in the neighborhood

i love finding treasures in unexpected places. when an old stucco building down the street from my house in echo park was suddenly painted pink, had lavender bushes planted and a sweet striped awning, i knew there must be something going on inside those walls. i had to wait patiently to meet french general because they are only open on mondays and saturdays but it was well worth it. i entered into a world of beautiful french linens, beads, ribbons, textiles and vintage french ephemera that was probably found in the tiniest marchés aux puces in france. anthropologie definitely comes here for inspiration.

the owner is kaari meng and i would be embarrassed to try to convey her accomplishments. she has her own product line, designs textiles, has written many, many books and is an all around amazing woman. i showed her a little piece of art that i want to recreate and she literally gave me a play by play of how i would go about doing it. i will admit i don't know half of what they are up to at French General, i'm just not that crafty, but am planning on taking a workshop there soon to make some pretty jewelry.

oh, one thing i almost didn't mention (because they have a limited supply and i want to buy every last one), they have a fantastic line of orange blossom, lavender and milk thistle candles. visit them online or make your way there on a monday if you are in the area. it's worth the trek...and in the meantime, LA is lucky to have her.

2009 riverside drive, los angeles, ca 90039

images: me