I know, I know…

I am alive. Do not lose hope in me. I shall post again soon…and with photos.

Vacation is Good

11.27.08 – “Thanks for Chocolate Pie” – 154/365

I have more things to be thankful for than I could explain. Here are few (simple and complex):

• My family
• My one and only Casey
• My amazing living situation ( I can’t thank my brother enough)
• Food
• Creativity
• Ambition
• Pride
• Music
• Tivo
• Good naps

I had a really great Thanksgiving and I think everyone else in my family did, too. I’m definitely lookin forward to Christmas and can’t wait to see what the future brings me.

* this is Quinny being ever-so thankful for yummy chocolate pie. Totally a snapshot, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that not every holiday will produce hundreds are artistic photos.

11.25.08 – “Slippers” – 152/365

I had all three kids today and I’ve never been busier. I help Quinn slip into these bad boys and she thought it was delightful and confusing all at the same time.

11.26.08 – “Wade and Daddy” – 153/365

Driving nine hours from NJ to OH seemed as though it may last forever, but luckily we’ve got that handy-dandy DVD player for the kids. Ah, technology.

We stopped at Burger King for lunch (fear not, I did not break my Fast Food Fast. We stopped at Subway after just for me.) Here’s The Wader, Matt and the Burger King Crown.

11.24.08 – “Playtime” – 151/365

I had the Terrific Two on my own today at the mall! I guess I wanted a challenge and BOY did I get one. All in all, I survived, but barely got Wade to the potty in time (phew). NJ malls need more toilets!!!

This is the Mighty Quinn looking for her next slide in the play area.

11.23.08 – “Untitled” – 150/365

I had family photo shoot session in Pennsylvania (long drive) and had a great time. I was definitely nervous, mainly because I’d never done an outdoor in such freezing weather (Florida girl) and didn’t want to freeze up (no pun intended) with anticipation and take crap photos. The two girls, Emma and Morgan, were too cute and lots of fun. Emma, the oldest, has a striking (nearly eerie) resemblance to Dakota Fanning which made me feel like a celeb photographer (hee hee). I wanted this to be a little more contrasty, but I decided to keep the detail and noise level down instead.

11.22.08 – “Holla” – 149/365

Casey and I had a long day (to say the least) and decided to chill out by discovering our new surroundings and going to the mall!! This odd relic was found in Fortunoff in the toilet lid department. ::shakes head::

11.21.08 – “Bored” – 148/365

Clearly not much to say about this photo other than Photobooth is possibly the most fantastic time-waster of all time. I had no creative energy whatsoever, obviously, so this what we get.

Chuggin’ along….and dreaming of Turkey Day.

I’m hoping to get back on track with my postings, as well as a few other things in my life (namely painting, editing, and bills!). Hopefully, I can keep up and still have a few moments of meditation to myself in the meantime.

11.20.08 – “Peek-a-boo” – 147/365

This is by far Quinn’s favorite game (aside from "I’m gonna getchuuuuu!", where she strangely runs towards me with glee instead of away from me in fear). I’m still dedicated to maxing out the iPhone camera’s capabilities. This is a shot of her peekabooing from inside her little playhouse. Boo!

*Taken with iPhone, edited using CameraBag App.

11.19.08 – “Lonnnnng Day” – 147/365

Wednesdays are always the longest, but today seemed to drag and I was knocked off my bum by 6pm and konked out for an hour or two. Finished the night off with "The Beach" and "My Cousin Vinny". No painting done (yet again and to my total disappointment).

*Taken with iPhone, edited using CameraBag App.

Livin’ the Life

Lots of things going on these days. Still setting up camp in the basement and trying to turn it into a home. Photos of the finished product coming soon (along with photos from the move and the cruise). My goal is to get the place done by Thanksgiving and then it’s work work work and save save save!

10.18.08 – “What’s it to you?” – 146/365

Quinn is changing more and more everyday. She’s now able to give looks that kill. And yet….she’s still cute as a button.

*Taken with iPhone, edited using CameraBag App.

11.17.08 – “Prepping for Thanksgiving” – 145/365

Molly is one of two dogs I now live with and have loved since their pup days. She seems to be imitating a turkey in her sleeping position today.
*Taken with iPhone, edited using CameraBag App.

11.16.08 – “Celebratory Dogs” – 144/365

In celebration of buying our first cans of paint (for the interior of our new place) we dined on Don’s Dogs. He has a lonely little truck outside of Home Depot everyday. Mmmmm….
*Taken with iPhone, edited using CameraBag App.

11.15.08 – “The Rally” – 143/365

Casey and I decided to go into the city for the day and check out a friend play at 55 Bar. As we got off the subway the first thing we hear is chanting. Following the shouts we find a gay rights rally outside of the 55 Bar! Lots of good vibe. (editing inspired by Katie’s photo…)

11.14.08 – “Uncle Casey’s Shoes” – 142/365

Quinn was playing with Casey’s shoes.
*Taken with iPhone, edited using CameraBag App.

11.13.08 – “ABBA” – 141/365

Abba is the name Quinn and Wade gave their pacifers. I got quite used to "binky" somewhere along my young adult path (maybe it was a family thing). She’s presenting me with it and saying "Ankuuuu…". Translation = THANK you….
*Taken with iPhone, edited using CameraBag App.

11.12.08 – “Teef!” – 140/365

Wade’s way too full of energy to sit still for a full face photo. =) Pure glee!

11.11.08 – “Malcom” – 139/365

Another sleeping dog photo. This is Malcom, the other dog in the mix. He’s part corgi, deer, pig, rabbit, and human.

11.10.08 – “Bath Night” – 138/365

The only bath in the house is located on the floor where Casey and I live. I pop in every now and then to sneek a shot of the soapy little ones. Quinn’s grin says it all.

11.9.08 – “Wader” – 137/365

Wade is constantly on the move. In this rare shot I caught him pondering on life….with Spiderman.

GREETINGS FROM NEW JERSEY!!

Wow. It’s been a lonnnnnnnng time since I’ve updated, I know. But, as is my promise, I have kept up with this little project. Here’s a whole lotta photos to look at, some great, some not so great, some personal. Half were taken with my iPhone as I was planning on doing a theme for the first week to only take photos with my iPhone. That fell through when I got behind in my updates and I had to leave my iPhone in the states when I went out of the country.

11.08.08 – “Winter Wear” – 136/365

As we discover new stores in the area we’ve found that we’ve come slightly ill equipped for the winter weather. We really think this is the jacket for Casey. Thoughts? To see me in this jacket click here.

11.07.08 – “Ikea Fun” – 135/365

More silly fun in Ikea.

11.06.08 – “The Best Invention Ever” – 134/365

There is something to be said for the amazing transformation travelling with children has made due to the inclusion of DVD players in most new vehicles. If it was not for this little device my day would be much for hectic and less tolerable. Hooray for Elmo in Grouchland! (This is little Quinn in awe of the little screen of delight.)

11.05.08 – “Grrrr!” – 133/365

Wade got some plastic vampire teeth from school and we finally got around to showing him how to use them. This is him and Matt giving me their angry faces.

11.04.08 – “History is Made” – 132/365

Not going to go on and on and on about what an amazing election season this has been, but I cannot express how exciting the results were. Regardless of whether you were for or against Obama, it is hard to deny the impact his election will have on the African American community, history, and state of mind. I can’t wait to see what his term brings our country.

11.3.08 – “Dezi Daycare” – 131/365

My first day of nannying went well; a few snags, but that was to be expected. For those of you who don’t know me and talk to me every day my new job is taking care of my wonderful neice and nephew, Quinn and Wade. Quinn is 10 months and Wade is three years old. In this self portrait I’m sitting with him while we read along to an audio tape/book thing of Monsters, Inc….for about the sixth time that day. =)

11.2.08 – “Rally Up!” – 130/365

I attended my first political rally. This is a shot of my family meeting Jon Corzine, the governor of New Jersey. Nice guy, great speaker, great way to start my life out as a new New Jersian.

11.1.08 – “Milestone” – 129/365

After we woke up, ate some breakfast, and filled the tank we headed back out on the open road. Ever since I was a child, tagging along with my parents on endless treks from Jacksonville to Cleveland, South of the Border has become THE way to know how much longer I had to sit in the car. I’ve only been there once, and only to fill up the tank, I bought a turquoise sweater adorned with a teddy bear wearing a sombrero.

10.31.08 – “Packed to the Gills!” – 128/365

So we finally got the trailer and packed it tight, including the van, and actually managed to keep the bed and three bookcases! We were exhausted after essentially chucking things out of the apartment in order to be out on time to get the deposit back. The journey continues…

10.30.08 – “Farewell Stranger” – 127/365

After a long and rocky relationship Casey and I finally say goodbye to the beloved Mustang. It was a love-hate relationship from the start and it was a bittersweet end to a constant uphill battle with it’s endless problems. But, a car is a car and for some reason they become part of us.

In all seriousness, this day was very emotional for us both. We will miss our family more than they know.

10.29.08 – “Strange Procedure” – 126/365

There is an odd procedure that comes at the end of the cruise adventure. You are supposed to put your suitcases outside your stateroom door the last night of the cruise, all by their lonesome. I trust people, but it still feels very strange.

10.28.08 – “Delightful Procedure” – 125/365

Every night, on a cruise, when you come back to your room, there’s a fun little surprise awaiting: a delightful animal made from towels! This one is a bunny, I believe, wearing Kirk’s sunglasses.

10.27.08 – “Denial?” – 124/365

We docked in Jamaica on our third day. We decided to go on a jeep safari tour and then climb a huge waterfall. A few times the jeep safari/roller coaster would stop and let us take pictures of houses and the surroundings.

At this one house there was a dog laying outside. Everyone kept saying how cute she was and petting her as though they couldn’t see what was completely obvious. This dog was malnourished, pregnant, neglected, and miserable. I snapped a few photos, to my own dismay, and walked away unable to watch the charade.

10.26.08 – “OMM NOM NOM NOM” – 123/365

At the fancy dinner Janet demonstrates how everyone ate on the cruise.

10.25.08 – “Wish I Was A Kid Again” – 122/365

Awaiting the boarding process for the cruise the kids (Elizabeth, Victoria, Erin, and Sammi) huddle up for a group shot.

10.24.08 – “Untitled” – 121/365

Driving down to Satellite Beach to hang with Casey’s parents before the cruise, I actually got to fill up the tank! COMPLETELY!

Seeing my fuel gauge read "F" was strange and exciting all at once.

10.23.08 – “Untitled” – 120/365

The anxiety and to-do lists of the move weighed so heavy on our minds we frequently began to nod off at odd hours. Here’s Casey napping.

10.22.08 – “Couchless” – 119/365

We finally got said goodbye to our couch! Jen is modeling it’s comfiness in the back of Ralston’s truck.

10.21.08 – “I Voted” – 118/365

I VOTED TODAY!!! Who did I vote for?? Nunyabeez.

10.20.08 – “Blossom” – 117/365

Before we left we did a big dinner with my parents. My pup Blossom will be missed terribly!!

10.19.08 – “The Final Service” – 116/365

We had our final day at Palms Presbyterian Church where we have performed every Sunday for the last four years. It was a VERY emotional day. We signed the CDs made of the recording that we finally finished. It was a good day.

10.18.08 – “Dori Face” – 115/365

Silliness with the iPhone. I look strangely like Dori in the photo (from Finding Nemo).

10.17.08 – “The Final Hang” – 114/365

My friends and I did a final hang out via a couple games at the local bowling alley. Much fun was had by all and I will definitely miss them incredibly. Can’t wait to visit sometime in the far future….

10.16.08 – “The Final Work Day” – 113/365

Thank the Lord. My final day of work. It couldn’t have come sooner, but I will miss the friends I made there soooo much!! (Michael fell asleep in the car on the way back…)

10.15.08 – “Classic” – 112/365

One my final days at work I spotted this FANTASTIC "read" poster in the hallway. Made me remember my childhood growing up in libraries across the Jacksonville/St. Augustine area.

10.14.08 – “Snapshot Magoo” – 111 /365

Nothing profound here. Just Casey and I being silly as usual.

10.13.08 – “Big Pimpin’” – 110/365

Testing out my iPhone’s camera, I snapped a photo of quite the bachelor at the local ATM. He’s quite the dapper dresser.

10.12.08 – “Serious Face” – 109/365

I had a portrait session with Keturah, a friend of mine. I still haven’t finished editing them, due to moving across country, but this is my favie so far. She couldn’t do a serious face when we started, but after a little while she was pro! (Keturah, please don’t swipe this pic from here. The rest are coming soon, I promise!!!).

10.11.08 – “Fun With Animation” – 108/365

I gathered my friends together one night to do a massive animation project (only massive in that it’s often difficult to coordinate and keep the attention of eight twenty something drummers). This is probably my favorite photo out of all the portrait section ones. It makes me laugh EVERY time I see it. You can see the final results below:

11 days and COUNTING…

Pretty sure this is the longest I’ve gone without posting. But fear not, I have kept up with all my photos. So here they are.

10.10.08 – “Creme BrulECH!” – 107/365

Maybe I’m uncultured. Maybe I’m supremely American. Maybe my abhorrence for all things pudding, jello, and cream restrict me. I had my first creme brulee last night and I really tried to enjoy it. I liked the taste and the texture of the burntness, but the creme part, not so much. I just can’t get past it.

10.9.08 – “Merchandising, Merchandising!” – 106/365

This is just a shot of one the products I’m going to start offering on my website. Hopefully it sells. We’ll see. I think it’s too cute, but that’s just me. Here’s a another one and you can see this one and all it’s options here , too.

P.S. If you don’t know the reference I’ve included in the title you must watch this video.

10.8.08 – “Oh Happy Day” – 105/365

Today was the day. I finally got my iPhone. No words can express how happy I feel and how I know my life will certainly never be the same. Below is a short slideshow documenting the monumental event.

10.7.08 – “Upper Body” – 104/365

I have zero upper body strength. Zip.

Maria and everyone ELSE I work with, however, are total champs. Maria shows off her gnarly biceps in this shot. And I know there’s only supposed to be one photo a day, but the photo below is also worthy of peek. Michael makes me laugh.

10.6.08 – “Save the Ta-Tas” – 103/365

Casey works at Best Buy who’s employee’s signature blue shirts have now been replaced with pink ones in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness.

10.5.08 – “Something Different” – 102/365

I shot some headshots for Casey at the studio where I work. Five hours and a million photos later I still love this one the most. Not sure why.

10.4.08 – “Something Borrowed” – 101/365

I had a wedding to shoot along the canal. It was a small casual wedding that went relatively flawlessly. This is one of my favorite shots of the whole day. Others can be seen here and a slideshow of my favorites can be seen here.

10.3.08 – “What Was He Thinking?” – 100/365

Nothing too eventful today other than a strange decision on Casey’s choice to throw the contents of a full cup of Pepsi on my van’s windshield. Having seen what Florida’s sun can do to such substances on vehicles I immediately had to go spend $8 at a car wash since none of the local gas stations have those window cleaner thingies anymore. Thanks, Case.

10.2.08 – “Boxes” – 99/365

I wish I had the energy to take something better than this, but these boxes impose far too much inconvience in our small apartment to not at least be mentioned here. I hate them and can’t wait to fill them with stuff to eventually be unpacked in a fresh new space.

10.1.08 – “Sandalwood Day 2″ – 98/365

Unfortunately I did have to return to this school the next day. And even more unfortunate was the fact that I was not in ::ahem:: good company. The day went about as horribly as a work day at my job could. The only way to keep myself from standing up and driving away was to create a list of grievances I had about the company. To be nice I only photographed the title of the list, leaving out all the juicy details I’m the company wouldn’y appreciate being plastered on the web. My only hope is I have enough cajones to discuss these with my superiors before I vacate.

9.30.08 – “Sandalwood Day 1″ – 97/365

My work brought me to a school I care never to return to. The only joy the day brought was a steep incline between the rows of seats, which was promptly used by Maria and I as a mini ‘coaster. Fun times.

9.29.08 – “The Diner” – 96/365

As the end of our life in FL draws closer I’m starting to really get around town and visit my favorite places to eat. This diner is as classic as it gets. Total 50s decor, family owned, I’ve seen the same waitresses and cooks there the past 3 years and all the foody is greasily delicious. My usual? The Cheese Melt. Mmmm…

9.28.08 – “Younger Days” – 96/365

Yep. Just another long day with no creativity left to take pictures. So here’s a framed photo that hangs in the hallway of our apartment. It’s me and a friend in Cozumel, 2004. Oh, the days…

casey by destiny

I know this is supposed to be strictly 365 posts, but I didn’t want to add this and then have it be missed later on. So here’s the animation we started last week. I actually finished it within hours of shooting it, with plans of making it twice the length later on with a second shoot, but Casey is rarely in the mood to do these sorts of things after a long day at work, so I decided to make due and finish it with what I had.

Click here to view the video on Flickr.

(Apparently my video was way too cool and Rufus for Youtube, so I can’t post it there due to copyright issues…)

Getting Closer

It’s been a while since my last posting. A lot and not a lot has happened in the last week. Here’s the low down:

• Wrapping up the recording for Palms Presbyterian
• Revving up for a wedding shoot I have this coming weekend
• Sold my G4 tower and monitor (originally $2,000) for $175…all to support the iPhone fund, which is now complete
• Put feelers out on selling my furniture (gave promises for couch and have claimers for entertainment center and desk)
• Purchased 1TB external Hard Drive for super secret project
• Busted my left side rear view mirror driving through the alley behind my office
• Casey’s drum set is finally complete
• Updated my website
• Ran into my 8th Grade History teacher who remembered my first AND last name (absolutely made my day)
• 24 days and counting

9.27.08 – “On the Catwalk” – 94/365

Today I had a day off, finally, and went to visit the site of a wedding I’m shooting next weekend. My assistant, friend, and coworker, Michael, poses begrudgingly. I’m 49% nervous, 51% excited about shooting this wedding. Eeeee!

9.26.08 – “Lost in Lost” – 93/365

Not much to say here. It gets REALLY hard to continue this 365 when I get home after 13 hour work days and have to go to sleep immediately in order to get enough sleep for the next day. This is snapshot of a tasty treat to accompany our Lost viewings. Mmmm….Lost.

9.24.08 – “NOM, NOM, NOM, NOM!!!” – 92/365

This is a healthy pile of chicken wing carcasses compiled by coworker, Justin, on a lunch break feast. Impressive yet slightly nauseating.

9.24.08 – “I’ve Got a Fever” – 91/365

Sci-fi Channel started airing the show Lost from the beginning and I thought I’d jump on a new band wagon and give it a shot. Unfortunately, now I and Casey are completely addicted. SO addicted that we couldn’t possibly wait from one week to the next see what happens next. So we gave up and went to our friendly, neighborhood Best Buy and bought the complete first season. After watching the entire season in two days we decided we also needed to get the second season. A story for another time.

9.23.08 – “Chooooocolate” – 90/365

Today my work brought me to my old high school. Rules have changed, new buildings have been added, and teachers have moved on, but that feeling still remains. I had so many amazingly great and amazingly ungreat memories there. I’m glad I had a chance to go back before I move away forever. Courtney, here, is showing us how delicious melted Andes chocolates are.

9.22.08 – “Comes Again Another Day” – 89/365

Rainy, rainy days have descended upon Florida once again. No hurricane in sight, thank goodness, but stormy nevertheless. Casey and I started on making a fun animation today, hopefully we’ll get it finished soon so we can show off Casey’s secret acting skills. =)

9.21.08 – “Tick” – 88/365

With the move peeking right around the corner and our final days approaching time seems to crawl. I get frustrated easily because I just want to leave already and get my clean slate NOW. I’ve always been a really patient person, but this is testing my limits.

9.20.08 – “Hannah” – 87/365

My last day working for the department I was originally hired went pretty well. I had a client with an adorable dog that ended up pooping EVERYwhere. "Thank goodness they were hard!", the owner exclaimed.

Now it’s mainly roadshoots and studio days for me. I like them, but having to be at work by 5am every morning is a major drag. Sigh.

34 Days and Counting

9.19.08 – “Swingline Lover” – 86/365

Work brought me to yet another middle school. It was overall a good day, with the exception of the nameless, apathetic coworker. I just don’t understand what people think they’ll ever accomplish in their lives with the attitudes they continue to keep. My stapler, however, is always there for me.

More photos from the day are posted here, over here, right here, and here. =)

9.18.08 – “New Voice” – 85/365

I sing in a praise band for a church as my side job. Because we’re moving soon the congregation has requested we make a recording. Tonight we met up at a friend’s recording studio and laid down the skeleton of our favorite tunes, with plans of putting in the vocals later next week. Although my vocal tracks were unnecessary I recorded them anyways to get used to hearing myself in playback. For those of you who have never been a recording studio, it’s a very strange sensation to hear EVERY single nuance of your voice, a very personal thing, amplified and brought to the foreground in such detail.

Unfortunately, I really enjoyed myself and am starting to reconsider music weighing less heavy on the priorities scale of my life. I can’t just ignore the people in my life that tell me to do something with my voice and I CAN’T ignore the pure joy I feel when performing. Ahh, the trials of life.

More photos from the recording can be seen here and here.

9.17.08 – “A Sad Day” – 84/365

This is a true story:

I had a very strange and unlikely dream. I was coming to the end of a work day and decided to go to my favorite Fresh Mex restaurant, Kokopellis, for dinner. Upon arrival we were met with a sign that said CLOSED. I immediately realized this meant they were closed forever and screamed "Why???!! Where will I get my fresh mex???!!". I was very sad and woke up in dark horror.

That morning my boyfriend and I had a hankering for Kokopellis and headed on down the street. We pulled up and I got a strange feeling in my stomach as I saw a large white sign on the door that read "Sorry, We’re Closed. Thanks for your patronage." How. Incredible. Is. That?

Why would I have a dream about a restaurant, that I actually hadn’t gone to in a while, and then see its closure become actualized in real life that same day. :::x files theme plays in background:::

The truth is out there…

*one tear for Kokopellis and two for their queso.

Work, Work, Work

9.16.08 – “Relieving the Boredom” – 83/365

I’ve had two splendid days of work in a row. This is highly unusual and a much needed change (and is generally determined by the people I work with from one day to the next). Today I had a pleasant location change at 5am and went to a private Catholic school about an hour away from the studio.

For those of you who don’t talk to me on a daily basis and hear my horror/work stories, I work for a company that takes yearbook photos. Although I am a photographer, they are up to their eyeballs in them and put me on as cashier during the weekdays. This means I hand thousands of willful teeanagers an index card with an ID barcode and write them a receipt if their parents happen to care enough to buy the pictures.

While the photographers set up I’m usually used as a "model" for testing lighting. This usually results in one of three photos:
1. Big Cheesy Smile
2. Impersonation of Apathetic Teeny-Bopper
3. Obnoxious Facial Expression (which usually mirrors my disdain for how I spend my work days)

Today, however, was fun. Note: that IS a Starburst candy in my mouth, which means we had lovely nuns giving us candy and brownies to sweeten the deal.

Favorite Quotes of the day include:
“Northeast: Cah, cah…” – Christa
“I don’t really know what your meal thing is, but, uh you can just grab another box and fill it with sides.” – Me

Other interesting artifacts seen along the way can be found below:

9.15.08 – “Eager Beaver” – 82/365

Casey finally got his new drums in and is beyond excited. Aside from some sketchy snare drum issues (shell not exactly lining up with expensivo heads purchased specifically FOR the drum) the quality is outstanding. I’ll update with specifics on the set later. I also made a cheesy slideshow for your viewing pleasuring of his child-like enthusiasm upon opening the packages.

9.14.08 – “Belated Birthdayness” – 81/365

Some family were out of town on my birthday so we decided to wait until this weekend to celebrate at my mom’s house. Casey and I drove down and enjoyed home cooked food for once in a long while (chicken cordon bleu and broccoli salad). This pie was made instead of the traditional birthday cake as I am not a big fan of cake to begin with. The candles, so proudly placed by Casey, soon began to melt inside the cherry gooeyness and all that was left after a few minutes (and before the birthday song) were sad, dangly wick stumps. It was delicious, nevertheless, and we took half home to enjoy as a midnight snack. I had a great time and am sad/excited that it was my final Florida birthday. Next stop New Jersey!

More pie goodness can be had below: