The Dizzy Pixie

Time for Tea: Confessions of a Tea Addict

2012-02-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

English Breakfast with Cream and Sugar

Hello, my name is Dinah (cue the mumbled response of “Hi Dinah...”) and I really, really love tea.

I first began to really appreciate finer teas when I lived in Scotland for 4 months while studying abroad. My interest was only increased from there as my brother, who teaches English in China, started bringing home various teas for me each Summer.

It all started innocently enough, with basic tea bags from Twinings, the occasional flavored loose leaf from Adagio, and shared tea parties with friends who knew much more than I did about this drink. With time, I came to recognize just how much there was to know about tea and just how little I did know. With this realization came the drive to know more - oh so much more!

One of the first things I learned that surprised me was the fact that all (actual) tea is made from the same plant, the Camellia sinensis plant. The various teas will taste and look different as a result of how the leaves are processed, among other factors.

All tea is processed using variations on the steps of harvesting, withering, rolling, oxidizing, and drying/firing the tea leaves. Depending on the duration of each step, the number of times it is repeated, etc., the different tea types are born - White, Green, Black, Oolong, and Pu-erh. I won’t get into the exact processes for each tea type just here, but suffice it to say that it’s pretty darn amazing how varied the flavors of tea can be from the same exact plant!

"Blue People" Oolong Tea

In addition to learning some basics of what tea is, I also started learning how to recognize higher quality teas - how they look, smell, and taste. I suppose I began this learning process a little late, as I had already come home from visiting my aforementioned brother in China.

I took 2 weeks off work to fly out to China to visit and travel with my brother, Greg, during Spring Festival in 2011. The Spring Festival in China lasts around a month and culminates in the Chinese New Year, so the timing was both perfect and detrimental. Perfect in that I was there for one of the most important and exciting holidays of the Chinese year. Detrimental in that it was also the time of year that many shops, factories, and the like were closed down for holiday.

Despite this, Greg and I managed to hit a number of different cities and areas of China (everything from below freezing in Beijing to tropical weather in Jinghong). Naturally, the thing I enjoyed most was exploring the markets, finding tea shops, and tasting teas where I could.

Milk Oolong- Bria's Favorite!

I observed many different tea ceremonies in China and read more about them since. Some of what I saw was very similar to what I read, but most of the time, the individuals added their own flare, style, or personal touch to the experience. With the tea sets and tables I carried home from China, I have begun to find my own personal style when drinking tea. I am influenced by what I read, what I’ve seen, and what I feel about my tea, my day, and the company I keep.

One thing I’ve come to enjoy above most anything, is sharing my love of tea with others (clearly). Now, I’m gearing up to write my very own blog about tea, Fun and FlirTea, which will be going live in the next month or so. When I came home from China with absurd amounts of tea (though I’ve been assured by others that there’s no such thing as an “absurd” amount of tea), Bria and Andrew were among the first I wanted to have a tea party with. Now, Bria has asked me to periodically stop on by to share a little more about tea with all of you. And you should pop by Fun and FlirTea when I’m live, because Bria’s gorgeous photography will be regularly featured as well!

*All photographs in this post were taken by me (Bria) on my iPhone

Let the adventure begin!

2012-02-10T17:04:00.000-08:00

I'm traveling again! In less than 12 hours I will be in the San Francisco airport waiting for my plane to Morocco. Can you believe it is happening already?! I can't.

I'm a little nervous because this will be my first time flying for more than 2 hours solo and because at the end of the retreat I'll be spending almost an entire week alone in the middle of Marrakesh's old city.

This trip is bound to be a great learning experience and I am so excited to connect with the women who will be sharing the adventure.

While I'm gone I've got some goodies lined up for you. Two friends of mine have kindly agreed to guest post while I'm away and I've got one more post of my own for you as well. So please, do stop by and share some love with my guest bloggers. I'll be back with you again at the end of February.

xoxo
Bria

A Wednesday Night Out

2012-02-02T21:05:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night Andrew and I decided that driving 1.5 hours out of town to watch a concert was a good idea. Mind you, this was after a solid 9.5 hour work day with another 10 hour day to follow early the next morning. What were we thinking?!

Adam Gontier and Martin Sexton singing a little song.... I don't remember which one. Sorry it's blurry but everyone was dancin' around and wiggling the seats.

Well, we were thinking that Martin Sexton puts on one of the best concerts we've ever seen! The event was at a small venue in Grass Valley and this was our 2nd time watching Martin perform there.

Now, I'm not a huge concert fan like some people out there. Concerts can get expensive and I honestly don't think every band or musician is worth seeing live. BUT Martin Sexton started out as a street musician. He can do amazing things with his vocals and guitar that nobody else can quite pull off. That being said, this man can put on a show like no other. The small venue is especially great because he'll actually converse with the audience and take requests. No set list to speak of.

Adam did a live recording of his section of the show and sold cassettes of it for $5.00 each. The cool part? The cassette is really a USB!

Anywho, now that I've convinced you he's the greatest ever, I can tell you my story.

About 1.5 years ago I saw my favorite band perform for the 3rd time at the Strawberry Music festival. Crooked Still kicks some serious contemporary bluegrass ass! They were selling CDs and t-shirts, you know, all the usual stuff...but that's when I spotted a beautiful limited edition screen printed poster promoting their latest album. Well, I just had to have it! Now, the great thing (or, one of the great things) about Strawberry is that after every musician performs, they come out to do autographs. Well, even though Andrew and I had a 5+ hour drive home, I decided to get in line and see what happened. I was able to get every single member of the band to sign my poster and I left feeling giddy...and a little silly. But I didn't care!

So, when I saw that Martin Sexton had some of his own limited edition screen printed posters for his current tour, again, I decided I just had to have one! Once I got this beautiful piece of art in my hands I thought that it would make a perfect set while hung next to my Crooked Still poster.... if only it were signed. The only problem was, Martin wasn't coming out to do any autographs.

I sat around with a determined-to-wait-but-doubtful expression on my face until Andrew gave me a little pep talk (he's really good at those) persuading me to lurk around and use my girly charms to talk someone into helping me.

Well, it worked! I was able to convince "Mr. Guy" (I didn't catch his name) who was selling swag for Adam Gontier (he opened for Martin) to run into the green room and have Adam, at least, sign the poster while I wait for Martin's swag selling guy (Fozzie) to stop selling so much swag so I could approach him and ask for Martin's autograph. You catch all that? Well, knowing how much I really wanted to get both signatures, Mr. Guy snuck out of the green room and told me that he was able to get Martin to sign the poster too! Mr. Guy was kinda awesome.

Me and my super duper awesome poster.

I walked out of there with a big ol' grin on my face, a beautiful signed poster in my hands, and not a care in the world that I would only get 5 hours of sleep that night.

So, thank you Andrew for taking me to this amazing concert. Thank you Mr. Guy for helpin' a girl out. And thank you Adam and Martin for putting on a great show and obliging me with your autographs!

A Little Link Love on this Caturday

2012-01-28T10:30:00.000-08:00

Snaggletooth says "hi".

Happy Caturday!

As something a little different, I wanted to share with you some fun links and such I discovered this week.

I discovered this magazine and ordered my first copy.
This video and this one are keeping me entertained while I wait and filling me with inspiration.

I got featured on ONA's blog as the Photographer Profile of the month! I don't mean to brag but it's a first for me and I'm a little excited about it.

I discovered this inspiring post a little more than a week ago but I wanted to give it some love anyway.

I think this is a great idea for a blog post and I might just do something similar at some point.

and finally...

I discovered this awesome food blogger who put together this online cookbook and this veggie detox plan. Yum!

Instant Love is Just Around the Corner!

2012-01-26T17:55:00.000-08:00

On Monday I picked up a package from the downtown post office and when I saw that the sender's name was Altman I couldn't wait to rip that thing open! The box contained some very special goodies inside, some things for my trip to Morocco..... Can you believe it's only 2 weeks away?! It seems like I'm still sitting here desperately watching as my Kickstarter donations oh so slowly trickle in. In reality though, I've got my plane tickets ordered and my hotel reservations all booked. All I've got left to do is a little last minute shopping, some inventory, and packing. That's it.

The reality of this adventure is slowly dawning on me and I can't wait to meet all the lovely ladies I'll be joining in Marrakech. In the meantime I'll feast my eyes upon my advance copy of Instant Love: How to Make Magic and Memories with Polaroids and soak up a little wisdom before I head out.

P.S. If you're interested in doing a little instant photography this book is amazing! They seriously go over all the different cameras you could use and the film that goes with them, advise you on composition and lighting techniques, and give you a few project ideas to get you started.

Embracing my Authentic Self

2012-01-17T20:05:00.000-08:00

So I keep reading all this stuff online. I'm researching what it takes to build a business, how to be a better photographer, and how to be more productive and efficient at what I do. One thing everyone seems to agree on is that, if you like it, blogging can be one of the best things you do for your business and when doing so you need to speak from your "authentic self".

For the longest time I used to get hung up on those two words, "authentic self". Who is that realy? Who am I, authentically? Now I realize, finally, that being my authentic self means that I get to truly share who I am with you. The good...and the bad. No more fear of judgement...writing with intention to draw readers who might relate with who I am and respond to it. Honestly, I think this will make blogging a whole lot more fun!

For example, you all know that I love cats, right? Well, what you probably don't know is that I am crazy obsessed with cats and I have been ever since I can remember remembering. (Get that?) Unless you follow me on Instagram you probably don't know how extensive this obsession is. Seriously, I think I take about 60% cat photos. Also, one of my favorite things to do in the warmer months is walk around my neighborhood to say hello (yes, I mean that literally) to all the cats I can find. Yeah, so I'm a bit of a crazy cat lady....

But here's the kicker, sharing my authentic self means that I have to share with you those little things I may not be so proud of, but which make me who I am. So, here goes...

Photo by my wonderful Andrew

I'm selfish...but I try hard (most of the time) not to be. I never fail to gobble up the last bit of ice cream in the carton but I give hugs freely.

I don't always know when I'm hungry but Andrew has discovered that if I start to sound like (insert bitchy lady name here) all he has to do is feed me and the world is right again.

Video games (sometimes) consume my world....It took Andrew 3 years to persuade me to play video games...and now I can't stop. (Seriously, Andrew never gets to use the PS3 when I'm around.)

I really hate working out because I think I should be a lot better at it than I am. I still compare myself to the 15 year old track star I was in high school. Nonetheless, I'm trying really hard to go for it anyway. Couch 2 5k for the win!

I am an aspiring gluten free vegan due to a kidney disease I was born with, but I just can't get away from cheese, sushi, and fresh baked local bread for more than a month at a time. For now, I'm compromising with a full month of gluten free veganism every May. Kris Carr is my inspiration.

I hate taking family photos. That is to say, I hate bringing my big fancy digi-cam to family events and taking snapshots of the kids opening presents or doing something cute when nobody is watching. I cherish these moments and prefer to live in them instead of hiding behind my camera.

I get jealous of people who have more talent than I do and it gets me down at times. But then later I am able to tell my self how silly that is and force myself to learn from that jealousy. Why are they better? What is it about their work that I admire? How can I bring that into my own work?

Hope and Fear go Hand in Hand

2012-01-14T21:04:00.000-08:00

*I wrote this post on Thursday but couldn't decide if I wanted to post it or not....well, here you go. I think I should tell you though, Andrew and I had a couple in depth talks about what I wrote here and I am feeling much better now. :-)

I'm feeling a little out of sorts today.

As some of you may know, I am planning for, dreaming of and veritably yearning for the day I can start my very own wedding and boudoir photography business. This dream is very near and dear to my heart and is something I can't imagine not accomplishing. That being said, I am feeling all of my inadequicies today. This post, by a lovely and talented photographer in Denver, hit the internet spot light today and got me thinking... I looked through her blog posts, at her beautiful photography, and at her increadible talent with both film and digital and thought about how she is doing exactly what I would like to be doing. But then, she's struggling- quite a lot it seems. I see that and I think to myself, how can I ever make it happen if things are so hard for a person with her talent?

I guess this is the rabbit hole one falls into when spending too much time on the internet looking at what everyone else is doing. Instead of getting out there and shooting as much as possible, building up my portfolio and my skills at the same time, I am typing away on an endless train of Excell files 35 hours week dreaming of life on the other side of the rainbow.

I know I'm not the only one who falls into these ruts and I guess there is only one thing we can do. Keep reaching for our dreams, no matter how discouraged we feel. We will never obtain them if we simply give up and give in.

Missing You

2012-01-09T14:10:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I've posted here and in that time a new year has begun. I've been missing this space immensely but life had other plans for me over the holidays and I let myself get caught up in the whirlwind of cold fighting, gift giving, and family bonding. With the beginning of the new year my to-do list hasn't gotten much shorter...in fact, it has grown quite a bit. That being said, I am making it a personal goal of mine to post here once a week (at the very least) no matter what challenges my to-do list has in store for me.

This blog is more than a personal diary. It is a place I hope to grow and cultivate relationships in. Each and every one of my readers (yep, that's you!) are extremely important to me and I am looking forward to a new year of connection and community in this space.

I have some new and exciting things to share with you this year and I hope to hear about some of your adventures as well!

Caturday on The Impossible Project's Px100 Test Film

2011-12-11T14:40:00.001-08:00

I spent the day wandering around my neighborhood searching for cats to capture on the new Px100 test film by The Impossible Project. The only problem was....it's kind of cold out. The first cat I found was loafed up on a porch just waiting for me to take its portrait but the mounds of leaves I had to walk through in order to get close enough scared it away. I found another kitty on a sidewalk, rolling around right in front of my feet. Too cute! So I grabbed for my camera and he ran away too. Ugh. I was about home, and about to give up, when I decided to walk down one more street. This street usually has a cat or two on it so I kept my fingers crossed. That Cat was nowhere to be found but this sweet little kitty with an awkward little sideways walk and wobbly legs allowed me to take her portrait, twice!

Not only was I lucky enough to find this sweet little kitty, but just look at this film! I'm in love.

Family Portraits with the Chezem Family

2011-12-05T15:00:00.001-08:00

Last weekend I spent Sunday with the Chezem family and we had So. Much. Fun!

This was my 2nd time photographing the Chezem family and I couldn't believe how lucky we were. The weather was beautiful, if a bit cold, and the fall colors were out in full force.

Cody and Tyler were wonderful and took directions really well (I'm sure the promise of cookies helped) and kept themselves entertained in between shots cracking walnuts and playing with fallen leaves.

Cody is such a little ham! He can turn on his smile at the drop of a dime and was always ready for the next shot.

Tyler is such a cute little girl! She has the best fake smile I've ever seen. lol We couldn't figure out why she kept sporting her goofy grin until halfway through the shoot when she asked me "how do you smile?" After that point all it took was a little tickling from mom or her big brother to get her to smile like a pro.

Polaroids in Seattle

2011-11-23T15:15:00.001-08:00

Last week Andrew and I took a little trip to Seattle to celebrate our 4 year anniversary and visit my bestest girlfriend, Amanda.

I'll have more photographs from this trip to show you later, but for now I just had to share these Polaroids.

I didn't actually bring any of my Polaroid cameras to Seattle, by the way. I thought it would be best to limit myself to 2 cameras in order to eliminate the necessity to carry 5 cameras with me at all times. It gets heavy! But....when I discovered that Amanda had her very own Polaroid OneStep and an old pack of 600 film I just couldn't let her leave it at home. This special occasion warranted two very special Polaroids; one with my Amanda, and one with my Andrew. :-)

I hope you all have a very wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! As a very special extra treat I decided to hold a last minute sale in The Dizzy Pixie shop. Today through Monday 11/28/2011 you can use the coupon code "Thanks1" to receive 15% of any and all photographs. Also, don't forget, all unframed photographs come with free shipping. So, if you've had your eye on something or know of a fellow photography lover on your Christmas list, now is your chance!

Lazy Days of Fall

2011-11-21T16:32:00.001-08:00

Days like these make me wish I had a cozy couch, a nice warm fireplace, a good book and a TV with a stack of chick flicks set in the 1800s. The days are getting dark much sooner, and though my to-do list isn't getting any shorter, I just feel like hunkering down with Andrew and the kitties for a good ol' fashioned laze fest.

Perhaps I'll give in and pop myself a nice large bowl of popcorn and dive into A Game of Thrones... Whatcha think?

This photograph was taken in the Shakespeare & Co. bookshop in Paris

Celebrating Caturday with Giving- The Teal Cat Project

2011-11-18T08:48:00.001-08:00

This week I wanted to do something a little different for Caturday...

A few months ago I came across this website called The Teal Cat Project and I fell instantly in love with their mission.

The first thing I fell in love with is that they follow the Reuse portion of the triple R's (Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse). They collect old, forgotten cat figurines from donations, yard sales, and thrift stores. Then they fix them up, paint them teal, and sell them on their website in order to raise funds.

The thing that really drew me in is that the funds they raise go out to support the Trap-Neuter-Retrun (TNR) method of managing feral cat populations around the United States. Here's a little quote from their site's "About" section to give you a better idea of what this means:

"Trap-Neuter-Return, commonly referred to as “TNR,” is the only method proven to be humane and effective at controlling feral cat population growth. Using this technique, all the feral cats in a colony are trapped, neutered and then returned to their territory where caretakers provide them with regular food and shelter. Young kittens who can still be socialized, as well as friendly adults, are placed in foster care and eventually adopted out to good homes."

These cats sell out quick though! I believe that it was just 2 days ago their second "litter" of teal cats went up for sale and as of today they only have Centerpiece Sized (8"-12") cats left. Take a moment to have a look around their site here and lend a little support if you can!

*Please note that all the images in this post are from the Teal Cat Project's website. Cute as they may be, I did not take them. :-)

Jasmine's New Box

2011-11-06T12:14:00.000-08:00

It was love at first sight...

Check out her old box here: Box Kitty

Movin' on Up!

2011-11-03T16:43:00.000-07:00

Today I packaged up my very first wholesale order. What a milestone!

I remember a couple years back when I decided to open up my Etsy shop on a whim, thinking that it was unlikely I would get any sales but why not give it a try... Well, the sales have been slow to come but ever so gradually I've been able to make a name for myself as The Dizzy Pixie and it brought tears to my eyes the first time I handed over my business card and someone said "oh, you're The Dizzy Pixie!!!" In fact, that someone was Christianne, owner of the oh so lovely Home Ec brick and mortar shop in Chico, CA. I fell in love with her shop the moment I laid eyes on her window display and now a select few of my photographs will be on her shelves!

Sailing on the Bay with Impossible Project PX680

2011-10-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, for Andrew's birthday, we went sailing on the Bay. It was my very first time on a sail boat so as you can imagine, I was pretty excited. Friday night we snagged the keys to the marina and spent the night on the boat. It was some of the best sleep I've ever had! The bed was comfortable and warm and the gentle motion of the water beneath us made for a great combination.

The next morning we ran over to the Berkeley Bowl to grab some breakfast and snacks for the day and then jumped back on the boat as quickly as we could. Peter, the captain, and his friend came aboard and we were out of the docks before I knew it.

The day was incredibly beautiful and surprisingly warm. Once we got the sails up it was all I could do not to squeal with excitement. We listened to beautiful music while admiring the San Francisco cityscape and meandered around with seemingly hundereds of other sail boats.

When we anchored for lunch I made the mistake of going below deck to make a salad, promptly inducing a queasy feeling in my stomach and a bit of lightheadedness. Unfortunately I wasn't the only one feeling seasick; Andrew, having had the boom dropped on his head at the beginning of our adventure, was feeling the compounding effect of a head injury and dehydration all too well. Neither of us were able to eat anything and didn't start feeling better until we persuaded Peter to head back to shore. Once the boat was moving again I felt a little more like myself and pulled out my favorite little camera. As you can see, I decidedly used a pack of film that day. :-)

Despite the seasickness and the unfortunate collision of the boom with Andrew's head, the day was a success in my eyes. Next time I will prepare myself with excessive amounts of water and maybe a helmet for Andrew.

Cat Naps

2011-10-22T20:35:00.001-07:00

The days are getting a little cooler here in California and the cats are really enjoying the extra cuddle time. It seems there is always a sleepy kitty to be found in my house; if only I could join them!

My First Wedding with Impossible Project Film

2011-10-17T14:52:00.000-07:00

On October 8th I was honored with the chance to tag along with Shannon Rosan and Brent Holland to shoot Megan and Kyle's wedding at Skylake Gardens in Durham, CA. Once I met Megan and Kyle I knew I was in for a treat. These two newlyweds are absolutely perfect for each other and beautiful both inside and out.

This was my opportunity to observe two extremely talented photographers do their thing and soak up some valuable knowledge. I absolutely loved Shannon's no stress approach to the day and even though the bride and her ladies where an hour and a half late for photos everything came together beautifully.

Since I am planning on formally starting my own wedding and boudoir photography business by Fall 2012 featuring both film and digital photography, Shannon suggested I bring along my film cameras for this wedding. I have to tell you, it was SO hard to choose. I wound up bringing 3 film cameras along with my digital and I used every single one.

While I wait for my 35mm and 120mm film to get developed I thought I would leave you with these beautiful Impossible Project Polaroids. Though this batch of film was far from perfect, I love how the imperfections lend a painterly texture to these photographs. I can't wait to use this film at the next wedding I shoot!

If you're a photographer and would like to learn some valuable skills from Brent and Shannon they've put together a new photography workshop schedule for November 2011. Just click here to learn all about it!

Birthday Number 27

2011-10-11T21:56:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. :-)

Sunday was my birthday and I spent the morning with good friends eating an amazing breakfast. I cheated on my vegetarian diet a little and had a little chorizo in my eggs. But, I was my birthday!

After breakfast Andrew took me on a mystery adventure which landed us at my dad's house in Roseville. We opened gifts (Andrew's bday is on the 24th) and went out to an even yummier lunch at The Cheesecake Factory and then parted ways so that I could get a couple hours of shopping in before the stores closed. I started at my favorite store, Anthropologie, and was so overwhelmed by all the goodness that I walked out with nothing. Ahh well.... We rushed back over to the mall to try and snag a few minutes in Nordstrom before they closed and that's where trouble found me. I found my boots! Finally...after 2 years of searching diligently I finally found a pair that fit (nearly) all of my criteria. You can take a peek at them here.

Yesterday was my honorary extended birthday.... Thanks to my new work schedule I got to sleep in and cuddle with the kitties till 10am before getting up to run a few errands. My new camera bag came in the mail (more on that later!) and my second surprise awaited me that evening.

At 7pm my mom and brothers arrived just in time for us to make dinner. Though they only live 30 minutes away, we rarely get the chance to see each other with all of our busy schedules. The evening was full of food, giggles, and lots of boy hugs.

All in all, it was a great birthday full of good food, friends, and family. The way every birthday should be.

The photo above was taken about a year ago by Andrew experimenting with his Agfa and my Diana F+ flash. Don't laugh at my little tongue. ;-)

A Beautiful Home in the Middle of an Urban Sprawl

2011-10-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

In September Andrew and I made our way to the bay area so that I could shoot a wedding for Poise Photography on Labor Day. We took the opportunity to drive down on Friday evening so we could spend a day in Berkeley soaking up the culture of the city. (Something I'm feeling the need to do more often these days....but more on that in another post.)

Friday night we arrived at Anthony (Andrew's brother) and Alana's house where we planned to stay for the evening. After a late night sushi feast we climbed into our futon turned fluffy feather bed and passed out for a few hours before rising rather late Saturday morning. When my eyes finally opened, clear and ready for inspiration, I was hit with the beauty of their home. This was far from my first time visiting this house, but with every visit it gets a little more unique to them, a little more inspiring, and a lot more photogenic.

Luckily I was armed with my 35mm Minolta X-570 and a roll of expired Fujichrome 400. The best part was that the house was all ours!

Here are a few shots from their home:

This mirror was the first thing to inspire me that morning as I woke up with it right next to my head. I am eager to see if I can get my hands on one of those beautiful headdresses for a photo-shoot in the city one of these days..... Or if not, I'd like to see about getting one of my own. Love. Them!

Their golden bedroom is full of beautiful soft light and more plants than I could count. It would be the perfect spot do hold a boudoir shot.... Not to mention, a perfect place to wake up every morning.

Wooden Buddha sculpture from India with a handful of giant feathers....need I say more?

This is the entrance to their home. Check out all those succulents!

I just had to snap a self portrait in their bathroom. I LOVE the scarf over the window. I would do this myself if my bathroom had a window but sadly, it doesn't.

Lavender walls. Yum!

As the Seasons Change...

2011-09-29T22:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the last night of the season for the Thursday Night Market. Instead of wandering the streets of downtown on Thursday nights Andrew and I will find our selves spending more time at home watching movies, editing photographs, and playing the the kitties. As much as I will miss the markets, I will really enjoy this time at home to breathe and be present with my small little family.

The two photographs below are of the Sweet Cottage pie cart that our friends Robin and Alvin bring to the market every week. They've got the very best pies, quiche, and teas! We find ourselves going back for more over and over again as I'm a little obsessed with their spinach feta quiche and jasmine mint lavender tea and Andrew can't get enough of their pecan and pumpkin crunch pies. Yum!

Facing my Fears

2011-09-27T22:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight I did something that terrifies me.

Let me step back a little bit. On August 30th my Kickstarter.com project for my Polaroid adventure in Morocco reached its funding goal. It wasn't until September 14th, or so, that the funds were actually posted to my bank account and my first installment for the retreat was paid.

Since that time, I've been having these dreams...nightmares really, about this adventure. In each dream I get caught up in my daily life until suddenly it is time to fly away. At this point, something always goes wrong. In my first dream I was almost late for my flight. I made it just in time only to discover that I had forgotten all my cameras and film at home. In my most recent dream, I don't think I even made it to the airport.

Obviously there is a part of me that is worried that I am going to screw something up, that I won't get the photographs I need, or that the trip will just not happen. The strangest part is that these fears weren't even apparent to me until after I dreamt of them.

Well, today I took another step towards my goal and my fears.

This evening I purchased my plane tickets to Morocco, with more connecting flights and layovers than I'd like to count but a nice early arrival time of 11am on February 12th. The retreat itself will be from February 12th through February 18th but I took a leap of faith and didn't schedule my return flight until February 22nd. Call me crazy, but I am going to attempt to conquer my fears and fly solo in a totally foreign and (from what I hear) aggressive land where I don't know a bit of the language. It will give me an opportunity to gather more content for my book and gallery show as well as teach me some valuable lessons about myself.

*At this point I'd like to ask, if anyone has traveled to Marrakesh, Morocco before and could recommend an affordable and safe hotel or hostel, I'd love to hear about it!

Morocco is 5 months away but to me, it feels like it is happening tomorrow. I am already worrying about the details, like where to get a good rate of currency exchange, what time will the shuttle meet us at the airport, will I like the food, and most of all.... how will I handle being alone for 3 days?

This trip scares the hell out of me, more than I ever thought it would, but it also inspires me to no end. Knowing these two things, I am so very grateful that I am making this happen. Some might say, if it doesn't scare you even just a little, then it isn't worth doing. Well my comfort zone is about to get shattered and I couldn't be happier!

What have you done that has both scared and inspired you? Is there something you've always dreamed of doing but never realized for yourself? I would love to hear your stories. :-)

*New: You can find the camera and lens information in the tags!

Caught Up In Life

2011-09-22T22:31:00.000-07:00

Life seems chaotic and simple all at the same time. Last week was full of house cleaning nearly every night. We're not quite done yet but it's getting close. I'm going through this incredible nesting faze and Andrew is actually agreeing to help me clean so I need to make use of that help while it's there.

This week I started a new work schedule which is sort of kicking my butt. I'm working three 10 hour days and one 5 hour day. The hard part is that my mornings are starting sooo much earlier than they were, with the alarm going off at 5:30am. I am SO not a morning person. lol I've done this schedule before though, so I know I like it. It is just a matter of getting used to it again....

All that to say, I am sorry I've been absent these last two weeks. I have a lot of fun stuff planned for you next week, I just need to finish editing some photos. I have a nice supply of Caturday photos to edit, an Etsy shop overhaul that I'm excited to finish up, and a BUNCH of wedding photos to get working on.

Life is good, and busy and ever changing over here. I just need to catch up!

Camera: Mamiya 645

Film: Expired Fujichrome Velvia (I think)

P.S. Doesn't that piece of wood on the ground look like a horned cow skull?! I love it!

Autumn Inspiration and a Few Good Links

2011-09-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

It is nearly mid September and fall is coming, though my local forecast would have you thinking otherwise. During my recent trip to the coast, where the weather was cool and breezy, my mind drifted towards autumn activities.

I am ready to nest, deep clean before the rain hits and long nights are spent indoors, and decorate!!!

My Home Decor Inspiration:

Loving this super chunky knitted throw.

This space inspires me to curl up with a good book.

Wish I could make my kitchen look like this.

I'd love to hang this in my office/studio/guest bedroom.

Honestly...I love ALL of these spaces and these goodies.

I'm thinking of all the yummy recipes I'd like to try out as soon as it gets cool enough to use my oven and stove on a regular basis. I'm going to do my best to remain (mostly) vegan and gluten free this winter. I've relapsed a little these last couple of months (cheese, you will be the death of me!) but I'm about to get strict with myself again...

Recipes I'd Like to Try:

Baby Bok Choy with Crispy Tofu

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Tuscan Bean and Swiss Chard Soup

And everything else here...

And...because I like to think I'll have time, I'd like to get extra crafty this winter.

Stuff I'd Like to Make:

This or this to hang my jewelry on.

A lamp shade like this one for the floor lamp in my office/studio/guest bedroom.

Gift wrap like this for the holidays.

And if I have a TON of extra time I'd love to make this sweater project.

What are some things you'd like to do/see/create this autumn and winter?

Camera: Mamiya 645
Film: Expired Fujichrome 200 ISO

Pushing the Boundaries

2011-09-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

My cats are not allowed outside. They've been indoor kitties their entire lives so they don't really know what they are missing...which helps. The thing is, my cats are way too curious for their own good. All my past cats never made it to the age of 5 before getting hit by a car, and it's a fact that cats who live indoors live longer. That being said, I do wish they could experience the wonders of grass, trees, birds, and bugs. Maybe we'll live in the country someday, but for now our front yard is one of the busiest streets in Chico.

The picture below is of Jasmine testing her boundaries. They are allowed to come to the edge of the doorway but not any further unless we cary them or they're on our laps. They know the rules...but ever so often they like to test the boundaries to see exactly what they can get away with, very cautiously. hehe

For the photo geeks out there: This was taken on my old Minolta 35mm right after Andrew and I got together about 3.5 years ago. I had just found the camera in the Salvation Army Elite Repeat and was testing it out. I lost this film for 3.5 years and just had it developed 5 months ago. It is interesting to see how far my skills have come in the last few years! Unfortunately, I don't remember what film this was. I think, maybe, Ilford HP5 400.

Camera: Minolta X-570
Lens: Minolta 50mm f/1.7

Fort Bragg, Here We Come! A Late Season Camping Adventure

2011-09-08T18:15:00.000-07:00

We are going camping!!!

I am sooo excited. Andrew and I will be camping in Fort Bragg, CA together for the very first time. We took a couple days off from work so we can really soak up some time at the beach. I've been wanting to camp ever since this spring and our schedule was so full that we weren't able to schedule it until now.

Well...we did go camping with my little (BIG) brother in early August but it was a different sort of camping in a different sort of town. We still had a blast though and I have a ton of photos to edit from that trip still. The photo below is actually from that group...a shot of Jake's tent right before he stumbled out at about noon-o'clock.

Anywho, I'm sure I'll have twice as many photos to edit after this trip and it will be nice to look back on them as we roll into fall. Fort Bragg, CA and neighboring Mendocino, CA are two of my favorite places in CA; small little coastal towns with a comfortable vibe. I look forward to camping there every year but we don't always make it.

What was your favorite thing you did this summer? Is there something you really looked forward to doing all year?

Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4

Saying Goodbye, Nesting In, and The Big Win

2011-09-06T22:23:00.000-07:00

As the summer nears its end I find myself trying to hold on to these last few weeks. The weather has been hot, hotter than most of the summer, which is exactly what we need as a final farewell to these long summer days. Andrew and I will be taking a much awaited camping trip to the coast this weekend, just the two of us and our cameras. It will be the perfect farewell.

Though I'm finding it tough say goodbye to summer, there is a part of me yearning for fall. My Kindle is filling up with books I'd like to read and I'm ready to spend some time at home, nesting in for a cozy winter.

My Reading List:
The Awakening
The Bell Jar
Lady Chatterley's Lover

If you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them! I like everything from sci-fi/fantasy to creative business to biography and autobiographies.

Oh and I almost forgot...
The winner of the Polaroid One600 Camera and Impossible Project PX680 film is....
...
...
...
...
Chelsea Haller!!!! Congratulations! I'll be in touch. :-)

Camera: Minolta X-570
Lens: Minolta 50mm f/1.7
Film: Fujicolor Superia X-TRA 400

A Week of Culmination

2011-09-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's September already! This summer just flew by and there is a portion of me that really isn't ready for fall to begin. The rest of me, though...now that's another story!

Andrew and I have just about every weekend planned until Thanksgiving. Weddings to shoot, camping, birthdays, photo adventures, and our anniversary trip to Seattle are all coming up in the next three months. I love all of it, but it will be nice to finally settle down for a break in December. lol Wow...that just sounds so unrealistic. Since when is December break time?!

This week marked the completion of my Kickstarter project to Morocco. I received funding from about 50 amazingly generous people and am so grateful that this trip and project will be happening because of their belief in me. Though I have never been to Morocco, I am already starting to think of the photos I would like to take. I hear they have an abundant cat population..... *wink* Oh and how many cameras will I take? Well, at least 4...maybe more. lol I'm not so sure I'll have any room for clothing in my luggage.

This week also marked the end of the Polaroid Camera and Impossible Film giveaway. I am so excited to announce the winner to you all, but you'll have to wait until next week for that. Oh the anticipation!

And finally, this week marked the end of the 2nd annual August Break. I had so much fun sharing with all of you this year and was so lucky to find and be found by some amazing photographers. I am looking forward to the months to come, getting to know these people better, and continuing to share photos here with you.

I'm headed to San Ramon, CA for the weekend to shoot a wedding with the lovely Jen at Poise Photography and the infamous Derek (her mentor). I'll be back again next week with a whole lot of pictures and words to share with you. :-)

Have a great Labor Day!

Camera: Lubitel 166B
Film: Lomography Redscale 50-200 ISO
Actions: Sun Bleached
Available through K. Miller Actions.

The August Break: Jasmine and her Box

2011-08-28T18:40:00.000-07:00

I missed Caturday yesterday because I was off shooting a lovely outdoor wedding....12 hours of work and a good night's sleep later, here I am...with Jasmine and her box.

For a solid month this box was Jasmine's favorite thing in the world. When we left for work in the morning, she was in it, and in it still when we got home. She would groom in it, sleep in it, and even just...sit there. The only problem was, she was just a wee bit too big for the box so she'd really have to work to squeeze her whole body in.

Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4
Actions: Masala?
Available through K. Miller Actions.

The August Break: Thursday Night Market

2011-08-25T22:24:00.000-07:00

I took these photos at the Thursday Night Market in downtown Chico back in June. I recently had the film developed at Costco and this is how they turned out. Really freakin grainy! I love grain, just not to the point where you start to lose detail in the photo. The film was new and at a low ISO (200 I think) so my guess is that their chemicals are running a little warm or a little old. Oh and I forgot to mention that these were shot with my Kodak Retina iia from the '50s. This was my second roll on this camera so I think I'll take one more roll and send it out to a different developer to see how I like it before I decide whether or not I'd like to keep shooting with it. Sorry....that was a lot of geeky camera talk. lol

I've been in love with this Volvo, and others from the same era, for a long time now. I imagine that someday I'll have a pimped out Volvo wagon in cherry red, grass green, or mustard yellow.... fully decked out with a gorgeous leather interior, of course. I'll cary around all my camera gear in vintage suitcases and have a makeshift bed in the back with some cool granny quilts. I'll spend my days driving around the country with my two cats, and my Andrew, taking photos for a living. Whatcha think?! Now to find the car....

The bottom photo is a large Ball jar of peach basil tea that we purchased from Robin and Alvin at their Sweet Cottage pie cart. SO. GOOD. We met Robin and Alvin a few years back when they first started coming to the Chico Thursday Night Market and Saturday morning Farmer's Market and have been addicted ever since. We are now officially their groupies...which works for me because groupies get random gifts of free food and tea! ;-) If you're ever visiting Chico on a Thursday or Saturday I highly suggest you seek them out.

Camera: Kodak Retina iia
Film: Lomography 200 ISO slide film

The August Break: A Celebration of Life (and croissants)

2011-08-23T22:21:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend Andrew and I went up to the Sierra Mountains to celebrate his late grandmother's life. The weather was beautiful, not too hot, and nice and cold at night- making it perfect for a camp fire.

On Saturday we spent the entire day at Gold Lake catching up with family. After breakfast we took turns boating over to a small island on the lake to spread Jean's ashes and the moment couldn't not have been more perfect. Every person there was there out of love for this amazing woman. It was an experience I will never forget.

On Sunday we met at Andrew's Grandfather's house for brunch but before we arrived Andrew and I took a little detour to The Village Baker in Blairsden, CA for a little treat. Though I do my best to eat gluten free and minimal amounts of dairy, I was enticed to eat an entire croissant. YUM! (Ok, so, there wasn't a lot of enticing....I just couldn't help myself!)

Once we got to Bob's house we all walked up to the cemetery where the boys took turns digging a grave for the rest of Jean's ashes. They were placed in a beautiful urn hand crafted by Robert Finn, Jean's son-in-law, and placed inside the grave by her four grandsons. After we all said our final goodbyes, Kathy Finn passed out beautiful porcelain beads and pendants she created in memory of her late mother and we all made our way back down to the house for some crab louie, one of Jean's favorite meals.

The weekend was beautiful, full of both joy and sorrow. Bob and Jean created an amazing family and I am so grateful to be a part of it.

Camera: iPhone 3GS
App: Instagram

Caturday Flashback

2011-08-22T19:52:00.000-07:00

The photo below was taken with my very first digital camera so the quality isn't too great...but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share this old photo with you. This is Jasmine as an itty bitty kitten. She was less than a year old here. So cute! :-)

Camera: Panasonic Lumix

Actions: Simple Simon

Available through K. Miller Actions.

The August Break: A Weekend Away

2011-08-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

I'm off to the mountains for the weekend. I would write more but Andrew is hollerin' at me to hurry up. Eeeep! Better go!

Have a great weekend!

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4

The August Break: Charmed

2011-08-18T00:26:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been completely obsessed with Charmed. Yep, that old witch show. LOVE IT! It's brainless and has horrible special effects which makes it all the better to watch while editing photos. Tonight I spent my evening working on wedding photo edits and watching...you guessed it! Charmed. This photo was taken during an episode where Phoebe goes back in time to her past self / former life in the 1920s.

Camera: iPhone 3GS
App: Instagram

A Polaroid and Impossible Project Giveaway!!!

2011-08-16T20:22:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I asked my mom for a Polaroid camera for my birthday. She looked at me a little weird but when October 9th rolled around I got my very first Polaroid camera, the Polaroid One600 Classic in platinum. I was SOOOO happy!

This sudden yearning for a Polaroid camera came after I saw a few of Susannah Conway's and Amanda Gilligan's photographs on Flickr. I made my way to their websites and was absolutely blown away. The photographs they took were so dreamy, and instant!

Inspired, I went out on the town with my new camera and shot like a mad woman. I took Polaroids of everything and everyone until I eventually ran out of film. This was back when Costco carried 5 packs of Polaroid 600 film for $50. As a poor college student I kept telling myself that it would still be there when I had some extra cash to spend but by the time I had the money Costco didn't carry the film anymore and Polaroid announced their discontinuation of their instant film. Can you imagine my heartbreak?!

Well, thanks to The Impossible Project I am now able to buy film for this camera again (yay!). Unfortunately, this dear little camera has been sitting in my desk, feeling a little lonely, since I got my Polaroid Sx-70. That's where you come in!

This beautiful little camera needs a new home; someone to love it and take it out to play. And so...I'm giving it away! One lucky winner will receive this camera as well as a pack of The Impossible Project's newest PX680 color film. Are you excited yet?!

This camera is perfect for the beginner; someone who's always wanted to try their hand at instant photography but doesn't have a camera yet. This camera is also great for the collector as it was one of the last models Polaroid produced for their original instant pack film. The Polaroid One600 is really easy to use with a focus range of 2 feet to infinity, automatic flash, red eye reduction, and a self timer. It folds up to easily fit in your bag, protecting the lens from harmful scratches and dust.

How do you enter to win?
There are a few different ways to enter to win, and each one will get you a new entry.

Follow my Blog and leave a comment telling me why you want this camera and / or linking to your favorite Polaroid photograph
Click here to Donate (any amount starting at $1.00) to my Kickstarter.com project: A Polaroid Adventure in Marrakesh, Morocco (Please! I need your help!!!!)
Tweet about this giveaway with a link to this post, @TheDizzyPixie, and #One600Giveaway
Post a link to this giveaway on Facebook and / or Google+
Blog about this giveaway and link to your post in the comments here

For each entry, please comment on this blog post to let me know where and how you entered. I will be selecting one winner at random via Random.org on August 29th at 10:00pm PST.

Click here to see photos taken with this camera on Polaroid 600 film.

The August Break: Impossible Polaroids and a Video!

2011-08-16T00:20:00.000-07:00

Today's photos are from my recent adventure to create a new video for my kickstarter project. (Only 14 days left and I still need your help!!!) I took both of these with my Sx-70 and they're two different types of Impossible Project film They're a little rough but I still love them. Whatcha think? Oh and if you want to see the new video you can CLICK HERE or just scroll all the way down to the bottom of this post. :-)

Camera: Polaroid Sx-70

Film: PUSH and 680

The August Break: Caturday!

2011-08-13T22:24:00.000-07:00

Marley is one of my favorite neighborhood cats. Isn't he pretty?

Happy Caturday!

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4

Actions: Simple Simon

Available through K. Miller Actions.

The August Break: An Evening Alone

2011-08-12T16:45:00.000-07:00

I'm currently sitting in my studio / guest bedroom listening to Billy Holiday on Pandora and getting ready to edit some photos from the wedding I recently shot for my friends Lara and Jeff. Andrew will be leaving town this weekend to finish up the table he's been working on with his dad which will become my new desk when he gets it home. I'm looking forward to a relaxing evening tonight...

Camera: Lubitel 166B
Film: Lomography Redscale 50-200 ISO

The August Break: A Bunch of Nerves

2011-08-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

I've got an interview tomorrow...and I have to admit, I'm a little nervous. But...it doesn't even compare to how nervous I am about my Kickstarter.com project. Eeep! Only 20 days left and I still need $4000. Good news is, my lovely friend Dinah is going to help me create a new video this Saturday which will blow the current one out of the water. I'll share it here as soon as it is done. :-)

Update: Since I posted this last night I have received 3 new backers on my Kickstarter project. Wow guys! My thanks go out to everyone who has backed my project thus far and shared it with your community. I really really REALLY appreciate all of your assistance. Ya'll rock my world...seriously!

Camera: Lubitel 166B
Film: Lomography Redscale 50-200 ISO

The August Break: The Senator Theatre and Thunderbird Lodge

2011-08-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Downtown Chico, CA

I finally got some of my medium format film developed! I have to send it all the way to San Francisco so I usually wait till Andrew and I have 6-9 rolls ready to go before I send it out. I took these photos months ago and it's so nice to finally see the outcome. I'll be sharing more film photos soon but for now... let The August Break continue!

Camera: Lubitel 166B
Film: Lomography Redscale 50-200 ISO

The August Break: Ghostly Coffee

2011-08-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Inside Empire Coffee in Chico, CA- A coffee shop in a train car.

Camera: Polaroid Sx-70
Film: PX680 Test

The August Break: Bodega Bay

2011-08-08T22:20:00.000-07:00

A camping trip to Bodega Bay, CA with my little (13 year old) brother, Jake, and my furry man, Andrew.

Camera: iPhone 3GS

Round and Round

2011-08-03T22:42:00.000-07:00

Not my bike, but a pretty one I spotted downtown. Mine is black. :-)

Good news! Andrew and I got our film back from the developers in San Francisco today so as soon as we get our new scanner (Monday) I'll be able to share some film goodies with you. Yay!

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4

Actions: Simple Simon

Available through K. Miller Actions.

Pie and Dinos

2011-08-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

Thursday night market ritual: Visit the Sweet Cottage pie cart and say hello to our favorite pie making couple, Robin and Alvin.

The left: Andrew (the bearded one) in the background watching me take a pic if the amazing dino center piece while eating his pie.

The right: I believe that is some amazing Pumpkin Chrunch; Andrew's favorite.

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4

Actions: Simple Simon

Available through K. Miller Actions.

Waiting...

2011-08-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

Today marks the first day of The August Break 2011; a time for reflection, rejuvenation, and creativity. For the duration of August I will be sharing photographs with you with minimal words. You can expect a full post from time to time but this space will mostly hold images from my life in this moment, these last days of summer.

Camera: iPhone 3GS

App: Instagram

Preview: Lara & Jeff's Wedding!

2011-07-31T22:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at 5pm Lara and Jeff tied the proverbial knot at their much anticipated Chico, CA wedding. (Yay!)

I met Lara nearly 5 years ago when I started my job at the Student Employment Office at CSU, Chico. Over the years we have built a true friendship and I was ecstatic when Lara asked me to photograph her wedding this July. Over the last year we have gone over the wedding details more times that I can count and I can honestly say it came together perfectly.

I took so many photos at their lovely wedding, it was hard to choose which one to share with you first! I decided to go with a classic, iconic shot to make the parent's happy. More fun goodies to come later, once I have them all edited. :-)

and now...

Mr. and Mrs. Flynn!

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4

A Polaroid Adventure in Marrakesh, Morocco!

2011-07-26T18:16:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have noticed the new little widget in the upper right hand column of my blog today. That special little button / tracker will take you to my new Kickstarter.com page for a little project I'm calling A Polaroid Adventure in Marrakesh, Morocco.

In February 2012 I will spend an entire week in Marrakesh, Morocco with three of my personal instant photography idols/gurus, Susannah Conway, Amanda Gilligan, and Jen Altman; authors of the new book Instant Love: How to Make Magic and Memories with Polaroids.

During this week I will be learning from the some of best instant photographers, I'll get to know people who share a similar passion for Polaroids, and I'll get to take beautiful photographs with Polaroid and Impossible Project films in a world that is completely foreign to me (talk about inspiration overload!).

Once I return from Morocco I am going to pull my multitudes of photographs together into a book and gallery exhibition, pitch it to galleries, and hopefully share my work with people across California in my very first gallery art show.

This experience is something I never thought would happen for me but I have decided to take it into my own hands and do my best to make it a dream come true.

*On a side note, I had to create a video for my project page on Kickstarter.com. This was an incredible learning experience (another blog post on that later) and completely nerve wracking! For one thing, I've never tried to make a video in my life. For another, this video required me to be in it. Can you see why I was nervous? hehe You can have a look at it here:

If you like what you see and are interested in helping me reach my goal, there are two ways you can help.

You can share this video and my project page with people in your circle (via word of mouth, email, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, your blog...you name it!). Spread the word to people and organizations that might have an interest in the topic of my project or would simply be interested in supporting an independent artist. Getting the word out is KEY to making this a successful project and I will love you dearly for any help you can provide in this area.
You can make a donation. Donations start at $1.00 so you don't have to break the bank to show a little support. And don't forget there are rewards for donating! Would anyone like some original art for their walls? Or how about a personal photography session with me?

*You can see more about the rewards here.

So, How does Kickstarter.com work?

Everyone who donates to my project will get a reward because I am profoundly appreciative to every single one of you. Regardless of the amount you donate, your card will only be charged if I meet my goal at the end of 40 days. (As of this post there are only 35.5 days left!) If my goal is not met at the end of the 40 days, you will not be charged a dime.

Pretty simple huh? ;-)

Red!

2011-07-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Andrew and I took on the task of painting our new bedroom. We freshened up the white and decided to paint one wall red, a rich, jewel-tone red. Let me just say that even though people said "oh, red's hard!" I didn't fully understand what they meant until we threw on the first coat....then preceded to apply 3 more coats to attempt to get the color even. Well, we got it mostly even. There is a giant square bordering the wall, but it looks a lot better than it did when we started. Needless to say, we might just hire professionals next time we decide to slap some red paint on our walls.

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4

Actions: Simple Simon

Available through K. Miller Actions.

Gracie's Caturday

2011-07-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

Andrew's dad adopted this little rascal of a cat, Gracie, a few years back. She can be all cute and cuddly one moment, and an evil little bugger the next. Well, maybe not evil but it sure seems like it when those teeth and claws come out! The day I took this photo I was sitting on a bench outside enjoying a little brunch and Gracie decided to come on up and say hello. I was enjoying her attention until she randomly decided my lower back needed to be punished; out came the claws and teeth! lol Despite her aggressive 'tude, she's a sweet little cat that will always keep you on your toes.

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4

Actions: Simple Simon

Available through K. Miller Actions.

Succulents in the Summer

2011-07-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about the spring and summer here in Chico is going to the Thursday night market and Saturday morning Farmer's Market. And, one of my favorite things about the markets is the succulent booth. I am drawn to it every. single. time. I've tried my hand at succulents and for some reason they always die. I really don't have a green thumb..... Anyway, I brought my camera to the market with me last month and that I came away with:

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4

Actions: Simple Simon

Available through K. Miller Actions.

'Roid Week 2011- Day Two

2011-07-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

So, I know I've missed two Caturday posts and I'm afraid you'll have to wait just a little longer. I've got the images but all of my energy is going towards a little project I'm working on that I'll be sharing with you at the end of the week. In the mean time, I hope you enjoy 'Roid Week 2011 as much as I am!

In other news...BIG OOPS! I've got Google+ and today I decided to play with uploading photos. Well, I've got this really bad habit of not reading pop-up windows...any of them. Because of this habit, I accidentally deleted a photo album containing about 300 images that were once connected to this blog. *facepalm* You better believe I won't make that mistake again! My apologies to anyone wishing to read former posts as you will likely come across *some broken images.

*After going through a few pages of my blog I am realizing this is a lot worse than I thought. Nearly all my images are gone! As a photo blogger this is a little devastating.... I guess all I can do from here is keep on posting.

Day Two

Camera: Polaroid Sx-70
Film: Black Frame Poor Pod Pack

'Roid Week 2011- Mermaids!

2011-07-11T18:53:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again!

Today is the first day of 'Roid Week 2011 and I am so excited to see all the beautiful instant photographs that will be streaming into the Flickr group over next 5 days. For those of you who aren't familiar with 'Roid Week, this is a period of 5 days when instant film lovers around the world upload their never before seen photographs into a single location. Being an instant film fanatic, I end up drooling over all the goodies that pop up all week.
Last year I shared some of my favorite photographs and I'll be doing the same this year at the end of the week, maybe earlier if there are too many for one post. (Very likely.)

Here are the two photographs I posted to the group today:

Camera: Polaroid Sx-70
Film: Black Frame Poor Pod Pack

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July to everyone on my side of the pond! I celebrated on Saturday with Andrew, his mom and his grandpa. We were all sitting in our lawn chairs beside a rushing creek up in the mountain country and saw this spectacular fireworks display. I hadn't seen the fireworks on the 4th in two years so it was pretty fun to get out there in the middle of all the action. I just love it when you can feel the fireworks, as well as see them.

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4

Actions: Simple Simon

Available through K. Miller Actions.

Where Do You Find Motivation in the Face of Fear?

2011-06-29T21:47:00.001-07:00

Things are not all smiles around here the last couple of days and usually this leads to a lot of time between posts in this space. After reading this post by Susannah Conway a while back, I am now choosing to make myself at least try to blog when I'm in a slump. Because honestly, whose life is perfect? And...I believe that blogging about my woes will help me get past them and on to a better place. A sturdier place from which I can take control again.

So you might be wondering, what's troubling my bubble? Well, I've been eager to apply for graduate school for the last year and a half. Last year I completely chickened out and put it off till this year and now that I am confronting it again the stress levels are rising. Honestly, the whole process isn't that bad. I'm actually really excited to take this next step in my life but I'm letting my fears get the best of me. What if I don't get in? What if I get in but can't afford it? What if I don't qualify? What if I'm not good enough? What if I get in, figure out the money somehow, and Andrew can't come with me? Who will take care of the cats? Where will I live? How will I work?...etc. etc.

Let me take a couple steps back here.

I am applying (or, will be applying) to graduate programs which will grant me an MFA in photography. The bulk of schools I'm looking at are in the UK, one in The Netherlands, and maybe one or two more in yet unknown locations. Ideally, I'll be going to school somewhere outside of the USA and the whole process of figuring it all out and fighting my own failing confidence levels is leaving me in a frazzled mess.

I've been reading a book called The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle by Steven Pressfield and he states that "the more important a call or action is to our soul's evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it...The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it." This statement hits at the very center of my world right now. I am feeling the rocky road of resistance and am trying not to get a flat tire along the way. (Cliche, I know.)

Are any of you fighting against a fear of failure? How do you get past it? What motivates you?

Camera: Mamiya 645
Film: Expired Fujichrome Astia

Another Late Caturday Post

2011-06-27T19:19:00.000-07:00

I was out of town again this weekend and since I haven't yet splurged on the MacBook Pro I hope to someday tote around with me, I wasn't able to post Caturday on Saturday. I hope you'll forgive my rather constant tardiness.

Who do I have in store for you today? Another photograph of my Chihiro patiently posing for the camera even though it was the last thing she wanted to do just then...

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4

Actions: Simple Simon

Available through K. Miller Actions.

Using Impossible Project's PX600 Film in the SX-70

2011-06-23T21:44:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, I am a bit of a Polaroid fanatic. In fact, when I have extra money, even the smallest amount, it almost always goes towards film for my various Polaroid cameras. It's almost an obsession at this point because my refrigerator is starting to fill up ever so slowly. I'm just waiting for Andrew to start complaining that there's no room for food and then maybe I'll just have to buy another fridge.

A few weeks ago I purchased one of The Impossible Project's Poor Pod Packs- a bag containing 6 packs of their PX600 Silvershade UV+ Blackframe film that came out with a bad batch of chemicals. You'll see in the 2nd image below that the right hand side of the photograph didn't develop properly. So far I've only had this issue with every other image shot with this film and I think it is kind of fun to play around with the spontaneity it provides.

*If you find it hard to see the details in the image above please click on it to view larger.

I shot the two photographs pictured above on the same day, same time etc. I used my Polaroid Sx-70 camera even though this film is designed for their 600 models. Long story short, I'm drawn to the Sx-70 because there is no built in flash and I am able to manually focus my images. Two very beautiful things!

Most people who shoot with 600 film in their Sx-70's alter their cameras in some way whether it is by removing the filter all together, replacing it with an ND filter (neutral density filter), or using pack ND filters which insert into the film pack itself. Personally, I prefer to leave my camera and film unaltered and work with the controls the camera provides.

If you are holding your Sx-70 up like you are about to snap a picture, there is a little dial on the front of the left hand side that controls how light or dark your image is. If you move the dial to the white side, your image will appear lighter and if you move it to the black side your image will appear darker. In order to shoot 600 film in my camera I move the dial all the way over to the dark side.

Looking at the two photographs above you will see that the first one is very white. This is what you can expect to get with your light/dark dial set in the very middle of the white and black sides. The photo on the right is the same image with the dial set all the way over to the dark side. Kinda fun huh?

Camera: Polaroid Sx-70
Film: Impossible Project PX600 Silvershade UV+ Blackframe Poor Pod

Kitty Mischief

2011-06-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

These aren't the best Caturday photos I had to share with you, but I thought you might get a kick out of them anyway. :-) Happy Saturday and happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there!

P.S. I scheduled this to be posted on Saturday because I knew I was going to be out of town and it looks like it didn't work for some reason. Sorry it's late! Eventually I'll be able to post a Caturday post on Saturday again....I hope. lol

Meet Finch.

Meet Marley.

Marley and Finch are buddies.

At least...

That's what Finch wanted Marley to believe.

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4

Photography Tips and Tricks

2011-06-17T16:04:00.000-07:00

My friend Shannon started a series of posts on her blog, Shannon Rosan Photography, called Thank Goodness It's Foto Friday! aka T.G.I.F.F. Shannon is an amazing portrait and wedding photographer that I feel totally privileged to know and would love to shoot with someday. We met back in college (god I feel old saying that!) while taking an alternative photography class and have managed to keep in touch sense. It is a major feat for me because I am one of those people that is horrible about staying in touch with people.

Anywho, Shannon's T.G.I.F.F. series is an excellent spot to pick up a new photo tip each week. Today she wrote about the importance of pre-visualization. In response to her post I wanted to share with you how I use this concept in my own work.

Shannon was right to say that everyone uses pre-visualization a little differently. There are times when I'm wanting to be more free with my photos and so the only visualization I do is to pick a camera to shoot with (every camera has a different feel, soul, vibe...) and tell myself what to look for (ex. neighborhood cats, things I wouldn't normally shoot, "small stuff", etc.) These are most often times when I just want to get out and shoot and play with my cameras to try and expand my vision and push my own photographic boundaries.

When I am shooting people I usually go about things a bit differently.

First, I'll decide which camera or cameras I'd like to shoot with. As I mentioned earlier, each camera has a different soul, or vibe, that effects the way I shoot and the style I end up with. I have a lot of cameras to choose from, as well as different mediums (like Polaroid, digital, and film), and it is important for me to know what equipment I'd like to use ahead of time in order for the shoot to move efficiently.
Then I take a look at my inspiration boards. (I have made a few on Pinterest.com and use my favorites on Flickr for this task as well.) Within my boards I find a photo or two that really encompass the mood and style I'd like to shoot in. I also look for posing ideas as well as props.
Next I'll choose the location or locations I'd like to shoot in. Normally I'll choose a couple different spots or one location that is pretty versatile so that the backgrounds of the images aren't all completely the same. The most important things I look for when choosing a location are mood and lighting. I want to make sure I can achieve my creative goals in the space that I choose.
Then, with all of this in mind, and my inspiration photos at the front of my memory, I just give it a go! Most of the time this gives me a great starting point for the shoot and I'll often find more inspiration as I get going. I always love a little spontaneity!

If you're looking to improve your own photography and you haven't done so already, please follow the link at the top of this post to visit Shannon's beautiful blog to learn more! I'll probably share some of my own tips and tricks down the road too. :-)

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8

Actions: Masala

Available through K. Miller Actions.

Step Outside

2011-06-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

It's about 8:30pm and all I feel like doing is going to bed and reading my book. The cool thing is that I think I will as soon as I'm done writing this post. Andrew is off with the boys enjoying their weekly game night. Poker? Nope. More like Dungeons and Dragons. (I know, super dork, but I love him!)

Last week I took a little walk around my neighborhood to just get out of the house for a while and I came across some graffiti in the alley. Normally the graffiti around here is not too interesting but I thought this was worth sharing...

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 Macro

Actions: Iced Tea

Available through K. Miller Actions.

Chihiro

2011-06-12T11:11:00.000-07:00

I missed Caturday yesterday because I was off shooting my first Mexican wedding. It was sooo much fun! I'll share photos from the wedding later though. Today I want to introduce my dearest little Chihiro with you.

Andrew shot this photo of us after we came home from work last week. My lap is her absolute favorite place to be after we've been gone for any significant amount of time. Lets see...here are some interesting facts about this little cat of mine:

When Chihiro was a kitten she would nurse on my earlobes which I put an end to quickly as it made for really slimy ears.
I named her after the little girl in Spirited Away (love that movie!)
She is somewhat shy around new people unless they are being quiet and sitting down...which I guess might explain why she decided to sleep on my head the night before I brought her home from my girlfriend's house.
She loves to be held on her back like a little baby and she only drools a little.
Sometimes she'll climb up on my shoulders and ride around while I do errands around the house. This only works if I'm wearing a sweatshirt so she can hold on without clawing me to shreds.
She brings me little toys at night as gifts and won't stop meowing until I thank her. These toys include: an old cat collar with a bell and rhinestones on it, wadded up pieces of paper, receipts, bottle caps, and her catnip ball.

Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4
Photographer: Andrew Ringwald

Impossible Project's Poor Pod Pack- My first two shots!

2011-06-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I got my Poor Pod Pack from the Impossible Project. I haven't been able to buy any new film for a while so I was really excited to get my hands on this stuff and start shooting. The following two photos are the first two I took with the film, Sunday morning.

This was the first photo I shot with my Poor Pod film.

Cafe Coda is my favorite place to grab some brunch on the weekends in Chico. They converted an old recording studio, called Humboldt Studios, into a restaurant and still hold live music events there on the weekends. The biggest perk for me is that they have meals that cater to my new diet (my favorite is called The Veggie) and it is just a couple blocks from my house, allowing for a nice little walk and some amazing food to start the morning.

We spent a couple of hours at Coda on Sunday having breakfast / brunch with my roommate and her parents before she moved out for good. (I miss her already!) You just can't beat amazing food, tea, and all you can drink mimosas!

This was the 2nd photo I took that day. I got the focus perfect and the light was coming through the window just right but...silly me, I forgot to turn the dial all the way to dark.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the Sx-70, there is a little dial on the left hand side of the camera that has a dark side and a light side. Since this film is made for a different camera, you have to make sure you turn the dial all the way over to the dark side so that the film isn't under exposed and completely white. I'll show you an example in another post coming up a bit later this week...maybe tomorrow. (It all depends on how lazy I'm feeling.) *wink*

*For the techies out there, I'd like to note that neither of these images was digitally manipulated in any way. The Poor Pod film seemed to work just fine in my Sx-70 without an ND filter as long as the dial was turned all the way over to the dark side.*

Camera: Polaroid Sx-70 Time-Zero Autofocus Model 2

Film: Impossible Project Poor Pod Pack

Scraggles aka "That Cat"

2011-06-04T13:21:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite bloggers Kim, over at K.Miller Photographs, does a somewhat regular blog post called Caturday (Saturdays for Cats) where she posts cat photos. I've loved these posts ever since I discovered her blog and thought to myself, well...I should do that! I have TONS of cat photos that I've taken over the years and I continue to take more almost every day. Not only do I take photos of my own cats, but I often roam the neighborhood with Andrew greeting all the cats we see along the way, and of course, taking photos.

The cat below is Scraggles. Well, that isn't his official name, its just the name I made up for him one day because he's so well, scraggly. I think he's pretty old...and I think he's a he. lol Anywho, this cat isn't afraid of ANYTHING. He just stares at you until you pet him and then he'll come over and beg for more. I was talking to his people one late afternoon after walking to the farmer's market and they informed us that his real name is That Cat. Apparently when his people lived somewhere else he would hang out at their house and the ended up slowly working his way into the family. They always just called him That Cat and the name sort of stuck.

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4

Actions: Simple Simon

Available through K. Miller Actions.

How The Crazy Sexy Diet Changed My Life- No, Really!

2011-06-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

As some of you may have noticed, I am absolutely horrible at follow through. Horrible! Over the last couple of years I've started many projects only to fall behind or give up completely. I thought that sharing these projects with you would help me stick to my goals....only to realize that it really doesn't help at all. In fact, when I fall behind and give up on a project I feel like a complete failure for telling you I'm doing something "great!" which obviously isn't great enough for me to complete.

That said, I started a project of sorts on the first day of May that I didn't share with you. I didn't keep it to myself completely as friends, family, and some coworkers were effected by and curious about the project; but for the most part, it wasn't something I tried to broadcast to the world. Anywho, now that the project has actually been completed I wanted to share it with you. (Yes, I completed it!)

For the entire month of May 2011 Andrew and I decided to become gluten free vegans. That means no milk, cheese, eggs, meat, fish, bread, crackers, etc. We cleaned out our cupboards and stocked up on organic and raw foods. The transition was a little tough until we realized it wasn't going to be such a huge change for us. We eat a lot of veggies anyway so all we really needed to do was incorporate some more salads, green juice, and potatoes into our diet. (Potatoes aren't all that great for you, but they really saved us at some events when there was literally NOTHING else we could eat.)

Now I know what you might be thinking. Why on EARTH would we commit to such a diet? I mean, no cheese?! Really?! Yeah well, that part was hard I have to admit. lol

My inspiration for this diet change came from Kris Carr's book The Crazy Sexy Diet (The CSD). In short, this book is about what you can do for your body by eating a healthy diet, moving your body, and de-stressing. Kris was diagnosed with cancer in February 2003 and as a result she decided to make over her life. She has been eating a mostly gluten free, mostly raw, vegan alkaline diet for about 10 years now and feels healthier than ever. AMAZING! (For more details, you'll just have to take a look at the book....I highly suggest it.)

A couple of years ago I was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease, a hereditary disease that attacks the kidneys over time, eventually causing them to fail. I grew up expecting that I might have the disease because my mom has it (there is a 50/50 chance of passing it on to your kids) and so I wasn't too surprised when the doctors told me why I was having repeated kidney infections. Since I've been diagnosed I've talked to a couple of doctors and the members of my family who also have the disease and the general consensus is that there isn't much to do about it. Don't eat too much protein, drink plenty of water to prevent infections, stay in shape, and stick to Tylenol. Ugh.

Andrew and I started to do a little research on our own and discovered that certain foods can actually help the healthy parts of my kidneys function better. Asparagus is way up there on the list as is corn silk tea, and dandelion root. After reading The Crazy Sexy Diet I realized that though there may not be any proven research that a vegan, gluten free diet will help my kidneys, if it can help someone with cancer it may be able to help me too. In the end what will I loose? A lot! A few extra pounds, inflammation, indigestion, bloat, acne... You get the picture. ;-)

Now that the month is over I have decided to mostly stick to the diet from now on. Mostly. I am planning on incorporating small amounts of fish back into my diet (I LOVE sushi), some goats cheese (better for you than cow cheese), and an occasional specific meal that I just can't do without. I'm a sucker for corned beef and cabbage on St. Patty's, what can I say? But for the most part I'm going to do myself a favor and stay away from meat, dairy, and gluten. And honestly, after the last month I've realized that eliminating these things from my diet isn't that hard and is even a little fun as it forces me to get creative with my meals. Over time I hope to incorporate more raw foods into my diet and will continue to follow Kris's excellent advice in The CSD.

As my culinary and food photography skills improve I may start to share some of my meals with you here. But for now, I hope you'll enjoy a few shots from the last month of food adventures:

Salad is a must! Easy, simple, and diverse; a definite go-to food for me now. Oh and lemon not only makes your water taste better but it alkalizes it too!

Fresh strawberries from the farmer's market. We buy TONS and freeze most of them to make smoothies out of later.

Green Juice. Not my favorite but a fairly essential part of this way of life. I will usually put my old college girl skills to use on this one and chug it down as fast as I can. At least I know its about a million times better for me than beer!

Watermelon juice / smoothie with a small bit of coconutty goodness. I'm not a big fan of watermelon so this wasn't my fave...but I can imaging this being AMAZING with berries or peach. :-) Or if you're not being a crazy health nut like me, a little rum in the watermelon might be just what it needs.

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4

Its that time of year again...

2011-05-31T20:50:00.000-07:00

The last weekend in May and the Silver Dollar Fair is in town. I dreamt of cute little bunnies in cages (cuz you gotta keep your eye those creepy little buggers), kettle corn, fennel cakes, and bright blue skies with fluffy white clouds just begging me to photograph them. What did I get? No bunnies (probably for the best), plenty of kettle corn and fennel cakes that I couldn't eat (more on that in another post to come soon) and cloudless skies. Granted, the cloudless skies wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for the abundance of clouds the previous night that literally dumped water on my small little town. Isn't it almost June? lol

The fair was rather challenging to navigate between the mass hoards of people and ground that wasn't suitable for much more than a mud wrestling match...which sadly didn't happen. None the less, I got some fun, not so typical fair photos to share with you!

A blogger I've been enjoying lately finishes her posts with techie info for the camera geeks out there and I think I'm going to start adopting that habit. If I forget, give me a virtual smack and a little reminder and I'll be sure to remedy the problem. :-)

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4

The Beard

2011-05-30T23:04:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago I dragged Andrew down to the studio to help me set up for a boudoir shoot. I asked him to step in front of the camera for a bit so I could test my lighting... Well, I never really told him when I got my settings just right and decided to let him play in front of the camera for a bit. I'm not sure I can really express how much I LOVE these photos. They are so....Andrew. lol

He's so adorable I just had to share him with you!

Polaroid Memories

2011-05-27T17:55:00.000-07:00

This is my dog and I way back when. I was in 2nd grade when we got her. I remember my mom coming home after visiting the pound with her boyfriend who was on the hunt for a dog of his own. My mom spotted Flash and tried to persuade him to take her but I guess Flash wasn't "manly" enough for him. As soon as she got home she rushed me into the car and we raced to the Humane Society before they closed. There she was! My very first dog! She was great, aside from her Barbie chewing habits and fleas. hehe

I desperately want another Basset Hound but I need my life to be a little more stable first. I've already got two cats to tote around the world with me, I can't imagine having a dog to drag along as well. Anywho, I discovered this photo sitting in a pile of old pics buried in my desk drawer and thought it would be fun to share with you. :-)

I've Got Mail

2011-05-25T23:17:00.000-07:00

Today was a VERY happy day.

Somethin' New- European Landmarks Series

2011-05-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

I stayed home from work today because my stomach was feeling a little funky and didn't drag myself out of bed until almost 11am. It felt great! I figured that since I had a whole day with the house to myself it would be a good time to list a few new items in my Etsy shop and get some photo editing done. I decided to look through my Europe photos from last spring to see if I missed anything and stumbled upon a 5 hour project!

So, I pulled a few European landmarks and started to mess around with them in photoshop a bit and wound up with a whole new series of photos.

These are all black and white, grainy film photos with a little grunge vibe going on. They don't really fit my shop style but I figured it might be fun to try something new. I've listed two of them already and the others will go up over the next week.

Take a look below and tell me what you think!

Young Oak

2011-05-09T22:08:00.000-07:00

A month or two ago Andrew and I went on a spontaneous photo excursion with our new Mamiya 645 and about 3-5 other cameras (because that's just how we roll) and after waiting for what seemed like years to get our film developed, I was rewarded with this beauty. Yum! Don't you just love the colors? I believe this is expired Fujichrome 200 film from maybe...2004.

I haven't been taking as many photos lately. Partly because I'm lazy and partly because I'm fixated on the new camera I'll be getting in June...and I just can't wait to start shooting with it! (Don't worry, you guys will be the first to find out once it's finally in my hands.) Anywho, since I'm not shooting as much these days I figure I better start becoming social on the interweb again. A girl can only be so lazy before it gets boring. ;-)

Oh yeah, I'm offering prints of this photo in my shop. Just give it a click and you'll find yourself at the listing. :-)

A New-Old Camera

2011-04-29T14:10:00.000-07:00

I recently acquired a new-old camera to add to my collection. (Always a happy moment!)

My Kodak Retina IIa was made c. 1954 and is in pretty good shape. I just had my test roll developed on Monday and am pretty happy with the results. Even with my cheap-o expired Fujicolor 200 ISO film (from Walmart, might I add) I got decent color and fairly light grain. There are no light leaks that I can see and the focus is tac-on....when I can find it.

This camera has a few quirks that take some getting used to. The viewfinder doesn't show you exactly what you're shooting so you have to angle the camera up slightly before snapping your shot.... something I need to work on. Also, it can be hard to tell if hair or a scarf are actually blocking the lens when the viewfinder is clear, another thing I'll need to get used to. By far, the most difficult characteristic for me to acclimate to is the focussing method. There is a small white box in the middle of the focusing screen and if the image isn't in focus you'll see double. In order to bring the image into focus you have to align what you see until there is only one clear item in the viewfinder. It's a little like being tipsy and having to focus your vision, a lot harder than it seems!

Anywho, here are a few shots from my first roll.

A perfect example of the framing issue I'm having. My feet were supposed to be in this photo, instead I just got my toe.

And this....a great example of horrible focus! I'll get the hang of this camera eventually.... But aren't these eggs beautiful?! The kids even wrote "Cage Free" on one of them. hehe

This photograph doesn't even begin to show the beautiful Sunday that was Easter in the Sierras. I woke up to a beautiful green pasture, horses grazing with a rainbow just over their heads and snowy white mountains in the background. I wanted to stop for a bazillion photos that day but family came first and I was only able to snap a few shots here and there. Still...on the way home there were herds of deer grazing EVERYWHERE! Of course, I made Andrew stop the car so I could get a few photos. :-)

A Lazy Blogger

2011-04-12T20:47:00.000-07:00

I've been a really lazy blogger lately, nearly non-exhistant even. I apologize. I think it has something to do with spring fever...and it definitely has something to do with wanting to spend more of my free time doing things like reading a book and taking new photos. The majority of my week is spent in front of a computer at work so I find it pretty hard to sit right back down when I get home.

What does this mean for you? Well, since I've been spending so much time with my cameras, instead of my computer, I have a TON (ok well, maybe not a ton...but quite a lot) of new photographs to share with you. The best part is they're all film or Polaroid!

In my last post I shared a self portrait with you (I hope you liked it!) and I've got a few more shots from the same roll to share with you today. For the photo-geeks out there, the film I used for these is Lomography Redscale XR negative film with a 50-200 ISO. The thing I love about this film is that if you develop it for a lower ISO (like 50-100) a lot of blue and green tones will come through in your image.

The shots below are completely unedited so there might be a few dust particles from the scan (I hope you don't mind).

A Self Portrait

2011-04-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago I was utterly crushed to find out that a package of recently developed film had been stolen off of my front porch. After panicking a little (ok, a lot) I decided to check with the company that developed my film to see if they still had digital files of my images. They did!!!! I had them resend 5 of 6 rolls of film on CD and the crisis was no longer a crisis anymore. Just a sad realization that I may have to get a PO Box for all future packages and film orders.

Anywho, the photo above was taken the day before Valentine's Day in Vina, CA at a small vineyard/winery run by monks. Andrew drove me out there to go wine tasting and it was my very first time doing a wine tasting at a vineyard... unfortunately I was just getting over a cold and couldn't taste much. hehe

Secrets About Secrets- The Show Comes Down

2011-04-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

On Thursday March 31st my Secrets About Secrets photography show came down. Andrew and I went over to The Naked Lounge late in the afternoon and started cleaning up and pulling down the pieces. It was....nice actually. I felt very peaceful pulling my photos from the walls (I wouldn't let Andrew do it.) and it really it me that I actually did it. I've got one show under my belt which makes me all the more confident that future shows will be a little bit easier to pull together and visualize.

Unfortunately, there is a distinct lack of quality photographs from the show and reception itself. I know, I promised! And photos were taken....but mostly with iPhones. And with the low light of the venue, they are ALL blurry. Ugh. Fortunately though, my friend and coworker Milan Rosan took this little video (on his iPhone), threw in a little music, and bam! A nice, short view of the entire thing.

Enjoy!

Warning! Make sure your speakers aren't turned all the way up or you will be blasted with music when you hit play. ;-)

Untitled from Briana Morrison on Vimeo.

Weddings! Introducing Suzy and Ryan

2011-03-25T15:21:00.000-07:00

What some of you may not know about me is that I have been shooting weddings professionally for about 3 years now... and I absolutely LOVE it. There is something so rewarding about witnessing so much love, and so many happy couples joining their lives together every year.

When I first applied for my job at Poise Photography Jen (the owner) asked me "Do you think you'll ever get tired of shooting weddings? Find them boring?" At the time, I wasn't really sure....but then I got to thinking about how different every wedding is. Each couple has their own special interests, creative ideas, and of course a pervading love for each other that infuses the entire day. I couldn't get bored even if I tried!

I haven't shared much, if any, of my wedding photography on this blog but I am changing that as of...now! The wedding season is about to begin in full force and throughout the next few months I'd like to share some of my favorite moments with you.

To get us started, I'd like to introduce Suzy and Ryan. Their wedding was earlier this month and packed full of love, laughter, smiles, and kisses. The day was beautiful and overcast, the ceremony delightfully entertaining, and at the end of the evening the party was still going full force. You couldn't have asked for more perfection!

My Andrew, The Emerging Artist

2011-03-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of November I bought Andrew his first "real" camera; a vintage Lubitel 166 Universal. I'd been trying to talk him into taking photos with me but the only camera that ever interested him was the Lubitel. Well, since this camera came into his life he has acquired an Agfa, 35mm Pentax, half of a Mamiya 645 and half of a Mamiya Rz-67 (I own the other halves. *grin*)

He hasn't really done anything with his photos yet though he's got a few ideas bouncing around... I got a little anxious, like I do, and decided that people were going to see his photos even if I had to do all the work. So what did I do? Last night I decided I was going to start a Flickr account for him. There are only a few photos up at the moment but he now has a place to show his work and get some feedback from the photo community. Even though I kind of forced him into it, I got him to decide on his own account name (Ringer Photography) and he actually seems a little excited about it now.

Below are a couple of my favorites and I'm sure I'll showcase more in this blog as we get more of our film developed. In the mean time, if you like what you see, leave a little comment for him here or click on the images to view his entire Flickr pool and leave him a note there. :-)

Absent

2011-03-15T20:33:00.000-07:00

Now in the Shop!

My days of late have been full of sleep, video games, Patti Smith's Just Kids, and lots and lots of nothing. It's been a glorious post-show-hanging vacation from my creative aspirations but yesterday it all changed. I shied away from the video games and took my cameras on a date. Slowly, you'll be seeing more of me and mine around here again. And lots and lots more photos. :-)

In the next few days I'll share the next installment of Women Who Inspire with you.

I wish you all a glorious tonight and an even more glorious tomorrow!

Rock Star Women Who Inspire: Susannah Conway

2011-02-25T16:34:00.000-08:00

Over the next few weeks I want to share with you a few rock star women who inspire the HECK out of me. As an aspiring fine art photographer, writer, teacher, and entrepreneur, these women have helped me believe in myself and the artistic career I wish to pursue. They show you through their actions that it can be done, not without a lot of hard work, and that turning your dreams into a reality is more possible than you might think.

Photo from SusannahConway.com

The first woman I'd like to introduce you to is Susannah Conway.

A few years ago I can across her blog and was drawn in by her beautiful photography. After reading for a bit I discovered that she is a devout Polaroid photographer. I sent her a little note asking her what camera she uses, because my Polaroid 600 point-n-shoot camera just wasn't getting the same results. It was then that she kindly introduced me to the Sx-70, my new best friend from then on. (Many of the photos in Secrets About Secrets were taken with this camera.)

In the years to follow I avidly devoured Susannah's blog and it wasn't until my trip to Europe last March that I contacted her again. Now, I have to say, looking back on the email I sent her I'm a little embarrassed because I'm sure I came off like the silliest little groupie girl ever! Despite my shameful request for a little UK guidance Susanna took the time and replied with a list of must-see sights in London. (Portobello Road was everything she said it would be, btw!)

Susanna has gone through extraordinary grief and emerged a powerful woman realizing her dreams and inspiring women all over the world. I recently finished her Unravelling e-course and was blown away by the community of women she was able to bring together. (If you're a woman looking to examine your life with a camera and the support of amazing women all over the world, this class is for you!) Not only does Susannah run 2 e-courses (Unravelling #1 and Unravelling #2) but she is currently writing two books which will be coming out in 2012 and an e-book that will be coming out...soon. (See, total Rock Star!)

This woman has looked deep inside of herself to discover what she really wants in life and has entered into a world full of creativity. Not only did she find her true passion, but she has turned this passion into a career, something I hope to do someday.

Susannah, thank you for being the beautiful, kind, and talented woman that you are. You bring so much joy to women around the world and are an inspiration to us all.

The Story Behind "Secrets About Secrets"

2011-02-17T20:19:00.000-08:00

PX 100 Silver Shade- Click to Purchase!

In late March 2010 I was flying to Europe for the first time in my life, a long awaited dream of travel and discovery was finally coming true. Of the three cameras I chose to strap to my back for the next 6 weeks was my beloved Polaroid Sx-70. Despite the new adventures awaiting me in my immediate future, my thoughts were on The Impossible Project and the new film they had just released. I purchased my first 3 packs of Impossible film my first day abroad, excitedly awaiting the moment I would get to open the first pack. Impossible's devotion to instant analog photography was another dream come true, allowing my obsession with the Sx-70 to grow and develop over the next year.

Secrets About Secrets is an analog photography show, the first solo art show of my career as an artist. (Insert giddy smile here.) On March 1, 2011 I will celebrate analog photography and the re-birth of instant film for Polaroid cameras. Along with the new array of experimental Impossible photographs I will be showcasing both 35mm and medium format film photography.

If you are able, I would love for you to join me at the reception on March 4, 2011 from 7-9pm at The Naked Lounge in Chico, CA. If you're not able to make it, be assured I will post some photographs from the show and the reception at a later date. Also, (another giddy smile) I will have a small selection of note cards available for purchase at the reception and whatever doesn't sell will be listed in The Dizzy Pixie Etsy shop the following week.

Love is in the Air

2011-02-14T11:52:00.000-08:00

Photograph by Heather Pauline- Give it a click to view her Flickr!

The day of love has arrived! As much as I would have liked to provide you with a large, heart-felt Valentine's Day post, my life has been consumed by my upcoming art show and here I am writing to you on my 10 min work break. Such a tragedy, I know. BUT, I promise to be back later this week with a detailed introduction to my show and what it's all about as well as something else not show related, just to mix it up a little. *wink*

I hope you all have a beautiful V Day with your friends, family, and loved ones!

As Promised- The Poster for My Show!

2011-02-04T11:32:00.000-08:00

The posters went to the printers last night and I should have them by early next week! I've still got a lot to do before my show is ready to go up, but at least people will know about it now. I've got nearly all my photographs picked out and I've got frames waiting to be filled. I think the most dreaded part I've got left is matting and figuring out how to put wire hangers on the back of my frames.

So, without further ado...here it is:

Just give the photo above a little click to view it larger.

My thanks go out to everyone who gave me input on the title. It was a pretty hard choice and some of you came up with some fabulous ideas of your own. In the end Secrets About Secrets just seemed to suit me and my photos the best. For those of you who are in town, or able to come for a visit, I can't wait to see you at the reception!

SAS Foto-Log Weeks 3 & 4

2011-01-26T19:38:00.000-08:00

Tonight Andrew and I skipped the gym. Instead, we took a trip to my new favorite coffee shop, Empire Coffee. This coffee shop is just slightly amazing (a bit of an under statement) because not only do they feature local art, but it is located in an old train car. Now, my town is small and we have no underground public transport system so most people in Chico, I would venture to say, have never been on a train and that makes this coffee shop special...a novelty really.

Anywho, I sat and wrote and wrote until my hand cramped up about 10 times and then I snapped out my handy camera, I mean iPhone, and poof! Here you go, SAS Weeks 3 & 4 right before your eyes.

Ok well, if you haven't noticed already, I think I'm writing a little weird tonight...still have a bit of that inner monologue thing going on. Sorry 'bout that. ;-)

I hope you all have a beautiful night, or morning (depending on where you are in the world), and I'll be in touch again soon.

P.S. Keep that solo show title feedback coming! You guys are helping me out a lot...and thank you to those of you who have already given me your thoughts. You guys rock! :-)

My Very 1st Solo Show!

2011-01-25T20:34:00.000-08:00

Yep, that's right! This March my very first solo show will go up in a local coffee shop called The Naked Lounge. I have to fill two rooms with art...TWO! It's a bit daunting. The next few weeks will be filled with selecting photos, getting them printed, then framing everything...a costly and lengthy process but I am SO going to rock this show. That's where you come in.

I need to make my posters for the show but before I do that I need to select a title.

What you need to know:
All the photographs in the show will have been taken on film, with a hefty dose of Polaroid and Impossible Project film.
The photos are all little snippets from my life and have a nostalgic quality.
The main colors are browns, whites, and blue/green tones.
(The photograph above didn't make the cut but the theme and colors are true to what will be in the show.)

So based on this very small amount of information and your familiarity with my photography (look here if you're wanting a second look at my work),
which of the following titles is your favorite?

A. Secrets About Secrets
B. Film is Not Dead
C. Resurrected
D. Other (Leave a comment telling me your ideas and why....I will definitely consider them!)

Please let me know what you think by Friday. I'll let you all know which title I choose once my poster is made....in fact, you'll get the first look at the design!

A Little Trip to the Mountains

2011-01-19T22:36:00.000-08:00

Andrew and I took a little trip to visit his grandpa over the weekend and while we were there we did a little exploring in the local town of Johnsville. They have this tiny little museum and I just couldn't put my camera (iPhone) away. Here's what I came home with...

Photo Gadgets I Love- A Wish List of Sorts

2011-01-14T14:38:00.000-08:00

I think its about time I do a post about photography stuff. I am constantly oggling it, buying it (when I'm lucky), coveting it (more often than not), thinking about it, dreaming about it, drooling over it.... You get the picture. So, here are a few photo gadgets and goodies that have caught my eye recently!

I have been drooling over this camera strap at Photojojo.com for quite some time now. I think I need it...

This Diana lens for my DSLR would rock my socks off, I just know it! Yes...I do have an actual Diana F+ buuuuuut....when I just can't wait to get film developed this lens would come in handy.

(Also found at Photojojo.com)

And just in case people doubt my photo-geekyness at work, this mug is a MUST.

(Again, Photojojo.com....they should really pay me for this huh? *I wish*)

I really can't wait to get my hands on some of this film. Especially after seeing some of these photos by Jen Altman.

The SAS Foto-Log and Unravelling Week 1 Update

2011-01-10T19:41:00.000-08:00

Last week I successfully began my SAS Foto-Log and the Unravelling e-course by Susannah Conway and I have to say, I immensely enjoyed both processes.

First, a little note about Unravelling- It. Is. Amazing!

I went into this e-course with an appreciation for Susannah and a bit of excitement at the mystery of it all. After the first week I am really impressed with the sense of community and companionship Susannah facilitates. The assignments are fun and help you to stop and reflect upon your life and where you are in it, but above all the people are so supportive and welcoming that even the shyest of "classmates" are already starting to open up and share.

Awesomeness!

As far as SAS goes, I combined my Week 1 entry with my first assignment for Unravelling so I can't share all that much except to say that it turned out to be an excellent place for me to start this project. Some reflection on my past allows me to start 2011 with a fresh mind, aware of previous patterns in my life, ready move forward into this next year with purpose and direction.

As it turns out, I am not the only one doing the SAS Foto-Log this year! Andrew has decided to join me in this adventure and I may share some of his entries later on (as long as I'm allowed). If nothing else, you will get to see a bit of the world from behind his lens.

Secrets About Secrets- A Foto-Log Project for 2011

2011-01-03T21:52:00.000-08:00

Would You Like to Join Me?

As a photographer, and general lover of all things photo, I take thousands of photographs every year. My digital files find their way to my hard-drive and my analog gems wind up in a box taking up precious space in my desk drawers. Every once in a while I'll choose a photo I find worthy of sharing and it will make it's way to Facebook, Twitter, or maybe even my blog but for the most part, the majority of my photographs are unseen and unloved, piled up and forgotten.

So, that's where Secrets About Secrets (from here on out known as SAS) comes in to play.

To start out 2011 on a creative and insightful note, I am taking Susannah Conway's Unravelling e-course, 8 weeks full of photography and thoughtful words. This got me thinking...why just do this for 8 weeks? I've been wanting to do something more with my photographs, something that will stand the test of time and hold memories for generations to come. So here's the plan...

For 1 year I will choose 1 photograph per week (or more!)to print and paste into my SAS Foto-Log. In addition, I will write at least a paragraph describing the secrets that lye behind the image; talking about why I chose it, what makes it important to me and / or musing on the moment in time it was snapped.

The end purpose of this project is to bring your personal photographs out into the light and record their secrets in a log that you can take with you no matter where you go. The SAS Foto-Log is designed to help you step away from cyberland and reflect on your "analog" life and, by the end of the year, you will have a beautiful record of your life in 2011 to share with your friends and family, or keep secretly for yourself. I will scan and share my own Foto-Log with you in this blog every week and would like to invite you to accompany me on this journey.

So...What am I actually doing?
1.Taking photos every week and picking 1 (or more) to print out. (These photos will be a combo of iPhone-ography, digital, analog, and instant.)
2. Attaching said photos to my Moleskine Foto-Log.
3. Writing about these photos...pen to paper!
4. Scanning (or photographing) these Foto-Log entries to share with you here.

How can you participate? Well, I understand that a year is long time and requires a lot of commitment so, that being said... Participate however you want! Whether you decide to join for 1 month or 12 months or anywhere in between. I would love to see how this project can evolve and morph to fit your own needs and desires. You can share your journey in your blog, Facebook, Flickr, or Twitter!

For those that are interested, I have created a lovely little badge that you can post on your blogs.

You can save this image to your hard-drive, upload to your blog, and link to http://www.thedizzypixie.com/2011/01/secrets-about-secrets-foto-log-project.html

Aaaaand, you can Tweet about your blog posts using #SAS so that we can find each other easily.

Also, add your blog to the picture blog roll! Just click where it says "click here to enter" and add yourself to the list! (No blog? Easy, just link to your Facebook, Flickr, or Twitter account!)

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-24T11:30:00.000-08:00

For all you photo geeks: The photo above was taken on my Diana F+ with redscale film and was double exposed.

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday weekend!

Drive safe if you're traveling and try not to over stuff yourself at the dinner table!

I'll see you all again next week.

xoxo

Bria

Loving my Lubitel 166B!

2010-12-20T21:03:00.000-08:00

I got home from a crazy weekend running around CA to visit family and friends and discovered a little package on my front porch. Despite the late hour, after a 2.5 hour drive home, I was instantly giddy because this package held my very first roll of film taken with my new-to-me Lubitel 166B and a couple more rolls taken on my Diana F+. Yay! The photos below were taken with the Lubitel and as you can see, I'm still getting the hang of focusing based on distance alone...(I also need to work on my low light skills...) Anywho, these two photos weren't the best of the lot...in fact, I have a couple really great shots that I will share with you later once they're all edited for dust and the such. I just couldn't resist giving you a little sneak peek!

I realize posed images like this aren't the most creative, but it was a very lovable and moving moment in time. The gentleman on the left is Andrew's 93 year old grandfather (Andrew's on the right). This photograph was taken just days after his wife of nearly 68 years passed away. The family came together to support him and despite everything we were able to bring a smile to his face. Such is the power of family.

The photograph below was my attempt at a self portrait. Here I am facing the challenges of framing, low light, and focus all at the same time! I didn't do too bad...but I'll do better next time. This happens to be one of Andrew's favorite photographs of the lot and I just love all the hats and this beautiful piece of retro furniture!

Reverb 10- Taking Action

2010-12-13T19:54:00.000-08:00

Action. When it comes to aspirations, its not about ideas. It's about making ideas happen. What's your next step?

I have several next steps to take but I suppose the first would be to create CDs of my work to take around to local businesses and galleries so that I can get a few shows up locally to spread my name. This will not only help me become better known, but will allow me to add a few things to my artist resume for graduate school. To serve this same purpose, I'd also like to take a couple art courses. I already signed up for Susannah Conway's Unravelling e-course starting in January and would like to take a book making class or two before the year is up. Simple steps, but necessary.

In case you missed it in my previous posts, my goal for next year is to prepare myself for graduate school. Not just any school however, I will be applying to 3-4 fine art MFA programs in The Netherlands and the UK. Some of these schools are harder than others to get into and, of course, I have my sights set on the hardest one. This school has only 13 (or so) slots available for MFA students, total. Eeeep!

Reverb 10- Words on Wisdom

2010-12-12T20:43:00.000-08:00

Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out?

When I returned from Europe I had a very hard time re-adjusting to "real" life. My 9:00 to 5:00 (which was more like 7:30am to 5:00pm) drove me nuts and my time was spread thin, keeping me away from my true work, my art. After much wallowing and complaining I decided to step up and ask for the changes I felt I needed in my life. This decision to ask resulted in a new schedule at work and some much needed freedom and flexibility. I also, just this week, asked for a raise...and got it! I never was the type to go after my desires of this nature, always afraid of rejection. Then I thought to myself, so what's a little a rejection? Someone will say "no" and that's that. I can handle "no" but I'll never get a "yes" if I don't ask. So I asked! This was my wisest moment, the moment I found the courage to go after my desires and stop fearing rejection. It may seem small, but it was a big hurdle for me.

A little gift.

2010-12-12T20:15:00.001-08:00

I was playing around with one of my photos from Thanksgiving weekend and thought "hey, this would make a good desktop wallpaper!" So, I decided I would share it with all of you lovely people. Let me know what you think: if you like it I may make some more in the future. :-)

To use, just click on the image, save to your desktop, and set as background.

Featured Etsy Seller: Specimental Design

2010-12-09T16:03:00.000-08:00

I just discovered this shop...and fell instantly in love!

I have had a minor obsession with raw stones for a while now and the designs in this shop seem to suit my tastes perfectly. The images below will give you a small taste of what this shop has to offer but I highly suggest you click here to visit the shop in full.

Reverb 10- Letting Go and Moving Forward

2010-12-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year?

This year I let go of unrealistic expectations for myself. I've been fighting a constant battle against my body since, well, high school. It started my freshman year; I played sports every season and by the time I joined the track team in the spring I was FAST, at least for a girl in my small town. I broke multiple records for my school's team and when I joined up again the next year, to my dismay, I wasn't so fast any more. I hadn't played sports much that year and my PE class wasn't as rigorous, what did I expect? Well, I should have been faster, better, the best. That was about the time I gave up on running and until this year (about 10 years later), I could count the number of times I ran since my high school days on one hand. The problem is, I really enjoyed running but was too embarrassed by my own body to even step foot on a treadmill. A few months ago I let go of these feelings. I told myself I would never get better unless I accepted where I am and moved on. That is when I decided to start the Couch to 5K program. I'm still not great, but I get out there. I try. I run. Just last week I ran / walked 1.8 miles in 30 min. Someday I hope to run just over 3 miles in that time and with practice, I know I can do it!

Photo of the Day- by Elisabetta Pisano

2010-12-04T17:27:00.000-08:00

I'm not feeling very well today...but isn't this photo just fantabulous?!

Her Flickr

Urnatur- Ancient Nature

2010-12-02T17:44:00.000-08:00

I found myself on The Anthropologist today, by way of following a Twitter link of course, and discovered this video. It really does speak for itself....so have a peek!

Yes...I very much want to live in a place like this someday. In fact, I am seriously considering a special trip to Switzerland just so I can visit this magical woodland.

Reflections on The Last Year and The Reverb 10 Project

2010-12-01T22:25:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have noticed the little Reverb 10 button on the right hand side of this blog. I have decided to participate in yet another project (yay!) because I find that with each one I grow a little more and learn something new about myself. The Reverb 10 project fits into this rhythm perfectly because it's all about reflecting on this year and manifesting what we want to come next. The project is full of daily prompts of which I will choose a couple each week to dwell upon and share with you here. If you are interested in learning more about the project just click on the button to the right to visit the Reverb 10 website.

One Word

Transition.

2010 has been a year of change. Last December I graduated from collage after 7 long years (yep...I changed my direction a couple of times) and found myself a real-life job. For the first time I am sitting at a desk for 40 hours a week, in a cube, without a window, all alone... For the first time I am working with my boyfriend. For the first time I am thinking "boyfriend" doesn't sound significant enough.

I think, perhaps, my biggest first of 2010 was my 6 week trip to Europe. It was during this journey that I discovered a true passion for travel and for Europe in particular. To be honest, I never once felt home sick. Sure, I missed having a home and the loving company of my cats, but I never once missed Chico, CA, or even the USA. Upon coming home, the transition was difficult. Every day I would come home from work and cry or mope about the house. I missed taking photographs, walking through the oldest parts of beautiful European cities, and discovering the unexpected. This difficult transition helped me form the next big goal in my life, to go to graduate school in Europe.

Prepare.

Though I am still in a state of transition I would like to spend 2011 preparing for my future. Among my slightly long list of goals I want to add a couple of art shows to my resume. I will take time to research graduate schools in the UK and The Netherlands, and then apply. I will expand as an artist and I will learn new skills. Hopefully, all of this preparation will pay off and I'll find myself in a new school and a new country in 2012.

In addition to preparing for my future as an artist, I would also like to prepare my body and mind for a healthier life. Kidney disease runs in my family, and with my grandmother on dialysis and my mom expected to join her in the next 3-5 years, I believe it is important to improve my body's health now in order to prepare for the future. This means exercise on a regular basis and maintaining healthy eating habits. Though I'm not gonna lie, ice cream and popcorn will always be a part of my diet. ;-)