Helping Hands & Willing Hearts

Saturday morning our church participated in a day of service- planting over 400 trees in parks and wilderness areas in Thousand Oaks, CA. I understand over 400 people helped, including lots of teens and children. Our congregation had about 150 people show up, I was so impressed with the hard work everyone did. Especially the kids! They were great! I had a fun time walking around, taking photos of the families who helped out. We dug holes, mulched, scrambled up hillsides, raked, weeded, and eventually those trees ended up in the holes, and hopefully will take root and become a part of the beautiful landscaping of our town.
(For a closer look at the photos, you can click on the image.)

Weekly Bright Idea!

Ever feel you just don't have time to create an elaborate layout? You have that creative urge, but not the patience or energy to create a digital work of art?... I'm feeling that way a lot lately! I want to update my blog regularly, but my spare time is at a premium these days, especially during the work week. As any of you who have followed my blog have seen, I commute daily through some of the most beautiful scenery in Southern California- Malibu Canyon, and the Pacific Coast Highway from Malibu to Santa Monica. I find myself stopping at the same overlook many mornings to take a photo or two, and I've discovered, as I look at my photo gallery, that that same scene looks totally different each morning. There's something so comforting about the constance of the ocean's tides and routines. But there's also something mysterious about the changing tides, the weather, the roughness or smoothness of the ocean... the fog, or the sunlight dancing on the water. The edge of the ocean completely disappearing into a misty sky, or the sunlight shining brightly on the hillsides and houses beyond the shoreline.
So my bright idea is, take photos of the same subject- at different times & different seasons. Your home, neighborhood, trees, garden, park, etc. Then one day when you want to create a quick layout, all you have to do is plop a few photos down on your digital canvas, and give it a name. Instant Scrapbooking!

What's Not to Love about Pink?

I'm not a pinkie-girly girl, but I do love a good pink! It must be all those years designing girls toys, I tend to be attracted to all variations of pink, especially the more cool pinks. What does this have to do with anything? Not really anything, except I did a pink layout over the weekend and I wanted to share it with you. Started with some gorgeous pink flowers on a flowering tree I pass every morning on my way to work. The tree is odd shaped- small and kind of asymetrical. But it's situated right next to Malibu Canyon Road, and I had to find a safe place to park out of traffic, and cross the road during rush hour. I think I got a few odd looks from commuters as I snapped away, taking photos of this pathetic looking tree with the spectacular pink flowers. If anyone knows what kind of tree this is, let me know. Far be it for me to fail to give proper credit!

*Edited to add: Heather T. told me it is a plum tree! Thanks, Heather!

Mupu Grill

My blog is starting to feel like a food-lovers' feast- first I shared my fragrant memories of Helms Bakery; now I created a layout about our Good Friday lunch at Mupu Grill in Santa Paula. Bruce and I spent the day in Santa Paula, CA, one of my favorite Ventura County places. It is the most picturesque setting- surrounded by orange and lemon groves just a few miles from Ventura and the ocean. We were browsing in an antique store, when we overheard some people talking about their fantastic lunch at a restaurant a few doors up the street. It sounded intriguing, so we got the name of the place, and hurried right over since we were starving. We shared the most amazing fresh salmon salad with asparagus and fresh fruit. We also shared a chicken salad sandwich that was out of this world. The sweet potato fries became the amazing disappearing sweet potato fries. There just wasn't enough time to savor them before the plate was empty! Our server was a sweetheart, and we also spent a bit of time chatting with one of the owners, Michael. A few photos later, and it looks like we'll be sending this layout into some restaurant reviewing websites! The Mupu Grill has been a fixture in Santa Paula since the 1930s, although this latest incarnation has been completely revamped and remodeled. Bon Appetit!

Helms Bakery

There were a lot of fun things about growing up in the Los Angeles area in the Fifties & Sixties. We were the first generation of kids who grew up with Disneyland. We had the finest in entertainment: Sheriff John, Engineer Bill, not to mention, nearly every television show was filmed in our own backyard. It wasn't unusual to run into one of our heroes, the Mousketeers, at the grocery store or skating rink. (I remember skating with Mousketeer Tommy at the Pasadena Winter Garden- heavenly!)

One of my fondest memories was the Helms Bakery. Located in nearby Culver City, we made quite a few field trips to the bakery during our elementary school years. Not an ordinary bakery, Helms was huge! They opened in LA in the late 20s, and were the 'Official' Olympic baker when the Olympic Games came to LA in 1932. So they branded their bread, "Olympic Bread", and used the Olympic Rings as part of their logo for the rest of their long life in LA. (They finally closed in 1969). But the most unique feature of the Helms products, was they could not be purchased at the grocery store. They were sold from trucks which drove around our neighborhoods with a distinctive 'toot toot' from their horn. Kids came running! Who could resist fresh-baked doughnuts, pastries, and the smell of fresh bread? My Mom seldom bought from the Helms Bakery truck, but when she did, it was a real treat. They came into our neighborhoods every day!

Today the Helms Bakery Building lives on, as a restored historic site, filled with furniture stores, boutiques, and restaurants. Located just a few blocks from my office, I decided it was time I took a few photos of the familiar signs and architecture of one of my favorite buildings. A half block away is a fun 3D mural, where the artist affixed the rear end of a Helms truck into a suburban scene. It is aptly titled, "Helms Coach Gone A-rye".

Lookin' Better!

Recently one of my friends asked me to see if I could help fix this sad, faded photo of her daughter, taken in the '70s. When I think of all of those treasured family photos from that era that have faded and discolored so badly, it makes me want to cry. I'm surprised no one has sued for damages! Good thing they finally got things right. Too bad my wedding photos were among the casualties of that era... but I digress.

So, the photo perked right up with a few magical steps... I created 3 duplicate layers to work with, adding some blurs, diffuse glow, sharpening, and of course, color correction. I had to replace the entire background. There was just nothing I could do to save it.

Thanks for looking!

HAPPY EASTER!

Easter is the single most sacred holiday in my Faith, and although we celebrate with bunnies and eggs, baskets and chocolate, I try not to lose sight of the real reason for the celebration: the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the new life that this event means to me. Whatever your beliefs or holiday you celebrate at this time, I hope you enjoy a time of peace, renewal, and blessings. Happy Easter!



These toys were mine as a child, and whenever I take them out at Eastertime, I love to remember the joys of childhood Easters. The wonder, the excitement, and the special Sunday services, where I would wear my prettiest dress, shiniest shoes, little gloves, and Easter bonnet.

Weekly Bright Idea!

It really IS bright, my idea I mean.... and here it is: Take advantage of that aptly named 'Golden Hour', the hour just before sunset, and just after sunrise, to take gorgeous photos. The soft, warm light, the oblique shadows, the fresh, diffused air, all contribute to some wonderful photo opportunities. Faces espeically, look wonderful in this golden light. It's no coincidence that some of the photos I snap on my way to and from work are taken during this 'Golden Hour'. Yesterday morning, when I drove on Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas, and into Malibu Canyon, was especially beautiful. There were low lying clouds, or ground fog, clinging to the nooks and crannies of the green hillsides. Here's one of the photos I took. (I will admit to a small amount of Photoshoppin', but just a wee bit).

Music Has Filled my Life

I created this layout for the Digital Challenge on 2 Peas- the challenge was to choose an ad for inspiration. I was captivated by this years' Grammy ads & posters, and decided to try my hand at creating a similar effect. I think trying to actually recreate the exact effect would have been more time intensive than I wanted to deal with. Actually, typing a list of musicians that I liked, affected me, or somehow influenced me, took enough time as it was! I mostly went by my memory, so I'm sure I'll be slapping my head many times in the next few days.

I think I'm pretty happy with the overall look- it's probably not my favorite photo of myself, but my scanner is on the fritz, so I relied on what was at hand. The photo was taken during my sophomore year at college- Fall of 1970 or Winter of 1971. Love that sullen look! All of the musicians listed where those I listened to from the time I could turn up the volume on the phonograph, until I finished college.

My Canyon

I know it's a bit presumptuous of me to call it MY canyon. After all, it is 25 miles from my house. Thousands of motorists, and hundreds of nature lovers trek through it every day. It's part of the Santa Monica Mountains Stake Park system, and as such, it is full of camp grounds, hiking trails, picnic spots, and nature preserves. Then why am I the only one I ever see with a camera on my daily commute? Why am I the only one who stops to photograph a field of mustard, or an incredible sunset, or the delicate pink blossoms on a crooked tree right next to the busy highway? Because it's MY canyon, that's why! Maybe it's just the time of year- winter in Southern California is so pretty anyway, with the green hills and amazing fields of wildflowers. The time of day has something to do with it too- early morning with its deep shadows and hazy ground fog, or early evening with the fading pink light reflecting on the canyon walls. Each day brings a new surprise. One evening I photographed a field of deer, grazing on the long grasses. I've pulled off the highway and found hidden campgrounds with idyllic curving roads meandering around the hilly glen. I'm sure most of those commuters never even take their eyes off the road, they don't know what they're missing. Welcome to My Canyon.