Sneak Peek: Venice

Here's a little peek from my Venice photo-escapades. Everything was shot with either my old polaroid camera or my Lensbaby pinhole optic. I love the results! Gotta get scanning on those polaroids...


Image by Maureen Price

Broome Street General Store

Last weekend we discovered another little gem close to home. I'd been hearing some chatter within the blogosphere about Broome Street General Store and when I realized how close it is...well, no excuses not to visit. It's an absolutely charming little place tucked away on Rowena Avenue in Silverlake. I love the patio area out front complete with a white fence and lavender. Inside you'll find all kinds of goodies from tasty treats to vintage bits and pieces. Everything from old to new is so beautifully displayed that you just want to spend a good hour looking around the place. I was all over the vintage letterpress paraphernalia. We tried the verbena mint iced tea which was delightful and you shouldn't leave without one of their chocolate custards (with caramel on the bottom...ooo!). It's such a great place for a little summer gathering.


All images by Maureen Price

Long Beach Adventure

Last weekend, Luke and I took a little day trip down to Long Beach. I'd never been and I wanted to check out the Aquarium of the Pacific. We made our way there and walked along the coastline across from the Queen Mary. I want to go back and have afternoon tea and a walk around on the ship! It was interesting to see a Carnival ship boarding right next to the Queen Mary. After a stroll, we went in search of food and, of course, the one vegetarian place I wanted to try was randomly closed (??). We ended up at the aquarium later on which was a pretty big deal for me as I'm deathly afraid of certain marine life (the toothy, predatory variety). Going to the aquarium was a step towards facing my fear. I did better than I thought I would but I definitely had one minor freak out along the way. My favorite part of the aquarium...jellyfish! Having been brutally stung by one as a kid you'd think I'd want to nothing to do with them but they are fantastic to photograph! I hogged the prime real estate in front of the tanks to get some decent shots. Such amazing creatures. I was hoping to see the sea otters in action but they were totally not having it. Most incredible sight there? The weedy sea dragons! I have never seen anything quite like them. I didn't leave empty handed (I'm not usually a sucker for gift shops). I bought a great watercolor print of seahorse species. Lovely. All in all, it was a fun day. We'll have to head down there again for tea on the Queen Mary!



All images by Maureen Price. Please do not use without permission. Thanks!

Bright Spots

How amazing is this first photo?! I found this today and immediately decided to design a post around it. That is some classic (and kind of treacherous looking) summer fun right there. Add in some roller skates and a cool pattern and we're off!


1. Vintage promotional photo for Cypress Gardens, Florida (original photographer unknown), 2, 3, 4

Tasty

The other day, Luke and I decided we wanted some treats so we made our way over to Le Pain Quotidien. They have the most delicious (and legit) Belgian waffles. Mmm! I always get their lightly sweetened lemonade with mint leaves. The tartine pictured below is also very tasty for summertime as it's served cold and it comes with a spicy tahini sauce that is glorious. Their desserts are pretty irresistible too. I'm partial to the fruit tarts but they also have cookies the size of my head. I kid you not. Luke and I tend to be creatures of habit when it comes to ordering at restaurants so we almost always get the same things here but there are lots of tasty-sounding options on the menu. I also love that LPQ labels their vegan/vegetarian option as SO many restaurants don't do this. Anyway, they have locations worldwide if you want to get in on some of the waffle goodness. How could you not!?



All images by Maureen Price

Cool down

And now it's hot. I've been burning up all day. Turning the window unit off and on. Working with a piping hot laptop on your body doesn't help either. I actually grabbed an ice pack from the freezer, wrapped it in a dish towel and laid it under my computer. Ahh, refreshing. This is only the beginning and I'm dreading the rising temperatures. Everyone thinks LA has marvelous weather year round but I'd prefer to head north in the summer. It gets pretty sweltering and the sun is merciless. It's no wonder we have so many yogurt shops everywhere. I'm craving nothing but cold foods. Sushi, sorbet, lemonade, potato salad. What are your summer weather cravings?



1,2, 3, 4

Sounds Like Summer

I just discovered the site 8tracks via Anna of doorsixteen awesomeness and I love the idea of sharing little mixes with everyone. I whipped up this summer mix today and it's full of songs that really make me feel like it's July and I'm lying on an old dock at the lake with a mint julep. This is a pretty eclectic mix...Cat Stevens, Feist, Sinatra, The Rolling Stones, and more. I'll post any future mixes here and I hope you enjoy the tunes as much as I do! Is anyone else craving a mint julep now or is it just me?


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