Model Parents

I love having my parents in town, and getting to show them my life here in L.A.  It's even better when they let me practice my photog skills on them :)

{Dad}

{Mom}

{stud}

They're pretty awesome models, right?

And one of me and Brian taken by my mom, the original photog of the family :)

We spent the weekend on the West side --

toured around Venice on Saturday,

saw the canals and ate at FEED,

where the healthy bowls were a hit (although it was super noisy that night).

Sunday we rode bikes on the strand,

north toward Malibu.

And stopped along the way to admire the beach views.

We had dinner at Tavern

(one of my all-time L.A. faves),

and my parents headed off for a play at the Geffen.

Having the people I love around me

makes this life in L.A. even more awesome than it already is,

and I miss them already!

Shameless Plug

(Because no one has good content on Fridays anyway.)

This is admittedly a shameless, self-promoting plug, but hey, it's my blog anyway, right?

I'm really super-psyched about being a Best Jobs in the World finalist (still in shock!), but the thing is, to make it to the top, I NEED YOUR HELP!

Part of the job, should I win it, would be raising publicity for Tourism Australia.  So in order to move forward in the competition, I need to demonstrate that I can do just that for this contest and my candidacy in it.

To that end, I've created a Facebook page to raise support.  I would be so eternally grateful if you could "like" the page and maybe even share it or spread the word to all of your people!  This is really my dream job, and an opportunity I never thought I'd get, so it would mean the world to me if you took a few seconds to help me out.

THANK YOU!

It's about time I tell you about Coachella.

Coachella was a sunshiney wonderland of music, fashion, and flower crowns.

The first morning, we woke up to mimosas, sipped John Daly's by the pool, and grilled burgers for lunch on our BBQ.

Then we set out on the impossibly long walk to the festival.  The house we rented was only 1.5 miles away from the fairgrounds, but it took over an hour to get there because of street closures and pesky gates...not that we didn't try to jump every possible fence.  There was just no way around it!

At least it was sunny :)

My favorite concert of the night was Jurassic 5 -- even though I must admit I hadn't heard any of their music before that night.  We were up pretty close to the stage for the show, and I was totally jamming out.  Even Brian was like who are you?

So many hands in the air!  SO. MANY. HANDS.

Feeling that many people all swaying to the same beat, all cheering, all happy, all together -- it's euphoric!  But it can also be overwhelming and exhausting -- which is why I instituted the First Rule of Coachella:  sit whenever possible.  Even in a huge throng of jumping people.

The next day, Sharz and I wiggled our way into the Lacoste Party (I should say, Sharz wiggled our way in, while I stood quietly sipping my free Patron margarita...).  I was not into the Hollywood-esque line drama and the "who are you here with?" attitude, but I must say, once we got in, that ish was glorious.

There were free drinks, free food trucks, free Patron ice cream sandwiches (omg), free Kiehl's products brought around on trays, free pedicures (I'mnotkidding), free flower crowns, and a free photo booth!  With a blow-up alligator!  Did I mention it was free?

To top it off, all the beautiful people were there.  Including Man Repeller.  I was in awe.

Those of you who follow me on instagram may have noticed me hashtagging #bestdayofmylife...I don't regret any one of those tags.  Truth.

Not one bone in my body wanted to leave the Lacoste paradise when it came time to head to the concert that day, but alas, we had a very-important-not-to-be-missed Lumineers concert to get to.  Life is hard at Coachella ;)

The concert ended with the most awesome Red Hot Chili Peppers show (every song they played was a hit!), and a ridiculous sandstorm.  I'll leave out the nightmare that was the drive home, but suffice it to say, I will probably be finding sand in strange places for the next year.

By the time we left, I was exhausted and sand-blasted and pretty sure Coachella was best left as a once-in-a-lifetime type of experience.

But then the second weekend rolled around, 

and I somehow wished I could go back!

Till next time Coachella...

Best Job In The World

YOU GUYS.

Have you heard of the Best Job In The World contest hosted by Tourism Australia?

I hadn't until a couple months ago.  I heard about it from a girl at the Arboretum who was shooting a video.  I asked her what it was for, and she said it was to apply for the Lifestyle Photographer position as part of the Best Job In The World contest.

After that conversation, Brian was all, "you should apply too!" and I was like "who, me?"...and then we batted the idea around for a while, like "OMG can you imagine?" -- entirely hypothetically speaking, of course.

But the seed had been planted.

So a couple of weeks later, I made a video.  30 seconds long (that's all they allow), and just a simple video in the park by our apartment.  I didn't want to spend too much time/effort on it because, I mean, let's be real.  People like me don't win crazy contests.  And who knows if anyone was even going to watch this video.  It was probably going to be emailed off into a black hole in the interwebs never to be spoken of again.  But the opportunity was cool enough and it was easy enough to apply that I thought, why not take an hour of my time to do it.

So I did.  I uploaded the video and (mostly) forgot about it.

And then today, I got an email saying I was "shortlisted" -- I was chosen as ONE OF THE TOP 25 FINALISTS out of 600,000 applicants!!!!!!!

ME!  Shortlisted!

I am a) completely shocked; and b) 100% psyched!  Here's my video if you want to check it out -- but really, you should go here and check out the other 24 videos because those people are like whoa talented.  I can't believe I'm even on the same list as them!  Ahh!

No matter what the outcome is, today is such a welcome reminder to me that if you see something you want, JUST GO FOR IT, even if it seems against all odds.  There are so many opportunities in the world that could be yours for the taking if you just reach out and grab them.

What an unexpected and wonderful surprise!

Boston

I was going to tell you all about the wonderland of Coachella today (finally), but my mind is elsewhere.  Like the rest of you, I'm glued to my (muted) screen, waiting on edge for this nightmare in Boston to end.

May no more innocent life be lost today.

That's as far as I can think right now.

Friday Ramblings

I volunteered for the first time here yesterday!
It's part of an organization founded by Dave Eggers
that tutors students and puts on writing workshops for kids.
It was exciting to be doing something new and community-oriented
and the kids were so funny :)

I sat in my office yesterday morning
and maybe cried just a little over this video.
There is something intensely touching
about the moment she sees him.
(Or maybe her red dress is just so beautiful it makes me cry.  Also possible.)

My parents are in town this weekend!
We're going to Tavern for dinner,
and I'm hoping for bike riding weather!

Happy Weekend!

Oranges for Picking

{at the Arboretum}

Hope you have a happy Easter weekend!

Arboretum II

Peacocks!  And geese!

In L.A.!

This place is awesome.

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

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

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?

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