Winter in the city

Tonight, I experienced a little winter magic in Midtown. It was unexpected and beautiful. And even though the ice is artificial and the icicles shining in the trees are on strands plugged into a power cord, it gave a little taste of wintertime perfection. Fathers balanced on thin blades as they held tightly onto their babies and promised not to let them fall. Teenagers on first dates held hands a little tighter than normal. A everyone dressed in furry jackets and knitted hats smiled, even as they hit the ground.

After a very, very full day thrift store shopping in Sacramento, Maggie and I found ourselves venturing back to one of our favorite places: Newsbeat, a magazine shop somewhere around 20th and J streets, where we also stopped to watch people glide around the rink. Maggie, who is from Missouri and has actually lived through real winters with snow, noted that tonight was the first night she’d every seen someone ice skating in a T-shirt. That’s California, and you gotta love it.

It was the perfect opportunity to practice photographing movement in the dark, something I’ve been trying to figure out — and can’t. Tonight, I guess a lot of my attempts were failures, but I kinda like the ones that are blurry and out of focus best. Let me know what you think.

Faux Thai pasta salad

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged any food, so I thought, why not tonight? It’s kind of funny to see this light and fresh dish, but to keep smelling holiday stuffing I’m  baking for the newsroom’s Thanksgiving potluck tomorrow (as soon as I pull that out and wash the dried egg/bread off my forehead, I’ll post that too).

So, this is kind of a Thai pasta dish I made in an attempt to recreate the Spicy Thai chicken salad from Trader Joe’s. I think I got it mostly right, except for the Thai sauce. The one I made (with lite coconut milk and a package) was way more peanut tasting than spicy, but still OK (not great).

I cooked cappellini pasta, cut some strips of a red bell pepper, chopped fresh cilantro, diced some green onion and shredded some cooked chicken. Then I tossed it all in a bowl with the sauce. I say make a sauce you like or even just buy one from a jar. I liked it because it was nice and fresh — and pasta is just good, no matter if it’s in an Italian or faux-Thai dish.

Off to check the stuffing….I love the smell of Thanksgiving, though it still seems soooo far away!

A good Tuesday for Flickr Faves

It’s no secret that Flickr is a source inspiration, whether or not your into photography. I’ve found art projects on there, recipes that I love and, of course, thousands of photos. Today, I’m in love with the TtV still-life group on Flickr. They use the old cameras with the bubble lenses and rig it up to their digital cameras. I tried to make my own with my Duaflex, but I got the measurements wrong, and I think I need to use a different lens.

I hope you enjoy these beautiful images, and click on the photos to see more from the photographers.

Five years old and all grown up

After waiting for soooo many years, little Miss Maddie turned 5 this week. My friend Jen, Maddie’s mamma, threw her a rockstar party, complete with guitars made out of cereal boxes, Kanye glasses, a guitar pinata, and the “Glee” soundtrack (though I think Jen bought it for herself).

Check out Maddie’s rockstar photoshoot by Jen here.

Those little girls (big brother, Chase, was DJ) rocked out all over the floor. They mixed gymnastics, line dancing and break dancing. Someone could make a killing producing a workout DVD featuring them.

One word: Yumm-O.

Maddie and Chases’ birthday present: Joe the Boxer.

How many moms does it take to line kids up for a pinata beating?

Jen’s sister Katie and I helped with the party, though I think we spent more time sneaking away with Joe and the cameras.

Happy Birthday, Maddie!

The Sunday Flea

Hello, and happy, happy Friday! I hope you all are looking forward to a nice and relaxing (and hopefully rainy?) weekend, as I definitely am.

One thing I like to do on the weekends is stroll through the local flea market. The one at Delta College is not huge, but it’s clean and you can find some good stuff, like pomegranates and pink flamingos. Here are some photos. It’s the first time I’ve photographed this market; for some reason I always feel weird photographing here. Do you guys get that sometimes?

Last week I was completely obsessed with idea of buying more Thermoses after seeing this collection belonging to Elsie*Cake. So I went into the weekend planning to find some. I found a whole bunch at the market, but decided they’ll have to wait to go home with me until I have a little more space for them.

And, drum roll, please: I walked away with these $1 pink flamingos. Oh so happy!

Have a great weekend, and splurge on something used!

And now: The (other) intrepid ones

I like to think that I can be intrepid when I try. I grew up in the sticks. I own hiking boots (or did I throw those away?). I really want the four-door Jeep. I have a dog who kayaks. And hello, y’all saw that I went camping just about every weekend in August. So I don’t understand why, when my co-worker and weekend buddy and I go explore, we always end up fumbling along a river or climbing a dirt hill wearing sandals or ballet flats. Perhaps our ability to actually do that makes us even more intrepid.

So after an afternoon of enjoying scones and antique shopping in the city of roosters, we walked down Bridge Street and found, well, a bridge (and a dock I’ll be keeping in mind for next summer). We even let Sara off the leash and she was oh-so-brave standing at the edge of the cliff, trying to figure out just how to get to the bottom.

Here are the nature photos that make me feel like I’m my grandpa taking hundreds of shots of the same ol’ pretty flower. Hope you enjoy.

A walking bridge over the American River near Fair Oaks.

I love the cliffs (that we later walked along) and all the different trees and the water. Love water.

View from the edge.

I thought this tree was so cool, half of its roots are growing in mid-air. There was a couple sitting on a blanket right under it with bongos and books.

Did you know rats live in Palm Trees? When I lived in Long Beach, I thought the palm trees on my street were so cool — until I learned that. But now I love them again.

The sweet smell of freedom, thinks the intrepid dog.

Thanks for reading! Next up: Sunday at the flea market.

A village that’s won my heart

Over the weekend, Maggie and I decided to explore Fair Oaks Village, a quaint little town I discovered when I met a school study group at  group members’ apartment here. Her apartment is in an old building over an aniques store, and it’s so adorable. The day I visited, I only experienced the Village from what I saw when walking to and from my car: The cutest shops, roosters hustling through crosswalks and a couple of little places that boasted the best in coffee and treats.

The three of us (Me, Maggie and the dog), first stopped at a little coffee shop, where we enjoyed teas, mochas and a blueberry scone (the same ones my former classmate took to every group meeting). Delish, it was. Entertainment was provided by the town’s dozens of chickens who like to tease dogs and beg for food when they’re not stopping traffic or crowing to one another.

We walked around the little town center, through its park and past the little amphitheater, where they have theater and live music. So cute!

We wandered a little more and found some new friends, Cindy, her daughter Bella and their dog Fluffy. They own the cutest little shop, Chez Flea, which operates in an old house where her husband also practices law. They invited us in, dog and all, and it was great getting to know them and talk about the famous chickens, some Fair Oaks history and shopping.

Maggie and I fell in love with them, their dog and the store. They were so nice to let me photograph areas in the shop, including the little kitchen display that I so wish was my own kitchen.

Check out all these little corners of Chez Flea. (Yes, I love linens and anything fabric.)

We said goodbye to our friends, but Maggie and I agreed we return to Fair Oaks and Chez Flea.

After a very short walk, we stopped and ate lunch at a vegeterian drive-in. Maggie had some kind of egg salad sandwich and I had a sandwich with sprouts, avocado, lettuce, cheese, tomato and more. The chickens were hilarious there, also, and didn’t seem to mind the people or the amount of dogs pulling at their leashes, nearly drooling over their own dream of chicken lunches. Maggie overheard someone saying that the chicken feel safe at this restaurant because there’s no chance they’ll end up on the menu. So true.

But this wasn’t the whole day. We roughed it (slightly) on a mountain and walked over the American River on a bridge and stood at the edge of a cliff. Those photos will come later. Have a great day!

In dad’s backyard

My dad and I were supposed to go fishing or just take a drive last weekend. But plans changed once the World Series came on. He plopped down on the couch, and barbecued during commercials. I, not the biggest baseball fan ever, went outside and just messed around with the camera. Here’s what I got. I hope you like a little look into country livin’ (even though garden season is over).

The book is done

As you know, I photographed my friend Sheryl’s wedding in September (photos here and here).Well, the album I designed with my photos finally arrived, and I want to share it. It was my first attempt, and I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out. It’s a 12-by-12 inch hardcover book with 38 pages of a colorful and beautiful wedding day, from getting ready to the big kiss and the party afterward. Now, it’s safe and sound with Sheryl and Rodrigo, and I think they’re pretty happy with it too.

 

Scream-o for Mario

Last night, while the grownups were downstairs, my niece and nephew and I had a little Mario party of our own upstairs. I bought this awesome game off of a street vendor in LA’s Fashion District, and it’s just a controllers with  games like the old, old, old school Mario and Tetris built inside. It’s so awesome!

Well the kids really got into it. But Sophia would shriek every time she’d run Mario into a little turtle or send him falling through the hole in the ground. And Joseph, being Sophia’s mini-me, copied her and yelled every time. It was hilarious! He looks so mad in some of these pictures, but he was just being super goofy … and now he knows how to “get du flower lowen!”

Lovin’ The Silver Bullet

Hello little blogosphere. It’s been a busy, busy week that has included making food for a work potluck, getting into the ropes of a new Zumba class, and, unfortunately, not taking too many pictures. This weekend, though, I promise to shoot, even if I have to be the creepy girl on the street shooting young tricker treaters (shooting them with a camera, of course).

Anyway, I’ve been looking for a new decal for my car because my pink daisy is fading fast after soaking up so much of the summer sun. I’ve been looking for a decal of an Airstream or vintage camper because they just make me so happy — and I love to camp and be on the road!

I haven’t found the perfect decal yet, but I found some other awesomeness on etsy. Check them out. I AM going to buy one of these necklaces, just haven’t decided yet. Don’t forget to click on images and show some love to the artists. Happy daydreaming!

Leaves, laughs, pumpkins at backyard Harvest Fest

Fall is here with its glorious leaves spread across the ground, pumpkin patches with the best of this year’s crop, and stores are full-force in Halloween mode. My friends Brian and Natalie celebrated this wonderful time of year with Harvest Fest, a little shindig, barbecue in their backyard. There were friends who knew each other, some who didn’t, and two cutie-pie dogs who provided most of the day’s live entertainment.

Natalie did a great job filling the table with chocolate-dipped strawberries, apples and caramel and hot mulled apple cider. I brought my favorite chai cheesecake just because it was a great excuse to make it. Brian handled all the heavy stuff: the barbecue and the outdoor mini fridge stacked with festive bottles of brew.

I think this Harvest Fest was really great, and it should remind us all that there’s always a reason to celebrate.

We painted pumpkins from the “pumpkin patch” steps. Even the guys grabbed hold of paintbrushes and acrylics and got a little creative.

Captain is Brian and Natalie’s new rescued dog. It didn’t take long him and Sara to become best friends.

So yummy…strawberries and cider! Happy Harvest, everyone.