Colorful orchids absorb sunshine at the Santa Monica Main Street Farmers Market on Sunday, December 13, 2009.

Anthony Schmitt's shopping cart tree entitled 'The Bright Side' lights-up Edgemar Center on Main Street Wednesday, December 23, 2009. This year's shopping cart tree is built with 86 carts and is more than 33 feet tall."The shopping cart tree symbolizes both generosity and abundance, as well as acknowledging those less fortunate where their whole world may be housed in a cart.  We see shopping carts everyday and take them for granted.  Individually the beauty of an everyday object may become invisible, but in quantity you can’t miss it”, said Schmitt on his website http://www.shoppingcarttree.com.


(1) Santa Monica Police Activity League Officer Jennifer Rodriguez helps PAL members Sebastian Chairez, 7,  and Diana Lopez, 6, build  gingerbread houses at PAL on Monday, December 21, 2009. (2) PAL Board Member  Eric Faber helps Sebastian Chairez, 7, build a gingerbread house at PAL. (3) PAL members Chiarra Bunayog, 6,  and Danel Torres, 7, build their  gingerbread houses. (4)  PAL member Cyril Bunayog, 9, builds his  gingerbread house. (5)  PAL member Amy Albuera, 14, builds her  gingerbread houses at PAL on Monday, December 21, 2009.

A vintage biplane flies south above Santa Monica Bay on Friday, December 18, 2009. A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings.  Aircraft built with two main wings can usually lift up to 20% more than can a similarly sized monoplane of similar wingspan, which tends to afford greater maneuverability.

The sun  can be seen setting through Baile Oakes' interactive wood sculpture entitled "Gestation III," 1991, marking the winter solstice at Palisades Park on Monday, December 21, 2009. The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter. Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied from culture to culture, but most cultures have held a recognition of rebirth, involving holidays, festivals, gatherings, rituals or other celebrations around that time.

(1) Santa arrives on a Santa Monica fire truck to the Annual PAL Winterlit Holiday Workshop on Saturday, December 19, 2009. (2) Santa Monica Police Chief, Timothy J. Jackman, and Fire Chief Jim Hone flip pancakes during PAL's Winterlit Workshop. (3) Santa Monica Fire Chief Jim Hone helps Nia Larssen, 5, down from the stage after receiving a gift from Santa. (4)  PAL volunteers serve pancakes during PAL's annual Winterlit Workshop on Saturday, December 19, 2009.