LOS ANGELES | griffith park

I can't believe in the 9 years I've spent in living in Socal I've never once hiked in Griffith Park. Then again I've never really been the active type. Now that my sister lives about a 5 minute drive away I didn't want to pass up a chance to check out the famous views. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to reach the observatory..but maybe next time.

PERSONAL | heading home..

I haven't been back to Los Angeles since I { packed my bags } back in 2014 and left for Hong Kong. I've always had mixed feelings about returning to the city I've called home the majority of my teenage years. In some ways, those were some of the hardest, most painful years of my life due to family dramas and my struggle with mental illness. In other ways, those were the days I made some of my best memories with some of the best people I've ever had the good fortune to know.

So much has changed since 2014, to name a few my little sister (the superstar of the family), is now fulfilling her dream of working in the animation industry, some friends are getting engaged or in serious relationships, and other friends I've lost and miss dearly. It's funny to see everyone so grown up.

Here are a few impression from that short but fruitful trip.

INSPIRATION | silverlake patterns

PERSONAL | california laid back

Taking a quick break from editing photos from Europe to upload photos from yesterday's trip to Los Angeles. My Mum flew over from Hong Kong yesterday to stay with us for the next six months. It's neat because with her living halfway around the world, we don't get to celebrate the holidays together very often. And with all the changes happening in the next year (me moving to Hong Kong and Kelly applying for art school, perhaps, out of country), this might be the last time we will be celebrating Christmas as a family--at least for the next several years.

Anyways, yesterday morning Kelly and I decided to wake up early so we could spend the morning and afternoon in Downtown and Silverlake district before we headed over to LAX. It's funny because I never stray far from east Los Angeles on all my visits to the city. I've never had any plans to ever live in LA, but if I did, my days would look something along the lines of this.

Picked up some amazing pain au chocolat and a fresh baguette from my favorite bakery in Downtown. The croissants were to be enjoyed with breakfast, while the baguette was saved for dinner. I made ragù alla bolognese.

We ran into the sweetest, friendliest cat ever in Silverlake. Kelly was about this close to taking this little lady home. We're not sure if she's a stray, but if we didn't have the other two at home, I might've wanted to take her home myself as well.

We stopped at one of { my favorite lunch spots } (featured in my LA guide). Grilled Tri Tip with Caramelized Onion + Roasted Root Vegetables with Rosemary & Garlic + Spiced Cauliflower. I'm always trying to find new ideas for veggie side dishes to cook at home. The roasted root vegetables will be next on my list.

PLACES | the getty center

 
 

I was clearing up my hard drive when I came upon my folder of some shots I took of The Getty back in March. I thought I'd edit them real quick and share a few of my favorite snaps from that day.

The Getty has quickly become one of my favorite spots to visit in Los Angeles. Unfortunately I'm not so much a Fine Arts person--occasionally an { exhibition } catches my eye--but I can sit around and admire the architecture for hours. On my last visit Kelly and I packed a lunch to enjoy on the terrace by the fountains. It's also a great spot for people watching and if you can find a good table it's also a great place to draw some sketches of your own.