Working towards my
goal of doing 19 things I have never-ever done this year, I am happy to report I have added to my list! Yesterday, I had the privilege of spending the day with my mom,
sister, and a few co-workers that we met up with in the Fabric District in downtown Los Angeles, California. It was amazing, overwhelming, fast paced, tiring, and all around a great day! There were blocks upon blocks of stores stacked on top of one another full of knickknacks, ribbons, buttons, and FABRIC, blocks and blocks of fabric. I was in Heaven. We took our time heading up there, and met up with a few co-workers who headed up before us. We parked, and started our adventure. I am not going to lie, it was beyond overwhelming, sensory overload for sure. The fist few stores we were trying to figure out prices and get a feel of the place. The group ended up splitting up the majority of the day, like most buying adventures with multiple people wanting different things do; but we ended up meeting again later in the day, and that was perfect.
I was as happy as a clam, I was in my element and loving every second of it. Being the red-headed, blue eyed person I am, there is nothing more amusing than hearing the guys try to figure out a price in front of you in Spanish, then break out my Spanish and barter with them. I think half the time they are shocked that I am fluent in Spanish, but I think they are trying to figure out how this can be, and with my Argentine accent, thy are trying to figure out where I am from. I LOVE it!! Well needless to say, I was able to get some really stellar deals on some items that I had been looking for. All around an amazing day.
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| Mom and Jess |
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| Here is an idea of what we were dealing with. |
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| We took on the whole adventure, including street vendors! |
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| The craziness of the crowds... |
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| Oh, the choices! |
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| The shopping ladies :) |
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| Buttons, buttons, and more buttons |
I hope you enjoy the photos!
Hints if you are headed that way:
- Go in knowing regular retail prices of items
- Look into how much the items cost online buying in bulk if you are planning
- Bring bottled water
- Bathrooms are few and far between, and most are the pay-to-pee type
- Don't be afraid to barter for a cheaper price, yes everything is cheap, but remember they are still make a profit!
- Pace yourself, there are more stores than you can imagine
- Keep in mind a lot of the stores start closing shop around 3/3:30ish
- Have a blast!
Happy crafting!!
~Lou
