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A Great Gifting Trend and 3 Fun Ways To Do It

It's All About The Experience

I love giving gifts...I love, love, love it. It's is so much fun to just nail it. And while there is no shortage of amazing gift ideas, especially in LA, sometimes an "experience" is a little bit more the right thing. So today, 3 ideas for the person in your life who likes to explore and discover. I hope they make your list too! Enjoy... xx -e

Posted on November 28th, 2011

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Ready, Set, Roe: Petrossian Caviar Tasting VISIT WEBSITE | LOCATION: Petrossian West Hollywood 321 North Robertson Boulevard, West Hollywood [WeHo]Petrossian....decadent, luxe and full of splurges like the delicious, Kaluga (not Beluga) Caviar at $294 for just over 1 oz. Ok, so that may not be an every day purchase but now, you can have...and gift...the Petrossian experience at a more budget-friendly price tag. I recently popped-in on one of Petrossian's signature, Caviar Tastings, which is now one of my absolute favorite gift ideas. GM and Caviar Expert, Chris Klapp, is sharp, lively, full of great info and at $35 a piece, you can afford to buy a tasting for two! HOT TIP FROM MY TASTING: For your next party, try a Transmontanus Caviar…it's Delicious and priced right from $59 per oz. or go in and see Chris...he always has a great idea or two to share.
Nursery School: Rolling Greens Arrangement Bar VISIT WEBSITE | LOCATION: Rolling Greens 7505 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles [Beverly, Mid City]It's no secret I love Rolling Greens. Their curation is thoughtful, the environment calming and creative. The aesthetic makes me just plain want to move in. But my favorite discovery is their Arrangement Bar, which has made it to the top of my gift list (both to give and receive)! The bespoke experience allows you to create a custom planted arrangement, perfect for someone who is a Nester or Entertainer. The process is artistic but simple…you collaborate with one their Baristas, who will help you hand pick a vessel (or bring one of your own), refine your vision, choose your plants and finally, arrange them for you in the natural, sculptural, signature style of Rolling Greens. For as little as $35, you can get your hands dirty, without getting your hands dirty. Love this gift.
Making Perfect Scents: The Scent Bar at Strange Invisible AND Custom Botanical Fragrances by Persephenie VISIT STRANGE INVISIBLE | LOCATION: Strange Invisible, 1138 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Venice [Abbot Kinney] VISIT PERSEPHENIE | LOCATION: Persephenie Studio 304 South Edinburgh Ave, Los Angeles [3rd Street]I am not normally a perfume girl...scents have always given me headaches, which is why I was excited to share these two discoveries. I recently visited the Scent Bar at the botanical perfumerie, Strange Invisible, on Abbot Kinney [top photo]. Perfumer, Founder and frankly, Artist, Alexandra Balahoutis, has created a collection of delicate and nuanced blends using only natural botanicals….no headache-ey synthetics or animal essences at all. Plus, the packaging is so refined you'll want to drink them...don't do that. More to the point, the experience of sitting at the bar and exploring fragrance compositions is just dreamy. Experience it yourself or Gift a scent for about $135 and up, and let your friend drift into a choice that's all her own. If is a Bespoke Scent you're after but Strange Invisible's $4500-$6000 price tag is a bit out of reach, then Pesephenie on Edinburgh (off of 3rd street), is another great discovery [middle photo]. Persephenie is an Aromatherapist, a Botanical Perfumer and even does some teaching of these crafts. Her private Apothecary is filed with hundreds of raw materials for creating custom, botanical fragrances and her Studio in back, is where this eco-chemist performs her magic. Persephenie begins with an in-depth exploration of top, middle and base notes, designed to create a personal fragrance profile. Then, while you window shop, she will dream-up an artisinal scent made just for you....$275 for consultation and first blend and when you run out, it's $175 for your next bottle. PS: Persephenie has designed a beautiful line of earthy-modern ceramic incense burners and oil diffusers that are worth a peak as well (bottom photo).