The Monsens

Inspiration for the New Year...

2011-12-28T10:29:00.000-08:00

Christmas Wishlist

2011-12-19T21:00:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law was so clever to post a quick wish-list on her blog, and when my mom asked me when I was posting mine so she could do some Christmas shopping, I decided to get to work. These are a few of my favorite things...

1. Epic L Letterpress Combo Kit
2. Women's Mossimo Pearlie Chunky Heel Pump- Purple
3. Kitchenaid Artisan Stand Mixer- Ice Blue
4. Floral Pompom Trimmed Scarf
5. Modernist Mugs + Bowls
6. AE Striped Full-Zip Hoodie or This if possible!

Summer Pictures

2011-11-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

I am a slacker and just barely picked up this roll from my beloved Mamiya from the photo lab. More from this roll to come soon. Here are a few of my favorites...

You've got to love the freeway petting zoo on the way to Kanosh...

Summer Rain storms are my favorite. This was taken from my front door

Cute Family Pic!

2011-11-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist posting this adorable picture of my cute nephew!! More to come soon!

Ruby Baby Pics

2011-10-07T08:55:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics of the darling Ruby. She was the sweetest baby to play with! Hopefully more pics coming soon...

Dare you to Find a Cuter Kid - Protect your Stuff with Norton

2011-09-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

I think this is the most hilarious video. Enjoy

Last Chance...

2011-09-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

Today is the last day to order anything from Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, or West Elm and get a 20% discount! Let me know if you want to order something. It can be shipped to any address, and the discount applies to sale items too.

Thanks!!

red rock relay

2011-09-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

Last week Todd and I teamed up with a great group of friends to run the Red Rock Relay. I thought it was pretty awesome, and would definitely do another one again, I'm not so sure the boys would say the same thing. Hopefully I can get more pics up in the next little bit. RRRFL!!!!

Ape and Andrea during our first legs. They did so great!

Carli and Tyson

The Blands.

The awesome Zollingers. We couldn't have done the race without them!!

We really didn't have that many "road kills" (when you pass another runner during your leg) so we though we'd just add a few extras...

Todd during his last leg. He finished the race for us, and he did such a great job, despite his bad knees...

The group waiting to cheer Todd on during the last leg. 187 miles. Go team.

Discount!!!

2011-09-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

As most of you know I work at an interior design company with great discount perks to a lot of places. A few of those stores include Pottery Barn, West, Elm, and Williams Sonoma. We have to spend a certain amount every year to maintain our great 20% discount, and we need to spend some more money and fast! If any of you want to take advantage of this discount (which includes regular AND sale items) let me know and I can get an order placed for you. We need to reach our quota before the end of September, so only a few weeks left!

This would be a great time to get some Christmas shopping done!

P.S. That picture is what my dream office would look like... furnished by Pottery Barn ;-)

It's finally here...

2011-09-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

Well the long awaited Red Rock Relay has come, and I'm so excited to run it! We're leaving for St. George today, and the race starts bright and early at 6 am tomorrow morning. Wish us luck, we're definitely going to need it!!

Also, I read a very true quote today...

"The quickest way to make money at photography is to sell your camera." - Anonymous

So very true.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Lightning Storm

2011-08-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

Morning Commute

2011-08-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

Talisker on Main

2011-07-16T16:34:00.000-07:00

For my job I had the opportunity to go shoot one of our restaurant projects, Talisker on Main, located in Park City, UT. Architectural photography has proved to be really interesting, and I'm so glad I was able to get a little experience!

Matt + Taylor at the Temple

2011-07-13T13:08:00.000-07:00

Brady + Jamie Wedding Day!

2011-07-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

Brady + Jamie Bridals

2011-07-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

Sayward's Birthday

2011-06-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty far behind on blogging about what's going on, so here is my first attempt to catch up. These pictures are from my Sister-in-law's Birthday Party. I sometimes feel like a creep when I'm always taking pictures at family stuff, but I think everyone is getting used to it...

Spring

2011-05-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

I've decided that there may be nothing better than hanging laundry on a beautiful spring day and going for a walk with family.

Walking

2011-05-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

Crazy Weekend!

2011-05-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

I would have to say that this past weekend was pretty eventful. First off, I finally graduated! Yes, technically I have been done with school since December, but I was finally able to walk during UVU's spring graduation ceremony on Friday.

The next great thing I was able to do this weekend was run the Thanksgiving Point Half Marathon. I was pretty worried after I found out that it was supposed to be 31 degrees and snowing the morning of the race, and the thought of not doing the race at all crossed my mind. Despite all that, I decided to give it a try, and it ended up being so great! Todd was a great coach, and helped me get ready for the race. I was so lucky to have him there with me, I don't think I could have done it without him ;-)

The course was a lot tougher than I had anticipated- there were so many hills! But I made it through, and now I can't wait to run the Kanosh 5k and the Red Rock Relay later this year! Yay!

Stretching in the only dry spot we could find

Waiting to start the race!

Crossing the finish line! I made it!

The up and coming...

2011-04-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

Well, since I don't have another awesome trip planned for this sumer, I decided I need to plan some things to look forward to. Two of which are a great motivation to stay in shape.

The first one is this Saturday (Yikes!):

The next awesome thing I am doing is this:
A 187 mile race that I get to do with 11 awesome friends! Yay!

Dodgeball!

2011-04-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

Thanks Ape and Eric for sharing your dodgeball kit with us!

The Holga in Mexico

2011-03-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

Well, seeing as I took about 25 pounds of camera equipment to Europe over the summer, I thought I'd take the opposite approach and just take 2 cameras- my trusty canon powershot, and my holga. For those of you that don't know what a holga is, it's basically a toy camera that takes fun, unpredictable photos. Here is a picture of what the camera looks like:

And here are the photos I got from it:

Cruise Pics!

2011-03-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

Well we just got back from the most awesome cruise ever and here are some pics:

Sans School Assignment

2011-02-17T20:51:00.000-08:00

Being done with school has definitely had it's perks- no homework to do at night, free weekends, and no stress about getting assignments done and getting good grades (although my job has taken the place of school stress times about 10) Anyway, I decided that the things I have learned in my classes at schol are far too valuable to let go of. I think that even though I don't have a teacher assigning a task and giving a due, I should still be doing projects on my own. So here is a short list of projects I have assigned myself:

1. Take at least 1 roll of film of photos a week- and get them developed and processed, I don't need any more negatives sitting around that I don't do anything with.
2. Recently I purchased a few supplies to make more linocut prints- the problem I have is deciding what to actually print. So I decided that the next print I do has to come from something I find in my house- not including anything from the internet.

I'm going to start with these 2 and see where I get. Simple enough.

Lunch Break Blog Time

2011-02-08T12:46:00.000-08:00

Well it's definitely been a while since I've been able to write on this, but I thought that because I don't have school to keep me busy, I should be able to post more. Plus I just got a new wireless router that gives me blazing fast internet at home, so now I won't get kicked off the internet every time I check out a blog...

So here's what's new in a nutshell:
1. I finally graduated from college
2. I did get rid of facebook because I feel like if I want to know what someone is doing with their life, I should just call or go see them instead of being a creeper.
3. I got a new job. I'm working as a designer for an architecture and interior design firm.
4. I'm going on a cruise!

Those are the biggest ones I can think of at the moment, but since I've made the goal to update my blog more- including giving it an awesome design- there will be a better flow of current events. Until then...

It's Christmas Time!

2010-11-30T17:47:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago my sister in law posted a blog entry about a promotion going on through the company Shutterfly, where anyone with a blog can receive 50 free Christmas cards just for blogging about these great cards! That’s pretty easy for me. I’ve used Shutterfly before, and they were great to work with, so seeing as last year's card was a total flop (I designed one, even took a picture for it, but that's about as far as it got) I decided that this would help motivate me to get some holiday cards out to our friends and family. I should be working on my big research paper that is due next week (at least I have an outline I guess), but I can't stop looking at how cute the Shutterfly Christmas cards are! If anyone is interested you should definitely check their website out: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards

Hope you all have a great Christmas season! Yay for the holidays!

Here's a Funny Story

2010-10-21T21:39:00.000-07:00

So sometimes I like to drive down to Orem for work/school instead of taking the bus. I think the parking passes are ridiculously overpriced, so whenever I do drive to the school I generally always park in the paid visitor's lot located conveniently outside my office. Well today I forgot to ask my boss for a validation, and was therefore in a bit of a predicament when it came time to leave and realized I would actually have to pay to get out. I could either 1) Pay a whole $20 (plus another $2.50 for the atm fee to even get the cash) and leave at 5 pm when I finished my class, or 2) wait it out until the parking attendant goes home at 10:30 pm and try to get out of the lot when the bar is up. So what did I decide to do? Yep...wait. I was actually able to get a lot of homework done that I probably would have put off all weekend, so I guess it could be looked at as a good thing. I've been periodically taking sneaky looks out the doors to see if the gate has been up and it finally is, but I'm still nervous that the booth attendant is still in there and will try to make me pay if I leave, so I came back to my office and decided to kill a few minutes by writing this blog post. Wish me luck, and let's hope the last 5 hours have not been wasted in vain. I did listen to the Dave Ramsey show online and watched Serendipity, so it's been quite an enjoyable and educational evening.

A Little of What I've Been Working On

2010-10-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

Well, seeing as this is my last semester of school (yay!) I have been busy working an various projects for my classes. Here are a couple images from those projects. The first is for my senior project- I'm printing images from the film I shot in Europe- so far it's all been done in the darkroom- no computer, no photoshop. It's been an adjustment after working with photoshop so much to have to go back to the darkroom, but it has been great. Once I get the other images I've done scanned, I'll post them too. The second image is done with a process called cyanotype. I've been learning a lot about the old photo processes (before photoshop and photo paper you can go buy at the store :-)) I've loved this class this semester, and will also put the other images I've been working on up once I get them scanned.

The Henrie Family

2010-10-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

Here are a few other pictures from a few weeks ago. I'm so proud that I'm catching up and finally posting all of these!

Some Family Portraits

2010-10-06T07:11:00.000-07:00

Over the summer I had the opportunity to work with these great families and take their pictures for them. It was a lot of fun, and gave me a good opportunity to work more with large groups. Thanks everyone!

Spencer & Dani- Wedding Day

2010-10-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

Little Preview

2010-10-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture from Dani and Spencer's wedding. These two are the cutest couple ever, and I loved working with them. I'll put more up when I can get them to upload without errors... ha ha

Updates from the Little Guy

2010-09-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

So I decided it was time to finally download the pictures from my small camera because it hasn't been done in forever, and thought I'd give a little post about what I found on there. Disclaimer: if you don't believe in eating chicken, don't read any further...

This is our cat Potato. We got him because we were having a little mouse problem in the house. This is the first mouse he's caught in about nine months. Todd was so proud.

This was our garden when we planted it. We managed to kill everything but the mutant tomatoes

Todd and my cousin Austin having a very fresh chicken dinner for my cousin Alex who was leaving on his mission.

Enjoying the chicken dinner

Next February a big group of our friends will be going on a cruise. My bestie, Ape, and I thought it would be a good idea to decorate our planning party to get everyone excited. I think we were the only ones that got excited about the decorations. Ha ha

Healthy homemade pancakes for Sunday breakfast, nothing better.

It seems like every time we go to a movie we get a picture in front of this movie poster, or something similar. I still haven't seen this movie.

The 4th of July parade in West Jordan.

Todd drinking a whole bottle of Pepsi from this giant bowl.

This is how Potato sleeps every night- right on top of my head

Todd's first day of school picture!

Todd, Kelli, and I thought it would be fun to drive to Wellesville and go to the 'Highland Games' Scottish Festival being held there. It was rainy, and about 20 people came, but it was so much fun, and the kettle corn was delicious! Plus it was so much fun to get to hang out with Kelli!

We got to sit behind this cute man at the festival

Notice Todd's bag of popcorn is almost gone. So good.

And last but not least! We got to go to the Utah game last night (my first one of the season) with Kelli and Kaylee. It was so much fun to hang out with them and watch the game.

The convict story...revisited

2010-09-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time my mom used to live in the very same house I do now. She grew up in this house and has shared a lot of stories from her childhood about it. Most of them are pretty spooky, which is why when we were in high school we'd love to bring our friends around and have her scare them by going on 'the tour'. Very dramatic, I know. Well, one such story is about the time an escaped convict hid on the property after running away from the prison (we had quite a bit of land with A LOT of prime hiding places: chinchilla buildings, barns, stables, groves of trees, you name it). Well on this occasion my mom had to leave the house for the evening, and as a precaution my grandpa told her that when she came back to wait in the car and honk the horn until he came out to walk her into the house. Well she said that she and her ride sat and honked for a while until they both got the most creepy feeling that they were being watched... It is at this point in the story that my mom leads a group of scared high school students to the log pile next to the driveway and scares us all half to death by making us believe someone is hiding back there ready to get us. Why do I share this story? Well I just received a call from my aunt who is also my next door neighbor informing me that there has been a man breaking into cars in the neighborhood adjacent to our property, and that he has just made a run for it through our fields! And yep, I'm at the house all by myself looking out all the windows for the reincarnated convict of my mom's past. In 5 minutes I have to make a break for my car so I can get to work on time- most definitely with my phone dialed for 911. Gotta love living on a creepy old farm, right?

I love you Italy

2010-09-02T11:54:00.000-07:00

The film. I love it so much. Why do I ever shoot digital?

Great Still Photography Video

2010-08-02T16:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a video that is made up completely of still image photography. I love this one so much, I listen to it non stop whenever my pandora hours run out. Sad that I'm on a computer that much...

Summer!

2010-08-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick pic I snapped during a family portrait session I was doing a few weeks ago. I just love the way light looks during summer!

Pesto Recipe

2010-07-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends,
Here is the recipe for the Pesto I made and talked about in this post. Enjoy!

Pesto Ingredients

1 T. pine nuts
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves washed and dried
2 T. Romano cheese
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

Sauce Ingredients

¾ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup water
2 tbs. butter
¼ cup prepared pesto sauce
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded

Process

Blend basil, pine nuts, and garlic, while blending add in cheeses and continue blending until it turns slightly gritty in texture. Set Aside.

Take a heavy saucepan, pour water in it and add whipping cream. Heat it heavy over medium heat, only till it turns hot, do not boil. Add pesto sauce, butter, and salt. Now reduce the heat and continuing cooking for another 5 minutes. After the sauce is made, sprinkle in some Parmesan cheese, and stir until it melts. Serve it immediately or refrigerate for storage. Before serving, bring it to room temperature. Do not serve cold. Enjoy!

Spencer & Dani

2010-07-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

These two were so fun to shoot with! They also have a big Utah/BYU rivalry going, so I post some more pics of that too. Thanks guys for letting me do these for you!

Edinburgh

2010-07-19T10:31:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pics from the trip- I'm starting to get the images more organized so I can edit them, so I'll be randomly posting these as I get through them. This is the St. Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland

Matt & Sayward Wedding Pics

2010-07-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

Pesto

2010-07-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

If you know me well, you would know that I love pesto. Not just I like to eat it every now and then, more like I make a huge pot of it once or twice a week and live off the leftovers the rest of the time. When Todd and I were in Italy, I wanted to take a huge detour aka "side trip" to the Cinque Terre, where I had the most amazing pesto of my entire life during my study abroad. Sadly, Todd and I didn't make it there, but I came home with a new resolve to learn how to make my own delicious pesto sauce from scratch. Last weekend I made my first attempt with my brand new mortar and pestle. It was a lot harder than I thought, but today was testing day, and it actually turned out pretty delicious! I even bought sparkling cider to drink for the big occasion (I know, I got a little excited) so here is my first and hopefully not my last, attempt to be a great cook...

PS- I know the coloring on the picture looks weird, please focus on the delicious food instead ;-)

Notting Hill

2010-06-30T13:59:00.000-07:00

Today I finally picked up my first developed roll of film from our trip. I'm doing it one at a time for now, but hopefully I can pick up the pace and get a few more developed soon. I was really nervous about what would actually turn out, but I'm happy to say I had some great shots, so here are a few of my favorite from Notting Hill and Prague...

Matt & Sayward Bridals

2010-06-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

Back to the Books

2010-06-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

Well, now that I'm home form our trip, it's time to start off my summer the way I spend all my summers... reading. Lately however, I've struggled finding books that I've really been able to get into. I love finding books that I absolutely can't put down, so I end up spending all night and any free minute reading, just to find out what happens. Those are a rare find, and I've had quite a dry spell! In that time though, I have began a lot of books, and failed to finish them. I have made it my goal that this summer will be my time to finish up all those books I've been struggling with, with a few in between. Just so I can be held accountable, here is the big list I have of what I need to finish:

1. Great Tales from English History: A Treasury of True Stories-The Extraordinary People Who Made Britain Great by Robert Lacey

2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

3. The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston

4. Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King

5. Talking to Tesla by Alex Bigney (This was written by one of my professors, and was partially used as a course text, but I feel obligated to read it now that I know the author...right?)

6. Shakespeare on Love by William Shakespeare

7. The First Idea: How Symbols, Language, And Intelligence Evolved from Our Primate Ancestors to Modern Humans by Stanley Greenspan

8. Select Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson (an amazing 1904 edition I picked up in Hawick, Scotland ;-))

I will say right now, that I know I will most likely never make it through all these books (number 7 especially is a heavy read!) But I think that now that I have the goal, I'll be more likely to finish them. I also need to few great reads to throw in there, so if anyone has read anything good lately let me know! I'm anxiously awaiting the release of Mockingjay (Hunger Games Series). Happy reading!

My Favorite Picture

2010-06-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

Well I guess I saved the best of the trip pics for last, because I would have to say this picture from our last stop in Rome has to be one of my favorites. We were walking on the street that leads out of St. Peters Square in Vatican City when a huge gang of scooters came down the street. I have never seen so many driving at once, and all the riders were cheering and waving. It was so fun, and I can't believe I caught this shot- my panning abilities are non-existent, so needless to say, I was pretty excited. No way I could have captured this with the Mamiya, so it was good that I brought so many cameras! (Thank you Todd for carrying them around for me!)

I can't even begin to describe how wonderful this trip was for both Todd and I. By the time we reached Rome we were both ready to be home, but now that I'm back, I want to start planning our next adventure! I am truly grateful for the opportunity we had to go and see so many amazing places and things, and it was exactly what I've been needing at this point in my life.

Florence

2010-06-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

What can I say about Florence, other than it is an amazing city! It was so good to be back, and even though it has been 3 years since I was there the first time, I still knew my way around pretty well. Our first day there we met up with my old professor from when I did my study abroad, Steve, and went to lunch, then met with the whole group for dinner later that day. It was fun to be around a group again, and to be able to meet everyone.

We saw a lot of incredible art while we were there. We went to the Uffizi Museum where we were able to see the works of Botticelli (Birth of Venus and Primavera), Titian, Carravaggio, Artemisia Gentileschi, Da Vinci, and a few Raphael works. We also went to the Bargello, where they have a lot of work by Donatello, and the contest panels from Ghiberti and Brunelleschi (for the baptistery doors). And who can go to Florence and not see Michelangelo's David, which is a great experience altogether.

Overall, we really enjoyed our time in Florence. Our hotel was a dive, but what can you expect for cheap accommodations, right?

This is not the real David, by the way. It's a replica that replaced the real one when they moved it into the museum. We really enjoyed watching all the tourists think this one was the real one though.

Vicenza

2010-06-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

While here we stayed with a member that lives outside the city, so we had to get creative if we wanted to go anywhere. The day we went to Verona, we doubled on a bike, Todd peddling while I sat on the middle bar (my bum is still bruised). The closest train station was about 3 or 4 miles.

Great times! Here is a photo of one of the bridges in Vicenza...

Verona

2010-06-06T02:01:00.000-07:00

We were able to spend a few hours in Verona during our time in Vicenza/Piazzola. It was such a beautiful city!

The cafe where we ate lunch, and where I had Italian hot chocolate for the first tine- delicious!

Venice!

2010-06-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Todd and I were able to spend the day in Venice. We visited Murano, and walked around a lot. It wasn't until after we got back that we realized we hadn't taken any pictures of ourselves together there! Oh well.

Citta` Alta at night

2010-06-05T05:30:00.000-07:00

Bergamo

2010-06-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from when we were in Bergamo, Italy- a city about an hour outside of Milan. Use your imagination about what food is on that plate...

Milan

2010-06-05T01:27:00.000-07:00

The internet in Italy is sketchy, so is the transportation system. Enjoy the pics of Milan!

We climbed to the top of the huge Duomo in Milan

Our first gelato in Italy, it tasted amazing!

Some of the food of Prague

2010-05-28T00:02:00.000-07:00

This may be the reason I've felt a little on the sick side the last few days. But so worth it!

Nutella and cookie crepe

Some sort of sausage hot dog on one side, and a chicken skewer on the other

I learned that you shouldn't eat this much sugar in one sitting. I felt terrible after!

A scone covered in nutella with sugar on top. Delicious.

Prague Recap

2010-05-27T23:58:00.000-07:00

Well, the internet here has been touch and go, so I am now just getting to posting some pics from our time in Prague. First of all, this city is AMAZING! It is so different from the places in western Europe that I've visited, and it is one of the most beautiful. When we got there, I was really worried about that food I would be eating. I've heard that meat is a huge thing in Prague, and I was pretty nervous, but it turns out that the food we ate in Prague was some of the best I've ever had! The first day we got there we were super tired from traveling, so we mostly just slept all day. That night we found the most delicious restaurant ever, the Charleston, and had one of the best meals of my life. It may just be that we hadn't eaten a real meal in over 24 hours, but by the end I wanted to cry. The rest of the time in Prague was spent walking around, eating at the food stands, and seeing a lot of really amazing architecture and art. It was really hard being in a place where both Todd and I don't speak the language, so that got really frustrating, but it was still a wonderful place to visit!

Behind us is the Charles Bridge, leading up to the castle/cathedral in the background

This is a wall that is dedicated to John Lennon of the Beatles. It is completely covered with lyrics and portraits of the Beatles. Pretty cool stuff.

More shots of the castle from the bridge

We made it to Italy

2010-05-24T05:39:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, here is a quick update from us. We left Prague on Saturday morning for Milan Italy, where we spend the rest of the day. Afterwards we headed to a city called Bergamo, where Todd served part of his mission. We will be staying here until Wednesday, when we head for another town called Vicenza. Bergamo is a beautiful city, and it has been really great meeting all of the people Todd worked with while he was here. We have no internet, so posts and pictures will go up as soon as we get to Vicenza, hopefully! Ciao!

The Humorous Propaganda of Europe

2010-05-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

While here, Todd and I have come across some incredibly amusing posters, mostly trying to recruit people to come to church. Here are a few of our favorites, I hope that you can read what they say!

Backtracking...

2010-05-19T23:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures I took of my nieces with the camera I'm using here in Europe- the Mamiya 645. I love shooting with this guy, but it's film, so let's hope my pictures here turn out!

London

2010-05-19T14:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I actually didn't take many pictures while in London, but Todd and I were able to see a lot of really amazing things. First we visited the Victoria & Albert Museum, along with Parliament, Westminster Abby (which generally they charge £15 to go inside, but we waited and went to a choral service they hold everyday and got to see the inside for free, along with experiencing an incredible service with the choir), London Tower, the Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Notting Hill, and many other things we can't remember right now.

On our last night there we were able to go see Les Miserables with my sister Megan who is doing a study abroad program in London. The show was amazing, and it was really great to spend part of our day with Megan. I was a little stressed during the show, however, because we had to catch a train to the airport immediately after the show, so needless to say we cut it pretty close, and were running through the streets afterward to get our luggage and everything onto the train, but at least we got to see the end of the show- barely! After that we spent a long night on the airport floor while waiting for our 6 am flight to Prague. We have been resting a lot since we made it to Prague, but are having a wonderful time here as well. It's a beautiful and unique city, and pictures of our time here will get posted soon! Enjoy the London pics!

Our day in York

2010-05-19T14:27:00.000-07:00

The great thing about Europe is that everything and everywhere is relatively easy to get to. While we were in Hett, we hadn't really decided where we would be going for our next night. We pulled out a map, looked up some train times, and decided to spend a day/night in York. It was a great decision, because York is amazing! The town was beautiful, and the people there were incredibly friendly and nice. We stayed in a great B&B called the Holmlea Guesthouse, and mostly spent our time there walking around the city.

We visited York Minster, a beautiful cathedral originally built in 627. We also came across the ruins of St. Mary's Abby. Last but not least, we went to the Jorvik Museum, which is completely dedicated to education about the vikings that settled much of York. The employees that worked there even dressed up like real vikings! It was actually quite interesting, and I'm glad we were able to learn so much on our quick visit to the city.

Quick Update

2010-05-18T04:13:00.000-07:00

Well, we haven't had the best internet access for the past few days, and now I'm pretty behind with the posts. I'll do some more detailed ones with pictures in a bit, but in a nutshell...

After leaving Hett, Todd and I decided that we'd like to go visit York. We spent a night there in an adorable B&B, and loved the city! It was so adorable, and exactly what you would picture an old English town being like. After York we were off to London for about 4 days. While there we walked A LOT and saw a lot of really great things- more details about this to come.

Yesterday was our last day in London, and I was so happy to be able to spend some of it with my sister who is doing a study abroad in London for the summer. We went to see Les Miserables, and I would have to say that it is probably the best show I've seen in my life- that includes Wicked. It was so amazing! After the show we had to rush to the train station to catch the last train to the airport to catch our 6 am flight. We spent an uncomfortable night on the airport floor, but are now safe and sound in Prague.

That's about it for the quickie update. I'll post pics and stuff of these places over the next few days. Until then, keep reading and leaving comments, we love to hear from you!

Hett

2010-05-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from our time in Hett. I'll be posting a few more once we get them from the other camera :-) Most of them were taken while driving in the car, so that is why they may look a bit blurry.

This is one of the homes in Hett, which also serves as the town church. I found it quite sad with the crooked cross.

This building is located in Teesdale, England, and is called the Bowes Museum. It was started by a wealthy couple who wanted to share the modern art and artifacts of the 1860's on with the public. They spent the last years of their lives collecting work for the museum, but passed on before its completion. It is a wonderful place, and you can definitely feel the love the Bowes had for art and the desire they had to share it with everyone.

Hawick

2010-05-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from our time in Hawick (pronounced Hoyk). We stayed at an adorable B&B while we were there, and the owners were great! We had our first full english breakfast, and I'm pretty sure that was the first time we've actually eaten real bacon!

The Turnbull Monument. What a day.

View from the back of the monument. There's a poem that is carved around the bottom:

His arms robust, the hearty hunter flung
around his bending horns and upward rung

With writhing force his neck retorted round
and rolled the panting monster on the ground

Crushed with enormous strength his bony skull
and courtiers hailed the man who turned the bull

That's pretty impressive stuff! That's my my heritage!

This is at the textile museum we went to. The piece of fabric I'm touching is the most rare and valuable fabric ever made. A suit in this fabric would cost £35,000!

This is Todd outside our B&B with his new favorite drink...Irn-Bru

One of many Turnbull establishments in the town

The town of Hawick. This is where the bus dropped us off, and we had no idea where to go from there. We didn't even have room reservations anywhere, so we wandered until we found somewhere to stay, which was fun.

They have their own currency, or are trying to at least...

Busy Days

2010-05-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

Here is an update on what Todd and I have been up to the past few days. We left Edinburgh early yesterday morning and made our way to a town called Hawick in Scotland. This is where some of my family (the Turnbulls) came from, and they recently made a large monument honoring them. It was pretty fun to see, and we found a place called Hizzy's guest house to stay in. The couple that runs it were awesome and so generous! It was definitely the 'Bed & Breakfast experience' you picture when going to a remote European town. The breakfast was delicious, and Todd even tried haggis. I joke with him that he's probably eaten the meat of about 7 animals in the past 24 hours, which is a pretty scary thought. We also ate at at the most adorable cafe I have ever seen in my life, the Damascus Drum. It doubled as a used bookstore, and I ended up buying a copy of essays written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and published in 1904. We also visited a textile and knitwear factory/museum which was actually very interesting! Although we didn't buy any Scottish wool in the form of scarves, socks, or gloves, I'm glad we were able to learn how they were made at least!

Today we left Hawick and made our way to a tiny one street town called Hett. There are 300 people in the town, and we have been lucky enough to stay with a great couple from home while they are here on an extended vacation. To get here we had to ride a 2 hour bus to Carlisle, catch a train to Newcastle, change trains and head for Durham, and then finally Hett. We ate dinner at the Coach and Horses pub and it was delicious! Dumpling stew, roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, bread, the works. I am so full, but still want some sweets- something I have been putting off until we get to Italy where I can go crazy!

That's what we've been up to as of late, and I'll try to post more pictures as soon as we have a better connection. Until then, have a great day!

More Edinburgh...

2010-05-09T07:38:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures from the past few days. We're sad that our time in Edinburgh is almost done, because it has gone by so fast! But we're excited for all of the other places we get to visit too. Please excuse the not so pro picture editing, I just wanted to get a few more up.

This is Todd and I at the top of Arthur's Seat, the volcano that Edinburgh is built around. The hike was quite a feat for me!! Sorry you can't see the city ver well in the background, but it was BEAUTIFUL!!!

Yesterday as Todd and I were leaving our sweet hostel, we came out to find a full on Bagpipe Band and all these soldiers outside on the street! It was a very exciting morning for us.

The neighborhoods here are so adorable!

The is the interior of St. Mary's Cathedral. The churches here are AMAZING!

Edinburgh

2010-05-08T01:53:00.000-07:00

Well, so far Edinburgh has proved to be one amazing city. Todd and I have been able to walk a lot and see so many beautiful things. I have only been shooting with film so far, but here are some pictures Todd has taken with our other camera...

Tom Riddle's Headstone- Yes Voldemort is real...

Our home in Edinburgh, The castle rock hostel

Our tour guide Ronnie

The Edinburgh Castle from our hostel

The windows above the word 'furniture' is the cafe where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter. We ate there last night, and it was delicious! We'll definitely be going back.

They have the most beautiful cemeteries here!

Our first picture together in Scotland!

This was a big find for us, seeing as I come from the Turnbull Clan. We'll be visiting the town they came from next week, so imagine our excitement when we saw this- across from Tom Riddle's Grave!

I love their advertising here.

More cemeteries- they seem to have a lot of leaning trees here as well.

We're here and it's cold!

2010-05-07T01:08:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends, here's a quick update. Todd and I made it to Scotland yesterday, and man it is not the summer weather we wanted, but that's ok. Edinburgh is an amazing city, and we've only seen just a fraction of it! This morning we went jogging around the castle here, and although I only made it a mile (very sad, I know) the scenery is a definite improvement over 9000 south. I promise to post some pictures soon, and hope to keep a more detailed log of what we're up to.

Matt + Sayward

2010-05-03T20:40:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was able to take my brother's engagement photos. They were both great to work with, and it was a lot of fun to do! They are having a vintage theme for the wedding, so that's what we were aiming for with the pictures. Enjoy!

Antelope Island

2010-04-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

This past week I went to Antelope Island to help my friend Tempestt. It has been a really long time since I have been there, and I was pleasantly surprised! We even saw a buffalo right on the side of the road. These images were taken with my Ansco Shur Shot

The Barber Shop

2010-04-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was roaming SL and came across this old barber shop, which actually isn't a barber shop at all anymore. The man in the photos is Ralph, and he is an artist that has created a while new world inside of these buildings. He was nice enough to show me around and let me take as many pictures as I wanted. I was able to learn a lot, and am proud that I have actually started incorporating people into my images!

SLC Half Marathon

2010-04-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

This morning I was able to go to the SLC Half Marathon to cheer on my sister-in-law and cousins who were running. It was so fun to be able to stand on the sidelines and takes pictures, and it also got me really excited to do our half in August (Todd and I are going to run the Logan Half again this year)

Kallitypes

2010-04-15T21:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made these Kallitype prints from old negatives that we found in my grandparents basement. It's hard to tell from these images, but the prints turned out beautifully! I hope to be able to print all of the negatives using the kallitype process, which would give me just over 250 images. It's really great to be able to look at these photos and see who these people used to be, and wonder who they are now.

The Family Tree

2010-04-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos I took for my lighting class. The jewelry used are family heirlooms, so the idea is it's a 'family tree'

The Countdown Continues

2010-04-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well, as school is joyously reaching an end- yes I am counting the hours until I am finished with this semester, not that I haven't loved my class which have been great, but I just can't wait to get out of here! Todd and I leave for Europe in 3 1/2 weeks, which even as I just figured that out I am near a panic attack of excitement. There is still SOOOO much to plan and figure out, but we're both really looking forward to getting there and just doing whatever we feel like. No itineraries or schedules, just a layout of where we're going, but having no idea what we're going to do once we get there. This experience I can tell will be very different than the last time we were both in Europe (Todd serving his mission in Italy and myself having the best time on a study abroad in Italy as well ;-)) I was thinking about the great time I had last time and thought I should post some pics I took while I was there. The students I went with were amazing, and I made some really great friends because of it. I look back with a reminiscent sigh, and can't wait to see what we experience this time! Todd keeps getting mad at me because I keep talking about how much weight I'm going to gain and how I've been buying bigger clothes to compensate! Oh well, it's all worth it, right?

Venice, Italy

Pisa Cemetery

Rome, Italy- I'm the pink shirt in the bottom corner

Venice, Italy

Other Projects

2010-04-08T12:07:00.000-07:00

I realized that all I post on here is photography, but I am also a designer. I have a great job where I get to design things everyday, and here are a few of my recent posters I've done for the Woodbury School of Business and the Center for the Advancement of Leadership

To Grandpa Trimble

2010-04-07T21:02:00.000-07:00

This past week was the third anniversary of when my Grandpa Trimble passed away. This has been on my mind quite a bit, and I feel like I should share a few thoughts I have concerning this great man. His name was Cuthbert June Trimble, a name in itself that carries a lot of character. He was the hardest working man I have ever met, and I am so grateful that I, along with my siblings and close cousins were able to learn so much about honest work from him and my grandma. They were completely selfless, and have given so much to the family they raised in more ways than they could ever anticipate. I owe so much to my grandparents, and I feel so privileged to now be living in the home my grandpa built himself. While he was alive I never really felt like I had a connection with him. To be honest, he really intimidated me. The wonderful thing now is that through the opportunity of living here, I have come to know my grandpa in so many more ways. I discovered that like myself, he loved photography. My aunts were gracious enough to let me take care of his old cameras and put them to good use. I feel like through this small thing, I have grown closer to my grandpa in the last year than I did during the whole time he was on this earth. I have found an amazing love for my family- past and present, and I look forward to the ways in which I can grow closer to them, especially when Todd and I get to visit Scotland (where they came from). So now, I just want to thank my grandpa, for who he was and what he passed on to his family. He was such an amazing example of how to live your life completely doing what you love, which in his case was farming. He led a beautiful life, and I hope to do him and my grandma proud.

The Bird Pond

2010-04-06T22:36:00.000-07:00

Today was actually a really great day. I'm finding that my best days are when I get to go to Salt Lake with a camera and just explore. Today I had to get some paper from the Utrecht Store (always exciting) and I had my Grandpa's old Wirgin TRL camera and his Ansco Shur Shot with me, and I came accross this beautiful pond with all of these great birds! It was wonderful to just walk around and shoot. Afterward Todd and I went to Lunch at a great place call Vinto, which I would highly recommend. We've had a goal lately of whenever we go out to eat we want to go somewhere new, and I'm so glad we found this little Italian Pizzeria- it's definitely getting me excited to leave for Europe in about 29 days. Yay! So here's to good days and delicious pizza margarita!

The top picture was taken with the Ansco camera, and the second with the Wirgin

Food Photos are YUMMY!

2010-04-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

Today I had the chance to photograph some food for the UVU Culinary Arts department, and let me say, they do a fantastic job! Plus we got to eat everything afterward, which definitely a high point of the day.

Monsen Pics

2010-03-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I was able to take some pictures of Brian and Shelley and my adorable nephew Thad! We were able to get a lot of really cute pictures, but here are my favorites, including this crazy face Thad was making... I don't think he was very happy!

Grand Central Station

2010-03-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

I had the incredible opportunity to visit New York City last week, and it was quite the adventure! Half of our group had to be sent to Seattle for a bit, and the other half of us got to see sunny California before heading into NYC. My bags arrived 3 days after I did, but overall it was wonderful! I learned so many things about myself, what inspires me, and what I want to be doing with my photography for the most part, which is.. guess what? Travel photography! I'm not sure I will ever work for a magazine or publication to get my stuff out there, but I love to visit a place and photograph what I feel is beautiful. We had the opportunity to visit the legendary Rodney Smith, and he shared some great advice... it's all about the experience. I decided then and there that whether or not I become some pro, I want the experiences I have while photographing to be what I take away, not the photograph. If a great image comes out of the experience, then I was able to transfer the emotion I felt at that time into my pictures, and that is the key to creating powerful imagery- the ability to translate the metaphysical experience one has with a place, person, or thing into visual words that everyone can feel for themselves.

These images are a few I quickly snapped at Grand Central Station. Enjoy!

Aren't these chandeliers beautiful! I'm a sucker for these kinds of details!

City Hall

2010-03-12T13:19:00.000-08:00

Here is a pic of the entrance to the Salt Lake City Hall I took a few weeks ago...

Getting Ready

2010-03-12T13:11:00.000-08:00

Well, this week has turned out to be frantically busy as I get ready to go to New York City. I have tried to begin, and failed to finish a few photo projects, and am now casting them to the wind and hoping that I can get something good in New York to turn in instead (let's keep our fingers crossed). Last week during my little Salt Lake time, I found a great antique store on 2nd Avenue. The owner was the most friendly man! I feel like I'm starting to get a good grasp on finding places to visit and shoot, but I need to include more of a human element to it... yes, that means photographing people, which absolutely terrifies me! I don't know what it is about candid photography, but if I expect to be able to become more of a photojournalist (I guess that's what I'm aiming for) then I better darn well start taking some pictures of people in their element! Therefore, that will be my challenge for New York. Hold me to it. Anyway, here is my picture from the antique store. There were tons of these beautiful silver platters stacked on a cute little couch, so I hope you enjoy!

Salt Lake Adventures

2010-03-04T08:40:00.000-08:00

So I'm doing a few posts today because I have neglected my goal of blogging more, and now I need to catch up! Last weekend I went and had another little photo adventure in Salt Lake, and it was the best one yet! We started off going to a little market called the London Market, and I found the greatest thing... MARS DELIGHT CANDY BARS!!!! I ate those things like crazy when I was in Italy, and have had no luck in finding them in the US since, but yet, they do exist!! The happiest moment of all of February for sure. Next door to the shop was a little bakery that had been unfortunately closed because of hard times. I shot this picture through the window though, and it has renewed my dream of one day owning my own bakery/place to sell art/bookstore... someday.

Cravings

2010-03-04T08:31:00.000-08:00

So my family has been doing a Biggest Loser competition, and I must say, I started off great, but then failed miserably the last few weeks. To help with my horrible cravings for sweets, I decided to do a series on craving cupcakes! Yum!!!

There's no time like the present?

2010-02-21T14:02:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally started an Etsy Shop, and believe me, this was a big step! I always talk about how I want to just create art, accessories, restore furniture, etc and then sell it, but I've never actually started. This weekend I decided it was a good time to just try it out, so I did! Let's hope I can figure out how to do everything soon! If you want to stop by my shop it's at LulilyeKM.etsy.com (I think :-))

Practice Makes Perfect

2010-02-08T12:28:00.000-08:00

This semester I am learning how to take better architectural photos to get ready for the big trip. I am finding that I really love imagery like Michael Eastman or Cole Thompson, and think that that may be the direction I want to go in with my photography. It's hard being surrounded by so many great photorgaphers, because I look at their work and what they take pictures of, and feel that I need to be doing the same thing. I am learning to accept that I am much more comfortable and pleased with the work that I do when it is just me wandering with my camera. Setting up 'shoots' and working with models and stressing over some vision I have to match a concept is not the piece of photography that makes me love it so much. It's being able to capture the essence of a place. To bring what I see to the viewer and hopefully share the experience I had while shooting it with the person looking at the final product. This is so much easier said then done, but I think acceptance is the first step. Now it's just pursuing that vision and incorporating it into me everyday work that will be the challenge. For now, however, I feel very satisfied with what I was able to capture at the capitol, and that is the most important thing, even though there are many improvements that need to be made! That's what practice is all about, right?

It's Official!!!

2010-01-26T10:13:00.000-08:00

Well we actually did it... we bought our plane tickets to Europe! Todd and I have been planning and saving like crazy to go to Europe, and we finally took the first step and bought our tickets! It took me all afternoon to finally work up the courage to buy them, but now that there's no turning back, I'm just so excited! Now the hard part starts- planning the trip for real! So far we know the places we're going to and about how long we'll be in each city. I'm a visual person, so here's a little map I made to show our trip, I know it looks like we're zig-zagging a lot, but it's because we're flying to Vienna & Milan to save on time and train fare. So here's the game plan...

We start in Edinburgh and will make our way down to London, spending about a week in total there. Then we're going to fly from London to Vienna, Vienna to Prague (which I heard is AMAZING!!), then from Prague we'll fly to Milan and make our way through all of the towns Todd served in. Then since Todd has never been to Florence we're going to stop there for a few days (with a possible side-trip to the Cinque Terre), then end in Rome. Wow, 4 and a half weeks just doesn't seem like enough time, but I can't wait. And if anyone has any travel tips or suggestions, please let me know, I love advice!! Yay for Europe and this amazing opportunity.

So many pretty things out there!

2010-01-19T18:03:00.000-08:00

As I spend the last 15 minutes of my workday winding down and looking at various sites and blogs, I just came across Anna Marie Horner. I love her style and the beautiful colors she surrounds herself with. (I thought this blog needed a little color as well, don't you think?) Here are a few images from her site that I absolutely love! The top speaks straight to my heart because I am completely obsessed with taking close up pictures of leaves and trees, and the dead crab apples outside my window (As soon as I get them off my card I will post). The other two are just great because of the eclectic feel they have, and the beautiful natural lighting used. If only I had a red bed, it's so adorable!

Lighting Practice

2010-01-19T10:30:00.000-08:00

Well, this weekend was my first experience with using studio lights. I definitely know I'm not a portrait person, but as one of my new goals is to practice portraiture and technique (which includes using artificial lighting) here is my first attempt. My family was gracious enough to let me practice on them, so here is what I was able to get. Todd you're next...

It must be my lucky day

2010-01-14T17:25:00.001-08:00

I just found another photographer who has some amazing work, and I just had to talk about it! I think I am much more prone to studying other works when I am trying to avoid doing my own. I know I talked about trying the 'no peeking at photos' while working on a project, but I just can't stop, there is so much to look at. And yes, they do very much influence the way my own projects are shaped and formed, but I hope that in time I can use that in a really positive way instead of a "I have no confidence in my own work and ideas, so I need to see what everyone else is doing to make myself feel better" type of way. Anyway..

I was just looking at the work of Jack Spencer, and although it must be done in digital and highly edited with textures, there are a lot of amazing things he has done. Take a look to see what I mean. The image I have posted is titled, "Pontalba, New Orleans" and I think it is so incredible!

New found Photos

2010-01-14T12:10:00.000-08:00

As I am still trying to solidify my idea for the big self portrait project, I came across a couple of wonderful artists, Robert & Shana ParkeHarrison. The way they manipulate their negatives and share a message is incredible! I feel like I want the treatment of my images for this project to be somewhat similar to what they do in theirs. It's beautiful.

How do I picture myself?

2010-01-09T19:09:00.001-08:00

I should have expected that the beginning of a new semester would bring with it a self portrait project. What is it about a self portrait that makes me even more unsure of myself? As a photographer, artist, and a person. I know what I like, dislike, and things I enjoys, but how can someone really sum up who they are in just one image? Maybe I should be looking at this project in a different way. Instead of one picture telling everything about me, use many photographs, each one saying just one thing about me. That could be a great series...

Going along with my first project case of creative blockage I was reading a blog by a photographer named Cole Thompson today. He has incredible work, and has even shared some great advice with me about not giving up and just to keep shooting to find my personal vision. Why is that so hard to define and portray? For anyone! Cole lives by the practice of not viewing other photographers work so as to not hinder or alter the way he sees something. Maybe that is something I should try, at least for this self portrait project. As a designer, I am always searching the internet for ideas and inspiration to incorporate into my own work, but as a photographer, maybe I should try to shoot first, compare second. After being given the assignment, my first instinct was to go online and see what other photographers have done for their self portraits, but in thinking about it now, I am not any of those people, and they are not me, so maybe I should start with a fresh perspective.

As I am turning a new leaf and trying to record my ideas and projects better, I also want to include one of my images in each post. So far, here is an image that in the very least says something about me, even though it's not of me- maybe that's where I should start.

Ch-Ch-Changes

2010-01-08T17:55:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here trying to find some inspiration for a new blog design. I have a tendency to get very bored with my own designs, and have the constant need to make changes. Now that I think about it, that's pretty much how my life goes too. I love being able to have a change of scenery about every year or so. I love starting new jobs, moving to new places, and learning new things. I think the reason I want to be done with school so badly is because I've been here for so long! A new adventure is definitely needed, which in my case is a five week trip to Europe this summer! I am still too scared to buy the plane tickets, but have almost the whole thing planned, minus the little details like transportation and accommodations. But who needs to have any of that figured out when they're going to Europe anyway, right? On another note, I had the great opportunity today to help my friend, Kelli, photograph the images she will be using in her BFA project. The pictures above are a little sample of what were able to get.

The Search for the Perfect Panel...

2010-01-07T07:40:00.000-08:00

I have made it my goal to finish decorating my house. Todd and I have lived there since May, and so far the only room I have managed to add some color to is the main living area. The offices and bedroom remain bare and curtain-less, which is very sad to me. Over the break I made it my mission to at least find curtains for our room, but being the picky person I am, was left unsuccessful in my endeavors. I found the most beautiful designs from Anthropologie, but have a hard time spending $108 PER PANEL!! Therefore, I am left where I started and feeling less hopeful than ever. Should I make some or just buy some I don't love. Thus my predicament continues. If anyone knows of anywhere else that sells affordable curtains like the ones at Anthropologie, I will be so grateful for your help. Until then, the search continues...

The New Year!

2010-01-01T11:03:00.000-08:00

Seeing as it is the new year and a typical time to determine new resolutions, I decided it was a good time to set a few of my own...
1. I struggled with staying motivated and positive about school last semester, so I've decided to try and really change my attitude about my classes and my work. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so I want to lessen the stress and enjoy my time and projects spent in school.
2. Next, sewing!! My mom had the great insight to get me a new sewing machine for christmas and I intend to put it to VERY good use! Clothes, crafts, home decor, the works! Thanks mom!
3. Find a new book series to become obsessed with. The day before yesterday I started reading the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and have impressively finished both books, and am now eagerly awaiting the release of the third installment which doesn't come until August! Hence my need for a new series... Any suggestions are greatly welcomed!
4. Try to blog more, record all my art, photo, sewing, etc projects as well as all things inspiring! Which is a huge task in and of itself.

Well, those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head, but there will be many more to follow...

Happy New Year Everyone!

Look, but not too closely

2009-12-03T11:03:00.000-08:00

A creative block can be one of the most frustrating things to work through, and I feel that the past few months have not been my best. So... what do I do? I just watched an excellent video of Elizabeth Gilbert speaking about the need to keep going. When I read her book, Eat Pray Love, it completely changed the way I thought about life and the experiences we can have while living it. It has inspired me to plan my ever changing trip to Europe, and think of my future as having less walls and limits. I sometimes feel that I am the only one who doubts myself. This is definitely not true, and the real test is not whether I can create one great piece, it's if I can create many great pieces, while struggling to do so. Thank you Elizabeth.

A few thoughts...

2009-09-01T15:24:00.001-07:00

As school has now started, I am finding my classes to be such a creative stimulus for the work I will soon be attempting to make. I've learned about so many great artists and they work they created because they were so passionate about what they were shooting. Today I had the chance to view a short clip about Elizabeth Opalenik (among many other great artists), and was completely inspired by her work! The depth she conveys in her portraits is truly admirable, but the unique attributes that can be associated with her images is what especially spoke to me. By watching her experiment with her work, I am now eager to approach my own with the same enthusiasm, but I want to step out of my dark room/photographic comfort zone and really experiment with my work. That is a goal of mine for the semester. A few other things I'd like to focus on would be to define who I am as an artist at this point in my life. I want my vision to develop as I create more and more experiences for myself, but for now, I'd like to find my starting point. I need to try something new, maybe hand colored photographs, new subject matter (definitely portraiture and people), new cameras, different films/processes, etc. We'll see how it turns out!

Here are a few photographs from Elizabeth Opalenik

Some San Francisco

2009-07-23T16:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm finally getting around to editing some of my pictures from San Francisco, but since I took so many, it's taking a while, but I though I might as well put some of what I've done up. Love that city!

4th of July!!

2009-07-08T17:27:00.000-07:00

So there's just something very nostalgic about going to a carnival during the summer. So I got Todd to go with me and walk around while I took pictures. We spent about a half hour in line for a funnel cake, but it was so worth it!