Go Here and Do This: Puppet Edition

When Lucas was about 3

Paul took him to see

The Bob Baker Marionette Theater.

It was a fantastic thing for two reasons:

1. It was proof positive that Paul

was a creative and fun loving parent

in ways I hadn't thought of

(yes I was a little jealous).

and

2. After that day

Lucas forever remembered

"Downtown Los Angeles"

and all of its 

magic and buildings and wonder, oh my!

For about 2 years

if the city was in his eyeline,

he was shouting,

"DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES!"

Sadly,

after 40 years and a gazillion sets of wonder-filled eyes,

the theater is near bankruptcy

and is currently up for sale.

Good ol' Bob says

if he loses the theater,

he'll take the show on the road,

but without the ambiance of that old theater

it just won't be the same.

Tickets are only $15

for all humans

over the age of 2.

It's been on my to-do list

for the Jamester,

but I just never got around to it.

Now we MUST go.

Go Here and Do This: Weekend Edition

I have the priviledge of knowing and loving

a few insanely talented people.

Friends and family

who sing and dance and sew and draw

and blow my mind.

This weekend is chock full of
their amazingness,
so without further ado...

Beginning this Friday and lasting 10 performances,

Gregory Cesena aka my brother
is starring in

Theater Out's production of Dog Sees God.

It's the Peanuts gang

as tortured teenagers.

Go. See. It.

Here is the poster.

Here is my handsome brother when he was in "The Laramie Project"

Saturday night we

(me, boys, Nana, the whole crew!)

will be square dancing and cake walking

at

Paul's cousin Mike

and his band Triple Chicken Foot are playing.

And let me tell you,

earlier this year we went to one of their square dances at The Echo

and it was seriously one of the MOST fun things I have ever done

(even though Paul and I totally messed up on our solo).

It's kid and pocket friendly

and I cannot sing its praises enough.

And of course we love to support Mike

because he is awesome

and the band happens to be

Los Angeles' Best Folk Band.

Just sayin'. 

Sunday is the

Patchwork Indie Arts & Crafts Festival

which is as awesome as it sounds,

and the whole clan will be at the

Long Beach location,

as our sweet and wonderful Dana

will be selling her

Snax and Snake wares.

My favorite.

It's a grand life with folks like these.

xo.

Friday Fotos 4/27

When I said I take a gazillion pictures I was not kidding. 

So here's a re-cap of our week...

James came home Friday and got to work on a new toy.

Thanks for the "Batcave" grandma and grandpa!

I stayed up all night getting ready for Lucas' party.
Baking this and frosting that.

In an effort to be more organized (read: less of a basketcase)

 I had baked these 3 days in advance and planned to frost them the night before.

Unfortunately I'll be resurrecting my all-nighters next year.

Frosting = YUM

3 day old cake = Not so yum 

These I made the morning of.

Here's a picture of the world's best frosting.

Marshmallow fluff is a key ingredient. 'Nuff said.

I hid a whoopie pie mid-party and ate it later that night after the kids had gone to bed.

I may or may not have lied about that directly to my son's face.

Don't judge.

The day could not have been more perfect. 
Sunshine, friends, family,

and about 30 different Quinceneras being photographed at the park. 

Free fashion show.

Sunday Paul and Lucas embarked on a camping adventure

while James and I went on a fantastic date.

We love LACMA!

And for all of you parents out there, NexGen is like the best idea ever.

James was inspired by the Russian avant garde. 

(I'm only half-joking.  He "sketched" for 30 minutes.)

Photo Credit: Micah Cordy

We painted, created "found" art and saw Metropolis II.

We made pinwheels and posed for a picture.

Afterward we found one of these and my little one tinkered away.

I have the strangest feeling I'm being watched.

'Twas a magical day.

The week brought this...

and this...

And here we are at Friday again.

We got love and sun and fun on the horizon for the next few days.

Happy weekend everyone.

P.S.

How can my life be anything less than magic when I've got this...

XO