tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36101276487125130222024-03-18T20:10:10.112-07:00CalibrarianMissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-88403196688888477562012-12-30T19:48:00.000-08:002012-12-30T19:50:05.433-08:00baby's room: inspiration<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Times;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;">Although
lately I've been trying to do a lot of baby reading on important topics, such
as approaches to sleeping, nursing, and brain development, designing the
nursery has been a favorite pastime during down times at home since about
halfway through my pregnancy. With 4.5 weeks to the due date, we still have a
lot to do to make the baby's room ready. But we've gotten a lot of the major
items together and have loads of ideas for the rest...choosing between them
will be the difficult part (as will trying to keep the budget under control).</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;">Early
on, Jesse and I both started making design boards. We started with gray
and yellow as our base colors, partly because the room will continue to serve
as a guest room and we already had a gray futon with gray and yellow bedding.
Our boards looked a little different – Jesse’s had a lot more burnt orange and
turquoise and a little more of a 1970s vibe. I kind of like keeping the color
scheme a little simpler. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;">This is an extremely chaotic, early iteration of my design board, that has since been streamlined (click on it to ma<span style="font-size: small;">ke it bigger)</span>:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRTune-As7P7_fdmWnGmxAW8-M_BETsRJKG2bK3d3-LJAE-8GkrVKBVJKyct57iME5aIiNnnX9WJkLRCqsecfX-OzrSS_ssoSHsKO8aUTiQ2An1h0vXWPPUq_DNElN4yNAyOuSTWMDJOX/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-12-30+at+5.15.32+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRTune-As7P7_fdmWnGmxAW8-M_BETsRJKG2bK3d3-LJAE-8GkrVKBVJKyct57iME5aIiNnnX9WJkLRCqsecfX-OzrSS_ssoSHsKO8aUTiQ2An1h0vXWPPUq_DNElN4yNAyOuSTWMDJOX/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-12-30+at+5.15.32+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;">We
wanted to have a mostly modern, graphic style with lots of colors and patterns
that wasn’t too “baby,” but we also like to have mid-century, rustic, and
whimsical elements as well. It might be a lot, but I’d love to incorporate
maps and travel, woodland animals, Wisconsin and California, and
typography, even if just in some small ways. I’d love to have some DIY elements
too, to make it feel more personal.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;">With
that as our direction, we’ve been browsing blogs and favorite shopping sites
and coming up with lots of options for furniture, rugs, curtains, bedding, art,
and accessories. We’re also trying to bargain-hunt. It’s taken a while, but we
finally have the crib, the dresser/changing table, the glider, and the crib
bedding (which we haven’t 100% decided to keep). A rug is on the way. I’ve
slowly been picking up and ordering little accessories. Hopefully, in the next
few weeks, it will all come together!</span></div>
Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-27258198330220020682012-12-30T18:06:00.000-08:002012-12-30T18:06:44.909-08:00reality checkI know it's been months since I have written a blog post, which is unfortunate since there is so much to say. I think the pregnancy has made me want to write less than normal. I wish it had the opposite effect.<br />
<br />
But <span style="font-family: Cambria;">a few weeks ago</span>, I ended up in the hospital with pretty frequent contractions. At 31 weeks, it was still too early to deliver and so I was grateful that it was determined that I was not in labor. Even so, the experience reminded me that this baby is coming - maybe soon - and I can't keep putting off the many things I want to do before the baby comes (like write about my experience of being pregnant) or I may just not have the chance to do them.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3610127648712513022" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
This pregnancy has been proceeding so smoothly and normally, that I was really surprised to have something like this come up. On the day it happened, I could tell that I was a little off. Jesse was in Chicago on business, and in a brief conversation with him, I joked that I would let him know if I went into labor. When I took the dog out for a walk after I got home from work, I could feel some tightness, so I hurried home, ate dinner, and settled in on the couch to start tracking my contractions. For nearly two hours, they were mostly seven and eight minutes apart. At that stage of pregnancy, they say to call the doctor if you have more than four in an hour. I had more than four in 40 minutes. It took the midwife an hour to call me back, but when she did, she said I needed to come in to the hospital. As worried as I was that something was wrong, I was nearly as worried that I was completely wrong about what a contraction is. I wasn't, and it's good I called.<br />
<br />
It took me a few minutes to get ready and prepare the apartment for Yuki to be in it for a while by himself, since I had no idea how long it could be. I even left out an extra big bowl of water and filled his food dish way more than normal. I know he's not a cat, but I thought it would put my mind at ease a little if I couldn't get home to feed him. I got "lost" on the way, since one of the freeway ramps was closed at night and the detour didn't make sense. Thank goodness for smartphones! It's funny now, but at the time, I was pretty nervous that I was actually in labor and needed to get there so they could slow or stop it.<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3610127648712513022" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
Everyone at the hospital was really great and took the situation very seriously. They monitored the baby and my contractions throughout the night and did lots of exams and tests, and gave me an IV. Although the contractions continued for much of the time I was there (even getting to 3-4 minutes apart), it never turned into labor and so they sent me home around 4:30am. The contractions (Braxton Hicks) have continued since, but now that I am at 35 weeks, I don't need to go in to the hospital when I have a lot, until I can tell that it's actual labor.<br />
<br />
Interestingly, I ended up back in the hospital a week later for a completely different reason. I'm grateful to be a part of a medical group that takes these concerns so seriously, but I really, really hope to avoid further visits to the hospital until I am ready to have the baby!<br />
<br />
In some ways, I learned a lot from these situations. We need to have an alternate route to the hospital planned. I need to know where to park (late at night, this was also a problem). I need to bring an iPhone charger. We need to have a backup plan for what to do with Yuki if we have to go in to the hospital in a hurry. And I also have a better sense of what to expect in the hospital. I learned that I really don't like feeling immobile due to all of the wires and monitoring equipment, so that will definitely have an impact on how I plan for the birth.<br />
<br />
The best part about this is that Jesse got me a cozy scarf in Chicago for my courage. :) Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-9455249533462095172012-05-28T22:27:00.000-07:002012-05-28T22:27:02.975-07:00san juan capistranoJesse and I enjoyed a mini staycation this weekend. It involved all the good stuff: yoga in the park (that was new), dog park visits, brunch, walks on the beach, shopping on Main Street, and some mini day trips. We avoided all the bad stuff: laundry, cleaning, and grocery-shopping (this week will be fun...).<br />
<br />
On Saturday, we took a little trip to <a href="http://www.missionsjc.com/" target="_blank">Mission San Juan Capistrano</a>,
a place I have been wanting to visit for a while. It took us about an
hour and a half to get there, and much of the drive had great scenery.
The mission was founded in 1776 and includes a pretty little chapel,
which is the only church remaining where Junipero Serra (founder of the
California missions) officiated. The ruins of the "great stone church,"
which was mostly destroyed in the earthquake of 1812, are also very
pretty. There were lots and lots of beautiful flowers, and some nice
fountains and bells too. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrG4ArxB_n1aSmPTLt4JemCNRayWgmfucdZS_yzPBuyEzsRTyUDItRo-4tgJ561pzwO0lJmqLa8i2obCBfFvJ7JuAGN9yrKjaX4kgdfSs1dFlDs3lbj76WluTPvyHABwoNyFAnT1WP1D00/s1600/DSC08451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrG4ArxB_n1aSmPTLt4JemCNRayWgmfucdZS_yzPBuyEzsRTyUDItRo-4tgJ561pzwO0lJmqLa8i2obCBfFvJ7JuAGN9yrKjaX4kgdfSs1dFlDs3lbj76WluTPvyHABwoNyFAnT1WP1D00/s320/DSC08451.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPw_jVxZZGTzIkaBWsOi6RrZBvJDUwFhc0-fj0i7ZeT2DIlXdJwqbQ5feBqEeRK453IudAOFkvHIHxY_uhZ8kL9xF2VnyY071LfTt_efueUtt8rWS9rtnpijYnG8LINVW-PNgQuu1vSWE/s1600/DSC08465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPw_jVxZZGTzIkaBWsOi6RrZBvJDUwFhc0-fj0i7ZeT2DIlXdJwqbQ5feBqEeRK453IudAOFkvHIHxY_uhZ8kL9xF2VnyY071LfTt_efueUtt8rWS9rtnpijYnG8LINVW-PNgQuu1vSWE/s320/DSC08465.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6U44Xpawa2Haa3eHCrRjoZpgS1__OopA6h7RmAtzpZw6KikHB-Xh_2ZEtddUQpp_nfXwNJXzulCWO134xtEJUOWpQFoiTso1Fq6BqC75p8qYkfUCqOk4bEbivs4vCZdxwiz-KMKYNEew/s1600/DSC08471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6U44Xpawa2Haa3eHCrRjoZpgS1__OopA6h7RmAtzpZw6KikHB-Xh_2ZEtddUQpp_nfXwNJXzulCWO134xtEJUOWpQFoiTso1Fq6BqC75p8qYkfUCqOk4bEbivs4vCZdxwiz-KMKYNEew/s320/DSC08471.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5FG1ke4JowrgJ4lMHdfpbkoyL_lNc8PC3uvk2pLOe7-Ev0ujetxBKlsnBSUHhPt8YvLnffjKplVmggdj6IkrSHIEjZz8q79Pun1UQOsTgBhTUongfi4fUis37AxdT2lPJi_Zx5FJuZC0/s1600/DSC08486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5FG1ke4JowrgJ4lMHdfpbkoyL_lNc8PC3uvk2pLOe7-Ev0ujetxBKlsnBSUHhPt8YvLnffjKplVmggdj6IkrSHIEjZz8q79Pun1UQOsTgBhTUongfi4fUis37AxdT2lPJi_Zx5FJuZC0/s320/DSC08486.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJ2NvkLZUOp8-kp-oTqzOWZEul8ySoblfMcizKhUdAkjbmdEwoxkZ1k0uBgdKcNnhcXyxHG0Hxav_W1NjTvNye45l0SJqZnqkU2te0JYYcF4XsYM8Z3MKx6YGBLcjPRLC-_J_ZeY55xjT/s1600/DSC08512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJ2NvkLZUOp8-kp-oTqzOWZEul8ySoblfMcizKhUdAkjbmdEwoxkZ1k0uBgdKcNnhcXyxHG0Hxav_W1NjTvNye45l0SJqZnqkU2te0JYYcF4XsYM8Z3MKx6YGBLcjPRLC-_J_ZeY55xjT/s320/DSC08512.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
On our way home, we drove up the Pacific Coast Highway through Laguna
Beach and Newport Beach, stopping at Huntington Beach just in time for
sunset. We'd never been there before and were surprised to see so many
fire pits, so we'll definitely have to go back and have a campfire
someday.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBO-qBJ5P6vSXRvblOKy2zAgq9d4XNkHZBtQdBRNomijNggrMCsp9xZxpp2AV998gb8q8hyQbY7QsJyPaZmFvMvegYTv6AaMIBD6lZCQMJFbhXFyEl7d5Eqi6ZXwK_xaDHMYXdEAPXqBSC/s1600/DSC08536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBO-qBJ5P6vSXRvblOKy2zAgq9d4XNkHZBtQdBRNomijNggrMCsp9xZxpp2AV998gb8q8hyQbY7QsJyPaZmFvMvegYTv6AaMIBD6lZCQMJFbhXFyEl7d5Eqi6ZXwK_xaDHMYXdEAPXqBSC/s320/DSC08536.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-781792147595649442012-05-24T19:11:00.000-07:002012-05-24T19:11:00.994-07:00california design + animalA couple of weeks ago, we were having a very typical weekend - relaxing and getting some things done around the house. Jesse worked much of the day on Sunday, and I caught up on piles of laundry. But I was very eager to see an exhibit at LACMA that won't be around much longer, so around 5pm, we headed out to the exhibit with plans to grab dinner out afterwards. It was the kind of evening that makes me really appreciate LA.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5rxd9tztpQsmewFKTOv4bh5xMC5pHHVxZX9UjAKyqUhX7IoEHU3h3KZPetf1aOl1u4pRd6zbhyphenhyphenNmqD1a4nV850UUftGeDrMFfCTc0d8RS8i9JhekHOmKxmZBaDdQCmrWSNrhJgzm7TVO/s1600/lacma+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5rxd9tztpQsmewFKTOv4bh5xMC5pHHVxZX9UjAKyqUhX7IoEHU3h3KZPetf1aOl1u4pRd6zbhyphenhyphenNmqD1a4nV850UUftGeDrMFfCTc0d8RS8i9JhekHOmKxmZBaDdQCmrWSNrhJgzm7TVO/s320/lacma+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The exhibit is "<a href="http://www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/californiadesign" target="_blank">California Design, 1930-1965: 'Living in a Modern Way</a>.'" Since we moved here, I've been loving retro California design and all the mid-century modern furniture that you can find at antique shops and flea markets. The exhibit showed off a lot of these fun designs, but also gave some of the historic context for its development, which I thought was really interesting. Here are some quotes from the exhibit:<br />
<br />
"By the onset of World War II, these homes and their furnishings were characterized by a particular kind of modernism rooted in California culture and conditions. The general qualities associated with the state (optimism and democracy, fearless experimentation, and a love of new technology) and those specific to design (an affinity for light and brilliant color, an openness to Asian and Latin influences, and an advocacy of fluid spaces and cross-disciplinary approaches) made California's best products distinctive."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOvwivPpAD_H15mjWn87YZb-vNj5R270ZeUO7TEqdE5EZ8jI_y-R8DMI0dpKriet2bpKgiY6ikasYtSSuqfF1M6sP67Nftv9BvyNxX5sQ-CMDie3NrtJkwhTx7Bs-Knx_dOfsIYMRoQWL/s1600/lacma+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOvwivPpAD_H15mjWn87YZb-vNj5R270ZeUO7TEqdE5EZ8jI_y-R8DMI0dpKriet2bpKgiY6ikasYtSSuqfF1M6sP67Nftv9BvyNxX5sQ-CMDie3NrtJkwhTx7Bs-Knx_dOfsIYMRoQWL/s320/lacma+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The exhibit also said California design during this time demonstrated a "connection to nature," "embraced comfort and leisure," "responded directly to the environment," was "functionalist," "and it embraced the informality that came with the permeable spaces by blurring the distinctions between indoors and out..."<br />
<br />
I love spaces that blend indoors and out, so that appealed to me. And one of the things I love most about California is the optimism and fearlessness that is generally present, so it was fun to hear those characteristics applied to design. The exhibit made me proud of my adopted state!<br />
<br />
On a whim, we went to Animal for dinner, a place we've been wanting to try. The chefs were featured on a Top Chef episode not that long ago, and the restaurant always gets great reviews. Here is what we had:<br />
<br />
sliced pig head, hush puppy, pickled ramp vinaigarette<br />tandoori octopus, tamarind, kumquat, raita<br />poutine, oxtail gravy, cheddar<br />grilled quail, rhubarb char-siu, apple, mandarin, yogurt<br />foie gras, biscuit, maple sausage gravy<br />bacon chocolate crunch bar, s&p ice cream<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The foie gras was so good I almost cried, and the bacon chocolate crunch bar made me giggle. It was one of the best meals I have had in LA, and I loved that it was a spontaneous one.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtgMtAI-Un9gO1ExGp5vhVAKyMlv08mhMt2f9qJI6uibso3H4iT1NdlE0bCX_C9sGVXeSCx0vsW_X8U5Si2GavIG9N6pmJ_r6VPLV84zEcy6bW3UuKAVNCg29d_cSYRHrasIzezDnyVVG/s1600/animal+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtgMtAI-Un9gO1ExGp5vhVAKyMlv08mhMt2f9qJI6uibso3H4iT1NdlE0bCX_C9sGVXeSCx0vsW_X8U5Si2GavIG9N6pmJ_r6VPLV84zEcy6bW3UuKAVNCg29d_cSYRHrasIzezDnyVVG/s320/animal+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-3813484184769454122012-04-08T22:00:00.000-07:002012-04-09T12:26:08.761-07:00travel plans: the decisionJesse and I had been hoarding airline miles ever since we made several trips back and forth to Japan while living there. Although we've flown many times since, I was really committed to using the miles for a "big" trip, and we'd been thinking for several years for how to best take advantage of them. The prospect of "the trip" grew bigger and bigger in my head. The longer we went without travelling internationally, after travelling so much for several years, the more the trip started to feel like a major, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I wanted to make sure we used the miles for just the right thing. But the longer we held on to the miles, the more I worried that they would disappear and the more I feared that this long hoped-for trip wouldn't actually happen.<br /><br />With both of our jobs, we had a hard time finding time that we could both be gone for more than a week at a time. My first year at Pepperdine (2009-2010), I never took more than a few days off at a time. My second year, Jesse had started working as a consultant for Disney, and didn't feel like he could get away while he was on a limited-term contract. The third year seemed to be the right time for us. We initially planned to go in the fall, but several other events came up, and we decided to put the trip off (again). Then, American Airlines declared bankruptcy in late 2011, and my irrational fears that we'd lose the miles re-appeared. It turned out to be the kick we needed.<br /><br />We started looking into dates for the travel. We knew we wanted to travel internationally, and we wanted to take two weeks off. Although we had started discussing "where" we would go, we were really more concerned with the "when" at first. By the time we got the vacation time approved for the middle of April, we still didn't know where we wanted to go. There were so many places we both wanted to see and it was starting to feel impossible to choose. Making decisions has never come easy for me, but this one seemed particularly difficult. I love to travel so much. But with limited vacation time and the cost of travel, I started to feel like we wouldn't be doing it as often as I'd like. These miles were our chance at a low-cost trip, and we were only going to get the one. Neither Jesse nor I could figure out how to prioritize the places we wanted to see, so we started to think about the kinds of international experiences that interested us.<br /><br />Classic: France, Italy<br />Adventurous: Machu Picchu (this one is mostly me - I'm sort of fixated on it)<br />Exotic: Turkey, Morocco<br />Familiar: Japan<br />Little-Bit-Unique: Finland, Russia, Iceland, Eastern Europe<br />Leisurely: A resort anywhere in the tropics<br /><br />We pretty seriously considered every one of those areas. Finland was one of our top choices. Since Jesse's ancestors originally immigrated to Wisconsin from Finland, and our last name is Finnish, we had a special interest in seeing the country. It also looks gorgeous and has an interesting design scene. However, once we knew we were going in April, it didn't seem like the weather would be ideal. Having spent most of our lives in the Midwest, the chance for a cold and slushy vacation wasn't all that appealing; give me snow or sun, but not in-between. The same went for Russia. We talked a lot about going back to Japan. It's been five years since we left, and we would love the opportunity to visit friends and see familiar places. But ultimately, we decided we wanted to do something new. Japan felt like a trip we could take anytime, and we know we'll definitely go back at some point.<br /><br />Around the time we got the vacation approved, we had more or less settled on France. We even used our miles to put some tickets on hold. We figured we'd spend a little time in Paris and then make our way south to enjoy villages and hopefully lots of wineries. It sounded relaxing, leisurely, and romantic. A perfect trip, right? For whatever reason, I really couldn't get excited about it. I think when it came down to it, I wanted something completely new and out of the ordinary. I would love to see the south of France one day, and I think it will happen. But a bigger adventure was more appealing to me. I'd also been to Paris, and although I had loved it, it wouldn't be new.<br /><br />Although our frequent flier miles wouldn't get us all the way there, we ultimately chose Morocco. By booking tickets first to Madrid, and then buying separate tickets from Madrid to Marrakesh, we were able to work it out. I had originally seen Morocco on a list of great places to travel in 2009, or sometime around then. The brief note had mentioned the food, and that Morocco was a culinary destination. That piqued my interest, and it has always stuck in the back of my head as a place to see. The more research that I have done, the more I feel that this trip will encompass so many of the kinds of experiences we had hoped to have. There will definitely be some adventure, it will be exotic, there will be good food and leisure, and it will be unique. So far, our planned activities involve a cooking class, a spa, an afternoon at a resort, art galleries, old medinas in several Moroccan cities, historic markets and sites, a ferry across the Strait of Gibralter, train travel, and Roman ruins. Sadly, we had to rule out a camel trip in the desert due to time (who knew two weeks isn't even close to enough time for Morocco?). We're making time for a few days in Spain, and we will get to see the French influence in Morocco, so we'll get to have a taste of the classic as well.<br /><br />I am really pleased with our choice. Ultimately, I feel really, really lucky that we have a choice at all. The chance to take two weeks off to travel to another country, and not to have to pay for the airline tickets...that's something special.Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-41648257479869532802012-02-05T19:31:00.000-08:002012-02-05T20:12:20.393-08:00vegasI'd never been to Las Vegas, although Jesse had been several times. We'd been talking for a while about going there, since it's so close to Los Angeles, and our anniversary was at the end of January. So when we both realized that we had MLK Day off a couple of weeks ago, we made last-minute plans to drive up for the weekend. It turned out to be a great trip. We mostly spent our time wandering from one hotel/casino to another, checking out all of the over-the-top decor. It truly felt like adult Disneyland. Everything is so fake, but still so nice. Like the Venice canals, for example. Fake sky, fake cobblestone streets. Silly, right? But...still fun! And actually kind of pretty. Here are a few things I found amusing:<br /><br />1. The drive through the California desert.<br />2. The different smells at all of the casinos. The Tropicana smelled like tanning oil.<br />3. People-watching. Especially at night when the cocktail dresses and stilettos came out.<br />4. The Cirque du Soleil show "O." I've seen a few Cirque shows and wasn't sure one more was necessary, but this one was different and a lot of fun.<br />5. Dinner at Bouchon, one of Thomas Keller's restaurants. I had scallops with roasted winter squash, glazed parsnips, and confit chestnuts. It was really, really good.<br />6. Our gorgeous, spacious, and comfortable hotel room at the Palazzo.<br />7. The lobby at the Wynn, with its colorful tile mosaics and the wall of water.<br />8. The conservatory at the Bellagio, which looked amazing decorated for the Chinese New Year.<br />9. The crazy amounts of crystal at the Cosmopolitan.<br />10. And - my favorite - the fountain at the Bellagio. So entertaining!!<br /><br />Even after 2.5 years of living in the West, I still get excited at all of the places that are now within driving distance from our home. There are so many more to explore!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmnHYFD8XoHB8kUlJdDVVLTNmfzPn7I5US78NCsrxOoZWjdRyyJ5sRZRganF9G7SIAGMj0tS69PX8L1_Ofnbfnq_gGYWQpE-NRM52T5mYAbjppO3i2zedxjNz4IjEZx1dypJjb43-a-zK/s1600/wynn.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmnHYFD8XoHB8kUlJdDVVLTNmfzPn7I5US78NCsrxOoZWjdRyyJ5sRZRganF9G7SIAGMj0tS69PX8L1_Ofnbfnq_gGYWQpE-NRM52T5mYAbjppO3i2zedxjNz4IjEZx1dypJjb43-a-zK/s400/wynn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705868143735827842" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJUJ3aGdz8nS_a4ekqiJT5Y0nu0SB_qQjf1BMETSY3mTsWdjD6QUmqinXHqtyrnkPoMejPG-52UFFgDtv_97tv0bKtxU2x2yuoJQ9haSnB73-z0hADLtBY-35jPrjzYpm-nTisKAQJ4ri/s1600/DSC06370.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJUJ3aGdz8nS_a4ekqiJT5Y0nu0SB_qQjf1BMETSY3mTsWdjD6QUmqinXHqtyrnkPoMejPG-52UFFgDtv_97tv0bKtxU2x2yuoJQ9haSnB73-z0hADLtBY-35jPrjzYpm-nTisKAQJ4ri/s400/DSC06370.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705868145984559186" border="0" /></a>Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-69916793158003721672012-01-29T22:52:00.000-08:002012-01-29T23:15:01.810-08:00rose bowl festivitiesI know the Badgers didn't win in the end, but Jesse and I still had fun attending some of the Rose Bowl festivities this year, especially the Rose Parade. We're not always in town for New Year's, so I am glad we took advantage of the opportunity this year - it was really fun to see. And of course, we enjoyed having lots of Wisconsinites around town for the few days leading up to the parade and game. In full disclosure, I don't really follow the Badgers in the same way I follow the Packers, but I'm always a fan of anything having to do with my home state.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbq-WKmmji7yc1hRzStox77rc-tH6LAPvl5pAv0Ia3sT8VIZzjNGO3p8ScbJC-EOH1qlJFQxDLH44lzefgAykH4_TW84dZATktkCU0-DiuteIqei0hgX-4MjlNRGRxdmUfvKyefPszQxw/s1600/DSC06235.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbq-WKmmji7yc1hRzStox77rc-tH6LAPvl5pAv0Ia3sT8VIZzjNGO3p8ScbJC-EOH1qlJFQxDLH44lzefgAykH4_TW84dZATktkCU0-DiuteIqei0hgX-4MjlNRGRxdmUfvKyefPszQxw/s400/DSC06235.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703316326900459874" border="0" /></a>A sea of red at the Badgers Pep Rally at the Santa Monica Pier a few days before the game. It was a very, very foggy day. The pep band played, and they interviewed some of the players on stage.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjRmuh9oRhehk1_X0Bqjd2wCyfxtsxfeajBa1y_UDTS_XQH8jJiyk03_sdbv_FbNBB4PNnWb0CB2h7IW5dVhUTYHE2j2aKU5QEV66w44ox3mA3wKaIdF3nbj_poWf-run7dXs64owgn9x/s1600/DSC06241.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjRmuh9oRhehk1_X0Bqjd2wCyfxtsxfeajBa1y_UDTS_XQH8jJiyk03_sdbv_FbNBB4PNnWb0CB2h7IW5dVhUTYHE2j2aKU5QEV66w44ox3mA3wKaIdF3nbj_poWf-run7dXs64owgn9x/s400/DSC06241.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703316332466226130" border="0" /></a>Jesse, Yuki, and Bucky. Lots and lots of people stopped to say hi to Yuki. Someone who stopped to pet him said, "Oh, this must be the big dog that people are talking about." He loved the attention, and we liked chatting with the other Wisconsinites.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-k4rjszgWmNK7_GOi69mtzSwvKdpWigASGrS-Xtm5piqfDYH2wN1lWEh2gJgP99HBp_c20R2cQsLfES_FHPbtCyvSnlUiGeAe7tGnblj70zVsaUj3bA5El184v9lHvX-QWx61RCl9Rbq/s1600/DSC06263.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-k4rjszgWmNK7_GOi69mtzSwvKdpWigASGrS-Xtm5piqfDYH2wN1lWEh2gJgP99HBp_c20R2cQsLfES_FHPbtCyvSnlUiGeAe7tGnblj70zVsaUj3bA5El184v9lHvX-QWx61RCl9Rbq/s400/DSC06263.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703316340178267042" border="0" /></a>Badger train! We parked at Union Station and took the metra to Pasadena for the Rose Parade. We were not the only ones with this brilliant ideas.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3c_yynJAl9QhxC5o9iRBesna8NbM3uc6CobnJIgNj4s5tHaswjcs62MbX_Ap2uVCSPI7PIcX659-Q8TCo5UR_1LWFRaNkC-6rTZsRprUx7NzpewZ2SJ9DPMFq7Z9wH-8EhDEUXIVoKd6K/s1600/DSC06267.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3c_yynJAl9QhxC5o9iRBesna8NbM3uc6CobnJIgNj4s5tHaswjcs62MbX_Ap2uVCSPI7PIcX659-Q8TCo5UR_1LWFRaNkC-6rTZsRprUx7NzpewZ2SJ9DPMFq7Z9wH-8EhDEUXIVoKd6K/s400/DSC06267.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703316354841402514" border="0" /></a>The floats were so fun to see! Apparently people camp out on the sidewalk starting the day before the parade to get good spots. We showed up just before the parade started to come by this spot and I was very happy with how close we were.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHr2AYT5qHXMDs6ltPgo9c62DghAg8gXhvKV5pv_in7agsfODOe6TYCovazbY1cv-YJWbsJeebYdBhhyphenhyphenZEUaHV5jrxT16ioooqLZjYd5XPMOPkfR_8BGF4GCvU7Gm2nm5QKedWr7ZZ3sA/s1600/DSC06292.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHr2AYT5qHXMDs6ltPgo9c62DghAg8gXhvKV5pv_in7agsfODOe6TYCovazbY1cv-YJWbsJeebYdBhhyphenhyphenZEUaHV5jrxT16ioooqLZjYd5XPMOPkfR_8BGF4GCvU7Gm2nm5QKedWr7ZZ3sA/s400/DSC06292.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703316356701334530" border="0" /></a>The Trader Joe's float.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqJNOC5kFKKKZ7q07Hj9OO-3xIWBdCcLMsfbD2szXEGBQfepGSQyFt2BV4KtfD1d889QzbcCx8LG8g7CPmAhELGckl2iTO6FRPzss2TNkDwHzniQmTpAfDOxj7BMwJv70KS_IyU-nH1aG/s1600/DSC06307.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqJNOC5kFKKKZ7q07Hj9OO-3xIWBdCcLMsfbD2szXEGBQfepGSQyFt2BV4KtfD1d889QzbcCx8LG8g7CPmAhELGckl2iTO6FRPzss2TNkDwHzniQmTpAfDOxj7BMwJv70KS_IyU-nH1aG/s400/DSC06307.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703316993315666498" border="0" /></a>The Badger float.<br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLzMRrkgAImbUi2RowgS2_o4F4s4VQgA04kBBFkl_HpWOAVGHMf9S1BCZXoHMraZVFjqXwO80dUb2OKkUKnZVge39nDKeHjUgrccufw0jNeUr9Bdci2suC77CC6QgLaxVSV8UE8gA6g-v/s1600/DSC06330.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLzMRrkgAImbUi2RowgS2_o4F4s4VQgA04kBBFkl_HpWOAVGHMf9S1BCZXoHMraZVFjqXwO80dUb2OKkUKnZVge39nDKeHjUgrccufw0jNeUr9Bdci2suC77CC6QgLaxVSV8UE8gA6g-v/s400/DSC06330.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703316983144083746" border="0" /></a>Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-47393957070740270822012-01-01T23:17:00.000-08:002012-01-01T23:19:40.334-08:00renegade round-upI love going to local art shows in Los Angeles. Usually around this time of year, Jesse and I go to Unique LA, held in the fashion district. This year, we decided to check out the <a href="http://www.renegadecraft.com/holiday-la">Renegade Craft Fair</a> in the Los Angeles State Historic Park instead. It was a little smaller than Unique LA, but I thought it was nice that it was outside and that some of the artists were from outside the LA area. Of course, part of what makes Unique LA so great is that all of the artists are very local. And the food is better at Unique LA, meaning overall, Unique LA wins, but I am glad we tried something different this time around.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisyrg9Iwi86kB_fm7XKBg5BCmVXBmiLWHJV_aKePEMJ7md7R4I2igVq10PSp7OML7BZxDmW6l76z_UQoUTmYpoIxADHVbWgXrG-tHoqX871Tzpshct-XzSfEnukUARwAc5F0o5pm-zF2G/s1600/DSC06180.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisyrg9Iwi86kB_fm7XKBg5BCmVXBmiLWHJV_aKePEMJ7md7R4I2igVq10PSp7OML7BZxDmW6l76z_UQoUTmYpoIxADHVbWgXrG-tHoqX871Tzpshct-XzSfEnukUARwAc5F0o5pm-zF2G/s400/DSC06180.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692869270013031826" border="0" /></a>There was a nice view of the city, especially as the sun was setting.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxtrN0Q4f4_NN8fuLGC-NzLSyd1HPQw9L4DAwAKMEWyV2AtMEoPARAIvY_awUsZr8RWvo7APVfuKEy-wRu6QtRXTOaK_K_yzTUQTPV5_BD7Wu8-jBOfDDehYtlnAnEZLEl_gpWAzm8j9I/s1600/DSC06182.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxtrN0Q4f4_NN8fuLGC-NzLSyd1HPQw9L4DAwAKMEWyV2AtMEoPARAIvY_awUsZr8RWvo7APVfuKEy-wRu6QtRXTOaK_K_yzTUQTPV5_BD7Wu8-jBOfDDehYtlnAnEZLEl_gpWAzm8j9I/s400/DSC06182.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692869276578229586" border="0" /></a>Some of the artists' booths.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PR0E_lOVd6nn_hdpyqwixX22h8XZZfyKlfXhKnboEQPz-iKn8ljnRtqMIJ3YLuQfni3bzkg1gvkzaPqUSiXwbrki4VJ9360Pq-TlbnE2OOZk-B97ZwJgnWvYXTUAq3iweI5rRE7zw8es/s1600/DSC06183.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PR0E_lOVd6nn_hdpyqwixX22h8XZZfyKlfXhKnboEQPz-iKn8ljnRtqMIJ3YLuQfni3bzkg1gvkzaPqUSiXwbrki4VJ9360Pq-TlbnE2OOZk-B97ZwJgnWvYXTUAq3iweI5rRE7zw8es/s400/DSC06183.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692869280303156466" border="0" /></a>This was the cute booth for <a href="http://www.eripottery.com/">Eri Sugimoto</a>, a Japanese ceramics artist.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShUhzj9zXb0EXXHttizA8WhzZQkphvQRApvgtu89bcSh3Wkd1L4uCMEqu-QNWPOYM-es92_aKzZ9OmyfImg6vCoPNkMtqXEVnihtn18rGpXwv6GR4oY0Vvtil1DXCIs3LrAWMVDbMvUhG/s1600/DSC06176.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShUhzj9zXb0EXXHttizA8WhzZQkphvQRApvgtu89bcSh3Wkd1L4uCMEqu-QNWPOYM-es92_aKzZ9OmyfImg6vCoPNkMtqXEVnihtn18rGpXwv6GR4oY0Vvtil1DXCIs3LrAWMVDbMvUhG/s400/DSC06176.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692869283620486226" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Tangleweeds">Tangleweeds</a> jewelry made of metal and leather - yup, I got one.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOyBw4rFEnUzCmD7B9Zzorx0qbLsXSoVLXrGxLo8x4KHM6mwaFWR-wFJN9GyvNeK2e6GsA4UKkKcCRHR5Siouj98udsdUPXOliRact6y_kAndx5QFWCHiPQQxxViLL3WAfMk8U0Ab2ojr/s1600/DSC06179.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOyBw4rFEnUzCmD7B9Zzorx0qbLsXSoVLXrGxLo8x4KHM6mwaFWR-wFJN9GyvNeK2e6GsA4UKkKcCRHR5Siouj98udsdUPXOliRact6y_kAndx5QFWCHiPQQxxViLL3WAfMk8U0Ab2ojr/s400/DSC06179.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692869290094707298" border="0" /></a>I love the colorful patterned earrings on colorful patterned paper, from <a href="http://www.cookieandthedude.com/">Cookie and the Dude</a>.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgixaaM-RwhfQZ5JIGWOFUqWupg2sRQ-g8sk7ghnelyS1HpjP5dzV9jq53RH0ZLHjlUMpyocuQK3wiR3uE64CllL96IxZdUz02kwcymPg6d4FQYq1gcOqKeHPY00dBPs0IQkuAfNIGPp7/s1600/misha+ashton+ferris+wheel.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgixaaM-RwhfQZ5JIGWOFUqWupg2sRQ-g8sk7ghnelyS1HpjP5dzV9jq53RH0ZLHjlUMpyocuQK3wiR3uE64CllL96IxZdUz02kwcymPg6d4FQYq1gcOqKeHPY00dBPs0IQkuAfNIGPp7/s400/misha+ashton+ferris+wheel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692870516462347602" border="0" /></a>We got a small version of this print from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/mishaashton?ref=top_trail">Misha Ashton</a>. Jesse always like prints of roller coasters and ferris wheels and the like. We also got a small print of some Japanese gates in Kyoto. (Photo from Etsy site.)<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy83krk22fhGpsrCIkuxjrL9hsO2lpRmWRx30G6DlRAIaGYG2DBUdNtVF6cbh2RB2ZHvKQNjRUDby63NcHR7nRzvSsfth0K_BlClZKDPPwtfdXJvNpAtuVUa3ZyM4oBdJsCMgGoZQ5sjrO/s1600/paper+parasol+wisconsin+print.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy83krk22fhGpsrCIkuxjrL9hsO2lpRmWRx30G6DlRAIaGYG2DBUdNtVF6cbh2RB2ZHvKQNjRUDby63NcHR7nRzvSsfth0K_BlClZKDPPwtfdXJvNpAtuVUa3ZyM4oBdJsCMgGoZQ5sjrO/s400/paper+parasol+wisconsin+print.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692870521323788610" border="0" /></a>I like maps and I love Wisconsin, so I was super excited to get this print from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/paperparasol?ref=top_trail">Paper Parasol Press</a> (photo from Etsy site). They also have prints of other states, including California, and some awesome holiday cards.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jtN_bRlcFPtimMl-hb-yyG325Q_3Uh7Rc3H7KiZ6DcyBhkcqMyD3rL9FLdCJnRFw3-K4EGOH8BzZTYsiUZLhnmxvCRoK_BTO_luM5BI46wvxiaGQUFpxy1VQtq5kcOerrnu_S5Z0L7ma/s1600/ilee+lanterns+card.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jtN_bRlcFPtimMl-hb-yyG325Q_3Uh7Rc3H7KiZ6DcyBhkcqMyD3rL9FLdCJnRFw3-K4EGOH8BzZTYsiUZLhnmxvCRoK_BTO_luM5BI46wvxiaGQUFpxy1VQtq5kcOerrnu_S5Z0L7ma/s400/ilee+lanterns+card.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692870514403473298" border="0" /></a>Card from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/ilee?ref=top_trail">Ilee </a>Press, which had some very pretty things. (Photo from Etsy site.)<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflBDRaJBKLj7-W4W2B3U8_UKi4ZX3Jez2ZaAQVZ2eeUtmVFJBA8f9NGZ0aZkNUqK2lUgLL9RICui3ImrTFItBzh2kpjHcszTzbfxT_RttbnqV5m3Q7qOcowq9X7ff8tpwRj9LVSq-uzuY/s1600/mehoi+rocket+earrings.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 147px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflBDRaJBKLj7-W4W2B3U8_UKi4ZX3Jez2ZaAQVZ2eeUtmVFJBA8f9NGZ0aZkNUqK2lUgLL9RICui3ImrTFItBzh2kpjHcszTzbfxT_RttbnqV5m3Q7qOcowq9X7ff8tpwRj9LVSq-uzuY/s400/mehoi+rocket+earrings.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692870510268636722" border="0" /></a><a href="http://mehoi.com/index.html">Mehoi</a> had the cutest earrings and things. (Photo from website.)<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-4646574014668174012011-10-09T18:52:00.000-07:002011-10-09T18:52:29.003-07:00ciqLAvia and BAMAfter a shamefully lazy Saturday yesterday, Jesse and I went to not one, but two, LA events today. The first is called CicLAvia, and is based on the ciclovias that started over 30 years ago in Bogota, Colombia and are now held in cities throughout the world (Blogger needs to let me use accented letters...). The basic concept involves shutting city streets to automobiles for a day and opening them up to bicycles and walkers. Our bikes are in rough shape, so we just walked this time. But I can see how it would be really fun to bike around the city on open streets that are usually clogged with traffic.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtdFKSWb6D7aSqPl1HDa00V8jH_KbnL3pL8nvx6l8LVJaT4cqRnZ8VhNC3y4UsygliXsP2-54RCLqnHXVrKMZAv9hmLYXsL2lEPO7GeY1RCfxY7fEYWlN6RQp4WEviJ5eYobo9QnAuGEL/s1600/DSC05934.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtdFKSWb6D7aSqPl1HDa00V8jH_KbnL3pL8nvx6l8LVJaT4cqRnZ8VhNC3y4UsygliXsP2-54RCLqnHXVrKMZAv9hmLYXsL2lEPO7GeY1RCfxY7fEYWlN6RQp4WEviJ5eYobo9QnAuGEL/s400/DSC05934.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661674562602503778" border="0" /></a>The second event we went to is called BAM Fest (for beer, art, and music). It's held annually at the 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica, where bands play, art studios are open, and California craft beers are available for tasting. We got cute little tasting glasses to keep.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifAdn-DadlcodSalJ9pIMi0tFGMdm-ixF1qBw3qqlDq_J88KNl-kKOD94GVr6gnnCaRCWDrZP_AmMzyc4rLgSFKGU3gj4MR2M_UVvl9bLoQRQ3heaVXk904DZNSATunQcfyJ89pP8UONgw/s1600/DSC05943.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifAdn-DadlcodSalJ9pIMi0tFGMdm-ixF1qBw3qqlDq_J88KNl-kKOD94GVr6gnnCaRCWDrZP_AmMzyc4rLgSFKGU3gj4MR2M_UVvl9bLoQRQ3heaVXk904DZNSATunQcfyJ89pP8UONgw/s400/DSC05943.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661673861703209474" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTTFzaGZDsTu0bNlPvJhNkpl6IBrAJ4EV8BFmqvn4gd_DLGri0rmRgROecmiRG3UtO5OZo8ZkK5rXqLrN0_ujq0xVuW6d36svtlVV0ZwCPVHO8Ud4Ox0Z7DHH4CxXVgRCRo7bvoeq-GYW/s1600/DSC05946.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTTFzaGZDsTu0bNlPvJhNkpl6IBrAJ4EV8BFmqvn4gd_DLGri0rmRgROecmiRG3UtO5OZo8ZkK5rXqLrN0_ujq0xVuW6d36svtlVV0ZwCPVHO8Ud4Ox0Z7DHH4CxXVgRCRo7bvoeq-GYW/s400/DSC05946.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661673856710915426" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgABTKefrwtfWlWAJMF6LkQdCTuM6JVqPVR7tYc5Q_oNgqk54_evCOuH9rA0u2SZrExks1JKxf5fSANVZ-G-moF0dRUuTSvwXZ6sq71-P8EUV9TT_CGxjOoc9ZgTrXF46bcw2Mv35gPn1q/s1600/DSC05940.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgABTKefrwtfWlWAJMF6LkQdCTuM6JVqPVR7tYc5Q_oNgqk54_evCOuH9rA0u2SZrExks1JKxf5fSANVZ-G-moF0dRUuTSvwXZ6sq71-P8EUV9TT_CGxjOoc9ZgTrXF46bcw2Mv35gPn1q/s400/DSC05940.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661673866156084258" border="0" /></a>Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-34892156858708204692011-10-05T18:37:00.000-07:002011-10-09T18:28:00.321-07:00hollywood bowlJesse and I finally made it to Hollywood Bowl...and for a great event too! We went to the annual John Williams event when the LA Philharmonic plays the music of the movies and John Williams conducts. We heard familiar scores from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, and lots of others. The audience was entertaining as well (see below). Before the performance, we had a picnic dinner on the grounds with friends and made a whole evening of it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMA4DDYTUlvhefaoBFpOZfR0jcEymV6G5BIh1n6ZBTs8gpzyGARw7VMYentc7jmuPi3tyniM8x6h7JBGCNlowSkboxcWDxQ2SoAsfOIZZ1lZL49676gnd2U0aqCH3Vr9jxUMdyiECu95G/s1600/DSC05426.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMA4DDYTUlvhefaoBFpOZfR0jcEymV6G5BIh1n6ZBTs8gpzyGARw7VMYentc7jmuPi3tyniM8x6h7JBGCNlowSkboxcWDxQ2SoAsfOIZZ1lZL49676gnd2U0aqCH3Vr9jxUMdyiECu95G/s400/DSC05426.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660189212332534722" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh02iQsmmwp9B4WS4Lz98WCYi9obwXEArwbE_04WKnO235MiQz-V534b8G_uQmuxrU7uPvtGSiaJcseDVUTPmgGWfmK2-gla-IfXyIB89-p2OaFKqTU0LJb_9rv7CDmKIz8TyWDnajdu3Xe/s1600/DSC05428.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh02iQsmmwp9B4WS4Lz98WCYi9obwXEArwbE_04WKnO235MiQz-V534b8G_uQmuxrU7uPvtGSiaJcseDVUTPmgGWfmK2-gla-IfXyIB89-p2OaFKqTU0LJb_9rv7CDmKIz8TyWDnajdu3Xe/s400/DSC05428.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660189217451322146" border="0" /></a>For our seats, we had to take escalators up to the top of the amphitheater. When we turned the corner, it was a fun sight to see. The Hollywood Bowl has been around since 1922 and has become a true LA landmark/experience.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ltYwftJLHhVKX9EKA3XhuxGzyrjdtV9qWclUuS7VQuU5GEYMD0b3_1uVNRCwae4IU9LjxRQIvFQZTBS2KUrxJ5ILaMocLdx75dLHKoBXY6x6ZJTUdtdJypKaaEFG9afkz2dhbEC3p420/s1600/DSC05440.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ltYwftJLHhVKX9EKA3XhuxGzyrjdtV9qWclUuS7VQuU5GEYMD0b3_1uVNRCwae4IU9LjxRQIvFQZTBS2KUrxJ5ILaMocLdx75dLHKoBXY6x6ZJTUdtdJypKaaEFG9afkz2dhbEC3p420/s400/DSC05440.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660189225263925346" border="0" /></a>A lot of audience members (including a couple of our friends!) brought out lightsabers for the Star Wars songs.<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxXlIsAig9qgDttmJqiuUvhyFGA1n1NUZhsInA5dZnxIRegiWjoMzmid0mw58kDRdXyBu1uup5NWlehntwFUdRA_9n6AKq1y9opQ7EZVpA1NDSxi4YMDzv53NLKRhjJ9yQICu8sfndkmv/s1600/DSC05445.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxXlIsAig9qgDttmJqiuUvhyFGA1n1NUZhsInA5dZnxIRegiWjoMzmid0mw58kDRdXyBu1uup5NWlehntwFUdRA_9n6AKq1y9opQ7EZVpA1NDSxi4YMDzv53NLKRhjJ9yQICu8sfndkmv/s400/DSC05445.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660189234151640130" border="0" /></a>Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-48716784402406771702011-08-15T20:10:00.000-07:002011-08-15T20:10:58.361-07:00rose bowl flea market and pacific asia museumLast Sunday, I decided to check out LA's most well-known flea market at the Rose Bowl. I've been meaning to go there for a while and it's come up recently on a blog I follow, so I thought now was as good a time as any to go and see what it was all about. I was wrong. It was too hot. I'm not going again until at least October.
<br />
<br />But at least I know what it's all about now! It was pretty fun, and I definitely saw a lot of great things that you could use to decorate a home. I only bought one thing, mostly because I hadn't brought much cash (unintentional, but fortunate). Next time - when it's cooler, I have cash, and Jesse is with me - I would spend a little more time looking at the furniture and stuff for the apartment.
<br />
<br />Afterwards, I was really hungry, and so I drove into Pasadena for lunch. I used my Yelp app to find the closest restaurants, but they were all Italian and Indian - both of which generally appeal to me but were not ideal considering how hot it was. So I searched Yelp for "salad" near my current location. And it worked! I was impressed. It led me to a great restaurant that basically <span style="font-style: italic;">only</span> served salads. Yay Yelp!
<br />
<br />Lastly, I went to the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena. It's a nice, quite small museum of art and artifacts from South and East Asia. It was fun to wander through. The sections on Japan reminded me of all the art I loved while I lived there. I bought a beautiful book of photographs of Japanese art.
<br />
<br />Then I drove home in very hot vehicle without a/c. The reality is that I don't think the temperature was above the mid-80s, but I have become so accustomed to the cooler weather in Santa Monica that it was almost unbearable for me. I had the windows down on the whole drive back, and I could feel the air getting cooler and cooler as I approached my exit. It felt great and so refreshing. It made me extra happy about living in Santa Monica.
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzdpx4-0oPKguQEyztESDblG7YubyIHKdeU4UcjqPSm4q3caFnvF9rF5bA6ppAu37OpryvXmX7sG5rgx6lso7dLj7yVSEJ7ICACvZcrnnIqmCl3kjkKA0dR-90Y8iHYbAYIx22z7AVNAp/s1600/flea+market+1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzdpx4-0oPKguQEyztESDblG7YubyIHKdeU4UcjqPSm4q3caFnvF9rF5bA6ppAu37OpryvXmX7sG5rgx6lso7dLj7yVSEJ7ICACvZcrnnIqmCl3kjkKA0dR-90Y8iHYbAYIx22z7AVNAp/s400/flea+market+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641282338156289906" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5KKgOUkWBHakBgCgfQPDYpXECu1cxH8g72bA-JN5tnH3DDg3ODGbaFdGT_0Mzwo9Nye2U8tfZWbtzwOZ-XiujGe87Ok4XQ0NPiJ2EsXhjuct0tZxkT8-xg-y3ab6TMa3DJySfXl5hgYT/s1600/flea+market+2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5KKgOUkWBHakBgCgfQPDYpXECu1cxH8g72bA-JN5tnH3DDg3ODGbaFdGT_0Mzwo9Nye2U8tfZWbtzwOZ-XiujGe87Ok4XQ0NPiJ2EsXhjuct0tZxkT8-xg-y3ab6TMa3DJySfXl5hgYT/s400/flea+market+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641280736976735602" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm04w9aJf6lxveM4AhvvcXnmAMzhoLRTJ81F4vzWOTSEGr3vkP0q86ow34loDFsgbwpbbbmNn26iQTxrO1C6No8OJXe-ODMsuk9C_mYhN0ag5e7AbOdDwbOgzGnXZiVk8zep9OZJ_j8BlT/s1600/flea+market+3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm04w9aJf6lxveM4AhvvcXnmAMzhoLRTJ81F4vzWOTSEGr3vkP0q86ow34loDFsgbwpbbbmNn26iQTxrO1C6No8OJXe-ODMsuk9C_mYhN0ag5e7AbOdDwbOgzGnXZiVk8zep9OZJ_j8BlT/s400/flea+market+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641282332486990994" border="0" /></a>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BuftEqyJ-KXW1QCQes1hv6mGGe2rykPSl1C2GzNJFLnPXZm37RSHu59sGiNS-_4KFvpCrVhSAL5FDEepJLDVY-0XJXa2aoy-YSt9pYHSK9I2riDNsN-Mhml6yfPlAnV4IxYgcRXdRTAO/s1600/flea+market+4.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BuftEqyJ-KXW1QCQes1hv6mGGe2rykPSl1C2GzNJFLnPXZm37RSHu59sGiNS-_4KFvpCrVhSAL5FDEepJLDVY-0XJXa2aoy-YSt9pYHSK9I2riDNsN-Mhml6yfPlAnV4IxYgcRXdRTAO/s400/flea+market+4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641282327869206626" border="0" /></a>Go Wisconsin!
<br />
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjpghnXJ_rT-rtWX5ULs-UBTaqkpaXU3_ceLmh3zLDYrjLi_CxUqSm2GiIgek5bmsNoC4XWrwvtGbqxEfn5aSL_M7ePlYEEyCQ8DjBPKrhpgoYSWoac4w84hUeVK1NESW-iap3jiYh-BR/s1600/flea+market+5.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjpghnXJ_rT-rtWX5ULs-UBTaqkpaXU3_ceLmh3zLDYrjLi_CxUqSm2GiIgek5bmsNoC4XWrwvtGbqxEfn5aSL_M7ePlYEEyCQ8DjBPKrhpgoYSWoac4w84hUeVK1NESW-iap3jiYh-BR/s400/flea+market+5.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641282325990045906" border="0" /></a>These are blocks that are used for woodblock printing in India. I bought the one in the upper right.
<br />
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG5nTiIqNP1I12IhoDK9OilygfZmKhyphenhyphenW-vznLemq3sThYFfGTY_NVKem5g4mhrrnY_YtAByXHclMMf01-ojRX_RRl872jg7k654e8WkC6kR6RZsLbOeTh_IhADEZuk3qBwRbF88BuEtH3x/s1600/flea+market+7.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG5nTiIqNP1I12IhoDK9OilygfZmKhyphenhyphenW-vznLemq3sThYFfGTY_NVKem5g4mhrrnY_YtAByXHclMMf01-ojRX_RRl872jg7k654e8WkC6kR6RZsLbOeTh_IhADEZuk3qBwRbF88BuEtH3x/s400/flea+market+7.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641280751981521234" border="0" /></a>I loved these glasses. If they were orange instead of pink, I would have bought them.
<br />
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVvwBqV_cGz5WaF7ldhO_qNZaX9Ixppvji9SwyGFj9VqRgIOS7hpyXLxZCgFN9Zig0hco6Th_J_FMU_-4FS_mA3cZ8kGqrgF17zKV6h23g4kiXAL-9SA676t7VOk4OcRRxkIf20ga2ILI/s1600/flea+market+8.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVvwBqV_cGz5WaF7ldhO_qNZaX9Ixppvji9SwyGFj9VqRgIOS7hpyXLxZCgFN9Zig0hco6Th_J_FMU_-4FS_mA3cZ8kGqrgF17zKV6h23g4kiXAL-9SA676t7VOk4OcRRxkIf20ga2ILI/s400/flea+market+8.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641280747816222594" border="0" /></a>These old, worn pots appeared to be made out of papier-mache of Chinese newspapers. There were other very cool Asian antiques as well.
<br />
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCd64hkcdcXPW7JdjJadmhuRTrUmYR5Rmol7KyH1cypMY04EIBv0CVYkPo53ELz0J_R-tBIA0S8D4DWXli7liKCSyOwEfdu5ARqcnnkXcD4G0IlavgW7CEM35TPCeeH20A7KqxkD71oQXM/s1600/flea+market+9.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCd64hkcdcXPW7JdjJadmhuRTrUmYR5Rmol7KyH1cypMY04EIBv0CVYkPo53ELz0J_R-tBIA0S8D4DWXli7liKCSyOwEfdu5ARqcnnkXcD4G0IlavgW7CEM35TPCeeH20A7KqxkD71oQXM/s400/flea+market+9.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641280744588965458" border="0" /></a>There were quite a bit of vintage clothes for sale as well.
<br /></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9t-fs4EVzdlV0IPKHcQUfclO_0ZiVpW0BQLFx0Gs2BXtUyAcgo6eoiTQtYphcQtQB-K_OsNykspeNlWA5APgF5uA5cE4lnMa7MRXMiqHwgh4n6YrtyxzYk0W95oe9CswgVzRWpI_pfJC/s1600/pasadena+food.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9t-fs4EVzdlV0IPKHcQUfclO_0ZiVpW0BQLFx0Gs2BXtUyAcgo6eoiTQtYphcQtQB-K_OsNykspeNlWA5APgF5uA5cE4lnMa7MRXMiqHwgh4n6YrtyxzYk0W95oe9CswgVzRWpI_pfJC/s400/pasadena+food.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641280216663023490" border="0" /></a>Shrimp salad with mint lemonade - perfect hot weather meal.
<br />
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LiibMCt_cbG-7jTvYogHUR61reTlr7rF4_joHhlpCHSaUd7jO5vSrYnNdDRzC4gG7ZqXJdASrVzva9uLP0m2sq13w1h8uKtXsKyKSGeyzLYvkL74ei5IJWCReagJakl7mXTCLH2AJrRj/s1600/pacific+asia+museum+1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LiibMCt_cbG-7jTvYogHUR61reTlr7rF4_joHhlpCHSaUd7jO5vSrYnNdDRzC4gG7ZqXJdASrVzva9uLP0m2sq13w1h8uKtXsKyKSGeyzLYvkL74ei5IJWCReagJakl7mXTCLH2AJrRj/s400/pacific+asia+museum+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641280211847347890" border="0" /></a>The rest of the pictures are from the courtyard at the Pacific Asia Museum, built in 1924 and a good example of Asian-inspired architecture of the era.
<br />
<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBCgBWbAF9Mdx6LETU4dH28RajxH4fgV2griQdUZRFqqe9rfAQHY9wJdX9tIOdcrMaO2xNtPGUyPlBNgNDLkJdvfYA7aHYypLzzfPPmo8slqMjOGz4gsGnDGisVBXcknoQ6iAdB_7PjO0/s1600/pacific+asia+museum+2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBCgBWbAF9Mdx6LETU4dH28RajxH4fgV2griQdUZRFqqe9rfAQHY9wJdX9tIOdcrMaO2xNtPGUyPlBNgNDLkJdvfYA7aHYypLzzfPPmo8slqMjOGz4gsGnDGisVBXcknoQ6iAdB_7PjO0/s400/pacific+asia+museum+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641280202513431986" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tUrdiSXeotZ6_Ax6rLZEscOHn4P65g_9YhoQWcyE6Os5FMptBuRCPJL2Dq3dHFiSo5lwk02hpaUhK5E23prwmkH6Y72PKTpvSDhOftLv3KcC0M0CJkhPHAnS6OU569_kh0Jer1Y_0Jbp/s1600/pacific+asia+museum+3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tUrdiSXeotZ6_Ax6rLZEscOHn4P65g_9YhoQWcyE6Os5FMptBuRCPJL2Dq3dHFiSo5lwk02hpaUhK5E23prwmkH6Y72PKTpvSDhOftLv3KcC0M0CJkhPHAnS6OU569_kh0Jer1Y_0Jbp/s400/pacific+asia+museum+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641280200332502898" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYdUeJNVhrwNetV1KryKe6mLMQ4bw_-MHt9E0hVX4eY70DAYwcVlqG4oIVOhiiwjEk6YpJWwo9T2T7Q7WRseDNA-ShtdyRcraDLmLLzU2_rAs2-u9LBD-vZ788uAZbieY95KpU_3rUNWE/s1600/pacific+asia+museum+5.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYdUeJNVhrwNetV1KryKe6mLMQ4bw_-MHt9E0hVX4eY70DAYwcVlqG4oIVOhiiwjEk6YpJWwo9T2T7Q7WRseDNA-ShtdyRcraDLmLLzU2_rAs2-u9LBD-vZ788uAZbieY95KpU_3rUNWE/s400/pacific+asia+museum+5.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641280199326175938" border="0" /></a>
<br />Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-43401127736085620362011-08-14T23:01:00.000-07:002011-08-14T23:43:53.325-07:00will rogers state parkLast weekend, Jesse and I wanted to get Yuki some much-needed exercise and ourselves a fun time doing something new, preferable something outdoors-y. We decided to check out Will Rogers State Park, just a little ways up the coast from us. Originally, I wanted to do a big hiking loop that would take us up to Will Rogers' Inspiration Point, then along the Santa Monica Mountains' Backbone Trail, and then down to a creekbed/canyon. Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed on parts of that loop, so we ended up doing two shorter hikes on either side of it. In between, we had a picnic lunch and watched part of a polo match (Malibu vs. Pacific Palisades). It was a fun place. There were grills, so I could imagine going back someday to grill and watch more polo, and maybe do the loop without Yuki.
<br />
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uycWXIPrJRdL2HOfYM6rQOXnf8fl2nl_SCoujkbK_6oHuaZLSRXw3Eidj3ZHdS2sWG5xVT-FsOgcZqeZFHBX-bmXmbNQmN-TTcm9Q6qpJdW6KEuuXtLDukhe2w6hIIj2vTdy6sNoJQKY/s1600/DSC05354.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uycWXIPrJRdL2HOfYM6rQOXnf8fl2nl_SCoujkbK_6oHuaZLSRXw3Eidj3ZHdS2sWG5xVT-FsOgcZqeZFHBX-bmXmbNQmN-TTcm9Q6qpJdW6KEuuXtLDukhe2w6hIIj2vTdy6sNoJQKY/s400/DSC05354.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640962080443924210" border="0" /></a>This is the view from Inspiration Point. I like Yuki's tongue in this one. He was being a little wimpy.
<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi19wjFOYujgADmMIUrKmD5gf-kUqHUQJHGd0J2VBEsi9MtyBTHmp3G8Se7yfUYqNs7aKP0-QSRQuv5wkuekleoxz0FMkwg3_zJAsLv8gcQl6EORoUnqVLWxNA8mbTZSaNxgiqyewLc_2HZ/s1600/DSC05360.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi19wjFOYujgADmMIUrKmD5gf-kUqHUQJHGd0J2VBEsi9MtyBTHmp3G8Se7yfUYqNs7aKP0-QSRQuv5wkuekleoxz0FMkwg3_zJAsLv8gcQl6EORoUnqVLWxNA8mbTZSaNxgiqyewLc_2HZ/s400/DSC05360.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640962090729269842" border="0" /></a>Much of this first trail was wide and a little dusty, but with some nice vegetation.
<br />
<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6XIF6j3NRkmWEDB-hS2mFFrsRuSFJRu_mAOoVf5SSQjiiy_JZbC4iqGZU0FjiaYHV_KwGaiW9scuyLylhHC0kkhwa6G0RdKUsBjCSut_L13FUoTNHArGX5tA9kF85OCscMXec1nXGjO3/s1600/DSC05362.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6XIF6j3NRkmWEDB-hS2mFFrsRuSFJRu_mAOoVf5SSQjiiy_JZbC4iqGZU0FjiaYHV_KwGaiW9scuyLylhHC0kkhwa6G0RdKUsBjCSut_L13FUoTNHArGX5tA9kF85OCscMXec1nXGjO3/s400/DSC05362.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640962093630389170" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBxjlL8NomL2hyDf9Rr0rmRbSSA0plfaf-70etp835tVRpwXSqfaYe6hHNG99OpS5Fx5sQkheJXW8Y6Lw8hyojJtHFa-DWjP7t4P9oA2_3qPD-wb6hFIOnTRshUghYtp6YDaF7rMKJWoM/s1600/DSC05365.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBxjlL8NomL2hyDf9Rr0rmRbSSA0plfaf-70etp835tVRpwXSqfaYe6hHNG99OpS5Fx5sQkheJXW8Y6Lw8hyojJtHFa-DWjP7t4P9oA2_3qPD-wb6hFIOnTRshUghYtp6YDaF7rMKJWoM/s400/DSC05365.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640962100014989746" border="0" /></a>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8jPHvP5vetTYOYm7rbNQAl4lIHcQAWKJE2n-OR9p7uv22nvdHlRUOdq1In_5nl7zU-TCgUBRJUHDMvTI7kuNIAKnlE3sbaf3wPJrAepNJ_dRyVVOC8QD7wVYNJ8yU3Iki5Y61JU62PFEE/s1600/DSC05366.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8jPHvP5vetTYOYm7rbNQAl4lIHcQAWKJE2n-OR9p7uv22nvdHlRUOdq1In_5nl7zU-TCgUBRJUHDMvTI7kuNIAKnlE3sbaf3wPJrAepNJ_dRyVVOC8QD7wVYNJ8yU3Iki5Y61JU62PFEE/s400/DSC05366.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640962101983628722" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcjYsnPxC7GC5isMSdfE7i03g681BrXrH0YWg4KuPQ-t7jlHtBbkeRsOKq0wR7zZzB1S5nMbYDJZPpr_XmF9HuMHg26KMWDQJsfmORGIU0vyMVNIFcMMXz-rWpce4Vqea_izURQnN6TtG/s1600/DSC05371.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcjYsnPxC7GC5isMSdfE7i03g681BrXrH0YWg4KuPQ-t7jlHtBbkeRsOKq0wR7zZzB1S5nMbYDJZPpr_XmF9HuMHg26KMWDQJsfmORGIU0vyMVNIFcMMXz-rWpce4Vqea_izURQnN6TtG/s400/DSC05371.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640963539269043490" border="0" /></a>Our picnic spot - this gave Yuki a chance to catch his breath.
<br />
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGoY5wEgiX1b-2X_ccuzFgONI8Y5a51ffmU2fQ8NOZm6W6kb-rWlNJ3b5z1x2rmJbq8BxL0gauODUFnQ_Qc-91GhadLRejCXThnoxcXj5kS4iYUomAzNySqnMcC2RxGRcuFuicE3m4pvKk/s1600/DSC05377.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGoY5wEgiX1b-2X_ccuzFgONI8Y5a51ffmU2fQ8NOZm6W6kb-rWlNJ3b5z1x2rmJbq8BxL0gauODUFnQ_Qc-91GhadLRejCXThnoxcXj5kS4iYUomAzNySqnMcC2RxGRcuFuicE3m4pvKk/s400/DSC05377.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640963541117096034" border="0" /></a>Polo match.
<br />
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCyDeSSJ0Cu72mo4qrKIMxKDwC8gaCmfwlSaaQo7bIp_HKeuVNRGPCnl2HvYUPPzaA98Vf0gnYncu68D93HWusXQLFTXb5WX7fb-uLLZ-_p1OzRxHD32fHZqLJwnxW3pNVfLmesO3Qjui/s1600/DSC05382.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCyDeSSJ0Cu72mo4qrKIMxKDwC8gaCmfwlSaaQo7bIp_HKeuVNRGPCnl2HvYUPPzaA98Vf0gnYncu68D93HWusXQLFTXb5WX7fb-uLLZ-_p1OzRxHD32fHZqLJwnxW3pNVfLmesO3Qjui/s400/DSC05382.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640963545918036482" border="0" /></a>Yuki was watching the polo match too, although we had stand back a ways so he wouldn't bark and spook the horses, which he did only once.
<br />
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnvtWkyOhOml5O5KqAPDzhpnB6XFHWs_JRU8ksRC1jiHWphElJHyezHWgyiNdlOd-UILvFw-1OovsHO3NrAZQKDx_0992G3fCzL5s5boOTYHRik1IFF2NWIp7tJDjecIcRhmWtLlPu9rP/s1600/DSC05387.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnvtWkyOhOml5O5KqAPDzhpnB6XFHWs_JRU8ksRC1jiHWphElJHyezHWgyiNdlOd-UILvFw-1OovsHO3NrAZQKDx_0992G3fCzL5s5boOTYHRik1IFF2NWIp7tJDjecIcRhmWtLlPu9rP/s400/DSC05387.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640963551073235490" border="0" /></a>Team Malibu, which was pretty much killing Team Pacific Palisades.
<br />
<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KL0KIRFtFlgI2hdcNop46qjJZL9ftD1sTENxKkbHaic_KzmIZnStJIQHKzFTZVfVHANJHapVGgRd6bVE34NWAJeyO7va_Mol32YpEwlhwY5U230O-bapnXfwPjoCuSO36-G9wLAfMTqu/s1600/DSC05393.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KL0KIRFtFlgI2hdcNop46qjJZL9ftD1sTENxKkbHaic_KzmIZnStJIQHKzFTZVfVHANJHapVGgRd6bVE34NWAJeyO7va_Mol32YpEwlhwY5U230O-bapnXfwPjoCuSO36-G9wLAfMTqu/s400/DSC05393.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640963553750567042" border="0" /></a>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkg9P9YoqCJUIxUHQGEWdwTrTbxt4916zJzKtL_88rCiByFfml-oyvM9z2M0b9snGqBGb8mmHtPdQdf0JWJ95HYpTiVrLYILpQ42V21BzNFD7m8l5zlkIB8bX6UIkJHOm0xzBcHPoJuqy/s1600/DSC05405.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkg9P9YoqCJUIxUHQGEWdwTrTbxt4916zJzKtL_88rCiByFfml-oyvM9z2M0b9snGqBGb8mmHtPdQdf0JWJ95HYpTiVrLYILpQ42V21BzNFD7m8l5zlkIB8bX6UIkJHOm0xzBcHPoJuqy/s400/DSC05405.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640964756678971650" border="0" /></a>Next we headed down towards the second trail, along the canyon.
<br />
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhjP5HL5SC5hhUSApmG13UfCEnwB5MedNIL9i0e9UWa__XjQqvTxEcufoQ9oTK9d0dUFci60jO8KLsEdAFYc5tisNszDuP_TdnN92tDV2N8ATbGXtN4V61Rb_cjNnlTe5Y4i7Zpt-bD5s/s1600/DSC05409.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhjP5HL5SC5hhUSApmG13UfCEnwB5MedNIL9i0e9UWa__XjQqvTxEcufoQ9oTK9d0dUFci60jO8KLsEdAFYc5tisNszDuP_TdnN92tDV2N8ATbGXtN4V61Rb_cjNnlTe5Y4i7Zpt-bD5s/s400/DSC05409.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640964763522615138" border="0" /></a>
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrKxl1uvVr_rAmizUAg11zcGI8ZRc_jLozP4UWqT4BDd6ry64hkjrv7a9MCo01KOZKaYCFEaGQ4NjYOor-QbCsaUqQchQYMa_QtgesilEsE4IDGs1MI5BCSeoV5Izd7vbDxJJheyt_pFi/s1600/DSC05416.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrKxl1uvVr_rAmizUAg11zcGI8ZRc_jLozP4UWqT4BDd6ry64hkjrv7a9MCo01KOZKaYCFEaGQ4NjYOor-QbCsaUqQchQYMa_QtgesilEsE4IDGs1MI5BCSeoV5Izd7vbDxJJheyt_pFi/s400/DSC05416.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640964767049071154" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacl04bbG8TFvMV0l3RozpCYl8cSMO5HUXnKIZWGuOXRLMjyFVsxV89oUzfdRoVBTEJmufD-HtBvyCsgFAvpESgSebU993LV3eyjcTYEIJQo0mJuEWD3INN4lA0wxINqyjlpEg936UeIag/s1600/DSC05419.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacl04bbG8TFvMV0l3RozpCYl8cSMO5HUXnKIZWGuOXRLMjyFVsxV89oUzfdRoVBTEJmufD-HtBvyCsgFAvpESgSebU993LV3eyjcTYEIJQo0mJuEWD3INN4lA0wxINqyjlpEg936UeIag/s400/DSC05419.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640964770583480162" border="0" /></a>It was pretty dense, and Yuki loved running through the water.
<br />
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVinHcBonuUPqok8QzzNye2KtGwdZcek72cICQxQ5cfN6VVkiHR9W-YzLL1zhyPtqZp_nXEpv3175R8SyQfdYC7dSol1aihgx0rIxayC5L6EOrFU4qL_C-IoMwG-963aBIM94yFqBCvaYg/s1600/DSC05425.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVinHcBonuUPqok8QzzNye2KtGwdZcek72cICQxQ5cfN6VVkiHR9W-YzLL1zhyPtqZp_nXEpv3175R8SyQfdYC7dSol1aihgx0rIxayC5L6EOrFU4qL_C-IoMwG-963aBIM94yFqBCvaYg/s400/DSC05425.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640964805945917570" border="0" /></a>He was not happy about leaving.
<br /></div>Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-18219246268254134712011-08-05T19:13:00.000-07:002011-08-14T23:44:10.999-07:00stencils: modernized!<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Those zinnias just might end up on my kitchen cupboards.
<br />
<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlx1AEaKu-n2IEjN1HMiXmX8UQL2wSEvup73T-OrntCDn7vXuc5oqgG-usVEH7UGrSXXwQ2zqvjQUxkOALXRGoA8hAfaul03xyb04uGQdokWLTYRn5umIYVp5Ciq8mEyIV53JGHbHu2Rsz/s1600/Leaf_Stencil_Pattern+from+cutting+edge.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlx1AEaKu-n2IEjN1HMiXmX8UQL2wSEvup73T-OrntCDn7vXuc5oqgG-usVEH7UGrSXXwQ2zqvjQUxkOALXRGoA8hAfaul03xyb04uGQdokWLTYRn5umIYVp5Ciq8mEyIV53JGHbHu2Rsz/s400/Leaf_Stencil_Pattern+from+cutting+edge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637560532398206482" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.cuttingedgestencils.com/leaf_stencil.html?category_id=12">Acacia from Cutting Edge</a>
<br />
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvhfclIUR6iI_2XoFegFMrVQ5peJwIDG3IGF2efvayjPR0C2Nmj6g-89k4ui78svEyHdd9t5L4tuTKHVQUUIpG4ECbuzHj4cRHEJ6rd87pj0iWwBuXSOm68uMBh2bqnp3kc27SVt2l0T4/s1600/Flower-stencil-zinnia-stencil+from+cutting+edge.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvhfclIUR6iI_2XoFegFMrVQ5peJwIDG3IGF2efvayjPR0C2Nmj6g-89k4ui78svEyHdd9t5L4tuTKHVQUUIpG4ECbuzHj4cRHEJ6rd87pj0iWwBuXSOm68uMBh2bqnp3kc27SVt2l0T4/s400/Flower-stencil-zinnia-stencil+from+cutting+edge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637560529354851970" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.cuttingedgestencils.com/flower-stencil-zinnia-wall.html?category_id=1017">Zinnias from Cutting Edge</a>
<br /></div>Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-49415346907747179252011-06-19T11:29:00.000-07:002011-06-19T11:29:46.850-07:00so i went to europe...In some ways, it's hard to believe this trip happened. Being in Europe with my mom and my grandma was so far removed from my ordinary life, it almost felt like a dream. And it was, in many ways. This is a trip I had long dreamed of - but I am not sure I really thought it would happen. Imagine my (very pleasant) surprise when I proposed the idea to my mom, who proposed it to my grandma, who started her packing list the next day! I am SO glad we went for it. The trip was pretty much perfect. We saw so many familiar, new, and fun places, we made a lot of memories, we spent some laid back down time with relatives, and I got to see the place where my great-grandpa grew up alongside my grandma and mother. It was so meaningful. I will always treasure the time we spent together there. (If you're Facebook friends with me, you may have already seen these - and many more - photos of this trip, but here are a few highlights.)<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJAQXzUkmPzT_My-GMJXS3TunLev-9N1lbRtmjNltbOXt7VB-q_LyBYBWUU0UHj0CfF0LEPB1Mz78wYpGl1dDOPmdLj3jcWY-GSWh8QjYY60DrFIS6-zwd9RrgVFTUdt2XM_tI3NAbynW/s1600/DSC04413.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJAQXzUkmPzT_My-GMJXS3TunLev-9N1lbRtmjNltbOXt7VB-q_LyBYBWUU0UHj0CfF0LEPB1Mz78wYpGl1dDOPmdLj3jcWY-GSWh8QjYY60DrFIS6-zwd9RrgVFTUdt2XM_tI3NAbynW/s400/DSC04413.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619805801186950210" border="0" /></a>Grandma and Mom in front of the Bodleian Library in Oxford - we spent the first few days here and it was so great for me to be back, and to be able to show my mom and grandma some of my favorite spots.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wTIkQ4hTrfARy6zCkP950vlGQFPJ380MdRjHuN0sd1sqfiQ4GlzU2q285gNYq9QJm6nVXotvHbkud2Saz-BQPlZvLWTviTpFsptXyK3jzBP8vDRZ7GN9JQjEQo0GHTSfiu7eWLUJ4pWt/s1600/DSC04481.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wTIkQ4hTrfARy6zCkP950vlGQFPJ380MdRjHuN0sd1sqfiQ4GlzU2q285gNYq9QJm6nVXotvHbkud2Saz-BQPlZvLWTviTpFsptXyK3jzBP8vDRZ7GN9JQjEQo0GHTSfiu7eWLUJ4pWt/s400/DSC04481.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619805815696903170" border="0" /></a>The three of us in Bath - I'd never been there before, and loved exploring this city, despite the rainy weather.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_vYM_oG66JQ325hBlVfPEu-inlearBb1UD0mO-2uNF52Q2AIMWuhWB-Cl_H4Nhr6lvXyI6cnAtvQOYgg6PXOM3UjMISN74MiJFvYR2jkuXnvScguDy3F4_ol7Ce29DTmGOrx07Bqd9nn/s1600/DSC04592.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_vYM_oG66JQ325hBlVfPEu-inlearBb1UD0mO-2uNF52Q2AIMWuhWB-Cl_H4Nhr6lvXyI6cnAtvQOYgg6PXOM3UjMISN74MiJFvYR2jkuXnvScguDy3F4_ol7Ce29DTmGOrx07Bqd9nn/s400/DSC04592.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619805829495224722" border="0" /></a>The three of us at the Tower of London - I'd been there before, but mom and grandma had not. It's full of history and got us talking and reading about England's royals. Bonus: my friend Stacey flew from Dublin to spend the day with us.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8kJGVugHfLABjLwthjESw-jN9Ybzgy0ys80JurFEp61H7dTi1hiqBo6grW_6GtwuASnNHRFYnwQXrsJbR8VUkXqFQFsuCozRgWjRfS6CPbE4dc6HcImV9TSRsHs5F0eqUVQ0xDAE9hKL5/s1600/DSC04636.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8kJGVugHfLABjLwthjESw-jN9Ybzgy0ys80JurFEp61H7dTi1hiqBo6grW_6GtwuASnNHRFYnwQXrsJbR8VUkXqFQFsuCozRgWjRfS6CPbE4dc6HcImV9TSRsHs5F0eqUVQ0xDAE9hKL5/s400/DSC04636.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619805836684644706" border="0" /></a>And finally, the three of us in Fijnaart, at the site of my great-grandpa's childhood home.<br /><br />(And no, I did not wear the same clothes every day - just the same jacket. Too bad that's all you can see in any of the pictures.)<br /></div></div></div>Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-68620934748061375642011-06-18T22:14:00.001-07:002011-06-18T22:45:21.487-07:00fritto mistoJesse and I have been going to Fritto Misto since soon after we moved to SoCal, at the suggestion of a friend. It's not too far from our place and it has amazing food combined with a great atmosphere and service. I feel more comfortable and at home here than I do in many LA places. Aside from Library Alehouse, I would say it's probably my favorite eating establishment in this town. They've also got reasonably-priced (by which I mean "cheap") wine and you can bring your own bottle too. Love this place.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETsupuASANRjaK7LunmDCnHtaANjW6ny7SBcHBselzXw3tdgHKUWgYNWseAG63uFbB09U8Soh8UJMJEgXNXTu90nwQ9b42HMoq6tU_SWOVOKCxts7fuFRvqimAz4T8Mg3S9RE5JEqJKQp/s1600/photo+1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETsupuASANRjaK7LunmDCnHtaANjW6ny7SBcHBselzXw3tdgHKUWgYNWseAG63uFbB09U8Soh8UJMJEgXNXTu90nwQ9b42HMoq6tU_SWOVOKCxts7fuFRvqimAz4T8Mg3S9RE5JEqJKQp/s400/photo+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619799339521529186" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyPTHsVoGRa-wsFzUnMlp1FhW5klWLecF_2kEIC7rHQKGvZm78mXlcOJKybNnMkBHfR_HLT2ZLoWHEKOlDhGhmIgGddZy6YkqyHgZV0rb_zXAdGBPxfOFF2u7bhf6bzXUAblCvb_5JF9Z/s1600/photo+2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyPTHsVoGRa-wsFzUnMlp1FhW5klWLecF_2kEIC7rHQKGvZm78mXlcOJKybNnMkBHfR_HLT2ZLoWHEKOlDhGhmIgGddZy6YkqyHgZV0rb_zXAdGBPxfOFF2u7bhf6bzXUAblCvb_5JF9Z/s400/photo+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619797567518209586" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSghCs9PGuShyphenhyphen93s4voCtJXosJezlNCRa4sWUzEoLyqu8BcWoPaRbCIGHJ9Hi4j4J0DUIetow1y9_ZfHYlszvXOhFRbJhm1unKwsl6i3Gy8c5j3EInAxKi3RedWjVeZsdikTeALFs5IpE-/s1600/photo+3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSghCs9PGuShyphenhyphen93s4voCtJXosJezlNCRa4sWUzEoLyqu8BcWoPaRbCIGHJ9Hi4j4J0DUIetow1y9_ZfHYlszvXOhFRbJhm1unKwsl6i3Gy8c5j3EInAxKi3RedWjVeZsdikTeALFs5IpE-/s400/photo+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619797569348705506" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFi8qqZIImU9-UiZoD8kGwZQfnZ8kB4kNSyh5EcsfMFhW4GjFVcAHewzojHPoEHgKMwRwxt37yl-b2mRX3ATQwabpT1MyJwYtK3-pKsGJdMMbZQT8nCzrPRF8uiNhCnd3oq_TFwTZA7BXd/s1600/photo+4.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFi8qqZIImU9-UiZoD8kGwZQfnZ8kB4kNSyh5EcsfMFhW4GjFVcAHewzojHPoEHgKMwRwxt37yl-b2mRX3ATQwabpT1MyJwYtK3-pKsGJdMMbZQT8nCzrPRF8uiNhCnd3oq_TFwTZA7BXd/s400/photo+4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619797576357053938" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawzuea4iVPS43KCffy4OZRlP62xP8efhJK_txP9euXfm40Lxni-VyQHjKgBajX6GjfFQ5sTmxjNbJfea2lU1f1Uw_xe6kHVBgEdYt6G3De6JKyk8ZNJKrvtjphvVTe5hgZXCn95sHXFz4/s1600/photo+5.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawzuea4iVPS43KCffy4OZRlP62xP8efhJK_txP9euXfm40Lxni-VyQHjKgBajX6GjfFQ5sTmxjNbJfea2lU1f1Uw_xe6kHVBgEdYt6G3De6JKyk8ZNJKrvtjphvVTe5hgZXCn95sHXFz4/s400/photo+5.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619799344762194338" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsDq-6oELW2UjAQr87ABvO25Bv63goGhTANJRFQMvjeS_UTBWe3oouuGj3m5dnMmPWoIzRga37RP5VefXncgQp-k2InvtqmEq-SpieJm-ybNCJn5mO9xlt_uZ-jtTjjeQ3WE_XKylZhyn/s1600/photo+5.JPG"><br /></a>Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-75851938604452352011-06-17T20:11:00.000-07:002011-06-18T22:45:00.785-07:00i like...gold wallpaper<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPKHyyXuZd84G1N5NWoAfAWkdwulkkPFuNl_U0myId_PeOdjV_JOikkziLp_k_zbjNl8o0Sd3igtT6COksnD3lnMb7kJl6G3WAlLGFiVoybvAp4Kgc2CQuna3aPcLvxJ9cvtnbb0D1nYZ/s1600/wilderness-gold+wallpaper+ferm+living.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPKHyyXuZd84G1N5NWoAfAWkdwulkkPFuNl_U0myId_PeOdjV_JOikkziLp_k_zbjNl8o0Sd3igtT6COksnD3lnMb7kJl6G3WAlLGFiVoybvAp4Kgc2CQuna3aPcLvxJ9cvtnbb0D1nYZ/s400/wilderness-gold+wallpaper+ferm+living.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599394102470883506" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.ferm-living.com/wallpaper/wilderness-gold">Ferm Living</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2K44HlWFcu7rx84-z0T7UAkhq_NXBdp08B49Qy1DRD9VF96lw9yRMZP8cVo99Ba8k9ibXqRcDtUX0c-Uuq91FGFGvQAoNxPJO1Mgt0Mekd1FnYGShJqqbTRd9LBAEuwWtG930i6FF517D/s1600/weego+home+gold+wallpaper"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 259px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2K44HlWFcu7rx84-z0T7UAkhq_NXBdp08B49Qy1DRD9VF96lw9yRMZP8cVo99Ba8k9ibXqRcDtUX0c-Uuq91FGFGvQAoNxPJO1Mgt0Mekd1FnYGShJqqbTRd9LBAEuwWtG930i6FF517D/s400/weego+home+gold+wallpaper" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619393431446615266" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.weegohome.com/Item2201/FBWFL04.aspx">Weego Home</a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT11xcondT0Zp_ajjX4z1iJQMNZdPfsYxYz4atMwlfcJ-lHuqVmKtOAmOVtCZiDcdGa8CIZlz905vPvZ5BI0Wg06bdL9gmkPQ6x4bgscBFcTMWPha0pDxXikg1hSN38LUj9nmqxceCjQwK/s1600/oh+joy+gold+wallpaper.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT11xcondT0Zp_ajjX4z1iJQMNZdPfsYxYz4atMwlfcJ-lHuqVmKtOAmOVtCZiDcdGa8CIZlz905vPvZ5BI0Wg06bdL9gmkPQ6x4bgscBFcTMWPha0pDxXikg1hSN38LUj9nmqxceCjQwK/s400/oh+joy+gold+wallpaper.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619383950938860754" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.ohjoy.com/shop/oh_joy_for/hygge_west/">Oh Joy! for Hygge & West</a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AB0DH2OlI9Y-BK6Loa3jzC8S4Wxwr1onQu5GZe003jjT-sJ3i8V8P_v0FIrWOrD3FK7cLPU5FmPJhVbK0IN5-KhToxV414DjdFDflAd1IBW2LnmrZIyddLJRXxqUhYwibsylSxHA1V6J/s1600/gold+wallpaper+emily+henderson.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AB0DH2OlI9Y-BK6Loa3jzC8S4Wxwr1onQu5GZe003jjT-sJ3i8V8P_v0FIrWOrD3FK7cLPU5FmPJhVbK0IN5-KhToxV414DjdFDflAd1IBW2LnmrZIyddLJRXxqUhYwibsylSxHA1V6J/s400/gold+wallpaper+emily+henderson.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619381423271257586" border="0" /></a>Oh Joy! wallpaper in <a href="http://www.stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/episode-4-more-breakdowns.html">Emily Henderson's design </a><br />(HGTV - Secrets from a Stylist)<br /></div><img src="file:///Users/Melissa/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot.png" alt="" />Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-8477039742113186302011-04-24T22:34:00.000-07:002011-06-18T22:44:39.164-07:00poppy festival and vasquez rocksJesse and I went to the California Poppy Festival last weekend. We expected a nice little festival on the edge of a field that looked something like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAsUYUeWndInrhvzWnZi8EyxccNhOTdLI3b4WL9qPo4OAwP-WOg4u-grWamy9WjeljOTejht9OgNDArvlmBFQqXgQEVVBo_naB6Jqs7JzcN9YLUtlpl-YR4WceuKaun1S9_58V_bg7H1M/s1600/california+poppies.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 167px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAsUYUeWndInrhvzWnZi8EyxccNhOTdLI3b4WL9qPo4OAwP-WOg4u-grWamy9WjeljOTejht9OgNDArvlmBFQqXgQEVVBo_naB6Jqs7JzcN9YLUtlpl-YR4WceuKaun1S9_58V_bg7H1M/s400/california+poppies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599380739424002626" border="0" /></a>Um, no. (And, by the way, I did NOT take that picture. It's from the official <a href="http://www.poppyfestival.com/">festival website</a>.)<br /><br />First of all, the festival itself was in the middle of the city of Lancaster, nowhere near any poppies, besides a very few that were at the entrance to the festival. You can just barely see them in the bottom left of the below picture.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimgwMXWZgDpoThW-DkhfHli5Cp-Y9fMSl9thQjEFBFxVIslPv9U3vSJj6nQStbyNfHapXLt-aBfymLJWUOBd2RBkIPIQF-2j5XPLyiARZts-1fKVdB0GExGxjHniurNCRbLamRNg84xqW/s1600/DSC04313.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimgwMXWZgDpoThW-DkhfHli5Cp-Y9fMSl9thQjEFBFxVIslPv9U3vSJj6nQStbyNfHapXLt-aBfymLJWUOBd2RBkIPIQF-2j5XPLyiARZts-1fKVdB0GExGxjHniurNCRbLamRNg84xqW/s400/DSC04313.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598246106429567042" border="0" /></a>It was a pretty typical festival for a mid-sized city, with mediocre craft stands and carnival rides. The highlight for us was our BBQ lunch. (We miss having a grill so much!) And, of course, festivals are just cheery places to be, so we were enjoyed ourselves despite the mediocrity.<br /><br />Apparently the whole idea of the poppy festival is to introduce out-of-towners like us to the poppies in the surrounding area. So while we were at the festival, we got some suggestions for where to see poppies, with a warning that poppies don't like the wind too much.<br /><br />We drove off to the area where we had been directed, and we saw this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXAIB7q1OgMP5Y3ZN55K_lFXft91e7OFrp914eMOjnQPbFBrjnRqVdp_czNFry1TL_HdFo_rbA7WGJaPTJInd9Io_Tf6AXrDtZsUycyd3jDdWbGZ9-q3cs1XCOtnkdlPCMGieeCk8Vj8p/s1600/DSC04314.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXAIB7q1OgMP5Y3ZN55K_lFXft91e7OFrp914eMOjnQPbFBrjnRqVdp_czNFry1TL_HdFo_rbA7WGJaPTJInd9Io_Tf6AXrDtZsUycyd3jDdWbGZ9-q3cs1XCOtnkdlPCMGieeCk8Vj8p/s400/DSC04314.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598246109973010130" border="0" /></a>There <span style="font-style: italic;">were</span> poppies growing in the field - you can see a hint of orange throughout the photo. But because of the wind, the poppies were all closed up and nearly invisible. :( It was quite disappointing. But we still enjoyed getting out of the city for the day, and we will just plan to go back next year on a day with good weather. We might skip the festival next time around, though!<br /><br />On our way home (Lancaster is about 1 hour and 15 minutes away) we turned off at the Vasquez Rocks County Park, where we had seen beautiful rock formations on our way to the festival. The park was so beautiful in the setting sun. Again, it just felt nice to be out of the city and it was so fun to discover this amazing natural beauty so close to home. We walked around a little until the park closed. We found out later that (unsurprisingly) the park has been filmed for many movies and TV shows, including Star Trek in the 1960s. The rest of the pictures are from Vasquez Rocks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWMbKq5sQAHUD72F6Kh7DVyabJnZobtzprJ08-tp9TDyaUpH2bSf4nWXZUspF1Ala9Slh7ebx84h0f65jg9KGBzn9DroyP9IF8oDuFIvnSTIk1Rq60BVGD3gVG3dm25iv9ZugqCj0b64U/s1600/DSC04341.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWMbKq5sQAHUD72F6Kh7DVyabJnZobtzprJ08-tp9TDyaUpH2bSf4nWXZUspF1Ala9Slh7ebx84h0f65jg9KGBzn9DroyP9IF8oDuFIvnSTIk1Rq60BVGD3gVG3dm25iv9ZugqCj0b64U/s400/DSC04341.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599378682858436994" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wrmaued-Nzty-PlCajvOkG8Ry6L74xANK8y1nJQyBsKE650Vz2_5frvWXZmdagNdKbp0aVxe-VwuE8L-dt34vJOAqGa7z3JKoRPxAwNLJ6_Y9r2B_q3Rv3zEKegMYO7hk8lwebYsPTk4/s1600/DSC04340.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wrmaued-Nzty-PlCajvOkG8Ry6L74xANK8y1nJQyBsKE650Vz2_5frvWXZmdagNdKbp0aVxe-VwuE8L-dt34vJOAqGa7z3JKoRPxAwNLJ6_Y9r2B_q3Rv3zEKegMYO7hk8lwebYsPTk4/s400/DSC04340.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599378674988919378" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvThEKTud5G1wwNafy0L8GyYMs1RMsAWglZwGWTYO9yUKPbTN7XycmmiWUe4oepAfHUJ2qcU0Ov-kb_JyOVJl4kwWStGwrOhub3dIQIvyveyYtta5HN922bCT6XOMUxlRxM7e0kkYFsUu/s1600/DSC04338.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvThEKTud5G1wwNafy0L8GyYMs1RMsAWglZwGWTYO9yUKPbTN7XycmmiWUe4oepAfHUJ2qcU0Ov-kb_JyOVJl4kwWStGwrOhub3dIQIvyveyYtta5HN922bCT6XOMUxlRxM7e0kkYFsUu/s400/DSC04338.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599378022273191810" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscnSOJccx-2koFnI92VpAm7e02f0bJrTpoxM3TTLdnctRL9my9h1_EPxq4cWxnBS8lkZPK9gXGhj6sHcbVFqmNam7rcCq3gsV3RVuoBKAkwq-oAzu5pWIZTXYh6bdHI92H2NwyqewUGvE/s1600/DSC04320.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscnSOJccx-2koFnI92VpAm7e02f0bJrTpoxM3TTLdnctRL9my9h1_EPxq4cWxnBS8lkZPK9gXGhj6sHcbVFqmNam7rcCq3gsV3RVuoBKAkwq-oAzu5pWIZTXYh6bdHI92H2NwyqewUGvE/s400/DSC04320.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598248033020890930" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjG25t30n4aRzPvBYcZTBe2pTH1Mk2yQ8fY6ivt0_FhjCAyDT-z3cojbxfdhF-2y5XC0IxMchaphLF71ntLTPiU2Sz53_4eBXut6WblQafYW_zhgUiuu-JQXZR4Jie9d88UcBwDhkLO9Q/s1600/Vasquez+Rocks+4-17-11.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjG25t30n4aRzPvBYcZTBe2pTH1Mk2yQ8fY6ivt0_FhjCAyDT-z3cojbxfdhF-2y5XC0IxMchaphLF71ntLTPiU2Sz53_4eBXut6WblQafYW_zhgUiuu-JQXZR4Jie9d88UcBwDhkLO9Q/s400/Vasquez+Rocks+4-17-11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598246097889124306" border="0" /></a>Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-90378140982708015732011-04-20T22:53:00.000-07:002011-06-18T22:45:54.791-07:00design storesJesse and I have found that our Midwestern-sized sofa is not very proportionate in size to our urban LA apartment, and thus have been casually looking for a new, sleeker sofa. (The same is actually true of our dog, but we won't be replacing him - giant, adorable monster that he is.)<br /><br />The couch-shopping has provided the perfect excuse to check out some of the many, many design-oriented stores in LA. We've often driven through neighborhoods with interesting storefronts, and we've also been seeing a lot of LA-based stores featured on various HGTV shows. So one day we decided to park our car in one of those neighborhoods and wander a bit. And we found some fun stuff! It felt nice to be surrounded by so many interesting and beautiful things in all the stores we stopped by, which was more the main point of the afternoon than actually making a purchase anyway.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlmWRY-UcpDkjV-obuPaeqwwctrTpBkn_f8uTnAWudkZe1SLSHm5bPODcDCEb4Z6Sh9NNM0b6cYJwIWMRTzDqyuw8XRsFIymBnB0y5ak3JlBSHQu5A7dwZR1PNm4V0nTh282ecvrgVOay/s1600/Design+Store+2+4-9-11.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlmWRY-UcpDkjV-obuPaeqwwctrTpBkn_f8uTnAWudkZe1SLSHm5bPODcDCEb4Z6Sh9NNM0b6cYJwIWMRTzDqyuw8XRsFIymBnB0y5ak3JlBSHQu5A7dwZR1PNm4V0nTh282ecvrgVOay/s400/Design+Store+2+4-9-11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597904497626766722" border="0" /></a>A week or two after we randomly stopped in this store, it was featured in Emily Henderson's Secrets from a Stylist. I love recognizing places on TV. :)<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6t_PrFz4ncGDkDQE9qlYaCvlmfm7YQGLbuTLAPYs_cGCu35EY6yCktCqDwfI6rxHxDIIq5Frn-FRvzBLpXKO2BrY8VcY086aF3z7Y9W4xGpnpQSAOy2CfA5761o4dwRXw07IsbAAskvp0/s1600/Design+Store+4+4-9-11.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6t_PrFz4ncGDkDQE9qlYaCvlmfm7YQGLbuTLAPYs_cGCu35EY6yCktCqDwfI6rxHxDIIq5Frn-FRvzBLpXKO2BrY8VcY086aF3z7Y9W4xGpnpQSAOy2CfA5761o4dwRXw07IsbAAskvp0/s400/Design+Store+4+4-9-11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597904507968631058" border="0" /></a>This picture was taken in a store that was filled with vintage hardware pieces - drawer pulls, doorknobs, keyholes, and all sorts of little bits from buildings past. If you were renovating a historic home, this place would be an absolute treasure trove. I've never seen so much hardware in one place.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObiJHLh1mBWG8UhkHCzuMs3okv1glpqi0kIjx5wDDwweQ4eewsATQ91132gUv8EDndRdY2zaqgrjwH52MFtMUlaH9abhh2HEXvSKUpCK0C2vQepJXFYTscyfjK6TxRewbKkOoT6TEhF25/s1600/Design+Store+3+4-9-11.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObiJHLh1mBWG8UhkHCzuMs3okv1glpqi0kIjx5wDDwweQ4eewsATQ91132gUv8EDndRdY2zaqgrjwH52MFtMUlaH9abhh2HEXvSKUpCK0C2vQepJXFYTscyfjK6TxRewbKkOoT6TEhF25/s400/Design+Store+3+4-9-11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597904502706888402" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2P-46RkDcmWHiDy2FBS1Thli6Vg-IWVA34s7VCfmvfMrqVVqLpQ0M3NeVzxrzfbrH8fC0Zq3DboLmZQEE0w9d1B8ekZqa4TY6bz9Ncx_x1z8_HNa6j6wIKe2Pie2CzhzvhkCqkw58GtQM/s1600/Design+Store+7+4-9-11.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2P-46RkDcmWHiDy2FBS1Thli6Vg-IWVA34s7VCfmvfMrqVVqLpQ0M3NeVzxrzfbrH8fC0Zq3DboLmZQEE0w9d1B8ekZqa4TY6bz9Ncx_x1z8_HNa6j6wIKe2Pie2CzhzvhkCqkw58GtQM/s400/Design+Store+7+4-9-11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597904521582410258" border="0" /></a>This fabric store kind of made me want to be a designer just to bring my clients here. So pretty.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2piQB1kcDTqIUvidfpNt2cb0slo7juShL7lhjsauTtRxUjIzjNd3tAOCOSONja95SkDnxBsL4yuWu3U65gh2SLapNxNMxnEQ8ZryCzxIJleRYN0qwStVGNgb5BzEZj_qYbBo9wMADy6L/s1600/Design+Store+9+4-9-11.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2piQB1kcDTqIUvidfpNt2cb0slo7juShL7lhjsauTtRxUjIzjNd3tAOCOSONja95SkDnxBsL4yuWu3U65gh2SLapNxNMxnEQ8ZryCzxIJleRYN0qwStVGNgb5BzEZj_qYbBo9wMADy6L/s400/Design+Store+9+4-9-11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597912136367989266" border="0" /></a>This place had all vintage Asian furniture. It was a giant place and was a little much altogether, but individually, many of the pieces were beautiful and definitely had a very strong historic feeling.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">We've been pretty interested in mid-century modern furniture lately, but we only went to one shop that had that - and it wasn't really the type of place that I felt comfortable taking pictures (I had already gotten reprimanded once in a different store). But with all of the stores around town, I am sure we'll do this again!<br /></div></div>Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-40905277004672433932011-04-14T23:10:00.000-07:002011-06-18T22:46:29.295-07:00art day in pasadenaLately, I've been really geeking out over my new <span style="font-style: italic;">Museum Companion to Los Angeles: A Guide to Museums, Historic Houses, Libraries, Special Collections, Botanical Gardens and Zoos in Los Angeles County. </span>(That book was written for me.) I've been dreaming up little day trips in various regions, and a couple weeks ago we took one to Pasadena. We tried a new cafe for lunch, and then went to see the Gamble House and the Norton Simon Museum. The weather was pretty ugly, but the sites were great.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdwake_X3I9ISqdC0sfAXkbXZXNVb_9DnVAGLexvBaDwv_52ar8PJU6Pq064FPtnTi80kqNuKGzAblzev0oV3Qg2fGS0q7gMZiNY8bzCoF8yteHKoBhpQdbDjfaZq8xt4b1MBs8LBos2mf/s1600/Pasadena+3-27-11+1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdwake_X3I9ISqdC0sfAXkbXZXNVb_9DnVAGLexvBaDwv_52ar8PJU6Pq064FPtnTi80kqNuKGzAblzev0oV3Qg2fGS0q7gMZiNY8bzCoF8yteHKoBhpQdbDjfaZq8xt4b1MBs8LBos2mf/s400/Pasadena+3-27-11+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593443176352236242" border="0" /></a><br />The <a href="http://www.gamblehouse.org/">Gamble House</a> was built in the arts and crafts style by famous architects Greene and Greene, who designed not just the home, but the landscaping and furniture as well. I love checking out famous architectural homes. And I especially like ones (like this one) that focus on the integration of the interior and exterior and the connection between aesthetics and functionality.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozCsZ5thKC47DIqPfAkurhz4UzQd4aeFbPx1A5iyrwWRYNDOHnFjyZto3x13l_WXa16_F7txabM4LbPNOiHjwE6LjfrPzl3C5yoUshbhJGKCD7UKcYQMzpKRwJ_wUrzaGygztqUXLBilU/s1600/DSC04286.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozCsZ5thKC47DIqPfAkurhz4UzQd4aeFbPx1A5iyrwWRYNDOHnFjyZto3x13l_WXa16_F7txabM4LbPNOiHjwE6LjfrPzl3C5yoUshbhJGKCD7UKcYQMzpKRwJ_wUrzaGygztqUXLBilU/s400/DSC04286.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592665767000394850" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-iBnAaxvsGQLGe6QikHNkXJU0QXzePO_aMLin6Xx3NOzrj5Z-2jyFxvoIaNibxDNTK094WH8zpmBq-YXiUDx8Bvxk9h-vieDjK9nWdgV_cAtOvuzxMDm5OiJiThIN-EhuvpATttEwXtgr/s1600/Pasadena+3-27-11+4.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-iBnAaxvsGQLGe6QikHNkXJU0QXzePO_aMLin6Xx3NOzrj5Z-2jyFxvoIaNibxDNTK094WH8zpmBq-YXiUDx8Bvxk9h-vieDjK9nWdgV_cAtOvuzxMDm5OiJiThIN-EhuvpATttEwXtgr/s400/Pasadena+3-27-11+4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593443194895890162" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0v9W_VZqKs0q6mIdL2xhHtQevDotuyAU6OlRZqk8ldwoUW1Fpn5mWpBjd0f8wTHHV9HhP9KFa4pphiRuWMz9ugq8IwSoax24tRFyUhU7HJyDuEDUM14qoxlPCdudO_q_OolUrAh5l60Wo/s1600/Pasadena+3-27-11+5.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0v9W_VZqKs0q6mIdL2xhHtQevDotuyAU6OlRZqk8ldwoUW1Fpn5mWpBjd0f8wTHHV9HhP9KFa4pphiRuWMz9ugq8IwSoax24tRFyUhU7HJyDuEDUM14qoxlPCdudO_q_OolUrAh5l60Wo/s400/Pasadena+3-27-11+5.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593443202119820754" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOx1RCQQKBGjkm-hjbij7Cg5xB8lYQYDDKXG1HED3CzVeS3O9_pmzruhIsMpIA92LMuf_fWOnDC3hMqpPlhcAo7u5JHwYfrwzxofTP3uBZ1XYQzVlZI0ckWtUljFQJwUQNfvsbS1KD6Zq/s1600/DSC04271.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOx1RCQQKBGjkm-hjbij7Cg5xB8lYQYDDKXG1HED3CzVeS3O9_pmzruhIsMpIA92LMuf_fWOnDC3hMqpPlhcAo7u5JHwYfrwzxofTP3uBZ1XYQzVlZI0ckWtUljFQJwUQNfvsbS1KD6Zq/s400/DSC04271.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592665006995140562" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8t8-fttK2oomCkw_C4yPEsVwu39U31ZKe8SFORJ4tWHCBKMTSRTqOhabbe9lzpvuI0mXCVKvJeBcbuY2-x1bTGWrZaEhfVxQgvJzpEjoaBGG_qb7wy5a_F10JIO66Rbayb0WGS3US75U/s1600/Pasadena+3-27-11+2JPG.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8t8-fttK2oomCkw_C4yPEsVwu39U31ZKe8SFORJ4tWHCBKMTSRTqOhabbe9lzpvuI0mXCVKvJeBcbuY2-x1bTGWrZaEhfVxQgvJzpEjoaBGG_qb7wy5a_F10JIO66Rbayb0WGS3US75U/s400/Pasadena+3-27-11+2JPG.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593443183896152690" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWW2baMYU7nlqw0yOkd_qC80QF8y4C4K7FBlH7Rl-vE34J5kcY9wZEu0f5mlQ2a-z1VjJIrHl4ImiKF8zGKd_09FU7ZDnf87_YQeAXM7v-UX69pe5DXiW2RUXeDpVIBP_wsaFuMUIiPqu/s1600/DSC04274.JPG"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8uTbhxCyNrrK56Z4r69PCaAXoIUXLyByuVvMX0cGMV35g2bwuMapMaMPRPHpdq8-z-xiTjOmxj8cd1Zn9-ikC_JvLxT-jsnYu7ttt2D6oEqcXH6fU9BBPLF6XRH1-pyvp8FwXRACXiqa/s1600/Pasadena+3-27-11+3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8uTbhxCyNrrK56Z4r69PCaAXoIUXLyByuVvMX0cGMV35g2bwuMapMaMPRPHpdq8-z-xiTjOmxj8cd1Zn9-ikC_JvLxT-jsnYu7ttt2D6oEqcXH6fU9BBPLF6XRH1-pyvp8FwXRACXiqa/s400/Pasadena+3-27-11+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593443187424384530" border="0" /></a><br />The <a href="http://www.nortonsimon.org/">Norton Simon Museum</a> is a perfect size. We were only there an hour and a half or so, but it was enough time for a cursory tour of all the galleries and a more thorough viewing of the ones we really liked. Highlights: SO many Degas sculptures, a nicely designed gallery for SE Asian art, and a good book shop.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6EhGsdzgyO5NffSJt9tTdKNHgTwmZTAecKS_giCh79f_W8wiye44wWQutHbxIviOBtf7xNx4xLhPVEQFUIFqpKcu9VOWpVEnRVzS7-dCARernkmDq17swDW8gLxRSHeMkc03LjyMQ3eL/s1600/DSC04291.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6EhGsdzgyO5NffSJt9tTdKNHgTwmZTAecKS_giCh79f_W8wiye44wWQutHbxIviOBtf7xNx4xLhPVEQFUIFqpKcu9VOWpVEnRVzS7-dCARernkmDq17swDW8gLxRSHeMkc03LjyMQ3eL/s400/DSC04291.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592672428052408946" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0u5ljHjb0LiZwIXsSd7NPKUUhDW5xnx59nl_Pz-qkri6qjQ5URFy055VgelCdsLCkOo1_8r9RJUQ_Wj9bKCyn2y5gEG3afwCh23Y0DvSuLnIAebokkyfa6JpG-LypOu4BPcGuxVDPC-tk/s1600/DSC04300.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0u5ljHjb0LiZwIXsSd7NPKUUhDW5xnx59nl_Pz-qkri6qjQ5URFy055VgelCdsLCkOo1_8r9RJUQ_Wj9bKCyn2y5gEG3afwCh23Y0DvSuLnIAebokkyfa6JpG-LypOu4BPcGuxVDPC-tk/s400/DSC04300.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592672439679905986" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt12yMf-t7COTw0mYVGvKcmHHYy2xYnUJBIUIIEeQzSCxPcNtI8GQDjFTTXFEtOFanjir9Cz6tdjXHQxi4XIvcEbsxtodiMPx5vG2g21AI02NnipwFQyKSFRhHiwZaan_IiUkxoDfE8s-R/s1600/DSC04302.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt12yMf-t7COTw0mYVGvKcmHHYy2xYnUJBIUIIEeQzSCxPcNtI8GQDjFTTXFEtOFanjir9Cz6tdjXHQxi4XIvcEbsxtodiMPx5vG2g21AI02NnipwFQyKSFRhHiwZaan_IiUkxoDfE8s-R/s400/DSC04302.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592672440477023458" border="0" /></a>Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-3382479025876969902011-03-28T21:49:00.000-07:002011-06-18T22:47:16.788-07:00jesse and the marathonI had a great time watching the LA marathon last week. I went to see Jesse run by at miles 11, 18, and at the finish line, but I was a very good cheerer for the other runners as well. :) I am NOT a runner by any means, but between the ambition of the runners and the support of the spectators, watching races always makes me feel so happy.<br /><br />This was one was especially fun, despite the CRAZY rain that did not let up the entire time. I was soaked through by mile 18. I stopped briefly at home to change before heading to the finish line, and got soaked through again. Jesse, of course, was soaked for 26.2 miles, plus the nearly two miles we walked home. Just as he crossed the finish line, the rain intensity increased (which I would not have believed possible). It felt like I was standing under a waterfall.<br /><br />Jesse did amazing. He finished really strong and his recovery went smoothly. I am already looking forward to next year! (I'm not sure he is yet...)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmwHSdG_8-lFNRDBfKTpP8YqJgYQEX594Prqu0zFBocJmL9umXZ26GBCFOvy9Ms7FZiPjqgtdEBsvINE7GEwstm_7Dr8R-ld5XNrSM78MIh4gJl2qMaNtnorMrFryT1dy848bzoEgtzoV/s1600/DSC04247.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmwHSdG_8-lFNRDBfKTpP8YqJgYQEX594Prqu0zFBocJmL9umXZ26GBCFOvy9Ms7FZiPjqgtdEBsvINE7GEwstm_7Dr8R-ld5XNrSM78MIh4gJl2qMaNtnorMrFryT1dy848bzoEgtzoV/s400/DSC04247.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589375461530262834" border="0" /></a>Mile 11.5 - Grauman's Chinese Theatre.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0IZW0k8jRtIUw8pweJQpegzg7znMT2gBAELr_cqSx_FY5ygaA8k9FgDCEaWyL-oHLQcpSS2UK04WyG2WsjH936zfR8DF06S3o6rdEtTpd5W_mEgAIlY_ZeAWW0R0_NPu9SntWN2J7r2j/s1600/DSC04257.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0IZW0k8jRtIUw8pweJQpegzg7znMT2gBAELr_cqSx_FY5ygaA8k9FgDCEaWyL-oHLQcpSS2UK04WyG2WsjH936zfR8DF06S3o6rdEtTpd5W_mEgAIlY_ZeAWW0R0_NPu9SntWN2J7r2j/s400/DSC04257.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589375472045263810" border="0" /></a>Jesse at mile 18.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofjDesR-VMMCuk6TfVHitEAx_X1WSmXCPGz3g-enDZ0w83WIry_Uj5Nu88kSR93rjQfTDvOT4Y9iuRyXXPzb5IOTZPn_csQINo4s7-xgdCPWuwSJyjiZxnmZdYvlWExZj13T0TWmsRC0Q/s1600/DSC04259.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofjDesR-VMMCuk6TfVHitEAx_X1WSmXCPGz3g-enDZ0w83WIry_Uj5Nu88kSR93rjQfTDvOT4Y9iuRyXXPzb5IOTZPn_csQINo4s7-xgdCPWuwSJyjiZxnmZdYvlWExZj13T0TWmsRC0Q/s400/DSC04259.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589375477127558450" border="0" /></a>Jesse at the finish line.<br /></div>Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-43358371964992764072011-03-12T20:30:00.000-08:002011-06-19T11:35:46.679-07:00typography + maps + los angelesLove typography. Love maps. Love Los Angeles. So I think these are pretty great.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7z_OFgtxFTmlo5G0NDUpWmf8Nax-RXOuIA89gnaq_6aMvL69oeI_LiH4shsWNU2_VTnY6wQJt_jsocyOhjECJsbS9iZRw5KS0kyAhTWPDX2acn4Og0bKtoCDGctwesn9feBaXbaQA9k9/s1600/Los+Angeles+Typographic+Map.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 254px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7z_OFgtxFTmlo5G0NDUpWmf8Nax-RXOuIA89gnaq_6aMvL69oeI_LiH4shsWNU2_VTnY6wQJt_jsocyOhjECJsbS9iZRw5KS0kyAhTWPDX2acn4Og0bKtoCDGctwesn9feBaXbaQA9k9/s400/Los+Angeles+Typographic+Map.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583417553272586610" border="0" /></a>This one is by <a href="http://www.orkposters.com/losangeles.html">Ork Posters</a>, and they also have maps of two other cities I've called home - Portland and Chicago - amongst lots of other fun ones: Minneapolis (not St. Paul though!), New York City, Philadelphia, DC, etc.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4IRiZ9J-OfNtk4yIXYCu56iCRpWAX72jlwQXLFCrdXhFqDuN7y3S2p4HaWnBGT-igEdnl7dVbVlOcOA4MyaJQhDQRtPWI_L8dw19CtSrEViN6o2CP436YVpawgH4A83yJLKOSdDtSJGp/s1600/Los+Angeles+Map.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4IRiZ9J-OfNtk4yIXYCu56iCRpWAX72jlwQXLFCrdXhFqDuN7y3S2p4HaWnBGT-igEdnl7dVbVlOcOA4MyaJQhDQRtPWI_L8dw19CtSrEViN6o2CP436YVpawgH4A83yJLKOSdDtSJGp/s400/Los+Angeles+Map.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583417545931532946" border="0" /></a>These are done by <a href="http://thesearethings.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/los-angeles-neighborhoods-map-small">These Are Things.</a> They also have world maps and other cities and neighborhoods.Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-49364612990135191502011-03-09T19:20:00.000-08:002011-06-19T11:36:12.825-07:00colinFor the second year in a row, Jesse and I got to see a movie at the <a href="http://www.manntheatres.com/chinese/">Grauman's Chinese Theatre</a> as part of the <a href="http://www.afi.com/afifest/">AFI Film Fest</a> in November. And for the second year in a row, it was an LA premier starring Colin Firth. This time, however, we actually got to <span style="font-style: italic;">see</span> Colin Firth - first as part of a panel discussion before the movie and second in the burger bar across the street. AND this time the movie went on to receive <a href="http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/83/nominees.html">four Academy Awards</a>: best picture, actor in a leading role (Colin Firth), directing (Tom Hooper), and writing for an original screenplay (David Seidler). Firth and Hooper are pictured below, as is Geoffrey Rush, who was nominated for best actor in a supporting role. Seidler came on stage later to talk a little about the writing experience.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnweOUmkZEHQ6fiDpK68tcer0OhZPM5YttCjUN-qw6SZ9KFEXCUK6LlaVRSkHTHywSIfv52H4g0Iz1baH7bq2IoQPRHnFocgSKhGiSOX_72yBgXtw8mEQ9uwbAKj75-I3vhHvgnVoV8As/s1600/DSC03807.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnweOUmkZEHQ6fiDpK68tcer0OhZPM5YttCjUN-qw6SZ9KFEXCUK6LlaVRSkHTHywSIfv52H4g0Iz1baH7bq2IoQPRHnFocgSKhGiSOX_72yBgXtw8mEQ9uwbAKj75-I3vhHvgnVoV8As/s400/DSC03807.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582277703297136930" border="0" /></a>This shot was taken during the panel discussion which occurred prior to the movie. Our seats were in one of the front rows, which was not great for watching the movie (giant screen = sore necks), but excellent for a great view of the panel discussion.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8q_fDMGtg5eN57WB9ViHmZ5uiN4a4T3xMoK4mfN2HmdoLl5hBjjEzWIvtYC65pWEkriYGXEsPFjOUDjbBD_bMfrP7EAMXZ2sknVvdz2VXp1HgPxy3JIEQMsxpy2L5AmBSigArSHotfIRe/s1600/DSC03800.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8q_fDMGtg5eN57WB9ViHmZ5uiN4a4T3xMoK4mfN2HmdoLl5hBjjEzWIvtYC65pWEkriYGXEsPFjOUDjbBD_bMfrP7EAMXZ2sknVvdz2VXp1HgPxy3JIEQMsxpy2L5AmBSigArSHotfIRe/s400/DSC03800.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582277687908381954" border="0" /></a>This is outside of Grauman's just before the movie started.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1eVW38AXjv2c29y0ax5fzy4wDGJD8s_Np7HBQv8QSF8QP4SQml7t81CsHcssGK0k2Y32sTAmj28vOlSic6QjK9zdzHRB5DFk2veWw0TMq-maWX5frGF-fuctCJviFCOwNg6pSYMgXvnoF/s1600/DSC03810.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1eVW38AXjv2c29y0ax5fzy4wDGJD8s_Np7HBQv8QSF8QP4SQml7t81CsHcssGK0k2Y32sTAmj28vOlSic6QjK9zdzHRB5DFk2veWw0TMq-maWX5frGF-fuctCJviFCOwNg6pSYMgXvnoF/s400/DSC03810.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582276773138999234" border="0" /></a>Director Tom Hooper talking while Colin Firth listens pensively.<br /></div>Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-36936144835483445552011-02-13T21:11:00.001-08:002011-06-19T11:36:50.558-07:00palos verdes excursionJesse and I took a drive down the coast today with our new MINI. Our final destination was Palos Verdes Drive and the Wayfarers' Chapel (about 45 minutes to an hour south), but we enjoyed a lot of the other coastal towns and sites along the way.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQJHMwiO8ZrC-jHkaDalq4pqLkTDTjuDur7zWBnqJ6PSgSO5WYsegqfEcymDtHTaz8epNHIz5sih1MRHHtriPfD_uqj3RMduScNDe40AvWRQhc6TuU5-X2oOhxupl2eviqHDznqrq89c4/s1600/DSC04054.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQJHMwiO8ZrC-jHkaDalq4pqLkTDTjuDur7zWBnqJ6PSgSO5WYsegqfEcymDtHTaz8epNHIz5sih1MRHHtriPfD_uqj3RMduScNDe40AvWRQhc6TuU5-X2oOhxupl2eviqHDznqrq89c4/s400/DSC04054.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573415644803362530" border="0" /></a>This is Malaga Cove - a nice, quiet, secluded beach.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghV2tUWpHwusvJqaGSk-3egMdqM6M-sDGCZCzEpXU78luhI3UU5QncJs-hKdt2BYYjxOhE05CAVygpomQq7awHT7CB3Nip3Eipls76g1vioJ4c_T_Gw6PD66aFADmVs56ybUBssy1h7vN6/s1600/DSC04064.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghV2tUWpHwusvJqaGSk-3egMdqM6M-sDGCZCzEpXU78luhI3UU5QncJs-hKdt2BYYjxOhE05CAVygpomQq7awHT7CB3Nip3Eipls76g1vioJ4c_T_Gw6PD66aFADmVs56ybUBssy1h7vN6/s400/DSC04064.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573416078122633186" border="0" /></a>This is at Point Vicente Fishing Access (although I didn't see any fishing going on).<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RrC3qvN28oRnoqxFVXnXatk4W2gsonjoUs6EWZtsR_C3rLPra0tWUxaEDm1ww_jMlsdfZGQ1dw6pXMBc3eO5iNaVYoTSFbPIBUuu2LZP_AIyxJHodpxfMX68lsLDxSedp2HnYkbz5hj8/s1600/DSC04114.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RrC3qvN28oRnoqxFVXnXatk4W2gsonjoUs6EWZtsR_C3rLPra0tWUxaEDm1ww_jMlsdfZGQ1dw6pXMBc3eO5iNaVYoTSFbPIBUuu2LZP_AIyxJHodpxfMX68lsLDxSedp2HnYkbz5hj8/s400/DSC04114.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573410450630090258" border="0" /></a>This is Abalone Cove, where we went tidepooling. Of the coastal spots we stopped at, this was definitely my favorite.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloU0P37s14a0Xd_TUYW-V46x6SdPNHerlAFHh1URe7oAw7vuNb4sf2gyuYWcc3E7v6mumD4brndUj_ma0YbMBoCXg1sTglb-77vf3rwAUP-EbsFfBvUwwjFgvpR8BZ1xHraXfLdXxlzEq/s1600/DSC04091.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloU0P37s14a0Xd_TUYW-V46x6SdPNHerlAFHh1URe7oAw7vuNb4sf2gyuYWcc3E7v6mumD4brndUj_ma0YbMBoCXg1sTglb-77vf3rwAUP-EbsFfBvUwwjFgvpR8BZ1xHraXfLdXxlzEq/s400/DSC04091.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573410095318642050" border="0" /></a>I was so excited to check out the tidepools. I've been wanting to do this for a long time - long before we moved to California.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojNMcNYfAYaqL6pOEPMsfGHpCJWLPcJ4-BgijnhyphenhyphencRiy4k8xCIzPzVgJDEoH5l0anI_I49LHAG3GZr9El_Bcq4ZmJR96dWRjnbBrFlkVw2Nc28R76W9YdofSFIzCfvGEnn7QRVUlL2l9L/s1600/DSC04111_2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojNMcNYfAYaqL6pOEPMsfGHpCJWLPcJ4-BgijnhyphenhyphencRiy4k8xCIzPzVgJDEoH5l0anI_I49LHAG3GZr9El_Bcq4ZmJR96dWRjnbBrFlkVw2Nc28R76W9YdofSFIzCfvGEnn7QRVUlL2l9L/s400/DSC04111_2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573409077346216098" border="0" /></a>Sea anemones!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLXDzHH-SbuRtGbi8flDpdcVRVVZ2h0ZL5thdiVTtxLTH_TD1qmAIly8bor684ESwLdNm-V6cqUK0UYl4a1iUmg7xj3j6JzbC8eFPyh_iosyuKornJ4CSBPCtyyxBoiLrhepf0mGGMqMi/s1600/DSC04112_2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLXDzHH-SbuRtGbi8flDpdcVRVVZ2h0ZL5thdiVTtxLTH_TD1qmAIly8bor684ESwLdNm-V6cqUK0UYl4a1iUmg7xj3j6JzbC8eFPyh_iosyuKornJ4CSBPCtyyxBoiLrhepf0mGGMqMi/s400/DSC04112_2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573418165963346258" border="0" /></a>More!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjffnFkZwaLeTE5Xm-AlfTos7f1CKkPO8kQ9CPpUCc7Fx5zXXrXjDnPN3h9VIuVnmN9e01418sS2bUZlWdsc6NK9gx3evlIFh_P7MeSyUlxDf__mgAk3PeLKet59H_sl-FerUWWWI3FzMkX/s1600/DSC04102.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjffnFkZwaLeTE5Xm-AlfTos7f1CKkPO8kQ9CPpUCc7Fx5zXXrXjDnPN3h9VIuVnmN9e01418sS2bUZlWdsc6NK9gx3evlIFh_P7MeSyUlxDf__mgAk3PeLKet59H_sl-FerUWWWI3FzMkX/s400/DSC04102.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573418157301278482" border="0" /></a>Jesse looking for sea creatures.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTflcQSvCbFZBqtRzDIPV35cptgk9rIx-n9QMfzxh3yUqa_Xbp6LoHR33cY0Oa5yMHJnhJm9ra7J1unO8eeHEMImHs-g202QQ_yOojSUTxsuBQ9Acw_5gpQ2BRYdg5dYU9Dj2bB2M45L_/s1600/DSC04082.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTflcQSvCbFZBqtRzDIPV35cptgk9rIx-n9QMfzxh3yUqa_Xbp6LoHR33cY0Oa5yMHJnhJm9ra7J1unO8eeHEMImHs-g202QQ_yOojSUTxsuBQ9Acw_5gpQ2BRYdg5dYU9Dj2bB2M45L_/s400/DSC04082.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573417375412760786" border="0" /></a>Waves crashing at Abalone Cove.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6M1o9b2IU_GKNKGMNW99iaPYBQFWswgN57mS7x-ikZFO8KjDVJBOr-s8z1U3YrU0fZ-D7KfoerjZz8Ny0TjCN7SbzXvUclLaxjyL2rGZK-vnEP0HxtiK12yxvwzAyQB8advKlm2P_n5y/s1600/DSC04127.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6M1o9b2IU_GKNKGMNW99iaPYBQFWswgN57mS7x-ikZFO8KjDVJBOr-s8z1U3YrU0fZ-D7KfoerjZz8Ny0TjCN7SbzXvUclLaxjyL2rGZK-vnEP0HxtiK12yxvwzAyQB8advKlm2P_n5y/s400/DSC04127.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573417385293397138" border="0" /></a>View of Portuguese Point from Wayfarers' Chapel.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKA2zLgv-g5Z956u_erzscqpT6LcOH0c6mj-RTiVbhFRVl6fDWLcZjdCE-Mlb69sSEsOwW4EmyPUg2k-Tw03f9Z-dM40NC4YAuv33vXTGRA5-BqvVEsk9vOtUMuHSJj7m6SAwz9vXRkKn/s1600/DSC04148.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKA2zLgv-g5Z956u_erzscqpT6LcOH0c6mj-RTiVbhFRVl6fDWLcZjdCE-Mlb69sSEsOwW4EmyPUg2k-Tw03f9Z-dM40NC4YAuv33vXTGRA5-BqvVEsk9vOtUMuHSJj7m6SAwz9vXRkKn/s400/DSC04148.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573412956947790770" border="0" /></a>This is Wayfarers' Chapel, which was designed by Lloyd Wright (son of Frank Lloyd Wright) and built in 1951.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPKT7wz3Av6HUlOFTi1EtotiEN_jCDbvrjDirpS0JC0F6tDp0IRnS9H_qR0Z-ay8EQLns9Ne1E1RPbvxPw_HbkRCc9acJkBoMgVtiJRtaDGW3Ff6p9-y2NdtSv29ftpaEDp3viNKh_nnF/s1600/DSC04145.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPKT7wz3Av6HUlOFTi1EtotiEN_jCDbvrjDirpS0JC0F6tDp0IRnS9H_qR0Z-ay8EQLns9Ne1E1RPbvxPw_HbkRCc9acJkBoMgVtiJRtaDGW3Ff6p9-y2NdtSv29ftpaEDp3viNKh_nnF/s400/DSC04145.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573412963799470850" border="0" /></a>The interior of Wayfarers' Chapel.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RrC3qvN28oRnoqxFVXnXatk4W2gsonjoUs6EWZtsR_C3rLPra0tWUxaEDm1ww_jMlsdfZGQ1dw6pXMBc3eO5iNaVYoTSFbPIBUuu2LZP_AIyxJHodpxfMX68lsLDxSedp2HnYkbz5hj8/s1600/DSC04114.JPG"><br /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIgbPpVEXxrXGuhQ6LAl36p6NLKt44VCG1dIj3-OlTFilEjIAhLUtINbfyNwNwH5RZjGoWhAeuFDRPrl8d8n_tvTSKnu3Zt9ObIjLABjDWVGaL98AglEeVooWreIM1RrAOnaVTHBVrzh2/s1600/DSC04117.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIgbPpVEXxrXGuhQ6LAl36p6NLKt44VCG1dIj3-OlTFilEjIAhLUtINbfyNwNwH5RZjGoWhAeuFDRPrl8d8n_tvTSKnu3Zt9ObIjLABjDWVGaL98AglEeVooWreIM1RrAOnaVTHBVrzh2/s400/DSC04117.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573417376780054610" border="0" /></a>Wayfarers' Chapel tower.<br /></div>Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-18730809074695533552011-01-26T21:08:00.000-08:002011-06-19T11:37:13.299-07:00top recipes of 2010While I am on the recipe theme, I thought I would share links to some of my favorite dishes that I made this past year. I honestly do not cook that much, but I love to do it when I have the time and I really love to try new recipes. Now that we have an amazing year-round farmers' market within walking distance, it has really made cooking vegetarian-type meals even more fun. Some of these I make regularly, and some I've only made once. If you come for a visit, chances are I'll make one of them...or something completely new and untested (always an adventure)!<br /><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.fresh365online.com/recipes/2009/10/21/black-bean-sweet-potato-quesadillas.html">Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas</a><br />We make these all the time! They make great leftovers.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/desserts/best-holiday-cookie-recipes-00000000046700/page8.html">Macaroons</a><br />These weren't as hard to make as I expected, and they transported well to the Midwest for the holidays.<br /></div><div><a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/07/cornmeal-drop-biscuit-peach-blueberry-cobbler/"><br /></a></div><div><a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/07/cornmeal-drop-biscuit-peach-blueberry-cobbler/">Blueberry Peach Cobbler</a><br />Best when peaches are in season - I made mine with fruit from the farmers' market.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/07/scalloped-tomatoes-with-croutons/">Scalloped Tomatoes</a><br />Also another one for when the tomatoes are in season.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/green-beans-bacon-vinaigrette-00000000044569/index.html">Green Beans with Bacon Vinaigrette</a><br />This is my pick for turning something perfectly healthy into something <span style="font-style: italic;">incredibly</span> unhealthy. Yum! (And I don't even like bacon! Or green beans, for that matter.)<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/butternut-squash-and-sage-lasagna">Butternut Squash Lasagna</a></div><div>This one takes some time, but I looooove it.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.wholeliving.com/recipe/moroccan-style-stuffed-acorn-squashes">Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash</a><br />Just made these once, but I thought they were fun to make (and eat).<br /></div><div><a href="http://www.fresh365online.com/recipes/2010/12/2/20-minute-black-bean-soup.html"><br /></a></div><div><a href="http://www.fresh365online.com/recipes/2010/12/2/20-minute-black-bean-soup.html">20-Minute </a><a href="http://www.fresh365online.com/recipes/2010/12/2/20-minute-black-bean-soup.html">Black Bean Soup</a><br />Healthy, easy and tasty...what could be better?<br /></div><a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Its-Chili-by-George/Detail.aspx"><br />My New Favorite Chili</a><br />It's the cumin! And a lot of chili powder.<br /><br />Several of these are from my two favorite food blogs:<br /><a href="http://www.fresh365online.com/">Fresh 365</a><br /><a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/">Smitten Kitchen</a><br /><br />A new one I just started following:<br /><a href="http://www.sassyradish.com/">Sassy Radish</a>Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610127648712513022.post-11307624254664320682011-01-22T23:19:00.000-08:002011-06-19T11:38:13.703-07:00natural history museumLast Thursday, I went to the Natural History Museum of LA for a one-day workshop on grant-writing for archives. The workshop was great, as was the opportunity to meet other librarians and archivists from the area. After the workshop was finished, I stepped into the museum for a few minutes before it closed. It was extremely quiet, being a weekday and so late in the afternoon. I'd love to go back another day when I have more time to explore, but having opportunities like these is one of the things I like best about living in LA.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4I7rvGTvdisDFilWrz5ms_rZPrqpc9Groi-RnszkIsieGy9tFazgULPwpbJsNnBuaDo0N6fhQ4Mf5p4CQO3nqYVk9Ph03rEXzA1Zhhd-OkbRSzNWzxgtZA6yKT21tgMvpnBUpSRx9tTlT/s1600/photo+4.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4I7rvGTvdisDFilWrz5ms_rZPrqpc9Groi-RnszkIsieGy9tFazgULPwpbJsNnBuaDo0N6fhQ4Mf5p4CQO3nqYVk9Ph03rEXzA1Zhhd-OkbRSzNWzxgtZA6yKT21tgMvpnBUpSRx9tTlT/s400/photo+4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565278143180018978" border="0" /></a>Dinos in the entrance - pretty impressive sight when you step in for the first time. (This space felt familiar - it must be a set on a movie. Probably a few movies actually.)<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7clDeQdWKJ_IjOOFyi-VU1PZv2VH0sJAkhMfmhEmSDlEIcxJRTE8vIaSCcP09-vlB-X3eim4uB0GOBAgIvVBWj8zTC2f95OyvXuXtvW8_wGmNLspzGb9fc4A09sDFn2pjXeXhgfMQMGh/s1600/photo+3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7clDeQdWKJ_IjOOFyi-VU1PZv2VH0sJAkhMfmhEmSDlEIcxJRTE8vIaSCcP09-vlB-X3eim4uB0GOBAgIvVBWj8zTC2f95OyvXuXtvW8_wGmNLspzGb9fc4A09sDFn2pjXeXhgfMQMGh/s400/photo+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565278136552143122" border="0" /></a>It struck me as a little odd to be surrounded by so many dead animals. Why do we think this is okay? How do people explain this to children? Maybe it was just the fact that the place was totally empty that made this feel a little creepier than in my other museum experiences.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3om8ETy4uobqRE8d04XRPJa0VEm2_kFblxh2-EtctwRL9kSedHejIv9fx-SypHh3kths9ni0UZ2976J3SMPpFKk2SDfD66CPjTc-wHsOcGYsj9HVrxjsCPlvf84rofplxfY0aUPbMSg-/s1600/photo+2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3om8ETy4uobqRE8d04XRPJa0VEm2_kFblxh2-EtctwRL9kSedHejIv9fx-SypHh3kths9ni0UZ2976J3SMPpFKk2SDfD66CPjTc-wHsOcGYsj9HVrxjsCPlvf84rofplxfY0aUPbMSg-/s400/photo+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565278133003538674" border="0" /></a>Skeletons! Yay! (??)<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-jgMBFuvzbUwsbDxLqKAu6_QcoRvZwiuoD2JHnzj-BAZwt6JCNYmhfnZeLOan7TsjPW4TOu67y2x-pIOCaqxyVmNIZERQidrOkS6VjGJP8tnV4_RRFBu7aVeMZtO09jw0dzZ27mZc1GM/s1600/photo+1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-jgMBFuvzbUwsbDxLqKAu6_QcoRvZwiuoD2JHnzj-BAZwt6JCNYmhfnZeLOan7TsjPW4TOu67y2x-pIOCaqxyVmNIZERQidrOkS6VjGJP8tnV4_RRFBu7aVeMZtO09jw0dzZ27mZc1GM/s400/photo+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565278126969093026" border="0" /></a>The ceiling in the rotunda - beautiful architectural details.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinId-vyMbVn7bN8-ZTri3F6jLbrMK8Fdc0ACFx-K4Gltg6E369vlkbg9N8SHaCRFNbjXNmMTR9j5Y-ZPyL_TXeIHDbpGGywZNdAKvgu3qzw9ObuaeUj9ND0Nw4CCvmNus6IiFr90IoozmE/s1600/photo+5.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinId-vyMbVn7bN8-ZTri3F6jLbrMK8Fdc0ACFx-K4Gltg6E369vlkbg9N8SHaCRFNbjXNmMTR9j5Y-ZPyL_TXeIHDbpGGywZNdAKvgu3qzw9ObuaeUj9ND0Nw4CCvmNus6IiFr90IoozmE/s400/photo+5.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565278148642398674" border="0" /></a>Afterwards, I drove across the city to meet Jesse at a car dealer's. I don't know why I thought I could do that unscathed. The traffic was awful, and made me cranky. But still - the entire drive was very pretty: skyline, palm tree silhouettes against the sunset, Spanish-style architecture, mountains. Love it all!<br /></div>Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212552956376987401noreply@blogger.com0