A while back I met my new friend Teri Bickley to talk about the redesign of this site. We decided to meet up in my favorite coffee shop in Downtown Santa Ana’s Historic District, except I hadn’t ever actually been to that coffee shop in Santa Ana. I go to the one in Costa Mesa all the time. I guess I’d been there a long long long time ago when they first started doing the Art Walks. I always meant to get back there but I never did. This time I took Bug with me and after our meeting we walked around downtown admiring the old architecture and local flavor. I love old towns.

And of course I love The Gypsy Den. I’ve been going there since way back in the day. In fact I think I might have gotten my turquoise gallery wall inspiration from The Gypsy Den. I’ve always loved their walls packed with oil paintings and old rugs. It’s musty and dusty but oh so charming. You just want to curl up with a foamy latte and read a slam book or something.

The little downtown is so cute. I know the revitalizing of that area has had lots of ups and downs and I’m not even going to comment on it but I do love it. The colors, the old buildings. It’s a perfect place to take a stroll on a sunny day.

The artist studios weren’t as inviting as I’d hoped they were. Most of them were vacant. I hear they are hopping at night.

I love the iron work and curlyques everywhere.

And the local flavor is kind of cool too. I kinda want a badass bike from Janet’s Bike Shop.