Sunday, January 24, 2010

other LA snippets...

As I mentioned in my previous post, I visited LA last weekend to visit our good friend Jon Garda. I liked LA a lot more than I thought I would. It had a unique kitschy quality that I didn't expect. I imaged an image-driven, shallow place. Instead I found great food, cool vintage shops, beautiful landscape, oh and did I say great food? I can't really imagine living there for too long with all of the driving, but it's definitely worth a visit. Funny thing- it rained two of our three days there. Sunny LA- Ha!

Here are a few highlighted moments:

Here we are at the Getty, looking over LA

There was great Mid-Century furniture shops. Here is my first vintage Herman Miller sighting. A big day in my life.

Pelicans roaming the Pier.

We went to a great arcade on a Pier where we played vintage games and redeemed our tokens for a "suprise" prize box. It contained random keychains, nail polish, whistles, etc...

Jon took us to the Farmer's Market where we ate amazing doughnuts and Crepe's. I would go to this outdoor food market everyday if I lived there.

Classic Hollywood fare

Protesters for Conan

And because it rained for a day and a half, the Valley totally flooded (notice the power line down).

If you haven't yet, skeptics like me should go to LA and be pleasantly "suprised."

Soda Pop Stop



So Jessica definitely scooped me, but I still thought it was worth a post. Aaron and I visted our good friend Jon Garda in LA last weekend and he took us around to some of his favorite spots. One of them was the soda pop stop, Galco's, an old grocery store in LA that now specializes in old time and unique sodas. It was really quite an experience. The video below will tell you all about it (we saw that guy there too!).


Here are a few pics from our visit below.




And I agree with Matt... Mint Julip does tase like drinking double mint gum.

Unfortunately I'm not really a soda person, so some of the effect was lost on me. But the whole scene was pretty awesome, and I love that this one man is trying, and succeeding, at simply pursuing something he loves in his very own way. You can order by mail here, if you so wish.

Personally, I loved the cooler filled with candy.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Stonington/ Mystic excursion



When I was born my father was stationed in Connecticut. During that time my parents and sister lived in a quaint house on the tip of a Connecticut peninsula right in front of the Stonington Lighthouse. Now that I live in Boston, I have the pleasure of easily traveling to just about anywhere I want in New England, and today my destination was Stonington to see the house I lived in for the first two months of my life. The trip took only about 2 hrs. It was a snowy day, so I look forward to going back in the summer.

This was their house. My mom tells me how she read about this house at the local library, where she learned there was a secret smuggling passage leading from the house out to the ocean and ghost sightings.

This is the house down the street where my supposed god-parents live. They weren't home, but still live there.

Here is the point where my mother took us (mostly my sister) to play on the lawn and at duBois Beach.

Then Aaron and I drove to Mystic and ate at the famed Mystic Pizza. What a perfect day.

Listen: Laura Veirs


I can't stop listening to this album so I thought I'd share it with you. Laura Veirs has just come out with a new album entitled, July Flame. My first thought was that she was a more upbeat, and female, Fleet Foxes, with a dash of country. Here is what NPR's Bob Boilen has to say:

"Exclusive First Listen: Laura Veirs
December 21, 2009 - Laura Veirs' latest release, the stripped-down July Flame, uses atmosphere and tension as the connective tissue for its songs. Veirs, who's been setting her observations to song since 1999, says she was in a writing slump going into this record, so she challenged herself with odd tunings on her nylon-string guitar. She dug deep inside for inspiration, did away with her full band for most of the album and wrote many of these tracks in her barn in Portland, Ore.

The sounds on July Flame were created with Veirs' producer, Tucker Martine; this is their sixth record together. Martine is known as the producer for records by The Decemberists, Laura Gibson and Thao Nguyen, among others, as well as a collaborator with guitarist Bill Frisell.

On July Flame, you'll hear her beautiful finger-picking, vocals by Jim James of My Morning Jacket, and gorgeous string arrangements by Stephen Barber. There are songs about subjects as seemingly innocuous as summer peaches ("July Flame"), as well as a tribute to legendary studio musician Carol Kaye.

Although Veirs has been on Nonesuch Records for her past three albums, July Flame will come out on her own label, Raven Marching Band Records, on Jan. 12."

You can listen to the whole album on NPR here.

Welcome!

Welcome!