At Home With: Kendall Conrad

One of my favorite stores in LA just happens to be located at my favorite destination in the city: The Brentwood Country Mart. Since I based where I wanted to live out here on the fact that this little cluster of amazingly beautiful boutiques was right around the corner, it's no surprise that one of Kendall Conrad's shops was included in its allure. I love her bags and jewelry so much, that when I lost two of her gold rings that I wear around my index finger every day, I went out and bought two more the very next. Lucky for me, I found the other two, and now I wear four!

In the latest issue of C Magazine, readers can take a peek into Kendall Conrad's home in Montecito, CA. Similar to my apartment (but on a much grander scale), Kendall uses whites and neutrals to create a chic, comfortable space. Shop her boutique here.

*images via C magazine

Beauty Must Have: Darphin Hydraskin Gel

I found this stuff doing a little shopping at the Brentwood Country Mart this past weekend. The BCM's newest store, Space NK, carries this stuff (along with other amazing lines) and oh. my. goodness.

This gel transformed my dry skin into dewy-fresh skin after 5 minutes of putting it on. And I can't even begin to tell you how good it smells. Buy it here.

UNIONMADE

UNIONMADE, a new shop located in Brentwood Country Mart, is a new men's shop here in L.A. that blew my mind. If you're an avid follower of my blog, you'll know that I'm no stranger to the BCM.

Todd Barket and Carl Chiara are the two behind this shop that originated in San Francisco. It has everything from framed vintage bandanas, a vintage McIntosh stereo (that I only recognized because of a recent photo shoot I was on) and my favorite- a huge stack of Whole Earth Catalogs. Some of their brands include Alden, Gitman Vintage, Filson, Pendleton blankets (love love love) and the ever-classic Saint James knits. It's a must if you're in the neighborhood. To love this store as much as I do without being able to wear anything it, it's got to be good.

*images via secret forts

Object of Desire: Repetto for James Perse

I saw these flats in James Perse a couple of weeks ago, but of course they didn't have my size. They come in three great neutral colors perfect with rolled up jeans or a cute shift dress with tights. Shop here.

J.Crew on the Beach

If I had to name one place in L.A. I love more than any other, it would be Brentwood Country Mart. A barn house turned intimate shopping center, BCM reminds me of the shops on Main Street in Westport, Connecticut that I frequent when I'm home back east. It's on the other end of the spectrum of the awful strip malls that populate Lincoln Boulevard, and I love them for it.

Before I moved to L.A., I didn't know where to start in terms of finding an apartment. So what better way to find a great location in an unknown city other than calling your favorite store (Calypso, located in BCM) and asking about the area they're in? I now live around the corner and couldn't be happier.

It seems country marts are common here, and there's another one up the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Only a 30 minute drive north, Malibu's version has a higher end J.Crew shop at the Malibu Lumber Yard I'm dying to check out. This location is one of the two shops in the U.S. that sell these limited edition SURevolution mochila bags. Perfect for beachy L.A. days.

*images via j.crew