Joshua Tree Gem Show

First weekend in October Joshua Tree, Ca. holds a little gem show. It's more like vendors that sell semi-precious stone jewelry, beads, geodes, and raw minerals. There's food, karaoke, and gold mining booths for the kids and adults that are kids at heart. It has been quite a few years since I've been down to the show. The first time Adam and I went to support his parents with a tractor parade that coincided with the gem show. I just love how rural Ca. can be if you don't mind driving a few hours away from the city.

This year, it was just a spare of the moment thing. Adam and I are in the process of purchasing some property up there and we were in town to get paperwork notarized. The couple we are buying from are friends of the family and suggested going to the show after business was taken care of. You don't have to twist my arm to check out a gem show.

Last time I went I had bought a little owl figurine that is cut out to show an owl within, I think it's made out of soap stone. When you go to place like that, you just never know what you'll stumble across. Of course, the ladies had gotten stuck at the first booth checking out the jewelry. They had cute necklaces and bracelets. I had my eye on these pretty quartz pendants.

I'm the type of girl that likes to look first. I won't jump on the very first thing I see. I know that a lot of sellers hate that, I just want the more bang for my buck. Adam's mom tried talking me into a bracelet, even offered to buy me one. I just couldn't accept that, I might find something else that I want more. 

As we were walking through, there was just so much to see. Luckily I remembered my camera on this outing.

 

Remember when Anthropology had agate stone coasters? I so wanted those, I shouldn't have passed up buying a few now-but I did. I just wasn't in a spending mood. Do you know what I really want? Geode bookends. I think that it's a wonderful way to bring nature indoors. 

Needless to say, I had a great time walking around and checking out all that the vendors had to offer. I walked away with out purchasing anything. I know, rare for me. Adam bought small drill bits, and a file (so manly, I know), and his mom bought a blue lapis bracelet. 

Now that we'll have our very own place to stay I think we'll be spending even more time out there. I can't wait to see more of the neighboring towns, checking out all the nooks and crannies, and discovering hidden treasures.

 

Showing Some GH Love

I don't know how they (soap operas) do it, but they keep reeling me back in. I have been a fan of General Hospital off and on since I was 12. Some of my best memories are of my grandmother and I sitting down at 2 o'clock to catch the show in the afternoons. Adam is too funny saying that it's silly to watch those types of things, but when it's on he'll sit and watch it with me and ask me questions about what's going on. He secretly loves it, and reminds him of time spent with his mom and grandma. I think that's the hook. You end up growing up with these characters, and spending time watching with your own love ones. 

Through the years I've made friends bonding over episodes of GH. Sharing our common love and hatred over plots and characters. As much as we hate drama in our own lives we don't mind living vicariously through these characters. As other soaps have ended their long running series, I hope that GH goes on forever.

I have not been faithful in watching everyday, but I catch up when I can on Hulu. I use to have it recorded on my DVR, but I couldn't get to them in time and they ended up hogging space on my list. Where would I be with out this tech? Probably buying Soap Digest.

I had to share yesterday's episode with you. It's kind of a happy break before a storm. I've grown attach to these characters well-being and always root for them. Just like life, there are no happy endings, only happy moments.

If you missed yesterday's episode here it is linked up through Hulu. If you are new to the series, it will be fun to watch at least once to know why people love it so.

Catching Up

Long time, no write. It has been an eventful yet unspectacular couple of weeks. Let me run down the highlights of the past few days.

1. Saw the last Harry Potter film with the fam.

2. Bought a lovely green jumpsuit from H&M and was rewarded with a 20% off coupon for my next purchase.

3.Went riding around the desert in a buggy.

4. Fun day at Venice beach ending with lunch from Tito's Tacos.

24hoc.com

                                                          11222 Washington Place
                                                          Culver City, CA 90230-4618
                                                      (310) 391-5780

5. Returned the two tops I recently purchased through Forever21.com

seen here

6. Visited my local Borders to see if I can get a good buy. I came across a graphic novel of the Last Unicorn. Do you remember the 80's film?

7. Now for the grand finale... Supervising the instillation of my new front door. As with all things, it is taking a lot longer to finish then what was previously purposed (sigh).

As far as outfits of the day, I'm sorry that they have been lacking. I just haven't been feeling much in the way of dressing up. I'm sure that you'll be uninspired by my jeans and tees that I'm so fond of wearing these days. Crossing my fingers that the day will come around soon that I feel like donning on a nice frock for you.

In the mean time thanks for reading and being so patient with my posts. Up next, some picks of the day.

xo-Albee

New ULTA Store in Redondo Beach

 

Running around doing errands I have been spying the new Ulta store being built in my hood. Today i noticed the grand opening sign and knew I had to check it out. They were fully stocked with all the things you would want from your local make-up and drug store. From makeup brands such as Benefit, LORAC, SmashBox, to NYX they have you covered. I was also surprised to find so many hair tools, blow dryers, curling wands, and straighteners. To my delight they have a salon in the back of the store. Yay, a new place to get my hair cut :) If you are still interested in the Urban Decay Naked palette they have it.

I walked away with shampoo and conditioner that I've been wanting to try. I know that this brand I can pick up at my local Target or drug store, but Ulta had a sale of buy 1 get the 2nd half off.

I have tried and reviewed the coconut one (seen here). I will be doing the same with this one soon.

Since it was the grand opening and I have yet to sign up for their rewards card, I did so during my purchase. As a gift, the check out woman stuck an Ulta bag in with my purchase. I didn't peek in it till I got home. Boy, was I thrilled.

The packaged contained an ULTA 2 fl.oz. body wash in Blackberry Cream, ULTA professional nail lacquer in Downtown Diva, ULTA eye makeup remover pen, and a Philosophy travel pack w/ 1 fl.oz. of Purity (face wash), 1 fl.oz. of the microdelievery exfoliating wash, and .4 fl.oz. of keep the peace protective color corrector. 

I was so ecstatic that my giddiness was contagious and my brother was even happy that I scored these goodies. If you live down my way in So. Cal I urge you to check out the new ULTA store, who knows what you'll walk away with.

1513 Hawthorne Boulevard
Redondo Beach, CA 90278

(310) 303-3790

Portal 2

Welcome to the Enrichment Center- Victims of Science

My brother and I have been spending at least a day a week playing Portal 2. I'm not one for first person games because I would categorize myself as uncoordinated. I tend to shy away from games like these because I have an inner ear problem where I can get dizzy watching fast movement on t.v., or 3D films on the big screen. 

So how is it that I can play this and not feel sick? I don't have to move fast to dodge bullets, or roll around to avoid hand grenades. The premise of the game is problem solving through trials using portal devices. 

Since we have been playing as a team which forces you to work together. Aaron and I both been elated at figuring out a trial and giving one another high fives. To totally yelling at one another arguing who's idea is better at solving the puzzle. I think that I've enjoyed this so much because it just doesn't have us staring at the t.v. in our own little worlds but have us interacting with one another as a team.

I'm not much of a gamer, but this one has my number. It's a good thing that I don't own this game just yet because the house has to be burning down around me to pry me away from it.

Blond Inspiration

I have been having blond withdraws. Coloring and bleaching my hair since my early 20's, I have always gone back in forth between dark and light. I have enjoyed being different shades of brown to blond and almost everything in between. My favorite was blond with turquoise underneath. 

Lately I have been on a hunt for something new. I know that I wanted to keep my hair on the longer side. There is just so much you are able to do with long hair. About a month ago I cut some sweeping fringe. It's just long enough to split them and part my hair down the center or I pull them back and do a little top pouf. Unsatisfied, I was looking for a change of color. 

 

I know that I wanted something light again, but I really don't want to dye my whole head this time around. Now the question is what do I want. I pulled some photos for inspiration.

I find that peek-a-boo highlights just might be the way to go for me. I really love the sharp contrast of the light hair peeking through dark. Then again the ombre look is fun, trendy and oh so right now. Up keep will be easy peasy either way I choose to do my hair. Hum, let me sleep on it.

Ventura County Collective Haul

Here is my little mini haul of purchases I made during my visit to Ventura county this past Saturday. I had such a wonderful time exploring the little shops off of Main Street. My only regret is not having enough time to check out the historical sights, or hit the nature trails. It gives me a great excuse to visit again.

I had to show you this massive tree at the local park off of Main. I told Adam that he had to take a photo of me standing next to it so you can get scale. Hopefully I can get more city photos for you on my next trip.

The Hawaiian Shirt Shoppe

(805) 643-8800
40 S California St
Ventura, CA 93001

 

 

 

Winchester's Grill & Saloon

632 E Main St
Ventura, CA 93001

(805) 653-7446

 

 

A Sucessful Day: Universal Studios Hollywood

Last Saturday the family and  I headed out to Universal Studios Hollywood. It's about an hour drive from where I live. I guess when you live in Southern California everything is about an hour away. You can hit the beaches and drive to the mountain slopes or near by deserts in the same day.

My mom had her yearly company picnic there and this year we decided to take advantage of the discount entry price. As close as the park is, neither of us have been there in years. I think my mom mentioned that she hasn't been since the 70's, my last visit was in the late 90's. So yea, we were all over due. 

Being someone who likes to fly at the seat of her pants, I found that making a few plans were necessary in this situation. Knowing when the park hours were, when lunch hours were, and what attractions we wanted to see the most was key to a successful day. 

Adam and I when we first got there. We tried to sneak in a pic before the crowds got too overwhelming for a decent one. Look at the women in our shot, I'm loving her white maxi and hat. 

The Bates Motel, from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.

Adam got a great photo of Jaws trying to gobble up tram passengers.

I couldn't stop laughing when this picture was taken. I tried to get my leg in his mouth, but I was too short to do it. 

 

Remember when the Simpson's movie came out and they turned a few 7/11's into the Kwik Mart?  They had the gift store facade just like it. On the side is Bart tagging El Barto on the building.

From these photos you would think we were the only ones there. It was early morning and the lines were nil. My super plan worked, ha ha. The Mummy ride was a lot of fun, an indoor roller coaster with the speed, twists, and drops that you expect.

 

Walking back through Universal City Walk. It was the end of the day. We were all beat and sick of the crowds. Very successful day I do say so myself.

These are only a couple shots out of a couple hundred. Adam, the shutter bug. If you are planning a trip soon to Universal, take the time to make your day plans beforehand. 

Here was my itinerary:

1. Locate the storage lockers.

It's worth tucking away the sweatshirt and other items you don't want to be lugging around all day. You are able to access it through out your stay at the park.

2. By pass the recommended itinerary from the park guide and map.

It had the park goers taking the tram ride first. The tram ride is 55 minutes long. If you have been sitting in a car that long just to get there, do you want to ride in a tram that long so soon after? Besides it'll be packed, there are a ton of people that follow the guide. 

3. Make your way to the Simpson's Ride. 

Along the way take photos of Jaws, movie cars, and other stand alone sights.

Posted sign of wait for the ride was 10 minutes. It was much less.

4. Head down to the lower lot. 

There you will find the Mummy Ride, Jurassic Park, NBC Universal Experience. The experience is  a walk through of props, set designs, mechanical drawings, costumes of legendary films.

We were able to basically walk through the turnstiles and hop on the rides.

5. Grab lunch.

My mom's company had a section to themselves that opened at 11 a.m. We had enough time to walk through and enjoy what looked like a European street, the Coke Soak water works, and the hill side view of Malibu. 

6. Take the tram ride.

Enjoy riding through the back lot of the studios and get up close to all the different movie sets. The King Kong 360 3D was amazing and worth the tram ride all it's own.

7. Time for shows.

When you enter the park they hand you a list of show times. Shows run all day and seating is first come basis, figure out the ones you don't want to miss. We caught the Special Effect Stage, that my brother wanted to see. It was entertainingly funny and informative. After that we checked out the Terminator 2: 3D.

8. Shopping.

It's a great closing for a perfect day. With packages in hand (don't forget the things you left in the locker) you can head out to the parking lot and off to home you go.

Anything, Anything

Good Morning Folks! I'm getting a late start to my day. I have been feeling a bit under the weather lately and I really think it's due to the lack of sleep. I function at my best when I have at least nine hours. Sounds like a lot, huh? Yesterday I received my new Laurell K. Hamilton novel and found myself reading it from cover to cover with out stopping. 

I stayed up till 1 a.m. trying to finish it before I went to sleep, goes to show how obsessive I can be. Now I'm paying for it by waking up later then usual and being extremely lazy. I need to pick myself out of this funk because I have things to do and people to see. Seriously, I did noticed that my skin and metabolism was suffering from the lack of sleep. Sure that these are things that only I would notice, but I noticed them just the same. I need to get back on a good sleeping schedule because getting up with Adam at four in the morning is killing me. I find it hard to go to sleep at 8 at night to get my full nine hours. It just seems so early and makes the night go by too fast. It's just another thing to keep in mind, to take better care of myself.

 Update of this past week on diet change and exercise. I've been trying to use my elliptical at least 3 times a week for an average of 30 minutes at a time. A friend of mine is hitting the local track and logging in miles every morning. It seems like something I'll join in on alternating days. I had meals at home with no fast food except for the McDonald's run last Friday. (shaking my fist at Ronald) Thanks for making me addicted again. I really did blow it at the park on Saturday. I had picnic food of ice tea, hotdog, burger, barbeque chicken, potato salad, ice cream sandwich and brownies. Sounds like a lot for a sitting, but I just had a couple of bites of Adam's burger and chicken. I'll indulge once a week so that I don't feel deprived. So far so good.

Have you noticed the lack of clothing posts? I have, how boring (yawn). I think most places are settling into the season and bringing nothing new to the table. 

1. Florals

2. Tribal Print

3. Cut-off Denim Shorts

4. Crop Tees

5. Maxi Dresses and Skirts

6. Lace

7. Wedges

Am I missing anything? So to fill the gap I have been thrifting. Yesterday I picked up a handkerchief hemmed dress and a pair of bleached out jeggings. I will probably feature them in a post some time next week.

Sorry for being so lax on posting. I promised park pictures and that's what you'll get. Till then enjoy your morning and I'll be back later in the day.

xo-Albee

Garbo Hat

So I have been searching far and wide to find out what type of hats were featured in the Gucci Fall runway. They are called the Garbo Hat. Now the question is when will I be able to get a hold of one.

A Moment in the Sun

Spring time in the desert is so beautiful. I was really hoping that I didn't miss it this year to grab a few shots of the hills. Sad to say I was a week too late. All that was left were a few shrubs with there lemony yellow blooms left. My mother-in-law has a green thumb and on their property there were still a few cactus that were still in bloom. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take photos to share with you.

The cactus above stands about four feet tall and 6 feet long. It's so enormous that you can't see their koi pond on the other side of it. In the first photo you can see the water cascading down to a little fall to help aerate the water. I tried to get a photo of a bee in a bloom collecting all the pollen. I've never taken the time to watch something like that before. He rubs himself in and out of the tubes and the pollen are gathered on either side of his abdomen like yellow saddle bags. 

 This goes to show that something beautiful can come out of something ordinary. It always amazes me how vibrate the blooms are in sharp contrast to the brown of the desert. The barrel cactus below has a ring of blooms on top of it and I wish I could be there to see the full crown when it's open. It kind of reminds me of artichokes the way they are now.

The grease wood above is what is still in bloom in the surrounding area. They have such delicate little flowers I only wished that they had an odor. I guess it's the colors that are important and not the smell. 

I love the photo above and all the different elements together. The daisies are the natural weeds that pop up the first of spring and what normally last the longest. I've seen hill sides covered in a blanket of yellow and white. 

No blooms on this one I just had to take a picture of this beast. The cactus sits at their backdoor and is well over 4 feet tall and about 3 feet wide. You can see all the little baby cactus at ground level. We have a baby of this plant in a pot outside our front door. I noticed that it grows the size of the container. Thank goodness because I don't know what I would do with something that large.

I hope that all the moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day. You guys have the hardest job and know that you are appreciated and loved.

xo-Albee

What type of tree is this?

There are two streets in my neighborhood that have these trees dividing opposing traffic. When I was working I would drive by them everyday and loved watching them change as the seasons do. Living in Southern California I don't get to see the leaves change color come Fall. I had threaten to photograph them but never had the time till now. I would say that the tree is still in the spring stage. The bark still has a golden hue about to turn green and the little buds on top look like chili peppers. When the tree is in bloom I'll post that too, it's such a drastic change. I love everything about these trees and if any of you know what they are let me know.

Hope that you guys are having a fantastic day.

xo-Albee

Psuedo Jewlery Stand

I have been holding on to this gilded frame for a few years now. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it. The first thought was to turn it into a little vanity tray. I just couldn't commit to altering the back to do it. So it sat forlorn on my vanity just getting dusty. Then I decided to just put in a pretty printed paper and still use it as a vanity tray. I wasn't happy with that either. Then I saw this post where someone used a similar frame as an earring holder. They had put in cross stitch fabric and put batting on the underside. That idea sounded wonderful since I had all the supplies to make my own on hand. Of course knowing me I wanted to cross stitch some kind of design on it. I was going to do a lily, but I just fell in love all over again with this Emily Bronte poem (as seen here). What was suppose to be just a background design turned out to be the feature. The idea for an earring holder was a good one, but now that I'm finished I decided to use the frame as it was intended- to hold something precious. As you can see I use it to drape jewelry pieces I have yet to put away. It still functions as a jewelry stand too, hee hee.

The Walk of Shame

What to Pack so You're Not Obviously Looking Like You Just Woke Up in a Bed That Isn't Yours

Living in a community that is mainly made up of young people who love to party. More often than not you'll see a young woman doing the walk of shame back to her car or home. Her hair is a tangles rat's nest on top of her head. Remnants of her smokey eye is smeared across her face. Her lips look dry and slightly swollen because they are stained pink with what is left of her lipstick. Her cute dress that she wore the night before is wrinkled or the buttons to her top aren't matching up right. You can see her trying to walk with dignity but it's also ruined by the way she's carrying her stilettos in one hand and her car keys in the other.

If you have or have known someone who fits this scenario, then you're having a good laugh right now. We know it happens and it always surprises "the girl" when it happens to them. I am going to compile a list of things to carry the night before so you can look cute in the morning.

1. Small brush or comb

That can take care of the rat's nest on your head.

2. Rubber band or hair clip

That way you can do a quick ponytail, bun, or pouf

3. Small tube of hand lotion 

 This will be your lifesaver. It's a easy eye makeup remover, moisturizer for your face and lips.

4. Mini disposable toothbrush & mini Altoids.

Your mouth will feel clean and therefore  make everything feel better.

Those 4 are the essentials. Now if you are packing an "emergency" over night bag, I would add these items.

5. Change of chonies

You know the mom saying of always wear new clean ones?

6. Baby wipes

A quick clean up for your face and body. Hey- it will do if you can't get in a shower.

7. Deodorant

All you need is to smell like alcohol is coming out of your pores.

8. A change of clothes suitable for the following day/cold morning.

Any version of this outfit would be suitable. Think wrinkle free, limited packing space, and easy and comfortable to wear.

Darlings, as always practice safe sex and pack your own protection. Better to be safe then the fear of being portrayed as a slut.