Disneyland: Steps In Time

I love "before and after" photos. They're a fun and effective way to look at changes to a place over time.
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I'm also fascinated by old "concept art" and enjoy comparing it to what actually was or wasn't built. (The 1920s concept art for an unrealized addition to the Old Orange County Courthouse is a great example.)
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And I also dig Disneyland, which, as architects like Charles Moore and Alan Hess have pointed out, is one of the most important works of architecture of the 20th Century.
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Combining those three things, I'm launching a sporadic series of posts that will feature various scenes at Disneyland: First, as the designers conceived it (1953-1955), then as it appeared when first built, and finally as it appears today. Let's start with the park's entrance,...
Technically, the image above is advertising art rather than concept art -- But it still shows what the train station and entrance were supposed to look like before anyone knew quite how it would turn out. The obvious change here is the floral Mickey, which has been through various iterations, but never ended up as a side-on view. What's less obvious is what's behind the viewer: A huge and innovative parking lot that has now been turned into a second theme park.
Like most of the "early" photos in this series, this 1950s view comes from Dave at the wonderful Daveland blog. (I knew I wouldn't get very far with this project without access to his amazing photo collection.)
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It appears the entry turnstiles have migrated farther away from the train station over the years, providing for increased traffic flow. Note also how the trees and other landscaping have filled in over the years.
So far, I've only spent one day in Disneyland shooting "after" photos. But already, a number of big differences from the 1950s have become obvious.
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1) People and visual clutter: There are a lot more guests milling around than there used to be, which effects everything else. More vending carts have been rolled out to provide food and drink for the thundering herds. More trash bins have been set out. And fences have been placed around landscaping, to keep it from being trampled into oblivion. The end result is a lot of visual clutter that really detracts from the intended "suspension of disbelief" as one strolls into the worlds of the past, the future, and fantasy. As much as I love churros, I don't remember rows of portable outdoor vending carts in any Fairy Tales or stories of the Old West.
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2) Landscaping: The trees and other plants have filled in dramatically in the past 56 years. The huge stands of trees in Frontierland, for instance, are beautiful, even when viewed from the parking structure across the street. And certainly the Jungle Cruise and Adventureland are more convincing with lush vegetation everywhere. The landscaping ranges from excellent to occasionally breathtaking (especially in spring). But there are a few locations -- like the main path into Frontierland -- where the landscaping (beautiful as it is), conflicts with the original intention of wide open space.

3) Strollers: Yes, there have always been some baby strollers at Disneyland, but now there are THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of them, and each one is roughly the size of an SUV. Many areas of the park that were once very scenic are now enormous, ugly, stroller parking lots. Why? If your child isn't yet self-propelled, it's unlikely that he or she is getting much out of the experience. Wait to take them until they're old enough to appreciate it -- Or at the very least bring a smaller stroller that won't cause traffic jams.

4) More attractions: There's much, much more to see and do at Disneyland than there was in the 1950s. This is sort of amazing when you consider how little land the park actually sits on.

5) Guests' appearance: People used to dress up more for everything than they do now, but Disneyland guests seem to have slipped more than most. Looking back at photos from the 1950s and 1960s, the guests were a pretty clean cut bunch. Today, many guests dress like they just stepped out of a trailer park in a episode of Cops. There must be a happy medium, folks!
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Anyway, look for these changes and others as this series continues -- interspersed among my other posts -- in the coming months.

Bad Behavior - Would You Buy Your Fashion From A Fascist?

No, I just can't let this one go.
John Galliano and his racist rants
Not once, but twice from Le Perle in Paris
It's one thing to be a flamboyant freak with a flair for fashion

It's another thing to be drunk in public in a cafe spouting anti-semitic remarks
and being filmed making such remarks
and as we all know
in vino veritas

Would you buy clothes designed by this man?
No I didn't think so
and neither did Bernard Arnault.
LVMH has suspended Galliano from Dior.

Partly because I loved the historical references and the theatrics,
I always looked forward to seeing what Galliano brought to the runway. 
Sadly no longer. 
Even if he gets reinstated as the creative director at Dior (not likely) or taken on by some other atelier
I won't be able to appreciate his work
Sorry but no fashion from a fascist for me.

And  Kate at Make Do Style has more to say on the matter
go read her post.

Kim Kardashian | Marchesa gown

Kim Kardashian looked fabulous in a red Marchesa gown at the Heart Truth 2010 Fashion Show at New York Fashion Week. The fashion show showed of the Red Dress Collection 2010, which helps raise awareness about women's heart disease. Kim Kardashian was also in New York to promote her new fragrance and show her Bebe fashion line. Reggie Bush was also with her in New York City and Bryant Park.








On The Red Carpet - Vanity Fair's Krista Smith's Style

I don't know what you will be doing tonight, but I will be watching Vanity Fair's Krista Smith and Tim Gunn in their Oscar's Pre Show on ABC
(since I don't have TV at home this is going to take some maneuvering, but I will see this show)

From the Vanity Fair website
Oscars Fashion: Krista Smith Opts for Armani

Vanity Fair’s West Coast editor Krista Smith, who’ll co-host ABC’s Oscars pre-show on Sunday alongside Robin Roberts, Tim Gunn, and Maria Menounos, will wear Armani, complemented with Beladora jewels. The long navy gown and Art Deco–style jewelry were picked for their Old Hollywood feel, Smith says: “I will be doing my best to channel Rita Hayworth—although, considering she was one of the great beauties, it might be a stretch,” she laughs. “At least it will be my mindset!”

Channeling Rita Hayworth - not a bad idea except for the smoking
she was Hollywood glamour personified

so Krista will be wearing Armani and Art Deco Estate Jewelry (from you know where)
that's a whole lot of awesomeness.

unlike Wendy B and her fancy backless Zang Toi dress, the closest I'm ever going to get to Graydon and his Vanity Fair Oscar bash is loaning out a little Beladora bling.

Rihanna Hairstyles for 2011

We all like Rihanna and we love that anytime she “messes” with her hair, she only looks better. How can she do it?! Take a peek at this article and follow our advice, then choose a hairstyle that you like best and go straight to your hairdresser to “make it possible for you!”.














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Yves Saint Laurent Spring Collection











"SHOES 2011"

Presenting new wedge sandal with different accent and pattern look so nice and cozy

"Nike Running Shoes" ..Why People Like It


Having that Nike slogan remind me of what it takes to like the 40-year-old I see when I look in the mirror -priceless! You know one experience is so amazing with nike trainers!

The “Just Do It” the slogan gets me out the door on the days when I do not want to. It reminds me to be a Tiger or as aka Nike spokesman, when all I want to do is sleep. It makes me want to “Be like Mike Jordan and soar towards the finish line.



The rubber sole that seems to make a special connection to every contour of my feet, the easy string ups that never get tangled, the breathable fabric that fights back the scorching Georgia summers, like old friends – they take care of my feet. All strong points are from Nike Taking.



Once strung on, my feet rest as if in a familiar cocoon, ready for the journey of the day. It’s almost as if they ask, “Where are we going on this 5, 10, 15 mile journey today?” For the elder people, the shoes can be a good partner in their casual life. [via]

Apricots in Orange County

The apricot was brought to the New World by the Spaniards and was grown in the gardens of the missions. The first records of notable commercial production of apricots in California appeared in 1792. Today's photos both show apricots being dried in Santa Ana in about 1905. The image above comes from the postcard collection of Mark Hall-Patton. The image below comes from the Heritage Museum of Orange County.
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Apricots were a major crop in early Orange County. In 1910, we shipped 1,700,000 pounds of dried apricots. And plenty more were eaten fresh.
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Even the pits turned a profit. Notably, they could be turned into quality charcoal that was especially good for gas mask filters during World War I.
Often, farmers planted both apricots and walnuts (another locally popular tree crop of the day) on the same ranch. Perhaps the alternating harvest seasons made this a good pairing: Apricots are picked in late spring and early summer, while walnuts are harvested in the fall.
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After picking, most of the apricots were cut in half, pitted, sprinkled with sulphur as a preservative, and left on racks (like those seen above) to dry in the sun. Dried apricots kept well and could be shipped easily.
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In those days, historian Phil Brigandi tells me, "cuttin' 'cots" was a common (if not popular) summer job for youngsters.
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How big was the apricot in Orange County? In 1920 (hardly our peak year) we had more than 39,600 apricot trees here. In 1919 Santa Ana alone was still churning out about $200,000 a year in apricot sales -- Big money in those days.
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Today, about 95% of all apricots in America are still grown in California, but production has moved north. Not a single commercial apricot grove can be found from Coyote Creek to Camp Pendleton.

The Trip To Telluride - Part Two

As far as I'm concerned, the place to stay in Telluride was in Mountain Village, not in the actual town of Telluride which was situated in narrow claustrophobic valley.
Granted the Village was a bit removed and a car was required,
but unlike the town it was quiet and had expansive views

The house that we stayed in was part of the Lodges on Sundance
all built with classic Western style log construction.
It was adjacent to the Sundance run
so it had the all important ski in - ski out access

There were windows everywhere so there was plenty of interior light
not that you can tell from this photo

Here's the image from the rental website.
See how bright it was?
I loved the fact that the house was decorated in warm shades of earthy brown with comfy wing chairs, a distressed leather couch, a cozy fireplace and a flat screen tv.

Looking backwards from the living room was an open kitchen with carved wood cabinets and granite counters.  Above it was the open loft-office.

In the corner next to the kitchen was the dinning area with comfortable high backed chairs and a large wooden table.
Since there were six of us staying in the house I appreciated the spaciousness of the interior.
I also loved all of the details in the decoration such as this antler chandelier

and this carved wood armoire
I would definitely recommend the Lodges on Sundance
as long as you can handle the altitude.
Finally, on the topic of altitude, the highlight of my trip was taking the gondola up the mountain to meet up with some friends for drinks then dinner at Allred's Restaurant
The food was great and the view of the valley was amazing.
If you go to Telluride, in summer or winter, do not miss Allred's.

Lindsay Lohan 2011

“If I go [to auditions] with blonde hair it goes well, yet when I’m dark, I fail to land the parts” – Lindsay Lohan