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New year, new blog...

Welcome, everyone! Being as it’s a new year, I decided that a new format for sharing news was in order. This will be where I share news and other little interesting things I find.

In that vein, let’s talk about this past weekend, which included Valentines Day. For those of us in the US, it also included Presidents Day. I recently found out the point of this holiday, which is the catch-all to cover the birthdays of our Presidents Washington and Lincoln. How very efficient, no?

In my household, we don’t celebrate these very often. Our belief is that, at least for Valentines Day, we should celebrate the meaning and virtues every day. To us, it’s about love, comfort, and family.

This year, it turned out that the city of Los Angeles was re-opening the newly refurbished Hollyhock House for 24 straight hours beginning at 4 p.m. from February 13th until the same time on February 14th. Admission would be free during this time, as well as their “no photography” restriction being lifted for that one night only. Historical architecture and the ability to take any picture (within the permitted areas, anyway) I want? I’d be an idiot not to go!

Hollyhock House was commissioned in 1919 by oil heiress Aline Barnsdall. Her original concept was to build an entire complex devoted to the arts, among which she’d reside of course. For this job, she chose Frank Lloyd Wright to design it. With the inspiration of Aline’s favorite flower, the Hollyhock, in mind, he proceeded to design his first residential building in Los Angeles. Alas, money and creative differences brought this project to a halt in 1927. Aline donated the property to the City at this point, stipulating that they were to allow the California Arts Organization a 15 year lease of the property to use as their headquarters. If you want to delve deeper, you can find more info at the following sites:

As one of the articles above said, the lines were long and remained that way through the night! We arrived at 10:50 p.m and didn’t leave until nearly 3 am. I still maintain it was worth it. While photographs depicted the superficial beauty of the place, they leave you feeling cold. Once you actually step inside, you almost expect Aline herself to walk out of the kitchen to greet you. Yes, I realize she never lived there. Then again, though it’s a Wright design, the house emanates her spirit.

So far, I had only really taken a handful of photos. For my personal images, I’m more of a sentimental shooter. If it tugs my heartstrings or spirit in some way, I’ll make an image that represents my feelings at the time. This time, that moment happened when I walked into the front reading nook. It was a very cozy space, with the coziest energy coming from a side table. In a house that had never been occupied as a home, it invited me to come over and stay awhile. It spoke of love, comfort, and a space where I could be surrounded by family. Walking away without a memento image was not an option…

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