Me and My "Creepy Friends" in Pasadena

James and I journeyed up to Pasadena last Sunday to the Rose Bowl Flea Market. If you've never been, and you like digging through piles of old stuff to find hidden treasures, then this is exactly for you. If you dislike digging through piles of old stuff to find hidden treasures, then this is exactly NOT for you. It's held every 2nd Sunday of the month in the parking lot of the Rose Bowl. I've been once in May when it was slightly too hot to fully appreciate all of the old jewelry, artwork, cameras, mounted antlers, furniture, shoes, train sets, etc, but January was perfect. Especially January in California, when one day is in the 50s and a few days later it's in the 70s. (Whilst I'm contemplating wearing floaty dresses and sandles, my lovelies in England are posting pictures of snow and ice - wish I were there to see it, there's just something so magical about England in the snow!)


This booth was filled with old cameras and lenses and typewriters. The irony of taking a picture of it with my cell phone wasn't lost on me.



Imagine this scene times 1000. That's how big this flea market is.

 

This man walked right in the middle of my picture. But I like it. Yeah, you go, Unobservant Man!



We also met these guys, whom my aunt calls my "creepy friends".

 I walked away with a gold necklace of a person riding a penny farthing bicycle, an overpriced mustard seed charm, and 3 round chandelier crystals that I intend to make long necklaces out of. I was very very tempted by an old camera simply for the quality of the dirt on the viewfinder (for my TTV photos), but decided that the two viewfinder cameras I have is already enough. Plus there was no one around to ask pricing, and I'm terrible at haggeling (plus I hate it), so I would have probably paid too much for it anyway. Ah, regrets.

Another great thing about the Rose Bowl Flea Market is that the Gamble House is 5 minutes away. The Gamble House was designed by Greene & Greene and is a really gorgeous example of Arts & Crafts architecture and design. The only way to go inside is on a docent-led tour. I had been in high school on a field trip (A friend and I also got yelled at by a docent at another museum on that same trip for standing too close to the artwork. To be fair, it was a tiny painting and we were trying to see the brushstrokes. I think of that every time I go into an art museum.), but James has never been, and we both figured it was high time we take a tour.


A very dark Gamble House




You're not allowed to photograph the inside of the house, but this art glass door is spectacular from inside.



Yet again, a very dark Gamble House

 All of the furniture was designed for the house, and one thing that I thought was really cool was that each piece was finished the whole way around. Even if one side was designed to always be facing a wall, it would still be completley finished. Greene & Greene included motifes that were carried throughout the rooms, like climbing rose vines, and the motif would be repeated everywhere - fireplaces, andirons, chairs, the headboards and footboards of beds - amazing. They'd include these tiny details that just made the piece. In the dining room, they had designed twin art glass sconces, and on the inside of each was a tiny bat, which was a motif carried in from another room in the house. It's well worth a visit if you're in the area.

By the way, we finally took our Christmas tree down. Except it took us until Wednesday to do it. And we were still using the lights on it. (Cue horrified gasps.) We survived, no bigs. And now, I am watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Cause that's just how we roll around here.

At What Age Is It Unacceptable to Not Spell-Check Your Blog Posts?

Welcome to 2013! I hope everyone's New Year's Eve was wonderful! Mine was quiet - James and I had "Asian Fare" for dinner (which means frozen pork buns, orange chicken, and pot stickers from Trader Joe's), watched a few DVDs, watched the ball drop in Times Square at midnight, and toasted with a mini bottle of cava. Then we went to sleep. You know, I've really made a terrible 20-something. Maybe my 30's will be better.

James and I went to Crystal Cove on Sunday. It's a state park off of PCH between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, and I've never been. We got caught in a rain shower, saw a rainbow, and wandered among tide pools and old cottages.


James at Crystal Cove's tidepools



Crystal Cove

 

Crystal Cove



An absolutely gorgeous day - is there anything like a vast landscape to make you and your problems feel oh-so-insignificant?



The only thing that ruined getting caught in a rain shower under a rainbow was the fact that I didn't bring an umbrella, rain coat, or camera case, and I had my DSLR zipped up under my hoodie looking like a preggo woman while it slowly got more and more damp. The camera is fine, btw.

 Although our year got off to a quiet start, I have a feeling it's not going to stay that way. Our Christmas tree is still up, and every day I feel thankful that it hasn't burst into flames yet. (It's coming down tomorrow, I promise.) I turn 30 in a little over a month. (Can you tell it's totally weighing on my mind? What the heck? I remember when I was in college, my friend Max found himself repeatedly in relationships with women turning 30, and he said it made them go "a bit mental." At the time, my 22-year-old self thought "Why would that upset them so much? How dumb!" And now here I am, actually semi-freaking out. I vascilate between wanting to hide at home or go out to a dance club in LA where I and my friends are sure to be the oldest ones there to mark the occasion. Poor James.) Also, there is at least one trip back to London on the horizon - 2 friends have had babies, and I'm going to will myself not to get sick because  I want to hold some babies!

So, hello 2013, may you be a year of laughter, friendship, growth, positive energy, forgiveness, strength, and resilliance. Also, maybe the year I remember (or care enough) to spell check my blog posts.

My Year of Books, and, Oh, Yes, Happy New Year!

My year of keeping track of the books I read has come to an end. Sadly, I won't make it to 52 books - I'd really hoped to average one a week. (Sad, I know, but let me have my small pleasures!) I did, however, finish 51 books - just one off from my goal! I started my 52nd this morning.

I'm going to have to continue this habit into 2013...

So, here's what I've read this year:

1. The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
2. Sweet Valley Confidential by Francine Pascal
3. The Raising by Laura Kasischke

4. Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan

5. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (the only book I re-read this year - everything else was brand new, and a complete novelty to me!)
6. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
7. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
8. The Girl With Glass Feet by Ali Shaw

9. The Woman Who Heard Color by Kelly Jones

10. The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley
11. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
12. The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons
13. Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore
14. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

15. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

16. About a Boy by Nick Hornby
17. Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell
18. Sister by Rosamund Lupton

19. The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

20. Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland
21. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

22. Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

23. Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
24. Testimony by Anita Shreve
25. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
26. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
27. War Brides by Helen Bryan
28. Pink Smog by Francesca Lia Block
29. The Doll in the Garden by Mary Downing Hahn

30. The Aviary by Kathleen O'Dell

31. Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
32. The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman
33. Blankets by Craig Thompson

34. The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones

35. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
36. Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James
37. Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt

38. The Last Letter From Your Lover by Jojo Moyes

39. Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult
40. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
41. The Elementals by Francesca Lia Block
42. Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
43. The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor
44. Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
45. Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

46. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

47. The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo
48. The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
49. Summer House by Nancy Thayer

50. The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan

51. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

A few things I've noticed about my book choices:
-If it has chapters, it counts as a book. It doesn't matter if it was written for an 11-year-old.
-I like World War II novels.
-I like novels set in England. Or London.
-I like World War II novels that are set in England or London.
-While I can't seem to get through a non-fiction book about the sinking of the Titanic, I can easily get through a novel about the sinking of the Titanic.
-This was this year I started to secretly enjoy Nicholas Sparks.
-I like young adult novels that don't really seem like young adult novels because the stories are pretty messed up. Like a magician turning his children into talking birds to keep in an aviary.

Here's what I DIDN'T read in 2012 (that's not to say I didn't try...):
1. Titanic: First Accounts, various authors
2. A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes From my Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg
3. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

So what are your goals for 2013?

Here's wishing everyone out there a Happy New Year! I hope that this year is filled with fun suprises, positivity, love, laughter, and all the magic you can handle!

Celebrate!

Fancy Nancy and Me

This is what happens when you combine an art gallery, Fancy Nancy illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser, and Bloomingdales:


Sharon, Robin Priess Glasser, Karen, and Moi, in our fancy finery



Ooh la la, what a Fancy Shmancy display!

 You get feather boas, feathered gowns, glitter, pink, and French phrases bandied about, complete with book signings and orignal artwork. (Available HERE at Chemers Gallery!) Plus, as you walk through Bloomingdales with Robin, people stop her and ask if she's a princess, or if she's getting married, and she gives your day that bit of extra sparkle. C'est magnifique!

If you've missed out on the whole Fancy Nancy craze, she's a children's book character who believes everything is better when it's fancified, so she Bedazzles everything in sight and uses French words and makes the every day into grandious occasions. My kind of girlie! Robin's illustrations bring her to life beautifully.

I seriously want another tiara. I say "another," because when I was a teenager and weird, I bought a tiara in some shop up in Berkeley and wore it around San Francisco the summer I was there. And then I brought it back to southern California and wore it out to dinner. And probably on dates. And sometimes (rarely) I'll dig it out and wear it around the house. That's not weird, is it?

It's Always Best to Not Run Into Lawn Ornaments

I was writing a post about mental illness and the need to address it in this country and abroad. However, this hits too close to home and I find I'm not able to really write about it yet.

So, instead, here are some pictures from the holiday walk James and I took the other night!


Only in America would you find a blow-up snowman actually shivering with "cold," complete with fake southern California "snow."

 

This house has a USC flag and Christmas carols blasting from hidden speakers.



This house won "Most Beautiful."



We just liked this house



There's a street in our city that goes ALL OUT with holiday decorations. Each block competes against each other, and it doesn't matter if you don't celebrate Christmas.

This was one of James's favorite houses. They have beautiful stained glass windows.



Candy Cane walk

 

I kind of loved photographing people's houses. That's not creepy, is it?

 Growing up, my parents and I used to drive around our town to look at the Christmas lights. When James moved out here, I tried to do the same thing with him, but it never quite worked. One year, we got coffee and drove around but I don't think either of us were really into it. Other years we've just forgotten, or not had time. This year, we had a stroke of genius. We parked the car, got coffees, and walked around looking at lights. Why this never occured to me before, I don't know. But it's the best. You get to spend time together, and you both get to see the lights, as opposed to the passenger in the car seeing them and the driver just glancing at them whilst trying not to run into small children or lawn ornaments.

Methinks we've hit upon a lasting holiday tradition.

What do YOU do to celebrate the holidays?

Who Needs Baking When Trader Joe's is Across the Street?

I woke up and found myself deep into the holiday season - um, how did that happen? Wasn't it just October? One look around my house at the stockings and nutcracker collection (yes, I have a nutcracker collection, what of it?) and rolls of wrapping paper tells me that the holidays are indeed here, so make the most of it!


Boxes o' Goodies



Tiny gingerbread men - with Trader Joe's across the street, who needs baking?



My morning view

Decorating at my parent's house

As you can see, sugar and sparkel-y things abound!

On a seperate note, last weekend was the choir concert at church, which I did not participate in. Having some time off is wonderful!! We did attend, however, and sitting next to us was a woman who brought her Corgie dog and dressed him in a Santa outfit. Wish I'd gotten a picture!

In light of the major events recently in Connecticut and beyond, I'm not feeling terribly lighthearted these days. It feels really silly to be writing about holiday cookies and tree lights when there are so many other things happening all over the globe that are just so much more important. But I suppose focusing on small things that might give a bit of joy is important to keep spirits up. After all, who doesn't get cheered up by some yummy cookies? Especially those dark chocolate shortbread star cookies Trader Joe's hauls out this time of year?

We Did Not Take the Palm Tree

Saturday was the 21st Annual Children's Book Illustration Show at Chemers Gallery, where I work. We spend 6 months of the year planning, checking in artwork, shooting emails and phone calls back and forth between 5 different children's book illustrators, designing framing, ordering books, labeling books, showing artwork to clients, calling clients, painting the gallery walls, hanging the show, and finally, FINALLY it culminates into a one-day-extravaganza where all 5 illustrators fly in to southern California from around the country, sign hundreds of pre-sold books, meet and greet their fans, give talks and demos throughout the afternoon, sign MORE books, and then go to a dinner with the gallery staff, the children's charity the show is benefitting that year, and clients who have purchased artwork. (I think that's the longest sentence in the history of the world.)

So. Saturday was the big day! We were so busy that this is the only picture I manged to take during the actual event:

OMG, so many books and people!!

After so much excitement, can you blame me for being exhausted? BTW, we sold out of Fartiste. SOLD OUT! Luckily, I pre-ordered mine, and this is how it was dedicated:


Signed by one of the authros, Paul Brewer, who also happens to be an alumni of my high school


Apparently, this hasn't been a big seller for them. Why is absolutely beyond me.

The rest of the weekend was spent watching Parks and Recreation, The Office, and Mean Girls. We also went out to pick out our Christmas tree from the local tree farm. We got rained on. But we got a good tree.



 Despite the many Facebook votes for the palm tree, we went for a small pine tree.

We'll pick it up closer to Christmas.

I have 2 days off this week starting tomorrow, and I plan on spending it on catching up on holiday prep. I'm behind on cards, and I'm going to get out our wooden German Christmas tree to set up, plus find a good place to display my crazy Nutcracker collection. Maybe I'll get super-motivated and put up our outdoor lights, since the ones from last year that we never took down are mighty dark these days.