Third and Fairfax

At 3rd and Fairfax you will find a little place called the Grove/Farmer's Market. This is another place that I used to frequent as a teenager living in Hollywood that has now become a tourist attraction and home of tv's Extra (why??). But it still has a soft spot in my heart and I love roaming the stalls at the Farmer's Market and trying some new delicious meal. Although, let's be honest here- most of the time I end up at the French crepe stand. Look at the goodies we found!

On this particular day it happened to be very hot outside so my sister and I decided to treat ourselves to a nice air conditioned lunch at the French restaurant inside the Grove. I adored their wall near the entrance and had to snap a shot...

I love how perfectly imperfect it is. 

Well, that's all for now. Have a great evening!

Butter goes to...

A visit to Los Angeles just would not be complete without a trip to the beach! We always seem to end up at Venice beach (the part off Washington, not so much the boardwalk). It's less crowded than the touristy Santa Monica beach and there are lots of fun places to visit near by. We usually end up taking a stroll down to the boardwalk but quickly return once we are feeling overwhelmed by the masses of people, body builders, and smoke scented air. If you are feeling hungry I always enjoy C&O Trattoria just up the street- their garlic rolls are amazing! 

As you can see the weather was perfect and it was great to spend some time relaxing in the sun (with sunscreen, of course!). Julian was the only one brave enough to enter the water this time (it was very cold!) but even that was a short lived adventure. I ended up burying him in the sand after just so he could warm back up!

Nothing quite beats the California coast.

The Good Urth

Oh, Urth Cafe. I loved you long before you became a mecca for the "see and be seen" crowd that flocks to you in hopes of accidental fame these days. Your strong Italian lattes stole my young heart when I was only fifteen years old and I will never stop loving you. Your bake sale pastries and deserts fill me with joy and you are still the only place I will order a restaurant pie. Mr. Butter and I often catch ourselves saying "if only we could go to Urth Cafe right now..." and daydreaming about the treasures you offer. 

Note to visitors: My favorite treats are the decadent chocolate pound cake (they give you three huge slices) and the deep dish peach pie. Always ask for your treat warmed- it will make it taste 1,000 times more delicious! The belgian waffle with strawberries and bananas is also delightful!

These visions of creamy coffee treats are going to dance around in my head as I drift off into sleep tonight...

To Infinity and BEYOND!

In all of my years spent in Los Angeles I am surprised to say that I never actually visited the Griffith Observatory. When I first arrived in the City of Angeles it was under renovation but I remember there was a big to do when it reopened. I have visited the park on numerous occasions but this, my friends, was my first trip the the observatory itself. 

We went with the intentions of viewing one of the planetarium shows about vikings and the Northern Lights (sounds amazing, right??), but much to our surprise the place was packed. We had to park so far away that we practically got in another hike. We missed our viking show and had to settle for one about the Mayan prediction of the end of times. It wasn't nearly as dramatic as we had anticipated but very fun indeed!

I think my sister fell in love and this is her new favorite place/soon to be second home. She was quite smitten with the Tesla coil and the Cafe at the End of the Universe. I even caught her pondering the ways of the universe with Albert Einstein. 

Another must see next time you are in Los Angeles!

Until next time- May the force be with you.

(Yes, I am aware I am a total nerd.)

Butter goes to...

My sister is living the fabulous LA life and just happens to live down the street from Runyon Canyon. What is Runyon Canyon, you say? It's the hot spot in LA to go for a run. We used to visit Runyon frequently when we lived in the Hollywood Hills and I have fond memories of walks taken there with my mom and Greg. I don't know why on earth I ever stopped going!

There are a couple of courses to choose from in the Canyon, and one happens to be very steep and quite the challenge. As you can imagine, I was feeling pretty accomplished after reaching the top. My brother Julian patiently waited for us at the top and then we ran back down as one happy little family. 

But the views! Oh, the views- you must see them! You can see the entire city and quite a good glimpse at the Hollywood sign. Plus, it's excellent people watching up there. Hardly anyone is wearing proper work out gear, and I spotted numerous women attempting to "exercise" in bikini tops. 

It's a fun little adventure if you ever find yourself in that neck of the woods! 

California Dreaming

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to sneak away for the weekend to visit my brother in Los Angeles for a few days. I bought a very last minute plane ticket and took off for sunny California for a long overdue visit (it had been 2 years since I last saw him!). 

The first night I got there we went to the Hollywood Bowl to see the BBC/Discovery Channel's Frozen Planet in concert. The Los Angeles Philharmonic provided the tunes and there were big screens displaying scenes from the documentary. It was amazing! We were given polar bear masks at the entrance and you better believe we had fun with them!

It was my mom and sister's first trip to the bowl, and I think it was a hit! My best friend Liz joined us for the evening as well. One of my favorite things about the Hollywood Bowl (besides the amazing view) is that it is picnic friendly! We brought a nice spread of wine, cheeses, fruit, and veggies to snack on. I am always amazed that even though the bowl is in the heart of Hollywood, it is so peaceful once you are inside. I spent a lot of time there in high school, and it had been years since I last saw a show there. It was such a treat! The only thing missing was Mr. Butter (he had to stay in P-Town and work).

Can you tell I was excited to see my Lizzieloo?? 

Anytime you are in LA during the summer you should definitely catch a show at the Hollywood Bowl! 

Butter Goes to the Beach

Yesterday the Donahue clan spent the day at the Oregon coast. It's always lovely getting to spend time with the family, especially a pretty day by the sea. Here's some photos from our little adventure!

This fella decided this was a perfectly good spot to take a nap. Good for you, buddy!

We were taking a few obligatory couple shots when Mr. Butter's father thought it would be a good idea to photo bomb us. Well played, well played indeed.

We played a round of mini golf and Mr. Butter scored a hole in one on the first two holes! In the end though it was a pretty close game. 

We also went for a ride on a surrey. Last year all six of us went for a ride, but the bike that was supposed to seat six of us this year was not quite large enough for all of us...We were holding on for dear life! But it was fun as always. :) 

And of course, a trip to the beach wouldn't be complete without some taffy! I love roaming the aisles to see all of the different flavors, but I really only enjoy the hot cinnamon. 

I already can't wait for our next trip over to the coast! 

Butter Goes For A Hike

Last weekend my sister in law and I went for a hike through Forest Park here in Portland. When I first moved here I would go for walks through Forest Park pretty frequently. My first apartment was only a few blocks away from one of the entrances and I was in love with the fact that unlike Los Angeles, you could have nature and the city all in one. I have to admit, I am by no means the "outdoorsy type", demonstrated by the fact that we leisurely hiked through the park with lattes in hand. Regardless, it was a lovely way to spend our Sunday afternoon and it reminded me of just how much I enjoy Forest Park!

Look how beautiful it is! 

There is this little stone cabin down by the river in the middle of the park. I am so curious about the history of this little house. It has no roof and there are no signs about why it is there. It's two levels and you can walk around in it, but it is quite small. Time to do some research! 

I can't wait to go back! 

It's Good to be Back...

Saturday morning I finally made it over to the Oregon College of Art and Craft for their Open Life Drawing Class. And oh was it good to be back in that setting! I really enjoyed college and I love everything about an art studio setting. The first thing I noticed when I entered the room was the smell. The wonderful scent of oil paint. It smells like hard work and passion and happiness. 

Another wonderful thing about studios are the floors. Concrete splattered with gesso and paint and the blood, sweat, and tears of art students. So many hours are spent in these rooms. The history is on the floors. My painting studio space during my senior year at UCLA was...well, it was a mess. But a mess that I loved. See for yourself...

Time to get to work! I can't make that kind of a mess in the studio I have now, but someday I will be able to unleash my wild messy side again. :)

Happy Places: Parks

I am a city girl at heart but nothing makes me swoon quite like a gorgeous park in the middle of a big city.  You can see why I am looking forward to visiting Central Park in NYC- it's the ultimate city park! Today I thought I'd share a few of my favorite city parks.

VONDELPARK: Amsterdam is already a terribly charming city and when you add in a gorgeous park like Vondelpark my little heart swoons. I love watching all of the adorable Dutch families and usually bring along a little snack and fresh juice to enjoy in the sunshine.

FOREST HEIGHTS PARK: This park holds a special place in my heart. Tim brought me here when we first starting dating and it has been one of our favorite romantic spots to visit ever since. It's a small park nestled in the west hills of Portland but it's quite lovely. We grab a coffee in the little village nearby and walk around until we find a bench to sit at and talk or admire the beautiful scenery.

VILLA PAMPHILI: Although this park is a little out of the way it was one of my favorite spots to visit in Rome. It's huge and full of gorgeous umbrella pine trees. You can easily spend an entire day roaming the grounds, visiting the historic villa, and hanging with the locals. 

There's oh so many more I'd love to share but they will simply have to wait for another day!

...

Vondelpark photo via switchimage; Villa Pamphili image via this site

Happy Places

There are certain places I can go and spend endless amounts of time wandering around in pure happiness. For me, the art store is one of those places. I have to go up and down each and every aisle, making sure I don't miss a single possible treasure. Confession: I might go up and down every aisle twice.

Oh, paint brushes. You are one of my favorites. I love the way the soft synthetic bristles feel. And finding the biggest brush out of the bunch. On the inside I feel like a child again, wanting to run up to the next person I see and tell them "Wow!!! Did you see how big this one is?!" 

Unfortunately, I can't seem to enter an art supply store without leaving with a bag full of goodies. There's always a new paint color I haven't tried, a brush that needs replacing, or canvas that needs to come home with me "just in case". You never know when there could be a canvas crisis!

Art supply stores of the world, thank you for being one of my happy places!

What are some of your special spots?