Welcoming Spring

Holi is also called the Festival of Colors. It is a popular Hindu spring festival and is celebrated by people throwing colored powder at each other. Observed on the full moon day in the month of Falguna, it usually falls in the later part of February or early March. This year Holi was on 11th March.

TreePeople Park

Here is a beautiful sanctuary away from urban L.A. life. Coldwater Canyon Park (44 acres) is home to TreePeople Park. TreePeople, which has planted more than a million trees, maintains and improves Coldwater Canyon Park. It includes a tree nursery, fruit orchard, organic garden, and the Magic Forest Nature Trail.
And here I found this odd post made with a metal sphere, red bricks, slate and concrete, with a strange rock thrown in for good measure. I like how the different materials have weathered differently, and although from different sources are united in a common purpose.

Timeless

An instrument for measuring time placed on the timeless.

Car Wash Special

The repeating criss-cross patterns create a nice focal point for a retro car wash sign. It's not quite clear how much the Wash & Wax special is, but it's certain that Tue-Ladies and Wed-Mens. Love it!

Toxic Assets

It was my impression that an asset was supposed to be good; you know, something valuable and desirable. But when that asset goes bad, the equilibrium is disturbed, and then who knows what can happen. Hey, remember silicone implants?

Ripples

Like a thought that washes over the mind.

Urban Space

Where urban space is limited, micro-shopping villages meet a wide range of needs. Here you could start your day off with a nice cup of java and a deep fried pastry, get your hair done, cover any car insurance or medical needs you might have and then take a lunch break at your choice of dining establishment. Ooh and then you could relax with an afternoon therapy session while admiring the greenery outside. Quite efficient really.

Descanso Gardens

I was listening to "Ordinary World" (Duran Duran) yesterday. There are so many things that make life ordinary, that it is easy to forget the extraordinary. Like the magnificent form of a flower. What is extraordinary in your life?

At Kidspace

There is a great climbing feature at Kidspace in Pasadena that is made up of clear blue discs that spiral upwards to a dizzying height. Children joyfully jump up and down these stairs as their parents take a moment's reprise on the ground.

Tree Roots at Switzer Falls

Light and Shadow

Busy Bees

A book page layout celebrating parents.

Storybook Lane Children's Festival

Whale Watching T-Shirt

Oh, too late!

Sadly, I have lapsed these passed 4 days. To remedy the situation, there are 4 new posts today. In my defense, I've been doing design work for other people and I've included these examples as my designs of the day.

I don't think the walls were straight...

Hallo-wali

Hey, howzit hangin'?

A Foggy Day In London Town

Billie Holiday's version is the one I listen to... there's just something so heart-breaking about her life-worn voice and effortless intonation (1915-1959).

I was a stranger in the city,
Out of town were the people I knew,
I had that feeling of self-pity,
What to do, what to do, what to do?
The outlook was decidedly blue.

But as I walked through the foggy streets alone,
It turned out to be the luckiest day I've known.

A foggy day, in London Town,
Had me low, had me down,
I viewed the morning, with much alarm,
British museum, had lost its charm.

How long I wondered,
Could this thing last,
But the age of miracles, hadn't past,
For suddenly, I saw you there,
And through foggy London Town,
The sun was shining everywhere.

(Photograph courtesy British National Archives)

I love the English but come on now...

As a member of the European Union, the United Kingdom could adopt the euro as its currency. However, the subject remains politically controversial. Denmark and the UK have unique opt-outs from entry to the euro. Technically, every other EU nation must eventually sign up.

And look at this guy. He’s in L.A. driving with the top down. But by Jove he’s still bloody English, what!

A Point of View

Opinion gives an idea shape, structure, form and perspective.

Colors of Memory

Warm, breezy days and a bronze sun.

Poison in the System

Stimulus

One World

Big Sky

Sometimes, we get weather in Southern California too when the turbulent sky touches a snowy peak.

The Space In Betweeen

The use of equal negative space, as a balance to positive space, in a composition gives the eye a "place to rest," increasing the appeal of a composition through subtle means. The term is also used by musicians to indicate silence within a piece.

Duel of the Cheese Puffs

An abandoned picnic table.

Dow Falls Below 6,800; Lowest Close Since ’97

The Dow fell 299.64 points, or 4.24 percent, to 6,763.29, while the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index fell 34.27 points, or 4.66 percent, to 700.82. The Nasdaq composite ended 54.99 points, or 3.99 percent, lower, at 1,322.85.

Tie-Dye Truck

Crêpes on a Sunday Morning

Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 cup milk
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions
• In a blender, add all ingredients except butter. Blend until smooth.
• Mix in melted butter.
• Heat a lightly buttered non-stick frying pan over medium high heat. Scoop the batter onto the pan, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crêpe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
• Cook the crêpe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side.
• Cook the rest of the crêpes without adding any more butter to the pan.
• Sprinkle with lemon juice and sugar and serve warm.