Darphynia's Diary

My best friend and I now have annual things we go to.  One of them is Renegade Craft Fair in LA.  This past weekend was the summer show, so we went on Saturday.  After having brunch at Crossroads Kitchen (it was pricey, but really good!), we grabbed some tea at Alfred's  and headed over. Renegade is a neat spot where local, small businesses can showcase their wares.  They have everything from home decor to food, jewelry, clothes, etc.  Most everything is handmade, or at least partly handmade.  I love supporting local, small businesses, so I got a couple of things.  I bought a deodorant spray and solid from Cee Cee & Bee , a cold brew bottled coffee from Knight Owl Coffee ,  washable face pads from Facekins  (you can read my review  here ), and some Health-Ade kombucha because I like the taste.  It was hot (of course it was; it's SoCal in July), but not as bad as last year.  The prices for the products can be a bit...

Very few things in life get me excited.  Artisanal LA is one of those things.  It is a really fun event with local, small business vendors selling their wares.  My best friend and I went to their holiday show (read more about that here ), and it was a blast!  We are going again in April, so this post will be updated with all the happenings at the show.  I will have to remember to take an ice chest with me.  You never know what you're going to find!  What are you most looking forward to seeing?

This weekend my friend and I attended Artisanal LA (thank you, Connie!!).  It was so much fun. Artisanal LA was held at the LA Mart, now called The Reef.  The Reef combines the LA Mart, Maker City LA, and Magic Box.  It was over 100 degrees, so we were wuite happy to find that the event was being held indoors.  The second floor housed the various vendors, and I purchased more than I anticipated.  But, then again, doesn't that always happen that these things?  We also ended up spending nearly the entire time there.  It was open from 11am-6pm, and we arrived at around 12pm.   We decided the best thing to do would be to wait to purchase anything until we walked the who show.  Here is some of what we experienced: Califia provides almond milk, juices, coffee, and other non-dairy beverages.  In all honesty, I am not a fan of their almond milk.  It reminds me of colored water.  That being said, I really li...

Shiran, the creator of the Urban Raven, transforms seemingly useless junk into wearable works of art. Image courtesy of Shiran Tal @ Urban Raven Image courtesy of Shiran Tal @ Urban Raven Business establishment : I live in Zichron Yaakov, Israel and founded Urban Raven in 2013 While studying industrial design at HIT College, I became interested in jewelry design and began learning it on my own. It became a true passion, so I ended my studies in industrial design and am currently a goldsmith student. Ever since I was a child, I always loved design and working with my hands, but I never thought I would be doing it for a living. I was introduced to the world of upcycling after I had already begun experimenting with jewelry making and it was a god sent! It led me to creative searches through the flea market in Yafo (Jaffa) where I looked for items I could reinvent and sell to pay off my student loans. Unfortunately, even at the flea market, the items were too ...

The older I get, the more my skin changes.  I went from never breaking out to breaking out (I guess my skin is making up for lost time), and I HATE it.  Nature's Chemist provides high-quality, organic, 100% pure essential oils to combat skin concerns.  Dr.  Lori Culberson, founder of Nature's Chemist, received her PhD in chemistry, and knows exactly what works.  She took the time to research the combinations and quantities of oils to create the most effective skincare.   Image courtesy of Nature's Chemist I must admit that I am fairly new to face oils.  I always thought that it would just leave my skin feeling like an oil slick...boy, was I wrong!  Not only have the breakouts all but stopped, I also don't have the dry patches that I did before, and the oils are very lightweight.  Prior to my absence, I was in the mountains, which completely dried out my skin (have you noticed that?).  These oils saved my face.  They als...

While at one of Whimsic Alley's craft fairs, I came upon a shop with some of the cutest earrings I've ever seen!  They are all inspired by something, whether it is a T.V. show or beloved cartoon.  The Nerdy But Still Girly (formerly known as WenSi Creation), was founded around 2011 by Shelly and her cousin, Wen Wen.  They, along with the design team, create products that are "For fan girls, by fangirls," hence the motto.  Shelly was kind enough to take the time to complete an interview:      In one word, how would you describe your current customers? Bacon Please describe the process behind the establishment of your business (i.e. How the concept came about, the mission/purpose of your business, etc.). I bought Wen Wen some necklaces and she said to me, "I can teach you how to make these". I went kinda crazy and started making things I really want but cannot find.  How would you describe the relationship amongst your staff (...