Friday Flickr Favs {and major randomness}

Oh so pretty on this dark & dreary Friday (FRIDAY!) morning! We've had the strangest October weather this month; seriously cool, foggy & rainy, when usually it's hot and dry and the foothills are fighting those nasty wildfires. It's coming, I'm sure. We haven't even had our yearly Santa Anas yet, so I'm sure November will be a humdinger. I'm not complaining, at all. I love this weather.

And interestingly enough, I've been strangely disconnected from the web. It's interesting and strange to me only because for the last 11 years, I've been online constantly; updating my website, checking emails, communicating with customers, etc.

Of course I'm online at work, but in a different way. And when I come home, there have been (many) nights I haven't even checked my business email, my blog readers or Facebook. This is a huge turning point for me, and I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. I've been reading a ton, and knitting (photos soon). While I might feel so disconnected, on the other hand, I feel so connected to life, once again.

When I get past the fact that I have to be so much more organized about my free time on weekends (which means running every single errand, planning weekly meals, grocery shopping [the bane of my existence] & laundry), I feel like returning to work full time was the best thing I did. Would you believe, I am so much more relaxed. Seems like a huge oxymoron, but it's true.

The weeks fly by, and here it is Friday (again!) and I love having the whole (free) weekend in front of me! I've been cleaning out my studio - it's a frustratingly slow process, mainly because I have the attention span of a knat with regard to this particular task. If I could just close the door on this chapter of my life and walk away, I would. But my husband keeps opening it and asking if we are going to be able to ever park our cars in the garage again....

Soon, my love.

Saturday at the fair...

I am loving my weekends these days. Life is so much easier (and more relaxing) when you don't have to work 24/7. This was the first weekend in October, which meant it was time for the Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair!

This was the first time in 7 years that I didn't do this fair, but of course, I had to visit. I'm glad too, because as a vendor I never had the opportunity to walk around. Even if a friend gave me a break, I'd shoot down the street and back because I never felt comfortable being away from my booth.

Saturday started with a sprinkling of rain, which turned to gorgeous sunny skies, as it usually does for this show.

I love catching Kelley unaware.

ahh, better!

Jill and Jana were there...and I stocked up on thank you cards! Jill has a great assortment of lovely stationery.

and of course Joelle.

It was so great to see my show pals! I thought it was going to be weird walking around a fair I always attended as a vendor. I thought I would miss it and be kicking myself that I wasn't participating (with my meager inventory). But I didn't feel that way at all. I was so happy to be moseying down the lane, without hurry, and without worrying about whether I was going to meet last years' sales or surpass them.

As a matter of fact, when we finished our loop, I sort of couldn't wait to get out of there. I think it was the crowds, which never bothered me as a vendor, but drove me crazy as a visitor (go figure). I can't wait to talk to my friends and find out how the event went this year. Because for as many people I saw, I didn't see that many bags with purchases. I hope everyone did well and had fun, because this was always my best show of the year.

and this is coastal....

not okay.

Sunday on the trail

This morning, my friend Karen & I hit the trail. We call this 'the loop', but I think the real name is maybe Peacock Flats. It's actually a fire trail at the end of Crenshaw Boulevard, right at Del Cerro Park. We call it 'the loop' because a) it's fun, and b) if you take it all the way, the fire trail ends at the bottom of Portuguese Bend Road in the gated community of Rolling Hills. We usually walk up that to Crest Road, and take it back to Crenshaw and return where we started from. Although it feels like a half marathon, it's only about 3.5 miles roundtrip.

It's a great hike, much of it with scenery like this, but the hills are grueling. The expected high temperature today was 97, so we started out at 8 am. I think it was maybe only 87 at that point. Instead of taking the full loop, today we stopped at the gate and turned around. The thing about continuing through that gate is that you go up a long, windy drive that's really steep. Walking back on the trail is a little less steep, but it's a gradual hill that doesn't end. By the time we were almost done, I was seeing stars. But this is the reward:

Over ten thousand steps before 10 am! All that in an hour and forty five minutes. It's an exhausting way to start a Sunday, but worth it on so many other levels! I hope you are enjoying your weekend! XO

Sunday in Old Towne

Oy. I must be getting old. Yesterday one of my college boys had a late afternoon meeting at school, so we took the opportunity to deposit him there and then walk to the Orange International Street Fair a couple of blocks away.

Not so much of a street fair, but more of a giant beer garden...not that there's anything wrong with that, if that's your gig. It takes place in Old Towne Orange (known for it's cute antique and gift shops) and each street has tents down the middle selling food and beer from different countries. I think I was just more surprised that there wasn't a designated beer area, like there is at most street fairs.

Actually, it was one of most crowded events I've ever walked through (with the exception of the Strawberry Festival, which has it's own fenced in beer garden).

My husband was in beer heaven, and promptly acquired a mandatory wristband so he could continually hold a cold, frothy beverage. Thank goodness we met up with our friends, Ralph and Shari, or I don't think I could have lasted the 4 hours Colin was at his meeting! See? I am old!

Granted there was cool street music flowing everywhere, and it ranged from the amateur...

to the more professional set up....

to the kitschy (Lederhosen anyone?)

to the cute and fun (they grow up so fast people!)

I keep noticing, as I get older, I have a harder time dealing with huge, drunken crowds. It's sort of like sensory overload. And after we had made the rounds about 3 times, we headed back to Chapman to wait for Colin where we found a nice spot on the grass and an impromptu jazz concert.

This is totally more my style! It turned out that these musicians didn't know each other at all, but just brought their instruments and started playing, and other musicians came and went, and it was lovely.

A perfect jam session! ♥

Saturday night in the city...

This past Saturday night we dragged our sorry selves off the hill and into the city. Everyone one of us. Including remaining teenage boys and one home from his first week at college (oh, the beauty of local education for the first time college mother!). My pal Kelley was a vendor at a new-ish event called LA Craft Experience, which was located right in Chinatown, which is an awesome place anyway. This event is so much different from any either of us had done before because it pretty much takes place in the evening. Yes! The event goes from 5 pm to midnight. (I'd die.) We got there around 6 and it was really just getting started.

I had to visit my pal right away. I feel like I never see her anymore now that I'm fully employed. *sigh*

I love going to Chinatown, there's so much color and so many little knick knack shops with so much.....crap, it's hilarious.

There was a huge line of food trucks on a little side road. We didn't partake because we had our hearts set on Chinatown Chinese food, but let me tell you, by the time we went back that way (after dark) this area was packed and the lines were 10-20 people long. What a trend this has become!

(I've heard the Patty Wagon below is awesome)

So, we had dinner and then went back to main area, and man 'o man. I have never been to Chinatown after dark and if I thought it was colorful and cool during the day - it doesn't hold a candle to Chinatown after dark.

Check. Out. The. Neon!

Unbelieveable awesomeness. The event was in collaboration with Chinatown Summer Nights, which was sponsored by our local NPR (and my favorite radio) station, KCRW. They had DJ's from the station spinning records in a couple different locations, and there was dancing at one. It's such a great idea, and it is so good for the community to get out there and support these little establishments. Everyone was busy, the food trucks were jamming, and there were just people everywhere.

Also, I got some love from my boys men.

They were so sweet to actually agree to a photo with me. This doesn't happen very often, I have to gloat.

It was a great time and a great Saturday night. We'll have to drag their asses somewhere else very soon.

The week remixed

The end of August, and summer has finally arrived in Southern California. Scorching temperatures this last week, and I was thanking my stars that I was indoors in the nice, comfortable manufactured air office. Today, of course, I woke up to dense fog, which means that at least for the weekend, we will be comfortable. Happy, that.

This past week we found ourselves delivering one college boy to his new home away from home, and even though it's only an hour away, I still had an empty spot in my heart! It will take some getting used to, for sure! I can't tell you how happy I was to pick him up last night, and right now I am joyfully doing his laundry. That's a first.

Enjoy the last weekend of August my friends!

New Adventures

Well, hello. Things are in a flux and life is changing. Has changed. After 11 years of running my business, Sommer Designs, I am putting it behind me and moving on. I went back to work, outside the home, two months ago and it has been one of the best decisions I've made. I wonder, now, if I should have done this years ago, but that's one of those hindsight issues. I was so wrapped in moving my business forward that it was never a consideration. And, really, I was so happy working my own gig and I don't regret a moment of it.

So, what now? I've been blogging for 5 years over at another platform, but will probably be closing that account soon. I loved it there, but now that I don't have to market my business as strongly as I used to, I have a hard time justifying the expense. So here I am, back at Blogger where I began blogging 6 years ago! Full circle sort of thing.

My interests have also changed in the last year - I'm not as interested in promoting my own wares and crafty projects. I'm sure there will still be some knitting posts thrown in for good measure, but that's about as crafty as I plan to get.

I now work full time for a family owned custom furniture, wall and window covering company. They also restore & reupholster classic modern furniture - think Eames, Herman Miller, Knoll and all that good stuff. I am immersed in good, clean design. I love it. I've learned so much.

So, I'm thinking this is where I will share some of my finds from the interior design world that I am now a part of. Another new obsession is what I am wearing to work, because after working from home for 11 years, I'm damn happy to get dressed up to go to work. I'm trying to get back into Wardrobe Remix on Flickr and I also take part in 365, which is a picture (usually self-portrait) a day.

I don't expect anyone but myself to be at all interested in this blather.