Day 17 - August 31, 2009

Solvang, CA

On Saturday, we decided to take a 2 and a half hour drive Northwest to explore a little town called Solvang. Solvang is a little Danish village that looks like it belongs in Northern Europe, not in the center of California. We had been planning this trip all week and were expecting to stroll hand-in-hand along quiet streets, meander through quaint little antique shops, and savour authentic Danish pastries. And when we arrived it looked as if our day would play out just like that, but then 11 o’clock rolled around and the silence was broken by roaring engines and oldies music. I’ll share more on that tomorrow, but for today, let’s just pretend we experienced a perfect day in Denmark!

Day 16 - August 30, 2009

Day 15 - August 29, 2009

Day 14 - August 28, 2009

9

In the final months of my senior year of high school, there was a poll going around asking who from our graduating class was most likely to achieve or become one thing or another. For example, who was most likely to be a millionaire? Who was most likely to live alone in a big old house with her 18 cats? And so on. If you were to look back at my yearbook, you’d find my name beside, “Most likely to marry someone famous.” The day I received this title, I never dreamed it would come true, but last night, my classmate’s prediction became reality.

How can I even begin to describe the pride I felt when I saw “GREG CULP” roll up on the big screen? To finally see all of his years of hard work and dedication to “9” come together into one incredible film was beyond words. Now I may be slightly biased, but it was the best film I have seen in quite some time. Anyone who knows me well knows that I love comedy, romance, and drama. The grouping of all three in a film is a winning combination, in my opinion. “9” doesn’t really have much of any of those. It is very difficult to categorize. In one word, it is INTENSE! The action is non-stop and the animation is incredible! I cannot believe how realistic the explosions were and how much detail is in every single shot. It is one of those films that I’m sure you could watch over and over again and see something different each time. I should stop there for now. I would hate to give anything away so I’ll keep my mouth shut until the film is released on 9/9/09!

There were many highlights last night, but one of the best moments was speaking with Shane Acker, the director, and having him sign the making of 9 book we received for attending the screening. I admit it…I was star struck!

For those of you who are planning on seeing the film opening day/weekend (that should be ALL of you!), there are 2 things I urge you to look for.

1. The letter A. Somewhere in the first third of the movie, the dolls are being attacked by the catbeast. 7 lands on the beast’s shoulders and is thrown up in the air. The camera moves in slow motion for a few seconds from above and in the bottom left hand corner, you will see a capital A in the rocks. That A is there intentionally. Greg carefully placed those rocks in that formation just for me. It was his little way of saying, “I love you, A.” Millions around the world will see that scene, but only a few will know its true meaning.

2. GREG CULP. When the movie finishes and the lights come up, stay in your seat. As the credits roll, look for Starz Animation, Toronto. Than find “Scene Set Up & Finaling Leads.” There you will see my amazingly talented husband’s name.

I love you, Greg, and I could not be more proud of you!

Day 13 - August 27, 2009

Day 12 - August 26, 2009

Wordless Wednesday...

Day 11 - August 25, 2009

My husband was working late last night and before he left, he sent me a message saying, “I’m craving chocolate…or ice cream.” Now before you say anything, I will admit that, yes, I know he sounds like a pregnant woman and not a grown man, but his requests for ice cream (mainly Cold Stone) are relatively frequent, so to me, this was normal. I thought to myself, why not play a little game. So I said to him, “Why don’t you pick up a little something on your way home?” In good game fashion, I knew there had to be some rules. Greg knows that I’m a rules girl so he was expecting some guidelines.

1. It must be under $10.

2. It can’t be the usually 2 for $5 tubs of specialty ice cream since our freezer space is non-existent these days. (Aside: I got a little carried away when buying ground turkey and the new thin whole wheat hamburger buns at Costco. Oops!)

3. It must be something we can finish tonight.

4. It must be something fun! (By that I meant, something unexpected. Something he would never find me buying because I just couldn’t bear spending money on unnecessary food items.)

As I waited for Greg to arrive, I thought a lot about what he would bring. Now, aside from ice cream, the dessert he asks for most is cake. Ever since we started watching Ace of Cakes, he has been a little obsessed with me baking him cakes and I have to admit that I have only made 1 cake since we’ve been in California and it was lame. Your typical Betty Crocker mix and pre-made icing. Meanwhile, my nephew, Micah, asked for a basketball cake and the next day I delivered. Lucky for Greg, his birthday is coming up soon so he won’t have to wait too much longer for that cake!

Half an hour later, Greg strolls in the door with a huge grin on his face. Now, by this point, I was expecting a big multi-layered chocolate fudge cake from the Ralph’s bakery. But, like I mentioned earlier, he asks for Cold Stone ice cream all the time so I really shouldn’t have been surprised but his choice of dessert. This is what he bought.

“Surprise! Happy Birthday!” were the first words out of his mouth. He had driven to Cold Stone and bought a “Gotta Have It!” size ‘Birthday Cake Remix’ signature creation. It’s a mix of cake batter ice cream (it really tastes exactly like white or yellow cake batter; it’s unreal!), rainbow sprinkles, brownie, and fudge. The ice cream creation had melted a little bit on the drive home, but what it lacked in presentation, it more than made up for in deliciousness! We enjoyed a wonderful evening sitting on the couch talking and sharing our cold treat. The TV was actually off all night long! An evening without TV is unheard of in our house and that, for him, was probably the best treat of all!

Day 10 - August 24, 2009

Day 9 - August 23, 2009

Day 8 - August 22, 2009

Scones are in the oven! They look and smell delicious! Wish someone was home to share them with me. Bake something for someone you love today.

Day 7 - August 21, 2009

They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words” and for many photos that is definitely true. Take this photo of my adorable little Micah-man for example.

You can immediately see the pride, shear joy, and excitement on his face as he shows off his first painting.

But, have you ever looked at a photo and wondered what the photographer was thinking. What impelled them to take that shot? What it is that they saw or felt that I am missing? This next photo may have you asking similar questions.

For me, this photo is a whole lot more than just an elevator door.

I cannot walk past an elevator without thinking of a conversation I had, a few months back, with a stranger. It was a Saturday and we had decided to treat ourselves to a day out. We planned a light lunch at one of our favourite restaurants, Eurostation, where we would order the usual; a mango smoothie, sweet potato fries with garlic mayo dipping sauce, and a chipotle chicken pesto Panini, and then head to an afternoon matinee at the theatre. We parked on the first level of the parking garage and as we walked toward the elevator, I noticed a young couple get on and ride up to their floor. We arrived at the elevator at the same time as a young woman and her infant son. Greg held the door open as she maneuvered the stroller into the elevator and I selected our floor. The door closed partway and then opened again. This happened several times. “This is odd,” I said, wondering what had happened to the elevator between the young couple getting off on their floor and us getting on. “I guess we’ll be taking the stairs.” A few more seconds passed before the young woman said, “I truly believe that there is a reason for this. God intended us to be 10 seconds behind in our day. We will never know why, but He knows and He planned this and we are better for it.” Most people would have seen the malfunctioning elevator as an inconvenience. This woman saw the bigger picture. I smiled and told her that I too believed in God’s plan. Her words have stuck with me and come to mind often.

Just last week, I was late to check my bags at the airport and as a result missed my flight. As I stood in the Buffalo airport, I thought, God has a plan. Although I am tired and frustrated, I know that I was not meant to be on that plane. As a result of my missed flight, I was able to spend one more incredible day with my amazing mother, remarkable sister, and my beautiful, sweeter than pie nephews! God’s plan is good!

Day 6 - August 20, 2009

Day 5 - August 19, 2009

Wordless Wednesday...

Day 4 - August 18, 2009

LOVE (my husband) THE ARTIST

Day 3 - August 17, 2009

Day 2 - August 16, 2009

5 things I learned about surfing:

  1. Surfing is an incredible high but don't underestimated how exhausting it is.

  2. Full body wet suits may look hideous and take hours to get in and out of, but boy, do they keep you warm!

  3. Salt water burns the eyes and tastes awful!

  4. Jumping over the waves is a much better option than crashing through them regardless of what your husband may tell you.

  5. Riding the waves on your stomach and knees could be even more enjoyable than actually getting up and surfing like the pros.

Day 1 - August 15, 2009

Freebie Day!!  Today, I received a tank top from JC Penney for FREE! It'll make a great beach cover up or a cute top with jeans.  Pretty cute for a freebie!

Let the blogging begin!

I am starting this blog as a way to keep in touch from afar and give family and friends a glimpse into my life in L.A.   My goal is to post a photograph daily, capturing everything from the mundane work of a California housewife to the exciting trips to unexplored territory. Some days I will let the photograph speak for itself and other days I will share a little insight with you.  Enjoy 365 days of life behind the lens!