let your colors show

there is an awful lot of smirking going on in these photos. which makes me wonder what i was feeling so snarky about... it certainly was not the weather, which is yo-yo-ing back and forth between "get me outside so i can enjoy this" mania to "omfg! if i see another rain cloud i might just throw myself off the beach cliffs" desperation. what can i say? i'm nothing if not overly dramatic when the time is right.

however, if there is any part of my brain that is still repeating mantras learned at brooks photo-dom, it is that diffused lighting makes for the loveliest of pictures of people. that, and the time when we spent 20+ hours in the studio trying to take a picture of a freaking racket ball on black glass...oh the memories. other things that grey days remind me of: a time when k and i took a bright and bouncy young high schooler out for a photo day and we shot the most beautiful of run-down, collapsed, "no trespassing" houses. me with my beloved 35mm and kodak 400tx film...sigh...oh yes, then when the photo guy at cvs didn't read and decided to just go ahead and try to process it then and there rather then send it out as necessary. you know that moment when you click the shutter and before you even see the image (pre digital world, or at least living in the past and using film) you know that was the image of the day? well, my image was returned to me in a sticky mess of half-developed negatives and a "oops, sorry" from my new most hated person on the planet. k had to take me by the hand and actually lead me out of the store...i still have the negatives - i'm such a sadist sometimes.

wow, that turned dark. okay, back to happier things. this jacket! it's red! possibly the only red thing i own! i take that back, i think i have some red shoes somewhere...

 

smirking...

 

an "e" for e from waxing poetic that i adore on an extra long chain

 

ever attempting to take a somewhat more interesting shot of myself

 

fences - good for keeping people out and good for leaning against

 

grey day + wind = more hair touching in photos

thrifted blazer, (favorite) vintage denim shirt, urban burn-out t, 4ever21 skinnies, target booties, waxing poetic necklace, usual rings and bcbg watch

it's magic inside pt.2

you can always tell when someone is new to something, dubbing them with a sarcastic and slightly insulting "nubbie" name tag. there is the little game that we all (come on, you know you do it) play when confronted with possible nubbie status. the one where we try our damnedest to blend it, look somewhat bored, hide behind our over-sized, dark sunglasses and refrain from answering any question with a giveaway to our completely naive position. 

 

well my friends, despite what i define as a well-honed defense mechanism to this situation, i was indeed a nubbie to spring training and fuck it if i didn't give a damn! if they would have let you sleep on the green the night before the game, i would have. i went in ready to high-five anyone within arms reach, weighing the pros and cons of jumping the temptingly short fence that separated me from nate schierholtz, and blazing with as much enthusiasm as augustus gloop had for chocolate rivers. you could spot me a mile off, camera held at the ready, smile plastered to my face and sunscreen seeping out of my pores. everyone knew this was my first rodeo and everyone was ready to give me their life stories of spring training. but giants fans are just cool like that and we bond over everything. one older gent said to me as we were reminiscing over orange and black, "i have two favorite teams: the giants and anyone playing against the dodgers." yep. ditto. same here. agreed. high-five. we're awesome.

it's magic inside

refusing to let go of cody

 

fully prepared and then some

 

for k :)

 

our "special" moment

everything is better in unison

 

az you were so good to me!

i know just where i would set up my sleeping bag

thanks for 2010!

 it was a really short fence...

 

workhorse 

me, dad, and dad's best friend.

it's magic inside pt.1

i honestly don't even know where to begin. i guess i could skip back a couple of months to me sitting at my kitchen table, desperately trying to figure out the orbital speed of some random planet around a star in some far off planetary system while mentally outlining my next paper for metamorphosis and wondering when i was going to get my translation theory reading done, and having the epiphany that the only way i could celebrate the end of the semester would be with an icy cold beer, overpriced hot dog and copious amounts of sun while watching some good ol' american past-time, baseball, in arizona...but that might come across as bit dramatic.

so instead i will just start with last thursday morning at 5am when my alarm woke me to let me know that it was time to get my ass in the car because my dad and i were driving 10 hours to get to the land of spring training baseball to waste away in pure bliss. that right there is the beginning, duration, and end of story because i still have yet to find words to describe the state of happiness that i was occupying. baseball. baseball. baseball. amazing. and while i am still sifting through my 600+ photos (uh-huh, really!) of the short trip in order to find the ones that i want to share, here are a few of the drive there.

despite it being ten hours of a numb butt and far too many snacks eaten out of boredom, the drive was beautiful. seeing as we completely avoided the grapevine and instead cut behind it through the mojave desert and up and over tehachapi pass, mixed with my enthusiasm for the trip in general, it was fun to snap shots as we drove mile after mile.

lovin'

i am still reeling and trying to catch my breath from this week. so. much. schoolwork! you see, this is my last week of the quarter, then a final on monday and i am done! two down and four more two go!!!! between all of the typing and reading, the constant rain all week is probably a blessing in disguise as i would have gotten significantly less down had i been able to be out and about in sunny spring time weather (read constantly at the beach!). but it has also limited the number of photo opportunities and anything more creative in the wardrobe department other than what thick socks are clean to wear with wellies.  the weekend past has been my main source of fuel though - (another) quick trip home but this time for the best of reasons!!! k's bridal shower! it was a short 24 hours of lots and lots of love!

 

home town on a crisp winter/spring morning. i love it when it is 6:30 on a saturday morning and the tourists have yet to flood the streets. so sweet and peaceful - definitely one of my favorite things about "home"

 

the horses that currently reside at the top of our road. they were supremely disappointed in me since i just wanted to take their photo and had nothing (to eat) for them in return.  

 

gorgeous and delicious lemon cupcakes at the bridal shower! cute little signs like this one were posted all over!

 

such a clever idea! instead of boring shower games, the hostess had really clever ones! we had to retain everything physical about k and then take a quiz once she left the room and there was also a crossword puzzle about the bride and groom! anna, the hostess (and maid of honor) is a genius!

mini photo booth set-up at the shower. again, the genius of anna! so much fun! so many laughs and so many beautiful ladies!

musings

  

it has been 11 days since physical realization of my tattoo. it is by no means my first, but it is most definitely the biggest and the most noticeable. the others are mostly small and inconspicuously placed so that unless you know i have them, or catch them in a quick glance, you probably are unaware that i have a total of 6. in fact, there is even one that nine times out of ten, people think is drawn on by myself (which was entirely the point). what i am working my way towards here, is that this latest one is both noticeable and definitely not inked on by my own right hand every morning.

my own history with tattoos has been ongoing since i was of legal age. i have had mixed responses to them, even once having customers walk out of the boutique i managed once they saw the inside of my arm (which is also a koi fish). i went through the typical unveiling of the college student to the parents when i came home with the word "love" scrawled across my left forearm and three outlined sparrows on my left shoulder. and while at first, some people may see tattoos as irrational or rebellious (or even drunken) choices made at the drop of a hat, i am very proud to say that none of mine have ever been spontaneous purchases. and while i do joke that they are the ultimate accessory and the cost per wear is virtually zip after so many wears, i do not take the markings i have placed on my body lightly.

this most recent piece of art has been in the works for well over five years. it first manifested when i was 19 and was developing an idea for a koi fish on my inner left bicep. after two years of planning that one, i knew that it would be only half complete and that it would one day be matched by a koi facing the other direction on the outside of my arm. the first koi was my 21st birthday present to myself. for the past three years i have been mentally preparing for this next step. i had to be at peace with everything this tattoo would bring - both pure happiness for myself, and the occasional disgust at it from the public. after i had mentally committed, it still took me another year to physically commit to even making the appointment. the instantaneous excitement and anticipation once i did alerted me to the fact that waiting so long and really being prepared was worth everything.

the artist who created this one, and three of my others, is a pure genius. and i know i am biased when i say this, but without his artistry, trust and genuine enthusiasm for what he does, i don't know if i would have the relationship that i have with tattoos. it is so important for me to feel safe in the hands of someone else when i am making huge life changes (which i truly feel that tattoos are because they become a part of you) and there is nothing more this guy could do to make me feel that safety. i know that when i am in his chair, i am with one of the best. nothing can replace a talented tattoo artist, especially one that devotes so much time and energy to creating a piece of art that makes you both happy. i am eternally grateful for the effort, time and talent that he put into creating this for me.

so while tattoos are not everyone's walk in the park. they are definitely one of mine. i completely respect that people have different approaches to how they choose what they place on their body. for me, it is probably one of the closest moments to a religious experience that i will ever have.

 

the artist that created this amazing work is Tree. he owns his own shop called West Side Ink in Tuolumne City, CA and you can visit their facebook page here!

fiesta

i am having a party, on my feet!
have i mentioned that i love shoes? maybe once or twice? okay. well then it bares the need to be mentioned again. i. love. shoes. no shame. not an ounce. i think it all started with my first grade teacher who used to sing a "new shoes song" every time someone in class was wearing a new pair (which i maybe now sing to myself...)

but how great are these???? are they not a party for one's feet? if they don't scream summer, bbq's, and bared legs then i don't know what does. people, buy shoes for the way they make you feel, not only physically, but emotionally. the cost per wear goes down considerably this way!

 

 

also attending this par-tay are my vintage 501's, vintage hawaii tank found here, o'neill cardigan, essie turquoise & caicos

 also, a special thanks to Kristines Clothing & Mad About Shoes for keeping my feet so happy!

break out the shorts - it's march!

the best shorts always come from pants that no longer can serve the function of keeping anything below your knees warm. i have done enough field work (pun intended, see photos below) to know that (at least for me, inseam 34") that must shorts are made way too short and threaten the wearer to expose themselves at rather inappropriate moments or they are too tight. if i wanted tight shorts, i would revert to those of the biking variety or perhaps some just plain ol' spandex a la kindergarten days. neither of those two options sound very appealing to me. so i prefer to roam the thrift stores until i find a pair of jeans that can be properly destroyed into shorts via some scissors. the product below are such: vintage pair of calvin kleins that already had the perfect worn in qualities i look for. yes, they are a bit (a big bit) short but i have tried out this whole tights under shorts thing and have become enamored. extra protection from unwanted exposure - done!

 

 

 

 

 

 

roaming the swan lake park in vintage ck cutoffs, f21 flannel given to me by b, target thermal, target sweater tights, nine west boots, vintage navajo style cuffs from various antique stores and usual rings.