No, not everyone who is gusty enough to take a risk and pursue his or her dreams makes it out on top, but thank goodness for those that do because they give us faith to keep on keepin’ on. That’s how I feel about Erin Pechtel, a San Diego native with a visual design background who has been making leather goods since 2012 and just opened her first flagship location in Del Mar’s Flower Hill Promenade.
With her line boutonné, which is sold across the country as well as in Australia, the UK and Singapore, you’ll find minimalist leather products, from totes to iPad cases, and because she knows all about small business support, she also includes jewelry from local brands in her new store.
Let’s get to know her and how she finds some R&R, shall we?
I’ve seen Desi McKinnon’s jewelry pieces on quite a few women since moving to San Diego. They’re understated and delicate, but eye-catching and outfit-making at the same time. Take these horseshoe earrings, for instance. I love how they’re simple enough to wear throughout the day, but the unique shape begs the question, “Where’d ya get those?” I asked someone that myself recently, and she told me it was a piece by her friend, Desi, a San Diego-based designer with a line of jewelry called Modernist.
Desi also happens to be a blogger, aroma enthusiast and kombucha brewer, too. And today she’s talking about all that and sharing her recipe for “Hindu lemonade.” Take a look:
Even though I’m a writer, I’ve rarely had friends in the biz. My best childhood friends are doctors, my college friends are techies and engineers, and my boyfriend is a Wall Streeter-turned-entreprenuer. I love that they expose me to new ideas and prevent me from talking shop after hours, but meeting U-T San Diego reporter Katherine Harvey reminded me that it’s pretty amazing to have a friend who speaks the same career lingo.
The Birmingham-bred writer worked at an Alabama newspaper before moving to Hawaii to write for the Honolulu Civil Beat, where she won tons of accolades for her work. Now she covers small business and retail for the U-T, San Diego’s major paper, and—get this—has a bone broth business with her husband.
Today she talks about canine therapy, the great outdoors and her chef husband.
There are two things I love about the new boutique Hi Sweetheart. One is the sunny, well-curated collection of home decor, kitchenware, gifts, and jewelry. It’s one of those places where I could very well see every single piece finding a home in my apartment. The second is its owner, Molly Rossettie, an Orange County native who just moved back to the West Coast after spending a handful of years between New York and Philadelphia. Even though her background is SoCal, I could feel that East Coast connection as soon as I met Molly. There’s just an instant recognition and familiarity. Plus, she has the best of both worlds: a totally relaxed personality paired with big-city style and sensibility.
So I wanted to find out how a SoCal native is adjusting back to a more laid-back life after living in two of the busiest East Coast cities. Today she shares her favorite La Jolla happy hour spot, Hi Sweetheart’s music playlist, and more.
I know there are some high-fashion devotees here, but rarely do we San Diegans wear heels or traipse around in splashy dresses for brunch like I sometimes would in New York. Just after moving here and obersving my surroundings, I finally bought T-shirts after years of blouses and “tops.” All that to say, San Diego’s dress code is much like our attitude m.o.: laid-back and oh-so-relaxed. Not a bad thing, but sometimes I miss the fun of fashion.
So that’s why meeting someone who says “Eff you” to the status quo is so refreshing. And that’s why I was instantly hooked to Lauren Winget and her style blog, La Petite Winget. In Lauren’s world, neon reigns supreme, patterns are meant to be mixed, and paying full price for something you can make yourself (or with the help of an expert tailor) is just silly. I recently met Lauren at a blogger event, and I must say, girl’s got an unabashed, bold, playful style—and a great sense of humor about it all. For example, she fully cops to wearing little boy suit pants.
Today she talks horses, grilling, and two ridiculously cool pieces she designed with said tailor:
I really needed to get more fellas in this series. And I got us a good one today! Meet Brandon Matzek, a marketing professional by day and food blogger by night. What first grabbed me were Brandon’s images, with their photo studio-esque lighting and expert styling. What grabbed me after was how professional his posts are, and how he expands on them through his Instagram feed, where we learn about the stories, emotion, and love behind the cooking. We also learn about some great new restaurants. True story: I found out about the excellent Mexican wrestling-themed eatery Lucha Libre through his Insta!
I finally met Brandon in person this week at a blogger event, and I can confirm he’s as nice as he is talented. Oh, and he’s a Jersey native like me. Win, win, win! Today Brandon chats about what’s been on his breakfast menu for the last year, his mom’s homemade tomato sauce, and his summer treat of choice.
San Diego is a city of transplants. Sure, there are many whom are born, raised, and never left, but more often than not, I meet people who end up in our sunny city for a job, for a relationship, or for the simple life. And we transplants tend to gravitate towards each other. For example, my neighbor/friend, who moved to San Diego from Chicago via Albuquerque, introduced me to Annie D’Souza, a community manager and blogger, who recently moved to SD from Minneapolis. I’ve had dinner with Annie, chatted over coffee with Annie, and celebrated the New Year with Annie, but best of all, I received a rubber costume horse’s head from Annie. (Don’t ask. It was a Secret Santa thing.)
Like me, Annie balances multiple gigs—including a contributing editor role at Brit + Co.!—with her blog, Worthy Pause, which chronicles her adventures in Paleo cooking and general life musings. Because she seems to do it all so well, I’ve turned to her on more than one occasion for guidance and motivation. Today I turned to her for a different reason—to ask her about her rituals, and as it turns out, this San Diego newbie has carved out quite the routine in her new city.
I follow a lot of wedding planners on Instagram and Pinterest not because I’m itching to walk down the aisle, but because a part of me daydreams about becoming an event designer. Let’s be real though, I’d be kind of terrible at it. I don’t love working weekends, I crave a regular schedule, and I’m not the strongest of leaders. So you can understand why I like to live vicariously through them.
Writing for a wedding magazine has helped introduce me to more and more of these peops, and that’s how I stumbled upon Bloem Hill, an Encinitas-based floral design studio led by Nicole Moser. Her bouquets range from rustic and colorful to sleek and monochromatic. Luckily for us, she’s happy to impart her wisdom and recently taught a floral design workshop in partnership with Urban Craft Camp. Plus, she’s a San Diego gal through and through, so I wanted to get to know her a wee bit better.
Today she chats about traveling alone, color-spotting, and the next White Flag event. If you don’t know what the White Flag is, you must read ahead.
