Holiday Shopping: Colorado Street Pasadena

If you are looking for a place to get all your last minute shopping done in one stop, Colorado Street in Pasadena is perfect. There is a store for everyone here whether you are shopping for cute clothes for kids at Madewell or some holiday glitter at Tiffany's for that special  someone. Not to mention the quaint main street feel that gives off a Christmas spirit.  You can get all the holiday cheer you are looking for in a festive ambiance with the street performers singing Christmas carols and the lights on the trees and holiday window displays. Wandering the street and enjoying the view is especially nice in the warm Pasadena weather. And of course you can't have a successful shopping trip without some great food. There are so many delicious options to choose from. The Cheesecake Factory and Bucca di Beppos are both always a delicious choice.  If you have a little more time for a 5 course dinner, The Melting Pot is a fun place for fondue. If you are looking for a more local flavor there are many cute Italian cafes to choose from. For great Argentinian cuisine, 1810 serves up tasty entrees and delicious chocolate souffle.  Some even have live music. If Sushi is what you're in the mood for the best local place is Gayu Kaku just a block away on Greene Street. I personally decided to try the 800 Degrees Pizzeria where they make a homemade pizza right in front of you as you pick from the array of fresh ingredients. I also ordered a delicious side Italian salad. For dessert I headed over to one of the cute french cafes called Aux Delices and got a tasty creme brulee. After my hunger was satisfied I could really get down to business. Shopping! I headed over to Lucky brand where I was greeted by a friendly and attentive staff. Soon I was having my own movie montage trying on every pair of jeans in the store. I was putting on a mini fashion show for the store as I picked out my jeans and outfits.Together the helpful staff and I picked out two great pairs of jeans and they found me matching shirts and sweaters. They even convinced me to try a new color palette for the winter. Check my Instagram account @cerisesdumatin for pictures! I walked away with two great outfits and everything was on sale! It was definitely a successful shopping trip. Having store personnel excited about the merchandise always makes shopping more fun! This holiday season I definitely recommend Colorado Street as the ultimate shopping destination. If you are still stressed about gifts for the family you can find everything you need as well as great food and holiday cheer all in one place! Have you ever been to Old town Pasadena? What is your favorite holiday shopping destination? Have you ever had a movie moment while shopping and found that perfect outfit? Let me know in the comments!

Huntington Library and Gardens: The Corpse bloom

The Huntington Library has some of the most beautiful gardens in the Los Angeles area. The library itself is a beautiful mansion founded by the Huntington family in the 1800s and now houses famous works such as the Gutenberg Bible.
But outside in the beautiful Pasadena air the gardens span a huge stretch of land with everything from Japanese tea gardens to English rose gardens to an indoor rainforest in the conservatory. That is where you will find the Corpse bloom or in technical terms Amorphophallus titanum . Once every few years (no one is sure of an exact cycle) the giant flower opens up and releases its foul smelling odor to attract pollination. A corpse bloom is very rare and many people travel wide and far to find them. I was lucky enough to be in Pasadena when the flower bloomed. It usually only stays open for about 2 or 3 days with its tall yellow center reaching 5 feet and 6 inches!  The room  was crowded with tourists and there was even a line to wait outside before you could go in the room and take pictures.  I definitely smelled the stink of the flower as soon as i walked in the door. The flower stood in the middle and everyone gathered around it to smell it and listen to the talks. The attendants were taking pictures of the small space they had cut into the slower to expose the thousands of seeds inside. It was very interesting to see. Apparently after the flower is done blooming it produces a fruit and then goes dormant for another 3 or more years.
I also wandered around the gardens for another few minutes and enjoyed the beautiful flowers throughout the grounds. It was very interesting to see the giant stinky flower and I definitely wont forget it any time soon.