Catching Up With Coffee

Time for a little coffee date! I have gotten really good with Brent's espresso machine and I am liking the strong espresso taste more and more. In college my drink of choice was an extra sweet vanilla latte or caramel macchiato, now I prefer the not sweet plain latte or cappuccino, nice and strong. But I can make vanilla lattes, macchiatos, mochas, or even peppermint mochas...what can I make you?

If we were meeting for coffee, I would ask how your weekend was. Do anything exciting or just relax? Eat anything yummy? Get in some laughs? Ours was relaxing. Saturday night we saw the movie "The Fighter" and tried out a delicious new burger place...best homemade buns I have had in a long time. The movie was really good, the cast was what made it for me. I had to stand in the back of the theater for half of it though...my back pain was making me squirm around in my seat like crazy and felt bad for the people behind me.

Sunday we met Kaitlin and Jordan at the beach, the boys surfed and Kait and I watched, took photos, and admired the beautiful sunset. Every time I see a pretty sunset like this, it feels like a brand new experience because no two are alike. The colors, the clouds, the clarity, the way it changes after the sun disappears behind the horizon.

Yesterday, I was picking up my uncle from the train station, and I pulled up 5 seconds before the train pulled in front of my view. But for an instant, I could see the ocean on the other side of the tracks as the sun illuminated a crashing wave making it glow bright green. The train came and hid the sight, but it made me appreciate these moments...the moments you see such beauty only nature can provide. The moments that will never be replicated exactly, the moments that build upon each other and string together a mental library of images of how incredible this natural beauty truly is.

If we were meeting for coffee I would ask you if you saw the Oscar nomination list. I get so excited for the Academy Awards every year...my mom and her best friend used to throw a big party where everyone made themed food relating to the movies. Brent and I have done this on a much smaller scale the past few years, but I enjoy it very much. I like that there are now 10 Best Picture nominations instead of 5, and I hope to see them all before the show.

Then I would share with you some things that made me laugh this week:

I saw this commercial yesterday and I could not stop laughing

I was browsing the app store in itunes and found this Girl Scout Cookie Locater App. Haha yes, I did download it. Before you make fun of me, it was free, and curiosity got the best of me. There are none being sold currently, must be off season...but this could be very dangerous...

Yesterday I was watching TV and somehow got completely sucked into the VH1 Behind the Music of 50 Cent. It was fascinating!! Did you know he used to be a meth dealer, and then when got into music he chose the name because it represented a 'change'. Did you know he got shot in the cheek and still has a bullet fragment lodged in his tongue and that is why he kind of talks and sings the way he does? Ohh guilty pleasures...I'm a sucker. Have you been watching Teen Mom 2? If you thought last season was intense...

I hope you have a great week, and thanks to Amy for hosting coffee this morning.

Southern California Winter

It has been more like summer than winter here the last week...incredibly warm, sunny, clear blue skies and beautiful sunsets.

Cracked

I have been taking and very much enjoying Tracey Clark's photography classes. I am in my third now: Picture Winter. Each morning waiting for me like a little present is an email with a prompt and her photo for that day. I usually open it first thing in the morning, mull over the prompt, shoot some different photos throughout the day and choose my favorite to submit.

Well the prompt a few days ago was "cracked open," and I may have unintentionally taken it a bit too literally. Driving home from Brent's house I passed Doheney Beach and it was so beautiful I had to stop to take photos. Maybe I would even find something that would apply to the prompt. Five minutes out of getting out of my car, I was taking this photo of a puddle covering cracked mud, when BAM!

My brand-new, six day old baby of an iphone 4 fell out of my jacket packet, from ONE foot off the ground, and when I picked it up, it looked like this:

Dad, if you are reading this, don't worry, you can stop cringing, this story has a happy ending, I promise. But needless to say, I was bummed. Iphones are NOT cheap and I had a feeling "stupid enough not to put the phone in a tight, safe spot" is not one of the problems covered under warranty. But it's me, I am a photographer who when I see something photo-worthy, I pull over the car, I make Brent wait for me as I fall behind on our walks oohing and ahhing at every little thing with my camera, and it's me, who, as freaked out I was about having to prepare an iphone funeral, I continued on to the beach to take some shots. I was already there dangit, and my phone was shattered, and it felt like someone was throwing softball-sized rocks at my back. I was GOING to get at least one good shot!!

Back to the phone. I went to the Apple store and just as I suspected, "stupid enough not to put the phone in a tight, safe spot" is not covered under warranty. "That'll be $199 dollars" says the apple genius man. But he waited just long enough for it to sink in and allow my eyes and mouth to grow into three gigantic circles before adding "but since you only had it less than a week, we'll cover it for you." OH MY. I had the case on. I dropped it from a foot off the ground. Why did it shatter? Apparently, it doesn't matter even if you have it in the strongest of cases, if it lands on the "sweet spot" it will break. But I think I was rewarded for being patient, for staying at the beach to snap those pretty photos, for keeping my cool and staying calm. Because on the drive home was this amazing sunset:

If this ordeal (I know, I know it is just a phone, but...) had not happened, I probably would have been inside the house and completely missed out on this incredible sunset!! Glad it is over.

A Little Sunshine

"Keep your face always toward the sunshine -

and shadows will fall behind you."

-Walt Whitman

I was inspired today by the prompt in Tracey Clark's Picture Winter class. Although we had some rain and cooler temperatures, Tuesday I awoke to an absolutely beautiful day. The sun shone bright, crisp clean air, and not a cloud in the sky. Everything was still covered in droplets of water from the previous day's rain, catching the gleam of the sunlight and sparkling like jewels. The backyard had been transformed overnight and the plants and flowers stood tall boasting their beauty.

{Project 365 Day 4}

I began to think about the magnificence of the sun in the most primitive sense. The word could not survive without it, allowing humans and nature to thrive. But it also brings out the best in people, and is used as a synonym for cheery, happy, and bright.

Tracey's prompt involved finding something to photograph that mimicked the colors and or shape of the sun. While sunshine is not in our daily lives, both physically and metaphorically, we can do our best to create our own. Some days are cloudy and gray, some are happy and some are sad, some are productive some are frustrating. But encouraging ourselves to find a little bit of sunshine in some form or another can keep us going. I am working hard to find those little moments, people, and places that light up my life, and surround myself with them daily.

{Day 4 Picture Winter - "A Little Sunshine"}

The Calm After the Storm

After record rainfall for 6 days, Southern California has had a brief reprieve until another storm is expected to hit. As we received half of the annual rainfall during those 6 days, the news was dotted with stories of mudslides and floods in surrounding cities. I uncovered my rainboots, and my scarves and coats made a daily appearance.

In Del Mar for a bridal shower the Wednesday before Christmas, it was raining hard while we were inside for the party. But when it was over, we walked outside to the first break in the rain. Everything still soaking wet and decorated by water droplets, puddles just begging to be splashed through, and a quiet that comes only after such a storm. Animals emerge from their shelter, and nature takes a breath of fresh air as it can finally take a break from the incessant wetness. The air feels and smells cleaner, and people peek out of their houses wondering if it is finally safe to leave without an umbrella. Before life in Southern California returns to it's normal sunshine and easy living, this is the calm before the storm.

Rain + Holiday lights = Magic

Pearl and Buns

The weather is changing. We may not have the snow and ice and rain the rest of the country is facing, but the drop in temperature is calling for scarves, boots and coats. Meet Grandma Pearl and Buns the French Bulldog, both greeting the weather in style.
My grandma Pearl is 90 years old going on 30. She is never seen without her rings, bracelets and necklace upon necklace. She has an entire closet bigger than my bedroom, filled with beautiful clothes and jewelry. A New York native, she was steeped in fashion and still exudes elegance and style.
This is Buns. While out Christmas shopping I made a stop at the Pannikin, a local coffee and tea house for a latte. Sitting outside with owner Lance, Buns looked so cute and elegant with the fur collar.

Weekend Thankfuls #4 & #5

Did you ever play Head's Up Seven Up in elementary school?? Those rare southern California rainy days were exciting to me even as a kid, and I loved the change of staying inside during recess to play the game. I had a boyfriend in 2nd grade - Nick. During that year when we played this game, we would always choose each other so we always won. Little cheaters, yes, but we thought we were sneaky.

When living in San Francisco, I loved to walk in the rain. Most would grumble about the thought of taking public transportation and walking from class to class in the rain, yet I was in heaven. What's not to love?....

The smell

The feel

The cold, crisp air

Bundling up in coats and boots and scarves

Pleasing my inner-child and splashing through puddles

Coming back to the warmth of home

Changing into dry clothes, with a blanket and something warm to drink

For as long as I can remember I have always stated 'if I had it my way, it would rain every day and I would be happy'. And people have always responded by telling me I would get sick of it. Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn't. But perhaps it is good I live in a place where rain is an infrequent occurrence, because it makes me love and appreciate it that much more when it does drop in for a visit.

Thankful #4 - Today I am thankful for the rain. I can't help but smile when I wake up to the sound of rain. Whether you share my feeling or call me crazy, I am so very thankful for this simple pleasure nature gifts to me.

Thankful #5 - Today I am thankful that I live in southern California. I miss city life and there are many, many other places I am so curious about and am dying to see. But for now at least, I am thankful to be close to most of my family, close to the ocean, sandwiched between San Diego and Los Angeles. And I sure cannot complain about the weather, I feel pretty lucky to call this home. It makes me happy knowing that most people feel this way about the place they call home.

Rainy Weekend

I love rain, and always have. Yesterday was drizzly all day, we got bagels and coffee, then caught up on movies and our TV shows. Some photos taken on a damp walk through Brent's complex...

Fickle Fall

Dear 2010,

You seem to be a confused year. You brought a summer absent of heat and sun, filled instead with gloomy weather and June bugs who stayed through July.

And now, Fall seems to be suffering from an identity crises. Just days after the first of Fall, we were hit with a heat wave. A heat wave that brought very un-fall-like weather. On Monday I had swim, and it was 106 in Irvine. Once at home, I was welcomed by 110 degrees! No that is not a typo...you can see in the photo I took as proof.

The rest of the week cooled down a bit but was still very very warm. Today brought dark greyish-purple sky, still in the 80s, and very muggy. But looking around, there are signs of Autumn, especially in the trees. Leaves are changing color, and trees looking more bare.

Last night ended in a beautiful sunset...

But I am missing that cool, crisp weather I associate with the season. I know it is barely even Fall and I am probably just impatient. But what's it going to be? Maybe we need a Punxsutawney Phil for the transition from Summer into Fall to let is know if it is for real!

Painted Sky

Sunrise, sunset

Sunrise, sunset

Swiftly flow the days

Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers

Blossoming even as we gaze

Sunrise, sunset

Sunrise, sunset

Swiftly fly the years

One season following another

Laden with happiness and tears

I will take the hot weather if it means incredible sunsets like this! I have a huge amount of sunset photos stashed away. Ranging from San Francisco to Europe, up and down the west coast, Mexico, even Africa, and beyond. Each unique in its colors, the patterns of clouds, gradation in hues, and each feeling like a completely new experience. Some days the sunset brings nothing special and on some not even visible. But others, with the striking combination of pink, orange, blue, purple...look like someone swept the sky with bright watercolor paints and illuminated the scene from behind. I love the way the colors change from minute to minute, even after the sun is no longer visible. When most people leave after the sun disappears, I like to stay because it continues to change and develop. The most beautiful I have ever seen were in Africa. They did a lot of controlled burning of the brush, and the bright orange sun against the smoke created a breathtaking sight.

Sharing the experience of watching such beauty with someone is special & even romantic. I also feel a sense of security with the setting sun - the sun always sets, and the next day it always rises. With my back pain and current situation some days are more challenging than others. But just as the light is swept away so is the day, wiping clean our slates with promise of a new day, a fresh start. Just like the above lyrics say, the days come and go quickly, bringing the good and the bad, and something great can happen overnight. When my days are too much to handle I can take assurance in that once I see the sunlight begin to fade, I know I made it through the day and cross my fingers for the next. Maybe I will wake up tomorrow and my seedlings will turn to sunflowers and my pain will be gone...or if that is aiming to high, I hope to have a nice day spent with someone I love, make someone laugh, take a great photo, and if I am lucky...see another sunset like this! Because with such a magnificent sight as this, what a sweet, special, & beautiful way to end the day.

*lyrics from "Sunrise, Sunset" from Fiddler on the Roof

*Photos taken at Pines Park, Dana Point, CA