bits and bobs from my brother's

kitty lolo

handmade boho beads

vintage pottery

new flats for sad feets

there is always something dandy to snap a photo of at my brother's. even if i already photographed it before, i am compelled to do so again as it's just too dandy to pass up. these photos were taken back in February when we headed south for the Sparks show. even then the weather was sunny.

birthday specs

I got myself a new pair of vintage glasses. Yay for Old Focals! This pair is a blueish slate color...a bit marbled and a smidge larger than my brown frames. I will still wear my brown frames but I felt a need for some new frames and it being my birthday and all...

ten years hitched

44

I woke up the day after my 44th birthday with a pimple on my nose. There were smudgy bruises under my eyes and the sides of my nose looked like I got punched...hard. My hair stuck up in all direction and when I dragged a comb though it applaused with static. I looked in the mirror and cringed for a second before splashing water on my face and applying fresh mascara. This was the 44 year old me.

I woke up the day after my 44th birthday and had pie for breakfast. This what you can do when you are 44. Eat pie for breakfast. Not just any pie. Birthday pie. Apple pie. Apple pie made by the mister with three kinds of apple and two kinds of pepper. Delicious.

I woke up the day after my 44th birthday and pulled on a pair of stripy over the knee socks that refused to remain over my 44 year old knees. I put on a pair of stretchy old lady pedal pushers under  a pencil skirt that was less pencil,  more sack. It was a bit too big but I woke up with a pimple on my nose and smudgy bruises under my eyes and could not muster up the care to ditch the stripy socks. It was all about the stripy socks. I topped of the ensemble with a polka dotted top that in retrospect looked better on the hanger...in the store.

I woke up the day after my 44th birthday and went to work dressed as a drunken Pippi Longstocking. My socks fell down often, my shoes squeaked with every step, and I noticed I forgot to double check my lipstick on the left part of my lower lip which is really hard to put lipstick on due to that pesky thing called nerve damage. It was smeared to all get out and no one said a word.

I woke up the day after my 44th birthday to enjoy a day full of color, laughter, ladybugs, hawks, mud, hugs and handmade cards made by little sticky hands.

Not a bad start to this new year. Not a bad start at all.

a pre-birthday wander

looking for wildflowers

finding frost

i do love an oak tree

wee tiny pretties as far as the eye could see

these were my favorite, so many colors

happy wanderer

We spent the morning wandering around Santa Margarita in search of wildflowers. While it is still a bit early and drought-y for a fancy show, there were patches of pretty no matter which direction you looked. Also...there were birds singing. Everywhere. They were quite busy. We wandered and drove for a few hours and it was quite magical.

spending the day in l.a.

lolo-my brother's kitteh

Technically we were in L.A. for three days but we only hit up downtown on Saturday to check out one of my all time favorite bands performing one of my all time favorite albums.

brother-made garden shed

We drove down on Friday and it took double the time it usually takes. We ended up picking up our favorite banh mis for a late lunch and visit with my brother before hitting up a favorite Vietnamese eatery with another favorite person after which we surprised another old friend for a lazy visit (another, another, another...I need a thesaurus).

Saturday morning was a flurry of activity. First stop breakfast with this fabulous person (who is my favorite favoritest) where we consumed breakfast goods at an old haunt before hieing off to a park for "let's spoil jessica hour" as I opened up my traditional xmas/birthday gift which had me wishing I had my fancy pants camera to photograph its prettiness. So, so, so pretty.

The weather was STUNNING and I did a wee bit of nature crafting as we chit-chatted away before heading off to our next stop, The Soap Plant, for a refill of pikaki because this girl needs her pikaki.

And then it was time for a trek to South Pasadena to Old Focals to peruse the vintage wares for a new pair of old specs for my birthday. As always, the selection was astounding and there were far too many to choose from. The pair I picked out is a bit different but still quite me. I did not take any photos...yet...still gotta get 'em to the optician for the lenses.

It was only 3pm and we were pooped but it was time to drop goodies off at my brother's before we hit up the Gold Line for the trek to Downtown L.A. for the show. We were super early but wanted to wander L.A. or (dtla as the hipsters call it) so we transferred to the Red Line and exited at Pershing Square to wander.

After a burger from Umami (it was okay) and drinks at Pattern Bar (better than okay) it was showtime (only it wasn't as the show began an hour late which made us old a-go-gos cranky).

 

 

The show was fantastic and we were able to hit all the trains home before they stopped running...though we were fading fast. I can't do late nights anymore. I feel old. In the morning we hit up Lucky Boy with my brother for the best and largest breakfast burritos on town and then Rockler for  wood for the mister's ukes-to-be before the long, long drive home where we hit traffic from Pasadena to Santa Barbara. At least the view is mostly pretty once you hit Venture. Ya gotta love the Pacific.