Happy New Year!

So it's been a while indeed, but what better time to start fresh than the new year...

I was just kinda over the whole blog/chair/revival thing in 2010...like to a point of disgust. I just felt very limited by my skills and resources, and I was not happy with any of my projects. I can't promise that 2011 will bring any renewed interest (and that's okay, right?), but I thought a post would be nice before this blog falls off into some sort of webspace oblivion.

The end of 2010 was full of holiday festivities...the parties, shopping, and traveling were all extensive, exhausting and enjoyable all at the same time. Being home for Christmas was wonderful as usual (minus the flat tire on my drive back down south and sitting on the 405 freeway late at night hoping a serial killer didn't get me) and ringing in the new year with my oldest friends in Las Vegas was something I will never forget (especially the 11 hour drive home through a blizzard). I like to maintain the privacy of my lady friends, but I've posted a few pics that sum up last weekend's adventure. Viva Las Vegas!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Weekend Adventure = Kenter Trail

When I wasn't in character this weekend, I was enjoying the AMAZING weather we have been having. Seriously, it's summer in fall and summer was winter and really it's all very confusing. If you live in LA you learn to be quick on your toes and just take advantage of the clear days as they come. We hit up Kenter Trail in Brentwood on Saturday. This hike is my favorite because it takes you up to a beautiful tree with a bench under it where you can just sit and enjoy the view of the west side, and even downtown LA on a clear day like Saturday. It's quiet and peaceful. The bench has a placard that reads "In Loving Memory of Tony". I don't know who Tony was, but he must have been for a pretty great guy.

The Adventures of Terry and Sheryl - Halloween Recap

In the true spirit of the holiday I spent the majority of it in costume pretending to be A) Terry and B) Sheryl. You see, Terry is a gas station attendant. He wears a shirt with his name on it and an ugly trucker hat. He's what some call white trash, and he loves booze and cigarettes and cussing like a sailor. Sheryl is not so different except that she's a lady, a lady with a rather large mustache and a number of tattoos. When she's not riding her hog you can find her drinking beer through a straw. Terry likes to talk a lot of shit but Sheryl has probably murdered some people.

Gotta love Halloween, man. Good times. I wish I would have stayed on top of posting, but I seriously love Halloween and couldn't focus on anything all week and weekend.

Earlier in the week I hosted a pumpkin carving party that produced a lot of awesome new age jack-o-lanterns. I baked half of the left over pumpkin seeds on Saturday for when everyone arrived for a night on the town. They fill up the house up with the most amazing smell ever, and go great with beer. I baked the second half on Sunday and brought them to work (recipe below).

Pumpkin Seed Recipe:

1 1/2 cup of seeds

2 tbsp of melted butter

garlic powder

seasoning salt

salt

Mix together in a bowl and spread on a baking sheet. Bake for 45-50 mins at 300 degrees until golden brown. Stir once at about the halfway mark so the seeds on the outer edge don't burn.

Enjoy!

Weekend Adventure = Roadtrip North

This weekend I made the 6 hour drive north to Davis, CA to see my parents and brothers in my hometown. I haven't been home since June and I was starting to feel homesick. I know the drive up the 5 freeway like the back of my hand, but there's still always something exhilarating about getting on the road. The landscape always looks different depending on the season or the time of day so I find myself taking mental snapshots along the way (and sometimes real snapshots as evidenced by these pictures...don't tell my dad...or the CHP)

Despite miserable rainy weather for most of the weekend, I had an amazing time. I was just happy to be around my family. I love them so much it hurts.

I always feel sad on the drive back, thinking of what I miss when I am away, hoping they are proud of me (my dad always tells me he is), hoping I'm not making a mistake by striking out on my own...thankfully I had some beautiful skies and a little doggie to keep me company on the long drive.

Weekend Adventure = South Coast Highway 101

This weekend I was feeling anxious and restless so Eric offered to take me on a mini-adventure up the 101. We drove through Solana Beach and Encinitas before stopping for lunch at this little peruvian resturant called Q'ero. It was BOMB. We ordered sandwiches and I enjoyed the best sangria of my life before we headed back up the 101, stopping along the way to take pictures (the pictures above were taken at Torrey Pines State Beach and the picture below was taken at La Jolla Cliffs). Considering I started the morning feeling miserable, it turned out to be a pretty perfect day.

Weekend Adventure = Hollywood Bowl

On Friday night Bonnie and I saw Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers at the Hollywood Bowl. It was AMAZING. Afterward Bonnie and I decided to wander the streets of Hollywood for some local tourism and bar hopping. Hollywood is the most bizarre place there ever was, it's both disturbing and wonderful all at the same time. 

  

BEST. TIME. EVER.

Weekend Adventure = Glow

Luminous Passage

Day for Night

This weekend an event called Glow was taking place right in my neighborhood. Glow is a free dusk-to-dawn biannual event featuring the work of international, national and local artists.  Glow is the only all-night art event in the United States that emphasizes the commissioning of original artwork, and projects invite active audience engagement and exploration. Seeing fine art at night at the beach is truly an amzing experience. My favorite thing was Day for Night, a 12 hour film shot at the exact location during the day where the screen was set up at night. I was completely transfixed. We had the best time ever. I can't wait to do it again in 2012. Glow is a production of the City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Arts Foundation. I LOVE MY CITY!!!!

Rooftop Bliss

On Sunday we ventured to Downtown LA for some rooftop pool action. Our friend Ingrid lives in an adorable old building downtown, I was tempted to snap some pics of her apartment it was so cute. I do believe in privacy so I resisted the urge. However, I didn't feel creepy taking pictures of the rooftop pool. It was glorious. There is just something magical about being downtown, being 12 stories up and still looking up at skyscrapers towering above you. It was hot and the pool was perfect. I loved every minute of it. 

Weekend Adventure = Griffith Park

This weekend Santa Monica was cold and grey under the marine layer so Bonnie and I decided to head east to find spend the last weekend of summer in the sun. On Saturday we hit a hiking trail at Griffith Park that looped through the original abandoned site of the Los Angeles zoo. That aspect of it was creepy, and it wasn't my favorite hiking trail ever but it was a great workout. We were dying of thirst/hunger after our hike so decided to explore Los Feliz a little. We had amazing tacos at Mexico City and then grabbed some bomb peach iced teas from The Coffee Bean...it really was the most satisfying combination ever.


I have more pics from the weekend that I post later...Willow is snoring which lets me know it's past our bedtime. Goodnight!

Weekend Adventure = Rancho Penasquitos Canyon

I spent the long Labor Day weekend relaxing in San Diego. I wanted to go home to Davis for my older brother's 30th birthday but I knew the already six hour drive would be hell on a holiday weekend. After agonizing over the decision to the point where my little brother told me I was "trippin", I decided to drive two hours south and chill the f' out. Much like every weekend of this non-summer summer we spent our days covered in a thick marine layer. On Saturday I saw this as an excuse to wrap up in a blanket on the couch and watch old movies like The Graduate all day.


On Sunday I couldn't take being lazy anymore so we ventured away from the coast for some sunshine and hiking at the Rancho Penesquitos Canyon Preserve. I wish I had looked up the trail map beforehand...I was set on seeing the waterfall but we never made it. Being my first hike post knee surgery, I started to have visions of my limbs failing me and eventual death as we wandered deeper and deeper into the canyon with only a general idea of where we were. We looped back just a mile or so short of the waterfall but I still think it was a great way to spend the day and I highly recommend the spot for any fellow hiking or biking enthusiasts. 


On Monday I was happy that we managed a trip to the hardware store and I finally got some paint for Chair #2 which will be done this weekend...I'm giving myself a deadline! I have a plan and paint so it's go time!  

Weekend Adventure = The Getty Center

Eric and I visited the Getty yesterday and we had such a good time we ended up staying the whole afternoon until we could barely feel our feet. The majority of the day was spent browsing the various exhibits indoors but the thing I love about the Getty is it's just as visually appealing outdoors. We spent some time laying around on the lawn enjoying the sunny weather, eating hotdogs, and people watching. All of the art was amazing, some more thought provoking than others. My favorite piece of the day was a little watercolor called Waiting (1882 c.) by Edgar Degas. I am going to look into getting a print for the apartment. 


The decorative art exhibit was above and beyond my favorite part of the day. I fell absolutely in love with the beautiful French armchairs and furniture from the 1700s. I would give anything to be a fly on the wall when museum conservators restored these things. Interesting factoid: Furniture became increasing specialized in the 1700s in France, and chairs in a variety of shapes and sizes were one of the most important features in a formal reception room. They were designed either as chaises courants (literally, running chairs), to be moved around the room as needed, or chaises meublants (fixed chairs), to be placed against the wall as part of the interior architecture. 


I was a little obsessed with this exhibit so I did some more reading on the Getty's website. They have listings of every item including in-depth descriptions and in some instances photos of the furniture pre-restoration if that's your thing :)


I highly doubt I will ever get my hands on a chair of the caliber that I saw at the Getty, but it's even more inspiration for my projects moving forward (Chair #2 is awaiting paint as I type). I have already begun researching the process of gold leaf gilding to match the effect.


I'll be posting some more fun pics of our day later! For now I need to get off the computer and spend what's left of the weekend with E. Happy Sunday!