Hidden Beauty

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Glendale Narrows (a part of the L.A. River by Griffith Park and the 5).  It's amazing that I drove past this area so many times without ever realizing that there was such vibrant nature flourishing along the 5 freeway.  I know that the L.A. River is getting a lot of attention these days, and some much needed restoration from organizations such as Friends of the LA River.

I look forward to the day when a lush, green river full of wildlife exists next to our freeways . . . or at least I can imagine of one.

Poster Contest

I'm thinking of entering this poster contest going on here.  If you have any good suggestions, let me know!  If you're also an artist or designer, you should enter.

Night scene

I drove past here last night and it made me smile.

The 38th Annual Koreatown Festival

I was inspired!

Public Art Everywhere

One aspect of Los Angeles that I love is that it is such a rich canvas for public art.  I recently discovered Folk Art Everywhere, a movement aimed at displaying local art throughout the city at spaces meant to cultivate community.  I recently visited one of Folk Art Everywhere's spaces at Mercado La Paloma, a great public space with eateries and other small businesses (I highly recommend eating at Chichen Itzen).

Close-up of the mural outside of Mercado La Paloma by Elizabeth Eve.  You can see it from the 110 North.

The Cochinita Pibil at Chichen Itzen

LA Commons is also a great non profit aimed at telling the stories of diverse communities through the work of local youth partnering with professional artists.  Their mission is to tell the stories of immigrant communities all throughout LA such as Koreatown, Thai Town, Chinatown, and others through public murals, installations, and other cool projects.

And finally, this is an installation I stumbled on upon a recent trip to Santa Monica:

'Cradle' by Ball Nogues.  Image from www.designboom.com

It's a public installation on the side of a parking lot.  You can read more about it here: 'Cradle'.  It's really cool in person.  I'll have to get a closer look at it the next time I'm in Santa Monica.  I believe it won an award.

Woolly Pockets

I have seen Woolly Pockets in stores and I always wondered how they worked but was never that interested in them until I watched their cool new video (yes, I'm a sucker for cute marketing).  But seriously, I think a vertical garden is a great idea--especially in small spaces, and especially if you live in urban areas and want to bring the outdoors in.

Washi Tape

I picked up a cute roll of Japanese washi tape this weekend at Kinokuniya for $2!  I call this pattern "Bunny Parade."

The Japanese brand MT also sells really cute washi tape.  I love the polka dots and stripes.  A two pack at Kinokuniya was $6.75 but it seems to go for as high as $9 online.

Image from http://www.suggesteduksites.co.uk/products/Christmas-Gifts.html

Washi tape is great for adding some embellishment to notes or plain cards, or adding a bit of quirk to your gifts.