara for a late lunch where we split a kale salad (maybe the best I’ve ever had) and I thoroughly enjoyed avocado toast on their homemade bread, and a green juice.

Dinner at Gjelina– My sister and I had both been dying to try Gjelina and it didn’t disappoint. We over-ordered (#worthit) with anchovy burrata toast, kale salad, Japanese sweet potatoes, chicken liver, and a side of broccolini, and their famous and totally ridiculously delicious butterscotch budino

Breakfast at Café Gratitude– I was still feeling sick and needed a dose of nutrients, so we headed to vegan Café Gratitude for green juices, a lemon, cayenne, ginger shot, a matcha latté, and the breakfast taco bowl.

Lunch at The Butcher’s Daughter– Before shooting with Valorie, I visited this hot spot by myself and ate at the bar. I had the macro bowl with yet another green juice. The ambience there is insane. I felt like I was back in Tulum.

Dinner at Rose Café– We met up with my dad, his wife, and baby brother Jackson for the most decadent meal of the trip. We ate everything from oysters to fois gras donuts (seriously…) to squid ink risotto to kale salad to one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had- The Kill Bill.

Tea at The Assembly– My sister and I spent one of our mornings working from this adorable coffee shop that had incredible tea lattés, of which we each ordered seconds.

Brunch at Gracias Madre– I have no words for Jason Mraz’s vegan Mexican restaurant. It was so good and I’m already dreaming of going back! My favorite thing that we ate was the butternut squash “quesadilla”.

Snack at Pressed Juicery– I’ve been a PJ fan for years but on this trip I tasted The Freeze (a dairy-free frozen treat) for the first time. It was even better than I expected. I topped the almond milk version with strawberries, dark chocolate chips, and chia seeds.

Lunch at In-N-Out– Obviously. I get my burgers “protein-style”, wrapped in lettuce.

Shop my look:

Photos by Valorie Darling.