5/16/2012

How I Pulled Off The Perfect Wedding Proposal, Thanks To Evernote’s Skitch Application

categories: Date Idea, How To:

My proposal to Olga & Eva could not have gone better (to see the proposal and why it involved 2 women, watch the video above).  Everything went exactly according to plan. But making sure it happened that way was not an easy task. I had hired Greg LeBon, the brilliant sand sculptor from Archisand who built the sand castle you see in the video, as well as director Noam Bleiweiss to get the proposal on film. But it was not feasible for the three of us to meet beforehand in Malibu to plan everything out, and Greg had never been to the proposal site. And it’s not like I could have walked Olga over to the proposal site for a dress rehearsal of the proposal :) You only get one shot at a proposal and things unfold very quickly in real time.  As a result, everything had to be meticulously planned out beforehand. I tried describing the site and explaining where I wanted the castle built and the cameras situated, but it was impossible to get exactly what I wanted across on a phone call or in email. Skitch to the rescue. If you haven’t downloaded Skitch, which is now part of the Evernote family, you MUST. Skitch is an easy-to-use, FREE app that helps you capture, edit and markup your screen captures and images with shapes and comments.

I use Skitch all the time to communicate with my designer and developer when we are reviewing design comps and functionality for coming features to Datevitation.com, or when I want to make simple changes to the existing site. Since I am not a designer myself and have no familiarity with any of the design programs that would allow me to mark-up screenshots and photos, Skitch has been an indispensable resource for me. It has literally saved me hours upon hours of time that I used to spend drafting detailed emails describing what I wanted.  Thanks to Skitch, with a quick arrow, circle, and text I can accomplish the same thing in a matter of seconds. For my proposal plans, I used Skitch to show Greg and Noam exactly where I wanted the sand castle built in relation to the restaurant and parking lot, and where I wanted the cameras during the proposal itself. A few days before the proposal, I emailed them the two pics below, which I created in Skitch.

Pic #1 - This showed where I wanted Greg to build the sand castle in relation to the parking lot and beach.   I wanted the castle to be far enough away from the pier and restaurant to avoid as much foot traffic as possible, but at the same time have it close enough that my family (including my 90 year-old grandmother) would be able to join us afterwards for pictures.

Pic #2 - This showed the path Olga, Eva, and I would take to the sand castle, where I would attempt to position us during the proposal itself, and from what angles I hoped Noam would be able to shoot the proposal.   It was also important that the “Will You Marry Me?” writing on the castle was not visible from a distance, as I didn’t want Olga to have any idea that the sandcastle was my way of proposing until we had walked up to it.

Obviously, my illustrations skills even in Skitch are laughable, BUT it did get the point across and allowed me to plan this amazing proposal.   Indeed, if you watch the video at the top of this post, you’ll see that they were able to accomplish exactly what I had illustrated in Skitch.  So thank you Skitch for building such incredible software, and playing a role in the planning of my marriage proposal.  I’m also a huge fan of Skitch’s parent company, Evernote. If you haven’t read my post on how to pick the perfect gift using Evernote, you can check it out here!

Thanks, and remember to download Skitch and Evernote if you haven’t already!  They’re both free, and these words of praise are completely unsolicited.  These are just great programs that everyone should be utilizing so I am more than happy to spread to good word :)

5/04/2012

Great art, unparalleled people watching and gourmet food trucks galore at the Downtown LA Art Walk

categories: Culture Dates, Date Idea, Los Angeles Dates

With the help of our video above and our 4-step trusty guide below, you’ll be able to experience the very best of what Downtwon Art Walk has to offer!

Step 1: Nail Down the Logistics

  • Lowdown – Art Walk is a free, self-guided, public art phenomenon that brings together art lovers and community friends to Downtown Los Angeles.
  • When – The 2nd Thursday of every month, year around! Refer to your calendar for specific dates. Hours vary by gallery, but can typically range from Noon – 10PM. We recommend arriving between 6-7pm. After the galleries close, the atmosphere remains festive as people stick around to enjoy the food trucks and many bars in the area.
  • Where – The heart of Art Walk is on Spring and Main streets between 4th and 8th streets. If you want to plug an address into your navigation app, you can use the following: 634 S Spring St LA, CA 90014.
  • Straight from the Source – Joe Moller, the executive director of the Art Walk, was kind enough to hook us up with the inside scoop for this Thursday’s May 10 Art Walk:  ”Start your Art Walk evening at the Official Art Walk Lounge located at 634 S Spring St. This month’s exhibition features photography by Jaimee Itagaki and robotic sculptures by Scrap Sculptures. DJ Joelskee will be keeping the lounge groovy all night. The Art Walk  staff can make recommendations on galleries, places to eat & bars to suit you taste.”   Thanks Joe!
  • Parking – There are a number of paid parking lots available on Spring and Main streets. We ended up parking at the lot on the corner of Hill and 5th for $6, which is just a couple of blocks west of Spring.
  • Want more information? – Check out the Art Walk’s informative new website at http://downtownartwalk.org
Step 2: Invite Your Date To the Art Walk With Our FREE Custom e-Date - We have prepared a custom e-Date just for the Art Walk, which you can use to invite your date to this great event.  You can insert your names and customize the accompanying text to your liking.  Our figures our gender-neutral (you select the pairings), so it’s a great way to invite your love interests or friends to enjoy the evening at the Art Walk.  We typically charge $12 per year for our e-Date membership, but this e-date is FREE of charge so please enjoy!

LA Date idea

Step 3 – Get There & Have a Blast – So you’ve parked and you’re walking around enjoying the galleries and food trucks. Impress your date with a few interesting nuggets about Downtown LA history, and if you dare, give one of the corny art jokes below a shot :)

Downtown LA History - Spring Street can claim credit as the birthplace of the motion picture business in Los Angeles. In 1898, Thomas Edison filmed a 60-second film titled “South Spring Street Los Angeles California”, mounting a giant camera on a wagon to film the bustling action along South Spring Street. You can view the film on Youtube here.  Many of the buildings that line the Art Walk have been designated Historic Cultural Landmarks. Here are some interesting tidbits to share with your date:

  • Hotel Stowell (now the El Dorado lofts)- 416 S. Spring Street – Shortly after the hotel opened in 1913, Charlie Chaplin lived here. Chaplin later told a story about a $25,000 appearance offer he received on the telephone at the Hotel. Chaplin recalled: “My bedroom window opened out on the well of the hotel, so that the voice of anyone talking resounded through the rooms. The telephone connection was bad, ‘I don’t intend to pass up twenty-five thousand dollars for two weeks’ work!’ I had to shout several times. A window opened above and a voice shouted back: ‘Cut out that bull and go to sleep, you big dope!’”
  • Stock Exchange Building – 618 S. Spring Street – Ground was broken in October 1929, just as the Great Depression hit.  Be sure to point out the 3 panels carved by Salvatore Cartaino Scarpitta into the granite above the building’s entrance. The large central panel, “Finance”, displays capitalists. The “Production” panel shows an aircraft engine, a steel worker pouring molten metal and a worker stirring it. The “Research and Discovery” panel shows oil derricks, factories, a chemist conducting an experiment and a man kneeling in a library reading a book.
  • I.N. Van Nuys Building – 210 W. 7th Street – When built in 1911 by Isaac Newton Van Nuys (a noted banker and owner of much of the San Fernando Valley), the LA Times reported that it was “the city’s most expensive office building” at $1,250,000. Property values have gone up just a tad bit since then!

 Art Jokes –  Again, these are CORNY.  Use at your own risk :)

  • Vincent van Gough walks into a bar, and the bartender offers him a drink. Vincent’s response: “No thanks. I’ve got one ‘ere.”
  • Mona Lisa was brought up in court on charges of murder, but the authorities eventually determined she had been framed!
  • At the last art walk, some lowlife decided to steal a painting from one of the art galleries. He snatched a painting from the wall, ran out the front door, jumped into his van, and sped away. He wasn’t the smartest fellow and had an empty tank, so ran out of gas a few blocks away. When the police caught him and asked how he could do something so stupid, he replied “I had no Monet to buy Degas to make the Van Gogh.”

Step 4: Keep Your Date Going – Once the galleries shut down, stick around and enjoy the festive atmosphere. Downtown will be swarming with people until the bars shut down at 2:00am. A few suggestions:

  • The Edison 108 W 2nd St - Undoubtedly one of the most impressive venues in Los Angeles, and always a classy crowd that is dressed to impress. The Edison is an old power plant complete with generators and turbines that has been masterfully transformed into a 1920s art deco speakeasy. Note: If you show up too late, you may have to wait to get in.
  • La Cita –  336 S. Hill St. – La Cita is what happens when you mix a Mexican bar and hipster joint. Great atmosphere, hip crowd, funky music, and a large patio to boot.

Thanks for reading. And I’m sure you and your date will have a blast at the Art Walk.

Have fun. Together!

Alex

5/02/2012

May Couple of the Month Contest

categories: Date Idea

 

5/01/2012

Let There Be Light!

categories: Funny Dates, Love Quotes

This post is really just for fun.  I went through a phase a few months ago where every time I flipped on a light switch, I would say “Let There Be Light!”   I think it was actually legitimately funny the first few times I did it, but I literally kept it up for two months which started to drive Olga a little crazy so I’ve toned it down a little bit recently.  And of course, when I turned the light off I would say “And Then There Was Darkness.”  Eva saw me doing this and started copying me, as kids always do.  I caught it on film one time, so I thought I would share with you all.

And here’s my attempt to make this video somehow relate back to love and relationships…  Take a moment today to flip the switch ON in your life and relationship.  Just like a room brightens up when you turn the light on, so too will your relationship if you are conscious about looking at life with the light on.

LET THERE BE LIGHT!!

4/25/2012

Love Quotes Recited By Eva – Volume 2

categories: Love Quotes

Volume 2 of Eva Love Quotes “Love Conquers All”  - These are short love quotes recited by our daughter Eva.  Why?  Because everything is cuter, even Love Quotes, when said by a 2 year old.

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