Ridin' and Ropin' Way Down in L.A.

O.K. we knew it was there.  The sign on the freeways says: Equestrian Center

It's about 15 minutes from our house, adjacent to Griffith Park

  (famous for the observatory in Rebel Without a Cause).

On the other side of it is Burbank. 

 (Where a lot of TV shows and movies that you have known and loved, have been and still are, shot.)

For $25 an hour, you can rent yourself a ride.

Or learn how to rope a poor sweet little white baby mule.

I have many family members who have loved, ridden and owned horses.

But me?  More of a cat and dog person so far.

  (Frankly, those big horses scare the c#$% out of me.)

But since I've discovered this slice of Hollywood cowboy history right at my back doorstep, I'm more open to being befriended and persuaded........

By someone who has soft eyelashes and a blonde mane.  I'd feed him carrots (and call him "Lance", or "Trigger", or maybe "Stoney") - he'd like that.....

and we'd  ride off together into the sunset - the breeze in our hair and the smell of sun and hay in our nostrils.   Yippee Ti Yi Ohhhhh.......  Don't you think I should try it?

Think Good Thoughts - It's the Weekend!

(Pic: Alamy for The Guardian UK)

(pic:  Dottie Angel)

(Pic: via Bohemian Wornest)

(a tumblr find)

(via Quill and Fox tumblr)

(via Posie Gets Cosy)

(via Tahitian Vanilla)


Have a bee-YOU-TI-full weekend!

A View on Venice (Beach)

So the proper Summer Weekends are upon us

and just in case your plans aren't including

a schlocky seaside resort

NO WORRIES!

I've got you covered.

Strolling down the Venice Boardwalk

has got to get you giggling....it's what you go there for.  (Well I do!)

I like to consider myself an open-minded and imaginative person.

But things go on in Venice that I could never dream up.

(like:  Time Travel!?)

Some activities are more "usual"

but they seem to come laced with bravado and a little danger.

Whatever you get up to, just remember, someone could be watching.

So if you can't be good

be careful!

Whatever you do there I have no doubts, that Venice Beach will alter your perspective.

Find more of my Venice posts here, and on"Venice Beach Labels" upper right.  Enjoy! 

Elsa Mora - Impossibly Beautiful Papercuts

She's in L.A.

I should get a hold of her

I think she could teach me things I would love

to learn.

She does all sorts of things - illustration, photography

jewelry

multi-media sculptures, hand made books.

It's the paper cutting I love best.

It's the Magic Realism of:  Elsa Mora

How was your longest day?  Did you celebrate it?

Getting Straight to the Point

I'm trying to get a studio shed built in my back yard.

So I'm a little shed obsessed.

And trying to get all my points successfully across

to my contractor

is not

as easy or as obvious

as I think it should be.

(via various Tumblr sites.)

Thanks for letting me obsess a bit with you and......

Happy Weekend!
(what are you obsessing about?)

Did You Want to Eat in Soho? (London?)

Where Berwick, Beak, Broadwick and Lexington Streets run together, you'll be spoilt for choice.

What is it you fancy eating?

How would you like to start?

Fresh shellfish and champagne?

Good Call!

Or is it tea and cakes you're after?

in a moody modern

fusion setting?

Berwick St. is still the home of a famous fruit and veg market.  And now it has food trucks.  Of course it's London, so they're smaller than the ones you might be used to.

As are the actual restaurants.  Which might explain

why there are soooo many of these teeny cosy ones

all on the same couple of streets.

This was one (Andrew Edmunds above) was closed through the Christmas hols when we went to track it down.  But it gets rave reviews.

Spanish style tapas bars have taken London

 by storm.

The gastro wine bars are going strong - especially good for special events, I guess.

And Polpo?  Molto popular!  See if you can get in!

(Then tell me about it!)

Andrew Edmunds, Fernandez & Wells, Polpo, Randall & Aubin,  Vinoteca, Yautcha

(alphabetically)