Oh man, Olvera Street... I felt like I was in Europe again! (Weirdly, not Mexico.) ^^Why is everything cuter in mini sizes? ^^Wishing well in Chinatown & Doretta with the "world's best taquitos." She was craving them all week long. I couldn't eat them, but they looked pretty good!
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The blood moon, you guys... I had been waiting all month for that thing. During the last full moon, I got super nerdy and trekked up to Griffith Observatory all by my lonesome, hoping to get some cool photographs. I mean, I researched the moonrise time and the best place to see it and how to take the perfect moon photograph and all that good stuff. Well, I had misread the moonrise time (by 2 hours!) and ended up waiting in the cold forever for the moon to come up. It turned out to not even really be visible. Because, um, LA is filled up with smog. All I had to show of my miserable trip was a bunch of blurry discolored photos. I was pretty bummed. But then Jon told me about the blood moon and I got even nerdier and started some hardcore planning and a countdown. Luckily, Jon was with me this time, and it was much more romantic ;) Plus also warmer. Jon was able to fumble around with the camera, and he is SO GOOD! (All of these photos were taken by him. I've decided that moon photography is probably not my niche in the world.) Also, this awesome coyote... Jon captured this delightful little moment as I was gearing up for the cold(?) weather. I was burning hot up there, people. Like 7 layers too many. Oh well. P.S. I look like a rodent in that photo, dontcha think?
After spending a week in Salt Lake, my mother in law flew back to LA with me for a little spring break trip. It was tons of fun! We went to the farmer's market, Laguna Beach, Olvera Street, and China Town. Oh, and we shopped our little hearts out. She grew up in LA and it was fun to see all of her favorite places. She sure is a sweetheart! ^^Succulents at the farmer's market! Doretta even bought me my own to take home :)
First things first, this happened. For real. (You may have seen the documentation on Facebook, in which case you may skip this section and continue reading below. If you did not see the documentation, well, get ready!) It was a warm spring day and I was sitting on the toilet in the privacy of my own home, and dare I say enjoying a light breeze that was coming through the window, when all of the sudden a spring shot out of my sink and whacked me in the face. Weird, I thought. And also super gross. Then the sink started filling up with black "water." As the spring grew longer and longer, so did my fright. But just as I was about to really freak the f*ck out (That asterisk is for you, Grammy. I apologize for the foul innuendo.), the spring slithered back into the sink. So weird, but what are you supposed to do? At least it was over. Nope. I heard some more raucous in the bathroom, so I went to scope it out. I opened the door to this: Yes, that is my shower curtain being sucked down the drain. At this point, I really started freaking out. I was banging on the wall and yelling stop to who knows who. Anyone who would listen, I guess. No one listened. So I ran down the stairs and banged on the landlords door. Nothing. And on the neighbor's door below me. Nothing. And on my next door neighbor's door. Nothing. I ran back into my apartment and helplessly watched the curtain rip one ring at a time off the curtain rod and plunge further and further into the sink. So I ran back over to my next door neighbor and furiously knocked on the door, yelling for them to please stop. FINALLY someone answered the door, and I told them to come look at what they were doing. This person did not speak english, and unfortunately my spanish is lacking in the plumbing vocabulary department. So he kinda just hung out in my apartment for a while and fiddled with spring of death. But alas, it all worked out, and now I just have a dirty torn up shower curtain to show for it. *For a real treat, you can check out the sketchy video on my instagram. In other news, I just got back from a wonderful trip to Utah, where I was able to attend my cousin's wedding and a family reunion. I also got to catch up with the loveliest of friends. It was much needed. Somehow, I only managed to take one photo of the trip? And I also chopped 12 inches off my hair!
Hi, guess what? This is my first collaboration with another blogger. And I'm really excited about it. I recently reconnected with a friend from high school who happens to be the brains behind the lovely blog We’re Talking About Food. Her name is Taji, and she is just as cool as her name might lead you to believe. I was thrilled when she approached me about doing a guest post, because I've been wanting to use this blog as a forum for sharing recipes. In fact, that's a big reason I started this blog in the first place. But the truth is, my dishes here in LA are pretty ugly and my kitchen lighting is not conducive to really anything, let alone photography, so I've yet to document any cooking over here. One day! Anyway, Taji's recipes are delicious and oh so beautiful! Even better, they're healthy- and you know how I'm a sucker for healthy foods that also taste good. Devoted to democratizing health, Taji believes anyone can achieve a healthy lifestyle regardless of illness, career, schedule, or other secondary factors. (And so do I!) Here's a great one to get started with: THE SALAD WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE EATING SALAD Salads with lettuce are so 2013. Well, not exactly. Salads and other raw vegetables are still a really important part of a healthy diet. But sometimes, you might not feel like eating another boring plate of baby spinach or arugula. Don’t let veggie boredom keep you from eating plenty of salad this season. Grain based salads are a great alternative that are super filling and full of nutrients! Try this simple recipe that can be made with just four simple ingredients: SPROUTED QUINOA SALAD WITH FRESH STRAWBERRIES, BASIL, AND GOLDEN RAISINS Ingredients:
See the complete entry from this post here. I mean, how easy is that?! I think it's just perfect for a spring party. Thanks so much for sharing Taji! Remember to check out her blog We’re Talking About Food for the latest and greatest in healthy eating. Subscribe today for updates on nutritious recipes, new foods to try, and healthy eating habits!
Yes, it was a very odd day. Bizarre, creepy, sketchy- call it what you will. This is why: On our way home from Joshua Tree we went to Bombay Beach, a little "town" on the Saltan Sea. We had considered camping there the night before when all the campsites in Joshua Tree seemed to be full, but alas, we found a spot at the last site in the park, so we did not. Anyway, I digress. As we're getting close to Bombay Beach, I keep telling Jon how I want to go swimming, and he tells me that it's too salty, and I say so what. He explains that it started as some resort town in the 20's, but is now totally abandoned. He can't remember the story exactly. Look it up, he says. So, as I'm still dabbling with the idea of going for a swim, I find an article about the place. Then I stumble on this line: " so salty and polluted that by 2030 no fish will be able to survive in it" and then this: "That's not sand, by the way- it's the pulverized bones of millions of fish." So I decide to definitely not swim. We pull up to the shore, passing a bunch of abandoned trailers and shacks on our way. And then there's this family there! Like, they're having family beach day or something. They're all smiling and the kids have their floaties on. They're so excited. But the water is literally filled with dead fish! I mean the sand for goodness sake is crumbled fish bones! Why are they swimming, and why are they happy in this place? I can tell they are residents of the town. It's a strange, strange feeling- I can't really describe it. We drive around from one torn-up house to the next, getting out to snap a few photos, and so on. I am totally freaking myself out, but to be fair, this place does not making it hard for me. At one point, I'm even convinced that we're being followed. Weird vibes, man. And also sad vibes. Think apocalypse meets great depression. Maybe I'll just let the photos speak for themselves. (If you want the real experience, turn on A Silver Mt. Zion while you look through them. Because that's what Jon played the whole time we were there.) (Update: I HIGHLY recommend watching the documentary Bombay Beach. It is beautiful.) On our way out, as I was commanding Jon to "drive, drive, drive!" we were feeling off. Driving past 100 military vehicles didn't help the situation, and neither did nasty border patrol. But then, we made it to God Rock (at least that's what I call it because I can never remember the name) which is a whole different kind of odd. See below.
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ELLEfeminist. linguist. traveller. foodie. crafter. ARCHIVES
January 2018
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All photos are the property of Elizabeth Cheney and may not be used without permission.
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