Mary Costa Photography Blog » Los Angeles, CA >> Vibrant, Eclectic, Upbeat Wedding, Portrait, & Travel Photography

I’ve been so caught up with staying on top of my 365 project that I haven’t done a “normal” blog post in a very long time. Well, get ready for an intense recap of my summer thus far on the west coast!  These photos begin towards the end of June and end with this past week.  SO MUCH has happened during the last few months, and going through all of these images was a reminder of how blessed my life is.  I hope you enjoy!

To start out, Becca, Megan Roy, and I visited the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. This is where Chilton from Gilmore Girls was filmed! We didn’t have access to a lot of spots due to a special event, but it was enthralling nonetheless.  Evidence of joy:

Next up: my one attempt at a beach day!  Here’s Ash about to tackle the waves (and one very mean sting ray):

Lucas’ method for blocking sunlight:

Ashley & George hit the waves…

…while Megan, Lucas, and I built an epic sandcastle!

The 365 image from June 20th, just because it makes me smile:

Now for a visit to the Getty Museum!  The museum stays open late on Saturdays, so George and I were able to catch a subtle but beautiful sunset.

Towards the end of June we gathered a large group of friends on the beach for our first summer bonfire. Here’s Jen!

Our best attempt at a roommate jumping photo:

So much love!

George and I decided to take a spontaneous drive up the coast of CA to celebrate the 4th of July. Here we are somewhere past Santa Barbara on July 3. Doesn’t it look like it’s a fake gorgeous backdrop?  Oh, IT WAS REAL.

Road trip photos! (Ellen, we thought of you!)

July 3rd’s 365 – I love signage!

We woke up on July 4th to a quiet, cloudy day.

We quickly fed my coffee addiction.

It was so cold and misty that morning, but truly incredible!  George and I had a blast taking photos.

I quickly relinquished my attempt at being cute and put on comfy clothes.  Please note the film & digital cameras!

We emerged from the forest of Big Sur to see a spectacular blue sky!  We listened to Jay Farrar & Ben Gibbard’s album dedicated to Jack Kerouac and Big Sur -  perfection.

We were on the edge of the country (you can’t tell, but that ocean is a looong way down from George). Words cannot express how spectacular it was.

He convinced me to climb down too. It was worth it.

We made it to the Bixby Canyon Bridge! Naturally we listened to Narrow Stairs to get into the spirit of things…yes, I know I’m obsessed with Death Cab.

George ventured down on the cliffs once again to get this shot:

We drove around Monterey and then decided to head back home down the coast. We passed by a Kendall Jackson vineyard during sunset – AMAZING.

Sigh. He’s so cute.

We finished July 4th by watching fireworks from an overlook in Santa Barbara – we could see a few shows going on at once!  It was awesome.

George and I picked up some sparklers on our 4th of July adventure, and I was dying to use them for a 365 photo.  My roommates were more than willing to partake (except for George – he was a bit concerned about the legal consequences, so it took some persuading).  Also, sweet sparkler fail on my part:

I went home to New Hampshire shortly after the 4th for Liz & Christopher’s wedding, but that will be a separate post altogether! Following my trip home, I went to see She&Him and The Swell Season perform at the Hollywood Bowl with my cousins, Mat & Brandy, and Ashley.  It was an incredible show – The Swell Season brought me to tears several times.  Here are a few distance shots from the occasion:

Let’s see, what else? Our friend, Maggie, had a 20s themed party, and the Coldwater Canyon roomies got all decked out!  We took a few photos before going out on the town. The thing I love about Emerson parties? Everyone was just as dressed up as we were!  Also, George and I were able to put last year’s Halloween costumes to good use

I’ve been itching to get some exercise outside, so Ashley, Lucas, George and I went for a hike in Pasadena. Here are Ash & Lucas!

The four of us were so tired from the hike that we decided to stay in, make dinner, and play board games.  This is the end board of my most amazing Monopoly game ever.  I acquired Park Place & Boardwalk at the beginning of the game…and this will probably never occur again, so I had to document it!  The left side is mine.  All the green post-its are the deals we negotiated throughout the game – it’s one of George’s favorite revisions to the rules.

Rebecca planned an impromtu pool party at our apartment.  In spite of the fact that I wasn’t feeling well, it was a vast success!

Jessica:

High fives for Ryan & George!

Rebecca’s sister, Rachel, came to visit for her 21st birthday.  Here she is!

We held a pizza night in her honor. Jeff and Jennie went all out, per usual, and they even made me a cheese-less pizza since my stomach was upset.  Now that’s love.  Here are some snapshots from the evening, starting with the homemade dough by Jennie:

Jeff is also from Nashua, NH, so he also says “wicked” – I appreciate this very much about him.

Debby, Bec & Rachel’s cousin, and George, who decided to explain everything he knew about alcohol to the bday girl

We decided to play the Post-It game.  This lead to one of the funniest evenings of the summer, in my opinion.  We had two gentlemen present by the name of Sam (seen here as Buddha and Heath Ledger), and they came up with a “Past Sam” and “Future Sam” joke.  Someone brilliantly made Rebecca Past Sam, and the result was HILARIOUS.  She was the last one out, and I was the first after correctly guessing Bill Compton on my second round (a True Blood character for those who don’t watch). Here are some shots of Post-It friends!

To finish off this post, here’s Rachel blowing out her birthday candles.  Happy birthday again, Rachel, and happy summer to everyone else!

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