Elephants!

This weekend I went to the LA County Fair...and they have elephant rides this year! One of my oddities is that I LOVE elephants! I think that they are absolutely amazing creatures! They're so huge that it is somehow amazing that they are so quick...they're smart and you can teach them to kick a soccer ball (apparently).

Several years back, I fully acknowledged my elephant affinity, and I decided that when I went to the fair, I would ride an elephant...imagine my dejection when the LA Fair (and every other fair in the area) stopped giving elephant rides. But they are back now, and they were brought to the LA Fair through an organization called Have Trunk Will Travel. This organization supports elephant conservation and also ensures that their elephants spend only 1/3 of their time giving rides to people. The rest of the time, they are doing elephant stuff.

So, I finally got my ride with an elephant named Becky. They're pretty amazing; you can just imagine the amount of power in the legs underneath you. I'm sure that I sounded kind of funny to the rest of the people, but I kept thanking Becky for the ride. I think that she deserved some appreciation. I'm sure not everyone says thank you.

A day later, I still have a ridiculous grin on my face because I finally got to touch a real elephant...and I keep sneaking peeks of my souvenir picture.

If you want to see pictures of Becky and the rest of her elephant friends check out www.havetrunkwilltravel.com

End of Summer?

It occurred to me yesterday that Wednesday is the 1st of September. I do find this fabulous, but I think that I may have misplaced the majority of my summertime. I'm learning more and more that if one doesn't hold onto moments and truly enjoy them, they often fly by and you wonder what you have been doing all of this time. Properly scolded, I do resolve to enjoy the last remaining moments of my summer and definitely the moments of my autumn. September and October have become some of my favorite months of the year. The weather is still warm, but cooling off, and Halloween is approaching. (Side Note: any suggestions for Halloween costumes?).


I do have a confession to make. I've been spending and inordinate amount of time reading in Starbuck's this summer. There is actually quite a lot of justification for this, but I still feel a slight twinge when I remind myself of the mom and pop coffee shops that I could be patronizing if only I could find them. That said, one still finds a bit of artwork even in a corporate monster. This flower is a detail from a print that was handily near my cushy chair.

Some of the things I have been reading in Starbuck's have been magazines, magazines that I have subsequently cut up into bits and made into collages. I find this both creative and in the spirit of recycling...(however, I still have a lot of leftover bits).

I enjoy how this collage turned out because it is vibrant while still being a bit haunting. I also have a great affinity for orange...and most of the other sunset colors.

I particularly like the collage with the goat peaking out. I've been told that he definitively marks this piece as my own. Perhaps every picture should have an impish goat peaking out at odd corners...perhaps real life should. A spying goat might make us all mind our manners a bit better.

By the way, I'm not usually so trendy as to go out and buy cupcakes at an actual cupcake establishment, but Sugar Fix in Old Town Pasadena just opened at the beginning of the month, and I wanted to try their cupcakes. This was my first cupcake expedition ever!

I had an Oreo cookie cupcake and I brought back a chocolate cupcake for a friend. My cupcake had an Oreo cookie baked into the center. I've found that the Oreo cookie is probably the most processed cookie in America, and we do find a way to bake/stir/ cram it into anything...still a decent cupcake. And I didn't hear any complaints about the chocolate cupcake either. If cupcake runs are your thing, I'd recommend Sugar Fix. Confidentially however, I still don't quite "get" the fad.



I hope all is well with all of you who read this...and even those who don't. Perhaps my next blog will be about great ideas for the fall.

Intelligentsia

Today Intelligentsia Coffee Bar opened in Old Town Pasadena. I must say, I recommend it. You could tell that it was the first day too, because all the employees are falling all over themselves in order to do a good job...I like that. It makes it more likely that they will finally develop into a well-oiled machine that does a good job. In fact, the barrista gave me a card for a free coffee because she hadn't given me my iced coffee in a real glass. :o) Oh, and they give you a real napkin too! As you can tell by the picture, I was patron No. 1...though I was not the first No. 1 of the day. That's all right; it still feels fabulous to walk around with a sign that has a great big "1" on it.

I know you probably can't see much detail from this dark picture, but I really like the taste of whoever decorated Intelligentsia (I might add that the name Intelligentsia has this lovely bourgeois hipster ring to it). The walls are bare brick or bright blue. The ceiling is that of the inside of a warehouse where you can see all the circulation piping...but it has all of these light bulbs wrapped up in it that look like so many fireflies. Some of the chairs are actually old church pews (the hard ones!).
Now this is terribly silly of me, but I did not take a picture of my lunch! It was lovely too! I had a cheese sandwich, open-face with sheep's milk and goat's milk chevre on garlic toast. I was a little "iffy" on the sheep milk idea, but it was actually pretty great. The manager asked me how I liked it; of course, I said it was fabulous. He tells me that they will have a revolving menu, so it will be a little different every day. Apparently, he has very strong emotions for their "Lasagna Cupcakes." Perhaps, I will try these when I go in for my free coffee. :o)

This is the back...I love that there are all of these steel girders and posts in the place that have been painted red. Sometimes the best way to hide something that might not be so attractive is to paint it red and make sure that everyone does notice it.
If you want to check out Intelligentsia, it's at 55 Colorado Blvd. in Old Town Pasadena.

Well, this doesn't really have anything remotely to do with the restaurant other than that this is the window of the pawn shop next door. If you will note the two drums in the middle, someday I will have a drum like those too. I have these aspirations of beating out my heart on a drum on some lonely beach. I'm saving my pennies.
So, that was the fun I had today. Glad I went; I almost didn't go.
Talk to you later! :o)

The Blog I've Sadly Neglected!

After almost exactly a month, I'm back and uploading pictures of my life's delightful randomness. This actually a picture that I took purely by accident. It's of the cover of a magazine that I've been reading, and I liked how this accident came out. Somehow the mistakes I make in art (and sometimes in life) end up being the things that I enjoy more than my most planned pieces. It almost makes me want to try to mess up. I am a firm believer in plans...but it's often best to completely throw them out the window.

I found this guy in the window of an antique store. What I like most about this pict is that it says "Italy" on the bottom. I've been attacked by this wanderlust in the last few weeks. Shows about Europe have actually brought tears to my eyes. So, what is actually a rather trivial detail makes the whole picture for me.

This a wonderful, yet extremely simple piece that I put together. The bead with the tiny jewel on the end is literally something that was dug up. My boyfriend found it in our little garden and thought I might be able to make something out of it (he's very smart). The house was built back in the 20s and people seem to have lost a lot of other little things in the front flower bed. The other charm is another bracelet that I wear, and I can't take credit for it (though it is from a smashing vintage store on Green Street, in Pasadena).

And this is the elephant that has been keeping me company at work...on my desktop. Sadly, I can't take credit for him; he's from National Geographic. But as soon as I get my own elephant pictures, I'm sure that it will be seen on this blog first. They really are quite fabulous creatures; it just astounds me to see something so HUGE.
Well, that's all for now. This has been quite enjoyable! I'm not sure why I took such a long hiatus.
Have a fabulous day!

The Fourth of July and all the Festivities!

True to my word, I did see the Fourth of July Parade in Oceanside. This is the first parade that I've gone to in years! You know what? There's a reason that I liked them as a kid; they're fun! They're loud! And you get to be out there with all of your neighbors (including that lady that owns that Great Dane, whom I always refer to as That-Lady-That-Owns-That-Great-Dane).
Of course, this Fourth of July Parade actually took place on the Third, but I am definitely in favor of extending holidays!

I also enjoyed watching everyone's furry friends come out...I don't think that this one liked the group of motorcycles though (too loud for him).

I think this truck was especially in the spirit of things.

This girl was in the parade all by herself, and it looked pretty lonely. I had to take a picture of her though because of the tricycle. I haven't tried the 101 Cafe yet, but maybe I will now.


Yes, on the whole it was a lovely 3rd of July! More to follow though...I've had other adventures!

Things to Share with the World

Today I want to show off pictures that I haven't had a place for up until now, but really should have a place. (Like this lovely rose; it's great taking pictures of flowers, but I rarely use them). Yes, all that is to follow are pictures that need a home. Enjoy!






Yes, that is a shark made of cucumber floating in a sea of shrimp...pretty awesome! Apparently, someone in the sea food section is an artist!


I should give an explanation on this (the place deserves that). This was taken on the beach in Santa Monica. This is Arlington West, and it's a memorial to fallen soldiers. The crosses are on the beach every Sunday from sunrise to sunset. "Veteran's for Peace" maintains it, and I highly recommend visiting it if you ever have the chance.


This is Heart Castle, by the way. I also recommend this place (Mr. Hearst very heavily "borrowed" from existing European structures...that gate is from a nunnery).





Well, this collection of photos is scandalously random, but I hope that you enjoy it. :o)

Here I am

I look at this almost every day. They are some of the things that I keep with me at work to remind me that there is art and beauty in the world. The painting is something I had done over a few lunches, and it is like a window into a world of color and imagination. The Russian dolls are also something that I love. Someone I think very highly of brought them back from Russia for me.


These are the pins that I got from Vintage Sanctuary that I blogged about last time. The one with the ruby slippers has already found it's way to a friend. I acted as ambulance last night when my friend hurt her foot at a soft ball game. It's not broken, but she's a bit banged up. I gave her the Ruby Slipper pin at the hospital as an encouragement that all will be well, and "There's No Place Like Home." (However, it occurred to me later that this particular friend isn't a fan of the Wizard of Oz...that's all right; the rest of the evening was a comedy of errors anyway).
I also played softball last night, and managed not to break my foot...though I was another likely candidate. This is actually a momentous event, because I have not willingly played a softball game in quite a while. One never knows what they day will bring, I suppose.

Today

I've had a fairly satisfying weekend. Those origami creatures to the left are some of the fruits of my efforts this weekend. Some of the best, most worth while things that I do are of no practical value. It's nice to have something light and friendly float through the air next to you. My crane-mobile was this week's art project. I think that origami is supposed to be good for patience...at least it has been teaching me patience.


I've discovered a wonderful vintage store in Oceanside with friendly employees, by the way. So far, I've got several different buttons (apparently, the owner makes them...very DIY...I like it), and a used rosary from Vintage Sanctuary. They have a huge assortment of vintage clothes and it's all pretty reasonably priced (which I appreciate; some vintage stores charge prices that I find rather high). Also, had a nice talk about the Beatles too.
If you'll notice (as I just did), this picture has a poster for the 4th of July Parade in Oceanside (which will actually take place on the 3rd at 10am). Sounds pretty awesome! I haven't been to any parade since I was a kid, I think. Maybe we should all give it a try.

I love this picture from inside Vintage Sanctuary. It's such a jumble that I can't focus on anything...but it's such a mass of little treasures and odds and ends that I'd just want to sit down and explore for awhile.
Apparently, they are opening another location in July that will have vintage furniture. This is quite fortuitous for me, because I am looking for a nice beat up frame for some of my art work...something nice and weathered and loved will do.
Until later, happy Monday. Please remember to create impractical things, and explore your local vintage store. You never know what you will find!

More wanderings and ramblings

Isn't this just fantastically lovely? It makes one believe in angels and heaven! And of course, the view was even better in person! The ocean is a good idea...especially when complimented with streams of sunbeams!
It's Thursday, you know; at least, it's Thursday in my part of the world. I have no problem with Thursday, especially since it's Friday's Friday. But it can still weigh one down a bit...being still stuck at work and all. It helps to remind me that somewhere in the world there is another shot like the one above going on. They aren't just a weekend thing. Nature does not wait for the weekends to create; I should listen more to nature.


I found this pig in front of the library at Fuller Theological Seminary. Apparently, there is a theologian out there who likes to draw pigs. I added my own little bits to him, actually (Microsoft Paint can be pretty useful). I think that I'll call him...Jacque! It seems friendly enough for a friendly pig. And thank you to whomever, drew him; you brightened my day a bit!

I have to show you something that I'm really excited about! They're my latest art pieces!


I have so many magazines, and I hate to just throw them away, so I've started to use magazine picts and text in some of my art work. I find it more earth friendly and I like the more edgy pieces I can come up with.
The second one is for a friend. The sheet music is from Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. And the pressed flowers are primarily from an afternoon walk I took a few weeks back. That orange flower is from an obliging flower picker in Oceanside (sadly, this person is completely unknown to me). I like how this came out because it is fresh, while at the same time being weathered. I rather enjoy it when I can get two completely opposing notions to get a long well together; it so rarely happens that way in life.
I think that's all for the moment, but I will come up with more things for "Show and Tell."

The first one

And this is my very first entry of my new blog. It's actually been a long time coming, because I've been mulling over exactly what I want...exactly what I thought would be interesting. I finally decided that I would write about all of the cool things that happen to me, and post all of the cool pictures of those things.
So, all of you my loyal readers (both current and future) will get the benefit of my wanderings, thoughts...and probably a few of my art pieces that will make their way up here.
The coolest thing that happened today is that I found out that there's a Farmer's Market happening every Wednesday this summer right across from my office building (yes, I also have my Clark Kent persona going on). If you happen to be in Pasadena any Wednesday this summer, then it'll be in the Walgreen's parking lot on Lake Avenue.



I'm really digging all of the great veggie colors (yes, I know tomatoes are technically a fruit...but they will always be welcome in my veggie salad). I got some really nice bell peppers there that I intend to enjoy shortly.


And this is how I spent Memorial Day...at the beach taking pictures of sites that struck my fancy. I have a love for umbrellas; there is just something terribly friendly about them. I took this shot a little down the way from someone who was rumored to have caught a shark (don't worry, he got away...and he probably wasn't a shark...but it sounds better that way).

Well, I will post more sometime very soon. Until then, enjoy the little things, and eat local.