Day two, in pictures!

Good Morning, Guesthouse!

Good Morning, Nelly!

Good Morning, Little Man!

Baby squeezes before breakfast. Sean was fascinated with my hands.

Good food...

Eric fixed breakfast #1: Homemade yogurt with homemade granola and bananas

Kelley fixed breakfast #2: sautéed veggies, eggs, avocado, balsamic glaze & toast!

After breakfast, Kelley, Sean and I headed out for a little fun... another gorgeous day in LA!

Owl pillows at Paper Source

Treats at Big Sugar Bake Shop (we gave some brownies a good home)

Great letterpress by Hello! Lucky

Zonked! How do babies become exponentially cuter when sleeping? It's a mystery.

snack: Kelley's homemade veggie chili

Time for a sushi fix!!! Treats from Izakaya Sushi Ran:

Kelley & Eric

me & Dave

Jump Book

   The idea for a "jump book" came from photographer Philippe Halsman, who had 101 Life covers to his credit when he died in 1979. He "felt a portrait that did not show psychological insight was 'an empty likeness' of its subject." His fun work was introduced to me by my sister, Kelley, who requested jump photos of friends and family as a gift for her husband's birthday—which is today! Happy Birthday, Eric!!!
   A review of the book online states: "Much of Halsman’s work embodied the sunny, playful, and optimistic side of post-war life in America. Calling himself the discoverer of 'Jumpology,' he compelled hundreds of subjects to jump in the air for his camera—everyone from Brigitte Bardot and Marilyn Monroe to Robert Oppenheimer and Richard Nixon. He wrote in his 1959 Jump Book, 'The roots of my discovery reach into my early childhood. I was born with an intense interest in jumping…. I could run, jump and turn over in the air.' He delighted in jumping throughout his life and in photographing others in the act of jumping. “Everybody hides behind a mask,” Halsman writes. “In a jump the subject, in a sudden burst of energy, overcomes gravity. He cannot simultaneously control his expressions, his facial and his limb muscles. The mask falls. The real self becomes visible. One has only to snap it with the camera.'”
   There's another guy, David Leckness, who has been cataloging jumps for over 20 years and posts them online.
   I couldn't wait to work on this assignment, and I took inspiration from my surroundings. Aki and Taylor wanted to get in to the act too, of course! Tay jumped for his giant stuffed lobster in the living room. He looks like he's dancing a jig, with one foot raised up. (He looks like he has a heart on his chest, too!)

"Riverdance, Tay! Good boy!!!"

 "I could've had a V8!"

   Aki jumped for her squeaky soccer ball in the backyard at night. I played around with different camera settings and got some cool effects with slower shutter speeds. She looks like a Wereshiba in this one, with the glowing orange eyes.

"Wereshiba?"  "There. There, Shiba."

Now she's doing her T-Rex impression:

GOTCHA!!!

   This one is actually my favorite: love how you see the spray of snow, and you can tell how high she jumped and how athletic she is. She jumped so hard that her tail straightened out!:

   For my own, I relied on programming the camera and some lucky timing. (It took me a few tries!) As ridiculous as this looks, I couldn't resist the idea of taking advantage of the snow, since Kelley and Eric live in LA and weren't likely to get many snow jumps. So there I was, freezing my assets off, wearing nothing but a bikini and my cute boots in 10 degree weather.
   I know I should be totally embarrassed to post this, but I work out. And you only live once!   :)

   Reminds me of something my History of Illustration teacher, Mark Hazlerig, said in college: "You should all have portraits taken of yourselves working in your studio now, so that if they write about you when you're old, they'll have a good-looking photo of the young you." Note to self: still need to have that done...

Christmas in LA: Christmas Eve Day

   Finally the weather cleared up and we were all ready to get outside and have some fun. Eric had the brilliant ideas of biking on the beach path. So we rented some bikes at a little shop right on Venice Beach and were off toward that distant ferris wheel:

Right behind you, Ma!

   Given that I hadn't been on a bike in about 12 years, I was sure I was going to be the first to take a spill. Balancing was easy when you're moving fast, but harder when you slow down suddenly to yield to all the walkers who were not supposed to be on the bike path. Mom was the first one to hit the deck, but she was smiling and laughing the whole time:

   Of course, I attempted to whip out my camera to get a photo of her lying on the ground laughing, and she was too quick. I said, "Wait—wait! Stay down!" But she stood up. And now she will forever remind me of what an insensitive and ungrateful daughter I am, and how this will affect my inheritance.
   Our merry band of bicyclists rode from Venice Beach up to Santa Monica Pier and beyond, 8 miles round-trip:

Eric, Brad and Kelley:

Mom:

Kelley:

   My bike didn't fit me well and was super-awkward. Or perhaps it was just the rider... in any case, riding was a blast and now I definitely need to get my own bike.

   Kelley and Eric decide it's time to head back. Fortunately he knows where the car is:

   Mom, Aunt Martha, Sister Kelley, Cousin Brad and me. 65 & sunny beats a Kansas City Christmas any day!

   We stayed and enjoyed some wine and appetizers 'til the sun set, then drove home to have our gift exchange, since I was leaving Christmas morning. I should sell these photos as postcards!

Now, finally, I can share the gift I created for my Secret Santa recipient, Ms. Martha. I've been planning this thing for months and couldn't wait for her to open it!

   Ta-daah! Some of my nature photography for her house: 2 on canvas and 4 framed (the Maine buoys aren't pictured yet):

Eric had drawn my name and ordered several things that I really wanted from my Amazon wish list. Yay, Christmas!

We had so much fun we couldn't bear to leave...

But this sublime view of the Grand Canyon on the flight home cheered me right up! 

It was a memorable and fun-filled trip. Thanks, family!