Dolls in the Desert

Last May I took a trip to the desert--we went hiking at Joshua Tree and stayed at Two Bunch Palms in Desert Hot Springs.  I was working on an art project that had to do with creating costumes and then styling a photoshoot for dolls (My Fan Art Project for Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends), so I decided to bring them with me and practice posing and shooting them.  I made caftans for them which I thought were appropriate for Desert Hot Springs.  They seemed to enjoy themselves.  :)

Here's Edith at the beginning of our 49 Palms Oasis hike at Joshua Tree National Park.  All ready to go in her snazzy desert caftan. 

Posing and working on her angles....

Enjoying some badass desert plants.

Almost to the Oasis.

Made it!  Resting in the shade.

Oh wait.  Now we have to go back the way we came...

That is one steep hill to climb and it's about 1000º F right about now.

But it sure is pretty--and worth it.  And dang, I look good in my caftan!

Meanwhile, back at Two Bunch Palms....

Olive knows how to live it up and stay cool and comfortable at the resort.

She's practicing her poses and finding her angles too...

...in the shade of some Bougainvillea.

And now that Edith's back, they can enjoy an afternoon Martini...

...hang out by the pond...

...and just enjoy the sweetness of life.

But ultimately, it's time to make the trip back to LA...

Passing some cool wind turbines on the way.

Stay tuned for more photoshoots with the Dolls.

CA Roadtrips: Cambria

In April Kato and I took a little weekend road trip up the coast to Cambria, CA.  We drove up the Pacific Coast Highway about 4 hours North of LA.  Cambria is at about the halfway point between LA and San Francisco, along the Central Coast.  The beauty of California with it's varied landscapes never ceases to amaze me--driving 2 hours North of LA will be completely different than driving 2 hours East into the desert.

On Friday we took the long way up the coast for a leisurely drive.  We got to Cambria and took a walk up the coast along the boardwalk.

Perhaps not the best coast for a leisurely dip in warm water, but it's photogenic.

Sweet older couple out for a stroll.  This could be Kato and me in 20 years....OK, maybe 10....OK, maybe not.

We took a drive over to the Paso Robles wine country and did a wine tasting.  The vineyard had this Hummingbird feeder that was quite popular with the locals.

Back in the town of Cambria there were plenty of quaint, colorful shops.

Shops that brought their special kind of small-town quirkiness...

...and their own version of storytelling.

Ummmm....

 This shop had all kinds of interesting rocks, many with organically sculpted shapes.  That will be it's own post as I took plenty of pictures.

 No,no,no, thank YOU for the love.

 Apparently Cambria's totally filled with love.

Our hotel was on Moonstone beach, which is not only known for it's beach glass (I only found 2 tiny pieces in the short time I was looking) but also for it's drift wood.  There were people there collecting pieces--one couple was discussing the artwork they could make from it.

 I wonder what stories these trees could have told.

 We only had a long weekend and there was plenty we didn't get to (like Hearst Castle which is a trip in itself), but I'm sure we'll be back.