modern day bullfight

Budget Wedding Discoveries

2012-02-04T12:42:00.000-08:00

In the midst of the wedding planning, I have uncovered some tidbits of information that I found to be useful in regards to planning a wedding on a budget.

1) Skip the Saturday! I know Saturday is such a perfect day to get married. Most folks have Sunday off of work to rest the next day. Also, for your Monday 9 to 5-ers that you have flying in from other cities, a Saturday is perfect for those that have to be mindful of how many days to take off. However, when pricing venues here in Los Angeles, I was surprised to see such a price difference for Saturday. I can't speak for all venues, but the location we chose, Marvimon House, deciding to have the ceremony and reception on a Friday night rather than Saturday saved us a pretty penny. Had we been willing to do the wedding on a Thursday, we would have saved even more. However, with our work schedules and those of our guests, this wasn't an option with the amount of out of towners on our list.

2) Multiple Cakes! While we haven't secured a cake yet, we have found out that they are pretty pricey if one has a typical fancy and multiple tiered cake in mind. In my cake searches, I have seen many weddings have multiple small cakes in lieu of the big one. This way you can appease different tastes and also save some serious cash. Some places here in LA that we are looking at are Lark Cake Shop and Delilah's. We are also planing on having additional goodies like Mexican Wedding Cookies!

3) Invitations....make 'em! It does't hurt to have a crafty friend here, I'll be honest. Having gone to art school, I am surrounded by creatives! This makes the homemade invitation thing a bit easier to digest, but fear not....it is not that difficult. Just time consuming. If you have patience and some basic organizational skills, this is an areas to save some serious cash. A simple google search for "DIY wedding invites" will pull up several ideas as simple as cute xeroxes all the way to hand made letterpressed invites for those rare folks with access to a press.

4) Dress. I am still on this one, but what I have learned is that one can find BEAUTIFUL white evening dresses in the fancy section of upscale department stores. Because they are not "wedding" dresses (although some look just like them....) they are considerably less expensive. I have my heart set on a BHLDN dress but an torn with the idea of buying the dress without having the ability to try it on. And it is not one that could really qualify as a budget dress! ;)

I'll post more as I continue may way through this process!!!

When I have a migraine I only want to eat crackers.

2012-01-23T19:46:00.001-08:00

For real. As soon as the nausea fades away, I am ready to eat crackers. Saltines, cheez-its, or a plain potato chip. There is something crave-worthy about them. French fries also always sound good as well. It is weird. I will still have the headache and mild stomach issues, but for some reason the salty snacks never bother. I always thought this was a bit odd, but never put too much thought into during the 10 some odd years that I have been dealing with headaches of this caliber. Until today.

Just as I was walking out the door this morning, I began to see the all too familiar zig zags invade my field of vision. Knowing what was in store, I returned back inside, replaced the work clothes with some Pj's and sent out a quick email to my boss alerting her that I would be late. After a 2 hour time period of zero movement, I was ready to try to head out again....full headache in swing. However, at this point the aura and nausea was pretty much over. Surprisingly, I did pretty well today at work. Kept my focus playing Trouble, used the hot glue with one of my 6th graders like a champ and almost followed a tutorial on how to play Yu-gi-oh cards. Almost. At least I could claim ignorant adult on that one. Around 1:25, I took a trip to the cafeteria and ordered a baked potato. The only thing that was calling my name.

For some reason when I came home today, I thought about the cracker and potato cravings that I always get. I literally googled "why do I want crackers after a migraine" and I came across this lovely passage on the Livestrong site:

Starchy Foods
High fiber and starchy foods have been found to reduce pain and help with nausea during migraines, based on research from the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine. Eating potatoes, rice, pasta, crackers and toast may help relieve migraine symptoms. The Nutrition Research Center reports that wheat can be a trigger for some individuals, so avoid wheat products if it is determined to be an issue.

Interesting.........so there is a method to the madness!

Onward to the Invitations........

2012-01-22T19:59:00.000-08:00

In keeping with the Mexican wedding theme already established by the save the date cards, I decided to work with the Loteria cards that I had earlier purchased. After a few days of unsuccessfully putting together mock up and assemblies, I enlisted the help of my good friend Nick. Nick and I had collaborated on several projects in the past from playing in bands together to working on projects during art school. If there ever was a creative problem, Nick is who you want to help solve it.

Immediately, we decided that using the Loteria cards as a backing to the invite was the way to go. What took some playing around was how to get the gold band on the top and bottom of the card. We bought some foil tape at Michaels but realized after trying some out that it was not going to cut the mustard. Luckily, Nick has an arsenal of supplies in his truck including both gold spray paint and painters tape...specifically frog tape. Fully fueled on churros and Mexican cokes, we returned from Olvera street with 40 miniature sarapes and were ready to start spraying.

Taping off the edges with frog tape

These will be the RSVP cards. One Loteria card per RSVP. Both sides have the gold bands and the flip side will eventually have the RSVP info done in stamp format akin to the save the dates

The invite. The bingo side is the back while the side with the gold bands and sarapes will house the info (time, place, etc). Again, the info will be hand lettered and put into stamp format like the save the dates.

History Museum

2012-01-20T19:37:00.000-08:00

Today our school took a trip to the Natural History Museum here in Los Angeles. While I took an arsenal of photographs, very few of them are without kids so I will leave you with this one above. And perhaps this one below:

Save the Date cards....FIN!

2012-01-10T20:56:00.000-08:00

So the cards are done! David had a good idea of using a custom stamp to print all the info on each card. I designed an image that would compliment the papel picado on the top and we scanned the image to . The stamp arrived last night in the mail and excitement had me stamping, assembling and gluing until way past my bed time.

Ideas

2012-01-02T21:17:00.000-08:00

Rose Parade Preview

2011-12-30T20:41:00.001-08:00

Today I wen't with David and his parents to the Rose Parade float decorating event which is going on in well, several locations around Pasadena. We headed over to the Rose Bowl where we got a good look at a couple of the floats before they head out onto Colorado Blvd on Monday. The behind the scenes peek was nothing short of impressive. All of the decorations have to be natural materials hence the millions of roses and flowers that don the floats and cars. In addition to the floral findings, we saw fruit, bark and even potatoes (as cobblestones on the Cal-Poly float!) used as decor. Many of the solid color patches on the floats are actually tiny shreds of flower petals dusted over the surface. Hundreds of volunteers were sitting at folding tables snipping tips of flowers into color coded boxes.

Love

2011-12-29T23:10:00.000-08:00

Inspiration! DIY Mexican Themed Wedding Invitations

2011-12-29T16:04:00.000-08:00

Well, technically, these aren't the invitations....they are going to end up being our 'Save the Date' cards. However, elements from my shopping down at Olvera Street and Paper Source will have their presence in the invites as well. Just not sure exactly how. What I do know is that I picked up some of these goodies for a pretty good bargain.....I just have to be able to dedicate the time in the next couple weeks to assemble, design and mail these babies out.

David suggested a really cool idea of creating a stamp with all the important information via this site. I did some researching and found other folks who did some things very similar and they all looked incredible! A great blend of mixing a hand crafted feel with something sleek like a print.

Will share the outcome when it happens!

an honest to goodness update

2011-12-28T23:45:00.001-08:00

Aside from posting some pictures of holiday fun, I really haven't written much on here lately. The primary reason news has been absent from the site is because its real life feed has been running on extreme. From end of year business at not one but two jobs, coming down with a 24 hour bug, travelling, engagement and wedding planning, running a PR at the Christmas Run to well, assembling everyday nuts and bolts.

I have a tiny window of time before the New Year to take care of housekeeping tasks such as dismantling the christmas tree as well as larger scale things such as securing a date and location for a June wedding. As I waded into the shallow end of the waters of the wedding world, I quickly realized that I am behind a pack of swimmers who have already perfected their front stroke. Venues are booked months in advance at some places....and when I say months, perhaps I should upgrade the unit of measurement to years to illustrate the point. However, it is what it is and I am ready to make the most of it and have fun while doing so.

I start back part time coaching with The Help Group tomorrow and then back to full time at the school on Tuesday. Once Tuesday hits it will be go-go-go for the next 6 months. No joke.

Despite all the hullabaloo, I still am planning on keeping at my running. Christmas Day, I ran around Black Mountain in Cave Creek Arizona for a 9 mile trail/hill terrain workout. Prior to that, the big running news was that I ran the Venice Christmas Run and averaged a 8:16 pace for a 10K PR of 51: 16. Boom! Could not believe it! I just returned from the track workout at Caltech and left feeling positive about the workout despite having tummy pains due to a spicy Mexican lunch. Up on deck is the 13.1 Half on January 15th. We shall see how this goes.......

PS....Check out the cute design on the Christmas Run shirts:

smiles

2011-12-28T15:16:00.000-08:00

Marvimon

2011-12-27T22:11:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday I have booked an appointment to check out the Marvimon House as a potential wedding location. While it may be a bit more than ideal budget wise, it surpasses any aesthetic expectation I had in mind. Succulent walls, taxidermy, vintage lanterns and well, it used to house Italian race cars in the 20's. Hopefully the dates and times will work in our favor.......

Holiday Story

2011-12-27T21:19:00.001-08:00

Well, I finally returned to the land of Pacific Standard Time. It was a bittersweet return that was full of both the excitement of being in my own home as well the sadness of leaving friends and family, some of whom I really only get to see once yearly. Tis the season of love though with the recent engagements of both me and David and also Danielle and Morgan. Here are some candids as Danielle and Morgan share the news to friends:

exhausted

2011-12-08T20:49:00.001-08:00

i have had one sort of week. not bad. not great. i guess a week with what feels like a hundred completely different experiences and not al all mine. i have been witness to some pretty unique stories and events with my 2o some clients this week. if my ethics were out the window, i would be sharing those experiences with you, reader, but nay......professionalism sure is a bore.

Update: New gear, new injuries, new frustration.....

2011-11-20T09:02:00.000-08:00

Lets start with the good: I picked up a cute Asics running bag at A Runner's Circle. Going to workouts at places that originate elsewhere than my home require carrying gear. My cute totes, while stylish, just don't cut the mustard as most of them are sans zippers. I had checked out a couple places, both in person and on-line and realized that the Asics bag was the way to go. Size wise, durability and price. Sure, the North Face duffles were kind of the best, but I could use the 50 price difference to do something else....like buy more vinyl (more on that later). And more importantly, Asics has for me, proven to be the best running shoe out on the market. For that, I will gladly carry a bag that dons the mark of the brand.

With speak of new workouts, I should give a shout out to the Los Feliz Flyers Running Group. I decided to be adventurous and join a group that both suited my running needs and more importantly, crazy schedule. The Flyers have a 2 hour run at the Caltech track each Wednesday night starting at 6:30. The first 30 minutes are for the runner to do 2 or so easy miles on the track and then at 7 , the club breaks off into groups to do more structured runs focused on improving speed, technique etc. For the first workout, we did what was called a 23232. Two laps, rest. 3 laps rest then two laps...you get the idea. Having a coach call your splits really hit home how fast I used to be! The group rocks and I am really glad I took a risk and went solo to the run.

The downside is that the track workout coupled with an increase in both Spin and Yoga has taken a toll.....on my right rotator cuff. Thursday's hellish commute home on Interstate 10 was amplified by the fact that I all of a sudden had a decrease in mobility in my right arm. When I got home, I realized that the mobility loss was also accompanied by shooting pain which unfortunately got worse overnight. A trip to Kaiser on Friday diagnosed me with an inflammation in the cuff and sent me home with a both prescription for Advil as well as a runners worst nightmare.....rest. I will be starting physical therapy in the next week. An evaluation with the sports medicine doctor is also in order. I can jog lightly, but no overhead activity (Spin, Yoga) for a couple weeks. Argh.

And when to schedule these new and temporarily routine appointments? I need to do some serious schedule changes pronto......

Keep you posted.

Zinfandel Pot Roast....in the Le Creuset!

2011-11-06T20:29:00.000-08:00

Perhaps it was the winter weather, but I finally busted out the Le Creuset. The last time we used the lil' guy was at New Year's Eve when we made Coq Au Vin. Not being such a natural in the kitchen, I found myself flipping through my Art of Braising cookbook and found a delicious pot roast recipe almost identical to this one. The roast, while taking about 45 minutes of face time, required a full three hours in the oven. While it may not be a great everyday recipe, it served to be perfect for a cold Sunday evening. Now we have delicious leftovers for days to come.

Runner's Diet

2011-10-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

I must admit.....while I enjoy eating healthy, it hasn't been a consistent practice of mine. Many things in the past have impacted my stray from the better foods, most of all, time. Oh....and laziness too. Just a couple weeks ago instead of walking across the street to the Vons near my work, I opted for a Pop Tart to satisfy my need for sugar. Breakfast has tended to be something of an afterthought while racing to leave my house by 6:18AM and typically pops into my head while in line at the Starbucks as the muffins and chocolate croissants glare me in the eye. My AM willpower has traditionally been stronger and rarely did I fall victim to one of of those S.O.B.'s. I was on a big Luna Bar kick but recently, I realized that processed soy is not a friend to the migraines so away they went.

So here I am. Very serious about running my first marathon in roughly 20 weeks and in a total rearrangement of lifestyle choices from sleep, to schedule and now, diet. I have been reading up on running diets and interestingly enough, many of the foods listed are also ones that are suggested for migraine sufferers such as Omega 3 fatty acids. I had just recently stocked up on the Bob's Red Mill Muesli (contains all the grains plus the miracle flaxseed!) and have been religiously eating it in yogurt each morning. There. That covers a healthier breakfast!

With the importance placed on the Omega 3's, I have been eating fish on a more regular basis. Tuna and Cod Fillets are what are easiest. I have been buying the frozen breaded fillets from Whole Foods and found them to be great with some lemon and a side of veggies. Probably not as good as fresh frozen but there is that time complication of mine! I have also been making an honest effort to get more fresh fruits and juices. Oh...and nuts too. Also, in paying attention to the migraine factor, I have been attempting to purchase foods without additives and spending the extra for the organic produce. The last migraine I had a couple weeks back had me nauseous just looking at foods with high amounts of bad-for-you food chemicals. A box of microwave popcorn pushed me over the edge. I kid you not.

The funny thing is I have been pretty on point the past few days and with the food I have been eating, I have somehow naturally dropped the breads and chips and crackers that I am used to filling up on. I feel pretty good and I had a tremendous run this afternoon. Only 4.75 miles, but I ran the uphills like nobody's business and got some good speed towards the end. I felt as if I could have kept going but I wanted to pay close attention to the lingering soreness in my lower legs from the trail race Sunday.

With all that being said, I've got to leave in one vice for sanity's sake and while I can cut out the Pop Tarts and potato chips, I will still allow myself to have an occasional soda........

Maliboo-yea

2011-10-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

Today's run at the Malibu Canyon Trail Race was great. There were surprises as well as things to be expected. When I arrived to the state park around 7:30 this morning, the temperature was a chilly 47 degrees. 47. That is the coldest I have experienced thus far this fall. I was so happy because I could totally justify my purchase at TJ Maxx yesterday: a black running fleece with thumbholes. The thumbholes are perfect for covering the top half of the hands during chilly weather and came in handy this morning.

After a quick check in and stretch, we watched the marathoners and halfers take off promptly at 8. Us 10K runners gave them an ample 10 minute head start as to avoid any mix up during the first turn-off as the 10k was to turn in a different direction. Once the race began, I was ready. The first mile was fairly easy although I was maintaing an easy stride in anticipation for the hills to come. Once we hit the first big climb, the pack thinned out with the faster runners leading the way and the walkers trailing behind. While each runner established their own unique pace, one thing that happened almost in unison was the removal of the fleeces. Like clockwork, in the middle of the first climb, at least 4 fleeces took up residence around their runner's waist. As this happened, I too felt the heat building up and followed suit.

Around the second climb, I had to drop to a speed walking pace. The incline was so steep and the terrain was rough. I continued a mix of speed walking and running throughout the middle two miles. Maintaing a consistent speed was tough. As I was running, I realized that one of the most difficult things about trail running is the mental exhaustion. In a road race or road run, I tend to look ahead in a way you would while driving. On the trail, I was hyper focused and constantly scanning the ground beneath to avoid loose patches of gravel, roots and rocks. I couldn't zone out the way I normally do when I run so there was a physical AND mental challenge with this run. There were portions where the trail was single track so I had to either speed up or slow down depending on who was in front or behind me. There were times were I was running far faster than I would have liked to (on the downhill single track portions) knowing the chances of tripping and falling and possibly going face first into a rock. Luckily, that didn't happen.

I finally reached a point in the race where I was in the 2 mile home stretch....on fire roads and asphalt! Knowing how much I walked, I figured I was going to get a pretty crappy time. A PR course this aint! However, I took full advantage of the more familiar running surfaces and hauled it to the finish line. Lucky for me right as I was coming to the fire road, this song popped up on the ole iPod:

(I really need to figure out the beats per minute of this song because considering I crossed the line at 1:17, I must have been back to better than road race pacing time to make up for my super crappy time in the hills. )
With The Cult as my soundtrack, I sprinted to pass this woman who was what appeared to be light years ahead of me and eventually caught back up to two guys who I was pacing myself behind. I was so inspired, I hit my back button and listened to it again. I kept The Cult pace up and then Jay-Z helped me finish the race.

At the finish line, Coastal Trail Runs had us covered! Cinnamon rolls, brownies, candy, Cliff bars, PBand J sandwiches, fruit, waters, sports mix....everything that one could possible dream about eating after a run like theirs. I decompressed, had some PB and J and Cliff Bar Sports Drink Mix (not bad) and walked to my car feeling pretty good.

I arrived home to have some freshly made Chemex coffee. I took a shower, went to work and my client wanted to go on a mile hike......uphill. Go figure. I did and while it was painful on the legs, it was nothing compared to the course this morning.

Verdict? Coastal Trail Runs rock!

Small Personal Items and Running Jams

2011-10-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

With the Malibu Canyon Trail run tomorrow, I realized that I needed to figure out a better method for carrying things. I also realized that it might be a good idea to carry the cel phone in case of a wrong turn in the Santa Monica Mountains. This need brought me back to A Runners Circle this Saturday morning. I found myself a bit overwhelmed over at the running belt wall, but in the midst of decision making my eye was drawn to the candy colored SPIBELTS. Honestly, the first one that caught my eye literally had candy colored polka dots on the pocket. However, my inner desert child directed me over to the turquoise one. I have to say...I love the simplicity of the streamlined waist band and the stretchy pouch. We shall see how it holds up tomorrow.

I have also been in the business of updating my iPod with some more running jams. I am very picky about what songs keep me going the distance but once a song has been granted access to the running playlist, it seems to have found a permanent home. I never grow tired when Lupe's "Gold Watch" pops up during a run. In fact, the more I hear it, the harder I want to run. With that being said, I never grow tired of finding new songs of that caliber. Most recently, as in yesterday, I made the decision to add three songs:

Run the World

This song is a favorite with some of the high school girls I work with. For good reason. Inspirational and catchy. Enough said.

Orange Crush

Yes. Follow me as I kick some butt throughout the streets of Los Angeles.

And the Winner Is

Not just a title....this song is currently my number one song. As I was running along Colorado yesterday, this gem popped on and I was able to hold on a pretty significant speed increase. ITS A CELEBRATION BITCHES!!!!

Totally M.I.A.

2011-10-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

The title of this post pretty much sums up where I have been in the blogging world as of late. I have good reason though.....in addition to the school year getting back in full swing over in Culver City, the second job at the Help Group is also in full swing. So, while I see roughly 19 kids at my full time job for therapy each week, I am now driving all over Los Angeles and working with three additional clients in their homes as a Life Skills Coach. The coaching position is much less clinical and focuses more on learning skills that help the clients with whatever social or occupational deficits they may be having challenges with. So in other words, none of this 'tell me about your mother'.....coaching is more along the lines of 'let's see how to organize this backpack more efficiently.' It is a nice change from the heaviness that tends to linger around my daytime office when the kids leave.

Things are busy and I am on the freeway for way too many hours of the week. I did however go for a run today AND watch my DVR of the season finale of Breaking Bad. A pretty nice Monday evening....I am really appreciating the evenings when I can just come home after my day job! ;)

I did also buy a pair of Vera Wang boots. One of the perks of having a paycheck arrive each week!

(Imagine these but in black!)

I have a feeling that for awhile my posts may be fleeting until I master the art of juggling all of these events around!

Dog Days

2011-09-05T10:09:00.001-07:00

The final three days are here before the school year gets back into full swing. I have taken baby steps back into the working world as I recently just started a new part-time (nights and weekends) job as a Life Skills Coach with the Help Group here in Los Angeles. However, once Thursday hits, both full and part time jobs are in effect. I am in for a busy year.......

With that being said, I am making the most of relaxing these days and am enjoying the company of some furry friends:

Migraines

2011-08-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

I'd just like to post a small rant about Migraines and how much they, well, suck. After running some early morning errands, I returned home round 8:30 AM ready to make some coffee in the Chemex and eat some Cocoa Krispies. Just as I stepped over the threshold, I noticed the all-too-familiar visual cues that a headache was coming on. I retired to the couch, put a head wrap on and prepared for an extended period of non-movement. While the headaches themselves are brutal, the real nuisance is the nausea that coincides. If I remain real still, I can combat the need to throw up. However, when I mean still, I am talking no adjusting to get comfortable, no turning over, absolutely no getting up to get water and no flat laying down.

Today was unusually awful. Perhaps it was a mix of heat and stress (house still in shambles after flood) and a glass of Pinot Noir on Friday...who knows. All that I do know is that I was out of commission longer than usual today....roughly 8 hours. Around 5, I began meandering around the house and by 6:30 I was ready for dinner. I did catch up on some romantic comedies (Rumor Has It and Julia and Julia), a couple episodes of Entourage as well as a teen romp on Comedy Central (Accepted). What a day!

While the migraines have subsided over the years, they do tend to come in clusters and vary in intensity. While perusing some sites this afternoon about potential triggers, I read that Frozen Yogurt was a culprit. I guess that means no more late night runs to the Yogurt Haven like I did yesterday. Boo. But who really know, I actively eat several offenders on the list (Chocolate, Avocados, Strawberries, Cheeses) and they haven't seemed to cause issues. Over the years, the only foods I can pinpoint with certainty to migraines I have had are pastrami, pepperoni, sausages and other cured deli meats, Diet Coke and too much red wine (usually I can get by with one glass).

For the most part, they still remain a mystery. An annoying and painful mystery.

The Windsor

2011-08-23T20:10:00.001-07:00

On my last day in Phoenix, I met my good friend Cindy at a relatively new bar/restaurant (or shall I just use the new buzz term 'gastropub' ) called The Windsor. Not really knowing what to expect aside from the promise of a decent happy hour (5.00 pitchers before 5), I drove down from Cave Creek round 3p.m. When I arrived, I was reminded for a second of another Phoenix based bar, The Vig. Similar in the way of their upscale-ly brick construction and spacious patio. However, The Windsor up-d the kitch factor by having succulents in old oil cans, gas barrels and even a military canister of sorts. Pretty cute. As we showed up round 4, the place wasn't too packed and it was easy to grab a cozy booth. The music was loud enough but not overbearing at all. Major points for coziness and a place to catch up!

We decided to utilize one of Cindy's free appetizer coupons on the Fondue (pic below) and additionally order a Fatoush Salad and a pitcher of Stella. Before our food arrived, we were treated to some delicious AZ pistachios on the house.

The fondue was excellent! It was served with pulled pork (great), chopped up pretzel (amazing!), apples (good) and sausage (did not try.....recipe for migraine!). The salad was good as well. The pitcher provided us with about 2 and 1/2 pints and for 5 bucks I have no complaints.

Passion Flower

2011-08-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

At some point last year, probably May or June, my friend Rick brought me over a small passion vine. Having just recently started a garden, the vine was quickly welcomed into the yard and found a home in the patch. While the vine grew considerably over the course of 13 or 14 months, I never saw any evidence of blooms until now. The funny thing is, prior to our move a few weeks ago, I dug the vine up and transplanted him into a large garden box with trellis. After a couple of days, I noticed that the vine began wilting and leaves were turning brown. Perhaps the transplant had caused stress. I moved him out of the sun for a bit and gave him some water. After finding what seemed to be a sturdy place for him to grow here at the new place, he began to bounce back. He still resides in the giant box, but now has the additional support of the deck rails to branch out on. Just yesterday when walking by, I noticed a closed bud. I was equal parts bummed and elated as I am planning on leaving town tomorrow and thought I would miss the opening. I was wrong. I fed him some coffee grounds and gave him a big drink before taking off to run errands. When I came back, I glanced at the vine and saw this:

Quite possibly the most impressive flower I have ever seen. Any feedback on how to increase the blooms on these incredible vines?

Much Less Wordy

2011-08-17T22:33:00.001-07:00

For those who respond much better to images:

http://allisonwear.tumblr.com/

Refinish

2011-08-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

In other news, we got my table refinished. Sitting on the porch at the old house didn't do well for the little guy. A trip to Old Friends Antiques in Canoga Park was just what was needed. The owner rebuilt the base to sturdy it up and also refinished the wood all the while keeping the vintage look of the table. Hooray!

Minor Setbacks

2011-08-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

While things may have been stressful, initially the move was as expected. We had been living in a sea of boxes at both the old and new place. After what seemed like weeks, we began to establish a sense of normalcy (sans sofa) here in Eagle Rock. Certain key players in the furniture placement game had found their home, decor slowly began making its way on the walls and in the various nooks and crannies and the house began to garner a home status.

After getting a working washer and dryer into place, we ran into some plumbing problems. At first they were minor, and then well, things upgraded to major. While things at first appeared isolated to the laundry room, the flooding of the downstairs from the toilet proved otherwise. On Thursday night into the wee hours of Friday morning, we were on bucket brigade to get the water out of the downstairs. Our trash can was like a buoy, floating up and down as we waded by each time bucket in hand. To make a long story short, our landlord rocks, flooring has been removed, there are huge dryers to air out the drywall via hundreds of hole that have been drilled for exactly that purpose and visits from contractors, plumbers and water damage experts have been taking place each day. The silver lining? Our sofa is finally arriving. That arrival will perfect the upstairs sanctuary that has been created due to our downstairs mishap!

Welcome Home...

2011-08-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

I will be the first to admit...I have seriously been out of the loop. With the ending of the summer school session coupled with the enormous task of moving, my online presence has definitely diminished. However, that lull is over for the moment as all of our belongings are in place at the new Eagle Rock pad. While I have posted some pics in an earlier post, I wrote very little about the house. Prior to my friend Nicki moving to the neighborhood, I never knew such a gem of a community existed. While from Eagle Rock Blvd, the hood looks pretty normal, once you head up the hill, the scenery changes dramatically. Lush landscaping and giant trees occupy each turn. Our house is on the side of a hill which means while you drive up to the house, you have to walk down a cobblestone staircase to get to the front door. The house works with the hill having the upstairs level with the front door and the downstairs is built into the hill.

Moving has sucked it out of us. In all senses of the word. It has been a delight to hang on the porch and just re-coup. Seeing as how we are currently without a dining table, we have been more than happy to dine on the patio.

As you can see, aside from the patio, things are definitely a work in progress. We are waiting for some key pieces of furniture and because of that, hanging our larger artwork is on hiatus. However, I think the slower pace has been the theme of this entire move. From securing the place to moving in to unpacking, the tempo has been low-key. For us, not rushing has been key to getting some pretty cool things....lease to the house included.

Things Seen.......

2011-07-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

a) Apparently they have special soda cans just for NYC

b) Lots of folks walking in the rain

c) Some folks (West Coasters!) taking shelter in the rain.

d) The statue. Far in the distance. View from Red Hook.

e) An old tram car

f) A cute baby

g) A wedding cake topper representing an actual and accurate height difference

h) Post-Wedding brunching in Ojai

NYC Proper: Part 1

2011-07-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

As mentioned yesterday on Modern Day Bullfight, a proper post about the trip to NYC was in the works. David and I spent 4 excellent (and hot and rainy) days in the Lower Eastside at an amazing hotel called Hotel on Rivington. The hotel, among its many incredible amenities, is equipped with tempurpedic mattresses to ensure a quality nights rest in the midst of a slew of late night hot spots. Yes. It was noisy at night with folks on Rivington well after 4 AM on all 4 nights. However, because of our busy days, sleeping wasn't an issue.

Immediately after checking in, David and I, having not eaten all day, hit the streets to find some slices. After eating some official NYC pizza, I took some time to snap some shots in our area.

Thursday evening found us dining with David's friends Max and Ariane at a little Mexican restaurant called La Esquina. Being from both LA and Phoenix (aka the land of the worlds best Mexican food), we were hesitant to do Mexican in NYC. However, we were persuaded fairly easily to go and both enjoyed our food and the amazing atmosphere. After such a long day, we walked home through Little Italy and called it a night around 11PM.

The next morning found me wishing I had my camera with me. The reason I did not? I laced up the Asics and hit the streets by foot to experience the finest city running any zip code could offer. On foot, I travelled almost 7 miles that took me through the lower eastside, by the Hudson, into the city's civic center and eventually onto the Brooklyn Bridge. Incredible! Running up to the arches of the bridge was one of the highlights of the trip for me. And the desire for my camera? This hit when I came across several padlocks latched on to the bridge's arches in clusters. After close inspection, I saw that there were lover's inscriptions on the locks and through the internet, learned that the keys had been ritually thrown into the river.

Sneak Peak: NYC

2011-07-11T23:53:00.000-07:00

Because our returning flight from NYC arrived around midnight last night (following an 11 AM checkout) and I wound up working a pretty full day today (following a necessary 6 AM wake up time), a proper post about the trip will have to wait until tomorrow. After arriving home from work today to and walking Frito to the churro truck, the combo of sugar and severe lack of sleep hit. I crashed and woke up at 11:30. I leave you with this fun-filled image from Katz Deli.....full of going-ons.....an apt metaphor for this weekend. Til tomorrow..........

n.b. while the pastrami at Katz was killer....it also was the catalyst for a killer migraine. too many nitrates this weekend. pastrami, sausages at breakfast, sausage at Otto.....the list continues.

Impromptu-que

2011-07-04T23:11:00.000-07:00

Sunday evening, an exchange of texts took place between David and some of our friends that all shared one theme: an ambivalent feeling towards solidifying any Fourth of July plans. David and I had toyed with the idea of having a BBQ but due to lack of energy and motivation, pulled the plug on the idea last week. However, somewhere in

the midst of this text exchange, the BBQ idea was re-born. The two of us high tailed it to Whole Foods to pick up some food before they closed at 10. In hindsight, I am very glad we did as this BBQ will most likely be our last hurrah at our Echo Park home.

Even Frito got in on the action. Who knew that a Chihuahua would have such a craving for grilled veggies? All in all, the impromptu-que ended up being a great time. We look forward to having a proper, more planned out celebration at our new place after we get settled in.

Debs Park

2011-07-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

This morning Nick and I took a trip up to the Audubon Center at Debs Park. Despite reaching the center at 9:30ish, it was already pretty hot. While the hike is short in distance, the beginning portion is an uphill and fairly steep at times. However, once you reach the top, there is a shady and much cooler oasis complete with a pond of turtles.

Our return trip downhill was much easier and that was welcomed as the heat went into high gear. During our leisurely downhill stroll, we encountered some police tape. Who knows what for. While the hike was great, what was even greater was talk about re-instating the hiking club we started off in Eaton Canyon....last year. I think that both Nick and I are a bit more motivated to keep it going right now so hopefully we will have some more hikes to report on in the upcoming weeks......

Chihuahua in a Basket....An IKEA Basket.....

2011-06-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

When I first saw these funny agave inspired baskets at IKEA a few years back, I grabbed a couple to purchase. After seeing how nicely they meshed with my things, I went back to snag some more. Unfortunately, that decision to do so was made well after the product was no longer being sold in the store. Over the years, another storage system was derived in my place and the agave baskets developed new uses....one is currently holding play balls in my office at work and the other.... well as evidenced by the picture below, has morphed into a catch-all for Frito. It initially just started off holding his toys and leash and what not. However, one day I could not find him and after hunting high and low and calling his name, I looked behind the yellow chair to see him sitting atop all his goodies obviously ignoring my frantic calls. Ever since then, he has adopted that basket as a bed/nest of sorts despite having a genuine dog bed across the room.

Farewell to you, Echo Park.......

2011-06-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

Today David and I signed the lease for our new place in Eagle Rock. Not only is the home incredibly amazing, it will be doubling the space we currently have. And we will have this adorable fireplace to boot. We will be moving in August 1st. That gives us some time to figure the best plan for packing up and moving out. The home is off of Eagle Rock Blvd and Ave 42 in the hills. And the coolest thing? We know our next door neighbors.....Nicki and Sonia! We owe it to you guys for hooking us up with such a gem before it hit Craigslist. Nicki gave us some serious inside information on the place as well as a glowing recommendation to the landlord, whom by the way, is very sweet. It will be sad in someways to be leaving Echo Park, but Eagle Rock will be a fantastic place for us to be!

The Mystic Arts of Erasing all Signs of Death

2011-06-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday marks an 18 day hiatus from work. Wednesday was the last day of the 2010-2011 school year. While most students get the summer off, due to the nature of our school, we have a summer school that roughly 75% of the students will attend. However, that program will not begin until July 11th, leaving me with an immense amount of time and a severely limited cash flow.

Knowing that I would be doing some tighter-than-usual-budgeting, I headed to the library yesterday to select a couple books. At home I have 'Tattoos on the Heart', a book by Homeboy Industries Father Greg Boyle and a copy of 'Freedom' by Jonathan Franzen. Realizing that the books may be completed sooner rather than later, I felt it necessary to get some extras on deck. I found a copy of 'The Mystic Arts of Erasing all Signs of Death' on the new book shelf at the Edendale Branch. Sure, this isn't like 2011 new, but new enough (and available without requiring a request and hold) to instill inside me a fond feeling of right-time-right-place. In fact, I started in immediately yesterday and now at just about page 100, am really jazzed about the selection. In a nutshell, the book follows Web, a slacker of sorts who after being threatened of being cut off financially from his buddy (with whom he has been mooching off of), gets roped into the business of cleaning up death scenes. Kind of a Sunshine Cleaning feel, but edgier. I'll keep you posted. It is a bit more dialogue heavy than I prefer, but the dialogue is pretty catchy and yes...it has sucked me in.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

My parents came to Los Angeles for a quick weekend trip that just happened to coincide with Father's Day. While we had an amazing Father's Day brunch at Russells in Pasadena, that was just the end to a culinary tour. Saturday found us at the Farmer's Market and then at Loteria Grill in Hollywood for dinner. Friday's arrival dinner was at Palermo in Los Feliz. And yes....with all the eating, we did find time for a 2.5 mile hike through Elysian Park on Saturday afternoon.

I sent my dad back to Phoenix with a tin filled with a pound of whole bean coffee from LaMill (best mocha in Los Angeles...hands down). The coffee, when purchased, comes in a stylish black tin that has somewhat of a vacuum sealed lid and can be reused. I had come home this past Christmas with a tin of the coffee and noticed that my dad, while loving the coffee, was pleasantly surprised with the storage tin (as he often buys whole bean coffee). Each time I have been home since the holiday, I noticed that the tin is still actively being used. Now he can store two flavors of beans. ;)

Parking lot photo op in Hollywood

Some shoe based installation art

All Grown Up

2011-06-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

Joe Jonas has been in my head literally for the past few days as David has been working on the edit of his new video. Seeing the footage, I was shocked to see that Joe has transformed from this:

To this:

And he is singing alongside superstar Chris Brown. Nuts.

Horchata con Espresso

2011-06-11T18:02:00.001-07:00

There has been a lot going on with me in the past couple of weeks despite the complete lack of posts. Let me assure you, the lack is not due to a lull in activity, but can be attributed more to a lack of energy post-activities. I will start this afternoon by sharing about a delicious coffee drink I had at Cafe De Leche in Highland Park. From what I had read about this place, the word out there was to get the Horchata con Espresso. This drink can be served either hot or iced but considering the chilly damp morning we had, there was no question. The drink is exactly what it claims to be but the horchata is steamed akin to a latte. Delicious. Even as the sun decided to finally grace us with its warm presence later in the day, I would gladly drink another right now.

But Highland Park you ask? Why not one of the fine Echo Park establishments for a cup of morning coffee? Let me back track and bring you to the next update. David and I have been toying not too seriously with the idea of moving. That vague idea manifested into must-do after a Memorial Day BBQ at Nicki and Sonia's new place last week. Over grilled sausages, Nicki mentioned that we should look at the house directly next door the owner was looking for some renters. Not taking the suggestion too seriously, David and I peeped over the wall to find a tree filled yard, two story home complete with a free standing metal danish fireplace. Yes please! To make a long series of events more readable, Nicki hooked us up with a meeting with the landlady and subsequent tour of the home. While things are not one hundred percent set in stone, it looks as if we will be moving to the Eagle Rock area on August 1st. Hence the exploration of surrounding neighborhoods this morning. I will keep you posted as things pan out.

And on a final note for this post, I have 7 weeks left to finish training for the SF Half Marathon. I had a killer run yesterday after being off my game for a few days and am resting up today to get ready for an 8 miler tomorrow morning. I'll update again then.

Farmer's Market: 120 Portra NC

2011-05-30T17:33:00.000-07:00

Somehow this week I ended up at the Farmer's Market twice. And both times I found myself eating a Chocolate Sprinkled Cake Donut from Bob's Donuts. Seriously. But both times I enjoyed them immensely. On one of those trips to the market, I found myself with my Seagull so here are a few shots that I snapped:

Felting Fun

2011-05-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Genia led a workshop to teach some of us art therapists how to needle felt. Needle felting is something that while I have always admired, have never taken the time to learn how to do. The sad thing is, had I taken a ten minute chunk of time out prior to yesterday, I would have been felting away ages ago! Right before the workshop. I made a pit stop to the Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica, which for those unfamiliar, must be like an Etsy-Seller's sanctuary. I went in and picked up some wool roving, a foam square and some needle felting needles (needles with tiny barbs on the end). After my purchase was complete, I was ready to go. Genia was nice enough to provide both samples and books for inspiration in addition to her tutorial. Here are some of the outcomes of the afternoon:

List

2011-05-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

In no particular order I would like to/for:

1) The 4 day weekend to come sooner rather than later. At this point, I wont even complain about the mandatory furlough ordered for this Friday.

2) See the movie 'Hesher'

3) Keep on running injury free

4) Work on the garden. I grew a few serious radishes in the past few weeks.

Boo-Yea!

2011-05-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

So I have two bits of good news regarding the race today: The first being that I ran straight through which was my personal goal for the SM Classic. The second bit was one that shocked me....I was magically (and consistently!)able to run under 10 minute miles throughout the race placing me under the 60 minute mark for the 6.2 mile stretch. I am still waiting for the official scores to be posted, but my finish line time read 59 minutes so my chip time will be 30 to 40 seconds faster as we took about a minute to get over the start. I had no idea I could pull that off on my first race! Boom!

So, the race was fantastic. The weather was rocky as I left Echo Park with rain pouring down at 6:15 this morning. As I made my way West, the rain subsided, but grey skies were still looming. However, like the second that Leslie and I pulled up into the beach parking lot around 7:25 the sun began to creep out. At 8:00, the start time for our race, we had full sunshine and about 60 degree weather. Amazing!

I have to admit, I was nervous going into the race. It had been literally over fifteen years since I came anywhere near running against an official clock. As soon as the horn blew to signal our start, I just got into the zone with a little help from Lupe FIasco:

(This is an AMAZING running song btw)

Funny thing is while I was running, I seemed to have all these moments that had me thinking blog posts in my head. However, as I type this (wrapped up in blankets, drinking coffee in recovery mode on the sofa) none of those so-called moments are surfacing. The fact that I was running with a crowd definitely boosted my speed big time. So did my iPod. I created an upbeat playlist last night and removed anything that did not have either a) an electronic beat or b)fast and loud guitars. Around mile 4 there was an incredible surge of energy. I just came to the final portion of the uphill and made my turn down San Vincente for the final 2.2 DOWNHILL portion and Ready for the Floor by Hot Chip popped up on the shuffle. That song put my feet in speed mode! I had a strong wind to finish. Ratatat and Ice-Cube ran me towards the finish line. I could have crossed the line with 'It was a Good Day", but about 100 yards before, I hit pause and just let the noise of the crowd carry me over. Can't wait to do it all again!

Easy Like Sunday Morning......(or not!)

2011-05-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow Leslie and I are going to be running in the Santa Monica Classic! I went to the K-Swiss Store this morning to pick up the race bibs and I was surprised to also receive a computer chip tag of sorts that gets twist-tied to our shoes. It will help record the start and finish times. I am not running for time this race....I am running for completion! This is my first race in my post college life so I am both excited and very aware that my speed is nowhere near where it was when I was younger!

The race begins tomorrow at 8:00AM. Our plan is to be parked and ready to go before 7:30 to avoid road closures. Wish us luck!

Puerto Vallarta: The Villa

2011-05-10T21:09:00.001-07:00

So this past weekend, David and I headed south to Puerto Vallarta to attend the wedding of our friends, Sonnet and Chris. We made the decision to stay in a Villa aptly named Casa Sueno Tropical which was literally two doors down from the Villa where the wedding was going to be taking place. Here are some images of the place:

Greeted with chips, homemade guacamole and salsa. Oh...and Margaritas. This was an incredible treat to walk into....especially after flying for the better portion of the afternoon.

The infinity pool!

The master bedroom. There were really cool built-in planters throughout the house filled with plants of all sorts.

The Dr. Seuss tree as we called it on the cliff behind the villa. Each morning there were a bevy of birds in what seemed to be a bird fight coming from this tree.

A hammock. Yes!

Digital mm of Fun.......

2011-04-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

Desert Road Stop

Magic Paramount Wall

120 mm of Fun......

2011-04-24T17:35:00.000-07:00

Port of Long Beach

Seal Beach Brunch

Apple Picking way back in October

More Apple Picking way back in October

Sunday Morning Run

2011-04-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

Miles covered: 6.7
Terrain: asphalt, concrete and 2 miles of dirt path
Route: Angeleno Heights to Sunset, left on Parkman, north on Silverlake Blvd, curve left round the reservoir all the way back to Silverlake Blvd back to Sunset and home.

So after yesterday's workout, I completely derailed by eating way too many peanut butter filled pretzels followed by a gargantuan dinner at Carousel. Kebabs, hummus, fried cheese otherwise known as Fatayer and Fatoush Salad. Today my goal is to eat somewhat decent and refrain from stuffing my face.....which is hard because this increase in running is causing an increase in appetite!

I beefed up my iPod with some new tunes to keep me going. You see, as much as I really do love Bon Iver, For Ever Emma Forever Ago just doesn't give me the push I need to keep going. However, Bon Iver as backing vocals to Kanye West's track 'Monster'? Now that is something that is a must on the running playlist. Pop aside, this indie gem by Baltimore based band, Future Islands, really put a smile on my face as I made my way around the end of the reservior:

Heat

2011-04-16T17:07:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles has been pretty warm the past couple of days. I braved the heat yesterday and ventured out on a 4.2 mile roundtrip endeavor to the Silverlake Reservoir. However, once I arrived to the entrance to the reservoir I realized that the additional 2 miles around was going to be a bit much in the sun.

I turned around and headed back to Echo Park. I figured I will save the 6.2 mile workout for tomorrow morning. I was going to attempt to do it today but David and I went all out and made killer breakfast burritos this morning. Knowing they would need a bit of time to digest, I was looking at an afternoon run. Unfortunately, the heat came back full swing today and sent me to do some running on the treadmill at the Y instead.

I know that treadmill running is not the most reliable when it comes to timing and pacing, but I let out a minor "boo-yea!" when I was able to break the 10 minute mark on one of my miles (9:41) and run consistently at 10:30 for a couple of other ones. It is crazy though thinking back to being able to run 3.1 miles in 24 minutes back in the day.....I have some serious work to do! ;)

At least I have some killer tunes on my Shuffle to keep me motivated. Here is one that got me through today:

On Running....

2011-04-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

So I have been yearning for the olden days in which I could run a mile in less than 7 minutes. Scratch that...under 10 and I'd be happy! With speed not being my strong point, I have been gradually been getting back into the sport. A couple weeks ago I decided that I would run the Santa Monica Classic at the end of May. Since then, I have been heading out about 4 times a week to get my bad self in gear to run the 6.2 miles around Santa Monica. It has been both easier and harder than I imagined. Having been working out often at my Y, the endurance kind of just came out of nowhere. If the hills are minimal, I got the wind to keep going. It is my body that wishes otherwise. Leg pains, knee aches and the like. Damn.

Today I decided to head over to A Runner's Circle to get a more proper pair of shoes following a gait assessment. The clerks determined that I had a natural gait and with the distance I was running this was one of their recommendations and what I ultimately decided to purchase:

The Asics Gel Cumulus 12. Exact color. While aesthetics are not the striking feature here, the interior memory foam kills it! I took them out for a 5 mile test run today and they proved to be worth every one of the $99.00 I shelled out. I think I may have selected a winner.....

Today's Distance: 5.2 Miles (Ran first 3 miles and then combo walked/ran remainder. Attempted to do final leg with purchased Gatorade bottle....large size....not recommended.)

Some tunes that got me through: Everlong by Foo Fighters, Ice Cube's It was a Good Day, Regulators by Warren G and Nate Dog, Dance Yourself Clean by LCD Soundsystem, Dancin' in the Dark by Springsteen.....among others.

Church and State

2011-04-09T22:17:00.000-07:00

I have a new favorite restaurant here in Los Angeles. This one, Church and State, resides in the Nabisco Lofts in a somewhat industrial area of DTLA. I had been wanting to try this place for sometime now and tonight was the night to do so. Church and State is definitely a reservations required kind of place. I booked 8 days prior for a Saturday at 8:15PM time slot. The awesome thing though was that upon arrival, our table was ready to go. According to other Yelp reviews, this practice is common. Major stars for that!

David and I both started out with the French Onion soup. Cheesy, soupy, giant crouton-y delicious-ness. Seriously. I was very into the soup. The taste coupled with the chilly LA evening made this one of the evenings best! For the entrees, I had the Steak Frites (which as the name implies, a juicy steak ad fries) and David, the Bouillabase (a seafood stew). Both were nothing shy of wonderful but for me, the richness of the soup and the fresh bread that accompanied it was impacting my ability to finish my food. I made sure to eat and enjoy every bite of steak, but left a pretty hefty pile of fries. David was also in the same boat. While both of our French Onion Soup bowls were eaten clean, his main entree as well had more than the usual amount of leftovers. Don't get me wrong, the entrees were spectacular but also incredibly filling.

The service was outstanding. Plates were interchanged, silverware traded out depending on the next plate arriving and two never empty water glasses were next to us at all times. We definitely are going to add this into to our rotation of favorite restaurants. While pricey, Church and State was worth every cent this evening.

And this image made my evening......

2011-04-08T22:50:00.000-07:00

If...

2011-04-04T21:41:00.000-07:00

...I could afford a summer trip I would go here:

Unfortunately summer airfare to Paris takes a serious backseat to student loan payments. Maybe next year! ;)

38:16! Welcome to Echo Park!

2011-03-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up early to watch the LA Marathon make its way through beautiful and rainy Echo Park. This is the second year in a row that the course made its way down Bellevue, around the lake and up to Sunset. The athletes pass though in order of how they started, first, the wheel chair racers, then the Women's Elite, followed by the Men's, and lastly, the common runners. But let me clarify....there is nothing common about 26,000 runners passing your street at 8AM on a Sunday morning!

In a neighborhood that too often is in the news for less than positive events, I was again overjoyed too see the folks come out to support the athletes as they passed through. The local with the best spunk was stationed on the East side of Glendale Blvd as the runners approached. Oblivious to the rain, he occasionally glanced at his watch as the wall of common runners moved by. With as much spunk as possible, he greeted the mob with a loud and inviting, "38:16! Welcome to Echo Park! Wooo!" The runners were appreciative of the time notification...especially those looking to beat a personal best. He repeated this welcome about every 30 seconds. It was this man along with the hundreds of other folks braving the rain who are the heart of this amazing neighborhood.

Musical Journey: 6-12th grade

2011-03-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

6th Grade I think is the year when I really began paying attention to music. Before the days of portable CD players and long before iPods, I was on a flight listening to the pre-programmed alternative rock station. I remember that I fell in love with one of the songs on the playlist, and this was it:

7th grade was the year of Nirvana (and some Pearl Jam. In one of my star-struck moments, I wrote a love-letter to bass player Jeff Ament. No joke. I even enclosed a portrait that I drew of him in one of his floppy little hats).

8th Grade will be forever known as the year I became exposed to pop-punk. Lookout! and Epitaph records were hard to come by and required trips to Columbus's Magnolia Thunderpussy record store on High Street.

9th Grade. Still heavy into pop punk although Lookout! bands seemed to be more my style at this point. This was also the year in which I purchased a record player. Operation Ivy's 'Energy' was on heavy rotation.

10th Grade was when I moved cross country to Phoenix. I also acquired a Ramones album.

11th grade I believe is when I became obsessed with the Donnas. A natural segue from the Ramones. This record (dubbed to cassette) practically fueled my way to the guitar store when I turned 16 to make my first instrument purchase. A TG Tanara...for those unfamiliar with generic Japanese guitars, the Tanara was modeled after the Fender Telecaster.

12th Grade: Don't get me wrong..... I was still into the Donnas big time. I was also heavy into picking up 7" from random girl fronted bands like the Rondelles and the Budget Girls. However, more significant to my current musical collection today, is the fact that 1997/1998 was the year that I became obsessed with the Smiths.

Wreckless Eric

2011-03-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

I am really loving this song right now:

31

2011-03-06T21:56:00.000-08:00

Mas Malo. DTLA. Nicki, at the last minute, rounded up a posse to celebrate my 31st with tacos and margaritas.

The most amazing cupcakes. Marshmallow tail and a donut hole head! Amazing creations courtesy of Monica.

Thank you all for coming out. A great night with great company!

31 tomorrow.....

Those Pesky Broken Crayons.....

2011-03-05T14:05:00.000-08:00

......You know all about them. The ones that are cast aside in anticipation of a new 64 color box....you know...the one with the sharpener in the back. Well, that was always the one I was holding out for. I think today though, the must have box now has 96 crayons but I could be wrong. Well, anyway, let me get back to the topic: broken crayons. There are abundance of them in the abandoned office next to me at work. Fellow counselors, teachers and other staff frequently cast aside their broken lot when newer, better, more youthful crayons come their way. No judging here as I too am guilty of trading up.

My interest in these castaways was raised because last weekend I attended a workshop of sorts for Art Therapists to learn some new crayon techniques. The techniques both called for unwrapped crayons. While working, I immediately thought to the arsenal of Crayolas and Rose Arts that are stashed away next door to me at work. Monday morning on my break, I unwrapped a bunch and took them home to up-cycle. After even more research on the topic of older crayons, I decided to get a bit ambitious and melt down the bunch by color and make cuter, cooler once again NEW crayons.

First, I separated by like colors using a muffin tin. As you can see, I put similar shades together because when melting, the colors will mix up.

Next, using a double boiling technique, I placed like colors into the soup cans to melt. Prior to placing the can in the water, i bent the can to form a tiny spout so the wax would pour easier. While melting, I experimented with putting glitter into the hot wax. The best result I got was when I put the glitter in after I removed the can from the pot.

Once the can was out, I used a pot holder and carefully poured the wax into candy molds. I purchased mine from Candyland Crafts and they arrived seriously within 3 days of purchase! Sweet! Once they were all filled, I put them in the freezer for about 5 to 10 minutes. When cooled, they really did just pop out of the mold with zero mess.

Final product! I am really jazzed about how they turned out. They will be coming with me to work on Monday. Hopefully the younger kids I work with will get a kick out of them. I know I sure did.

Transportation Adventures

2011-02-27T09:36:00.000-08:00

Over the three day weekend last week, I decided to take a trip to Phoenix. I had some business to take care of related to going thrift shopping. Yes. Thrift shopping. Once every few months I head home to purchase bags of arts and craft supplies at my favorite Sun City location. The trips provide much needed (and affordable) stock for my Art Therapy office and the kids I work with are jazzed to rifle through the bags of goodies. I get to see my family, the kids at work are excited so it is a win-win situation for all parties involved. The complications in this blog come not from the trip, but rather the transportation.....the bus.

Due to my irrational fear of airplanes coupled with not wanting to physically drive of out Los Angeles on a Friday afternoon (rush hour is the worst), I did some research about the Greyhound. Price was fair...equivalent to two tanks of gas, time table was ok (one more hour than driving myself) and the thought of reading a book and listening to my iPod while in transit had me yearning for the days when I had more money and was traveling on trains through Europe. So I did it...I booked my ticket and arrived at the Los Angeles bus station via taxi on Friday afternoon.

Immediately I could sense some complications. A mile long line of luggage was behind door number fourteen....the door en route to Memphis. Memphis along with about two dozen other cities....one of which happened to be Phoenix. I placed my bag in the queue and did not budge. We boarded and amazingly had one or two seats to spare. I had an open seat next to me possibly because my row was one of the undesirable rows a bit too close to the restroom. We were on our way and things seemed to be ok. My sense of something wrong subsided and I enjoyed the first 30 minutes of my trip.

After 30 minutes or so, we made our first stop in Riverside. There were people waiting to board. Remember I had one of two seats next to me. When the doors of the bus opened, that feeling of 'something not so right' came creeping back. A man stepped up, hair unkempt, clothes unwashed, voice not quite came walking down the aisle. My DSM-IV radar kicked in and I knew we were dealing with a certifiably mentally ill man. It was like he scanned the vacant seats and made a conscious choice to sit next to the therapist. Despite several announcements from the driver regarding the-no-alcohol-on-the-bus policy, my new seat mate loudly and very boldly opened his 40. Hiding in the privacy in my headphones, I pretended that his voice did not actually overpower the loudest setting on my iPod. With Kanye West as background music, I heard stories of hell and damnation, the availability of drugs on Venice beach and the woman who he was trying to find in Vegas. I learned that he was a self proclaimed 'mamma's boy' and after a comment about people on the bus 'not knowing what was in store for them from the lord' I felt it was safe to say I was sitting next to a paranoid schizophrenic. My headphones did not shield me for long as I began to hear a very loud 'excuse me'. To make a long story short, I was involved in a conversation with him for quite some time about nice things he could do for his mother. My art therapy bias kicked in and we both agreed upon sending hie mother a drawing. All of a sudden, the bus stopped in San Bernardino and all passengers headed to Vegas were re-routed. My seat mate left and another one came on.

This new seat mate remained next to me despite three more stops and 7 more hours of travel. 5 of those 7 hours he was not adhering to proper seat etiquette and was observed not just using his seat space but half of mine as well. I kind of wanted my previous seat mate to return.

Our bus traveled on through the dark of the night and eventually, two hours behind schedule reached Phoenix at 1:30 AM. I grabbed my bags and hopped into my parent's car and stretched out. Something that was not possible in my back row window seat. And this was just my first round of travel.....I was looking forward to see who I would encounter on the return trip home.....

Reader, I will fill you in later on....

Currently Reading (both courtesy of LAPL)

2011-02-14T21:09:00.000-08:00

Yes. Both books were ordered offline through the LAPL book request site. I am super pleased with the system. I put requests in for both books about 6 weeks ago and Madonnas was ready for pick up within 2 weeks and Freedom was ready for pick up this past Saturday. The books, from Studio City and Canoga Park respectively, were delivered to the Edendale branch (right on Sunset) for pick up. Great service! I was both called and emailed when the books were ready. If you are a reader and have not yet utilized the LAPL request system, i would definitely suggest trying it out.

The Madonnas of Echo Park. My current read. The fact that the novel is set around my neighborhood definitely speeds up the reading process! I know the novel has received somewhat mixed reviews but I am finding the book enjoyable as well as thought provoking in regards to relationships between different cultural and ethnic groups in the L.A. area.

Freedom. On deck. As soon as Madonnas is finished, I am going to start my second Franzen novel. I read The Corrections back when it came out and am eager to see what is in store for us with Freedom.

beatbox badass

2011-02-07T21:14:00.000-08:00

kind of the greatest thing i have seen all day

Paru's

2011-02-06T12:03:00.001-08:00

On Friday, a crew of us (Me, David, Nicki, Sonia, Kathy, Nicki, Leslie and Monica) hit the streets of East Hollywood to go back to mutual favorite, Paru's. Paru's is an Indian Restaurant specializing in Southern Indian cuisine...and yes, EVERYTHING is vegetarian and delicious. Funny thing about the place is that one has to get buzzed in similar to how one may get buzzed into a locked prison ward. Yes. There is a big yellow gate with a buzzer and explicit directions to buzz and open. Once passed the somewhat fierce looking exterior, once enters a beautiful courtyard which due to the chilly LA evening, was out of commission. A door at the end of the courtyard leads you into the tiny jewel box of a restaurant with photographs and hanging plants and Indian style decor.

When we stepped inside, we quickly saw that getting a table to 7 might not be the easiest feat on a Friday. We spoke among ourselves and almost left to go to Carousel when the savvy owner made an agreement that we would be seated in five minutes. None of us believed such a task could be arranged, but he was a man of his word. Some musical tables and an addition of chairs had us all seated in yes, about five minutes. Amazing! The service continued to be on point for the entire dinner. King Fisher beers and Queen Paru Platters were some of the delicious items that were served to us. And the Chickpea Curry! Possibly one of my favorite items of the evening. And to add perfection on to the evening meal, when the check was brought out, along with it came two complimentary bowls of rice pudding for the group. Great food, exceptional service and the best of company. Paru's did not disappoint...but I never once thought that it would! Paru's Restaurant 5140 Sunset Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90027

Product Party....

2011-01-29T17:11:00.000-08:00

Or shall I say, 'Wish List' as none of these products are in my possession. The Pureology conditioner I first sampled at my salon, The Beauty Box, in Echo Park. Fantastic stuff. Apparently, the line is Vegan. While I am not a Vegan, I know that the fact can be a high selling point for some.

The Fresh Cannabis perfume is probably the number one want of mine right now. However, at 75.00 a bottle, I need to wait a couple of more paychecks til I can afford a splurge. My logic here is that I currently have three perfumes in my current rotation so I technically don't need a fourth. Hence assigning the Cannabis scent a want status. The perfume I believe was initially marketed as a unisex scent. However, I think that somehow it has crossed over into men's territory. Doesn't change the fact that it smells divine.

Karma Kream just may be my next product purchase. Great smell...although may be a bit hippie for some. Great texture. Super luscious. I am thinking I should run to LUSH this instant to grab a jar.

Criminal Minds: Now with Higher Paid Actors

2011-01-25T22:04:00.000-08:00

The newest television franchise to get my attention is Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior. Watching Criminal MInds re-runs on ION and A&E has become a pretty regular event in my evening routine as of late so imagine my surprise when I hear of a new, celebrity packed version of my new favorite crime show. Don't get me wrong, I love my original BAU team as much as the next fan, but Forest Whitaker and Janeane Garafalo? For that, I will forgive the show for the cheesy song used in the outro of the video premiere! The show is scheduled to debut on CBS on February 16 at 10....directly after the original Criminal Minds at 9.

Evidence of Others

2011-01-24T21:28:00.000-08:00

There are times walking through Elysian Park where one may go a significant distance before running into a fellow jogger/dog walker/picnic-er. Typically these times are during the day when most folk are working. Seeing as how I too am one of the 9 to 5-ers, or 7:30 to 4-ers to be exact, it is rare that I have the chance to experience an empty park. However, that doesn't prevent me from noting and enjoying my favorite signs of human activity in the park:

Workout Playlist Highlights

2011-01-17T21:29:00.000-08:00

Today was my fourth consecutive day working out on the cross trainer at the DTLA YMCA. I decided to step it up a notch today and while I utilized the 'Hill Plus' setting as usual, the setting was elevated to level 14. I managed to complete the workout in one piece, but only with the assist of some energetic songs. Here are a few of the highlights: ( And PS...if you are reading this from the Facebook feed, the videos will not show....hit 'view original post' if you want the accompaniment........)

Maximum Balloon-Groove Me

Maximum Balloon has been on heavy rotation with me in the past few months. Good driving music. Good work out music. Good I need-a-mid-day-perk-music. I have to admit, I am not the biggest TV on the Radio fan, but Dave Sitek's music on Maximum Balloon is top notch.

School of Seven Bells- I L U

What can I say about School of Seven Bells. Oh yeah....I was at FYF fest ALL DAY waiting in anticipation to see them and due to the heat and the dust and the lack of accessible and affordable water decided to up and leave and take a cab home. While I regret not seeing them play, I stand by my decision to leave the fest (and also to avoid outdoor music festivals in general from here on out). This song seriously rocks though.

Hot Chip- Ready for the Floor

This song has a certain level of energy that has me hitting my back button on the iPod after it ends. The main video does not provide an enabling code, so here is a live version:

R. Kelly- I'm a Flirt

Please just hang in there during the 40 second intro to this video. Yes. I really do like this song. Catchy as all get up. And plus what better way to learn how the players do it in the Chi:

David as Frito...or Vice Versa

2011-01-16T20:38:00.001-08:00

Another instance of owners resembling their dogs in some way, shape or form. In this case, it is the overly dramatic sad face:

I Hit the West side of the LBC......

2011-01-15T22:17:00.000-08:00

and I snapped some pics of Nick, you see:

Aside from watching Nick use his nifty ball in basket toy, we spent the day musing possible artistic creations we could do. There was walking, talking and purchasing of recently discounted art supplies at Lyon. Meatball sandwiches were eaten. I was briefly schooled in some amusing photoshop techniques. An episode of Louie was watched. I have to say, it was a good day. (And yes I really did just end this post with a second 90's rap reference).

Vietnamese Truck in Chinatown

2011-01-09T17:40:00.001-08:00

Today we headed out for an exceptionally late lunch 'round 4:00PM. David had been talking about the Nam Thai Catering Truck for a couple of days so we decided to venture out today. The truck, unlike its more gourmet brothers and sisters, is nothing fancy from the outside. It dons no graphics designed by a recent Otis grad. It does not attempt to invent new cuisine by meshing foods from two unrelated cultures together. It does however, serve up some delicious Banh-mi sandwiches on the crispiest of baguettes. I can vouch for the BBQ Beef or Chicken. And for about 2.50 a pop, you really have no excuse......

T2-oh my!

2011-01-05T17:33:00.000-08:00

I am the proud recipient of a Canon T2I. My parents got me the camera as a Christmas/Early Birthday gift. I am in love with it so far.

Three Hour Dinner...Coq au Vin

2011-01-01T09:58:00.000-08:00

For New Years Eve, David and I had our friend Jonathan over to make Coq Au Vin, our selected recipe from the All About Braising book that I gave him for Christmas. Along with the book, we also used the new Le Creuset French Oven that accompanied the book to make the gift one step closer to a full meal! During a hectic New Year's Eve day, we made several stops throughout the greater LA area to get the ingredients for the recipe. We checked out a Loz Feliz butcher called McCalls to pick up the chicken. Due the the slew of last minute meat shoppers, the shop was too busy to butcher the chicken leaving the task to us. We made a couple more stops to get the rest of the items and headed home to prep for cooking.

Jonathan arrived promptly around 7 and after watching a YouTube clip about butchering a chicken:

we, or shall I say, David and Jonathan, accepted the challenge of taking apart the bird. For a first attempt, the bird, while left on the cutting board looking like a victim of a massacre, a majority of the meat was gotten off in decent portions. I lead the vegetable and herb chopping, David the dredging, and Jonathan was the master of the stovetop. About an hour and a half into prep (cooking the bacon, cutting the carrots, onions, parsley, thyme and dredging and browning the chicken) our other friends came by for a beer before they set off for their final destination for the evening. The presence of the new folks brought a new energy to the kitchen. A few beers later, the mashed potatoes were cooking and the French Oven was almost ready to be pulled out of the oven. The table was prepared and finally, around 10 PM, we sat down to eat out masterpiece. The verdict was unanimous....the meal was wonderful and worth the wait.

Mushrooms on the chopping block. 3/4 a pound of them to be exact.

Browned chicken pieces waiting for wine

As the wine morphs to gravy.

David dredging the chicken.

Jonathan the butcher.

A Challenge.....

2010-12-31T11:59:00.000-08:00

As a follower of Murakami on Facebook, I came across this reading challenge for the new year. I have to admit, I have only read two of the author's novels, 'A Wild Sheep Chase' and 'Kafka on the Shore'. However, they were so wonderful that I found myself following the author on my social network of choice.

After such a great experience with the two Murakami books I read, I decided to accept this challenge for the new year. Lucky for me, an individual who doesn't read more than 10 books per year, there are several levels of readership to consider. I am going to strive for the 'Sheep Man' level by reading 3 books. The first will be one which has been on my to-do list for some time, 'The Wind-up Bird Chronicles'. Any Murakami readers out there have any suggestions for the other two?

better than balloon boy....

2010-12-29T21:41:00.000-08:00

....is balloon dog

This quick little fellow also likes to take a stab at balloon's water filled cousins:

An Ode to my Midwest Folks who Love Church's........

2010-12-29T19:56:00.000-08:00

Cutest Wrap Ever

2010-12-07T21:05:00.000-08:00

Traditionally, I have been a die-hard tissue wrapper when it comes to gifts. Tissue is cheap and when accessorized correctly, has an aesthetic that I love. This holiday season however, I strayed a bit from the norm. I was in Paper Source getting some (gasp!) paper goods, and I ran across this:

Needless to say, all of my gifts for friends and family thus far are wrapped and on on display under my tree wearing this cute print. It was one of those rare times that I was up sold. Dogs in holiday hats though....totally worth it!

Happy Holidays

2010-12-05T18:15:00.000-08:00

Promise that a more substantial post will come soon. As evidenced by these pictures, I have been a bit busy. Holiday cheer has infiltrated the home. In fact, Frito and I took a walk to the Echo Park Animal Alliance's 'Photos with Santa' event for our furry friends. However, while I watched in amazement for a bit at all of the excitement, ten bucks was too much for a photo. More aptly, I had a bad feeling about being one of those folks who take photos of their pets with Santa. It seemed like a gateway drug of sorts to throwing a full fledged birthday party for my four legged pal.

Echo Park Lake Transformed

2010-10-23T22:38:00.000-07:00

These pictures are a bit old. A couple months old to be exact. What got me thinking about them was the fact that as I am posting this, I am also watching Mi Vida Loca. The film has several scenes shot at Echo Park Lake. Seeing the lake on the screen somehow made me think back to one of my summer walks around the water when there was a festival going on. For whatever reason, at the festival, there were lots of birds being sold. I had intended to post them a couple of months ago and while scrolling through my photos just now, I was reminded of that intention. So, here they are:

I really want this.....

2010-10-20T20:13:00.000-07:00

....seriously. I have had my eye on posters like this one for quite some time. However, grad school happened. Now the majority of any expendable income I would have is going to pay back my higher education. Shouldn't complain....I know....it would just be so amazing to have a collection of posters like this one! Maybe one day when I am no longer working in community mental health and running a thriving private practice to the stars I will be the proud owner of hundreds of these babies....only problem...then I'd hate my job........

Hollywood Bowl, Apples and Rain....

2010-10-17T15:10:00.000-07:00

Yes. I know. It has been another extremely long dry spell between entries here. I was just talking with Nathaniel and he too acknowledged the down time on this here blog. Lets try and rectify the situation with a fun filled post of music, apple picking and some beautiful rainy L.A. weather.....
Friday was fantastic. David and I went on the date night of all date nights to the LCD/Hot Chip show at the Hollywood Bowl. David got us an extreme hook up which included a complimentary box, all access pass and VIP pass to a roof terrace party. Talk about rollin' like Kells! How often do I get to use VIP when describing any of my usual destinations! The show was great. We were walking up just as Hot Chip started their first song. The sound from the box was AWESOME!

They continued to play a killer set and ended with an audience fave, Ready for the Floor.
After their set ended, we decided to go backstage to use the restroom. Major bonus! No lines and extremely clean. Do you think that Gustavo has been in here before?

After David chatted with his crew for a bit, we were all set for LCD's show to begin. We started off watching from the stage, but quickly realized that the show would look and sound better from the box. We headed back out to enjoy the rest of the set from the front. The mix of energy, misty rain and music paired up with the beauty of the bowl made for one of the best shows I have ever been to. May I add that my videos pale in comparison to David's ongoing footage of the band but alas.....professional filming at the bowl has a hefty price!!!

The night ended with a drink on the terrace with some new and amazing folks, getting to the car lonely in the lot long after the stacked parking has dissolved (apologies to the car behind us!), and a post show stop to In-and-Out for cheeseburgers. Kind of the perfect fall night. The kind that makes me glad that I live here in L.A.........

Rainy Terrace

Post show image of the Bowl

And on to apples.....however, taking into consideration the amount of space/time required by the videos in this post to load, I am thinking that it may be smart to house the apple experience in a post all his own.....

I Knew It!

2010-09-25T23:28:00.000-07:00

Right here for those who feel inclined......

Halloween

2010-09-25T23:06:00.001-07:00

Well, it can never be too soon to be thinking about Halloween. I always think about it. Thinking however doesn't equate to doing though in my world. Typically, lack of finances or procrastination impact my ability to attend a party in costume. I did go out a la Charlie, from LOST, a couple years back. Despite what I thought to be a spot on costume I was mistaken for both dressing up as Kurt Cobain as well as a homeless person. C'est la vie. This year who knows what will be in store. I have feeling that where ever I end up, I will run into at least two Antoine Dodsons and possibly a Steven Slater. If only I could find this costume:

If I could, I'd be a contender for best costume of the night!

An Acknowledgement.....

2010-09-23T22:35:00.001-07:00

....yes. I know. I have been M.I.A. in the blogger world due to my growing presence in the working world. These past two weeks have been intense, amazing, stressful, exciting and about a million other adjectives that at this particular moment, I am just too tired to put down in words. A brief re-cap in list form:

1) Naps have become an almost daily event. Especially around 5:30 P.M.
2) Despite said napping, I have found myself going to bed around 10:30P.M.
3)Even with napping and early bed time, I am still tired when the alarm goes off at 6:10A.M.
4) However, after morning coffee, which I am now making at home, I find myself somewhat alert for my 35 to 40 minute commute across Los Angeles.
5) A caseload of 18 students keeps your week moving quickly at work.
7) A swift moving work week is a fantastic thing.
8) A swift moving work week does not however mean a swift commute home.
9) Driving home in Los Angeles is not fun.
10) First paycheck tomorrow. First decent size chunk of change to be earned in over 2 years.
11) I had my first I.E.P. today as a related service provider rather than a teacher. Went smoothly.
12) Being an art therapist is a pretty great job!
13) The movie Machete was pretty much the best movie I have seen this year so far:

Sephora. Ouch. Amazing.

2010-08-31T20:39:00.000-07:00

I have not stepped foot into a Sephora in over 12 months. And it has been well over at least 16 months since I have made a purchase. Perhaps it was my post-migraine grouchy mood, or maybe just the fact that I will soon be joining the ranks of the employed...either way...today I both stepped foot into a Sephora AND made a purchase.

In the world of skin care, I gave into the hyped up Ole Henriksen truth serum. It can never be too soon to fight some pesky wrinkles. While browsing some beauty sites last night, I read one positive review after another about this magic-y, citrus-y anti-aging-y serum. While an accurate assessment may be premature, I have to say I enjoyed the scent and the glow the serum left on my face.

In make-up land, I upgraded from NARS Orgasm to NARS Super Orgasm. The super seems to have a bit more pizazz. I have been a loyal patron to the original NARS Orgasm and after watching my blusher slowly run low, decided to replenish...with a kick.

I actually stayed in make-up land a bit too long and got suckered into purchasing a delicious lip color from the NARS 2010 Fall Line, Rouge Basque. I saw it and was immediately drawn to the crimson-y hue. After trying it on and declaring that yes I will be using my credit card for this purchase, I put the little black box into the little black Sephora basket on my arm.

I then went to the checkout but not without first adding some Bare Minerals to my already overpriced basket of goodies. For my troubles, I got some free samples of some Phyto Hair care products. Oh Sephora....I am glad you and I are back on good terms again.

Fun with 28mm

2010-08-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

I finally got my first roll of film developed from my newly purchased 28 mm lens. I bought the lens a couple months ago off of eBay, but hadn't dropped off the film 'til last week. I am super fond of this image of little Frito on the porch. Can't wait to go out and shoot some more!

Randoms for the road.......

2010-08-20T00:40:00.000-07:00

I am going to be taking a leave of absence for the next few days. Here are a few randoms to tide you over until then:

I am loving this Mayan play set. Would I buy it for kids? Yes. Would I buy it for me? Hell yes!

When reading some online articles about an old time favorite of mine, MST3K, I came across a movie poster for a film that was once narrated by a man and his team of robots. I never saw this episode, but will look
into purchasing the DVD set that houses the film once work starts up.

Super Mario Brother 3 Manicure. Enough said.

And just where would we be with out a picture of Ryan Gosling? His band, Dead Man's Bones, is surprisingly great. He utilizes a children's chorus in a way that somehow fits with the mildly eerie aesthetic of the band. The band will be appearing at the FYF Fest here in Los Angeles in a couple of weeks. I am hoping to go if finances work out. If not, I will just continue to enjoy the vinyl that my good friend Kathy gave to me.

thesis: before/after

2010-08-17T10:55:00.001-07:00

The picture above is the mess of a binder which housed all of the articles pulled from the online library guides at LMU. For an entry level researcher like myself, LMU was pretty great. The LibGuides were awesome. The research librarian, Jaimie, was a life saver. The library itself was quite comfortable. And a big plus....the first floor was open 24/7 so anytime was research time! At first, I found myself using the library building to write in. However, as the year of the project progressed, I became more and more ready to graduate and less and less excited to type up my conclusion. I had to shift gears and write on my laptop at places sans wireless internet in order to eliminate the opportunity to procrastinate by refreshing my email. The only downside to this was in addition to my laptop, I was also toting the above binder around as well as Sophie Calle's ginormous book, 'Take Care of Yourself.'

The pictures below are of the final, bound copy. I received word in early July that the little bugger was ready for me to pick up and the first day I could, I drove across town to pick him up. Due to the high cost of printing doubled with the fact that I was required to purchase a copy for the university library and another for the Art Therapy department library, I was reduced to only getting one copy for me. Well, one is enough I suppose. I wrote the damn thing.....how much reminding do I need?

All in all, the research process was rewarding. I really cant believe that I designed and completed the project! But the real question...do I want to do it again? Hmmmmm............not really. At lest not now.

Now Reading

2010-08-16T15:43:00.001-07:00

Pot Luck by Emile Zola. Or Pot-Bouille for those who prefer the tile in the native language. Actually, apparently some of the sexual undertones of the title are lost in translation. A 'pot-bouille' is much more an apt description of the happenings in the French building that is the setting for the story. I am only about a hundred pages in, but the story is good so far. I still haven't been able to suss out who, if any, of these folks are genuine and nice. I will keep you posted.......

Scone-Head

2010-08-15T22:18:00.000-07:00

Because of the mild heat today, David and I decided to take Frito for a walk in a location that was somewhat protected from the mid-day sun. Thinking of shady places had me remembering an LAist article on Fern Dell, a tree lined path in Griffith Park. The path, while crowded on a Sunday at 2:00 in the afternoon, was a treat from the hustle and flow of the city. An even greater treat was had at the nearby Trails Cafe.......Cheddar and Chive Scones. Well, let me clarify. One Cheddar and Chive Scone. Not knowing what to expect from the outdoor cafe, we just opted for some much needed drinks and decided to split the scone. And yes...Frito did get a chance to eat some crumbs. The scones were so good that as soon as we got home, I found a recipe on Epicurious and decided to replicate the afternoon food snack for dinner. Cooking and baking has never been my forte, but these little guys turned out ok.

Cheddar Chive Scones

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh chives
5 oz extra-sharp Cheddar, coarsely grated (1 1/2 cups)
2 cups heavy cream plus additional for brushing

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add chives and Cheddar, tossing to combine. Stir in cream with a fork until a sticky dough forms.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 8 times with floured hands. Halve dough and form each half into a 7-inch round. Brush tops of rounds with additional cream and cut each into 8 wedges.
Arrange wedges about 1/2 inch apart on an ungreased large baking sheet and bake in middle of oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Collection

2010-08-11T00:24:00.000-07:00

While I do not identify as a cat person, I couldn't help but be intrigued by these pictures of wet cats. Giving a dog a bath is a relatively painless process, but a cat bath must be a different story all together. Anyone have any experience in trying to bath a cat? Is it as crazy as it looks?

Because it rolls like a ball......

2010-08-11T00:11:00.001-07:00

The past two days Frito has taken some ripe tomatoes from the garden that have fallen from the plant. I have to admit, I have riled him up a bit first by taking the tiny tomato and then by throwing it like a ball. He ran around the yard, tomato like a tennis ball in the mouth, trying to keep the fruit away from me. I opened the door to the house and he bounced in and took refuge on the rug. I don't know why I found this so funny, but well, I did. I need to keep my eye on him outside in the yard. This dog will eat anything.

The Littlest Railway.....

2010-08-06T23:50:00.000-07:00

It has already been established on Modern Day Bullfight that walking is a free activity here in Los Angeles. And since Free is my current hobby, walking has been a daily activity. These walks have led me up and down stairs, to libraries, parks, downtown and back and forth on Sunset more times than I can count. Last week however, I decided to venture back downtown and add a couple of free (and extremely low cost) visits on my already free walk.

The Bradbury Building is one that I have been wanting to check out for quite some time. Having been featured on the big screen in "Blade Runner" the building has achieved an iconic status of sorts here in L.A. And guess what? There is no entry fee and patrons on the first floor are there to answer and questions AND to ensure that you don't leave the first floor. Sorry....no old school elevator rides for you.......

After the trip inside, we headed out across the street, through the Grand Central Market and out to the Angels Flight. The Angels Flight is a small funicular railroad that take passengers up and down Angels Bluff. Basically from the bottom of Hill to the bottom of Grand. For 25 cents (wait...is there really no cents icon on a Mac these days?) you can ride the funicular one way. David and I, despite talking out loud about an accident with the cars a few years back in which a man was killed, decided that the train was safe and hopped on. After waiting 2 or 3 minutes, we began our ascent. The trolly rides safely and slowly on a short track next to a staircase......which is honestly, the faster yet not as historically satisfying to get from the bottom to top. After the ride was through, we paid our fee to the operator who was waiting at the top and began our walk back home.

Bringing back a bit of the bullfight......

2010-08-02T00:28:00.000-07:00

After watching Dudamel direct the LA Phil and their performance of Carmen, I felt like watching some more visual clips of the opera before bed. This one really struck my fancy:

I hope you enjoyed the clip! I sure did. I just may watch it again before I doze off. I will post pictures of the Hollywood Bowl experience tomorrow. It was amazing with the exception of the whole 'stacked parking' thing, which as a person who had never been to the bowl, was a time consuming shock! More on that tomorrow. Google image search 'stacked parking hollywood bowl' and you may pull up photos of a sea of vehicles....most with some angry captains!

Chihuahua picture of the week....

2010-08-01T18:09:00.000-07:00

While perusing a bunch of google images after inputting the term 'vintage chihuahua', this gem came up:

I leave you, reader, with that image on a Sunday night. I am off to see Gustavo Dudamel at the Hollywood Bowl. Will post about it tomorrow.....

Fair Frenzy

2010-07-31T23:03:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, Nicki and I drove down to the OC to meet Monica at the annual OC Fair. Funny thing about it was, in hindsight, I think the two of us spent more time en route on the various freeways between Los Angeles and Orange County than we did at the fair itself, but, well that is another story. The two of us headed to the fair on a very serious mission: to eat some fry and to ride the giant slide, Euroslide.com. Sadly, as I type this post, I am learning that the Euroslide.com domain does not put you in touch with a page dedicated to glorifying the plastic behemoth. Instead, it seems as if they have failed to renew their domain name. Damn....if Euroslide cant survive this economic climate........

Well, mission was accomplished. We rode the slide and ate some food. Oh. And we threw in a round of Skee-Ball and balloon darts in for good measure. While we did not eat too much in the way of bad fair food (we did not try this "deep fried butter" advertised at the Coronary Cafe, but a deep fried Klondike was had), my poor system was unhappy with the small amount that I did force in. Bathroom troubles arose from my encounter with some of the fried mess. Lesson learned. While deep fried zuchini sounds like a good idea in theory.....it is not. Enjoy!

Totally Tamales!

2010-07-26T14:42:00.001-07:00

In the midst of my "I'm-broke-and-living-in-Los-Angeles" summer, I have discovered a great find down the street from my house: Alberto's Tamales. Alberto's, a tamale shop on Temple just West of Glendale, serves up some of the best around. And for roughly 1.25 each, how can I not be morphing into a loyal patron? I have been to the tamale shop a few times and after perfection each time, bought a big order of 16 for a Sunday morning brunch at our place. While all the varieties have been delicious, I have to say my favorite so far is the chicken mole. Apparently, they can make a spinach and and cheese vegetarian option with 24 hours advance notice, but the cheese and jalapeno tamale has been not just an adequate veggie option, but a desired one thus far!

Steps, steps and more steps.....

2010-07-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

......267 of them to be exact. Walking one of many Echo Park's stairways has become a big part of my summer workout routine. This set of photos highlights my first trip up the Baxter Stairs about one month ago.

El Tepeyac

2010-07-15T23:08:00.000-07:00

Go to this Boyle Heights establishment to get burritos the size of your head. While the burrito shown is NOT the size we got, dont be let down....our burritos definitely left us taking more food home as compared to what we were physically able to consume at the counter. I did however have a horchata which was delicious. El Tepeyac was only a 10 minute drive east on Sunset from the house. A trip that I will definitely be taking again before the summer is over.

Dr. Nakamats

2010-07-11T21:34:00.001-07:00

I would like to see this movie, or more aptly put, documentary about Dr. Nakamats. I first heard of Dr. Nakamats while watching an episode of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmerman. On his visit to Japan, Andrew took a detour into the weird and magical world of the Doc. This glimpse prompted me to input "Nakamats" into Google and that is how I found out about the film. Unfortunately, the movie is only for release in festivals and such, but I will be sure to keep my eyes and ears out for a wider release.

More Seagull Fun

2010-07-06T13:45:00.000-07:00

Mini-Daddy

2010-07-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

My current favorite YouTube clip, Mini Daddy:

I love everything about this video right down to the age appropriate back ground dancers that Mini-Daddy has enlisted. But lets switch gears quickly.....while the video is amazing and funny on many levels, Mini Daddy seems to be a really sweet kid. Having battled cancer as a toddler, he mentions in an interview wanting to help kids with cancer as one of his future goals. Probably the coolest 9 year old reggaeton performer around.