wednesday wonderfulness

Sorry this is so late in the day; I worked today, and didn't get it up last night because I was busy watching the lady gaga episode of glee. Which, if you haven't seen, um, GO NOW TO HULU. Their version of poker face? Brilliance. Ok, so.

• sushi etiquette! I feel like such a n00b now.
• love this packaging. How fun would it be to fill with cute panties and use for a lingerie shower favor!
• how to make a wicked sweet canvas print for, oh $20 instead of $200
• ohmyword, you guys. Studying the fashion of the women of Mad Men? BRILLIANCE.
• thing I learned this week: morning bun is a real pastry, not one Starbucks made up. Its still the worst pastry name ever.
• this sounds delicious. Also like something my sister would make.
• this stop motion "how to make a cake" video is delicious. And lovely.

And, you know, in the interest of Lady Gaga awesomeness, enjoy.

it's pug tuesday!

Actually I just felt like sharing the most recent photos of mr Snortsalot. I made him a beautiful flower wreath! And how can you resist THAT FACE.

self-portrait sunday, late again

I was in Ohio this weekend, visiting family and shooting a wedding, so Saturday was busy and Sunday was spent riding in a car. Hence the lack of posting.



This week's photo was inspired by one of my (sadly all-too-rare) domestic fits. I'm a decent cook, really I am. I was raised in a family of girls by a really good cook who traveled extensively when she was young, so she brought all that inspiration back and fed it to us. Consequently, I've never made a steak in my life, but I can cook stir-fry like no-one's business. When I was 13, my family bought a restaurant, which all of us then worked in for the next couple of years. (I'm a fantastic short-order cook, in case anyone cares. I LOVED working the grill.) The opening bars of "All Things Considered" brings back memories of being in the kitchen at 5 am, starting coffee, baking pies, and making the soup of the day. Even now I can mix up a delicious batch of New England Clam Chowder.
These days, though, my cooking acumen tends more toward baking; I can do it in fits and starts, and the results are sure to disappear. If I make dinner once a week I'm doing well, and I'm happy munching on leftovers until they're gone. My grandmother is scandalized at this lifestyle, but it works for us. So on the days when I DO manage to cook, its usually a feast. I tie on a retro apron, shake up an extra-dirty gin martini, and crank up the happy cooking tunes.
And then I try to pawn the dirty dishes off on someone else.

wednesday wonderfulness

Hello lovelies! Here's hoping you're having as fantastic a week as I am; its going well and I'm getting lots done so far. No theme this week that I can see, just awesome!

• amazing detail shots of coco chanel's apartment
• I love this poem. Especially this bit: "do not be afraid of returning/ to sand, dear one./ sand takes a thousand shapes,/ a clay vessel, just one."
• a world barista championship! I want to go!
• I don't even like pizza, but this sounds fantastic.
• darth vader helmets!
• I love this playlist of music videos done in one shot. I don't love all the songs, but the videos are cool.
• beaded chandeliers from the dollar store? yes please!
• loving these fashion images of a pregnant claudia schiffer. Especially this one.
• I'm totally macking on the dior cruise collection. The hair, the colors, the shapes: perfect!

self-portrait sunday

Part of who I am--a part I don't like--is a boringly dressed photographer. I have not yet figured out how to look both cute and yet maintain the level of mobility/washability I need when shooting weddings, so it's the one time I compromise with practicality. (yes, above outfit is boring for me. Jeans, no skirt? Converse, no heels? Ugh!) But along with that: I love my job. It's worth it to wear boring clothes. And every time I finish a wedding, there's this incredible adrenaline rush that makes we want to run and jump and sing....and turn cartwheels.
These are the moments I want to freeze: golden, and spinning, and nearly perfect.

yummy

Loving these two images from the April Anthropologie catalog. Besides the light, I love the simple lines of these garments, and think they would be a fairly simple DIY. Yes?

inspiring me

A long-ago acquaintance of mine wrote this, and I thought it beautiful. I'm not a mother, but I know a lot of my readers are, and I thought you would enjoy it.

My willingness to carry life is the revenge, the antidote, the great
rebuttal of every murder, every abortion, and every genocide. I sustain
humanity. Deep inside of me, life grows. I am death's opposition.

I have pushed back the hand of darkness today. I have caused there to
be a weakening tremor among the ranks of those set on earth's
destruction. Today a vibration that calls angels to attention echoed
throughout time. Our laughter threatened hell today.

I dined with the greats of God's army. I made their meals, and tied
their shoes. Today, I walked with greatness, and when they were tired I
carried them. I have poured myself out for the cause today.

It is finally quiet, but life stirs inside of me. Gaining strength, the
pulse of life sends a constant reminder to both good and evil that I
have yielded myself to Heaven and now carry its dream. No angel has
ever had such a privilege, nor any man. I am humbled by the honor.
I am great with destiny.

I birth the freedom fighters. In the great war, I am a leader of
underground resistance. I smile at the disguise of my troops,
surrounded by a host of warriors, destiny swirling, invisible yet
tangible, and the anointing to alter history. Our footsteps marking
land for conquest, we move undetected through the common places.

Today I was the barrier between evil and innocence. I was the gate
keeper, watching over the hope of mankind, and no intruder trespassed.
There is not an hour of day or night when I turn from my post. The
fierceness of my love is unmatched on earth.

And because I smiled instead of frowned the world will know the power
of grace. Hope has feet, and it will run to the corners of earth,
because I stood up against destruction.

I am a woman. I am a mother. I am the keeper and sustainer of life here
on earth. Heaven stands in honor of my mission. No one else can carry
my call. I am the daughter of Eve. Eve has been redeemed. I am the
opposition of death. I am a woman.

- Christianna Reed Maas, 2010

wednesday wonderfulness

It's Wednesday already, lovelies! Can't quite believe it, but I've already had a really productive week and it's not even half over yet Yay! Anyway, on to the good stuff.

• Inspired by these, I'm thinking someone needs to try wearing layered chains with vintage pins attached on the side. Anyone?
• Um, only the best wedding photo shoot EVER: books.
• make your own lace bunny ears! Fantastic.
• You've probably see this by now, but: 10 days in a carryon.
• I kind of feel like I might try making this today: mammoth crumb cake.
• these photos? breathtaking.
• I LOVE this: birthday surprise in the mail.
• do it because you can, and never ever take that for granted.
• I think more people need to join the happiness project. For it is awesome.
• this makes me laugh veryhard: the art of manliness.
• oooo, lovely. Book wreaths.
• super-interesting read: 12 online entrepreneurs share how hard they work. Answer: VERY hard.
• 21 keys to magnetic likability. I do many of these, but others were excellent reminders. The goal is not necessarily to be liked, of course. The goal is to impact lives. Which is easier to do when people enjoy your company.
• true story: what women want is special attention.
  

  "...from being attended to, being given attention, we learn that we are worth being attended to."

snaps from the workshop

Finally got some pictures up from last week's workshop. Click on the image to go to the whole set on flickr.

hooray for Monday!

Isn't that a fantastic quote? I got it from this amazing photog, and I love it. Think it might need to be embroidered on a pillow or something.

In other news, a few things I'm currently loving: I'm reading Pretty in Plaid, and loving it. I'm not the only one who remembers specific outfits! Also enjoying SuperFreakonomics. I'm listening to The Hangover Soundtrack, and I laugh exceedingly hard every time I hear Stu's sound. Finally, I'm absolutely loving watching Hotel Babylon. I found it randomly on Netflix instant play, and my complete obsession with the inner workings of the service industry is in mad love.

Have a fantastic week, lovelies!

self-portrait sunday

week 4/52


True story: I have always been a nerd. Before I took pictures, before I collected shoes, before I started every other sentence with "did you know" I read. And read. And read. Starting at five, I had my nose in a book pretty much constantly until I got my drivers license. (So when I got it I didn't know how to get ANYWHERE. Because I'd been reading the whole time.)
Best example: in second grade, the year I went to public school, we got to pick our reward if we got straight As. I begged for permission to spend the WHOLE ENTIRE DAY at the library. Reading. And I got it. And it was awesome.
I haven't changed much since then: I still firmly believe that anything I need to know can be found in a book somewhere.

shoe envy

I don't know why I was shoe shopping online today, but it started with the spotted ones and it was all downhill from there. Don't worry, I didn't buy any! Click on the images for more info.

operation no more fat stomach

So I try to avoid whining about my weight on here, but really my stomach is OUT OF CONTROL. So. Starting tomorrow, no white sugar. Also, NO MORE DIET COKE. I've stocked up on protein in the form of string cheese, I've laid in salad supplies, and I'm not trying to go crazy, but I just need to get these bad habits out of my life. So. Starting up again with Couch to 5K, this time really focusing on form. (Mine is terrible, and it's why I run so slow.) I figure if I start easy I can retrain better. I'm also avoiding my diet coke addiction. I'm not cutting out all caffeine, just the diet coke, so hopefully the headaches won't be too killer. I'm not going to come back and whine on this too often, but I'm hoping that by throwing this out there you all can remind me what I'm doing, k?

Remember: goal is health. And it will not kill me to cut out white sugar for a few weeks. I'm actually really hoping it will help with my energy levels--they're been deplorable lately. I'm not sure if that's due to diet or my 5-hours-a-night sleep habit. Or both.

Ok, end of the body talk! Back to normally scheduled awesomeness!

wednesday wonderfulness

Hello wonderful readers! I'm hoping your week has been fantastic; mine has been...a week, so far. I know, enlightening, right? But anyway, here are some goodies gathered from around the interwebs.

• 10 simple steps to setting your inner goddess free. (I think via gala darling.)
• gorgeous photography/set design
• very in depth interview with the guy who plays Pete Campbell on Mad Men. I'm sorry, but to me he will always be Angel's son.
• last week I linked to an article on the five love languages; chix0rgirl has some (very articulate) thoughts on that idea.
• raaaandom: 11 facts and myths on prostitution in america.
• how this guy prepares for public speaking. I like this. So much that I got his book from the library.
• also: 1,000 true fans. Interesting concept, and one I think I need to explore.
• mmmm. article on Syrie Maughm.
• want these eyelashes!
• kinda want someone to do this to the wall over my desk.
• lols! awesome scans from Sassy magazine.
• and how gorgeous is this necklace DIY? VERY, thanksforasking.
• found this blog when one of my brides linked me to it; loving her perspective!
• helpful: ten tips to be more creative.

So what are you finding wonderful this wednesday?

self-portrait sunMONday

Sorry I'm a day late on this one; I crashed hard yesterday. Anyway, for this week's self-portrait I added myself to the white tshirt project. (Which hopefully will actually be installed soon!)

how to transform a dress

I fear that title is misleading: I've really no idea how I managed to edit this dress. Well actually I do, but I'm still slightly boggled by how perfect it looked for the shoot.


A bit of background: this weekend was my first photo workshop, and we needed a dress for the bride to wear. The couple we had posing for us is an actual couple of mine--their wedding is in June--but we didn't want to use their actual outfits. In addition, we had a very specific look we were going for, and I was kind of stumped on the dress until my mother came up with the above monstrosity. I KNOW. Slightly terrifying, right? I didn't take a picture of the back, sadly, but there were long wing-like things attached at the shoulders. HOWEVER. The redeeming factor was the skirt: floaty, chiffony, perfect. And since it was a dollar, it was worth the effort to fix it.

I started by snipping off the lace, then chopping off the sleeves, the cutting the back much lower. We then went to town making chiffon rosettes, added straps, and I turned the wing-things into a detachable train. With that, we had a dress that I loved.

More images soon, I promise!