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Hola, how was your weekend?

Ours was all about traveling and settling back into our flat; man does it feel good to be home!!! One of the things that I love about London is that the architectural details are so different from everything that I grew up with in LA. When we moved here I became obsessed with noting the tiny details of building facades and period characteristics of the 1600's onwards.

Los Angeles is obviously much newer so going back for a visit after being away for a while proved to be super inspiring. Everything from the Mexican and Spanish Colonial details around El Pueblo/Olvera Street, the Art Deco facades in Old Pasadena, to the simple retro lines of the beach communities ... they all hint to the diversity of design in the City of Angels. I admire and respect the ornate and elaborate styles of traditional European design but when push comes to shove, simplicity and basic geometry always captures my heart. It wasn't until this trip that I realized how much my hometown had influenced my personal design tendencies. I guess sometimes you really don't know what you've got until it's gone...or at least leave it then go back :)

the things you see with just a few extra steps

During a recent lunch break I stopped near a quiet alley to make a phone call. While on hold I decided to walk a bit further to check out some brick buildings on the left hand side. Several steps in, I look to my right and discover a collection of bright murals that seemed completely out of place yet incredibly inviting. I wanted to have my Canon on me so bad! I learned (via a plaque at the end) that the murals were done by artists from a non-profit called ArtStorm that "provides canvas, paint and safe and legal locations for young people to pursue their art called Masterpiecing (graffiti art)." How awesome is that? You can see the work in action via this time-lapse video or see it for yourself in Old Pasadena just off of DeLacey Street and next to Forever 21. It's a perfect dose of art amidst the hustle and bustle of the surrounding shops and restaurants.