Month: December 2017

Winter Fantasy Sawdust

Published on by Author Melissa Crismon
Post 75 Winter Fantasy Sawdust Merman
Sterling Silver Merman by KM Designs. Pic by M.C.

Winter Fantasy Sawdust Festival is like Sawdust in the summer except with a Santa. And it really feels like summer here. The fires have been everywhere up and down California with no real explanation. It is so dry. We wore shorts to Laguna Beach in December. That is unusual.

We ate at a new restaurant next to Sawdust called Another Kind. The food is Vietnamese and Thai. The menu isn’t clear. Small means appetizer and large means main entrée. The portions are small which I like. Our waitress turned into a waiter. They tried to serve us someone else’s food twice. They messed up the receipt. But they were super nice and the food was awesome. I ate some noodle veggie dish. I would go back again.

Laguna Beach’s main drag isn’t decorated for Christmas. But the courtyard in the Sawdust is beautiful with trees and Santa’s house. Photographer Mary Hurlbut’s booth is in Santa’s shop.

We stopped and chatted with a blonde girl in John Lennon glasses and a faux fur vest at Dr. Neon’s booth. I felt warm just looking at her. She looks like the singer Kerli. She started talking about Dr. Neon’s work. He has lots of knives, rings, and hanging dragons. I said, “Did you say Dr. Neon?” She said, “Yes.” She must have pointed up because then I saw his small neon sign that read, “Dr. Neon.” He used to work in neon, but Laguna Beach’s certain beautification council worried he’d make Laguna Beach like Las Vegas. The millennial, hippy laughed, and said something to the affect, “Like Laguna Beach could look like Las Vegas.”

Kirk Millette is one of my favorite jewelers. Look for his mermaid sign. He has mermaid sterling silver rings and necklaces, but we spied a merman. I had to have him and his flexing muscles.

We stopped to talked with the exuberant Makaila from Makaila Designs. She has some sterling silver ocean-themed rings. One was inspired by a tide pool with starfish. Casting investment is used to make the mold for the rings. She studied art at CSU, Long Beach and worked at a jewelry store. She thought hey why not take a couple of classes in jewelry. In my opinion, she is very talented. Also, she told us usually there is a petting zoo.

Winter Fantasy Sawdust is very busy because it’s a great place to do Christmas shopping or shop for yourself, and take a photo with Santa. December 16 and 17, 2017 is the last weekend to visit. Then walk to the beach for a California Christmas.

Have a Merry Beachy Christmas everyone!

Sawdust • 935 Laguna Canyon Road • Laguna Beach • CA • 92651

Copyright 2017 Melissa Crismon

 

Natural History Museum L.A.

Published on by Author Melissa Crismon
Post 74 African Mammal Hall
African Mammal Hall in Natural History Museum Los Angeles Pic by M.C.

I’ve only posted about what I love that goes on in California. I debated about writing about the Natural History Museum Los Angeles because it was just a meh experience. I figure since some who read my blog aren’t from California, I should post about the museum so you know not to waste your time here. We went there for Tattoo: An Exhibition.

The tattoos are on silicon torsos. You can see it through April 15, 2018. You can even get a tattoo from a local artist.

You’ve seen this museum on TV and in movies and just don’t know it. There is a phone commercial out now featuring the Dueling Dinos. The African taxidermy is what makes me remember the museum. I’m not a fan of dead animals so this will be my last time going here.

I did get some research done in the Gem and Mineral Hall. I love seeing what is unearthed in the local area so I can add details to my next book series based in Carlsbad.

The museum has added to their collect. It looks like some exhibits have gotten moved around. I felt some exhibits were a bit messy. Then some information has changed and seemed false to me. I visited the museum maybe seven years ago and since that time they’ve added Climate Change explanations in the Dinosaur Hall. Eye roll. But I took photos so I can investigate what they are teaching.

Sure, the climate changes, because God makes it change. But man has been manipulating it too, playing God, which is evil. Why? Look at who is pushing the Climate Change issue. It’s the United Nations. Even a certain religious figure is pushing it. Not because they are worried about humans. At the least, they want to tax us. I’m already getting a Climate Change Tax on my electricity bill here in California. Anyway, I digress.

For lunch, we didn’t eat at the museum. We walked across the street, passed the violent mentally ill guy to USC. This has never really been a great part of L.A. Pizza Studio, 3584 S. Figueroa Street, serves vegan and gluten free pizza and great salads. It’s part of the newly renovated area called University Village that USC built with the help of locals to lift up the poor. From reading, it sounds like USC may have even trained locals in construction to help build the new brick village so the workers can go on to other jobs. Apparently, there is a Trader Joe’s nearby too.

We walked through USC on the way back to the museum. The campus is beautiful, but for fifty thousand dollars a year it better have the best education in the world and promise a career. The architecture seems to have a lot of hidden Gothic messages. Basically, it’s a club.

Natural History Museum Los Angeles • 900 Exposition Boulevard • Los Angeles • CA • 90007