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Girlawhirl checks out the shops on Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice, CA Apr 2, 2007
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Girlawhirl loves visiting her southern California Super Pals, especially when the weather is still cold and dreary in her city. It's lovely to be able to spend an afternoon outside in the sun shopping in a fun neighborhood when she knows back home she'd be cooped up inside. And one of her favorite streets for doing that is Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice… Stretching from Main Street at one end to Venice Blvd on the other, it's a street full of galleries and boutiques, perfect for a day of browsing and buying. Girlawhirl usually starts at Equator Books checking out the art on display and thumbing through the out of print books. (This time around she wondered if a copy of The Surfer and the City Girl would make an amusing gift for anyone she knows.) Then she heads east and stops first at 3 Square Café + Bakery for a little something to sustain her while she shops… perhaps one of their bacon and cheese pretzel twists or a caramelized pear and brie sandwich on walnut bread.
After that, there's plenty to explore. For clothing there are boutiques like Brick Lane – which specializes in U.K. fashion, Jeannie Y featuring Japanese designers, Claudia Milan, Ecookie and Principessa. For fun gifts, she checks out Firefly or Just Tantau, which has a variety of items made from recycled products – like the jewelry line made from old typewriter keys. For beautiful paper products she checks out the Urbanic paper boutique and she loves to linger in FloralArt soaking in the stunning floral designs.
There are several home stores where she can get interior design inspiration – from Digs with contemporary Asian and European styles to Surfing Cowboys with its “vintage surf” style to Colcha with an eclectic mix of sophisticated designs, art and “found objects.” For more artistic inspiration, there are a multitude of galleries, but her favorite is Ten Women, which is an artists co-op. She always finds a unique handmade gift or some cool jewelry to take home there.
After she's made her way up and down both sides of the boulevard, Girlawhirl always makes her final stop Jin Patisserie. There she can enjoy a cup of tea in the garden with one of their delicious, and gorgeous, pastries – her favorite is the Abbot, chocolate mousse and caramelized bananas layered over a honey walnut sponge. After relaxing and indulging her sweet tooth, she usually wraps up her day on Abbot Kinney and, since it's only a few blocks away, heads to the beach to walk off the pastry and watch the sunset.
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