The Burning House

The Burning House is a brilliant website that asks it's reader the question, "what items would you take with you if your house was on fire?"
I often ask myself that same question, almost as if I'm challenging myself to prioritize my belongings.  Would I take my favorite Woody Allen book over my framed portrait of my Mother?
Would I take my favorite record over a small gift that my Boyfriend bought for me at a thrift store?
The Burning House itself poses the same questions, saying that 'It's a conflict between what's practical, valuable and sentimental.  What you would take reflects your interests, backgrounds and priorities,"  which is absolutely true
I wanted to share a few of my favorite submissions, followed by my own submission at the very end.

and here is mine:

- Hawk wing that Brian found and gifted to me.  It smells a little funny and might be impractical but I'd somehow rather have this than my cellphone.
- My passport.  This is my excuse to finally move to Europe.
- Carved wooden Armadillo that I bought in Costa Rica while on a trip with my family.
- 'Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance.'  An important book to have in a post-apocalyptic environment.
- My Grandpa's pocketknife.
- Floral headdress that I made for my birthday last year so that I remember the good times.
- Baby fox skull.  Still not quite sure why, but I wouldn't leave it behind.
- Shell from the beach in Monterey to remind me of home.
- California Poppies postcard from Big Sur to remind me of beauty.
- Film camera to continue capturing memories.
- Turquoise bracelet that Brian's Mom gave me a few years ago.  She said the bracelet reminded her of me and I thought that was really sweet.
- Owl salt shaker I bought with one of my BFF's in San Francisco.  The weekend I bought it was lovely and memorable.
- Photobooth of Brian and myself.
- Framed photograph of my Mom.  This would be my number one.
- Mom's vintage t-shirt from the 70's.  I don't even really wear this shirt, but my Mom used to wear it all the time when we were growing up and I really loved it and I still do.

Exposure

Here are a few of my photo experiments as of late:

If you would like to use any of these photos (or are reposting them) please be sure to give credit.  I recently saw a few photos of mine on another blog (no need to name names) claiming my photography as their own.  I definitely don't consider myself to be an amazing or knowledgeable photographer, but it still makes you feel kind of sad when that happens.  I give credit to all artists and photographers, or anything else on my blog that I am sharing.  It's important that we appreciate and respect one another, as creative people, and by giving credit you are showing that respect.

Also, don't forget to follow my blog on facebook!

Birthday

It was my birthday yesterday, so on Sunday I threw a big picnic in Elysian Park to celebrate.  It was a gorgeous day, perfect for lounging outside with a group of lovely people eating delicious food, playing charades, drinking mimosas, and hanging out with all the cute dogs in attendance.  I went a little crazy making food for the day which included my dream cupcakes with edible flowers on top, home made caramel with Cyprus sea salt, chocolate covered strawberries, sun-dried tomato pasta salad with mozzarella and basil, cous cous salad with Marash pepper & chocolate chip cookies with oreos inside of them.  It was laid-back and relaxing, which was exactly what I had in mind when I planned the day.
Yesterday, Brian (the most amazing boyfriend in the world) surprised me and took me on a ferry to Catalina Island for the day.  I had never been to Catalina before, so I was really excited.
After a smooth, hour long ferry ride, we arrived in Avalon.  As we pulled up, the town reminded me of a quaint seaside village in Italy, but with colorful, old California style buildings.
We spent our day eating ice cream, making friends with seagulls, speeding around in a golf cart in the cliffs above the town (nobody in Catalina has a car...everyone drives golf carts!), drinking strawberry mojitos, eating freshly shucked oysters and clam chowder, and enjoying the lazy quietness of the Island.
We watched the sun set on the Pacific Ocean on the ferry ride back home, and I wished that the day didn't have to end.
I saw some beautiful campsites on Catalina Island, and I definitely need to go back soon for some camping (and maybe grill some freshly caught seafood!).
It was a really fun & special day that I couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable birthday.


On another note, Scout & Pine is now on Facebook!  'Like' the page to get updated every time the blog is updated, or when I share other points of interest that otherwise won't be on the blog.

Dream Destinations

Just a few of the incredible places that I dream of experiencing someday...

1. Patagonia, Chile:  I would love to one day traverse the Andean peaks of Patagonia with people I love. Sometimes untouched nature has this way of making you feel really small and insignificant, and it's that type of modesty and appreciation that makes you realize how lucky you are to exist on this planet.
2. Santorini, Greece:  Santorini is one of those places that you think must not be real because it looks like a dream.  I just imagine myself sitting nestled above the ocean, watching the sunset reflect off the small white buildings and pretending like life is perfect in a place like this.
3. Bokod, Hungary:  Bokod is an extremely small village in Northern Hungary that is almost impossible to get to unless you have a car.  There are only 2,000 people who live there and one main road that runs through the town.  If I wanted to escape, I would come here.
4. Cinque Terre, Italy:  I wouldn't complain about waking up in the Italian Riviera every morning.  It's almost unfair that a place like this exists on the opposite the world from myself.
5. Cote d'Azur, France:  Surrounded by the Alps & the warm breezes of the Mediterranean lies the French Riviera.  I often look through photos from this stunning Provence and find myself daydreaming about drinking mimosas under the trees overlooking the bright blue beach.
6. Istanbul, Turkey:  When I was in Europe last, everyone I met along my travels kept gushing about how incredible Istanbul was.  I recently watched a short documentary about the culture of Istanbul, and I am now obsessed with the stunning architecture, colorful textiles, and especially the food (!!!) of this city.
7. Fjord, Norway:  Geirangerfjord located in Norway is the world's most untouched Fjord.  I imagine how quiet it must be to glide along the water in this pristine Fjord, and how amazingly beautiful that would be.
8. Jerusalem, Israel:  I have actually been to Jerusalem once, but I was very young and barely remember what it looks like in person.  I do, however, remember how powerful it felt to be standing in a place with such deep history.  I am going back to Israel in September and I can't wait to experience it again now that I am older.
9. Kinvara, Ireland:  Kinvara is a small, picturesque seaside village in South County Galway, Ireland.  You can enjoy an Irish feast inside the tiny Dunguaire Castle, built in 1520 while listening to traditional Irish music after a day of fishing.

Existing

In the 60's & 70's, the Yugoslavian president (at the time) commissioned different sculptors and architects to build structures to commemorate sites where WWII battles took place or where Concentration Camps had been located.  When the Republic dissolved in the early 90's, these amazing man-made structures were abandoned and completely forgotten about.  Their symbolic, decaying beauty has been captured by photographer Jan Kempenaers.  I find these monuments to be absolutely stunning, surreal, futuristic, and even eerie.

All photos via Jan Kampenaers.

Home

I tend to get bouts of homesickness when spring comes around.  It makes me miss waking up to the smell of sea-salty air & getting purposely lost off HWY 1.   I've been staring at these photos I took last November, the last time I went back home.  They were all taken on film around Big Sur/Monterey/Carmel.