Holiday in the Park
Oct 30, 2012
Holiday in the Park
For info on stores, guests, and music visit the Holiday in the Park website!
Read more...
For info on stores, guests, and music visit the Holiday in the Park website!
Read more...
Audrey K’s Holiday Gift Guide
Oct 11, 2012
With the holidays hastily closing in, finding the right
gifts can be ever so tricky. You know
what it feels like to get that annoying present that you will never use, and
ends up being shoved in a drawer to be re-gifted for next season. Don’t make yourself that person, or you’ll never be invited to another Christmas event
again!
Audrey K, a small store tucked away in the heart of Burbank, aka: the vintage
capital of the world, has been working vigorously the last several months to
incorporate a home and gifts section to her already eclectic yet retro
boutique. Owner Audrey, has curated a
mix of clothing, accessories, gifts and home accents to create a compendium of
amazing finds that she not only buys for her store but also owns, uses, or
wears in her day to day life.
Like walking into a mini Anthropologie, Audrey’s tres chic
shop, is filled with an array of vintage inspired trinkets, feminine dresses
and aprons that should only be worn with stilettos. Not to mention the wall of
quirky and poignant gifts that are both affordable and always intended to
delight. While Oprah and Gayle have their favorite picks, Audrey has her own favorite
products that she recommends for all the ladies (and some gents) on your gift
list this year, including yourself.
Here’s a list of 16 of Audrey’s favorite things in the
store, half of which are only under $15!
Audrey’s Favorite Picks:
1. Mine Design Metal Gumball Candle in Wild Persimmon $21.50
One part color, one part scent, a whole
lot of fun!
2. PanAm Bags $65-$85 Now
you too can rock the skies like your favorite 1960s Jet Age stewardesses.
3. Tokyo Milk Perfume
in Dead Sexy #6 $30 This perfume invigorates the senses with deep vanilla notes and touched
with white orchids.
4. Besame Lip Color
in Red Hot Red $22: Nothing is more reminiscent of the 1940s like this classic all American
red lipstick
5. Outrageous and
bitingly witty books $9.50-$24 Including
Boo: Little Dog in the Big
City, Photobooth Dogs, Fortune
Telling Birthday Book and How to Swear Around the World.
6. Aprons
$29.95-$59.95 Whether you’re in the half apron or the full apron, nothing will make
you feel sexier making Holiday Ham than these
feminine beauties.
7. Bottari Wallets
$39.95 This double sided zip up wallet
can fit your entire world and still look good doing it.
8. Fringe Studio
Glassware $29.95-59.95 Adorned with
classic motifs and vintage elements of nature, the Fringe rectangular vases are
incredibly unique and wonderfully colorful.
Gifts Under $15
1. Greeting Cards: $3.25-$4.50 These
not so Hallmark greeting cards not only say Happy Birthday, but they also
scream you’re worth something unique and special!
2. Hipster Travel Tin Candles in Belgian Berry Hipster
$11.50 Bring home a little whimsical fun
with these nostalgic symbol prints tin candles.
3. Scarves $11 Whether around your neck, up in your hair,
or framing your waist, these light weight satin scarves come in an assortment
of fun patterns and colors.
4. Voet Lingerie for your Toes $15 Never feel insecure about your pedi again! Just slip on some lace toe
lingerie and even your heels will be blushing.
5. Felt Camera Cases $8.50 Cozy up your camera into this hand stitched hipster felt protective
covering.
6. Twos Company
Skulls & Roses Stud Earrings $9.50 Hand
painted sugar skull stud earrings with a splash of vibrant colors.
7. Purse Sized Emery
Boards $5.95 These tiny 12 packs of nail
filers are the perfect size to stash in your purse and are labeled with
hilariously sassy quotes like “Stop me before I volunteer again.”
8. Pinup Girl Lip
Balm $3.95 Made from all natural bee’s
wax and coconut oil and infused with intriguing scents and vitamin E, this
sassy lip balm will leave your lips as luscious as Grace Kelly’s.
Whether you’re checking off recipients on your Christmas
list, or just shopping for self fulfillment, it’s guaranteed that you’ll be
saying “I have to have this!” more than once.
If you can imagine a place where nostalgic fashions meet
retro art, then you’ve found yourself at the one and only Audrey K.
Located at 3414
W. Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank, Ca 91505
(818) 558-1733
|
Read more...
Burbank Books & Antiques
Jun 9, 2012
There is something magical about the feeling of an old book
lying open in your hands; the rough leather bookbinding dances across the
textures of your fingertips as the musty aroma spills off the page and fills
your nostrils, only to alarm you that what you are holding can only be that of
an ancient book.
Today, with technology produced devices like the Nook and
Kindle, we have forgotten what it is like to be in love with a book, not just
for the miraculous words that hold it together, but for the history that the
book lived, the distance traveled, and the hearts it warmed for so many years.
In Magnolia Park, a quaint shopping community in the heart of Burbank that prides
itself on fine antiques and handmade art, a special little bookstore has
sprouted, called Burbank Books & Antiques.
With 60% of indie bookstores closing across the nation in the past 6-7
years, Burbank
is lucky for this brick and mortar store to call it home.
Owners, Adrian and Alice Danescu, opened the
store front just a few weeks ago, but have been selling online for over 10
years. With 35 years of experience, and
being the third generation book seller, the couple has learned a lot about the
trade during their younger years in Europe
where they still go to shop.
Burbank Books specifically sells rare antique books dating
back to the 16th century, over 4,000 contemporary first edition books
from authors as well known as Anne Rice, Tom Clancy, and Stephen King, and a
large collection of signed first edition books.
Come in and run your fingers over the spot where Nobel Prize and
Pulitzer Prize winner, Toni Morrison, signed her masterfully written novel,
Sula.
Not only collectors, but all book
enthusiasts alike will find a signed first edition that catches their eye. You can find everything from John Updike,
Henry Miller, Nicholas Sparks, J.K. Rowling, Arthur Miller, and the Dalai Lama.
Nothing comes closer to a time machine then when you’re
standing in the store holding rare books and first editions by Mark Twain, Charles Dickens,
and John Milton. But that’s not
all! Books are not even the half of
it. Linger through the store and enjoy
handpicked art and antiques including tables dating back to the late 1800’s,
Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Americana,
and Pop Culture.
You don’t have to be a
collector or appraiser to truly understand the complexity and raw beauty of the
bronze sculptures and hand-painted porcelain picked out by Alice.
“We care for every item we have in the store, and some of
them spent years in our home before being brought to the store,” says Adrian whose charming
accent and cheerful character make you feel as if you were a guest in their
home not in their store. Come in for a
book and you’ll be leaving with a story.
3429 W. Magnolia Blvd.
(818) 478-5019
Read more...
A World of Color
Apr 24, 2012
Magnolia Blvd. is full of art galleries, and handmade
boutiques, but a new store has opened up on the strip, allowing the customer to
now become the artist.
On February 28th, Silene Flores opened up A World of Color, a unique specialty
store that allows people of all ages and artistic backgrounds to come in and
get in touch with their creative side.
With an array of ceramics pieces to choose from, this new Burbank gem, is the go to
place for a handmade gift for any occasion, whether you want to paint a piggy
bank shaped like an airplane for a children’s birthday, or customize a platter
as a house warming gift.
“Every year since I was a little girl, my mom would put me
in a class to learn something: wood, metal, crafts,” says Flores, who found her
true passion in the art of ceramics. Although her love for the craft is
evident, Flores is also a big fan of Burbank,
and is very thankful to have opened a store in the city.
Even with no creative background, A World of Color makes everyone who walks through their doors feel
like an artist. In fact, they welcome
any age, as long as they can hold a paintbrush.
The studio is very child friendly, with an assortment of fun items that
kids will enjoy painting including dragons, motorcycles, mermaids, teddy bears,
airplanes, sharks, and more! Flores, who
molds all of the ceramic pieces by hand in the store, adds new items to enjoy
every week.
Once in the studio your first step is to choose your ceramic
piece. Now it’s time to fill your palette
from their assorted rainbow of high quality paints. Pick a few sized paintbrushes, maybe a
stencil or two, and you’re ready to get to work. Let’s not forget to mention the great prices!
The studio fee is only $6 for adults and $3 for kids and all items range from
just $7-20. If you thought that was a
good deal, just wait! On Wednesdays, the
studio fee for kids is waved, and not to mention Ladies Night Out. Except A
World of Color celebrates ladies EVERY Friday of the month with a waved
studio fee as well.
A World of Color
is excited to be a new venue for families and children of Burbank to go to, and is now striving to be a
hot spot for children’s birthday parties, which you can choose to have at the
store, or have the store come to you. “We noticed that the people that live
here are very welcoming. I love that and
I want to thank everyone. I hope people
will come stop by the store and have fun painting with us,” adds Flores who is
planning on putting together a summer kids camp and getting involved with the
neighborhood.
A World of Color
3421 W. Magnolia Blvd.
(888) 551-3581
aworldofcolor.org
A World of Color
3421 W. Magnolia Blvd.
(888) 551-3581
aworldofcolor.org
Read more...
Burbank Woman Follows the American Dream
Jan 16, 2012
One local Burbank woman defies the odds after leaving a Fortune Top 20 company after ten years to follow the American dream and start her own business. Pamela Rondini, like a large percentage of women in professional careers, found herself consumed in a 100+ hour a week job leaving no time to start a family. Rondini, who held the title of Director of Operations in a pharmaceutical company, was the first woman and the youngest person ever to be hired in that position.
Although she had built up a successful career and made a huge leap for women in the workforce, it was the same job that began to slowly eat away at her health and social life. “I didn’t just clock out and go home to a family. My job was my life and it ran me 24/7; all hours of the night to the point that I had no clue who I was anymore,” says Rondini, who even says she worked all day in her hotel room while on a trip to Hawaii with her husband. “With the life I had built, having children was just not an option,” she adds.
After much consideration and an enormous amount of soul-searching, Rondini knew there was only one thing to do. A week after her last official day of work, Pamela hopped on a plane and met with her mother and a friend in Greece where she spent the next three weeks on a Mediterranean cruise. “For the first few days all I could do was sleep. There were so many thoughts going through my head it was hard to sort through them,” says Rondini. “I realized that I had no idea what I liked to do anymore. But what hurt the most is that I had neglected my mother and the people who loved me most of all for over ten years.”
On that three week trip in the warm waters of Greece and the historic ruins of Italy,
Rondini fell in love with life all over again. “I took over a thousand photos,” says Rondini. “I just couldn’t stop.” There in an ancient city, surrounded by handmade pottery, fine art, and the company of her adoring mother, Rondini discovered something she had no idea she was searching for. Pamela Rondini had found peace.
When she returned home, Rondini settled back down to her roots, finding things that brought her joy again and rediscovering elements of her life that had been lying dormant for so many years. “Crafts were always a part of my life,” says Rondini. “Since I was eight creating with my hands was a way to express myself and relieve stress.” So it was to no surprise that Pamela began experimenting with different handmade elements. “Soon I had a room full of colorful artificial flower arrangements. I couldn’t stop buying flowers,” says Rondini. “I wanted to surround myself with pretty things.”
In the beginning of 2011, an idea sparked in Pamela after hearing from multiple artisan friends that there were a lack of venues to sell their handmade art. Thus, Rose Ribbon Inc. was born. With the full support of her family, friends, and loving husband, Rondini grew her company from the ground up and immediately signed up for nine courses through Burbank’s Team Business. Now, almost a year later Rose Ribbon carries a handful of artists with handmade gifts ranging from photography, jewelry, crochet, home décor, wood design, burlap banners, and recycled paper gifts.
All artists are handpicked by Pamela, which allows for a diverse variety of items without being over saturated in a sea of sellers. Rose Ribbon focuses on highlighting each artist and works hard to promote their gifts on all of the leading social media websites. Rose Ribbon does not charge artists to post items on the site, which separates their online gift store from other artist vendor sites. “I want to do everything I can to help make them successful,” says Pamela who has created not only a venue for growing artisans but an entire Rose Ribbon family. They are currently recruiting new artists for 2012 and encourage interested sellers to visit the website for application instructions. “I look forward to adding more artists this year while inspiring people to stay in touch with all the little things they love in life.”
This article may be reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any e-zine, newsletter, blog, or website. The author’s name and links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.
Read more...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
