How to Have the Best 72 Hours in NYC

10/26/26

Sometimes, you just need a trip to New York City. A few months ago, Cute Studio and associates booked a weekend trip to the city just to walk around and have a proper start to fall. Suddenly, fall was here and it was time to go!

LA's been so warm, it was nice to have to put on a sweater for a change for our October trip to NYC.

We left out of the new Burbank terminal, which was gorgeous! Not all of the restaurants were open yet, but it's going to be a really comfortable place to fly out of when it's fully finished.

Security took exactly 30 seconds to get through.

And I was actually able to sleep a few hours on the red eye flight!

With that little bit of shut eye, we were ready to hit the ground running when we landed at JFK at 6AM ET.

Our hotel was in Chelsea, but since we were so early, we figured, let's hop off the train in Brooklyn and walk across the bridge to get onto Manhattan. It was the perfect way to kick off the trip. Well, besides having a bagel breakfast in Dumbo along the East River.

We dropped our bags at our hotel and that's when the trip truly started. We walked and walked everywhere until we left the city on Monday afternoon.

Highlights include:

Shopping in the West Village
A wild and unexpected comedy show on MacDougal
The changing leaves in Central Park
Golden hour on the High Line
Little Island & Hudson Yards
The Lichtenstein exhibit at the Whitney
Getting another ridiculous hat to add to my collection from a street entrepreneur in Battery Park
The National Museum of the American Indian
Watching people play basketball at a park in Chinatown
Making friends with the staff at the ice cream shop on Bleeker Street

Yes, we did all this and more in two-and-a-half days in the city. What can we say, we like to walk!

It was truly a trip of a lifetime and I cannot wait to go back!

September Sunsets

9/30/26

It’s the end of September! Back to school for some. But who says you need to be enrolled somewhere to embark on an educational adventure. This last month or so, I’ve been devouring drawing and painting books from the local library. Studying lines, shapes, masses, textures, and all the little variations of color mixing means that just stepping outside for a walk in the neighborhood can serve as a masterclass.

Saturday night, we took the dog for a walk and found ourselves under a grey and indigo sky. The sunset made it look like someone had dropped a deep blue paintbrush in milk and the two colors were mixing and swirling together creating interesting shapes and colors.

On a recent errand, I went out to a farmers market in the center of one of the most walkable parts of the eastside. As I walked through the market, I noticed muted shades of pale green on painted city streets, alongside whites, neutrals, and pops of bright red-orange on the front of a new restaurant that hasn’t quite opened yet. Then there was the deep emerald green of a bougainvillea bush, punctuated by its froth of bright magenta flowers that seemed to tumble off the plant. The juxtaposition of sleek modern apartment buildings right next to little wooden cottages painted in faded cotton candy colors. I love the hodgepodge city of Los Angeles.

As always, by my side was my strawberry blonde companion, a mini senior goldendoodle who is always up for an adventure. Despite his age, he often hops nearly his entire height into the passenger seat of my car before I even get a chance to reach down and help him in.

He’s been an essential part of all the art I’ve been working on recently, simply because with a snoring doodle next to you it’s so easy to just lose track of time and get lost in the act of creation.

I wish I could translate all the beauty I see onto canvas or into words. But since that’s impossible, I try to let that go and simply enjoy the moment and paint whatever I have the time for.

I’m very blessed to be living in such a beautiful city, and I hope that some of that beauty is translated out into the world through my paintings and my words. I hope you find a little beauty in your day today too. Thanks for following along!

Breakfast For Two

11"x14"
acrylic on canvas

Summer Magnolias

11"x14"
acrylic on canvas

Reading My Work at the Los Feliz Writers' Festival

8/25/26

On Saturday night, we brought a picnic to Barnsdall Art Park, spread our blanket across the grass, and listened to the brilliant work of local poets and fiction writers.

A friend came out to support me—and became Major’s new best friend in the process. As always, he was the perfect companion and audience member. While I was reading, he watched me with intense concentration. It was adorable.

This was my second time reading at the festival, and it made me reflect on how much my creative life has grown over the past year. I’ve added a few new projects to my portfolio, and I can feel how significantly my writing has improved.

Now that the reading is behind me, I’m excited to return to my novel, which has a fully revised first half! Revision has mostly meant learning what to cut, and the process has given me a much clearer sense of the book. I’m already noticing that the new chapters are coming more easily.

I can't wait to see how far I've come a year from now. Thanks for following along! 💗

All Aboard!

8/2/26

This weekend, Cute Studio & associates took the Metrolink from Union Station to Santa Ana, to visit family. Trying out Metrolink and Amtrak has been on my list for a while, and I'm glad we were able to give this a shot before summer is over.

The trains provide access to a lot of cool places in California for day trips, and I'm excited to plan another trip soon.

Here are my tips for navigating the train system, if you've never done it before:

The trains leave right on time. You should get to the platform about 20 minutes before the departure time to board, but you don't need to arrive earlier than that.
Buy your tickets on the app. Metrolink doesn't assign seats, so you can just buy a ticket when you're at the platform waiting for your train.
Bring a book. It's so relaxing to read on the train and it's such a smooth ride. It'll make the short trip fly by even faster.
Have someone very special waiting for you at the train station. Especially if they are cute and fluffy!

I hope this will inspire you to try riding the train sometime! 🩵

Festival Season!

7/28/26

August is a month of festivals for me.

First, I'll be exhibiting two of my mid-sized acrylic paintings at a juried art festival south of LA, and then I'll be participating in a weekend writers festival in my neighborhood - reading an excerpt of my comedy pilot at the closing event!

There's a decent amount of work to do to get prepared for these two weekends, and I've been keeping busy putting finishing touches on paintings and designing a contact card to leave near my art station so people who are interested can connect with me.

The best part about participating in art festivals is meeting all the interesting, kind people there. This is the first year that I've had my website and art Instagram up and running, so I'm really excited to be able to follow the other artists, and keep in touch!

Even though it's been a lot of work, I feel like I'm on top of everything that I need to do, and am now just looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Timelines

Or, The Art of Slow Creation

7/17/26

I've been paused in the dead center of my novel, at the top of the mountain, got my little skis on, looking over the edge, fully ready to take the plunge, but-

But what?

Something's holding me back.

It's not fear. It's not procrastination.

It's satisfaction.

I finished the first half of a novel draft! That's huge. That's where all the hard work is done. The set up, the central conflict, the character introductions. Now, I get to play.

I'm at the top of the mountain enjoying the view. I'm in no hurry. I enjoy being in the middle of a project. There's nothing to prove. This experience is just for me.

That's the power of adjusting your timeline. Which is totally okay to do! Creation, and life really, is supposed to be for you. So enjoy it. If it takes a little longer than commercial art would, that's actually expected.

I'm so proud of what I've accomplished so far in this first half of the draft, so I'm going to enjoy the view from here for a bit before I set off down the mountain that is the second half of my story.

Thanks for appreciating the view with me. 🩵

Visit Dodger Stadium Like a Pro

7/13/26

Living in LA, and especially on the east side, I always make it a point to catch at least a game or two at the stadium each season. Having been to a significant amount of games now, here are my recommendations for the best day at Blue Heaven on Earth!

Take the bus if you can! (The 2 & 4 stop at Sunset/Vin Scully) A TAP card is very economical, and be sure to check out the LIFE program for free rides!
Arrive really early. There's so much fun to be had before the game and the fan energy at the stadium before first pitch is unmatchable! I recommend walking up to the gates about two and a half hours before the scheduled game start to make the most of your game day. If you enter through the reserve level, you'll avoid some of the lines at the field entrances which can get busy.
Bring a clear plastic tote, and leave some room to carry your free giveaway item!
Head down to the center field entrance area for promotional events, photo ops, and diverse food options.
The Reserve 10 section has a concession stand that sells really good chicken tenders and fries that come in an adorable collectible lunch box that you can't get anywhere else. They are pretty pricey ($49.00 each), but the portions are generous - seven big chicken tenders, fries, coleslaw, and a drink - so consider sharing!
Get tickets on the left field side to avoid the direct sun.
Exit through the Sunset Gate and take your extra bobbleheads to trade with the merchants on Vin Scully & Stadium Way. They are so nice and have something for every Dodger fan!

Making Things

7/10/26

Did you know that writing a novel is a ton of work? If not, I am here to tell you that it is. I know. Shocking.

The first draft is half-way done! 30,000 words are in the can! That means... there is so much more to do. But that's okay! It's a worthwhile endeavor. I'm learning a lot in the process, and I think a lot of my bad habits with regards to writing and making things are falling away along the course of this long-distance endurance test.

Meanwhile, my painting is going well. There are a few compositions I'm itching to make. I have a few sketches of those, and have been workshopping the different elements of each piece, deciding how I want to paint them. It's fun, but really challenging and time-consuming. There are a lot of sacrifices you have to make to have time to make things because there's only so much time in the day. I remember being younger and having what felt like hours to kill. I couldn't have made the things that I want to make now then though, because I didn't have the knowledge, skills and life experience.

Oh the paradox of life!

Summer of Dance

6/27/26

We got a little group together to attend the ballet this weekend. John and I took the Metro downtown and arrived about an hour early for the show. The theater was beautiful, and they had interesting places to take photos, as well as refreshments. It was nice to arrive early and watch folks come in, excited, and dressed up to enjoy the show.

The performance was put on by the New York Ballet Company, and this was the first time they had danced in LA in ten years. They performed four pieces, each one a little different than the rest, and it made for a very stimulating experience.

Watching dance can spark a burst of creativity for me, so I like to make it a point to attend shows every once in a while. John and I also take weekly ballet classes as well, which added an extra appreciation for how hard the dancers were working on stage!

For a high value cultural experience that will make you feel a little extra fancy, check out a dance show at The Music Center at Dorothy Chandler sometime. Cute Studio recommend and approved!

A Day Downtown

6/10/26

John and I like to go on adventures in the city whenever we have some free time, so we were planning to go to MOCA last Saturday. We heard there was going to be a literary festival down at SciArc though, so we decided to call an audible and just check out Hauser & Wirth (sometimes I like being able to check out a small gallery, and not get too overwhelmed with lots of exhibits) and then poke in at the festival.

The SciArc building was full of writers and booksellers. It was truly a feast for readers like us. We met some awesome new people, and even bumped into some familiar faces! And of course, we left with some new books to read.

We got downtown via Metro. It was my first time changing trains at 7th and Metro. It's incredible that we have such a robust transit system here in LA, but so few people that I know really get to utilize it. It would be great to have a few more Metro hubs throughout the LA area rather than routing everything through Union Station, but at least there are new lines opening up. The trains do move fast, so maybe it's not a huge problem that they all connect at Union Station.

I've been thinking about getting a bike, but not exactly sure I want to pull the trigger on that just yet.

By the time we got home, we were able to catch the Dodgers (Pride Night game!) on TV with a little Garage Pizza we picked up for dinner. Truly a perfect LA day!

Oh wow, look at the time!

5/28/26

It's May! (Barely. It's almost June! Shhh.)

There are 25,000 words. That sounds both like so little and also a lot.

It's been a bit of a crazy year. I've been busy, busy, busy with work responsibilities and life stuff. I've been bearing witness to a lot of difficult stuff that we've all collectively been bearing witness to. It's been a lot to say the least.

Amidst it all, I've continued writing. In bursts, in stolen moments, whenever I can. And I've made it to Part 2 of 4. I'm halfway through Part 2. I am not going to quit. Even with so much more ahead of me, I am not going to quit, as I know that the going will get easier when I get to the midpoint of the story. It'll have to all be downhill from there. It's how stories work!

The most important thing is that I am learning. And I'm having fun! The writing process of this novel is a great outlet for my creativity, something I think I really need to thrive.

Thank you for reading! 🧡

Back At It

1/13/26

After a long, successful, writing session on New Year's Day, I hadn't written in two weeks. The start of the year brought a lot of other things that I needed to focus on for a bit, but now I'm back at it, and wrote another 300 words in the final scene of part one, story A.

I'm now at 6,500 words, and have a plan to fill out the rest of Part 1 by weaving in three scenes of a B story, which should bring the full word count of the first section to about 15,000-16,000 words.

I plan for the novel to be four equal parts, so that should be a solid structure, if I can stick to that.

As far as timelines for completion go, I think I'll finish by the fall, but definitely by the end of the year. It's not fast by any means, but it'll allow me to really savor the writing process in a way that feels both manageable and fun. I also like the idea of committing to something for an extended period of time, and allowing any endurance skills I learn along the process of writing to influence the story too.

And Suddenly, There's a Manuscript

12/23/25

4500 words in, I thought to myself, Fine, I'll accept that I'm writing a novel.

Did I set out to write a novel? No. A novel? Who wants to read a novel? Especially by me?

I do! I want to read my own book. These characters are calling to me and I need to figure out what happens to them.

There's a story that's been nagging at me for almost two years now. I scratched out a very rough draft in 2023 in like a month and a half, I was writing thousands of words a day, and really enjoyed the process.

You know what I don't enjoy? Worrying about what it's going to be.

I don't enjoy worrying about outcomes, but I love the process of writing. (Finding it ironic that Dorothy Parker said the opposite. How could I argue with the iconic Dorothy?!) "I love the process of writing." Uch, that sounds so healthy. Why does everything I write make me sound so healthy, when I feel so dysfunctional in my head?

Maybe I'm actually doing things right? Go figure.

It Takes Courage

11/15/25

Courage Bagels on Virgil always gets a huuuuge line on weekends, so when it was a rainy morning, John and I thought we might be able to get some without too much of a wait. Turns out we were wrong, and everyone else in LA had the same idea.

This photo was taken at 7:30am!

So worth it though.

And it helps to have two people because John can park while I wait in line, and also swing the car back around when the food is ready.

Courage is both name-checked in the new HBO show I Love LA, and is where they shot one of the marketing posters. That's all I have to say about that.

2025 Dodgers Victory Parade!

11/3/25

We saw the boys, got some merch and huddled on the metro with 2 million of our closest friends! We love LA!💙🏟️🏆

My mom came with and smiled at everyone on the Metro, and couldn't understand why I was like, "no eye contact, Mother!" She thought she was on a ride or something. It was adorable. But also terrifying.

CicLAvia 2025 - The Heart of LA

10/12/25

Joining the community of Los Angeles for a Ciclavia event has been on my list for a while, so I was excited to participate in the Heart of LA Route last week. John and I rode the Red Line Metro to Pershing Square, popped into the Bradbury Building for some photographs, then made our way to Little Tokyo on foot. Couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day!

We popped into some interesting shops along 1st Street, then made a right at Alameda and grabbed lunch and drinks at Angel City Brewery.

Got into a very exciting game of foosball (John got the game-winning point right as our lunch buzzer buzzed!), then we played about ten rounds of Lotería, picking up some new Spanish words.

I'd never ridden the Yellow Metro line, so it was another new adventure getting home. The Little Tokyo station is beautiful, with art depicting important moments of the area's history. We switched to the Red Line and zipped home, walked back to the apartment, eager to put our feet up!

We love LA, and can't wait to do another CicLAvia day next year!

"It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley"

8/26/25

Caught this documentary I'd been wanting to see at the Los Feliz 3 with John, when it did a one-week run at the theater. Loved it! And we got a Q&A with the director at the end of the film.

The most interesting new thing I learned about Jeff Buckley in this film, is that he was half-Panamanian! My fellow half-Latino!

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