Koreatown's Silver Lining

I like mostly everything about my job. With one exception.

I work in Koreatown. Many of you who are familiar with this area of Los Angeles are surprised to hear I don't like it - it's known for having a great bar scene, yummy Korean BBQ, and awesome late-night karaoke. But none of those things apply to where my office is located. The area is dirty. It's not safe - everytime I leave my office for lunch, I get approached by a creepy drug addict or random who tries to sell me stolen jewelry (wish I was kidding.) I'm just not a fan of K-Town.

But every cloud has a silver lining. And recently, I came across Koreatown's silver lining...

Whenever I need to drive to the valley straight from work, I take the 101 freeway. In order to bypass a bunch of traffic, I take sidestreets to the entrance ramp. Most of the streets are lined with bodegas, 7-11's, gas stations - nothing I've ever stopped for. But at one intersection, there is a tiny store with a sign outside reading "FURNITURE THRIFT STORE." As a lover of decorating, I always look at the store when I drive by it, but nothing good is ever outside.

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to my mom on the phone while stopped at this very intersection. I mindlessly looked out the window to see what was outside the furniture store, and next to the usual ugly dressers and cabinets, I saw these beauties:

I inched up closer to get a better look. And I liked them. A lot. A LOT. I love kelly green and I could totally see them going great with my brown velvet couch! I told my mom what I was looking at and she urged me to park and go look. But I was in a hurry, I was lazy, and so I didn't bother...

Two days later I was going through my Google Reader checking my favorite blogs, when I clicked on Emily Henderson's blog. Emily won HGTV's Design Star last season and I love her decorating style, so she's a regular read for me. I'm sure you can imagine what happened when I clicked this post and read about her recent thrift store score....

YUP!!!!! Emily drove by my little nothing furniture store and saw the exact same chairs that I loved... but SHE stopped, and SHE got them - for $120 for the set! Un-freaking-heard of. I wish I was kidding when I say that I almost started crying out of frustration. My friend took a look at me and said "WHOA... you need to calm down. Your face is bright red!"

It's been like three weeks and I haven't gotten over the chairs. But I learned a valuable lesson - ALWAYS stop when you see something you love outside a thrift store, no matter what!!!

Which is why today on my lunch break, I was on my way back to the office when I spied something outside the very same store that made me slam on my brakes and practically LEAP out of my vehicle.

Come back tomorrow to see what it was! :)