:)

Where desert meets ocean

Papel Picado

I always get happy when I'm in spaces decorated with papel picado!  I just need to hang some up in my room one of these days.

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One thing I've noticed in my part of LA is that there are a lot of bars . . . bars to keep people out, and bars to protect what you own.  I have to admit that constantly looking at heavy bars everywhere can bum me out.

I took these two photos by my church today.  What I love is that the flowers and plant-life are spilling out over the bars, and the bright colors speak of welcome and invitation.  Yay, not everything is concrete and metal and ugly around here.

The art of tattoo

I went to the opening of L.A. Skin & Ink at the Craft and Folk Art Museum tonight.  I had wanted a tattoo in my '20s but I'm not sure it's really me now in my '30s . . . but I did like trying out a cool fake one from Tattly.  I also really enjoyed the show . . . some of my favorite pieces are shown above (apologies for the weird angles and bad lighting).

Also, some sights along Wilshire Blvd.  Yay, Artmageddon.  

Day trips!

I was in Pasadena this past weekend for a friend's baby shower taking place at a restaurant on Colorado Blvd.  I decided to walk around a bit after the shower since Colorado Blvd. is so pedestrian friendly. 

One of my highlights was running into some ladies from the Walter Hoving Home, and chatting a bit about their awesome organization.  They asked me for my name so they could pray for me!

The other highlights were taking in pretty sights, and discovering a (new to me) museum: The Pasadena Museum of California Art.

I also came up with a fun day trip itinerary (I've heard other people say this, and I agree--I think So Cal is most enjoyed by taking in a small part of a neighborhood at a time).

So, if I could take a day trip to Pasadena (more specifically Colorado Blvd.), it would include:
1. A fresh and healthy meal at Tender Greens (thanks to my sister-in-law who got me hooked).
2. Browsing at Vroman's (an independent bookstore--love this place!).
3. Admiring the fancy rugs that I will never be able to afford at the fancy rug store.
4. Exploring the Pasadena Museum of CA Art and the Pacific Asia Museum (you can get 1/2 off admission on one if you show proof you visited the other).
5. And if I had the time and energy left, stopping by Target.  That is one posh Target on Colorado Blvd . . . even on a Saturday afternoon it felt leisurely and calm, and no one was breathing down my neck as I was picking out deodorant.

Lastly, I felt triumphant as I dodged crazy LA gridlock (there were both USC and UCLA home games happening that day) by getting off the freeway early and taking side streets to get home in about 30 minutes.  Something like this is a nice sign that I'm finding my place in this sprawling city.

Those shoes

Yesterday I saw a young girl (maybe 19 or 20) wearing shoes like these and carrying a 2 year old, waiting to jaywalk past a very wide street.  She was pretty and stylish, but stylish in way where the clothes and shoes she was wearing seemed to belong to a woman of an older age . . . so that they didn't seem to fit her quite right.  It was so hot yesterday on the streets of LA and I couldn't help wondering who this girl was, if the child was her daughter, and where she was headed next.  Sometimes the scenes in this city can break your heart.