J. Is A Bird

Best Coffee in Los Angeles!

2012-01-23T11:06:00.000-08:00

Recently opened at Farmers' Market on 3rd and Fairfax, I declare Single Origin LA coffee to be the best damn coffee in Los Angeles!

OK, I haven't tried all the coffee LA has to offer, but IMHO this is the best coffee I've had in a really long time. They don't do XXX large size because their coffee is so good you don't need to drink a quart of it to be satisfied.

Single Origin shares a stall with Short Cake LA bakery so you can enjoy a cup of coffee that doesn't taste burnt, with a pastry that doesn't taste like cardboard. Win win I tell you.

Cheers!
J.

Oh, and I love the cheery blue color of the cups.

They look cool but what are these things anyway?

The Getty and Pacific Standard Time

2011-12-14T21:30:00.000-08:00

Just before the Thanksgiving holiday I was thrilled to get a call from Annelisa Stephan, senior web writer/editor at the J. Paul Getty Trust and editor of The Iris. She wanted to talk to me about my experience of bringing my young children to The Getty's, De Wain Valentine’s sculpture Gray Column, as she researched ways for children to enjoy the Pacific Standard Time exhibits.

Here is the link to her post, Pacific Standard Time Is for Kids!, with two quotes from me, one in the beginning and the closing line. It was great to speak to Annelisa and be a part of her piece. I hope that it inspires other families to bring their children to The Getty and interact with these important exhibits.

Cheers!

Occupy LA

2011-11-27T20:41:00.001-08:00

The Occupy movement has been an important historical event regardless of your political leanings. One that I did not want to only observe on TV. But with most of the news being centered on either New York or Oakland, I wasn't sure what to expect when we decided to head downtown to get a first hand look at Occupy LA.

What we found was a camp that encircled City Hall. It reminded us a little bit of a Ren Faire camp, but with less costumes. There was an information tent, which also doubled as a acceptance site for donations. There was a tent selling "99%" protest art, a yoga class was in progress, and a young lady (I think she was probably 7 or 8) approached my son to let him know there was a children's play tent as well. There was even a mobile health care unit on site.

The encampment was clean and seemed relatively safe and peaceful. The cops were almost bored. There were more people like us, taking pictures for their blogs or twitter feeds than there were news crews.

I'm not sure what will happen tonight when the Occupiers are evicted from City Hall. I'm glad that I was able to take my children down to experience this movement, in all its peaceful glory, even if the most interesting thing they found was a cool tree to play in.

Update Nov 28th @ 5:00PM PST:

The camp still stands! Check out the OccupyLA webcam here

All photos by Damon Cason Reiser

#AMLP

2011-11-19T16:20:00.000-08:00

My husband participated in A Million Little Pictures at the Brooklyn Art House Co-Op.

We were fortunate that the traveling exhibit came to LA today.

UPDATE: I've added more pictures.

The cool think about the "99" above? Whoever took it did so well before the "99%" movement. It sure caught my eye.

Palm Springs

2011-11-16T14:51:00.000-08:00

Palm Springs

This was our first trip to Palm Springs. My kids have an excuse, they're young and can't drive yet. My husband and I on the other hand do not. My husband was born in LA and yet has never been to PS and I've lived in LA since 1986 and I've never been to PS. So as a part of my stay-cation, we took off for Palm Springs for two days, with my In-Laws in on the trip to make this my "multi-generational-travel stay-cation" trip.

I'm a planner by nature and sometimes drive my family nuts by over planning. In an effort to curb my "over-planner" ways, I've been waiting to book things (rooms/tickets etc) at the last minute, which is why we found ourselves checking into the questionable Caliente Tropics Resort (?!) instead of the nice townhouse I had my eye on. But to our great relief the place was surprisingly decent. The rooms were clean and we booked the Tahitian Lanai Queen/Queen. The pool was awesome. It was perfect for kids. It had a huge 3-4' section in addition to the usual 6-8' deep end. It also had a hot-tub that wasn't too hot. The tiki torches worked and it had free wi-fi!!!

The downside was that the cabanas were closed for lawn re-seeding. And there was no on-site restaurant. But for the price, we were still pretty happy we weren't giving our children an education in grungy hotels just yet.

With no on-site food available, dinner ended up being the famous Sherman's Deli, that was just ok in my book. Breakfast was at the all important IHOP and that was much more fulfilling. We shopped at The Alley which had plenty of pre-season deals to be had. But the main attraction and reason for our trip was The Tram.

I loved The Tram and the kids loved it too. Ok, my son loved it, my daughter was a bit more blasé about the ride up.

The tram takes you from just above the desert floor up Chino Canyon to the mountain station, at some 8500 ft elevation. Once you are at the station, you will find viewing platforms to take in the view of Palm Springs and those iconic wind mills. There is a cafe, a sit down restaurant, a bar and of course another gift shop.

On the back side of the station are hiking trails. The first part of the trail is cemented in for those with less practical foot wear (me). And there are benches if you want to take a breather (me again). Once the cement ends, it's a short dirt walk to the ranger station and (thankfully) bathrooms to use before hauling yourself back up to the tram station for your ride back down.

Tips:

1. Take a jacket, it was in the 40's F up there so a bit chilly for us Angelenos.

2. If you get motion sickness, take your preferred aid before you get on the tram. The tram rotates to give all riders a good view and during the accent it will rock at each of the 5 towers it will cross to get to the top. I didn't know this and was green for several minutes after we landed.

The beds were good, but the pool was the real attraction of this hotel

The closed off cabanas

Staring wistfully at the large, closed off green lawn they can't run on

One of the tram cars on the way down

Where we're heading

Where we've come from

How small Palm Springs looks at 1/2 through the accent

Coming in for a landing. Check out the elevation.

Someone's a little cold

"Hey Papa, look at that!"

My daughter was channeling her teenage years and showed us her unimpressed face

Nana, Papa and Karl taking in the juxtaposition of art and nature at the bottom of the tram ride.

The Spider Pavilion at the Natural History Museum Los Angeles

2011-10-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

This was our first visit to The Spider Pavilion at the NHM and I really wasn't sure what to expect. One thing I knew for sure though, there would be real, live spiders there. I mention this because early on it became apparent that other visitors were not actually expecting well, spiders to be at The Spider Pavilion. At least not ones crawling around freely. Let me reassure you, the poisonous spiders are in enclosed environments, but the other less venomous ones are free to roam the pavilion that also houses the Butterfly Pavilion earlier in the year.

My husband mentioned the suspect timing of having The Spider Pavilion immediately following The Butterfly Pavilion to the staff. But we were assured that the spiders were not used to er ah, "clean things up". No, the spiders are actually hand fed worms as they would starve otherwise.

I was rather proud that my children didn't squeal in fright at the site of spiders wrapping up their prey caught in their web. That was until other visitors showed up and (adult and children alike) began making a scene. My 3 year old daughter called time on the whole thing and her and I went outside to check out the enclosed spiders. Still she wasn't much happy. My son seemed to handle the whole thing with his typical aplomb. If you are planning on bringing your own children, do yourself a favor, if you don't make a big deal out of it, chances are they will follow your lead.

Cheers!

Our greeter as we walked in the door.

Hey, where'd he come from? He doesn't look like a worm.

Checking out the enclosed spiders

Close up

Movie set at just the right height

No, Simone is not happy with Mommy's little education field trip

Lunch is served!

Yummy!

De Wain Valentine's Gray Column at The Getty Center

2011-10-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

In our continuing effort to supplement our children's education, we took them to see the 12 foot tall Gray Column at The Getty Center. This is a part of the Pacific Standard Time exhibit currently going on all over Southern California museums till May 2012.

I was surprised to find how reflective the surface was, as the photos below show.

I was interested in finding out what my children's reaction to the piece might be. My 3 year old daughter was more interested in the high-tech info station than the monolith. My five year old son's only verbal reaction was "It's beautiful." And then he proceeded to play with his reflection.

I love bringing my kids to The Getty at different times of the year. This time the gardens were closed so we ended up exploring more of the surroundings than we usually do. There's plenty of things to see, touch, listen to and experience for young children. I especially recommend it for home-schooled or unschooled children.

Reflections of the opposite wall. Descriptions of how this piece was made.

I see you.

This large vase was in the next gallery over. The nun helps give some perspective so its size.

Detail of vase

Even the cafe floor at The Getty is interesting.

Playing on the large lawns is encouraged.

My son is staring at a small lizard he found crawling on the travertine stone wall. Another note for those with dinosaur fixated children, there's plenty of fossils to be found in stone walls as well.

The children's play room gives kids a chance to touch after hearing "Don't touch!" throughout the day.

"What does it feel like?"

Detail of creek leading to the main waterfall in the garden.

Highland and Hollywood Center

2011-09-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed watching the Highland and Hollywood Center being built from the roof of my apartment building when I lived in Hollywood. While in essence it's not much more than another outdoor mall, it does provide a good central location for the tourists that flock to Hollywood each Summer.

Part of the architecture of the H&H Center are the reproductions of set pieces for the 1923, Cecil B. DeMille 10 Commandments. The set was dynamited and buried in the sands of Nipomo Dunes

In addition to the usual suspects of shops and eateries, there are these fun fountains to play in that are located in the center on the second level. If you're bringing young children, be sure and bring a change of clothes as they'll soon be soaked playing in the water.

View of the fountains from the Hollywood sign viewing bridge

The escalators that take you between levels have some interesting art hanging between them.

The hanging piano...

...and the mirrors that hang right below it.

And then there's the bridge. The bridge offers you a perfect view of the Hollywood sign. But be forewarned that you will almost certainly never be alone on that bridge.

Tour bus crowds all trying to get a shot of the Hollywood sign

Parking is on site and remember to get validated. The El Capitan theater, the Kodak (where the Oscars are held), Gruman's Chinese theater with the hand/foot prints, and Madame Tussauds are all on the same block.

From H&H you have access, within walking distance, to a good portion of the rest of Hollywood too, including the wax museum, Ripley's, and the Max Factor museum.

Cheers!
J.

Aquarium of the Pacific

2011-09-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

For my daughter's third birthday we took her to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific.

It had been a few years since we visited the aquarium and I was rather unimpressed with it at the time. I wish I could say that the aquarium has vastly improved since then, but it really hasn't. Not that it's all bad of course, but it's just, well, underwhelming. Maybe I'm jaded for watching shows like Tanked and the building of the mega aquarium in Okinawa.

But if you're in LA and you're looking for a small taste of what the Pacific has to offer in marine life then this is a pretty good bet. They have a decent breeding program and seeing baby anythings is always bound to interest children. That and their touch pools make this a place that will keep little ones interest for a good couple of hours.

Cheers!
J.

The giant tank in the Grand Hall at feeding time.

One of many touch pools

Spend the $2, it's worth it to have these beautiful Lorikeets walk right up to you.

There's even a touch pool for jelly fish. If you're a fan of "Finding Nemo" you'll already know that if you touch them on their domed tops, you won't get stung.

What are you looking at? A seahorse camouflaged to look like kelp.

Orange Drive Farmers Market Hollywood

2011-09-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

We checked out the inaugural Orange Drive Farmers' Market Saturday right in the heart of Hollywood.

Located on Orange Dr. between Hollywood Blvd to the South and Franklin to the North. The new market is using the circular, tour bus, driveway of the Highland & Hollywood Center for it's staging area, which is perfect for this small but tasty farmers market. We parked at the center as well, with validation was only $2.00 for 2 hours.

The crowd was somewhat light given the early hour and perhaps owing to the word not yet getting out. We lunched on Hawaiian BBQ with The Big Kahuna order being enough for my husband and I to share. The kids enjoyed the small petting zoo and we took home fresh honey in honeycomb and some homemade pickled beets The Highland & Hollywood Center obviously plans to make this a regular thing judging by the signage.

Afterwards we took the kids over to the fountains in the middle of the Highland and Hollywood Center, but I'll save those pics for another post.

Cheers!
J.

Bread stall next to the Hawaiian Bbq stall

Salt vendor

Pastry stall. Man did the spinach quiche thing look good

Lobster mushrooms

Farm fresh eggs

One of the non-food stalls also there

Petting zoo was $6 for two kids er children

New Dinosaur Hall at Natural History Museum Los Angeles

2011-09-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

We were very excited to check out the new Dinosaur Hall at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles. There had been a lot of hype by the museum over this renovation and we were not the least bit disappointed.

The past few years have been spectacular for the museums of Los Angeles County. Major additions by LACMA and renovations by both LACMA and NHM, that widely surpassed our expectations upon their completion. We are finally starting to feel like we have world class art museum's in LA besides The Getty Center.

And there's till more to come with a landmark art attraction currently being installed at LACMA to debut by December.

But first a visit to the Dino Hall which opened mid-July of this year. I cannot over state what a wonderful job the NHM did on renovating and reinstalling their Dino Hall. It's modern, it has clean lines, yet they went out of their way to keep as much of the architectural detail of the old museum (the original 1913 building by designed by local architects Frank Hudson and William A.D. Munsell) as possible, almost like they were putting a modern museum inside a Roman ruin.

The installation includes large scale fossils and a "family of T-Rex's. A 70% complete male (one of the most complete skeleton's on earth) plus a female and junior T-Rex. Two viewing floors allow visitors to look down on some of the major pieces to get a really complete assessment of the exhibits.

They've also updated their cafe, but even with Stokke high chairs, it's still a far cry from the cafe at the V & A in London.

Cheers!

Constructions is ongoing as they work on the new entryway to the museum.

9/11/11 LAX

2011-09-11T21:52:00.000-07:00

A few shots from the memorial at LAX on this 10th anniversary of Sept 11, 2001.

Long Beach Antique Market

2011-09-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

Long Beach Antique Market is my antidote to the hot, costly and crowded Rose Bowl Antique Market. I do enjoy the Rose Bowl and usually go at least once or twice a year, but it's sprawling and during the Summer months can feel like a march through Death Valley.

Long Beach is smaller, cooler in temp and easier to navigate. But we hadn't been down there in the past several months so we were surprised when we tried to park in our usual lot. It was full! This time we were directed to a parking structure at Long Beach University and had to park on the third floor to boot. Turns out our little market has gotten quite popular since our last visit.

And while we found some of our usual favorite stalls, they've added quite a few new ones as well. We hope this bodes well for the local economy.

For a bonus, as we were leaving we caught site of a huge US Air Force cargo jet and took a slight detour to get a closer look.

There's just something about a big plane that brings out the kid in us.

Cheers!

Papoo's Hot Dog Show closed

2011-08-29T10:10:00.001-07:00

I'm sad to report that Papoo's in Toluca Lake has closed.

More details here.

I've been going here for about 13 years now and I'm just plain bummed:(

LA Flower Mart

2011-08-23T22:59:00.001-07:00

We paid a visit to the Los Angeles Flower Mart and found a few things have changed for the better since our last visit a few years ago.

For one thing, you don't seem to have to get up as early as you used to. Years ago when I visited the Flower Mart on a regular basis, you needed to get up rather early on a Saturday to take advantage of it. If you were there say around 9AM some stalls were already packing up. Much like an Antique Market, this was great for deal making if you were willing to forgo a certain amount of selection.

This Saturday however we arrived around 11:30, after breakfast at The Original Pantry, and figured we'd find only the die hards and some wilted tea-roses. Boy were we surprised to find a bustling market, with plenty of selection and still some pretty good deals to be had, especially for orchids. The orchids have really expanded. Once there were only two main shops to buy orchids from at somewhat cut rate prices. Now there are dozens of orchid suppliers with some deep discounts to be had. While most carry the basics, the original orchid stalls carry some of the more unusual varieties.

The crowds have changed slightly as well. The market used to close early because it's main customers on a Saturday were those planning for events later on that day or the next and the flower mart was just their first stop of many that day. Now the market seems to have been discovered by a whole new crowd, hipsters, housewives, and DIY'ers all rubbing elbows with brides, baby showers and birthday parties.

We also weren't the only ones who brought children and for good cause. While not the hardiest of horticultural lessons, we still managed a little unschooling by talking about flower names and smells for my 5 year old and some color lessons for my 3 year old.

Tips:

I go down 7th and hang a right at San Julian. Look for a yellow sign that reads Moskatels and go up the ramp for parking. I park on the roof for the views of downtown and take the elevator to the bottom floor. Moskatels will validate for 2 hours free with purchase, since it's craft/party supply place it's not hard to find something to buy just to get your parking validated.

The market only cost a buck to get in.

Cheers!

Our purchases: a jade plant, a bunch of sunflowers, a huge bouquet of pink lilies and two mini orchids, all for $24.00

See the full gallery on Posterous

Travel Photo Thursday: Waiheke Island New Zealand

2011-08-18T13:18:00.001-07:00

Like so many of my favorite moments in life, my visit to Waiheke Island was unplaned, purely by chance. I was only there a shot time, but this is one of my favorite shots from the trip.

I'm not sure how long I stood there, waiting for that speck of an adult holding the hands of two children, walking along the sand, to come into view. To me, it was worth the wait, tiny as they may be.

Here is my first submission to Travel Photo Thursday at Budget Travelers Sandbox - a website where Nanci offers a chance every Thursday for fellow travelers to post their favourite photos. Have a look at her blog and check out what other travel bloggers and photographers are posting.

Cheers!

Amtrak from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara

2011-08-17T11:30:00.001-07:00

For my son's 5th birthday we took him to Santa Barbara on his first real train ride.

If you buy your tickets online and print them out at one of the self-serve kiosks at the station, you'll still get a paper ticket for your scrapbook keepsake. If you belong to the Auto Club and you purchase your tickets 3 days in advance you'll get a 10% discount.

No this isn't the train we rode, this is one of the last Pullman cars now permanently stationed at the Santa Barbara train station.

This is our train. We took the Coast Starlight up the coast from Los Angeles.

The train had a nice, clean Observation Deck located just above the snack bar.

The early part of the trip wound through some industrial areas of L.A. I actually enjoyed this part. As a resident of LA for over 25 years, it was interesting to see it from a different view point.

But soon the scenery gave way to the suburbs, the rock climbers of Simi Valley and then the ocean appeared out of nowhere.

We arrived at the Santa Barbara train station and were pleased to find it fairly untouched by modern technology.

We walked a few blocks away up to Stearn's Wharf. If you're traveling there with young children, be warned that the very end of the pier is for fishing and there are NO railings. That said, there isn't much to keep a 5 year old interested that didn't make us overly nervous.

Even this ancient ficus tree was off limits for crawling on.

We did enjoy a beer at an outside patio bar called The Roadhouse right before we boarded the train for home. After a hot day walking around those beers sure tasted great.

The trip back was not nearly as nice as the Pacific Surfliner was rather tatty to say the least. But it mattered little to Karl as he passed out almost as soon as we left the station.

Cheers!

The Los Angeles Arboretum

2011-07-31T19:02:00.000-07:00

We paid a visit to The Los Angeles Arboretum on a muggy Sunday afternoon and found a few things we'd never seen before.

When we first started to visit the LA Arboretum it was just after our first trip to New Zealand and Australia and we were quite disappointed by it. However, in the past 5 years The Arboretum has really improved and finally we feel it really has turned into a destination worth visiting.

This visit we happened upon a new, raised bed garden used for The Arboretum's children's Summer Nature Camp gardening classes. Just behind this was a fountain, a greenhouse jungle and a rainforest. These run directly behind the Orchid House, a favorite of ours. Also a visit to The Arboretum wouldn't be complete for the kids without a stop at the Santa Anita Railway Station.

The Arboretum is a great Unschooling location near Los Angeles. It provides large open spaces to run in. A chance to watch small wildlife (in addition to peacocks we spotted, lizards, butterflies, squirrels, koi, aquatic turtles, and ducks) in their own environment. If multiple visits are spread out over the year, it is one of the few places in L.A. to watch the change of seasons and the effect those changes have on the gardens.

Cheers!
J.

Water feature at the entrance

Sign post directing you to your preferred destination.

Learning to keep a respectful distance with the time honored phrase, "Look with your eyes, not with your hands.".

Peacocks and Penhens are everywhere. Their feathers fall off naturally and are offered for purchase at the gift shop. A cheap sourvinir of the day for the kids.

Part of the Madagascar Spiny Forest

Walk like a Peacock.

Part of the teaching garden for children

It looks like, Recycle, repurpose, re-use is also a part of the course.

Mama Peahen

No time for pictures Ma, I got things to see!

Rainforest

This guy and the ones below are from the Orchid House

Baby Pencocks showing us their defensive coloring.

Looking for Kung Fu Panda in the Bamboo Forest

Two weary children waiting for a train.

Flight Path Learning Center Museum LAX

2011-07-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

During our visit to the LAX Observation Deck on Father's Day, we learned about this cool museum that I'd never even heard of.

The Flight Path Museum is just that too, right on the flight path at LAX. You can stand at the back gate, which affords you a view of The Theme Building and Air Traffic Control tower, and watch planes take off and land. There's a small step platform located just inside the picture window for the little ones to get a good view of the action too. While there you will also hear the feed from the Air Traffic Control tower, which I thought was a nice touch.

The museum houses an impressive collection of aeronautic history of Los Angeles, from the beginnings of LAX airport, to the military planes manufactured in the valley. There's art work, models, old travel posters, a library and even a bronze sculpture (see photo below). Not to mention the collection of stewardess uniforms from every possible airline and era. My favorite was the TWA cutout suit (see photo below). One of my favorite pieces of artwork was the original concept drawing for the airport, futuristic stuff. Honestly I was surprised at how big the place was and there's much more than what I can detail here without making this post too long.

The highlight of the visit was the DC-3. Last owned by Union 76 and used to fly their executives around in the mid-seventies, now calls the tarmac at the museum home. We were allowed on to take pictures, ask questions and the kids got "fly" the plane much to their merriment and our picture taking enjoyment. The kids also got a goodie when they left, filled with coloring pages and crayons.

The museum is free and so is parking. Please be sure to hit up the donation box and sign the guest book before you leave to keep this gem fully operational.

Cheers!
J.

Carry on luggage;)

Look Mama, I'm flying the plane!

Add caption

Seems some things never change.

As I said above, some things haven't changed.

Vintage luggage on display. I swear my mother owed that make up case.

Models

Military models

Artwork

Historical photos

Displays of First Class set ups and more Flight Attendant uniforms.

This TWA uniform is my favorite.

LAX Observation Deck

2011-06-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning coffee at the Observation Deck of LAX

For Father's Day this year we headed out the the re-opened Observation Deck at LAX. It was the 50th anniversary of the Theme Building on which the Observation Deck is located on top of. To commemorate the occasion they gave out coins (see pics below) and a gift bag of the children.

The Deck is opened Sat & Sun 8-5 and is free.

Sunday morning coffee at the Observation Deck has been offered since Jan of this year. Arriving early gave us an opportunity to observe a Qantas Airbus A380 land. I'm not sure what was more eye catching, the giant plane landing or all those grown ups jockeying for a good shot of said plan. This is a plane that has captured the imagination of plane spotters, aviation geeks and your garden variety traveler alike.

The weather wasn't too cooperative, it was grey and overcast. But it was nice to check out the Observation Deck with it's 360 degree view of the airport, which also affords an opportunity to see the new International Terminal construction from end to end.

View of the Theme Building from the ground floor looking up.

View of Air Traffic Control Tower from the Observation Deck

Karl and his goodie bag.

Celebrity aircraft Airbus A380

Photos just don't do this plane and its size justice.

An end to end shot of the new Intl Terminal.

My Boba Baby Carrier in action.
I do not get paid to endorse their product but I highly recommend it.

Tim Burton at LACMA

2011-06-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

LACMA is currently hosting an awesome Tim Burton exhibition at the Resnick Pavilion.

The show starts with his beginnings in Burbank. There are models, sketchbooks, letters and costumes on display, really something for everyone to get into. These pics only represent a small portion of the total work on display. If you're even the slightest bit a Tim Burton fan I encourage you to check this out, great for kids too!

Before getting in line have a drink at the new Ray's & Stark Bar. We love all the locally sourced, small batch booze they stock.

The show runs through Oct 31st (probably because Jack Skellington is a little busy that day), but the lines are long (see last photo) so pack your patience when you go.

Cheers!
J.

Edward Scissor Hands reference located at the BP main entrance

Entrance to the exhibition

Model

Sketchbook

This little guy's head opens up unexpectedly.

The very end of the exhibit

Long lines

Richard Serra's "Sequence" is being moved out of BCAM this week

2011-06-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics of the move of Richard Serra's "Sequence" out of BCAM this week.

Assembly of the crane

View from Wilshire Blvd

I have no idea what these are. They're the same finish as the sculpture so perhaps braces of some sorts

My daughter in front of Richard Serra's "Sequence" June 17th, 2011

Sculpture soaring over BCAM bldg at LACMA
Source

LAX Bradley International Terminal Expansion and Modernization Project

2011-06-21T09:10:00.000-07:00

UPDATE AUG 19, 2011:

Here is a PDF of the latest photos of work completed on the terminal.

UPDATE:

Here's a video I found that has several great shots of what the new terminal and the rest of the airport will look like (fingers crossed) when finished.

Construction is well under way at the LAX International Terminal. There's going to be a brand new Intl terminal and I thought I'd post some pics of the construction in progress.

LAX is pretty much a dump, not much you can do to get around that. So this project makes me very happy. I realize it's a bit controversial due to the expense and the poor economy, but L.A. deserves a world class airport to greet the many people that come here from all over the world on a daily basis. Also, the new terminal will be better suited to handling the A380 and Boeing Dreamliner 787.

Recently the Tom Bradley Intl Arrivals area got a make over and I've also posted a few pics from there as well.

Here's a great link where you can watch the construction's daily progress and watch the countdown clock to completion. And here are some great shots taken June 7th as part of a progress report.

LAX Intl Terminal West under construction. This is the view to the right if you're facing the ocean. Designed to mimic the ocean waves and Santa Monica mountains.

This is the view to the left if you're facing the ocean from the roof of the Intl parking structure. The flag to the left of the shot hangs over the American Airlines terminal.

View from inside the Tom Bradley terminal left side lounge near Mc Donalds.

Close up

Couldn't resist some "magic hour" shots.

"Airplane Mama, airplane!"

This airport really does look better at night.

Tom Bradley Intl Terminal

Air traffic control tower with Theme Bldg in the background.

New Intl Arrivals area

Not to be a stick in the mud, but do you really need a BAR in Arrivals, nice looking though it may be?!

Art installation in new Arrivals Area Tom Bradley Intl

Boy they really did a number on this joint and cleaned it up.

Not pictured was the phone rental desk just beyond this shot. Aren't most cell phones world phones nowadays? I know I can use my iphone just about anywhere, so I'm not sure what the benefit is to renting a phone anymore.

I'll also be posting some pictures of Father's Day later on this week. We spent an hour or so on the re-opened Observation Deck located above Encounters and got some great shots of Qantas A380 landing.

Cheers!
J.

Hancock Park - New Prehistoric Garden

2011-06-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

Hancock Park is located between LACMA and the Page Museum and includes the La Brea Tar Pits. This morning a took a walk through this small park and found they've been up to some new landscaping.

This landscaping plays on the Page Museum housing so many prehistoric bones excavated from the tar pits. The idea is to show visitors what the area would have looked like in prehistoric times. They've done this sort of thing before and after a few years the site, located just cross the path, is really thriving.

If you have a little one going through their "dinosaur" phase, I recommend paying the Page a visit and of course be sure to check out the new greenery as well.

I also recommend this for anyone doing unschooling or experienced based education. With so many non-native plants used in landscaping in LA (remember it's really supposed to be a desert people) it's nice to show kids native plants that thrive and make positive contributions to the environment.

Cheers!

New prehistoric garden

Located just across the path is the original Pleistocene garden.

I suspect that this sloth will also be getting the "Pleistocene Garden" treatment as well.

Calico Cemetery

2011-06-08T21:57:00.000-07:00

As promised here are the pictures from the Calico Cemetery.

This is a working cemetery with some markers dating back to the late 1800's to current times.

Gilmore Classic Car Show @Farmers Market

2011-06-04T16:28:00.001-07:00

Every year, at the beginning of Summer, the Gilmore family hosts a classic car show at Farmer's Market. It's a fun little diversion on a Saturday afternoon if you're into classic cars.

To tell you the truth though, Bob's Big Boy in Burbank on Friday or Saturday night, any week of the Summer is just as good, if not better as the line up always changes.

Calico Ghost Town

2011-05-26T22:14:00.000-07:00

We took the kids out to Calico Ghost Town to expose them to a little of the Old West.

We panned for "gold", rode a train around the old mining town, camped out in a rustic cabin and saw more stars than we could count in the dark desert night.

Calico Ghost Town is just outside of Barstow, or about 2 1/2 hour drive East from Los Angeles. Yes, it's a bit kitchy and not a place you could spend more than a few hours in, but if you have little kids in tow it made for a perfect afternoon.

We also used it as an opportunity to "camp" with the kids and see how they'd do sleeping away from home. While we've traveled a bit with Karl (he's a champ at it) we haven't done ANYTHING with Simone that involved more than an hour drive owing to her being a bit of a routine freak. But to my surprised and relief she handled the drive well and the camping out even better. All that running around a ghost town made her not care where she was sleeping, just so long as Mommy and Daddy were near by.

Calico is an up hill walk from parking lot to school house.

School House

One of the original buildings still standing

Train trestle

View of town from the train

"Hey Sis, these boots are made for walking!"

Panning for "gold"

View of the "calico" hills from Look Out Point.

A Disney-like stunt lizard posed just so for us to take pics.

Kittens taking up residence in one of the old, original structures.

"Woody" and "Jesse" pajamas on but not ready for bed just yet.

Camping out in the modern world involves a laptop and a Pixar movie.

I'll be doing a separate post for the Calico Cemetery because there were just too many great shots to throw onto the end of this post.

Cheers!
J.

Rita Flora ~ Blink and you'll miss it...

2011-05-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

The economy is still wreaking havoc on retail here in LA.

Every weekend seems to bring another round of "Guess what closed?". I thought there was brightness on the horizon however Tuesday, when I spotted Rita Flora, seemingly setting up shop across the street from their former location, with a stand, chairs and flower pots.

But here it is Thursday morning and the lot looks like this...

And their former home still has a For Lease sign in the window.

Curbed LA has nothing more about the situation since their Dec 2009 blurb about Ludo Lefebvre possible moving in.

A peek over at Rita Flora's Facebook page and there's a small mention of a Mothers' Day Pop Up Shop so maybe that's all it was. I guess this means that Rita is still around in some form or another and hopefully will Pop Up again.

Cheers!
J.

Travel and Adventure Show - Los Angeles

2011-03-23T21:28:00.000-07:00

We took in the Los Angeles Times sponsored Travel and Adventure Show this past weekend.

The good news, for the travel industry is that, for a rainy Sunday afternoon, it was very well attended. The US side of the show was more popular than the "rest of the world" side. That could be because of the economy or because of the news from the Middle East and Japan. Be that as it may, the attendees were interested in just about everything the show had to offer, from low cost biking vacations, to luxury safari/spa retreats. They lined up for zip line demos, scuba demos and tried their hand at rock climbing. After a few dismal years for the Travel Industry, maybe we're all suffering from a bit of cabin fever and just want to get out there, even if there is only a state or two away.

This is the sight that greeted us the minute we walked in the door.

Mark Boster on photographing Yosemite.

Our favorite travel store in Pasadena, Distant Lands.

That's my 4 1/2 year old in my Boba carrier. I highly recommend it.

Signing the Best Wishes book for Japan


Zip line demo. With little adjustment, I now have my 2 1/2 year old in the same carrier.

Bike and Barge travel

Scuba demos

Dancing and music.

He's got the whole world in his hands, thanks to Best Western for the giveaway;)

..more music and dancing...

Rock climbing demos.

Noticeably absent from the show; Norway and New Zealand. Norway has had a big tourism push lately and I was eager to talk to someone face to face but was disappointed. As for New Zealand, well I always want to go to NZ and am always eager to talk about NZ, alas they were not there either.

I will however be doing a few posts about NZ in response to call by BlogNZ. If you have any questions about traveling in NZ, please feel free to ask.

Happy Trails!
J.

Featured in Varon Journal

2011-03-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Hi All!

I'm very excited that a photograph of mine, from this blog, was featured on Varon Journal today. This is one of my favorite Tumblr accounts.

Check them out when you get a chance.

Cheers!

Brooklyn Art Library

2011-03-10T14:56:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest show for The Sketchbook Project.

Photo Credit: Joel Zimmer Photography

Here's a link to the blog which features a list of upcoming shows.

March 12, 2011 12:00-6:00pm (during the SXSW festival!)	Austin, TX	Austin Museum of Art Located in the Community Room 823 Congress Ave Austin, TX

I haven't received my link to show you all my book just yet, but they promise that they are scanning as fast as they can.

Cheers!

Big Girl Room

2011-02-20T12:38:00.000-08:00

So my daughter has now graduated from nursery to Big Girl room. Check out the pics of the transformation below.

Cheers!

From nursery to Big Girl room


View looking out towards the library.

Detail of art work I made from card stock.

An old bookcase re-purposed as storage in the closet.

Pretty dresses all hung up.

The vintage bassinet we used for both kids, now a bed for dolls.

Froggy gets a place of honor. Nana's vintage pillow shams find a home.

Dolls, dolls dolls! Vintage illustrations turned into art work.

Vintage pages of children's books purchased on Portobello Rd in London

View of rose hook from Anthropologie we used to hang fabric over bed.

Dad's "art shot".

An end table and painted wooden rabbit donated by Nana help complete the look.

New Elephant Habitat - LA Zoo

2011-01-16T21:14:00.000-08:00

We paid a visit to the LA Zoo to check out the new elephant Habitat that recently opened. We were impressed with how much they tried to make the enclosure a respectful habitat for both elephants and a pleasurable area to visit for zoo goers. This is a far cry from the sad pit we visited a few years ago.

We hope that the LA Zoo continues to receive additional funding for the modernization of other animal enclosures.


Thai elephant "barn"


Elephant Plaza with life sized, metal sculptures of Asian elephants

Wasserman Family Thai Pavilion

replica of a Dai well

LA Chinatown - R.O.C. Centennial

2011-01-03T09:38:00.000-08:00

On Jan 1st, 2011 we decided to head to Los Angeles's Chinatown and stumbled upon the Republic of China's Centennial celebration. The crowd was manageable so we parked and enjoyed the last few minutes of dragon dancing and drums. The sun set as we took in the neon lit square and some of the traditional architecture.

We go to Chinatown a couple of times a year and noted that there were several empty store fronts with "For Lease" signs in them. A sign of the past year of hard economic times that I hope the new year will bring an end to.

Cross walk paving stone

Xmas on Third St

2010-12-13T21:31:00.000-08:00

A few nights ago we did the Xmas street party for Third St businesses near my house. It was a chance to say Hi to some old favorites (Pyrrha and Flight 001) and discover some cool new shops (New Stone Age and Magnolia Bakery).

First up, is Pyrrha.

Although this lovely little shop has only been opened a short while, I started my collection a few years ago at Lustre, where they were originally sold. The designers decided to start selling their own stuff themselves and opened their flagship LA shop on Third St.

It's a perfect location for them and their shop decor really reflects the aesthetic vibe of the area. Aside from just loving their work, I have three pieces so far and am already looking at my next (Xmas?!) acquisition, the designers themselves are just lovely people. They're great to talk to and work with and I especially appreciate the "green" aspects that they bring to their work.

Flight 001

This is a groovy little travel store where you'll find plenty to tempt you for your next trip. The kids loved these little "travel buddies" and I dig the matching travel wallet too.

New Stone Age

This was a great new find for us. It's hard to describe, just one of those stores that seem to have the usual, the curious and the "must have" things you never knew you needed. We could have spent hours in this store if only our children would have let us.

Magnolia Bakery

And just as we were calling it quits for the night, I spotted Magnolia Bakery. I'm sorry I didn't get a snap for you but I plan on visiting this place again and will do a full (er) write up on it. We took home cupcakes and brownies that were just divine. I'm thinking they may be my birthday cake spot now that I've sworn off of Hansen's.

http://www.magnoliacupcakes.com/home.php

HoHoHo!

Cheers!
J

Griffith Observatory

2010-12-02T14:23:00.000-08:00

We took the kids up to the Griffith Observatory in Griffith Park and it was the first time we've been there since the renovations were completed.

I can't tell you how impressed and pleasantly surprised I was at the overhaul. This town is not known for honoring historical buildings unless those buildings bring in money. Since the Observatory is free to the public I'm surprised it made the cut. But the renovations restored some of the 30's faded glamour to the building while modernizing some of the exhibits, adding even more public space, a proper gift store and a small cafe.

There's more going on here than we could possible cover in one day with two active children. We will definitely plan to go back and take in more of the additions, especially the Gunther Depths of Space exhibit.

Back side facing LA afford you some beautiful views day & night.

Look down and you'll see adventurous types hiking up the mountainside

Mural inside center dome

Foucault Pendulum

Tesla Coil

View from the West observation terrace

Detail from a top the elevator shaft to the observation terrace

Inside the East observation dome

Prague Astronomical Clock 600th Anniversary mapping show

2010-11-19T14:14:00.000-08:00

I found this on Twitter this morning and have watched it twice.

Hope you enjoy it too.

This is the Astronomical Clock in Prague. This show was done on Oct 9th for its 600th Anniversary. I'm sorry I'm missed it because it looks like a hell of show was put on.

A different view:

The 600 Years from the macula on Vimeo.

Mapping done by:www.themacula.com

Happy Anniversary!!

2010-11-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

Today is my 8th wedding Anniversary. Here are a few shots of our wedding which took place at Stonefield Castle in Tarbert

Scotland.

The Town of Tarbert

The rehearsal dinner

The Dress

The Dress, the Designer and The Mother-In-law

The Haggis

The Groom and his wedding party


The Bagpipe Player

The Happy Couple

The Castle


The setting.

The Scenery

The Dinner

Damon and I would, once again, like to thank our good friend Claudia Christian, for introducing us and helping us get back together and then marrying us. We Love You!

The Ceremony and the Woman that started it all.

Haunted California in books

2010-10-26T23:06:00.000-07:00

I love a good ghost story and of course this is the perfect time of year for one, especially if it's a local ghost story. I have two books to recommend to you if you're into that sort of thing, I know I am.

First up in "Ghost Stories of California" written by Barbara Smith. This book includes stories about the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (haunted by the ghost of Marilyn Monroe) to The Queen Mary (the pool still used by ghost of guest that never disembarked). While it covers all of California, my one critique is that it lacks addresses or enough information for the reader to do a little ghost hunting of her own (ahem).

For me, the more interesting of the two is "Haunted Houses of California" written by Antoinette May. Hers is broken down by area (Northern Cal first, all the way down to San Diego in that order), and gives not only addresses and directions (where prudent), she'll even list phone numbers and days opened where appropriate (The Winchester House). One of my favorite stories is Pacheco Pass. I had an opportunity to take said Pass a few years ago, but was in too much of a hurry to get home. Re-reading the passage tonight I'm sort glad I passed on this one .

I did however check out Thelma Todd's Garage. "The Ice Cream Blonde" started her career in 1926 and over the next 9 years made 107 films with Hollywood heavies Gary Cooper, Humphrey Bogart and Buster Keaton. Her ghost is now said to haunt the very garage her dead body was found in one night in Dec 1935. While it was obvious she was murdered, her death was ruled an accident. It's a fascinating tale, with gangsters, a jealous lover and an ex-husband. I regret terribly that I'm unable to find the pictures I took of both the roadside cafe she and her lover Roland West opened on PCH (it still stands and is a production company) and of the very garage she was found dead in. If I ever find them I will post them, even if it's not Halloween.

Boo!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-24T21:31:00.000-07:00

We checked out Shawn's Pumpkin Patch in Culver City near Fox Hills Mall. The pumpkin selection was great and the prices fairly cheap. They also had a Petting Zoo, a "train" ride, face painting, and a jumpy castle. We did the petting zoo, bought a pumpkin and did the hay bale maze, but decided against the train ride, which paled in comparison to the one at Griffith Park.

Entrance to Shawn's Pumpkin Patch in Culver City

The last Sunday before Halloween it was pretty busy.

We can never pass up a petting zoo.

Looks like Older Brother is up to no good at the hay bale maze.


A little help with the pumpkin carving.

Boo!
J.

Saint Louis One Cemetery, New Orleans

2010-10-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

Cities of the Dead

I describe New Orleans thus: "Visiting New Orleans is like paying a visit to an aging prostitute: She'll get you off, but her moves are just a bit too practiced, the wallpaper a bit tatty and she's just a bit too quick to take your money and kick you out of bed.

I was fortunate to have visited New Orleans before Katrina. The following are pictures from my visit to the infamous Saint Louis One.

The moment I arrived in New Orleans I asked to be taken to St Louis 1 but was told that it was too late in the day. It was not really safe to go there after dark as it was located next to the Iberville housing project which was built over Storyville. 

The next day it was raining rather heavily and I made note of the signs suggested I was entering at my own risk and I would be safer as a part of a tour. The rain seemed to keep everyone away except for myself, which is why you don't see a living soul in these pictures. 

New Orleans is located well below sea level, the dead are buried in above-ground tombs or vaults. These tombs, which can resemble small architectural buildings, have earned the New Orleans' cemeteries the grand nickname, " The Cities Of The Dead."

cribbed from: Haunted New Orleans Tours.

Two days later I returned under blue skies and the presence of tourists. 

Tomb of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau

SL1 is home to the voodoo Queen Marie Laveau. According to legend, one knocks on her grave three times, marks the tomb with three X's in chalk or brick, knock three times again and make your wish.

Then you must leave an offering.

45 and counting....

2010-10-18T21:31:00.000-07:00

I've had a great birthday weekend celebrating my 45th birthday. I'm half way to my goal of living to 90!!

This is the birthday video my husband made for me that I thought I would share. Who knew I smiled that much!!

Thank you baby, I love you too.

I haven't forgotten about Halloween mind you, I'll have pictures of St. Louis One, New Orleans up this week.

Cheers!

J.

Old Jewish Cemtery Prague

2010-10-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

This will be the last of my creepy Prague photos for my countdown to Halloween.

For our 1st Wedding Anniversary and my In-Laws 40th Wedding Anniversay, my husband took the four of us to Prague to celebrate. He had been there a few times before and was happy to play tour guide.

One of our first stops, the Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague. This is a huge tourist spot in Prague and it's easy to see why. Located in the Josefov in Prague, this cemetery dates back to the early 15th century. It contains some 12,000 tombstones but the number buried here is much greater, with some estimates as much as 100,000 due to layer upon layer of soil added in order to accommodate more graves.

These last two are not of the cemetery but of the Charles Bridge.

I included this one for its eeriness.

Do you know how early you have to get up to see the Charles Bridge this deserted? VERY early!!

Boo!

Sedlec Ossuary Kutna Hora

2010-10-07T00:30:00.000-07:00

Dead Men Tell No Tales - Part II

Gosh, I had no idea how many creepy, haunted photos I had until I started pulling them together for my countdown to Halloween.

These are photographs I took inside the Sedlec Ossuary in Kutna Hora in the Czech Republic. Also, known as The Bone House or Bone Church, most of these shots, as you can see, are rather arty on my part. You can see clear, detailed shots here.

You can read more about the Ossuary by clicking the links but the summary version is thus:

One half-blind monk, using the bones of victims of the Black Death and a war created everything (and more!) you see here. Including the chandelier that has at least one of each bone of the human body represented in it.

The skull that you saw in my Halloween tablescape in a previous post was a cast taken from one of the skulls of the Ossuary, in other words, it's not a real skull.

Boo!
J.

Chandelier of bones

Schwarzenberg Coat-of-Arms

The camera I was using had an infrared setting I liked to use on this type of subject.

Haunting Images - Part I

2010-10-06T03:00:00.000-07:00

Continuing my Halloween Theme....This image is a photograph I took of a photograph by Jan Saudek.

We were in a pub in Prague when I saw a framed photograph of this girl on the wall. I asked the barman about it and he told me it was by Jan Saudek. I had never heard of him but was fascinated by this and his other works hung around the bar. When I took this photo the reflection of the bar in the glass made for a haunting image that I enjoy for its creepy, ghost like feel to it.

From Wikipedia:

Some of the works of Jan Saudek have entered popular culture in the West, being used as covers for the CD albums of Anorexia Nervosa (band) (New Obscurantis Order), Soul Asylum (Grave Dancers Union), Daniel Lanois (For the Beauty of Wynona), and Beautiful South (Welcome to the Beautiful South).

Image of woman by Jan Saudek

Dead Men Tell No Tales

2010-09-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

I usually have a rule about decorating for Halloween before Oct 1st, but I broke it.

It was 103F/39.44C degrees in Los Angeles today. We didn't even see those temps in Summer so of course it only makes sense to see them after the 1st day of Fall. I kept the kids inside in the air conditioning and did a bit of Halloween tablescaping.

Believe it or not, all these thing were just lying around my library shelves.

I'll see if I can find my pictures from Kutna Hora for you. They'll make a great Halloween post in and of themselves.

The Absinthe fountain my husband gave me for Xmas after our trip to Prague.

J. Is A Bird

Best Coffee in Los Angeles!

The Getty and Pacific Standard Time

Occupy LA

#AMLP

Palm Springs

The Spider Pavilion at the Natural History Museum Los Angeles

De Wain Valentine's Gray Column at The Getty Center

Highland and Hollywood Center

Aquarium of the Pacific

Orange Drive Farmers Market Hollywood

New Dinosaur Hall at Natural History Museum Los Angeles

9/11/11 LAX

Long Beach Antique Market

Papoo's Hot Dog Show closed

LA Flower Mart

Travel Photo Thursday: Waiheke Island New Zealand

Amtrak from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara

The Los Angeles Arboretum

Flight Path Learning Center Museum LAX

LAX Observation Deck

Tim Burton at LACMA

Richard Serra's "Sequence" is being moved out of BCAM this week

LAX Bradley International Terminal Expansion and Modernization Project

Hancock Park - New Prehistoric Garden

Calico Cemetery

Gilmore Classic Car Show @Farmers Market

Calico Ghost Town

Rita Flora ~ Blink and you'll miss it...

Travel and Adventure Show - Los Angeles

Featured in Varon Journal

Brooklyn Art Library

Austin, TX

Austin Museum of Art

Big Girl Room

New Elephant Habitat - LA Zoo

LA Chinatown - R.O.C. Centennial

Xmas on Third St

Griffith Observatory

Prague Astronomical Clock 600th Anniversary mapping show

Happy Anniversary!!

Haunted California in books

Pumpkin Patch

Saint Louis One Cemetery, New Orleans

45 and counting....

Old Jewish Cemtery Prague

Sedlec Ossuary Kutna Hora

Haunting Images - Part I

Dead Men Tell No Tales