Friday, March 29, 2013

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Monday, March 25, 2013

Arboretum I

{reflection}

Looking through these photos transports me back to that quiet, 80-degree day,
when we strolled through tunnels of bamboo,
and it felt like we were on vacation in Hawaii or Costa Rica (or Jurassic Park...)
except less humid (so basically, paradise).

I could sit by the pond at the Arboretum all day,
and forget I'm in L.A. 
which, to be honest, is nice sometimes,
as much as I do like this place.

I have a feeling I'll be back, this time with a picnic basket
(and a couple more rolls of film).


Friday, March 22, 2013

Friday


Brian's out of town this weekend at his man summit/surf thing he does,
so I'm flying solo the next few days.

Which means I get our entire brand new mattress TO MYSELF.

I love that man, but I mean...
NEW MATTRESS.
All mine!

Now that's luxury.

Hope you all get some relaxation in this weekend!


Wednesday, March 20, 2013

In Honor of Spring


Nature
by Raph Waldo Emerson

I.
Winters know
Easily to shed the snow,
And the untaught Spring is wise
In cowslips and anemones.
Nature, hating art and pains,
Baulks and baffles plotting brains;
Casualty and Surprise
Are the apples of her eyes;
But she dearly loves the poor,
And, by marvel of her own,
Strikes the loud pretender down.

For Nature listens in the rose,
And hearkens in the berry's bell,
To help her friends, to plague her foes,
And like wise God she judges well.
Yet doth much her love excel
To the souls that never fell,
To swains that live in happiness,
And do well because they please,
Who walk in ways that are unfamed,
And feats achieve before they're named.

II.
She is gamesome and good,
But of mutable mood,--
No dreary repeater now and again,
She will be all things to all men.
She who is old, but nowise feeble,
Pours her power into the people,
Merry and manifold without bar,
Makes and moulds them what they are,
And what they call their city way
Is not their way, but hers,
And what they say they made to-day,
They learned of the oaks and firs.
She spawneth men as mallows fresh,
Hero and maiden, flesh of her flesh;
She drugs her water and her wheat
With the flavours she finds meet,
And gives them what to drink and eat;
And having thus their bread and growth,
They do her bidding, nothing loath.
What's most theirs is not their own,
But borrowed in atoms from iron and stone,
And in their vaunted works of Art
The master-stroke is still her part.

*     *     *

To me, spring, more than any other season 
is a time to remember the power Mother Nature wields over us.
We are dependent creatures, all of us,
borrowing each day from Her.

It's hard to remember that here,
in the 75-degrees-and-sunny concrete jungle of L.A.
But today, on this first day of spring,
I'm thinking back on our trip to the Arboretum,
marveling at that oasis of beauty amidst the concrete,
and looking forward to all the beautiful sunny days ahead!



Monday, March 18, 2013

Rose Bowl Flea Market

I got my first couple rolls of film from my Contax 645 back today!
(I practically cheered out loud when I saw the email from Photoworks with the scanned prints!)

I really didn't know what to expect, since it was my first time shooting with the Contax,
and I wasn't even sure if the camera would work since it's used...
but I am head over heels in love with the way these photos look!
I'm so excited to share them with you :)

Here are some favorites from our Sunday morning at the Rose Bowl flea market,
straight out of the camera, folks!


I really hope someone brought that giant parrot home.
There's gotta be a perfect place for that somewhere in LA...

More photos from the Arboretum on the way!


Friday, March 15, 2013

You know how you know you're old?

You start waking up at night with the worst back aches because your mattress "just doesn't offer enough support."

Truth:  I may have slept on our air mattress in the upstairs loft all week because of said old-person back pain.  And may have made Brian sleep up there with me.


Aaaaaand this may be the lame-ness low point of my life thus far....

Um, did I mention that last Friday I was here?  COOLNESS POINTS REDEEMED.



Wednesday, March 13, 2013

We Came. We Raved. We Loved.


Let it be known that last Friday, Brian and I went to a rave.


And we liked it.


I remember this one incredible moment when Swedish House Mafia was playing Don't You Worry Child and we were spinning and jumping and laughing and swinging each other around and a space cleared for us to dance and I was so happy.  It's one of those scenes, a snapshot of life, that stands still -- the kind you know you'll remember again, and when you do, it'll make your heart smile.


When it was all over, we trekked back through the endless mud and walked approximately another 8 billion miles to Union Station to take the train home.  Which I was ok with only because 1) I was in a state of post-concert euphoria; 2) I drank my last drink really really fast; and 3) Union Station is pretty.


My feet/legs were sooo gross and muddy.  I have never been so thankful for ugly cheap-o tennis shoes.


 And that is the story of The Time We Went To A Rave.

I'm bookmarking this one for [totally speculative] future child's reference to prove WE WERE COOL ONCE I SWEAR.

Monday, March 11, 2013

My Camera Bag Just Got a Little Heavier


You guys.  I bought my dream cam -- a Contax 645!!!

Four hefty pounds of pure medium format sweetness.

I recently read Jonathan Canlas' book, Film is Not Dead, and I'm so inspired by his approach to photography and so excited to start shooting with this beauty.  I took a couple rolls this weekend at the Rose Bowl flea market and at the Arboretum, and hopefully I'll have some good pics to share when I get them developed.

So who wants to be my model?


Monday, March 4, 2013

My Next 78 Meals


Last week, LA Weekly came out with its yearly list of "99 essential L.A. restaurants."  I've been to 21 of them.

Only 21?!

I've got some work to do!  First on my list:  ink., Rivera, and Salt's Cure.


Here's the list in full, with the ones I've been to crossed out in case you're interested:


A-Frame
Alma
Angelini Osteria
Animal
Attari Sandwich Shop
Bäco Mercat
Bar Amá
The Bazaar
Bestia
BierBeisl
Bludso's
Cacao Mexicatessen
Canelé
La Casita Mexicana
Cemitas Poblanas Elviritas
Chichen Itza
Chung King
Cole's
Coni'Seafood
Cube Cafe & Marketplace
Din Tai Fung
Eva
Father's Office
Fred 62
Gjelina
Golden Deli
Go's Mart
Il Grano
Guelaguetza
Guisados
Hatfield's
Ha Tien Quan
Hawkins House of Burgers
Hayat's Kitchen
El Huarache Azteca
Huckleberry
The Hungry Cat
ink.
Jar
Jitlada
JTYH Heavy Noodle II
Kang Ho Dong Baekjong
Kiriko
Kiyokawa
Kogi Truck
Krua Siri
L&E Oyster Bar
Langer's
Little Dom's
Lucques
Ludo Truck
Lukshon
Mariscos Jalisco
Matsuhisa
Meals by Genet
Mélisse
Milo and Olive
Mo-Chica
Musso & Frank
Nem Nuong Ninh Hoa
Nickel Diner
Night + Market
Oinkster
Osteria Mozza
Pann's
Pa-Ord Noodle
El Parian
Park's BBQ
Philippe the Original
Picca
Pink's
Pizzeria Mozza
Playa
Pollo a la Brasa
Providence
R&R Soul Food
Ración
Red Medicine
Ricky's Fish Tacos
Rivera
Rocio's Moles de los Dioses
Salt's Cure
Sapp Coffee Shop
Savoy Kitchen
Sea Harbour
Shanghai No. 1 Village Seafood
Soban
Son of a Gun
Sotto
Spago
The Spice Table
Superba Snack Bar
Tacos Leo
The Tasting Kitchen
Tavern
Tsujita LA
Vincenti Ristorante
Wurstküche
Zam Zam Market


Friday, March 1, 2013

Jasmines in the Morning


It's practically spring here today; tomorrow will be summer.

These gorgeous blooming jasmines on my walk back from yoga made my morning.  (Jasmines are my favorite flower if you didn't know.)  I picked some and brought them home, and I can't wait to get back to my apartment just so I can open the door and let that spring scent wash over me.

Hope you enjoy the weekend!