Bonus: the concert was at El Rey Theatre, an art deco building built in 1936 as a movie theater.
We're waiting....
I am a true fan, with a t-shirt to prove it.
Please note: awesome nerdy glasses!Thursday, September 24, 2009
favorite musician EVER
I finally got to see Mason Jennings in concert. He was awesome. He sang all of the songs from his new CD (which had just come out the week before) and I loved them, but I wish he had played a few more of his older songs. I think other people did too. He wasn't very chatty, but hearing the music live was more than enough. The other band members were pretty great too, especially the other guitarist who was wearing the nerdiest glasses I have seen since the 4th grade. Jesse also noticed that Mason's thumbs were abnormally long, which was a little creepy...yet cool. I LOVE MASON JENNINGS.
Bonus: the concert was at El Rey Theatre, an art deco building built in 1936 as a movie theater.
We're waiting....
I am a true fan, with a t-shirt to prove it.
Please note: awesome nerdy glasses!
Bonus: the concert was at El Rey Theatre, an art deco building built in 1936 as a movie theater.We're waiting....I am a true fan, with a t-shirt to prove it.Please note: awesome nerdy glasses!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
santa monica book fair
I must be a real rare book librarian: I got an invitation in the mail at work for discounted admission to the Santa Monica Antiquarian Book, Print, Photo and Paper Fair. So I figured it was my professional duty to stop by. Antiquarian booksellers were selling rare books, works of art on paper, vintage posters, and old advertisements. It was great fun to walk around and see what everyone had. One of the highlights for me was a small early 17th century book of maps by Ortelius, who is generally thought of as the creator of the first modern atlas. I also saw a lot of books that we often showed to users in the RB&ML, which made me nostalgic.
But what was funny is that I expected to be most impressed by all the really old, really rare books, but I was actually most drawn in by early editions of books I read as a child. One bookseller had a whole shelf-full of first and early editions of Anne of Green Gables books, which I basically lived on growing up. It was so fun to see how they looked when they were first published. The bookseller told me that first editions of Anne of Green Gables go for as much as $20k because there were not many printed at the time (the one in the link sold for $12.5k, and Antiques Roadshow appraised one at $12-18k). That's as much as the prices on first editions ($12k) and signed first editions ($20k) of Hemingway. Surprising, right? On the topic of books I read as a child, I also got to see a letter written by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Bonus: on the way to the book fair, I walked by a yard sale (if you can call it that...it was located on the little bit of grass between the sidewalk and the street), and a French woman moving to Australia with the same size feet as me was getting rid of as much as possible. I walked away with five pairs of shoes for $10. Not bad!
But what was funny is that I expected to be most impressed by all the really old, really rare books, but I was actually most drawn in by early editions of books I read as a child. One bookseller had a whole shelf-full of first and early editions of Anne of Green Gables books, which I basically lived on growing up. It was so fun to see how they looked when they were first published. The bookseller told me that first editions of Anne of Green Gables go for as much as $20k because there were not many printed at the time (the one in the link sold for $12.5k, and Antiques Roadshow appraised one at $12-18k). That's as much as the prices on first editions ($12k) and signed first editions ($20k) of Hemingway. Surprising, right? On the topic of books I read as a child, I also got to see a letter written by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Bonus: on the way to the book fair, I walked by a yard sale (if you can call it that...it was located on the little bit of grass between the sidewalk and the street), and a French woman moving to Australia with the same size feet as me was getting rid of as much as possible. I walked away with five pairs of shoes for $10. Not bad!
Monday, August 31, 2009
l.a. printer's fair
I've been interested in book and printing history since I started working in rare book libraries, and I love that the art of printing is still alive through modern artists' works. So I was pretty excited to discover that we moved to town just in time for the Los Angeles Printer's Fair held at the International Printing Museum in Carson last weekend. There were a number of vendors at the fair that day, many selling cards, handmade books, handmade papers, and other materials related to fine printing. The museum was also demonstrating some of its presses, including the Heidelberg Windmill (which was featured in the movie Seven Pounds). You can see a video of a Heidelberg Windmill in action here, although of course it's not the same as seeing it in person. The museum was selling a variety of old printing presses, and Jesse and I were disappointed that we weren't ready to buy yet (being that we live in a tiny apartment, and that we have no idea what we are doing). But it was fun to walk around and pick up business cards, many of which were works of art in themselves.
A highlight of the day for me was meeting Carolee Campbell of the Ninja Press. I have long admired her work, especially The Real World of Manuel Cordova, by Pulitzer-prize winning poet W.S. Merwin, which is letterpress-printed on handmade paper and features a vibrant river of color alongside the text. You can see a black and white photo of the book here. Carolee casually dropped into our conversation that she is married to Hector Elizondo...who knew?
As a side-note, Merwin's papers are held at the Rare Book & Manuscript Library where I worked before moving to California. I have Present Company, a book of his poetry, and I recommend it. Coincidentally, he'll be speaking at Pepperdine this fall, and I am very much looking forward to seeing him again.
A highlight of the day for me was meeting Carolee Campbell of the Ninja Press. I have long admired her work, especially The Real World of Manuel Cordova, by Pulitzer-prize winning poet W.S. Merwin, which is letterpress-printed on handmade paper and features a vibrant river of color alongside the text. You can see a black and white photo of the book here. Carolee casually dropped into our conversation that she is married to Hector Elizondo...who knew?
As a side-note, Merwin's papers are held at the Rare Book & Manuscript Library where I worked before moving to California. I have Present Company, a book of his poetry, and I recommend it. Coincidentally, he'll be speaking at Pepperdine this fall, and I am very much looking forward to seeing him again.
new things
California is definitely different than anywhere I've lived before. Here are some new things we've experienced:
When we went to Malibu last weekend, we saw a veterinary clinic was offering "rattlesnake vaccines." Should we be scared?! Perhaps we should hold off on hiking until we are more educated?
The California wildfires are in the news, and while they aren't really that close to us, and we haven't seen ash in our area, it's very odd to see the billows of smoke. We saw them especially when we were driving on the freeway, and once this past weekend from the beach. It's very ominous and bizarre, and definitely a new experience. Pepperdine has been threatened by fires before, although where we live in Santa Monica is generally safe from them.
We've been exploring from the car a little lately, and recently drove down Hollywood Blvd. We got out of the car for about 45 minutes and walked by some of the famous sites. The Kodak Theatre was a little disappointing from the outside. (Do you know that between the red carpet and the actual theatre there is a big mall hallway??? So the actors have to walk by Clare's - or something - on their way to the Oscars? That just seems like it would be a little bit of let-down.) The stars in the sidewalk are a little more like what you would expect, but certainly no more exciting than you might expect.
BUT Grauman's Chinese Theatre was really fun. That's where celebrities have left their handprints and footprints and messages in the cement. I don't know why it's so fascinating to see the shapes and sizes of Matt Damon's (large) and Judy Garland's (teensy and adorable) shoes, but it is.
When we went to Malibu last weekend, we saw a veterinary clinic was offering "rattlesnake vaccines." Should we be scared?! Perhaps we should hold off on hiking until we are more educated?
The California wildfires are in the news, and while they aren't really that close to us, and we haven't seen ash in our area, it's very odd to see the billows of smoke. We saw them especially when we were driving on the freeway, and once this past weekend from the beach. It's very ominous and bizarre, and definitely a new experience. Pepperdine has been threatened by fires before, although where we live in Santa Monica is generally safe from them.
We've been exploring from the car a little lately, and recently drove down Hollywood Blvd. We got out of the car for about 45 minutes and walked by some of the famous sites. The Kodak Theatre was a little disappointing from the outside. (Do you know that between the red carpet and the actual theatre there is a big mall hallway??? So the actors have to walk by Clare's - or something - on their way to the Oscars? That just seems like it would be a little bit of let-down.) The stars in the sidewalk are a little more like what you would expect, but certainly no more exciting than you might expect.
BUT Grauman's Chinese Theatre was really fun. That's where celebrities have left their handprints and footprints and messages in the cement. I don't know why it's so fascinating to see the shapes and sizes of Matt Damon's (large) and Judy Garland's (teensy and adorable) shoes, but it is.
trip to malibu: fun, but ultimate failure
As if I don't get enough of the Pacific Coast Highway driving to and from work every day, Jesse and I decided to head up the coast two weekends ago to Malibu to check out the beaches. Verdict: they look much like the beaches in Santa Monica except that when you turn around you see trees and cliffs instead of city buildings. Well, that's worth something.
We went to Point Dume State Beach and headed up the bluffs for a great view. They say that this is a great place for whale-watching in November and March. After our little "hike," I was pretty hot and hopped right in the water. It was enjoyable for a little bit...nice waves, etc. But then a big one came, and like an amateur, I just stood there and screamed. I am not being dramatic here (except maybe a little): that wave smashed me to the ground, tossed me around, and spit me out on the shore. I almost lost my bathing suit, my hair was full of sand, and Jesse said I looked a little like a body that had been washed up to shore. Well, technically I was a body that had washed up to shore. It was only after I got back up to the beach chairs that I realized my knee was bleeding. It got pretty swollen that afternoon and looked awful.
I sat out the rest of the afternoon on the beach chairs, and watched everyone else playing in the waves, assuming, of course, that someone would have as hard a time as I had staying upright. But, nope, not even the little kids seemed the least bit phased by what I thought were pretty strong waves. I guess that is what happens when you grow up with the ocean as your playground.
Major upside of the day: we saw a school of dolphins AND a seal swim by. That almost made up for the wounded knee.
P.S. Over a week later, my knee still hurts. Is this what happens in your thirties?
Westward Beach, where we were
Another beach we saw from the bluffs, a little more secluded
Westward Beach again
We went to Point Dume State Beach and headed up the bluffs for a great view. They say that this is a great place for whale-watching in November and March. After our little "hike," I was pretty hot and hopped right in the water. It was enjoyable for a little bit...nice waves, etc. But then a big one came, and like an amateur, I just stood there and screamed. I am not being dramatic here (except maybe a little): that wave smashed me to the ground, tossed me around, and spit me out on the shore. I almost lost my bathing suit, my hair was full of sand, and Jesse said I looked a little like a body that had been washed up to shore. Well, technically I was a body that had washed up to shore. It was only after I got back up to the beach chairs that I realized my knee was bleeding. It got pretty swollen that afternoon and looked awful.
I sat out the rest of the afternoon on the beach chairs, and watched everyone else playing in the waves, assuming, of course, that someone would have as hard a time as I had staying upright. But, nope, not even the little kids seemed the least bit phased by what I thought were pretty strong waves. I guess that is what happens when you grow up with the ocean as your playground.
Major upside of the day: we saw a school of dolphins AND a seal swim by. That almost made up for the wounded knee.
P.S. Over a week later, my knee still hurts. Is this what happens in your thirties?
Westward Beach, where we were
Another beach we saw from the bluffs, a little more secluded
Westward Beach againSaturday, August 29, 2009
restaurant review: cha cha chicken (and bonus: video store review)
I'm pretty excited to start exploring new restaurants as we get to know the LA area, so I hope to post occasional "reviews." This will probably not benefit many readers outside of the area (um, everyone?), but it'll be fun anyway. And then when you all come visit me, you'll already know where you want to eat. :) So here's number one...
Last night, Jesse and I wanted to try a new, inexpensive restaurant in the area. After looking through our Not for Tourists Guide to Los Angeles and browsing some websites, I finally searched Yelp.com for restaurants within one mile and with one dollar sign. Caribbean food restaurant Cha Cha Chicken was a clear front-runner, with over 200 reviews and 4 out of 5 stars. We walked down to the ocean boardwalk, and then north a few blocks to the little, orange, beachy (read: shack-like) restaurant. It was hopping, and we were just glad to get a table. Jesse got the original cha cha chicken, and I had jerk chicken enchiladas. Both were so tasty...we ate them in almost complete silence (except for oohs and ahhs). The restaurant is BYO too, which could be fun. We saw one table had a jug of sangria. Definitely recommended.
On the way home, we stopped at the video store at the end of our street for the first time, called "Vidiots." It definitely does not have a chain store look...there's a lot of neon and painted storefront windows. I don't think I expected anything too special, but it was definitely the best video store I've ever visited, with a multitude of films and creative organization for optimal browseability (the librarian in me loves this). They had a large section of movies organized by director (English and foreign), and a wide variety of random topical sections, for example: an entire endcap devoted to Jane Austen movies (there are a surprising number), sections for 30s and 40s comedies, beach movies, "vintage" directors, silent movies, noir, Shakespeare, spy movies, etc. The store was packed and had almost as many videos as DVDs. Again, definitely recommended.
Last night, Jesse and I wanted to try a new, inexpensive restaurant in the area. After looking through our Not for Tourists Guide to Los Angeles and browsing some websites, I finally searched Yelp.com for restaurants within one mile and with one dollar sign. Caribbean food restaurant Cha Cha Chicken was a clear front-runner, with over 200 reviews and 4 out of 5 stars. We walked down to the ocean boardwalk, and then north a few blocks to the little, orange, beachy (read: shack-like) restaurant. It was hopping, and we were just glad to get a table. Jesse got the original cha cha chicken, and I had jerk chicken enchiladas. Both were so tasty...we ate them in almost complete silence (except for oohs and ahhs). The restaurant is BYO too, which could be fun. We saw one table had a jug of sangria. Definitely recommended.
On the way home, we stopped at the video store at the end of our street for the first time, called "Vidiots." It definitely does not have a chain store look...there's a lot of neon and painted storefront windows. I don't think I expected anything too special, but it was definitely the best video store I've ever visited, with a multitude of films and creative organization for optimal browseability (the librarian in me loves this). They had a large section of movies organized by director (English and foreign), and a wide variety of random topical sections, for example: an entire endcap devoted to Jane Austen movies (there are a surprising number), sections for 30s and 40s comedies, beach movies, "vintage" directors, silent movies, noir, Shakespeare, spy movies, etc. The store was packed and had almost as many videos as DVDs. Again, definitely recommended.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
we can live here?!
In the first 24 hours of our residency in Santa Monica, we:
And none of it required a car!
Boardwalk at the beach
Breakfast at the Santa Monica farmer's market
visited Peet's Coffee for the first time (Jesse has since become a regular)
walked to the ocean boardwalk with Yuki
tried to envision our furniture in our apartment (never going to fit...)
checked out the little grocery store on the the other side of the park
made predictions that Jesse would go to the grocery store at least once a day (can confirm that this is true so far)
ate a delicious breakfast at the Farmer's Market (which also had bright and beautiful produce, some nice local pottery, good live music, and a ride-a-pony gig for kids)
went swimming in the ocean
walked to Venice Beach
walked to the ocean boardwalk with Yuki
tried to envision our furniture in our apartment (never going to fit...)
checked out the little grocery store on the the other side of the park
made predictions that Jesse would go to the grocery store at least once a day (can confirm that this is true so far)
ate a delicious breakfast at the Farmer's Market (which also had bright and beautiful produce, some nice local pottery, good live music, and a ride-a-pony gig for kids)
went swimming in the ocean
walked to Venice Beach
And none of it required a car!
Boardwalk at the beach
Breakfast at the Santa Monica farmer's market
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