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Hej!
On sunday David and I went on a little adventure. We had been writing all weekend and needed a little energy boost so we drove to the old Paramount ranch that I had read about here .
Hanging out outside jail.
They used to film a lot of things here, the largest production being Dr Quinn Medicine Woman, but now it's just an abandoned western town in the middle of nowhere. So cool.
We arrived in the afternoon just when the sun was turning golden. There was quite a lot of people there. Some were having a picnic, a few were newly engaged couples taking their engagement photos, and some were just like us; walking around and looking at everything for the first time.
The Saloon.
I brought my Nikon with me for the first time in ages. I've been feeling a bit rusty with my real camera lately, so I thought it would be nice to get back in the habit of bringing it with me more.
Most of these photos are taken with my Nikon but the self portraits are my iPhone as usual.
I really liked that the buildings looked old and weathered. Since they were made for being in movies they've probably always looked like this. Maybe a little less dusty and broken. It must be so fun building a place like this, making it exactly how you want it. A little town that looks like it's been standing forever.
Some parts were obviously fairly newly added. Like the barn door to the right. It looked very nice and polished compared to the rest.
Ooops! We're in jail!
Loved the light in here. That's how you notice these building were made with movie making in mind. A tiny room with windows at the best spots for as much light as possible.
When we had seen all the houses we went on a hike up in the hills surrounding the little town. It was such a beautiful afternoon.
We took our own cutesy love photos. Because spooky trees are the most romantic things I know.
And David climbed a little.
We walked further up the hills. David is always ahead of me because I have to stop to take pictures all the time.
I caught up with David when he had stopped to photograph his long shadow legs.
The view was fairly spectacular.
"Can I have my sunglasses on? I look cooler with my sunglasses"
Okay, Mr Hollywood Director.
So Many Spooky Trees! *insert approximately a thousand heart eyes emojis*
And I found a new favorite.
It was love at first sight.
The sun was getting low in the sky so we headed back to car.
Stopped by the river first though. Such a moody spot. Spooky trees and moody rivers (what a great book title!) are on my "all time favorite things" list. Oh, and uprooted trees too!
Our spooky love.
Almost all the people were gone by now. The place looked just like a ghost town.
I made plans in my head to return soon. With a picnic basket. And maybe bring my sister and her kids. I think that would be wonderful!
Really loved the colors here!
And let's end this post with a jumping photo, because YAY for abandoned Western towns!

Hope you enjoyed tagging along on our little afternoon adventure.

See you soon!

/Lotta
2015 was a year for the books.
Strangely (stupidly?) enough I didn’t blog a lot, so let’s hope I’ll remember it all without evidence in dated blog posts.
I have been thinking about how to do the yearly recap this time, it’s not as easy as usual because I don’t have a lot of entries to back up the rambling. So I’m gonna ramble, mkay?
Self Portrait for my series A Lotta Dancing. "Rotvälta"
At new years 2014 I decided that 2014 was going to be The year to be brave. And I think that turned out to be true, in many ways. At the start of 2015 I knew that big things were about to happen with Lights Out so I didn’t really decide on a plan of action. If anything, I decided to follow along on whatever were to happen.
And that has sort of been the theme for this entire year.
Just follow along, and see what happens.
A lot of things have happened.
2015 started with a whole lot of waiting. David were in talks with Hollywood about turning Lights Out into a feature film, and the plans were so far along that we knew we would have to relocate to Los Angeles for a while. We didn’t know when though, and we didn’t know for sure. Hard to plan your life when you don’t know for sure.
I blogged a bit:
From blog post At the Getaway House
We kept busy making things. We had an idea for a new horror short and went location scouting in the woods. Sweden decided to turn into the most beautiful winter wonderland and we tried to work with it but it was just too cold and snowy for us, so we went home and made Attic Panic instead.
Self portraits taken at the hotel those first two weeks.
And then one day Hollywood called and said ”Can you come on Friday?”.
On the last day of March we took a plane to Los Angeles. We had a hotel to stay in for the first couple of weeks before we could find something a little more permanent.
In the first couple of weeks David didn’t have too much work to do, so we went to the zoo, had sandwiches with a view from Mulholland drive and ate a lot of frozen yoghurt.
We made it our thing to have "dinner with a view".
I went into this entire adventure knowing that I would be alone a lot. And that I wouldn't have anything to do during the days. So I was kinda prepared, but it was still strange. To be in a country where I’m not allowed to work, where I don’t know anybody and where I don't have any of my things for jewelry making.

We moved to a tiny house in Burbank and I started to investigate our neighborhood.
During all this time it was still a secret to the world what David and I were even doing in LA.
For almost a year we carried around this huge secret about the most exciting thing in our lives, it makes for quite a lonely life not to be able to talk about such a huge thing.
Our families and closest friends knew of course and talking on the phone with them was always great.
I thought I was going to blog every day, but when I couldn’t tell all of you about the reasons behind our adventure in the first place, I just didn’t know how to blog anymore. And that feeling has been hard to shake (I hope I’ll want to blog more in 2016 but for the everyday life there’s always instagram. Go follow!).

But then, in June, we could start telling the world.
Self portraits at our Burbank home in the top two photos, and at our Hollywood Hills home in the bottom two.
We visited friends in the Santa Cruz mountains a weekend in May. They took us to the beautiful Point Lobos beach and I blogged one of my favorite posts of the year.
During this time we started to work on getting me into the movie as well. It was a nerve wracking time for me, because what if I came all the way from Sweden, for a shortfilm I was part of making, and didn’t get anything. That would have sucked so hard.
I was scared, and nervous and felt very powerless. I’m not used to not being able to make things happen for myself. And Hollywood is a scary place.
Especially if you are a woman. And you maybe don’t fit into the very narrow Hollywood ideals.

In July the part was mine. But I needed a visa to be able to work, so after applying for that a whole new game of waiting started before the All Clear came.
July was also the month when David started shooting Lights Out.
I went to the film set every other day. It was amazing to see how everything worked, but most of all it was wonderful to see David direct.
David needed a photo of him looking "Directorly" so I took this of him. It's my favorite photo ever of David.
Some behind the scenes photos from my days on set.
Being a Director’s wife on set is not the same as being an Actor on set. Even though it was nice to be able to come and go as I wanted, it was AMAZING to be there as a part of the crew. A meaningful person for the making of the movie.
I had a trailer. And hair and makeup people that came in between scenes and made sure every hair lay right and that my makeup didn’t move in the heat.
Being in all that hustle and bustle was fantastic!
After shooting was over David had a few days off and we went to a cabin in the woods to relax. It was heaven.
These photos from El Matador Beach went unblogged because my computer broke down right around that time. I really love them though, so I'm showing you now instead. I especially like the photo of the boy and his shadow sketching. I also like the one with the young couple hugging. They had their engagement photos taken there on the beach and I sneakily took a photo of them while they were being photographed.
We went to Palm Springs and celebrated our second wedding anniversary. It was insanely hot. We drove around and stopped to take photos that I showed you in the post Lost in the desert.
I spent a lot of my days this year walking around with my camera. When we moved to Hollywood Hills in september I documented one of my long walks in photos. A walk over the hills.
We moved from Burbank to Hollywood hills and it was like something switched in me. The neighborhood was beautiful and I could walk places every day. I started taking lessons from an Accent reduction coach, not to totally rid my accent but to feel more secure in talking English. It’s hard to act in another language than your own- All those little nuances that you know without even thinking about them aren't there anymore. I felt like I was starting from scratch with my acting, and that is not a great feeling when you’ve been acting since you were eleven.
I needed to build confidence in my work all over again.
The accent classes were exactly what I needed!
I also went to improv classes and that was great for me, as I’m used to being completely in control on stage or when making the horror shorts with David. In Improv I had to just let go.
It was so hard. Fun but hard. I’m going to keep taking improv classes during 2016. And acting classes too.
On my birthday in November we went to Catalina Island. Such a beautiful little island! I blogged about our trip in the post Birthday weekend on catalina island
Birthday gal and pelican!
One day we went looking for a war era enigma that I'd read about on the internet. It was like finding ourselves in an Indiana Jones movie!
Some self portraits from in and around the pre production office for Lights Out.
During all this I've been working on a project by myself. I decided over a year ago to really take advantage of the fact that I would be alone a lot in LA, and make a book of self portraits. I bought a tripod for my iphone and set out to capture scenes everywhere I went. Sort of like learning Los Angeles through self portraits. That book is finished now and I'll show it to you soon. It's called Alone in LA and I'm extremely proud of it.
The highlight was when I had the opportunity to roam around an abandoned hospital two days in a row. I took so many self portraits in those scary hallways.
Anyways. The last couple of months of 2015 was all about finding routines, sort of. We were still living in tiny furnished apartments and had realized we needed to find something more permanent. Because we’re staying in LA for a good while. I spent my days walking, drinking tea at cafes and making the photo book Alone in LA.
Probably my favorite self portrait of the year, if I HAVE to choose just one. Taken at our friends place in the Santa Cruz mountains.
Going home to Sweden over christmas was wonderful, but you know what? I missed LA.
We had a new apartment waiting for us when we got back, and I can't wait to start turning that place into a home.
That’s what’s been missing. A sense of home.
When we now got back to LA it’s with so much more confidence than when we got here on the last day of march and I can't wait to see what 2016 brings.
If I dare to hope (and dream and plan) it’s for a daily life that feels fulfilling, new projects- together as well as by myself- and a true feeling of belonging.

Oh, and did I tell you? Lights Out is coming to theaters July 22! ISN’T IT FRICKING AWESOME?!?!?!

/Lotta

Oh, and if you're interested in reading some more, here's a few text posts from 2015 that I'm particularly proud of:
Catching up on yourself
Budget wardrobe tips and tricks
To stand out
The feeling of not yet knowing
Men writing women
Hej!
On saturday it was my birthday and we celebrated by going to Catalina Island.
I didn't bring my Nikon but I took a lot of photos with my iPhone that I wanted to show you, because this was one lovely weekend!
We had planned to go to a breakfast place close to the ferry terminal on Long Island, but LA traffic decided otherwise. We came as far as one kilometer before we realized every freeway entrance was closed for some reason, and there were A LOT of cars circling around not knowing what the hell was going on. After 30 minutes of not going anywhere we decided to have our breakfast at a place close to where we live instead. I was craving coffee and just wanted fooood.
We ended up at The Oak Gourmet that I love. I was happy and looked forward to the day!

And then, traffic just started to move again. We had begun to feel a little nervous that we might miss the ferry, but in true Lotta style we got there in good time to get on the ferry that left one hour before the one we had planned to take. That's how I roll.
This photo makes me think of my favorite Swedish animated movie Resan till Melonia.
When we got to Catalina Island I was super stoked as you can see, partly because there was a pelican sitting behind me and I've never been that close to a pelican before.
It was time for lunch so we walked to the restaurant Blue Water Grill and got a table outside right by the water. This was our view.
I got a Cucumber Mojito.
And a Lobster Roll. Ahhh, heaven!
We checked into our hotel after that. The view from the street looked very much like we were in Nice, France and not one hour from Los Angeles.
And then we went to Olaf's and got ice-cream. Look at this Instagram-hipster-worthy photo! I took two scoops, one Espresso Chip and one Black Cherry. SO TASTY!
David took Cookie Dough, and Bubblegum. Yes, that poisonous blue is bubblegum ice-cream.
And as usual I go for the "grown up flavors". David not so much.
We had planned to go for dinner later in the evening, but we got so full on ice-cream that we decided that got to be our dinner instead. Ice-cream for dinner, yay!
And then the sun started to set for the evening.
We found a spot in the harbor where we sat for a while. It was getting a bit chilly but we didn't want to leave just yet.
I was so happy with the day. I think I'll remember it forever.
When it got too cold we walked back to our room where I had gotten a bottle of champagne from the hotel staff. The rest of the evening we enjoyed having a tv for the first time in 7 months by flipping between the channels, drinking champagne and planning our adventures for the next day.
And then it was Sunday!
There's almost no cars on Catalina. People drive Golf Carts instead. The houses actually have parking spots in the size of golf carts, it's the cutest!
We rented one for a couple of hours and drove the scenic route around the city of Avalon.
It was so beautiful, and also quite silly with all the tiny golf carts putting around on the steep and winding roads.
Stopping to take in the view.
Avalon is the cutest place!
And here's me and the view at one of the other stops we made. The hat was new for the day because the sun was stronger there than in LA and I needed something to protect my face. Also: I love hats. You could never have too many hats.
Same view, minus Lotta.
Dream Home!!!
And then we found deer! And I got to pet one of the babies!
Before it was time to go to the ferry we walked on the beach because I wanted to look for treasures. I found white, smooth stones, shells and beach glass. They are now in the small compartment in my bag. A little bit of Catalina in LA.
And then we said Goodbye to Catalina Island for this time.
It was such a lovely place and we definitely want to come back again some time.
When we got home it felt like we had been away for at least five days. It's strange how that can be, but when we turned onto our street it felt like it's been ages since we left.
It's the magic of a great mini weekend.

/Lotta
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Hi!
Today I had the amazing opportunity to roam around all by myself in an abandoned hospital. For two hours I wandered the hallways searching for good photo spots.
It was the BEST!
Wanna see?
OKAY!
In the hospital chapel the light was just wonderful.
The floor was not very clean though, but who cares!? Not me!
This photo turned out so much greater than I thought it would. I had so much trouble securing the gorilla pod and the phone slipped sideways all the time. I decided to take a photo anyway and hope for the best. I'm so glad I did because this might be one of my favorites from today. It gets my imagination going.
Science Fiction Lotta!
When I found this room it felt like I had struck Self Portrait Environment Gold. It made me all giggly and I might have done a victory gesture all by myself.
STOP!
I said STOOOOOOOP!
Okay. I'll stop.
Hello hello.
Hmmmm, let's see what we have here...
And let's end this with a photo that shows my emotions for this place more accurately. YIPPEEE!

It was one of those adventures I think I'll remember for a long time. And I'm going back again tomorrow!

Hope you liked this spooky hospital tour, and talk to you soon! '

/Lotta
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