My Own (Not So) Extreme Home Makeover

Front view, before

Front view, after

I recently got to flex my architectural muscles a little bit when my mom bought a new home. I say "new" even though it's actually 30 years old, but to her it's a new beginning :)
The house needed a good amount of updating, and I was more than happy to lend my design sense for the project! Even though it's still not a complete project throughout, we've made some pretty major changes already. You can see more before-and-after pics here. I'll be posting a few more views of the "after" rooms soon, so check back to see more in the coming weeks!
:-)

~n

My photographic hero

Tonight I watched the movie Visual Acoustics, which documents the career of Julius Shulman. Shulman was an architectural photographer, most recognized for his iconic images of modern LA architecture.
I'd been wanting to see this movie for some time. Actually, I'd had my eye on it ever since I heard about Shulman's death in 2009. I never leave such an impression on me though!
Not only that, but I know exactly what it was that showed me he was my new photographic hero. Shulman studied architecture, but then spent some time finding his niche in the photographic world. I can definitely relate! Also, Shulman is shown saying that "the camera is the least important part of taking a picture." This is something I've told my friends repeatedly, and I loved having it confirmed by someone so well-respected and established. We had bonded! :-)

I don't make it a point to search out many movies for purchase, but I will definitely be adding this one to my collection.
The architect in me was revived, and the photographer in me was inspired. Thanks, Julius.
:-)

~n

Where the beats are born

A few weeks ago I had the awesome task of taking pictures of a friend's recording studio (www.dfabstudios.com). I hadn't seen his studio in a while, so when I saw what I had to work with that day I was impressed! Check out the photos here. 
I loved not only seeing how his business is ready to boom, but knowing that I was helping a local artist with that growth. How great is that?! Hopefully there will be more chances to do these type of shoots. In the meantime, I'm on the lookout for my next project! 
:-)

~n

Culture Check #001

Got culture? Well now you can.

Welcome to the first Culture Check. I'll periodically check in and let you all know about upcoming culture events in San Diego. So are you ready to get the creative juices flowing again? Ok, here we go!

First up is one of my favorite places to get cultured: MoPA! This Thursday (the 13th) is the first in a film series called "The Coming of Age Festival". They'll be kicking off the series with the movie "The World's Fastest Indian".  The event starts at 6pm and there will be an introduction by the Festival Coordinator! More info here.

I'll be at this next event: San Diego Architectural Foundation's Pecha Kucha night. What's Pecha Kucha? It's a night out at a bar while you listen to quick presentations by different artists/designers of all kinds. The ground rules? Each presenter is allowed 20 slides, at 20 seconds for each one. The evening always begins at 20:20. Finally (and most importantly) mingle, have fun, and drink up!
The next one is happening on January 20th @ Quality Social. More info here.

Pecha Kucha not your thing? Need something a little more... sober? Not to worry, you can spend January 20th at MCASD for their "Free Third Thursday Evening". Every third Thursday of the month, they open the doors for free between 5-7pm and even give free guided tours at 5 and 6pm! More info here.

Finally, there's a BARchitecture coming up to kick off the new year! Organized by the AIASD, it's a chance to share a happy hour drink with architects, interior designers, construction professionals, and random drunks off the street. The best part? If you RSVP ahead of time, the first round is on the hosts! More info here.

Well, that should have you all set for the remainder of January. Now get out there and get cultured!
:-)

~n

New year, new blog format!

Hello online world!
Happy belated New Year :)

First off, I just want to say that I'M DONE WITH MY 365 PROJECT!!! I missed some days, but still always posted something to make up for it. I can't believe I did a full year, and it actually went by pretty quickly! Maybe I'll try doing another year, but it won't be 2011. hehehe

Secondly, I'm super excited about keeping this blog going but changing up the format. So, in the coming week I'll be redoing the look of the blog and I'll start posting links to interesting events in the area, or great artists that I enjoy, or any updates on what I've been up to professionally.
So, in the spirit of the new format I want to share an Etsy treasury that I'm participating in. It's a BNR treasury being hosted by the team EtsyExpats, which means it's a "Buy 'N Replace" so all the items are featured for sale and if you're an Etsy seller then once you purchase that item will immediately be replaced with one of yours! So check it out and buy something!

Till next time...
Natalia

365/365

mid-afternoon on December 31, 2010 in San Diego, CA

we ended up going to Old Town today to enjoy the beautiful weather and the holiday weekend. in all the years i've lived in San Diego, i'd never walked into the main church in Old Town. so today we walked inside. it's small, basic, and totally adorable! they had these prayer candles on either side of the entrance, and they immediately caught my eye.
:-)

~n

364/365

late night on December 30, 2010 in Oceanside, CA

our plans for New Year's eve kept changing, and i ended up staying the night at my mom's house with everyone else. we decided to bust out the cards, and ended up playing until about 1am!! if you know our family, though, that shouldn't be a surprise.
:-)

~n

363/365

December 29, 2010 in San Diego, CA

this is another preview shot because of all the holiday madness! this shot is taken on New Year's eve, but i couldn't help but share these wonderful palm trees.
:-)

~n

362/365

December 28, 2010 in San Diego, CA

still in the holiday spirit
:-)

~n

361/365

December 27, 2010 in Oceanside, CA

a few days ago, i helped my niece and nephew build this gingerbread train. let me tell you, those things are not easy, clean, or quick! after two hours of trying to keep the table somewhat clean and trying to make sense of the poorly written instructions and trying to keep my 3-yr-old nephew focused, the train was complete.
i present to you our masterpiece
:-)

~n

360/365

December 26, 2010 in Oceanside, CA

no matter our ages, or whether there are two or ten of us celebrating Christmas, there will always be stocking hanging for treats from Santa
:-)

~n

359/365

early evening on December 25, 2010 in San Diego, CA

i came home to footsteps leading up to my front door...
Santa??
:-)

~n

358/365

~8:00pm on December 24, 2010 in Oceanside, CA

it's CHRISTMAS!!!! i hope that it's very merry.
:-)

~n

357/365

December 23, 2010 in Oceanside, CA

my sister started collecting these miniature Christmas village ceramic pieces many years ago, but then she moved abroad and wasn't able to take them with her. So this year was the first time that they've ever been completely set up, and my mom had it set up as a surprise for when my sister arrived for her visit and walked through the door. she loved it!! i still can't understand how my mom managed to set it all up in one night AND do loads of unpacking AND get some sleep, but the Christmas village looked wonderful.
:-)

~n

356/365

late evening on December 22, 2010 in Oceanside, CA

so. much. food.
this is what a good time looks like! my mom's get-together was a success, and there was so much awesome food!!
my potato salad was a big hit, by the way ;-)

~n