As promised, here's the guest post written by Justina and Jessi:
Whenever I think of LA, I think of the “land of dreams”. I’m
a huge reality TV junkie, and all of my favorite “guilty pleasure” shows are
filmed in LA (i.e. Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, The
Bachelor, Vanderpump Rules… the list could go on and on). So, when Mal moved to
LA, I knew I HAD to make it a point to go out and see the dream city and catch
up with my long lost grandbaby (Chi O family).
We packed a lot into 5 short days and it turned out to be
one of my favorite vacations to date. Mal is by far the best host/tour guide
around and we were so fortunate that she not only made an itinerary for trip
but ALSO a packing guide! Gosh, she’s the best.
I will try and highlight the things that Mal did not cover in
her previous post to keep you entertained! I’m going to warn you though – I’m a talker, so this will not be short and sweet.
We were welcomed by Mal and glorious 70-degree LA weather Wednesday
night and headed straight for a late dinner, wine and much needed catch up
session. TOI Tai was exactly what I envisioned for an LA restaurant – we even
got the prime seating spot on the floor… it was great!
Toi Thai Restaurant
Thursday morning we took Mal to work and then stopped at a cute
little restaurant, Toast for brunch. The rest of the day was ours to
explore West Hollywood and The Grove that is down the street from Mal’s place.
We knew that Extra! tapes during the day, and I made it a mission to find the
setup! We definitely lucked out and not only got to see Mario Lopez and Maria Menounos,
but we got to MEET them, be on the show, answer the “Question of the Day” AND
receive a FREE pair of Chloe sunglasses. Totally unexpected and TOTALLY
awesome. My vacation was already made!
Filming Extra! with Mario Lopez.
We met Mal for lunch at her favorite nearby spot, Lemonade, to tell her all about our unbelievable afternoon. This place was so cute –
yummy salads galore! This was Jessi’s favorite restaurant we ate at during our
trip. “The concept was great - it’s almost as if you’re going to a family
reunion where there are tons of different types of pasta salads and vegetables
to try….yum! The nice staff lets you sample as many as you want before you
make your choice, which was awesome! Plus, there were many different types of
delicious Lemonade, hints the name. That night Mal took us to her S Factor
class… so much fun! I was nervous walking in, but it really was a workout and
was so cool! Jessi was totally in her element! ;)
Lunch at Lemonade!
Friday was the day…. We were going SKYDIVING!!!! For those
that know me, I am not an adrenaline junkie by any means. I’m not a fan
of rollercoasters and heights are not my best friend. But ever since I saw Mal
take the big leap of faith and jump, I just knew I had to do it. So, we made
the trek to Skydive Elsinore (same place Mal and her friends jumped) and WE.
DID. IT!!! It was SUCH a surreal experience and I STILL cannot believe we did
it. I was holding back tears when we landed… not sure if it was from relief or
accomplishment. Either way, it was an experience I will never forget and I am
SO thankful I got to jump with Jessi by my side. I definitely would not have
followed through if it weren’t for her. If you want to see our jump link the
links below!
Before we took off – scared or excited?! You pick!
That night we headed out in West Hollywood to Pink Taco and
a cute bar, The Den, to celebrate! (Side note: Pink Taco = strongest, yummiest
margaritas ever.) Such a fun night out with the girls!
Margaritas at Pink Taco!
Saturday was our “tourist day”. We hiked a gorgeous and
intense (for those of us who don’t work out a on regular basis) hike to the
Griffith Observatory. The view from the top was beautiful. After our hike and
brunch at Los Feliz, we headed to Hollywood Blvd, Beverly Hills (home of my fav.
housewives), and dreamy Rodeo drive.
Jessi, Mal, Justina and Ashley on the top of the Griffith
Observatory hike.
Beautiful day for a hike!
Beverly Hills ... yeah, I could live here.
One of my favorite housewives, Kyle Richards’ store.
Gorgeous (and expensive).
That night we headed out to a nightclub with the gang… AV Nightclub
totally brought back all my favorite memories of Vegas with my Chi O sisters –
a spring break I will never forget!
AV Nightclub with Jessi, Mal and Sydney.
Sunday was beach day! We headed up Pacific Cost Highway to
Malibu for lunch and a little R&R on the beach. On our way back we walked
on the Santa Monica beach – gorgeous! It was exactly how I pictured it. I could
have pitched camp for the reach of the week!
Relaxing in Malibu with the girls.
Catching the sunset in Santa Monica. Love these two.
Sunday night was our last hurrah in LA! We went to the
gorgeous Sur Lounge for a drink and apps. We saw Peter, and I really wish we
would have called him over for a picture. I loved that I was on “the set” of
Vanderpump Rules in real life! SO COOL. See, I’m a reality TV junkie... can’t
help it!
Dining in the outdoor “garden” at Sur Louge.
Later we headed over to an Irish Pub, Rock & Reilly’s to
meet up with some friends and ended up meeting more celebrities! Totally was
not expecting to see any at this bar. We met Max and Jay from The Wanted … I
could have listened to their English accents all night! I recognized a girl that
was siting at our table and told the girls but we could not put our finger on
what she was from…so I went and asked her (thanks to Jessi making me)! It was
Alex Holden from “Sugar & Spice”, “The Hot Chick” and “Friends” (Ross’s
girlfriend), just to name a few. She was super nice and ended up being a
Midwest girl, so we had fun reminiscing about Iowa & Minnesota.
Us with “The Wanted”!
In summary this trip was definitely one for the books and
something I will never forget! I fell in love with LA and know for sure I will
be back sooner than later. Who knows, I may just find myself calling it “home”
someday. Thanks Mal, miss you already!
J&J
