Abbot Kinney Holiday Strolling

Well, maybe it was bright, sunny and pretty warm this last weekend, but that didn't stop Venice from kicking off the Holiday Season with some good old fashioned neighborhood fun - and SNOW! The Abbot Kinney Holiday Stroll was adorable again this year, and just made me so happy and grateful that we here in Venice really do have a sense of community, and aren't afraid to have a good time together, whatever the time of year.



For the second year, the Brig filled up their parking lot with snow and let kids more accustomed to boogie boards and sand fly down the icy, snow covered hay bales that stood in for the real sliding hills that these kids have mostly never seen.


Carolers belted out a catchy tune about Christmas on Abbot Kinney, the food trucks rolled in - as usual, they covered up the infamous Brig camel-toe with a bow for the occasion ...


... there was a little holiday craft area for kids ...


... and the cutest, happiest Santa Claus ...


... listened as the kids made their toy requests and pulled on his beard.


Neighbors stopped and talked, shoppers juggled their bags and their coffee cups, dressed up dogs went on a parade up and down the boulevard ...


and wound up back at Robin's Sculpture Garden for music and aerial circus fun.


Fun, in fact, was the entire day's m.o., and it was evident everywhere you looked.

Michelle the Elf greeted you at the decked out Zingara, where we popped in to get some apple cider and look at all the great gift ideas. Firefly, Ananda, Huset, and Principessa were also tied for trying to kill me with cuteness the most. Most of the shops were decorated by now for the Season, and added to the festive atmosphere with their twinkling lights as the sun set ever earlier.


These magical times fly by in the hustle and bustle of trying to get everything done, and it's days like this that remind us to stop and enjoy it all, and indeed have some FUN.


As I stood on the corner and looked at it all going on around me, I stopped and thought the thought that I so often do ... I love Venice.


Happy Holidays!! May they be merry and bright wherever you are.

Venice Village

Venice was a real village this past weekend. A real small town vibe permeated all the proceedings, beginning with First Fridays. The Abbot Kinney merchants finally banded together to get a No Parking permit for the evening, so no cars - or Food Trucks - were allowed to park on the Boulevard from 4-11 pm. It was SO much better, I can't begin to praise the businesses enough. I could actually MOVE down the sidewalks! I could see friends ACROSS the street and wave to them, unblocked by massive food peddlers and their lines. The stores were PACKED - with actual shoppers doing shopping! - proving wrong anyone who thought the dang trucks brought more business with them.


The sole defiant business, touting "We Support Food Trucks" right on their windows was Trim, who must have their reasons, but everyone else I spoke to were SO much happier with the night, and the business they did (and I suspect Trim might change their tune as well if it were a mobile hair salon parked out front of their space).


There were still food trucks if you needed to eat off a grill that has no health regulations whatsoever, but they were all parked at The Brig - per usual. The mist made it feel like you were inside a snow shaker the whole night, as we toasted marshmallows for S'mores at a decked out for the holidays Zingara. We got delicious chocolate at Elvino, who were toasting the season with a fun wine tasting. We stood around the fire pit at Robin's Sculpture Garden where we heard live music again at First Fridays (also at Trim! Also Carolers!). We saw MOSTLY people we knew for a change - some of whom said they hadn't been to a First Friday in months (if not longer), so turned off were they by the trucks. It felt great, and neighborly, and VENICE vs. Carny Fair. I even returned to my bike at the end of the night to find not ONE piece of trash in my basket. For that alone, I hope the Merchants chip in every month for the First Friday parking ban ... because it once again ruled.


Also ruling this weekend was the Holiday Stroll fun that was centered at The Brig. With REAL SNOW! Perhaps feeling some heat from the locals for all those food trucks normally parked there, Brig Dave lent out his normally packed with trucks parking lot to become a Winter Wonderland - complete with snow!


They took a pile of hay bales and covered them up with man-made snow to make a little sledding hill, that the kids super dug (especially since they could be in short sleeved shirts while riding!). One young whippersnapper, who appeared to be about two, kept following me around throwing little icy snowballs at me. I let it slide, as it was pretty exciting.


Carolers caroled, there were holiday arts & crafts projects, and even face painting. The very spare room left over in the lot did allow for a couple food trucks to get in and vend some hot pink chocolate snowball things, and hot dogs. Overall it seemed that everyone pretty much had their socks charmed off. "This is so great" ... "Adorable" ... "This was so nice of them" ... "My kids have never seen snow!" "It feels so small town!" ... were snippets of many conversations I overheard, and that is exactly what I love and try to promote about the special place we live.


The good FAR outweighs the bad. Whatever beefs you have in your corner of the town, about whatever small picture thing, when you see kids of the community beaming with red cheeks from hustling up the slippery hay slope, and people still arriving despite the rain that began to fall (and melt the snow) - in easy strolls, like "who cares about a little rain, check out how fun this is!", and coming out in droves just to enjoy each other and some frivolity, well, you just get it.


It indeed takes a village, and last weekend proved that we have that, in abundance.

Ho Ho Ho!!!

Zingara

You really can't help but to be drawn into the bright shop on Abbot Kinney that is Zingara. It's a "Gypsy Emporium", and that is the perfect name for it (in fact, Zingara IS Italian for "gypsy"). Especially if you've ever strolled by on First Fridays and heard the band that plays on the porch (and now in the backyard because people get uptight about silly stuff), The Petrojvic Blasting Company. They are all straight up Gypsy Balkan Folk jams, and even have a Gypsy Caravan they brought over from Europe, that for now is living in Zingara's backyard.


Donna Humphrey grew up in L.A., and lives in Venice. She used to have an Espresso Bar in Culver City and then sold that to open what would become Zingara on the Boardwalk. She had her booth down at the beach for 6 months (and loved it - besides the moving everything in and out every day), until she found the little cottage on Abbot Kinney (formerly The Goddess) where her lovely store now resides.


Her Grandma on her Mother's side was a gypsy, and Donna was always drawn to that Bohemian, International eclectic vibe that one conjures up with the word "gypsy". It shows in both her decor and her merchandise. Brightly colored everything beckons to you from the sidewalk. Once inside the door, you're not sure what to look at first, it's all so fun and interesting. Her criteria for what she wants in her store are basically these three things: Authentic (no mass produced schlock). Fair Trade (very important. nothing from a dang sweat shop). Handcrafted (the more local, the better). It's a little like taking a trip around the world in there, and you can tell by the quality of everything, that Donna sticks to her guns about her basic business tenets.

Of these things, the one that I covet most is the custom ordered (of a million color and finish swatch possibilities) Clog Boots by Sven (of Minnesota, y'all!). I want the boots, but you can get them in normal clogs, different heights, furry stuff inside or not, and in honestly every color - even metallics - of the spectrum. Dope. And good for your posture.


The kid room is precious, filled with hand-knit sweaters from South America, little clogs, darling tights, fun shoes, little embroidered tunics, and whimsical little toys from all over the place. You can doll up your little one, while feeling pretty decent that you supported an actual artisan that was paid a decent wage.


There is a transformed bathroom/showroom full of aquatic themed ornaments and trinkets, and a kitchen with decorations and vintage aprons to present to a fun hostess.


Donna accepts items from local craftspeople and designers, and there is fun evidence of that all around, from jewelry to hats and gloves, and clothes re-fashioned and made new again from vintage pieces. Meaning one of a kind, and we all like to not look like everyone else, I hope.


When I asked Donna how she finds all the goods, she said, "Actually, things find me." I like that. And I like the Ulf Andersson dresses, the real Espadrilles from Spain (on sale!), the Masai beaded sandals from Kenya, the sweater with an Airstream trailer printed on cashmere, the plastic floor mats from Thailand that look like rugs, the Papal Picado - punched paper art from Mexico that adorns the whole store (see, you also learn things while there!), and again ... those sirens of my shoe world, the Sven clog boots.


Donna loves the COMMUNITY of Venice, and said that those who move in and don't get it, usually leave. True. She opens her store for First Fridays Fun every time (with that great band AND S'mores!), but also has that big, lovely backyard that she's open to having as a community meeting place, for non-profits, parties, etc ... and share the warmth that her entire space exudes. She's the Chairwoman of the Abbot Kinney Fest this year too, and informed me, which I didn't exactly know, that the Festival ITSELF is a non-profit. All the profits from that blast of a day go back to the community through a Grant process that local organizations can apply for ... ALL in Venice. In talking about that fact, Donna said, "This is Venice."


For Donna, Venice is also the ocean and the beach, the local Mountains (which she adores), and the Canal Club Happy Hour, all of which I will concur with. So maybe throw on something colorful from Zingara, ride your bike down to the beach for sunset, and wind up at the Canal Club for a Happy Hour mango margarita (or your own poison), and imagine yourself a real Gypsy. A Venice Gypsy.


Zingara
1507 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Venice
310.392.6424
www.Zingaratrading.com