Mid Century Modern in Palm Springs

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This week in Palm Springs is Modernism Week which is a week celebrating Southern California Modernism in architecture and design. Personally, I wanted to focus on Mid Century Modern architecture because I love the shapes and design of houses and buildings from this era.  The large windows that aspire to combine indoor and outdoor living spaces, the Brise Soleil (“sun baffle outside the windows or extending over the entire surface of a building’s facade”; created to keep out direct or lots of sunlight- these can create incredible shadows and geometric shapes), and the simplicity of the design inspire me. Because…

The land that time forgot…

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Have you ever seen a movie or TV show, where the person puts his or her hand through an imaginary wall or invisible shield only to enter into another dimension? That’s what the Salton Sea feels like to me. Last week, I took two of my nephews to see this odd little piece of geography. We headed east through Julian, then after a beautiful stretch of Anza Borrego and Ocotillo Wells, we ran smack dab into the 86. From there we went to Mecca and then headed south on the 111 to the official recreation area. If we weren’t on…

Designing London

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When I was in Dubai, I took a free, online course called, ‘The Power of Colour’. The course is through futurelearn.com but the school that created the course is the KLC School of Design in London.  With the colour course, I found myself dead tired some days but still completing each weekly challenge(s). To this day, I refer to the course and I take my colour wheel with me in my carry-on luggage. #geekalert. After the course finished, I received a few emails about upcoming workshops and certificate programs. Great courses but I was in the UAE. So when my…

Possible Award Winner!!!

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As far as I am concerned, I already won! A bit of background. Every year, the San Diego Fair has a photography contest. From my understanding many photographers from all over the world participate in this somewhat prestigious event. If I am in town in the summer, I am at the Fair. And the one thing I want to do at the Fair (besides eat chocolate covered bacon) is to go to the photography exhibition and see all of the images. I entered some photos many years ago and didn’t make it beyond the first round. But always in my heart,…

Hectic and Calm

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I found that with Morocco, some parts were hectic while others were calm… and everything in between. This is an incredibly diverse land that has something to offer everyone. If it’s not on your bucket list, it really should be. Below is a video I created about Morocco; compiled from all of my videos and recordings. I tried a couple of new techniques and the video is just over four minutes. I think that is pretty good considering I was there for just under two weeks.  Please do enjoy!

Camels are not sexy.

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Camels are dependable, strong, tough animals. Apparently, they can go for up to two months without food or water. They carried me in and out of the Sahara without a single complaint. But sexy they are not. Look. It is mating season for camels right now. The camel handlers do um… neuter the animals (you don’t want to know how) but it doesn’t always take. So when the male camels are looking for a mate, they make this really odd, bubbling sound that can be heard for miles because well, it’s the desert. And there is a lot of spit…

A Walk On The Beach

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One of the benefits of living in a city for a long time is that you get to know the secret spots. Especially in a city with heavy tourism, it’s fun to go off-the-beaten path. One of those places for me in San Diego is Imperial Beach. Imperial Beach (IB) is literally right next to Mexico as it is the most southwestern city in the States. You can see the border from the beach; put your foot just over it and be in two places at once! Slowly but surely, this beach town has been growing and expanding. However the…

Money Grab

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Traveling is work. Schlepping your bags is just one part of the job and for anyone who has travelled; I know you agree with me. Yes, traveling is fun and inspiring with memories that last a lifetime, but the effort that goes into making those memories is sometimes questionable. When we arrived in Paris, we were all a little worse for the wear. Traveling hadn’t gotten the best of us, but it was starting to wear thin. So when everyone started to get sick and the days were filled with fewer sights to see, I was a little relived. Plus…

Très Magnifique

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The next time I visit France, it will be difficult to top this trip. Sleeping in a chateau in the Bourgogne region that Edith Wharton and Julia Childs stayed in (not at the same time though…). Actually, Edith Wharton saved this particular chateau from ruin but that is another story. J’aime la France. In this particular region, every blink of the eye was a photograph. Each field was a Van Gogh where vivid fields of gold contrasted a blue, blue sky. Forests with sunlit green leaves floated above us while bales of hay lined the fields. Vineyards sprawled out onto…