a trip to los angeles

Saturday we went to Los Angeles to show Rick's cousins from Virgina a few places. We stopped first at a flea market, better known as Silverlake Art & Craft Vintage. We saw so many great vintage finds but since we didn't go with loads of cash we just made a mental note to definitely be back when we do.

Natalie didn't go with us but our little nephew Ezra came in tow with his momma, Brittany so we are all excited to 'show' him Los Angeles too!

After the flea market we went to the Elliott Smith wall in Echo Park.

Next stop was Amoeba Records!

The place is MASSIVE! Rick came away wiht Trouble by Ray LaMontagne and I with Leaves in the River by Sea Wolf.

Food was in order so we went to Canter's where we all had delicious sandwiches and of course, a knish too!
We made a nice trip to Skylight Bookstore, one of our favorite Los Angeles Haunts. I spied this book from C.S. Lewis and W.H. Lewis with characters and a world pre-Narnia. I got the cutest book for Natalie called Our Apple Tree by Gorel Kristina Naslund and illustrated wonderfully by Kristina Digman. I am definitely a new fan of the illustrator and am definitely inspired by her awesome work.

There was also a reading going on there. I forgot the author's name and the book but when it was over I noticed that Jane Kazmereck was among those there. After perusing around, we were ready to buy our books and I really thought she was in line with another lady she was talking to. I didn't want to seem like I was a gawker so I intentionally went to the lady she was speaking to and asked if they were in line (because it did look that way). Jane was so sweet, she said, "oh no hun, go right ahead" as she rubbed my back and lead me to the register. How nice was that!
Our last stop was the Griffith Observatory. Rick and I had not been there since before they closed it for three years for renovations. I loved being at that height, watching over Griffith Park and over downtown Los Angeles. Inside we marveled at the ginormousness of a red super giant and how small we all really are in comparison.

The famed Hollywood sign
over Griffith park
the observatory
brittany with ezra hidden away

at the James Dean monument

the pendulum

downtown L.A.





At night before we left, their was a huge telescope out with a nice little line of people. We got in line and had our turn viewing Saturn and it's glorious rings in the heavens. amazing....