The three airheads

There are times in your life when you really realize your age.
Sometimes it’s seeing an old friend after many years.
Sometimes it’s seeing the kids you used to babysit with their own children.
And sometimes, like today, it’s when you try to keep up with your own kids.

And that’s just what I did. In fact, I think I did a pretty good job considering I’m not even in my 20’s anymore (not even close, in fact). A few months ago I had purchased a Groupon for Air Heads. Air Heads is a giant indoor trampoline and it’s tons of fun. Click on the link and watch the video and I dare you to tell me that it’s not fun! We had an hour of jumping fun but by 13 minutes into the hour, I was out of breath. I should have paced myself. There was heavy breathing, some sweat and lots and lots of laughs! Ethan was more willing to jump for the camera:

I’m linking this picture of Ethan with Sweet Shot Tuesday.

Jackson obliged but wasn’t in the mood to keep at it until I got the perfect shot:Ethan even got behind the camera to take my jumping picture. Before you judge my hairdo and overall appearance, please know that this was at the end of an HOUR of jumping:

When our hour was up, we spent a few minutes in the arcade. Enough time for them to get a bajillion tickets.

I realized it was all worth it when we left the building. As we walked out of the doors, Jackson stopped and gave me the biggest hug and kiss and said, “Thanks mom. I didn’t know it was possible but I love you even more.” I love my kids. 

Acoustic Alley with Friends of Giants

Last night, two thirds of our band, Friends of Giants, recorded an acoustic set on the beach. We met up with William who films a series called Acoustic Alley for The Blue Indian. He recorded us performing two of our songs. It was so much fun. We even had a few onlookers from the boardwalk. I love doing different things like this and hope to do it again sometime.

Since it was pretty dark, my pictures didn’t come out that great. Even the iPhone can’t create sunlight.

Once the video is done, I’ll update this post with a link. Have a great weekend!

Interview with an interviewer

Just a short little post today. I went to CTN (Christian Television Network) to tape a segment for the show Homekeepers about my interview with Roma Downey. The episode will air on CTN (Christian Television Network) in about a week. It wasn’t a long interview but they’re going show a clip of my interview with Roma as well as a clip from a Little Angels episode. Oh yeah, I also baked a pie on the show! It was my Chocolate Chess Pie (Jackson’s favorite). In case you wanted to see my interview with Roma, you can check it out here:

I didn’t take any pictures while at the studio today; I was too focused on not sounding like a complete dork. Have a great evening!

Found ’round

One of the things I’d like to start doing is sharing with you things that I’ve found ’round the internet. I still need a title for this series but until I figure one out, enjoy these videos… 

I’ve always had this grand idea that I could be a great dancer. In the mid 90’s Ken & I even took our share of swing dancing lessons. It was a fantastic time and I’ll never forget getting dressed up to go swing dancing in Ybor. The Sugar Palm is now closed but I’ll always have those memories. Here’s a great dance video that celebrates all types of dance:

And how amazing would it be to sit in the middle of this show? This is the neatest video I’ve seen online in a really long time. {Note, it starts off as a slide show, so don’t close the video thinking it’s just jumpy}

I’m not sure about this last one. I always considered myself the soccer mom dare-devil. Meaning I’m the mom that will go on all the roller coasters with Ethan and his friends while their moms wait with the younger siblings. But doing this? I don’t this so. While I think it’d be a great documentary to watch, you won’t find me dangling by a tight rope, parachute or not!

What have you been finding around the ole internet these days?

The year of the camera

For the Chinese, 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit. But for me, this is the Year of the Camera. Remember when my friend Vickie gave me this camera? Well, for my birthday I got two more cameras! Can you believe it? Vickie sent me this Brownie with a box and owner’s manual!! Look at this baby:I can’t wait to get some film and see if it works! Even if it doesn’t work, it’ll be a great addition to my collection. Then, a few days after I got home from my California trip, my other friend Raegan gave me this little number:This is a Metascoflex TLR (TLR stands for twin lens reflex – instead of today’s SLR, single lens reflex).This one didn’t have an owner’s manual but came in this awesome leather case.It has a little window that pops up on top and becomes your viewfinder!And this is probably my favorite picture I’ve taken in a long time. 

305/365:

Thank you, friends! You’ve sent me over the moon with your gifts. See guys, I told you I had the best friends anyone could ask for!

California’s Venice canals

This is my last post for my California trip. Hopefully I haven’t bored you to tears with the last few posts. The morning of my last day, I headed to the shore just one more time to soak up the sounds of the Pacific Ocean. I even scooped up a bit of sand to take home with me. 

Since I didn’t have to be at the airport for a few hours, I decided to hit the Venice canals. You read right. They’re just like the canals in the other Venice. Well, maybe not exactly but pretty close. The last time I went to California they were under construction so there was really nothing to see. But there was plenty to see this time! I think I’ve found my next place to live:

The houses were amazing here. Don’t you agree?

I’ll take the one on the right, please. All the houses were fixed up so pretty with flowers, plants and perfect outdoor furniture.

This house even had matching flowers:

This was the neatest place. Nestled in the city is this quiet neighborhood. You’d never know it was here unless you knew to look for it. I’m so glad I had the time to stop by and see it. And as soon as I move into one of those houses, I’ll let you guys know and we can have a great big party!

 

I love technology

Here’s another movie for you: Napoleon Dynamite. Did you see it? Did you see the song at the end? Where Kip sings to his bride about his love for technology? If you haven’t seen it, click here for a 30 second clip of the song. Just like Kip, I love technology. And here’ why: all through my vacation, I was posting photos & updates on Facebook so my family & friends could follow along. I emailed a fellow blogger from the shore and even had a couple of friends download the Find My Friends app so they could follow me on my adventures (thanks Anthony & Melissa!). It was so delightful sharing my fun experiences in and around Santa Monica.

After my time at Leo Carillo Beach, I was hungry. Before I even left for California, my friend Vickie from Lilacs and Cupcakes had told me that I just had to eat at one of her favorite cafes. She couldn’t remember the name, couldn’t remember the address but knew it was across the street from the beach & the Malibu police station. But when I looked up the police station, it was miles from the beach. We went back and forth with text messages and she told me it was right in the middle of a shopping center on PCH. We were getting close: I only saw two shopping centers on PCH. I took a guess, pulled into one, took a picture & sent it to her asking if this was the right one. Lo and behold, it was! Now do you see why I love technology? My friend in Missouri was giving me “directions” to a cafe in Malibu! 

I had a delicious burger at Coogi’s Beach Cafe. Inside, it looks more like a diner than a cafe but the food was divine. I had the pesto burger and oh.my.gosh. So very good.

When I left Coogi’e I decided to head up toward Los Angeles. My friend, Kevin (who lives in Florida), has a brother, Tom, that works at Fox Studios and I was going to meet Tom for dinner. This isn’t something I normally do; meet strangers for dinner but I just had a feeling that this would be fun. Since I still had a couple of hours before dinner, I thought I’d drive around Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive for a bit. I posted on Facebook that I was heading that way and I really felt like everyone at home was cheering me on as I went. I got requests for pictures (but they felt more like threats if I didn’t get pictures). I rushed to get there before dark but the California traffic was working against me. I got there in enough time to snap this picture from the car:

Not a great picture, but proof that I made it! While receiving directions from my dad over the phone, I found The Witch’s House. This old house was in several silent films and can also be seen in Clueless (one of my guilty pleasures).

I told Facebookland that I was now heading to Rodeo Drive. Again, I got requests (or threats) for pictures. Most of the stores were closed when I arrived but, like Beverly Hills, I got some pictures to prove that I was there. I didn’t realize that the window displays are so extravagant there.

Ralph Loren:

Chanel:
Most of the other pictures are too dark to see much of anything but I still had fun wandering around pretending that I could go into any store and buy whatever I wanted. From a new Hugo Boss suit for Ken to some jewelry for me from Cartier. And then I found the mothership: Paper Source. It’s a cute little shop with all things paper and paper crafts including books, wrapping paper, cards, rubber stamps, home decorations. I could have spent an hour in there! But I think the craziest thing I saw at Rodeo Drive were parking meters that take credit cards. Super convenient and a great idea but I never thought I’d see this.

And now it was dinnertime! I followed Tom just a few minutes down the road to Farmer’s Market (be sure to watch the video). And this is why I love meeting people that live in places that I’m visiting: I would never have gone to this place, I would have missed it completely. I highly recommend this place. There’s something for everyone at Farmer’s Market. It was so much fun. So many different places to eat and if I wanted I could have picked up some fruits and veggies. We walked around and decided on a place for dinner – The French Crepe Company.

We ate dinner and then walked around The Grove. Tom is the most fascinating person I’ve met in a long time. He’s a foley editor currently working at Fox Studios. In case you don’t know what a foley editor is I’ll tell you. Anything you hear in a movie that isn’t dialogue is the direct result of foley artists. Background noise, footsteps, cars crashing, keyboard tapping, punches being thrown…all that is created by the foley guys. I could have sat there and listened to his stories for hours. Wait…that’s exactly what I did. Let me stop here and say that I really hate people that are name droppers just for the sake of impressing others. And Tom was nothing like that at all. He had story after story of people he’s worked with but never made it sound like he was trying to impress me or those around us. I know the secret (maybe it’s not a secret but I like to think that it is) of how they made the sound for Face/Off when the boat crashes. I know how they got the sounds for the fight scene. I know that Jim Carrey is most likely a great guy to work with but I probably wouldn’t want to work with director William Friedkin.

Tom and I spent four hours talking movies, his journey to working in the movies, my interview with Roma, houses, the economy, Florida, California. It was so much fun. And like I said, not something I normally do, but I trusted my friends Raegan & Kevin and it payed off. I feel like I have a new friend for life now.

My California trip is quickly coming to an end. My dinner with Tom marked my last night in California. I was to leave the next day. I’ll only have one more post to tell you about the canals in Venice. This was not something I had seen on any of my previous trips to the West Coast and it was amazing. Can’t wait to show you pictures!

My best day

Again, this post is pretty long and very photo heavy. So get another cup of coffee or tea and enjoy yourself…

Ever seen City Slickers? I love the scene when they’re all telling each other what their best day was. Well, I’m getting ready to tell you my best day from my California vacation. You might be surprised to know that it wasn’t the day that I got to interview Roma Downey. Nope, even though I loved that day and all that happened during it, it wasn’t my favorite. My favorite day was Tuesday. Here’s the lowdown:

I got up early and decided that I’d take a scenic drive. My dad sent directions for me. It was like a mission sent to Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible. Except it didn’t self destruct. And I didn’t have to hang from any cliffs or jump from any motorcycles. My drive started on South Topanga Road. It’s a two lane road right off PCH but a bit busy. I followed the road for about 4 miles and turned onto Old Topanga Road. Now, this was quite the road. Curvy, quiet, country, beautiful. Every turn provided something beautiful. People live in fairy tale environments.

Not a sound around me except a small creek, birds, wind and the very occasional passing car. Curvy roads and nature, that’s what this ride was all about. Around every curve was some beautiful sight to see or a beautiful soundscape to behold. I kept pulling over to snap pictures and shoot videos. Here’s one video.

You have to listen carefully to hear the horses and phone but I swear they’re on there.

The drive was nothing less than stunning. Which, for me, wasn’t surprising for California. I felt like I was getting out of the car after every turn.

My remote was out of batteries so in order to take some self portraits, I had to work with the timer…ugh. Oh well, I’m not in Cali everyday so a photographer has to do what a photographer has to do, right?

And, of course, my traditional jumping picture:

After driving along Old Topanga Road, I hooked up with Mulholland Highway. I took that for a few miles and then drove on Stunt Road. When I turned onto Stunt Road, there was a sign that said “Grooved Centerline for next 4 miles”. Guess they don’t want anyone doing any stunts on Stunt Road! It was quite curvy, I have to say. I can only imagine how fun it would be to drive with a Jeep, convertible, or a motorcycle.

My last turn was onto Las Flores Canyon Road and I think it was the most twisty, curvy, winding road I’ve ever driven on. It was simply beautiful. That road put me right back onto Pacific Coast Highway. This little drive took over an hour but probably would have been quicker if I hadn’t stopped a million times to take dozens of pictures. But then, what would have been the point, right?

I headed north on PCH after stopping at a Radio Shack to get batteries for my camera remote. Just a few miles up the road, I pulled off to check out Escondido Beach. You park on the side of the road and enter the beach access through a gate. Once inside the gate, this is what you see:

Taket this pathway to a set of stairs. Many, many stairs. I counted all the stairs I took to get to this beach and it was over 100! But totally worth it! Descend the steps, open another gate, continue down some more steps and viola, you’re there! It was early on a weekday morning so there was no one on the beach. It was quiet except for the sounds of the crashing waves. Heavenly.

I climbed all the way back up to street level and continued north on PCH. I had places to go and things to see. 

And here’s where my day goes from great to greater; why it’s my best day. I spent over an hour on the shore of Leo Carillo Beach. If you take a trip to Malibu and don’t stop here, you’re nuts. At first glance, it looks like any shore of Malibu except for the gigantic rocks just off shore. In this picture you can see a surfer enjoying the waves. 

See all the rocks in the foreground of the picture? There were millions of them! I’m guessing the tide was low and revealed all these colorful rocks. Tiny crabs, shells and sea urchin things were waiting for me to discover them.

Beautiful, right?

Just a few yards from where I was standing was this breathtaking scene:

It was right out of a movie set. Huge rocks, little tide pools, big tide pools, more creatures and caves…

Since I started blogging, I’ve met a few other bloggers and considered some of them friends. Ocean Soul is one of those bloggers. They are lovely ladies. As I sat at the shore, I sent them an email telling them that I was thinking of them and realize now why they call their blog Ocean Soul. I sat there, taking in all the beauty and actually said out loud to myself, “Nothing can beat this.” And then I saw this:

Right in front of me was a tiny little pool of water, no bigger than a 5 gallon bucket, full of crabs, sea anemone and star fish! I couldn’t believe my eyes. I just started crying like a dork. I’m so glad I was alone on this beach. This whole trip was from God. The opportunity to have my flight and one night paid for, the opportunity to interview Roma Downey, the fact that we had a little extra money for me to stay a couple days, the beauty of the Pacific Ocean, the scenic drive I had just taken…all of it I felt was a gift from God. And while I was enjoying my gift, He continued to give to me. I just love when God gives us extra special gifts just for the heck of it. I started looking around a little more closely and found dozens and dozens of star fish. It was amazing.I sent another email to Karen at Ocean Soul telling her about my experience and my kiss from God. In return, she asked me if I had stuck my finger inside the anemone center. That thought hadn’t crossed my mind and I told her I hadn’t & asked if I should. I said they look like they’d suck my finger off and leave me with a stump. She assured me that it’s fine. Feels sticky and strange, but it’d be fine. After a long debate, I figured that I couldn’t come to California and not do it. If I didn’t, I’d definitely regret it. So, I did!

Karen was quite proud of me and I have to say I was, too. I did end up sicking my whole finger inside and it was still pretty freaky. I’m so glad I didn’t walk away without trying it. I’ll leave you with some more pictures of my day:

And that was my best day. Delightful drive, breathtaking trip to the shore, connecting with online friends, and that wasn’t even the end of it. I’ll be back to tell you about the rest of my day – Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive and how I connected with a stranger (that isn’t a stranger any more).

The California coast and crepes

And now I understand why some people feel overwhelmed with vacation pictures. I was only gone 3 days and I can’t seem to get my head above water. Tons of pictures plus new editing software means I haven’t been able to blog about the rest of my trip. So I’ve made a compromise with myself. I’ve done only the bare minimum on these pictures I’m about to show you. I’m excited and I cannot wait any longer. So here goes nothing…

After the interview, I went back to the hotel to pick up my car. As one of the other interviewers said, “Only in California can you rent a luxury car for just $25 a day but pay $30 a day to park it!” He was right. It was $30 to park our car in the hotel’s garage. Crazy, no? Since the day was young, I picked up my car and headed to The Third Street Promenade. This is an outdoor pedestrian friendly shopping center where they’ve closed off 3rd Street to cars. They have a web cam so I called home, waved to the family, blew kisses to my boys and went on with my shopping. This is a great area and would be a regular stop if I lived in Santa Monica. The Third Street Promenade has the biggest Anthropologie store I’ve ever seen. I’m pretty sure I heard the angels singing as I walked in. Other stores include Apple and a gi-huge-ic Urban Outfitters. 

Old movie theater:

Lots of street performers. Not quite as unique as the guy rollerblading and playing electric guitar on Venice beach, though. But maybe that’s not a bad thing after all.

Water fountains like these were up and down the whole shopping center.

After walking around for a while, I decided to do a little tourist thing (I can shop at home, after all). I had read online that the beach house from Spanglish was only a few miles from where I was staying! This is probably one of my top 10 favorite movies so I just had to see the house. It took less than 15 minutes to drive to the house, hop out and snap some pictures. I hear that it only costs $45,000 month to rent it. Maybe I’ll do that next time I’m out there.

Remember when they walked next door so the guy working on his car could translate & ask Flor if she could stay for the summer? I love that scene. The guy is so cute – putting on his shirt to talk to her. And the shot from across the street while she’s trying to decide what to do and all the cars are passing by is another favorite scene of mine. If you look to the left, you can see that area where they had that conversation:

Then it was back to the coast. I couldn’t help it, it keep calling my name. I would drive 1/4 mile and have to pull over to see and hear it. I read about a good place to see the sunset so I rushed back down south just in enough time to see this:

See the tiny sun hidden in the clouds? Yep, the sun had set behind the clouds and wasn’t stunning like I had hoped. I had to laugh at the thought that I had raced to that spot just to see a beautiful display only to have it ruined by clouds. One day I’ll make it out there again and see the beautiful sunset of the West coast. 

Looks like shopping was in the plans for me that night. I found the neatest mall, Santa Monica Place. It’s just like a multi level shopping mall but with no roof. It’s open air but not in a strip center style. Make sense? I browsed around and decided that I’d have crepes for dinner. Thank you, Yana.

Let me go off subject for a minute here and tell you how very connected I felt during my entire trip. I used Facebook to connect to those at home and received more than one recommendation for dining.  I felt that my friends were really rooting for me to make it to Beverly Hills before the sun went down. And I could almost hear then cheering me on as I walked around Rodeo Drive, posting pictures of the stores and their window displays. I think that the social network thing is amazing.

OK, back to my crepes. I only have an iPhone picture of it & I’m surprised the poor little crepe lasted even that long. May I present the Nutella crepe with strawberries and a hint of cognac:

It was heavenly, delicious, delightful, enchanting and simply yummy. If you make a trip, I insist that you try Cafe Crepe. You’ll thank me.

Well, that about wraps up Monday. I’ll be back tomorrow with tales of my beautiful drive on Topanga Canyon Road as well as my favorite part of my trip and how I connected with another blogger while sitting at the shore. I have to catch up because I also have two great birthday presents to show you!