Creole Wisdom

wait. I can't keep up.

I am tired. This is to be expected. But beyond that, I am overextended. And I wish I could get back.

Right before I graduated my Women in the Holocaust class met to study for the [intense] final study night- but of course we ended up talking about... everything. One thing many of us spoke of, since we were on the cusp of commencement, was what was ahead of us.

Work, of course [if we were lucky], and then free weekends. I imagined myself going to yoga in the afternoons, and then getting into a cooking class or something. Basically not running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

Maybe I wasn't thinking how working both my jobs would keep me busy enough. I perceived getting done at 3:30 and being done then. I didn't realize I would sit in rush hour traffic and then barely have time to do two or three things plus run and then have to go to bed to start the cycle all over again. That is okay, but then, for some crazy reason I started to pile more on my plate.

Because I can't seem to have/do/say "yes" to enough things.

Like...
•Thinking/planning on running a marathon
•Meeting with people to see about writing a book
•Archiving all of my grandfather's photographs
•Doing more photography than usual for clients
•Writing up a 5 year goal list that is impressive and realizing I need to stick to it
•Deciding to do weekly babysitting for a girl in my class

Throughout this entire process I have realized a few things-
•I have a hard time saying "no," and need to learn how to do it for my own sanity's sake
•Right now my job is great, but I need to look for something more towards my career goal.  Yes, my real goal is to be a stay at home mom, but there are a few things I want to to before that, and it's not involving kids
•I really, really, really need to keep my Fridays to myself. I made the mistake of overextending myself to a parent at my preschool and agreed to babysit Fridays, and so I had to kind of backtrack today. Not a huge worry, and I shouldn't be afraid to do this. Of course I am assuming that saying "no" to every Friday will make them not want to use me as a sitter. So far this is not the case. I'm sorry if that is long winded and odd, but it's how my brain works.
•My family, friends, and boyfriend are a priority and I love spending time with them
•Moving into my apartment at the end of August will help as far as the rush hour, and sanity goes. Living at home has high and low points.
•Having jobs is such a blessing, and I am very thankful.

I have this irrational paranoia that I must do all things, but then when I try to do too much, I realize that I can't do them all well. Basically doing a million things half-a**ed. Obviously that is not my work ethic, so I need to zero in and focus.

Glad I got that out of my system. I need to get this all under control so I don't feel like my brain is spiraling out of orbit.

Miss Katy

My cousin Katy (remember from last summer?) so kindly asked me to shoot her senior portraits while at the family extravaganza that was Indiana. Of course I said yes. We had so much fun. I just finished editing them, and will be sending her a disc soon. Here are a few favorites. And yes, her eyes are like that. As my Aunt Trudy says, "we only have pretty babies in our family." I could not agree more, and Katy is as beautiful inside as she is out. I love her.

a rare treat

It's truly a rare treat to get to capture babies. Although I work with [too] many of them, I almost never get the chance to do a shoot with anyone younger than me. Needless to say... I have lots of respect for those who do this- where kids are their main subjects. It's hard.

Babies do not liked to be laid on black velvet for backdrops... especially if mom is gone, and she's your food source. But, I was determined- and this is what I came up with :)

country fair

Started out my mini vacation to Indiana with a trip to the local fair. So much calmer and easier to navigate than the giant MN fair (although I love it more than life itself). Enjoyed the animals, out of control food, and family time with mom and Aunt Trudy.





Two thoughts:
1)In my greatest fantasy a magazine like National Geographic would hire me to travel the world and shoot photographs of everyday people, lives, and places. I love it. Our locations tells stories of history.
2)Often I am shy when taking photos that contain people in them. Since I was nearly traumatized to death by a Somalian woman last summer, I tend to be careful. What I forget is... that some people love to have their photo taken. I was capturing this food stand when the owner ran up to me, "are you from the The Times?" No, I said, and laughed a bit. I guess a DSLR makes you look less like a tourist than I assumed. Turned out he wanted his photo taken, and I'll be e-mailing it to him soon. Thanks, Art!

More family vacation photos and stories to come...

anticipation.

Excuse me. Kiss my grits. But I am so excited about moving into my new place at the end of next month. I am mostly excited about the stained glass window in my bedroom, and the amazing ladies I'll be living with. I have a lot to think about for what I'll do- since my lovely green toile bedding was for a twin only. I get to invest in some new stuff. I am very tempted to go all out Ikea, but seeing that my toile set lasted me so long, and I had to bite the bullet on paying for it- I may have to do the same. I'm obviously dreaming Anthro. In reality, I am horrible about putting stuff on my walls- so this place will have lots of lovely things to look at. I am so in love with the seashell poster and the "keep calm and carry on." I am sure that the "K" and teacup lamp are out of my reach seeing that they are quite expensive, but a girl can dream...

I think I've got a few things figured out though...
white and champagne
splashes of pink, red, blue, black
thick, but tailored textures
feminine lines

And I'm quite sure I can get myself a black frame and make the blackboard (nice try though, Pottery Barn)
Some goes for throw pillows with silhouettes on them. Didn't anyone tell each other about fabric transfers? duh!

I am also thinking something crazy for a headboard, since I still haven't found a bed I like. Maybe an antique door? Or else I can easily make a tufted one.

As if I don't have enough to do.

a new spot.

Discovered a great park with Karen last weekend. These are some of my favorites.



This natural beauty, of course had me reflecting on the different places I have lived. While the mountains of Oregon and Utah are pretty, I personally prefer the prairie. The grasses, the natural flowers, and sky are breathtaking. And lakes, you must have lakes. But, I must say, New York takes the cake for the best weather. The autumn there- breathtaking. Still, I think it's safe to say I do best here.

film.

I had two thoughts when I saw this photo:
1) this is film. and I can tell. film is special.
2) I do manage to look serious if I am trying really hard

When I first started getting into photography, it was the summer of my junior year in high school.  I had a film rebel that I filled with all types of film- black and white was my favorite. I love that all of the Europe trips we took when I was young (and when the economy wasn't crazy) were taken with my dad's canon film SLR that we lugged from San Tropez to the Spanish Steps. But by the time I was kind of serious about photography, freshman year of college, I was onto digital. At the time, Sarah Lawrence did not offer any digital photography courses. So it was me and the manual. I slowly became an advocate of digital, and all that it offered.  I still think I prefer it.

Except when I see images like this.

Image taken by J. May 2009. Sculpture Gardens.

emma. dinner.

Two of my favorite things combined: my friend Emma, and Sunday dinners. I am so happy that this ritual is up and running again.  It got kind of busy there for a while.

Emma is a fabulous woman, and is now doing amazing things in the advertising world. She moved into the most chic new apt. It is SO FLY that I have already called dibs on it next year if one of her roomies chooses not to renew her lease. It's that good.

But onto the dinner...
Lemon bbq chicken
Dill potatoes
Mint and pellegrino with lemon (my contribution)
and for the finale... ice cream.

Doesn't that look fantastic? I love that Emma cooks with her mac, too. Itunes open and music blaring. Sometimes a woman just cannot part with her gmail or reader. Or else you need some good tunes, and there's no sense in dragging out the bose speakers.

We eat outside, on her new front porch, and I looked around at the pretty Minneapolis neighborhood. Sigh. I pretty much live in the best place ever and am still shocked by all of it.  Perhaps it's due to having moved away.  Regardless, I am in the right place, thank you!

Perfect dinner... and in more recent news. I. Am. Getting. A. New. Iphone. Today.

Yessss!

another read.

Currently, thanks to the darling Emma, I am reading Smashed by Koren Zalickas.  I don't know what kept me from picking this up before.  After all, we know how much I enjoy a good memoir or personal story. Maybe I assumed it was some sort of "I was drunk through all four years of college sorority binge" thing which I don't connect with because I don't believe those stories really exist.  Pledged never did it for me. Greek life is too different "up here" than in the south, and I don't believe you can really explain all that it is.  But... before I go down "that road" (and by that I mean the Greek life "real" information road) here are my thoughts on this book:

First off, it is written in a style I was not sure I liked, or could follow well enough.  Koren does a good job of throwing you into stressful, detail rich situations that are almost overwhelming.  You need to focus, and it's not a glaze your eyes over one line and still be with the story line kind of book. 

It is a difficult read, not because it is traumetizing, because unless you are living under a rock, you probably know worse people and more horrific stories than I have come across yet on page 94.  It's not about shock value, which I am learning is the author's best tactic. She's really matter-of-fact about the whole thing.

Koren's relationship with alcohol is interesting.  I am not a heavy drinker, never have been, and my vice of choice is shopping (lol) and pointless flirtations with cute men. She takes you through how her childhood became spotted with early and very influential experiences with drinking.  She remembers her first drink.  While I, like a lot of people, cannot.  It was not memorable, but for her it was- almost like a spell I think.

So- all in all.  Good book.  I am enjoying it, and I cannot help but think of how much the character reminds me of some people I know.  The girls who get too crazy, who are attention starved, or a sad combination of both.  We probably all know someone like the author who has really had to struggled with something that is very addictive- if out of control.  I am thankful for the "female perspective" and I am glad that her book has shed so much light on out of control drinking among women.

week in the life (the whole shebang)

Hi friends, so here is the finished product of my week in the life. I'll get to the supplies, methods, and sources. But without further ado:
•Cover page

•To see the rest of my album, please just click over here to my flickr.
Supplies:
•Album: Hedi Swapp
•Patterned Paper: Paper Source
•Ribbon: Hunt and Gather (here in Minneapolis)
Method:
•I purchased and downloaded the 8.5x11 week in the life digital kit from Ali Edwards, then sized it down in photoshop to fit my album (which is 6x6)
•Because I like to keep things simple and quick I used only one kind of patterned paper, one kind of cardstock, and that floral paper to embellish.
•The ribbon I was not sure of, but that spine needed something, and it's the perfect amount.  So that's done.
•Everything except for the pack of paper from ps is from my stash. That's how I do things, and it's good to use
Inspiration:
•Obviously the source of the project, Ali Edwards.
•Then the flickr group, documenting a week in the life