Venice Stroll

I remember the day that I first saw the Venice canals in LA. They were truly a marvel... The fact that someone would purposely recreate the world-famous waterways of that enchanting Italian city seemed like an act of complete devotion and nuttiness. They were built in 1905, and have endured years of homeowners and tourists.

Bee and I recently took a stroll around the canals, and were charmed by the tranquility and coziness of the (sometimes gigantic) homes.

Just In Case You Doubted It...

Blooms for Boston

A few pretty blooms, for all of those who experienced the tragic event at the Boston Marathon on Monday. God bless.

Sticky Fingers

I have a confession to make. I shoplift. I've shoplifted on multiple occasions. I haven't reached troubled-starlet proportions yet... I don't swipe goods from high-end boutiques.

I take things like baguettes, frozen burritos, and paper towels.

I suppose you could say that I coerce people to steal things for me. I distract them with my God-given charms. Use what you've got, I say. They're really putty in my hands, those poor saps. They think that they're just running errands, and crossing items off the grocery list. The power of distraction is an amazing thing. My effectiveness is less than 5%, but I'm only just getting started.

Once I start throwing tantrums on a regular basis, they'll give me whatever I want, just so I don't make a scene. I just hope my plan doesn't backfire. I like going for walks with Mama and Dada to the store.

Maybe I should cut them some slack. They do so much for me already... I guess that they can't remember everything. The lower basket of the stroller, the shopping cart, or even my little hands escape their view, and they forget what they've put there. My powers are endless! 

One Day Without Shoes

By now, we've all heard of TOMS shoes. What I really love about the company is their policy of "one-for-one." For every pair sold, they give a pair to a child in need. Imagine the limitations that you would encounter because you didn't have shoes.

On Tuesday, April 16, join in for "One Day Without Shoes". While it might be a challenge to get a big group together today, I figure that any amount of participation is helpful.

Bee and I are in... How about you?

Little Pleasures: I Love LA

Although I did not grow up in Los Angeles, it really has become home to me. In a few years, I will have lived in this town for 20 years. So, I think it's fitting that I share some images of why, like Randy Newman wrote, "I love LA."

You can't beat the iconic palm trees.

The drive up PCH to Malibu is beautiful.

Brunch at the W in Westwood is tops.

Venice balances weird and hip in the best way.

Museum Monday: LACMA

Levitated Mass

 The Mondrian-esque awning

 Urban Light (in the daytime)

Spaghetti

 Watercolors in The Boone Children's Gallery

Another Museum Monday! LA is full of wonderful museums, and while the draw is usually to go inside to view the art, many museums also offer plenty of attractions outside the building(s).

We met up with friends and had a great time at LACMA over the weekend. While you do have to pay for parking and admission there, we bypassed reaching into our pockets because we parked near our friends' house, and just walked around outside and enjoyed the various installations. 

Levitated Mass caused a stir in the Miracle Mile area when it was installed, and it truly is impressive in person. We're talking several tons of rock suspended over a walkway that is barely as wide as the boulder itself.

Bee had fun playing "peek-a-boo" in the plastic spaghetti and just running around the plaza. She was truly unfazed by the number of people there. Everything was exciting and fun to her, so she loved being part of the hustle and bustle.

We ended our time at the Boone Children's Gallery (it's free). You can go in there, sit down at a table, and paint Korean-brush watercolors to your heart's content. I found it so theraputic and calming. I think it's time to renew our membership at LACMA.

My Favorite Florist

I love having fresh flowers at home. They instantly brighten up a room, and make me feel cheerful each time I see them. The only setback is that it can be expensive to buy pretty posies each week. Enter Trader Joe's.  

Trader Joe's is just the best! If that store sold cute clothes and accessories, in addition to all of the great food, I'd buy stock in a heartbeat (is it even a publicly "traded" company?). Anyway, I've recently gotten into the habit of picking up flowers there during my weekly trip for groceries. I can truthfully say that the couple of weeks when peonies are available there is an exciting time in my life.

Have a lovely weekend!

College Season

The Wall Street Journal recently ran an op-ed piece by college hopeful Suzy Weiss. In it, she writes about being rejected from several colleges/universities to which she applied. The controversy surrounding the writer is that many people who've read the essay feel that she's an entitled brat who needs to realize that we don't always get everything we want in life. 

It has almost been 15 years since I left college, but I remember that the application process was terribly stressful, and I felt that my test scores and extra-curricular activites wouldn't be enough to get me accepted to a good school. I happily got in to my first choice (GO BRUINS!), and enjoyed my 4 years there.

You can see Weiss speak about her essay here. Do you find humor or truth in what she writes, or not? What are your feelings or memories about applying to college?

Note: The notebooks pictured above are from grad school... Yes, I still have a heap of them stowed under my bed. Why? I don't know, but they could be helpful to show Bee in the future. Or, they're an ideal home for silverfish. We'll see.

Little Pleasures: Bee's Interests

Reading books

Breaking in some new kicks

Neighborhood watch

Bee is becoming so independent. Now that she's a toddler, she really likes to do things on her own. It's a such a treat to see her turning into a real kid. The snapshots above demonstrate just a few of her interests:

1. Every day we read heaps of books, but I'm always tickled when she sits down and looks through them by herself. 
2. She used to hate it when I tried to put shoes on her feet. Now, whenever she sees me holding her shoes, she picks her feet up as if to say "Put 'em on me, so I can go!".
3. Bee loves to gaze out the window, watch the birds fly by, and marvel at the trees and clouds. She especially enjoys watching raindrops fall down the windowpane... Everything new that she sees is fascinating to her (and us)!