June 10

I've always been fond of sun-face plaques, though I've never owned one. On today's walk I spotted this fellow on someone's side gate, and was attracted to its asymmetry. The rays were twisted metal, and the face ceramic, I think. It had a crazed surface which gave it an aged, patient appearance. I liked it.

June 9

A lot of the houses around here have their garage access via a back alley like this one. Out the front of these houses, there is only street parking. There's a kind of sad, abandoned feel in these alleys. Kids don't play in them ... they just sit empty most of the time.

June 8

I made another bag, from two tea towels and a remnant of a Martha Stewart design I picked up yesterday for a dollar (total) at the thrift store. The buttons I bought in New York recently. I thought it might be My New Bag, but it's not. Guess it's another for the Christmas Boutique.

Tonight Josh and I went to see a live taping of A Prairie Home Companion at the Greek Theatre. This is my third time attending this annual event; I always love it. During intermission Garrison Keillor invites those who don't need to rush off and relieve themselves to join him in singing a few songs. Tonight we sang Home on the Range, America the Beautiful (four verses) and .... our wedding song! I Can't Help Falling In Love With You. We slow waltzed in the aisle as we sang ... so romantic!

A few rows behind us, an elderly man was seated in a wheelchair with a blanket over his head (it was a bit chilly). He saw me sketching him and just smiled and kept singing. What a lovely evening.

June 7

June 6

A few years ago Josh suggested we get the kids one of these for Christmas. Looking up and down the street, I could see at least five of them that rarely or never get played with. I suggested that we ask our neighbours if the children could shoot hoops in one of their's if the mood so struck them. While that suggestion was not greeted with enthusiasm, he ended up nixing the gift idea when he investigated the cost.

June 5

There are lots of places to eat lunch near my work; this one's popular with the vegetarians/healthy eaters. I always bring my lunch so I haven't tried it myself.

June 4

I spent all day and half the night at the sewing machine, finishing this skirt (a new favourite) and a top that, despite multiple unpickings and redrafting of pieces, doesn't fit nicely, so I'm not going to show it to you.

June 3

After having my sewing stuff out in the dining room all week (lucky it's been outdoor-eating weather), I finally completed a summer skirt today, and I have another one halfway done.

I went to Trader Joe's to buy bananas, but they weren't ripe, and the queues were long, so I didn't buy anything. Instead, I sketched the row of sunflowers in pots waiting to be purchased.

June 2

Evie, Lauren and I did Walk 17 from Walking L.A., exploring the Carthay Circle and South Carthay neighbourhoods just south of Beverly Hills. These Historic Preservation Overlay Zones are filled with well-maintained Spanish Colonial Revival-, Tudor Revival-, and American Colonial Revival-style homes. Here's one of many entrance ways that appealed to me.

I'm really loving how, through this book, I'm discovering all sorts of beautiful and interesting neighbourhoods in this city. Not that I can afford to live in most of them. We spotted a small, unattractive fixer-upper in Carthay Circle going for a mere million bucks. One can dream.

June 1

May 31

I had a visit to the ophthalmologist today. This delightful old lady was grumbling away in the waiting room. Can you imagine being old enough to have a 70 year old child? She has one. Wow.

After waiting 75 minutes past my appointment time, I was ushered into the doctor's room where I had another wait -- long enough to draw this, plus some. Now, three hours later, my eyes are just getting back to normal after the dilating drops. Things are still pretty blurry but at least I can see my typing with my glasses on.

May 30

Where the sidewalk ends, far down Schoolcraft Ave.

May 29

May 28

My summer palette. I am itching to start sewing clothes.


But first, I made this tote bag last night from remnants bought at Purl Soho. It's going into the Christmas Boutique. I really need a new bag myself, but this isn't it.

The Kangaroo Paw in our neighbourhood is flowering. So pretty.

May 27

Another day of intense cleaning. Josh did an amazing job on the garage, while I did a mad fling in my studio. Between us, we filled a rented skip. I took a break to go down to Trader Joe's from some dinner ingredients, and sketched the people waiting to buy movie tickets at the nearby cinema. The line was moving really fast, thus the very hasty sketches.

May 26

Today's exercise was an activity that has been sorely neglected over the past two weeks -- housework. Then in the evening Josh and I went to The Archer School for Girls, where he will begin teaching theatre in September, to see a performance of Fiddler on the Roof. What a gorgeous campus! Unfortunately, their web site doesn't really show the fabulous interiors: huge exposed-beam ceilings and stately arches painted with frescoes, wooden paneling, tiled floors. This historic landmark, designed by William Mooser III and built in 1931, is considered a perfect example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. It featured as a retirement home in the film Chinatown, and also appeared in the Eddie Murphy remake of Dr. Doolittle. Until the late 1990s, it was a retirement home for widows of members of the Masons.

I didn't have a camera, and only managed a couple of hurried sketches in dim light, so I can't communicate to you how very lovely this place is.

May 25

Sister's last day here, and we went on a studio tour at Warner Bros. Josh came with us, and after the official tour he gave us a more indepth one, including a creep around the set of Without A Trace and a peek at the filming of the new Maxwell Smart movie. We then enjoyed a delicious tapas meal at Cobras & Matadors before heading off to the airport for sad good-byes.
Sister enjoyed her last icecream on U.S. soil. Come back soon darling!

May 24

Sister and I did Walk 18 from Walking L.A., which takes in the tacky touristy parts of Hollywood, as well as the truly delightful old (c. 1920s) residential area of Whitley Heights, which is located directly east of the Hollywood Bowl. Sister snapped me outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre, in deep concentration as I sketched El Capitan across the road. She goes back to Australia tomorrow night. I will miss her more than words can say.

May 23

Happy sisters at The Getty.

May 22

Sister and I did Walk 33 from Walking L.A., around downtown's Civic Center. We visited Walt Disney Concert Hall, MoCA, Angels Flight, Grand Central Market, the Bradbury Building, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, and the Music Center. Here's sister beside the crockery-encrusted rose sculpture at the WDCH.
Then we drove a few miles to the fashion/fabric district of downtown, where we discovered Michael Levine. How is it that I have lived in this city for ten years and have never been there before? We were both in fabric heaven. We didn't buy TOO much; but only because (a) sister had to think about suitcase space and (b) I know I can go back any time.

May 21

Today's exercise took place along Antique Row in Canoga Park, where sister and I scoured the vintage stores for clothes and textiles. We each came away with a fabulous lightweight coat -- this is sister's. It's linen, in natural colours, with embroidery. Mine is lime green and white and kinda 60s. Nice!
When we got home we dyed some of the cotton yarn we bought yesterday. Yummy :-)

May 20

We spent the afternoon in Santa Barbara. Josh and Lauren went to the zoo while sister and I enjoyed the wharf, the waterfront markets and a fabulous junk store where we scored big on vintage fabric and cotton yarn.

May 19

A complete change of pace today. Sister and I hung out with the family, read, knitted, pottered, tidied, did laundry, and, in the afternoon, walked to a nearby church where a friend put on a few hours of vocal entertainment. She is raising funds to go to Austria to study opera this summer.
Tonight Josh dug out the videos of our trip to Australia in 2005 and we all cracked up again watching our antics at the Second Occasional Family Talent Quest. Happy times.

May 18

Last day in New York. Despite cloudiness, we had pretty good visibility from the top of the Empire State Building. We filled our last three hours in the Big Apple wandering around Chelsea looking for Paper Presentation ("I'm SURE it's on the next block. Hmmm .... maybe it's up here ....") which we finally found right where I last left it, on 18th St. We've decided that Sister is going to open a yarn store/tea house with gallery space for my artwork, and I'll open a fabulous paper/stationery/art supply shop next door. Ah, retirement dreams ....
While eating lunch I drew the view from the window, which was half-blocked by a large truck after I started the sketch. Then it was off to JFK with a crazy taxi driver who drove like a maniac and spent the whole trip on his cell phone conducting a very loud, seemingly one-sided conversation in Spanish, interspersed with animal noises and hyena laughter.
Our flight was delayed by several hours so it was with relief that we fell into bed in Los Angeles shortly after midnight. This trip to New York was everything we wanted it to be. You can see all the photos here.

May 17

Today was spent tramping around Soho and Greenwich Village. Kate's Paperie is in the middle of a huge moving sale; stock is severely denuded but what is there is very cheap. I got some lovely paper. Here's me enjoying a visual feast at The Point Knitting Café. We also went to Purl Soho (both the knitting and patchwork shops) but by then sister had completely blown her yarn budget so we didn't seek out any more yarn stores.
We took a breather at Le Petit Café, where someone who looked a bit like Calista Flockhart took our photo ....
...and I sketched the mirror on the wall. We then continued with our quest for a jacket for me (sister's birthday gift to me) which we finally located at Eileen Fisher. We finished up the day with a play: A Moon for the Misbegotten, starring Kevin Spacey.

May 16

Today we enjoyed Grand Central Station, the Chrysler Building, the fashion district (trims! buttons!), cheesecake at Lindy's and ..... WICKED!! My friend Michael is in the show, so he treated us to a backstage tour (and dinner) afterwards. All very very cool, and a ton of fun. It was raining when we got out, so we got pretty wet as we wandered around the city for another few hours after that. Another great New York day.

May 15

Today was long, tiring, and heaps of fun. Sister and I walked for miles, ate delicious food, saw awesome art, and just delighted in being in this wonderful city together. Highlights: the Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design, meandering through Central Park, the Guggenheim, a somewhat scary pedicab ride in heavy traffic (see below), and a fabulous dinner at Lure in Soho with my old buddy Gene.