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.

Locke: Never the Same

I’m as in love with the small river town of Locke as anyone can be with a town. You probably know that from my Locke posts here and here and here. Locke is a tiny main street on the Delta. Years ago, it was bustling with Chinese immigrants who made the town home while they worked the fields, picking asparagus and pears. It’s the first town in the country to be built entirely by the Chinese, for the Chinese. And now, it is a quiet little street where rough bikers stop on the weekends and cats lounge on wooden planks in thin alleyways. If you follow one of these walkways off the paved road, you’ll discover lush foliage against old homes and overgrown community gardens that never lose their mystery.

On a whim, I took a drive out to Locke the other night. While my friend Jen photographed an engagement session, I walked around the town, photographing the  changes: a few more carvings in tilting building; the garden, once clean and maintained, now overgrown with tall grass and fallen branches; the succulents bigger now than they were before; the amount of “closed” signs in business windows as summer tourists have gone home.

I sat for a while in Al’s Place, formerly Al the Wops, and ordered a hamburger, which Jen and I shared on a bench after her shoot. Men at the bar wore lots of leather and Harley on their backs. Their wives and girlfriends wore black leather booths, and continued to fix their wild hair in the mirror on the wall. They would pout their lips and take another sip. Handle their liquor? Not really.

When they were better

On Saturday, I judged a state championship chili cookoff at Woodbridge Winery, home of Mondavi wines. Of course, I don’t have any photos of chili (the judging was very professional, and I don’t know if cameras were allowed), but I do have pictures of the classic cars. Cars were so much better back then.

Just a Friday at home

This morning, I told you of my excitement for having an entire Friday to myself (mostly). The excitement, I think, was partly jitters after all the coffee. Honestly, it reminded me how much I love making morning coffee — and actually enjoying it at home, not with a travel mug or in my car as I grab it from a barista at the drive-thru window. But anyway, the goodness of the day pretty much stuck around and I was able to get some things started and finished. I thought it would be fun to keep my camera handy all day, so here’s what I have to show for one free Friday. Enjoy.

First thing first: the coffee. These days, I’m enjoying Cafe Du Monde, introduced to me by my friend Laura, the lovely artist, who discovered the brew earlier this year in New Orleans. It’s so tasty that tomorrow I’ll use my last scoop.

I also started reading a new, borrowed book, “Oh The Glory of It All.” I think this book will be a good break in my entanglement with the characters in Armistead Maupin’s Barbery Lane.

Sara, my ever-so-loyal Chow/Aussie, sat under my chair the entire time.

While the sister and pooches slept, I got out a necklace I’d started working on a while ago. It was a good idea in my head, but it’s not really working. I do like the mermaid charm and the mingling of pinks and greens.

And they slept.

And Sara was highly jealous that I was taking pictures of Ebony, and not her today.

Yay, we made it to the movie. It was beautiful to watch, but I have a few questions about the story. I also really want to watch the making of the film.

We went grocery shopping, which was a must for this Friday. I made vegetable soup (it’s own post to come soon). I’m looking forward to baking that chai cheesecake and un-fried chicken.

I finally gave in this evening and went to the gym. It gives me a chance to catch up on shows I’ve missed and have downloaded on my iPod. Today, it was Grey’s Anatomy.

So that was my day. Not too incredibly thrilling, but I think we should all take a day out of life to (fill in the blank).

A mental health day for everyone!

I’m two hours into my mental health day  and I’m loving it (No, I didn’t call in sick; this day was scheduled). I’ve been meaning to take a Friday off for a while, but thought why not do it while my sister’s visiting? I thought we could do something fun, but she’s still asleep on my bedroom floor (and I am rather amused that we both like to sleep with our feet out of the covers — that’s her foot in the photo).

It’s not even 10, and I’ve already downed a pot of Cafe Du Monde, taken 74 photos, started a new book and have my first load of laundry in the dryer. And I found the recipe for the best-ever chai cheesecake I’ve been looking for.

Soon, I’ll rally the three dogs to literally dog pile on top of my sister so we can get on with our day that I’m so excited will include: Something new, something wild, something sweet and something for a fall day.

Happy, happy Friday. Check back tonight for scenes from a mental health day.

A Day in San Francisco

A couple of weeks ago, my sister and I took the train to San Francisco. We got off in South San Francisco and took the Muni to Pier 39, where there was the normal bustle of street performers, tourists with their point-and-shoot cameras and vendors trying to get through another busy day.

Though our main goal for the day was clam chowder and Ghirardelli ice cream, we took a detour to a funky little museum on the main strip. There was everything from Atari games to carnivals built with little toothpicks. It was awesome and oh-so creepy.

We ended the day with our good friend Ghirardelli. I had a chocolate shake and Kayla had a Sundae. Both were “delish,” but we couldn’t finish either one.

Enjoy some photos from the day, and don’t forget to say hello.

a little reading on the train

Summer of the red dragonfly

I love this one because he has the look of a confused dog.

Meet C’mere. That’s his name. Or her name. Though we think it is a he because he was so flirty this summer.

He came to us early in the season. As my mom watered the tomatoes in the garden, he buzzed around the yard, zipping through the stream of water and eventually landing on the metal perch that became it’s regular resting spot. Every day, as my mom worked in the garden, she called, “Dragon fly, where are you? Come here.” And so it’s name became C’mere. And it came almost every time.

C’mere took vacations; there were weeks when we didn’t see him at all. We would start to wonder if he’d been eaten by something or smashed against a bumper, but then he would appear, all shiny and excited as the first day he came. “Where have you been, C’mere, what have you seen?” my mom would ask.

Not sure, but I think he's sticking out his tongue.

It was a strange relationship my mom had with C’mere. Even she couldn’t believe she’d made friends with a dragonfly. “Are you an angel,” she would always ask.

Then one day as the weather started to cool and the heirloom tomatoes slowed their production, we knew his lifespan of a few months was coming to an end. One the last day he came to visit, my mom had me take pictures of the red dragonfly who sat on the perch, watching her. She wanted to see his face. When I brought out the camera, he didn’t move from his perch; it was almost as if he was posing for me. It was so weird. AAs I tried to hold the camera still, he’d jet toward the lens as if he were thinking about landing on the lens. We were out there for a really long time, and now my mom has over 100 pictures of her little red dragonfly.

It’s been weeks since we’ve seen C’mere. But I guess I’m just as hopeful as my mom. She says if he comes back next summer, she’ll know he’s an angel.