Day 272 likes order

Le Pain Quotidien is one of my favorite brunch places in Westwood. I've been there three times since being here. Twice this week! This is a pretty boring picture of what I thought was a cool view from our table. Come visit and I'll show you how cool the place really is.

Day 271 goes BOLD.

Right near the airport is this parking lot. I don't know what it is but I think it's awesome. I'm going to start writing everything in BIG. BOLD. SERIOUS. LETTERS.

GOT IT??

Day 270 parties hardy

Ah, the Frolic Room. Right next to the theatre, right on Hollywood Blvd, right in the sewer of LA. Literally the grossest, trashiest, dive-iest bar in the world. Just the way I like 'em.

day 271: high in the sky

i always love views from airplanes! do i love airplanes? nope. but the views from the sky, excellent! Here's a pic about 20 minutes before landing in LA. I LOVE the smoggy clouds going towards the mountain. so cool.

ps. sorry for the delayed posting! internet access is hard to come by in the CA.

day 270: repetition, repetition, repetition!

I had a history teacher in HS who completely swore by the benefits of repetition. It may have been her only real teaching method. She would say, "girls! the best way to learn anything is repetition! repetition! repetition!" in her crazy faux british accent, and we'd all want to throw sharp objects at her. But anyway! The point of this picture is the repetition. I think you'd really have to be *not* paying attention to miss that this is an uptown train going to the Bronx & Queens.

Now, how a train can be going to the Bronx AND be going to Queens.... i'll never quite understand.

gnight!

Day 269 creates.

DYC is a costume design MFA student at UCLA. She makes awesome things. From nothing. Creative people inspire me.

day 269: dusk to dawn

i love this picture because of the gradient of color from the top left corner to the bottom left one. One side reminds me of the colors of a sunset, the other side like a sunrise. it's just a plush and pleasant tree now that the weather is warm, i really like it!

Day 268 lights up the night

Sometimes on the way home I drive past the LACMA and I see this out front. I don't know if it's an exhibit or just a permanent instillation in front of their building but I think it's amazing. They're simply rows and rows of old-fashioned-looking white street lamps in perfect lines. I stopped tonight to take pictures and it's even more incredible the closer you get to it. Truly brilliant.

day 268: fruity discovery

yes, fruit truck! i saw this "Happy Fruit Truck" and i thought... this is awesome! That's all :)

day 267: stop & scan

i legit forgot to post yesterday, folks! Doing this for 267 days and I still forget sometimes!! sorry...

yesterday we stopped Stop & Shop so I could buy some groceries and while checking out, we came across these. Has anyone ever seen this before??! what are they you ask? Well..... apparently when you walk into the store, you can pick one up and scan the price of items. The regular price and also the "membership" or sale price will show up also. You can use it your whole shopping trip, then when you get to check out - you put them back here before you hit the register.

Connecticut takes their grocery shopping seriously, ya'll....new york is so jealous.

Day 267 drinks international-style

Disney's California Adventure is having Food & Wine Fest right now, part which is a beer or wine walk. $10 gets you 5 tastings of different samples from all around the world. We went with beer and, funny enough, all agreed that the beer from San Diego was the best. We thought all of our cups would make a cool picture. We were also drunk at the time...

day 266: mmm, mmm, good

yesterday was the big graduation party. the essentials for all big parties were present - tons of family, ridiculous amount of food, outdoor volleyball, dogs eating food from the table and then... dessert! mmmmmmm - i actually have tons of pictures of all the dif desserts, but this one looked the most appetizing to me today. cookie pie with fruit courtesy of my awesome cousin. SO GOOD. we also had cake, brownies, cookies, cheesecake, donuts, mochi, fudge, etc...... i love parties!

day 265: chicago in MA

first Uno's experience ever. I didn't realize the decor was going to involve an explosion of all things chicago inside. it was weird. i've been to chicago. i didn't want to go back for lunch. just wanted some deep dish pizza, ya know??! life is so hard.

holla, navy pier!

ps. 99 more days of this sexy blog of ours!!

day 264: country kitchens

i love my aunt diane's house. LOVE. we always make fun of her kitchen because she has rooster stuff all over. it is so random and country, and we love her for it. after over 10 years of going to her house i saw for the first time this pig.... plate..... thing..... i asked my aunt if someone gave it to her as a gift (worse gift ever). nope. she bought it. cause she liked it. i guess when you work 14 hours a day and have two teenagers its really the little things like this that you buy for yourself.

day 263: the best kind of entertainment

the sis and I decided to play some dominoes on thursday (cause we're 50 years old and love dominoes). we had noooo idea how to play so we googled it, found nothing then decided to make up our own game which my sister then promptly decided she had won (she cheated.) once we were done showing my mom we could do things besides sit on the couch and watch tv..... we went to the couch to watch tv. :)

Day 266 does it like the old country

Many Kosher recipes call for shmaltz which is the Yiddish word for chicken fat. Almost no one still uses it because it's so hard to find and wildly unhealthy. Reason #981234 that I love Los Angeles: you can buy frozen Kosher chicken fat in the grocery store.

Day 265 is a speed racer

I was trying to take a totally different picture and this came out. And I think it's just too cool too pass up.

Day 264 likes fine dining

Pico Robertson is an area of Los Angeles with lots of Glatt Kosher stores and restaurants. I'd been when I was very little so it was clearly time to find it again. Most places were already closed for Shabbat but the Kosher Subway was open. It certainly wasn't the greatest meat sandwich I've ever had but it wasn't nearly as bad as you'd expect. And the new slogan cracks me up. Now we just need new commercials with Jared saying that.

Day 263 makes good on its word

Remember this? I told you I'd come through and I did. Yeah, I'm just that awesome.

Day 262, yo!

I don't get it. But it's weird and cool and artsy and funky and guerilla-y. So I like it. Sometimes that's enough.

day 262: get the message?

so this is a guy who was sitting on the corner of canal growling at people and cars that were passing by. I was thoroughly amused by him. really, really amused. The best part? His shirt!

"Bye hater"

D y 261 lov s cof ee

The Citadel Outlet Mall has some awesome stores and a stellar food court with a full-size Starbucks. And, best of all, they serve "fappuccinos"! I did a double take and then actually laughed out loud. It wasn't until I looked back at the picture that I realized the barista in the drawing has no head or hands. Creepy and hilarious!

day 261: see the pretty colors

this little set up looked much better in person, sorry for the disappointing picture readers! its a row of shirts in a ton of colors reflected off a mirror lying on the ground (why is there a mirror lying on the ground??). forever21 is such a curious place...

Day 260 likes the finer things

Maggie has this lamp hanging in the front entryway. It's massive and incredibly gorgeous and one of my favorite parts of the house. When it's dark and this is the only light on, the design reflects in the grand piano which is really stunning. It's a pretty mundane object but I look for it every night when I come home. This is a close view of the actual lamp itself. I'll try to get the whole thing at some point.

Day 259 read the signs

LA has an incredible number of massive billboards. You think you know giant advertising when you live in New York but this is something else entirely. We're talking building-sized posters. This one is pretty small comparatively, but it catches my eye every time I walk by. I like the artwork a lot and the sheer size of it makes quite an impact. It also reminds me of Stoli ads. Which is weird since it's for Livestrong....

day 260: hangin by the handle(bars)

the kid mannequins that Gap kids uses are sooo weird. also, and this is just my two cents, the person in charge of positioning them should consider making them less creepy looking. idk, something about these poses just strikes me as pretty odd. but maybe it's just me...

day 259: driving on the _____ side of the road

so.... this happened today. it was awkward to watch, trust. all because this lady in the silver car decided to create her own special exit from the drive-thru mcdonalds. Then the cab was in her way and tried to back up but ended up just blatantly blocking two lanes of traffic. seriously... who gave these drivers licenses??

day 258: pomp and ceremony

my sister done graduated from college!!!!! yay!! it was a long ceremony that was boring and required sitting, standing, sitting, then standing again, a few screaming babies and long speeches. i took over 400 pics, so..... here's one! (i didn't want to use any with people's faces in case they weren't cool with the idea of being on a blog, please excuse this vague and random shot).

day 257: i'm watching you

let's please file this under "weird shit you find in MA". Imagine driving then coming up behind this thing! wtf??! we were startled, we were hysterical, we were scared.... a whole range of emotions happened at once (but we all settled on a good "wtf" ultimately). note to self: NEVER do this to a vehicle.

Day 258 LOLs

Westwood: incredible neighborhood. It's a Grind coffeehouse: fantastic. This sign over the bathroom mirror: confusing.

Day 257 gets set up

There's an art show going on in Beverly Gardens Park this weekend and I drove by while they were setting up all the tents. I thought this was an interesting angle and then I started discovering things in the picture I hadn't seen before. See if you can find one (1) building, two (2) Beverly Gardens Park logos (hint: on a tent), three (3) full tent legs with totally unobstructed views, four (4) pillows, five (5) folded displays boards not yet set up, six (6) display boards with artwork, seven (7) people, eight (8) boxes either plastic or cardboard, and a blanket actually spread out on the lawn. And Waldo.

Day 256 CELEBRATES!

BIRTHDAY! DISNEYLAND! FUN! HAPPY! TEACUPS!
We didn't actually ride said teacups but look what a great shot this is! I did ride just about everything else in the park: Space Mountain, Indiana Jones, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, the actress playing Jasmine...

Happy Birthday to me!

day 256: two of a kind

did you guys ever secretly wish you had a twin growing up? I wished for that all the time! but i always got stuck on what my twin's name would've been. obviously something awesome, but nothing rhyming with my name, same amount of syllables.... i never came up with anything quite right. these two little cuties were "biking" to the children's museum thats right by my work. umm.... best bike ever. why didn't i have this???

also, i'm obsessed with how nearly mirrored their stances are in this picture. look at the feet and the hands! crazy!!!

gnight!

Day 255 plugs shamelessly

I was in Borders today and I saw this display in the DVD section. In case you can't read the small sign on the top left, it's a variety of movies from the AFI list. Hm, thought I. Sounds familiar. Also makes me realize how many more I have to watch...

day 255: cut and sew

people leave the weirdest shit on the street. Actually, I couldn't tell if this was street art, trash or very odd advertising (was in front of a run down sewing machine shop). But aren't these things really valuable?? I don't know how someone hasn't swiped this. My grandma has one just like it, this stuff is vintage and awesome.

Day 254 has a statuesque beauty

Today I discovered the UCLA campus in all its glory. It's a beautiful place which makes me want to school it up, grad-style. I spent a good long time walking through the statue garden which is pretty amazing. This one is my favorite. It's called "Why?" I think it's incredible.

Day 253 is keeping the faith

7-11. Sandwiches. Meat. Kosher. My life just improved ten-fold.

Day 252 swims with the fishes

These two are hanging on my bathroom wall. They confuse me immensely. But I'm also highly amused by them. I named them Bert and Ernie. I think it's fitting.

Ps. Sorry I've been MIA, it's been a VERY long week and I'm still recovering. No excuse, I know, but time zone shifts and the busiest weekend at work ever made for a lack of time and brain space to post. Sorry!

day 254: croc it out

why, dear god, why? there is some weird shit to be found/seen/experienced on the UWS. have i already said it on this blog? I must have because it's just so true, its hard to avoid. Crocs in general.... very bad. Croc store.... a whole lot of bad all contained in one place.

gnight!

day 253: best to keep this hidden

the Old Navy dressing rooms today had been redecorated with a very offensive string of "hawaiian" crap. Offensive items included these hula girls, fake tissue leis, coconuts.... i mean, honestly. I hope they didn't try to pull this shit in the dressing rooms in Hawaii cause.... no. it aint cute.

however, bathing suits are on sale for $12.50!

day 252: if you see something...

new yorkers are definitely a bunch known for their honesty. They don't hold back, especially not after a 2 year old ad campaign has been training us to say it if we see it. may I present, Exhibit A. The C train really does bring out a lot of hidden agression and anger in people, i've noticed.

Day 251 is a copycat

I know I just showed you this, but I can't help it. Sometimes when I'm driving I'm totally overwhelmed by how amazing it is out here. There are lots of things I hate, don't get me wrong. But the sign and trees and freedom of having a car just get to me once in a while. I'm pretty stoked about life right now.

day 251: the secret garden

this garden, "La Perla", is literally right next to my apartment. We share a wall. In the winter it looks like a barren and dead wasteland, but today I noticed that it really has come alive! And look how cute it is. There's this really sweet (but kinda creepy) old man who tends to the garden and he's told me before that people are always welcome to go in and check it out, and also take whatever vegetables or herbs I want. Naturally I'm suspicious of this because a) who's that nice in new york? and b)what's the catch? Once i get over my new yorker sketicism and general mistrust of all people I have big plans on checking out La Perla!

day 250: morning drive

its always a treat when my sister is here and drives me to work. getting to sleep in a bit, avoid the B/C train and the commute in general and eating breakfast in the car while listening to the radio and relaxing.... nothing is better! Also, the sights of the henry hudson parkway are a nice treat. We drove by chelsea piers which i don't think i've ever actually been to.... does driving by count?

Day 250 would like to thank the academy

The woman who owns the house where I'm staying is a producer. These are her five Emmys. She keeps them on a shelf in the living room above her computer and below some files. Which is, you know, where I keep mine.

(I want five Emmys.)

Day 249 is cruisin'

I took this from my car today. My convertible, that is. In other words, I stuck my phone over the windshield while stopped at a traffic light and snapped this. It's a cool shot and the sun looks awesome but mostly I just wanted to brag a little. You know, with everything the East Coast has to offer, we still win out here. That's all, you can go back to your rain now. Peace!

day 249: the tale of the diner and the skull

yeah.... i don't know why this happened. the skull on the phone above the sign is amusing. and by amusing, i mean extremely disturbing! That shit creeped me out, yo! This restaurant by work though, is one of my fave "new york" looking spots. I've never eaten there, never even looked at the menu.... but I enjoy it's presence and the very new york vibe that it gives off. I think you can get a little sense of this from this picture.

gnight!

Day 248 has landed

I swear to you, this is a gas station. It caught me so by surprise that I almost crashed my car. I swerved (dangerously and illegally) to pull into the lot and take this picture. It looks like it should be taking off any second. And people just pretend like it's any other cement and fluorescent self-pump. CITIZENS OF LOS ANGELES: IT'S CHROME AND NEON AND DOME-SHAPED!!!

Fascinating, this place.

day 248: i'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy....

love this picture. love this 'artwork'. love the message and the honesty and vulnerability. Or perhaps the tone is one of mockery? I can't tell so I choose the first. Also, we're friends for life if you get the title reference!!

gnight, all.

Day 247 flies the friendly skies

I love aerial shots because they always turn out exactly the same. They're either amazing and breathtaking or boring and ugly. I thought I'd give it a shot with my phone and I'm blown away by the color in the sky in this photo. This was my sixth flight in the last three weeks (not counting several stopovers) so I've been seeing a lot of sky lately. Somehow it still amazes me.