Guest Room

My mama is visiting right now.
My brother, too.

We sat outside
on the balcony
for quite awhile this afternoon.

I busted out the Nikon.

I hadn't shot since the wedding a couple weekends ago.

I need to get better at taking photos
every day.

Or at the very least
much more often.

But I digress.

Cheers,

A

quiet

Some days
I just need to go

here.

To a place that's
quiet.

I don't ever get that chance.
Life keeps me far too busy.

Which makes me feel too blessed
to complain.

And so I am happy
that I have my photographs to take me
the places I cannot actually go
on those days
when I need it most.

Cheers,
A

Now Playing

My taste in music is like the weather in Minnesconsin.
Varied.
Unpredictable.
One day I'm listening Bruno Mars and Cee Lo Green and P!NK
and the next I'm all about Muse, the Bravery and Mumford and Sons.
Or Ani and Madonna and Florence+The Machine.
Or Bjork, Radiohead and Outkast.

I like {almost} everything.

But there are some artists
some songs
that I will always carry with me.

Songs that make me roll my car windows down,
turn the speakers up to 11
and sing.
At the top of my lungs.

And then hit "replay."

~Sunshine, Atmosphere

~Dog Days Are Over, Florence+The Machine

~Uprising, Muse

~Both Hands, Ani DiFranco

~Let's Get Incredible, Lifter Puller

~Black Dog, Led Zeppelin

~99 Red Balloons, Nena

~Swim Until You Can't See Land, Frightened Rabbit

~Mrs. Potters Lullaby, Counting Crows

~Gimmie Sympathy, Metric

~Zero, Yeah Yeah Yeahs

~My Only Offer, Mates of State

~Wanted, Dead or Alive, Bon Jovi

~Ours, The Bravery

~Awake My Soul, Mumford and Sons

~Smile, Lily Allen

~Brown Eyed Girl, Van Morrison

~September, Earth, Wind and Fire

~F.U., Cee Lo

~Big Time Sensuality, Bjork

~Mr Brightside, The Killers

~Positive Jam, The Hold Steady

~Revelry, Kings of Leon

~Viva La Vida, Coldplay

~The Greatest Man I Never Knew, Reba McEntire

~The Rhythm Of Love, Plain White T's

I'm pretty sure I could go on forever.
And ever.
And ever, ever.

So this will be my list today.

Right now.

Volume 1 of the soundtrack to my life.

And since no blog post is complete without a photo:

Meet Honey.
(My friend Melissa's dog)

I encourage you to head over to iTunes
and give a listen to some of these songs
that you may not know.

Then suggest your favorites in the comments.
Share your music with me.

And the rest of you dear,
sweet,
encouraging,
loyal
readers.

You are the pages of my book, you know.
Each and every one of you.

Help me write the score...

Cheers,
A

Project 52

I haven't been keeping up on my P52 submissions.
I haven't really been keeping up on taking the photos, either.

My friend Rebecca and I were talking about it
the other night.
If I had stopped doing it.

I told her that it started to feel like work.
Which took some of the fun out of it.
So I stopped spending any real energy on it.

Tonight,
I uploaded the photo above
into the pool for last week's theme:
Lights and Darks.

It's definitely a loose interpretation,
but I thought it fit.

I then found two more photos
taken during "missed" weeks
that I added to my flickr pool.

As it stands,
I'm only missing two submissions.

I think I can handle a P50.
It's kind of like me to be a little different.

Or finish just short of the mark.

But I digress.

Happy Monday,
friends.

I hope to start blogging more regularly
this week.

I've had my break.

And I feel better....

Cheers,
A

...and Mirrors

In the bridal dressing room
at the wedding this past Sunday
was a mirror.

It was leaned up against the far back wall.
In a corner.

The angle of the mirror itself suggested
a "complimentary" view of oneself.

Add to that, a shaped piece of glass
and you get:

Complete.
Utter.
Total.
Trickery.

My stomach is not that flat.
No way, no how.

But my TOMS are that yellow.
And my arm is that chubbly.

I kept stealing glances of myself in the mirror
thinking
"wow, this diet/exercise thing really is starting to pay off."
Then I overheard the bridal party
talking about the complimentary shape
and placement
of said mirror.

My disappointment was apparent.
The girls and I joked about who would take the mirror home.

It turned out to be too large
to steal.

Silly trickster mirror.
I love to hate you.

Cheers,
A

Pink

I bought yarn.
Shocking.
I know.

It's pink.

Another surprise, right?

It's soft, squishy, perfect cotton.

I'm making a baby blanket out of it.

At least I think that's what it will be.

Something I can take along and use on photo shoots.
It was inspired by a blanket I bought at Pottery Barn the other day.
That is also soft.
And squishy.

But it's not cotton.

I thought...
Hey,
I can do that.

So I did.
Only smaller.

It's not done yet.

But I have a feeling it's going to be perfect
when it is.

Cheers,
A