in between thoughts

sidewalk beauties

2012-01-26T18:57:00.000-08:00

There is so much temptation at work it isn't even funny. And by that I don't mean AT work, but all around. A beautiful though sadly dilapidated mid-century modern chair, an amazing, adorable typewriter (that my coworker snagged for her roommate for only $7! WHAT) makes my thrifting ban really difficult to uphold, but I've been good for a month and a half, and thinking about the loans I have to pay off keep my spending strictly down to food and gas...

012412

2012-01-25T22:49:00.000-08:00

1. This beanie from my pop's place houses my camera lately...

2. I got this, then didn't go. I'm lame but I was feeling strange.

3. Jessica got this for me. I was touched, then felt bad because I feel a little more like storm clouds. But the cool thing is that the sun shines still, behind the clouds...

girls on bikes

2012-01-24T08:41:00.000-08:00

Dutch girls, with curls and coats and boots and probably biking in all types of weather! Finally started fixing up my bike, and granted that I don't procrastinate on it might be able to have it ready to ride by the end of the month. It's going to be a little bit of a frankenbike, but as a wise person told me, "old + new."

2012-01-23T20:47:00.000-08:00

Andy looking badass.

Context: dropped my camera like an idiot and while testing its functions to make sure everything was okay, snapped this candid of Andy. I love when subjects look relaxed/un-posed/natural.

sleepies

2012-01-22T20:13:00.000-08:00

One magical afternoon the poopies snoozed, snoozed, awoke briefly, then snoozed some more.

to hold

2012-01-22T19:54:00.000-08:00

I cleaned my room today. I guess after talking to James who'd been cleaning his all of yesterday for Chinese New Year inspired me to do the same, so I did that after work today and a lunch date with a new friend. James came by last night to give me some music and before he left he gingerly handed me the tiniest, most perfect sand dollar. It's about the size of a dime, and when I turned it over a trickle of fine sand came out. Beautiful.

follow your...

2012-01-19T21:00:00.000-08:00

I'm itching to go somewhere! But as I'm still in L.A. (as I have been...), I'm trying to love it instead of bitching about being stuck at home. It's unproductive to be negative, and I feel like I've forgotten how to have fun (overdramatizing again). Time for bed! Working at 5 in the morning.

metal shop

2012-01-19T00:14:00.000-08:00

It was a short day at the office today, so with the time I had to myself I went and bought an architecture book I'd been thinking about a lot, then I came back and went to the metal shop next door to practice my stick welding. "Daang those are some nice beads!" someone remarked at my practice welds as he passed by, but I need to work on getting them consistent when I'm actually welding one thing to another. I may have been welding for three hours or so. When I came home tonight my hair was stiff with metal dust and running my fingers through it got them dark and grimy, but today was the happiest and the most whole I've felt in what feels like months...

at arm's length

2012-01-17T19:57:00.000-08:00

restless uncertainty

2012-01-16T00:33:00.000-08:00

Feeling unlike myself, nothing new. Actually I feel like I'm me in transition, or so I hope. Unsure about where I stand with many people, and have been making many assumptions toward each individual, which is unhealthy but...natural. In an effort to battle/ignore these uncertainties I busied myself with imperative tasks all day, ones I'd put off for a few days, a week, some months. Maybe now that I've touched upon these things I'll begin to feel whole again. Nothing is as bad as I am making it sound; my words are all just steeped in an uneasy haze...

hello again

2012-01-13T01:44:00.000-08:00

I thought I had lost this handkerchief forever. I was oddly torn up about it for a while, but I eventually accepted the possibility that it could have fallen out of my pocket and that I had never noticed. But when I went running two mornings ago (for the first time in years, ahh) I felt something in the front pocket of a dingy old hoodie I had put away and lo and behold, there it was! Finding it again made me think about losing things and how sometimes they can come back to you. How easy it is to obsess over losing something or someone and be upset and try very hard to get it back. Sometimes with time and perspective, things come back, people reconnect and pick up the pieces and start anew. Other times, time isn't enough, too much happened and the possibility of coming back is slim or nonexistent. In which case it is fine to mourn, but mourn and move on; don't let yourself fall into a cycle, don't let yourself get stuck.

'I have bad news for you, it's a duck, not a chicken'

2012-01-11T23:59:00.000-08:00

I found this duck at the junk shop and the proprietor Ray said "That's $0.25!" I said YES my dogs are going to love this rubber chicken. And then Ray says "I have bad news for you, it's a duck, not a chicken." And sure enough it has webbed feet! The dogs like this duck but my mom doesn't, so for now it sits on my shelf next to my lobster and an owl clock.

This shirt came out of a $1 pile at the PCC Flea, and even though I hate when people call me "Hannah" I got it out of ironic necessity. I once had a shirt that said "I survived the Road to Hana" that a friend brought back for me from Hawaii but I totally wore it out. I miss that shirt.

Do you become a different person when a camera is pointed your way? I do. I'm so much more used to being behind the camera so when I get snapped I almost don't recognize myself when I see the resulting photo. I also stiffen up and make weird faces without even meaning to. I think cameras just don't like me, but when I look at pictures like this one I can say "Yeah, that's me."

found: foto's

2012-01-11T22:51:00.000-08:00

My boss is funny in that he always complains about his fiancée hoarding 'so much vintage crap' (their house is filled as well as a storage unit) but he is just as bad. While she collects certain cute old things like figurines of cats and owls, woven lamps, toasters and shoes and books and baby clothes he's into machine parts, any sort of 'useful' junk and has a soft spot for anything from a time where pride and care was evident in the finished product. And things like this - an old photo album from the Netherlands of a girls' boarding school, find their way into his hands. I love the windmills and how every single girl looks like a tomboy. This is just part one, actually...

the one-eyed gypsy

2012-01-06T19:51:00.000-08:00

Went out to the One-Eyed Gypsy on the edge of Little Tokyo last night, despite a 5am shift this morning and a ten hour workday before that. I had a PBR because I'd never had one until then and because one drink was all I could take. It wasn't so bad, just WEAK. The birthday girl slurred her words through red lipstick but was nothing but joy and semi-self-conscious apologies and hugs and it was all good feelings. Free ski-ball machines where we had to touch two wires together to start a game was so much fun as we tried to get the 100-point hole and we each did. Jessica and I found a photo booth and we took awkward photos and decided we need to work on our facial expressions, but it was more like we were trying a little too hard. It was still fun though. Some dancing and the drive home. A late night phone call and then work 2.5 hours later. I was a zombie but with three cups of coffee was okay. I have no complaints.

2012-01-04T22:09:00.000-08:00

"I got you these crackers because they have your name on them."

promises

2012-01-03T20:24:00.000-08:00

I bought a simple sterling band at the flea market on Sunday and have been wearing it on my ring finger ever since. I'm treating it as a simple reminder to stay committed to myself, perhaps a promise ring to put myself first and really work on achieving personal goals. No boys, no drama, no bullshit, etc. It sounds dramatic but it will keep me on track. It's all in the details.

off the wall

2012-01-02T21:06:00.000-08:00

I got myself an iPhone about a month ago as an early Christmas gift, and even though it was awesome to switch over to a smart phone, I still felt a little weird about it. I don't like texting with a touch screen (I miss the tactile clicking of buttons) and it still blows my mind that I can check my email and browse webpages and get directions on this little hunk of metal that also lets me talk to people. Yes, the dark ages... I didn't get a case/bumper right away out of stinginess/pickyness but when I saw this Vans one I knew this was the case I had to have. The details on it are amazing, and every time I pull out my phone and realize it looks like a Vans shoe my heart flutters a little bit. How embarrassing it is for me to admit that this case made me fall in love with my iPhone.

starting anew

2012-01-02T19:32:00.000-08:00

I haven't been out thrifting or venturing to flea markets for a good month or two. The need to save money and spend wisely really started becoming apparent to me, and even though I'd been having fun collecting great items I love and find inspiration in, realistically I don't have the space for most of it. So now I'm trying to purge and pare down what I wear, collect, and keep for sentimental reasons, and think twice before I make another acquisition. That said, starting the new year by going to the PCC Flea with my mom, sister and Jessica was really fun and gratifying.

2-0-1-2

2012-01-01T23:53:00.000-08:00

Last night we rang in the new year with champagne, lychee sake-tinis, and sparklers!

remnants

2011-12-28T19:50:00.000-08:00

- My grandma heard I've been wanting a good beanie, so she knit some cable-knit caps for me, my mom and my sister and mailed them over along with a bunch of other goodies in an endearing Christmas package. So cute.

- An olive green cardigan I found in the H&M guys' section (on sale!), that my mom hates because she says I look like I filched it off a grandpa. I don't care! I got a $1 grab bag at Revival that amongst other things had this cheesy old poinsettia badge in it and I pinned it on the cardigan and wore it around on Christmas for extra geriatric/festive points.

- My stepdad was feeling 'extra Mondrian-y' as he put it when he was writing my name and Y's on our Christmas envelopes. I save every single one of these. A few simple marker strokes on an envelope from him mean so much to me for some reason.

I'm glad it's Wednesday!

I sleep but my heart waketh

2011-12-27T22:45:00.000-08:00

Y and I explored a nearby cemetery the other day, out of boredom as well as out of sheer necessity for sister-time. Because despite the fact she has been home for the holidays, my work schedule remains the same (save for a day off on Christmas and the day after!) and I haven't been able to laze around and spend as much time with her as I've wanted to. We marveled over the old names and even older dates, as well as the aged, mossy stones of the grave markers, but soon I started to focus more on the light that occurs during the golden hour, and we hollered (as quietly as we could) at each other to look at this, and that, until the sun went down.

yuletidings

2011-12-26T22:46:00.000-08:00

I woke up to tree-shaped toasts that Y made, which were really just the cut-outs of trees in bits of toast with eggs filling the negative tree-space... so awesome! I ate two. Three Maxes in a row - Maxie regarding me with hopes of a lovely Christmas morning walk (which did happen), a wild thing Max on our tree, and Maxie staring at Christmas presents he has no chance of getting to, with BB watchfully posing in the background. Some patches I managed to scrounge up for Y, and a surly black cat that reminded me of her too. Christmas was really subdued but I liked it. I spent the whole day cooking with my sister, and after dinner I basically just collapsed and went to bed.

merry christmas eve

2011-12-24T23:35:00.000-08:00

Tonight after dinner I walked my dogs to the local 'Christmas tree lane'. They were happy to go out and when my mom told them to look at the lights they really stopped to stare. Things are starting to come into focus, slowly but surely.

all. now. nothing.

2011-12-23T18:20:00.001-08:00

This is so apt.

(source: everydaypants.com/)

down, but not out

2011-12-21T23:55:00.000-08:00

A lot of people close to me are not having the easiest time right now. Many of them including myself have been stuck in long, awkward, uncertain phases of our lives and maybe everything that has built up in the last year is finally coming to a head. Attempting to console some of them seems futile; optimistic platitudes and phrases like 'just give it time' seem to ring hollow and fall flat, even if such words are true. I'm trying to be present, and taking everything day by day, but seeing a friend in pain and not being able to help really hurts, even if it's not my place to help shoulder that burden. We all have our own battles/struggles, but the weight of this rampant...unhappiness, or discontent, seems like a collective enemy that we all need to rise up to and slaughter. I feel like I've gone over a particularly bumpy bump from the past few months, and am a little more cautious and hopefully wiser (but still aggressive), as the cogs in my brain are starting up again and realizing what they need to work towards. With all this being said, the resolve of all the people I know who are suffering, but not giving in, is so inspiring to me right now.

USC CNC

2011-12-19T22:37:00.000-08:00

This was exactly a month ago.

november leftovers

2011-12-19T20:41:00.000-08:00

1. Oak apples I've collected on walks and hikes scattered all over my room...
2. Old, old, electrical insulators my boss saved from his house to give to me.
3. Pretty bare trees.
4. Bike oven! I've only worked on my bike at Bike Kitchen, which reminds me, I still need to fix that up.
5. Smokey the cat. I still don't know the story about her left eye.
6. The Boss.
7. A blue-crown passionflower in Berkeley.

It's the middle of December but it still doesn't feel like it, especially when I look over photos from last month and they feel like yesterday. I've been coughing a lot and as a result my voice registers an octave lower and I sound like a hoarser version of my sister. There are a lot of things planned and a lot of things to do before the week is over. Today I ate a bunch of gluten-free cookies and baked goods that a client sent to the office from Babycakes and they were tasty. It doesn't help that my sister has been baking a lot since coming back home for winter break. Coughing up my lungs is probably helping me burn off the sweets though, ugh haha. Time to catch up on some reading.

cognizance

2011-12-18T23:23:00.000-08:00

Slides from 2008, Fuji Velvia.
Some terribly scanned slides that I felt like sharing anyway. These images don't even come close to conveying their true tones and shadows - they look fuzzy and blurry and make it look like I'm all shaky hands and clueless about f-stops and light let alone how to operate a camera, but the actual slides are pure and crisp and some of the most beautiful things I think I've shot on film thus far; also Fuji Velvia is one of the most gorgeous films ever created so it's difficult to not shoot something awesome with it. My description of these slides reminds me of other things, how my perception of a situation seems one way and upon self-reflection becomes clearer and different from the initial assessment of it. I'm unraveling little delusions I've had about the past few weeks and upon revealing some reluctant truths I feel so foolish and stupid, though I strangely don't feel regret (yet?).

good (little) things

2011-12-17T23:46:00.000-08:00

Finally got a Christmas tree with my sister today. We drove to Home Depot, marched over to the trees, hoisted one up after about 15 seconds, got its trunk trimmed, and threw it into our car. Like a BOSS. While searching for rocks in the backyard to stabilize it (we don't use a tree stand, we use rocks and water in a bucket in a giant terra cotta pot) I noticed some violets shyly growing up through the cypress mulch, which made me so happy, because I thought we'd lost all the violets in the backyard when we cleared it up for the poopies. One lone Meyer lemon finally growing from our plant, and mom's excited to use it in a meal. It's good to have hope.

going through the motions

2011-12-17T02:02:00.000-08:00

1. I got new laces for my old skools, after the laces on the left shoe were reduced to fluff after being shredded on a hike.
2. A filter in the photo lab obscuring a box of drafting dots with my name on it. I lost that box a year ago and it was nice to see it in a new home.
3. A pair of old matching keys.
4. Plastic dust on my sleeve after trimming dozens of vacuu-formed plastic forms.

I'm entering a new transitional phase, after a whirlwind three months of the end of this year. It doesn't feel like December, yet I can't wait for the month to be over. Work, and new relationships, and learning from my mistakes and trying to remember the lessons before making the mistakes again, listening more instead of assuming, and trying to think before reacting. The last two films I watched in theaters both heavily featured sex and Michael Fassbender...this must not be a coincidence. The climactic exchange between the main characters in Shame threw me into a simultaneous self-reflective state and I found myself shaking for the last twenty minutes of the film. I don't mean to talk for the sake of talking, but a lot needs to be said.

2011-12-14T21:25:00.000-08:00

I chopped off my hair. I have a tail-like coil of it tucked in a bag which I am eventually going to donate. I don't even miss it. It feels like all I really do these days is work but it feels like I'm still not getting anything done. This needs to change.

you're a mess, but at least you know it.

2011-12-12T03:23:00.000-08:00

my mom and her sister.

I'm determined to find a stable sense of self, obsessed with creating and maintaining functional relationships with my family and friends, communicating efficiently and sincerely, and being brutally honest, perhaps to others, but most of all to myself. Because I owe it to me, and only once I know who I am will I be able to be real to others.

greetings from the catskill mts.

2011-12-10T09:34:00.000-08:00

Found this giant postcard in pristine condition at Revival on Thursday and had no problem forking over $2 for it. It reads:

"These are the Catskills - the ideal vacation-land, where scenery unsurpassed for beauty and variety includes many miles of various Catskill Mr. Range, and the beautiful valley of the Hudson River. This region attracts thousands of vacationists, who come here to enjoy the splendid facilities for Summer recreation with which the region abounds. Swimming, boating, fishing, golf, tennis and horseback riding are all available here for the sports enthusiasts. Scenic tours through this legendary land of Rip Van Winkle provide a vacation of thrills for all who come here."

They really don't write descriptions the way they used to...

longboarding

2011-12-06T13:03:00.000-08:00

This is one of Kevin's many secret talents. I followed him gingerly up sloping streets on his smaller board until we got to his favorite spot, where I watched him do some crazy carving all the way down the hill. It's exhilarating and kind of terrifying to watch, and when he got his slide gloves on and zoomed down the street bent low on his board I was silently freaking out the first couple of times. I liked watching him go down the hill on 'the dancer' which is the big board that's about as tall as me; he looked like he was gliding. Surfing gracefully on asphalt.

how the wind blew

2011-12-05T21:28:00.000-08:00

The Santa Ana winds roared and raged all day on Wednesday and Thursday, but I was gone Friday. Pasadena was declared a disaster zone. My commute to work took 3 times as long because all the traffic lights were out; only 8 out of maybe 30 or so worked. So many downed trees... so many old trees. And damage done to houses. The streets are still filled with debris and some people didn't get their power back until today. Crazy. It felt like the end of the world, and I thought my windows would shatter/cars would get smashed, but with candles and flashlights and a dear friend on the phone, I felt safe.

drawing time

2011-12-04T22:46:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite things to do with K.

i made a lot of mistakes

2011-11-29T21:20:00.000-08:00

I cut two of my fingers, got two new bruises, stained my hands with spray paint, got a haircut and a fresh batch of pimples over the past few days. These could all be euphemisms for something but they're not. Thanksgiving was notoriously memorable and the best part of it was cooking for seven hours that day with my best friend and sister Y. The past two days were full of spirit-crushing frustration and stress, but I think I've finally come out on the other side. I hope I can look back and say that I've grown and gotten more mature and sensitive and savvy about things. My boss gave me this egg today that he pilfered from an unsuspecting chicken. Eggs symbolize what, new beginnings/life/chances? I'm excited to crack it open and eat it.

2011-11-22T07:28:00.000-08:00

"you're not cannon fodder."

CNC-ing

2011-11-20T23:13:00.000-08:00

Milled some things on the CNC (computer numerical control) machine at USC today. It was such an exciting/boring, frustrating/satisfying, sometimes monotonous process, and in an uninsulated shed on a day that was pouring rain, it was sooo cold. All complaints and grumblings aside, this was a fun and productive day.

this place is a prison

2011-11-19T08:21:00.000-08:00

I photographed a space yesterday...

the mystery family

2011-11-18T21:28:00.000-08:00

I found these photographs at a flea market back in July. It's a little creepy to be holding on to family photos of people I've never met and are possibly long gone, but they are so intriguing. Look at how gorgeous everyone looked, so put together and beautiful in their simple, crisp outfits. This obsession led further into investigating more of my own family's photos, and I came back from New Jersey last month with an armful of images that still have yet to be scanned and shared.

flickering fall colors

2011-11-16T21:55:00.000-08:00

And suddenly, fall. I feel like I've said this before. But I love this time of year, everything is exploding with color, the best fruits are ripe for the picking... and actually everything is ripe with change, whether seasonal or metaphorical. Constant change.

2011-11-15T23:32:00.000-08:00

So much is going on right now I feel like combusting. I'm in the process of trying to mend some strained relationships, although on my end it's a bit more of a waiting game, trying to be helpful & hoping the others will understand or forgive me. Meanwhile simple things like a cup of freshly brewed tea while listening to songs sent by a sweet friend are helping me stay positive. But whatever happens I guess, happens...

good monday

2011-11-15T00:19:00.000-08:00

This is what I woke up to this morning :).

sister's thoughts on this scene:
"are you there"?
"oh! you are! okay then i'll just settle here while you take my picture."

can I stay with you a while

2011-11-12T19:24:00.000-08:00

I made an impulse trip up to Berkeley this weekend to see an old friend. At the moment I am sitting in a coffee shop in Berkeley waiting for him to get out of work. I haven't seen Kevin in six years and it has been a whirlwind of a time catching up. Even though it has been such a long time our re-introduction was like nothing, as if the last time we'd talked had been yesterday. I walked a mile to the Oakland Trader Joe's today and now I'm just blending in with the college crowd pretending to be a student again. Kind of not really.

i feel you, fall

2011-11-08T22:18:00.000-08:00

Mornings have suddenly become sharp and cold, and snap at you to get out of bed as you force yourself into a tight warm ball and cling desperately to the remaining vestiges of sleep before the alarm warns you one last time to get up. Chilly mornings are the worst, depending on the context. Horrible for when you need to get up early when the earth feels frozen and go to work, but nice if you have the day off and are sharing a warm breakfast with mother and poopies/a friend. I know it sounds crazy to be complaining of the cold in Southern California, but we have our moments here every now and again, and I'm biased because I love/need warmth and sunshine (it doesn't help that my eyes snap open at 6 am every morning these days either). It feels more like Thursday than Tuesday because of the massive amount of deadlines we suddenly faced at the office today, but we pulled through. I went to see Lykke Li at the Fox Theatre in Pomona on Monday and it was mind-blowing to the point of being life-changing, but maybe I was just in a goood mood. No, Lykke Li was amazing and her energy and complete command of the audience was like watching some kind of ethereal high priestess working her magic on a spellbound audience.

analog

2011-11-08T01:41:00.001-08:00

Awkward candid photos are the best.

To my old friends, new friends, and future friends - I need to take Polaroids of you, rarity, yellowing color tone and high cost be damned! Without a doubt it is about that time that I invest in a Fuji Instax...

a rock, not an island

2011-11-06T21:58:00.000-08:00

My coworker Andy and I went to Eaton Canyon today after our shifts (he got off at 10, I got off at 12 - I haven't seen him in three weeks!), and after the rain had stopped. He picked me up in a black 1969 Dodge Dart, which was so much fun, and we meandered in the suburbs a little, joyriding our way to an off-beaten path that circumvents the main entrance to the trail. The mountains were shrouded in a fog that portended a storm, but luckily for us not a drop fell while we were on the trail. Once we reached the falls, and upon seeing the swarm of people hanging out there, we skipped going right up to the falls and started our way back. Andy studies geology, so all throughout he told me about the types of rocks that we saw, and how some of the oldest rocks in California are actually at Eaton Canyon. I took us off the path to a lower part of a stream, which is when Andy said 'Let's go look at the dikes (the dark grey rocks striated with white)' and then he explained how the faster cooling rocks offset the slower cooling ones and what each kind of rock had which minerals. We saw a large outcropping of prickly pear and Andy tried one, miraculously without pricking himself, and after washing his hands in the creek and landing back on the bank he smiled and said 'We should do this again.' Which really is the phrase of the month/season.

no restraint

2011-11-01T22:43:00.000-07:00

Happy November! Started off the day with bagel chips that Andrew brought to work, had a mineral water from Georgia the country called Borjomi (so good!), got my first paycheck at the firm and... bought a vintage Philco fridge with Andrew because we both got so excited over it. Lordy. We're not even roommates anymore, and I had to frantically find a place to store it once I got home. Right now it's at our boss's office, and when he noticed that we had come back (looking for his appliance dolly) he mock-demanded "What the heck are you two still doing creeping around here?" We gloriously told him of our purchase then scurried off to bring it back. It will be endlessly stocked with beer (mostly Fat Tire) and all sorts of deliciousness... more on that later!

sand, sunset, surf

2011-10-30T23:49:00.000-07:00

James and I were going to build a bonfire in his backyard this evening, but he had too many things to burn, and with his dogs and the lack of area and a heavy duty steel garbage can we decided to go to the beach instead (totally logical reasoning, yes). Stopping at Jamba Juice beforehand and stopping and going then speeding on the freeway out to El Porto and smelling the sea breeze mixed with the fumes from 'the Shitpipe' (the water refining plant that's right there) truly made the outing an L.A. experience. James looked longingly at the surf and noted that he should try surfing in the evenings instead of mornings, and our conversation was punctuated all throughout with surf talk (I'm clueless) and lightly poking fun at each other. We walked far out towards the refining plant until we were seemingly the only ones on the beach, and with the thin layer of water atop the sand we could see the sky and clouds reflected in it. The marine layer began to creep in so we washed off our feet and headed back home.

the wall went up

2011-10-29T22:08:00.000-07:00

This is all I did today. Last night I went to Home Depot with my neighbor to get 8 2x6x20's and this morning we framed and set the wall, and then his buddy came by with a CRANE as a favor and hoisted the wall up, which must have weighed a thousand pounds but the crane got it up like it was nothing. Having the crane on our tiny little suburban street though was so cool, and having the headers and window openings line up perfectly along the top of the first story was so fulfilling. I am a firm believer in measure THRICE, cut once. Twice is not enough!

Also a shot of the first wall I ever framed! Disregard the name mispelling.

'may your search through nature lead to yourself'

2011-10-28T21:04:00.000-07:00

Went hiking again with Jessica today, this time at Chantry Flats (no wallets were lost)! It was my first time at Chantry during the fall season, and it was beautiful! Fall foliage bursting with different colors and textures, and even though it was 80ºF today, Chantry has so many trees that it was generously shaded for much of the hike. Great conversation, introspection and philosophizing was had again, but we have our lighter moments too, so it's not like we were wallowing in heavy conversation the entire time. Strangely because so much has been happening to both of us recently, the past few weeks have been rife with accelerated growth and learning. The previous four months before October hadn't yielded nearly as much for me as this month has. What is it about autumn embodying transitions? I am not complaining though, far from it.

happy 21st!

2011-10-28T20:31:00.000-07:00

dear sister,

I put this picture here on blog because I'm not sure if you want it on facebook, and I thought it'd be more fun to do a delayed birthday post (since I didn't celebrate your day on the internet yesterday). This is not one of our better photobooth photos (I blame the alcohol) but it was fun so whatever, we should just take a million more! I have a bottle of wine for you~~, and I think I will go ahead and put this on FB so everyone can see it forever~~.

see you soon,

h

treehouse, milkweed

2011-10-25T22:02:00.000-07:00

Lots of trees. I worked in the morning at Trader Joe's then went to the office afterward! Worked on a few elevations and then all four of us bundled up into the car and drove out to Mulholland Drive to go look at a treehouse tree and a kitchen to remodel. It was basically a field trip. Today was drizzly, but things have never seemed so clear.

lost & found

2011-10-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

I went to Millard Canyon yesterday with an old friend of mine, Jessica, whom I haven't seen for seven years. As soon as we finished driving up the winding mountain road and parked, Jessica spotted a deer, and in the flurry of grabbing my camera I dropped my wallet but didn't notice until hours later, after we'd hiked a different trail when we realized the main trail was closed because of mudslide/rockslide hazards. It was a good hike full of great conversation, reflection, and overall catching up, with me stopping every so often to pick up an acorn or look at a tree. I went home and starting preparing a big Korean dinner with my sister and mom, which was fantastic, but the night ended in anxiety on my part when I realized my wallet was gone. I woke up at 6 this morning to go back to the mountain, and managed to find the campground manager, Lonnie, who seemed to recognize me and told me he'd turned the wallet in to the sheriff's department. What luck! I didn't even care that I had to drive to La Crescenta from Altadena, and didn't care about waiting 15 minutes while they sorted it out. Lonnie had also looked me up on facebook (which I hadn't known, because in my anxious state I hadn't even thought about facebook/being on the internet except for sorting out card/dmv matters) so when I got my wallet back I asked him how I could repay him. He said no reward necessary (but I'd asked what his favorite food is) and that he enjoys KFC. So I'm going to go to KFC for my friend Lonnie this week and figure something out.

This was a rambling narrative, and probably not interesting to read but I had to get it off my chest. Seeing my old friend and catching up has awakened a part of me that has been asleep for a long time. I was so stagnant. I feel like things are stirring up again, and I'm being more aggressive about everything now, and trying to make up for lost time.

petrillo's with dan

2011-10-24T13:16:00.000-07:00

I had never been to Petrillo's on Valley before, even though it is so close to home. But on Saturday Dan asked if I was back in town and wanted to grab a bite and catch up and I said yes! We got a pepperoni pizza which we waited a long time for, but we were amused by the faded poster of the baby with a bowl of spaghetti all over it, which we agreed had probably been there since 1986 and after realizing with delight that we were both sporting Criterion items (his Criterion shirt, my Janus Films tote) we stood outside and talked as our appetites grew. After we got our pizza we went to 7-11 and picked up a giant bottle of Blue Moon to share and ate the pizza at his house while we listened to a lecture by his anthropology professor on dysfunctional families (nerds). And then I learned that while I can eagerly and openly dissect my family through discussions with friends, it hits a lot closer to home when I talk about this stuff with an actual family member. Which is so obvious but as a hopelessly oblivious fool I messed up. But, I fixed it.

a walk in the park

2011-10-22T21:45:00.000-07:00

signed, Jeff Smith ♥

2011-10-21T23:05:00.000-07:00

Scenario: back in July I purchase my three-day pass to New York Comic Con. Flash forward to October where I hastily book an earlier flight back to LA and sell the pass to Steph, and impulsively ask her if she'd get the 9th trade paperback of BONE signed for me by Jeff Smith. I only brought 'Crown of Horns' because incidentally she had picked that one up for me and mailed it to me before the summer, and overt sentimentality is what kept me from purchasing a full volume of BONE to get signed. And two days ago this arrived in my mailbox. So, I didn't get to go to New York Comic Con, and didn't get to stay in the city as long as I'd originally planned with my friends, but this is a little memento/reminder of what sweet friends I have.

the starry night

2011-10-20T21:41:00.001-07:00

You all know what Van Gogh's 'The Starry Night' looks like, hence just these close-ups. I had tears in my eyes as I approached this one at the MoMA (but to be fair my eyes were never dry when I was near a Van Gogh in New York) and all I could do was stare at and obsess over the brushstrokes as I could finally understand the murkier parts of the cypress tree and see all the real tones of the village beneath the sky and the glowing lines of the stars and moon in the sky. I texted a friend saying something ridiculous like "I just saw Starry Night in person, I could die happy now." and I meant it! But seeing how I reacted to a long-gone artist's magnum opus makes me want to stick around and see more, from more artists and creatives old, dead, and new.

last morning rendezvous

2011-10-19T21:06:00.000-07:00

This was exactly one week ago. Thursday morning I left New Jersey to go back to the city and experienced the crazy morning commute into New York! I fell over on the train, stepped on two people, and it was a gloomy day but everyone was very kind, and after a little bit of huffing and puffing I met up with Max at a little bakery called the Blue Stove, where I showed him family photos I'd borrowed from my grandparents over tea and pastries. After that we went walking and noticed a full-fledged vegetable garden growing out on the street, and turning around saw a whole weedy lot bursting with vegetables and flowers. We ducked into a tea and coffee shop where I wish I had gotten some tea now but had been too overwhelmed to choose at the time. Mentally I had been reeling - seeing Steph in an hour, spending my first night in a hostel that night, my flight back to L.A. early the next day and my interview a few hours after landing. I was hoping I wasn't being too brash to leave a few days early, but I knew inside that ten days in New York would be much too long, given the circumstances. I was just happy to be seeing both of my friends on my last day in the city, because they are, among too many of my great friends, people I don't have the luxury of seeing whenever I want to.

wanting and having

2011-10-18T03:41:00.000-07:00

Sleep will not be mine, so blogging it shall be. A book at the Long Beach Flea that I would have gladly taken home if not for the (what I assumed) high price, even though I didn't ask. And forget that I didn't ever study French. Compulsive purchase thwarted! I spied a giant dinner-plate sized insulator, did not bring that home either... but I did bring home a star insulator with a fabulous face carved into the post that it came with. So folk-arty! And yours truly I think on Saturday, a little disheveled but surviving the Southern California heat in a linen shirt that belonged to mother.

a new environment

2011-10-17T20:17:00.001-07:00

The new workplace is full of tools, plants, and kitties! The outside at least. Inside - computers, books, models, more tools. And the bathroom has a shower! Oh boy...

happiness is...

2011-10-17T20:09:00.000-07:00

A soft warm kitty named Smokey curled up in your lap on your first day at work at an architecture firm (finally!). Tiny steps.

grow your own veggies

2011-10-16T20:58:00.001-07:00

Some of these things are not edible but you get the idea. Not pictured were eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes, chrysanthemums, a bay laurel tree, and chili peppers. As long as I've known, my grandma plants as many veggies as she can and even sends us packages once a year, full of Korean side dishes made from home-grown vegetables. We grow some herbs at home but now I want to plant even more, live healthier and grow more of what I consume.

the Museum of Modern Art

2011-10-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I went to MoMA with Steph! After I got off the subway up onto the street I could see an enormous line forming and my heart sank a little, but what else did I expect? I got my ticket, dashed after Steph in the lobby as she passed me by and we embraced. Winding through the exhibitions was a little stressful because there were so many people, and I lost interest in photographing the art. No big deal though, as I have my own eyes! Not to say I didn't snap things at all, but the images shown here are an incomplete companion to the full experience, as I said in my post about the Met. Seeing a museum at such a speedy pace is a little harrowing but I guess necessary in such a busy setting as New York. Repeat visits are an absolute must.

current events: occupy wall street

2011-10-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

On my last day in New York I went to Zucotti Park to check out the Occupy Wall Street protestors. It had been raining, so everything was wet and kind of filthy, and the protestors seemed restless, but I caught them on a mellower front. Cops were on every corner of the block standing patiently and answering any questions curious passersby were asking. But as I circled the park and walked through it, so many different agendas became apparent and I got the feeling anyone who is upset about anything was stamping his foot and trying to get his voice heard. This protest has set off a chain reaction worldwide, and people are 'occupying' over 80 countries - Canada, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, South Korea, Portugal just to name a few. Will this mark a changing of times? People are certainly raising their voices..

fall in new jersey

2011-10-14T17:44:00.001-07:00

In the town of Leonia where my grandparents reside I wandered around the neighborhood until I found this fiery tree and watched a squirrel scramble up its trunk and regard me with slight curiosity. It had been raining and a few droplets trickled down in between leaves, further dampening the sound of my boots on the ground. After spending time with this tree I realized how grateful I was to be able to step away from New York, for my first impression had been lukewarm. The mini-escape from the city, to family was just what I needed.

thank you Steve

2011-10-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

While wandering around Manhattan yesterday Steph and I stumbled upon the 5th Avenue Apple Store and a small memorial to Steve Jobs right out front. The Apple Store was under construction but still open (that sign in the diptych does not mean they closed it for Steve's passing, sorry if it comes off that way), and on the way out we rode the glass elevator up to the street. Talk about magical...!

2011-10-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

Internet is a little bit spotty at my grandparents' place in New Jersey, so here I present one photograph of my grandfather during his time on an army (naval?) base in Texas in, I want to say, the sixties(?). So unsure but will have to confirm. This trip has suddenly become a pilgrimage to a mecca of family history and memories!

edit: 1963!

the High Line

2011-10-11T19:48:00.000-07:00

The High Line. What a glorious way to see the city! I loved all the foliage juxtaposed with the concrete walkway, the overall angled yet sinuous movement, the 'Urban Theater' that in my preconceptions thought would be lame but was actually quite great in terms of if you're on the higher part of the High Line and peeking into that occupied 'box.' Such a seemingly simple, but elegantly executed project, and such a great urban gesture! So inspiring. I'm a little incoherent because I'm so tired. They say New York is the city that never sleeps, but for me it's not that I'm so busy going out and about, I just can't seem to grab more than three hours of sleep a night. Going to try to break that routine now...

brunch

2011-10-11T19:13:00.000-07:00

I've been strangely very lazy about documenting my trip, but I'm unapologetic. Pictures are a little sub-par too, I guess I was tired on that morning. Max brought a baguette from work and I forget now what kind of bread it was but we made a mountain of mini-french toasts and ate them out in the back patio with cups of darjeeling tea and the fat cat named Skid. After that we went to the High Line, which is way more unbelievable than I thought it could be, and then the plan was to stop by Washington Square Park by NYU before going over to the occupy Wall Street protest. But we never made it to Wall Street because we people-watched in the park for three hours. One giant slice of pizza for dinner, then drinking too much at a bar near Williamsburg, leaving my favorite blue shirt back at the bar (and I have a feeling I won't get it back...) and then stumbling back to Max's place equaled most of yesterday's adventures.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

2011-10-09T18:04:00.006-07:00

Studies of hands by Rodin; three Van Gogh close-ups; Anish Kapoor mirrored concave sculpture with another installation to the right.

Everyone says you can't see the Met in a day, so what I'm showing here roughly sums up what I was able to see in two hours. Actually it's just a smidge because evidently I get strangely flustered when I'm in an exciting new place and as a result can't take a decent shot of anything. But now that I think about it the Met was PACKED (oh right today is Sunday) and most of my time was spent figuring how to navigate the labyrinthine gallery spaces...!

new york, day 2

2011-10-09T17:51:00.000-07:00

Requisite/typical plane shot; an apartment building on 86th St. Beautiful old buildings covered in green growth!

I landed in New York yesterday, and after walking through most of Williamsburg and other boroughs sans camera last night I don't have anything to show for it. And I thought last night was considered a lot of walking but it most certainly isn't. Hmm. Also it is unseasonably warm for October, so instead of escaping to an autumn in New York it really just feels a lot like Southern California again, haha. Better luck next time! Up next - shots from the Met.

2011-10-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

Hello from 35,000 feet up in the air! I woke up before the crack of dawn this morning to get to LAX after about 4 hours of sleep. I napped for two hours then decided to do some work but now I'm here. The plane is somewhere over Nebraska so it's halfway there. Time to do some work!

happy birthday T

2011-10-05T23:39:00.000-07:00

Dear T,

Happy Birthday! I'm so glad you got the piggy bank safely, even if it did arrive a day early. Think carefully about how you will spend or save that dollar, haha.

Even though we agreed to end things a few months ago, I am happy and grateful that we are on such good terms. I hope you learn a lot and grow even more during this next stage of your life!

love,

H

dear loma

2011-10-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

I bought this postcard that I now use as a bookmark, about a year ago at the Rose Bowl Flea Market after visiting Chicago. I love how it is a completely different city from what I saw, but it managed to trigger something in me when I saw it so I handed over the $0.25 the seller was asking for.

It reads:

Dear Loma,

Am back in my home town for a months vacation. I have to start back for hot N.Y. in a week tho. Where are you going this summer? New York?

Love,

Ethel Spears

If you notice the crossed out address and the new one scribbled in pencil, it reads Marengo, South Pasadena, which is a street I used to live on. Coming from her pen pal in Chicago and talking about New York felt eerily prophetic, and if I'm being too vague I mean it sort of parallels my upcoming visit to Max (and Steph!) in New York (when the last time I saw Max was in Chicago). Of course it is not exact enough to be properly creepy, but one night as I was taking a break from reading and instead looking at this postcard all the pieces came together, and I smiled.

it's guava season!

2011-10-03T22:54:00.000-07:00

Guavas are here! Psidium guajava is the common variety, and it is mighty tasty, but it's exciting to taste all the others, too! My friend Robyn's mother grows several varieties and one day after mentioning to her that I was stealthily picking up fallen pineapple guavas on my morning walks, she arrived at my doorstep a few days later with a gigantic bag of pineapple guava and a little container of strawberry guava... and my mother and I were in heaven! So thank you so much Robyn. And yesterday at the PCC flea market my mom noticed a vendor selling a bag of the apple guavas for $1, so we indulged and, having finished all the strawberry guava, were able to keep our bellies happy.

happy october!

2011-10-01T23:22:00.000-07:00

October is off to a busy start indeed! I found this silk maple leaf on the floor at work and brought it home where it now hangs on the living room chandelier - even if the leaves aren't turning colors outside yet there's one that's ready for fall right above me. A long letter stuffed into a pre-paid envelope from 1988 along with additional old stamps was sent out today (I hope it makes it to its destination...) Film, film, film, film, film. How many cameras do I take to New York? Until recently I was only going to bring my Canon Digital Rebel XT, the one I've faithfully been shooting with since 2005, as well as my Nikon FE, which is the one I'm going to use all that film in, but now I'm considering bringing along a Polaroid camera too. Too many cameras for only ten days? I don't know!

thank goodness

2011-09-30T23:05:00.000-07:00

Good things equal happiness. Mango lassi, white roses salvaged from the weekly trimmings pile and shoved into a vintage drinking bottle, cheerful sunflowers left over from a Kindergarten art class, and more feathers - a little worse for wear but none the less cherished. I'm nearly finished with my work, it's kind of insane, I'm trying to figure out what I need for New York, and still happy about conversations I had with a cute boy coworker today. I need to take my vitamins and take a shower but there's so much more to do!

friday morning walk

2011-09-30T22:22:00.001-07:00

Dear Yuri,

Today's walk was a fun one, which is why I am sharing it with you. We started off a little later than usual - 7:30, and by this time the sun was kind of peeking out from behind the clouds but it was still comfortably cool. We checked Mr. I's garden, and it looks great! See the flagstone path he's started to put in? Nice new landscaping and he's transitioning into fall veggies. From afar I spotted two other Westies walking so I ran over with BB and their owner chuckled with delight - BB and Max got to meet the Westies Brody and Bentley and it was so cute and fun! Last but not least I spotted these mushrooms and snapped them for you. It was a great mushroom day! But as you can see it was a long walk and the sun was blasting by the time we were done. I can't wait for the next time we get to walk the poopies together!

love,

your sister H

burning at both ends

2011-09-29T22:26:00.000-07:00

This morning at work half of my coworkers asked me why I look so tired, and of course there was the obligatory/expected joke of "You're not in school anymore so why aren't you getting enough sleep!" I'm just trying to get my life together and it's hard work you guys! I was too tired even to joke around, so for most of my shift I was half-smiling and trying not to let my mind wander off too much. I did perk up at the giant stalks of brussels sprouts that came in, so I got one and sautéed a couple of the florets as an accompaniment to my pasta for lunch today, once I got home. The sticks are a bunch I salvaged from our olive tree that got a major trimming at the peak of summer. I'm letting them cure and once I'm a little less busy I have something in mind for them. I moved my maidenhair fern outside and it was totally loving it until it got shocked by the cold spell and then fried by the mini-heat wave in the valley and now I am at a loss as to how to save it. Good news is there is a healthy amount of new growth, but a lot of the older growth has pretty much turned into potato chip versions of its old self. Today, so tired was I after work that I whipped off my work shirt and threw on this old army shirt that's a tad too small and awkward for me, solely because it was hanging up in the laundry room. Designated construction wear, methinks. Off to sleep because I have so much left to do and am in need of energy to do it.

smithy's delight

2011-09-28T21:11:00.000-07:00

Tiny lock from Etsy; three vintage keys; Mjölnir - Thor's hammer; a teeny penknife; bronze claw.

While waiting for things to render on my computer today I lazily took a photo of my necklace, which prompted me to grab five of my favorite pendants to chronicle here. I'm not at the point where I get excited by diamonds or precious gemstones, I've never cared much for cheesy nameplate jewelry, and I really really despise cheap metal... I think the horror of seeing my skin stained green from crappy bracelets or rings made me realize there's nothing good about cheap jewelry. Costume jewelry is fun to collect but I rarely ever wear it. I guess I like simpler statement pieces that aren't too flashy. A couple of these are found objects - the lock, penknife and keys were all flea market/Etsy finds. I think I wore the penknife for like all of last year, and annoyingly had to be careful with wearing it when traveling, but since I've amassed a small collection of non-TSA-threatening jewelry since then I'm in the clear. Thor's hammer I found at a flea market and was super excited about - it's pewter and heavy and has its own awesome chain! The claw was a gift from my sister a few years ago and I wore that constantly before the penknife. Lately it's the mini lock and keys. I like the weight and the jingling. This was a random post yes, but for me it was a nice break from the grindstone!

from the archives: rooftop dawn

2011-09-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

These are from October 2008. I think Dan and I wandered all night shooting with tungsten film and in the morning we ended up on one of the parking structure rooftops off Figueroa and Exposition. I got some great shots that night which explains why these digital ones aren't anything special, other than a slight reminder of the adventures that were had.

from the archives: moustache kitties

2011-09-27T18:04:00.000-07:00

These were taken September 14, 2008 in the arts district during an afternoon spent frolicking around with my sister and Dan. I don't remember why we were there. All I recall is that we were having fun just checking out the abundance of graffiti all over the buildings and streets and then we heard a mewling... and we looked up and saw kitties! In one out of focus shot I omitted, a tiny tabby appears next to the big moustache kitty, but my focusing skills were sub-par and I ruined the shot.

One more that I shot on my Nikon FE using daylight slide film. Even though the kitties don't show up so well I like the overall mood much more than the digital shots.

old habits

2011-09-26T23:49:00.000-07:00

My nights of late consist of reading with a cup of tea or a drop of whiskey bedside, then pulling out my little 'desk' which is just a flat wooden box that used to hold six bottles of wine and scribbling away letters to friends until my eyelids are heavy and my head begins to droop. I have many dreams that have yet to be realized, but I have to pull myself away from dreaming to let those dreams materialize.

autumn is calling

2011-09-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

Today was rather cool, though not quite crisp for Southern California... autumn is on its way!

1. The leaves of Pyrus calleryana (Callery pear, cultivar Bradford) always excite me when I see them scattered on sidewalks. I still remember back in high school one day when my biology teacher brought in a box of them to show us and he even let us take some home. They're so pretty, they're like the jewels of any/all of the deciduous leaves I've ever seen on the west coast.
2. Temporary little workspace... a wine box covered in a pillowcase atop another wooden box perched upon a metal toolbox. Great for letter-writing/doodling/pondering and holding mugs of tea!
3. Chrysanthemums! The tiny neon green ones are my favorite because they are so crazy yet modest. Mums are cheap and last forever too. One stem each in its own teeny glass bottle and when I roll over to face the window in the morning they're there to greet me.
4. Some thrifting finds from last week. I should be saving my money for my New York trip, but after realizing that it'll be colder there I've been searching for better layering options. I got these after watching Pierrot Le Fou one night, which features a lot of primary color-blocking so in a weird way I thought I could have been subliminally influenced by the film's color palette. But I think it was really just a fun coincidence!

So... happy fall! I helped put in a giant beam for a wall today, it was 700 pounds but we used a crank to hoist it up, and then for fun I got hoisted up on it too but was too scared to swing from the beam. My sister is home for the weekend but she got a wisdom tooth yanked today so she's a little incapacitated/groggy and eating only mushy things. I was very tired today and lost steam halfway throughout the day, which is strange because I was getting OVER my cold. To bed early now I suppose.

entomology

2011-09-24T08:06:00.001-07:00

Some shots of BUGS that I got all summer (some are blurry, some are repeats). I thought I had more, but I think I'm confusing those bug sightings with the times I did not carry a camera. I had fun drawing some of these bugs from my pictures because they move too quickly in real life, er, except for the dead ones. The green one is a funny one because every time I see one around a Hispanic friend, they'll exclaim and say that as kids they used to tie strings around these buggers and fly them around outside. And every time I ask them what they're called they'll shrug and go "Dunno!" The name of that green beetle has eluded me for years...! The crimson dragonfly is a summertime favorite, I always used to see them zipping around our backyard when we still had a papyrus plant growing. Also my Westies are either smart for eating bugs as an additional source of protein or just silly and don't know any better - Maxie snaps at bees and has eaten a couple without stinging himself, and he snaps at flies too. BB is a bit more subtle but I know she has downed a bug or two after hunting them down..

I want to live in outer space

2011-09-23T22:02:00.000-07:00

Spotted these Replogle globes at the GCC swap meet last week! I got both for $5, and for their beat-up conditions I couldn't really complain. I've been on the hunt for a moon globe forever... I passed on one several months ago that was going for $40; when I asked the vendor if she could go a little lower she snapped at me, so I thought it'd be wisest to move on. Both moon and celestial globe are dented and missing their stands but I'm content to peruse them anyway and let them roll around in my room. I'm enjoying finding my favorite constellations on the celestial globe and seeing what other constellations are in relation to one another, and I had no idea there was a place on the Moon named Julius Caesar. Oh the things we can know!

ginger tea

2011-09-22T15:50:00.000-07:00

I caught a cold at work and have been thoroughly miserable for the past two days even though it's just a wimpy little cold. It started off as a tickle in the throat, to a general boy-I-feel-shitty-I-wonder-why, and when it took me a little longer to stock the wall of salads and vegetables I knew I had caught something. I went home and feeling crappy just took some more Zicam and went to sleep, glad to have the day off the next day. On my day off I felt a little better but by early afternoon was slammed with a pounding headache and maybe a slight fever? I got some ginger root, sliced it up and put it in a pot of water to simmer on the stove. After 20 minutes or so I turned off the heat, poured some into a mug, squeezed some honey into it and chugged it into the evening. Tasty! I still didn't feel that great so I called in sick for the next day (today) but I am already feeling tons better, probably from the ginger tea, Zicam, and a bit of apple cider vinegar mixed into water. Being weird and trying not to take... conventional medicine. I'll save the hardcore stuff for flu season.

estate sale finds

2011-09-15T22:14:00.000-07:00

Two Saturdays ago I went out at 7 am to walk the dogs with my mom. Innocently enough towards the end of the walk, we rounded a corner and saw a sign that read: "Estate Sale --- house #, street, Saturday 8AM." We could already see people lined up in the driveway of said house, so when we got back home I grabbed my wallet, hopped into the car and went back to the house. My mom had to stay behind to supervise the trimming (read: maiming) of our kumquat/orange tree as some friends were coming over at 8 with a chainsaw to get the job done, but she sent me a text saying "Buy something because you want it, not because it is cheap... and be aggressive!" I arrived at the house and got in line and then, stifling a yawn looked up and saw a coworker, the sign artist at my store as she smiled at me and said 'Hey!' Funniest thing ever because only two days before we had been talking about estate sales and thrifting and she had told me all about selling vintage wares at her Etsy shop and her favorite 'secret' secondhand stores. Running into her therefore wasn't really a surprise, but it was still an 'oh!' moment and that's what made the whole experience fun right off the bat. The former owner of the house had been a teacher, so there were tons of amazing old things to go through...

1 & 2 - Gift wrapping paper! I got the whole lot for a dollar. I am particularly attached to the astronauts in outer space graphics, but when I look at all of them they pretty much all take my breath away.
3 - Card stock coins I think for learning how to count money. Fun! Not quite vintage but they came in an old box that I was happy to tuck away.
4 - Super sturdy steel box that now houses important documents.
5 - Hand-cut letters with felt backing - a spelling implement I guess. All of which came in handy for setting up my new blog header!
6 - Woven leather slip-on flats. $5. A new favorite that I think I'll wear out in no time.
7 - Southwestern bandanna. I gave this to my sister but forgot to actually give it to her, so it has been hanging up in my window until I do get it to her. I like how the light streams in through it.
8 - A bunch of children's books - Frog and Toad, Rumpelstiltskin illustrated by Edward Gorey, a book about a Scottie, a first edition of Where the Wild Things Are.

I also got a boxed ream of typewriter paper, a sweet little dragon stuffie, and six Pyrex containers for my mom. I will show the dragon another time! It was a very exciting Saturday, and the best part is that it was all spontaneous. I love when that happens...!

westie greetings

2011-09-15T00:28:00.000-07:00

This is when one of mom's old students came to visit. She is next to BB but you can't see her.

BB the queen bee lounges lazily on billowing pink bedspreads.

Maxie at attention because I am holding a delicious piece of kabocha above the camera!

Intimidation tactics on Uni & Yuki and also getting nervous because he is near the pool.

See him warily skulking away?

Maxie regards the pool with suspicion no matter what.

BB taking a small respite in the yard after rocketdog-ing/terrorizing Max for several minutes.

Maxie in a BB-esque pose. He looks like a completely different poopie!

Dedicated to my sister, who cannot be with us and the poopies because she is away at school. Kiss kisses from BB and Max! (and me too I guess!)

all things green and good

2011-09-14T23:05:00.000-07:00

'I don't want to leave it, Hana, because what if I don't see it again.'

Frolicking under Taxodia mucronatum, the Montezuma Cypress, which Dan also took a great liking to.

There's a small maze at one end of the Huntington Library - made with earth mounds and carved-out paths and covered with a luxurious growth of St. Augustine. I meant to take a picture of the whole thing but I was the only big person in a flock of tiny little kids and I was too shy to point my camera their way.

good (monday) morning

2011-09-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

This is how I started off my Monday...
1. Walked downstairs a little after 7 after awakening to the sounds of my mom cooking eggs and sharing them with our Westies (!!!) This is my landing, where a few jadeite bowls, a mug tree full of vintage cups, and two paintings have been hanging out...
2. I toasted a bagel and sliced some avocado onto it. It has been a while since I've had my favorite breakfast!
3. Funny how I am still fascinated by the leaves that 'float' in midair even though it's one special leaf that happens to be hanging by a spiderweb thread! Even funnier when you think about old bits of television/cinema like Flash Gordon where you can see the string that controlled the miniature rockets zooming around with sparks shooting out the ends. The innocence of special effects and your perceptions of them is endearing.
4. Scary, HAIRY spider...diligently and skillfully weaving its web. I shuddered as I took these pictures of the spider but it's so beautiful and fascinating that my curiosity outweighs my fear. At least it's me and spider with a camera and lens in-between.
5. I walked into a dead end with my dogs and saw that someone had adorned this sign with tons of little stamped hearts. amazing.

the moon is full

2011-09-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

I definitely feel like I sensed the effect of the full moon on all sorts of living creatures in the past 48 hours, including eccentric customers, extra pissy and rude ones, wild to the point of feral dogs (meaning double walks for my dogs), and my own weird happenings. I know I'm being overly superstitious/silly but I'll be damned to say the past few days have not felt strange at all. Maybe it's a shift in things... for me it feels like everything went from 0 mph like a snail's pace to 100 mph... roadrunners! Crazy talk. I have to wake up early tomorrow and I don't think I'll be productive from now until sleep...

in the cactus conservatory

2011-09-11T18:02:00.000-07:00

Dan lives right outside of the Huntington Library, and has for all of his life, but until yesterday had only visited once! So Saturday afternoon we explored several of the gardens, starting with the desert garden. Several thousand of the more delicate succulents are housed in a little conservatory in the middle of the garden of C4s (thanks for the terminology Dan!) so we spent a while in there marveling over the vast amounts of colors, textures, bubbly/spiny/fuzzy/vine-y things growing there. I could have filled up my memory card with just the Lithops if I had the opportunity. So much fun!

mail moves the country!

2011-09-09T21:35:00.000-07:00

Things as little and seemingly insignificant as postage books seemed so much more fun back then, no? I'm a sucker for objects like this, obviously! I've amassed a large amount of super old postage stamps and funny envelopes and am waiting for my pen pal to write me so I can write him back! Or heck I think I'll just start mailing people NOW. Anything to keep the feeling going.

note to self

2011-09-08T15:07:00.001-07:00

Don't ever treat someone like s/he is lower than you because of their occupation, socioeconomic standing, education level, etc. Especially if you end up becoming filthy rich (I only target the wealthy here because these are the ones I observe putting others down in this way, but I'm widely generalizing) and somehow, God forbid, forget about how to treat people decently. It's not the fucking 17th century, times are always changing, but regardless of history, people should treat others the way they want to be treated. Rich old overprivileged people, I fear the possibility that you have spawned and passed down your ways - quit making the world a terrible place. Money does not equal class, don't ever forget.

*I'd also like to mention that when you encounter a stranger, you probably don't know anything about their experience, circumstances and background, even if you think you do. It's hard to say not to judge, but if you're going to be an awful person about it, toss off! done ranting for real now.

scratch that

2011-09-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

Well so much for that! Even with the passing of Labor Day and summer technically being over, after that thunderstorm on Sunday we had a day of dry heat (105ºF) and heavy, humid heat today. The heat, combined with a renewed sense of passion and purpose ensures that I am too busy trying to keep cool (swim, drink lots of icy beverages, strategically position myself in the shade/vents/fans) but also brings out the inner lazy lion in me that would rather lounge on the couch near but not too near the warmth of my dogs with no thought of a camera or anything to occupy me. Too bad there's no such thing as a professional daydreamer!

Today I measured out a sill plate - first with the end studs, the shear wall studs, posts, and then I faced the rest of the 16" on center studs. Drilled holes for the posts with bolts next to them, and laid it out on the site to see how it measured up. It was good, but we didn't place any of the 2x4's today.

Right, and the things in the pictures are:
1. A Ball Mason jar mug that my sister got me for part of my birthday (!!!) filled with boricha (mugicha in Japanese) which is a roasted barley tea that is served hot during the winter and chilled during the summer. I realized it's one of my favorite things to drink because it's refreshing, earthy and totally un-fussy in terms of preparation.
2. A new insulator nicknamed "frog eyes" that my mom picked up for me at the PCC flea (I was at work), which was really thoughtful of her. I think she realizes I'm being more careful about spending, as I'm clearing out things from my room every week, plus since it was 'a kind I didn't already have' and only cost $3 she brought it home.
3. Praying mantis that was startled to see me when I let the dogs out today. I usually see these fellows/ladies all over the yard every summer, but they didn't put up an egg sac on our porch this year, sad. A neighbor boy across the street used to come over once a year to capture one on my mother's invitation... maybe he stole them all away. I doubt it though...!

I'm stumbling over words tonight... I cite food coma and the heat as the culprits!

the end of summer

2011-09-04T23:01:00.001-07:00

Warm, dusty brown and cool dusky blue are two colors I've been gravitating towards lately. I've been helping one of my neighbors on my block with re-building his house so I've been sore and tired but immensely happy to experience the building process firsthand. I learned to wire a switch yesterday and successfully did it on my own in half of a crawl space that we nearly finished sealing today! Knowledge is power, and when it is practical it is extremely rewarding. I haven't felt this positive about learning in years, but that can very much be attributed to an attitude adjustment on my part. We had a flash thunderstorm this evening which worried me along the lines of messing up the construction, but otherwise it was fantastic. An enormous, guttural rumble of thunder that sounded like the end of the world, followed by a downpour that gushed down for all of three minutes interspersed with brilliant flashes of lightning. It felt like a sign. Now I am enjoying the chilly breeze that is flowing through my window and listening to the crickets that have been chirping for the past few hours. Time for sleep, they say.

catching up

2011-09-04T22:29:00.000-07:00

(sorry for the icky yellow tones. too lazy to custom white balance)

Our house underwent fumigation about a week ago, so for a couple of days I was scrambling to and from my aunt and uncle's house in Glendale, to USC (where I spent 5 hours at the Architecture & Fine Arts library working, yay!), to work, and to Dan's house where I stayed for a couple of nights. Most of my time with Dan was spent geeking over whether to go full-frame or stay within the current though flashy boundaries of DSLRs as we perused helpful websites and youtube reviews. A verdict still has not been reached. I wish I had gotten shots of our bright yellow house covered in a big blue striped tent, but time did not allow for it!