Happy Halloween!

vampire & black cat.

12 hikes :: october :: malibu creek state park

before the month is over...

i needed some fresh air sunday (too much desk work this week had found its way into the weekend.) and the girls were sure to benefit from it too. so pleased to get the call from my dear friend to hit the road and take in one of his favorite local hikes... (i can't believe we hadn't been before.)

malibu creek state park is 7000 acres of spectacular scenery just a few miles from home. there's the creek, plenty of beautiful old oaks, a swimming hole, and lovely canyon vistas. well-known and visited for the prominent role it has played in many movies, the park also features a wonderful hands on nature center where you can explore the local flora and fauna up close. we made it close - but not quite - to the swimming hole. we will definitely be back.













Malibu Creek State Park
1925 Las Virgenes Road
Calabasas, CA 91302
Neighborhood: Calabasas

Proximity: 13 miles
Hike length: about 3 miles
Bonus features: nature center, M.A.S.H. set, swimming hole
Tips: While the weather was perfect, I am still glad we brought hats and plenty of water. No dogs allowed. Lots of horses, cyclists, and hikers. Nature Center open noon to 4:00 Saturdays and Sundays. Not a place to get away from people, per se, but a great spot to reconnect with nature.

* * * * *

K: The hike was amazing. 10/10. I loved climbing on the trees and visiting the Nature Center. It was amazing to see how many movies were made in the area.

E: Well, IDK. That's all then. 8/10.

snap.

i was listening yesterday to this piece on kids and technology, produced in light of the newest guidelines on media use put forward by the American Academy of Pediatricians. (i am looking forward to more from this series on the digital childhood - running all week.) i was pleased to hear that the aap is taking into consideration that screens are becoming more and more part of the classroom experience, and a differentiation between that and "entertainment media".

it was easy when they were little. tablets and smartphones weren't everywhere (seems crazy considering how young they are!) and we simply didn't turn on the television. our early iphones weren't that interesting to them, but in 2010 (when they were 6 and 9) the iPad entered the house and all of a sudden we were faced with setting guidelines and usage rules. fast-forward three years and our eldest has her own smartphone (received on entering middle school)and her sister an iPod touch. it has becoming increasingly difficult to police usage. (i will add that the eldest is an extremely conscientious kids - and is pretty good a self-monitoring with very little direction from us while the younger goes through phases of great interest to no interest.) i have come to understand with E, that it is a big part of how she communicates with her friends. mainly texting her bff and using carefully monitored snapchat and instagram accounts.

so we have revisited our house rules (media plan). these occasionally slide a bit. we are working now (all of us!) to bring them back in line.

1. no screens at meals. (this is hard and fast and not allowed to slide.)
2. no screen before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m Monday - Friday.
3. no screens in the bedrooms
4. no screens when we have guests (theirs or ours)
5. no screens at other peoples houses
6. friends screens in "the basket" (where our phones live) when they come over (this is the hardest one for me to regulate)

best defense. a good offense. i try not to manage their free-time - but i do try and offer opportunity for non-screen activities. lots of time outside, and access to indoor activities that don't include screens. perennial favourite: reading (real paper books! magazines and the newspaper); cards (snap, war,"oh heck", rummy...). new obsession: cribbage; rainbow loom.







are screens an issue at your house? how do you find the right balance?

tonight.

weekend to do

prep for hallowe'en
easy paper garlands
bat mobile
bake cookies
finish costumes
watch this

around the house
continue office clean-out
repot house plants
prepare for Monday
meal plan

happy weekend!

we walk

in celebration of "walktober" we held another walk-to-school event(we also participated in International Walk to School Day earlier in the month) with some very special guests: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, LAUSD Superintendent Dr. John Deasy & Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield.








photos courtesy LADOT

we are lucky enough to get to walk to school every day. i know it won't last forever, our middle school is not within walking distance, but for now we are enjoying every minute. not only does it start our day with some fresh air and gets the blood flowing, but it is precious time for k and I to talk and connect as we mosey along, picking up friends along the way. it builds connections and community.

i've been fortunate enough to work with the Safe Routes to Schools National Partnership, and encourage any who are interested in starting to walk to school to check them out. walk on ;)

room to grow :: ecg

we have come to the conclusion that it is time for the girls to have separate rooms. k & e are now 9 and 12 respectively, and while they could still easily sleep in the same room, their tastes and interests are starting to diverge and it feels right to offer them each their own space. we are lucky in this little 3 bedroom home to have the extra space in the modern shed out back. it will become the primary home office, as well as my work space, as we are prepping to move e into the old home office.

she has definite ideas about what she wants ("just a normal room!") and d and i veer a little more on the mid-century modern side of things. she's a not quite a girly-girl but loves fashion, her friends, 1D and plans to live in paris someday. i wanted pieces she could keep for a long time - possibly on to her own place (sans considering overseas shipping!). d has done lots of built-ins in the room already, so a dresser doesn't look necessary. here is what we have come up with so far...




one modcloth bonjour pillow cases
two unknown geodesic hanging light (help!)
three strut table in watermelon by bludot
four land of nod jenny lind double bed in black
five inspiration board inspiration from a beautiful mess
six map of paris by bodie and fou (sadly looking like its no longer available) this is the back-up idea.
seven tas-ka duvet cover

(and yes i am all fancy hot-pants photoshop over here. playing around. let's see where it goes. this is the first post back here dealing with house bits that we'd moved over to jumilla productions. it feels a little odd - but as we phase out that page, i hope you'll find our house"work" interesting as well.)

next up kjg's space (and lots more inspiration on pinterest.)

a night at the pumpkin patch

(almost) full moon, roasted corn, funnel cakes & pumpkins.

at halloween harvest festival at pierce college farm

this week and last

well all ambitious plans aside (and there are ambitious plans!) the last two weeks have been consumed by work. most importantly the first commercial show of rbk's work in los angeles since his death.

if you live here - and have a chance, please stop by. it is a lovely show - with some real gems.

the opening, last thursday, was wonderful. seeing these paintings together again is like reconnecting with old friends.


image courtesy l.a. louver

R.B. Kitaj at L.A. Louver :: now through 9 November, 2013.

please excuse the mess

fall is my favorite season. cooler climes suit me well, and i tend to be much more productive. it's the best time to garden in socal. and makes painting much more comfortable.

like with so many things right now, i'm itching for a bit of change. perhaps it's the weather, (rain today!). i'm not sure. we are scheming bedroom re-do's and talking shower pans. and i've begun to play around with things over here. i'm in the process of moving my posts from here and here, over here. it will feel good to have everything all together. and easier for me moving forward as well.

blogging has changed so very much since i started this space almost (gasp) 8. years. ago! (it was fall. of course!) but i still love this spot for the connections it has afforded me, and the documentation it has provided. i look forward to keeping it going.

thanks for sticking around. xo

sfv sk8r

so we recently discovered that a new(ish) neighbor is an amesome roller derby mama (to the sweetest 4 and almost 1 year olds). suffering an injury, she hasn't been skating this summer, but helping out as a "track monkey". and invited us to come out to a bout, and check it out.

how could we resist? the girls were super into it.









the san fernando valley roller derby league was founded by a past-member of the infamous derby dolls. there is also a junior league (the gnarlies) which both girl were instantly interested in! we will be checking out a practice soon. the bouts (we took in saturday night's double-header: the SFV Like OMG's vs. The Bakersfield Diamond Divas and the SFV Wipeouts vs. Ventura County Hellion Wheels) were surprisingly organized and professional. well refereed and with announcers too. (I frankly didn't know what do expect!) and they are proudly family-friendly. (kids 10 and under free - and the littles were excited to meet the mascot "Skully"!)



we got pretty into it. everybody had their favorite "jammer" (Atomic, Fearless Bueller, 1-800-Tokyo-Takout, Tiggz...)





it was pretty awesome. and a fantastic way to spend a saturday night. watching awe-inspiring women battle it out on rollerskates under the stars, in the sfv!