alas...

My computer is not well... I have to mail it to TX to get fixed tomorrow. I have no idea when I will get it back, so my postings for the foreseeable future will be few and far between... My apologies... I will miss posting! I hope to see you sooner rather than later...

water light

Water Light
January 2008

My iTunes: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

This was a shot I took almost exactly one year ago when I went to Venice. It was my second time in Venice, and I must say that I enjoyed it much more in January than I did when I went in September. There were a lot less people and the back alley smells were not nearly as pungent. It really is a neat city, though. One of the only cities that I've visited that I think I could get really lost in. Often times you can see where you want to go, but have no idea how to get there because you are confined to the walkways (you can't walk on the water in the canals). I snapped this from out speed boat when we went to see an exhibition of Murano glass.

I may be limited in my postings over the next few days/weeks. I seem to be having computer trouble (AGAIN) -- I woke up this morning and my computer was over heating and smelled like burning. Just my luck. Hopefully I can get it fixed quickly, but I don't know... I bought it less than a year ago, so really it shouldn't be doing this... Anyway, wish me luck!

mail boxes

Mail Boxes
January 2008

My iTunes: Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton

Mail boxes remind me of my childhood. When I was little, my brothers and I would wait patiently all day, listening for the mail truck to come rumbling down the street. We'd run out to meet our mail lady, Miss Bonnie. At different holidays throughout the year, we'd have little gifts for her like candy canes or pictures we'd made. Whenever I see a big white mail box with a red flag, I think back to "the good ol' days."

out the window

Out the Window
January 2008

My iTunes: In Uomini, In Soldati from Mozart's "Cosi Fan Tutte"

I like windows. I like imagining all the different things you can see outside one, and how time changes your view. It can either change what's on the outside of the window or change how you see it. You know the line in "Mary Poppins" about not being able to see past the end of your nose? I think sometimes you can't see past your own window.

bird in winter

Bird in Winter
January 2008

My iTunes: Overture from Mozart's Don Giovanni

I spent the evening playing a French card game with my younger brothers. It's called Mille Bornes French for "thousand milestones." The me is to travel as many miles (milles) as possible, but the journey is fraught with perils like speed limits (limite de vitesse), being out of gas (panne d'essence), accidents (accident), stoplights (stop), and flat tires (creve). Thankfully, though, there are spare tires (roue de secours), ends of speed limits (fin de limite de vitesse), repairs after accidents (reparations), gasoline (essence), and green lights (roulez). If you're lucky, you might even get a bottomless tank of gas (citerne de essence), permanent right of way (vehicule prioritaire), puncture-proof tires (increvable), or be a driving ace (as du volant). The game was rather difficult to find (imagine that, it being hard to find a game in French when you live in America, a nation known for its lack of lingual aptitude...), but it's quite fun and you even learn a little French as you go. The game really isn't lively until you learn all the French curses that lend themselves so well to the situation when you get accident after flat tire after speed limit after red light. Rather like real life? What wouldn't I give for a real-life card that would solve all my driving problems...

Anyway, this is a picture of a bird in my parents' backyard during the snow fall the other day. I thought it looked picturesque, like a holiday card image.

snowy day

Snowy Day
January 2008

My iTunes: All the Heavens by Hillsong

Yesterday was a snow day here in Baltimore. The roads were so bad that I cancelled work and kept inside. I did manage to venture out with my camera, however, and get some fun shots. I like the way trees look after (or even during) a snow storm. They get this sort of "frosted" look to them that reminds me of Christmas.

Something else I did yesterday was reformat my blog (did you notice?). Leave it to me to have a free afternoon and fill it with something completely unproductive when I have a list of things to do. Oh well. I had fun. I hope you all like the changes. I even added a little poll to the right hand side -- check it out if you have a moment.

knitted

Knitted
January 2008

My iTunes: On My Own by BarlowGirl

Here is a nice close up of something that's been occupying my time since Christmas. Among my many (perhaps too many) hobbies is a love of knitting. My grandmother taught me when I was little so I could make scarves for my dolls. I suppose I've come a long way since then! This pattern is from one of my favorite collections of scarf patterns, "Scarf Style" (ISBN: 1931499543). I've used six or seven of the patterns so far. This one needed 10 skeins and I was afraid it was going to take me forever (the last one that I attempted as a challenge took nearly 18 months to complete because it was so intricate and thick). It took about 10 attempts to figure out the pattern before I realized that a few important details were left out, but once I got myself squared away with the pattern, the shawl worked up quickly and took less than two weeks. I've started a second one that I hope to finish by the end of the month so I can give it to a friend for her birthday. Wish me luck!

silverware

Silverware
January 2008

My iTunes: Free by Ginny Owens

As I was cleaning up the dishes earlier today, the silverware caught my eye. I like the way the light reflected off it. It looked like it would make a good black and white photograph. I tend to like simpler patterns, but this rose pattern is a nice one. Mostly, I just want all my silverware to be uniform. Ever since I can remember, I've had this thing for matching silverware. Even if the pattern is ugly, I just want them all to be the same. Pet peeve I suppose.

sugar cubes

Sugar Cubes
January 2008

My iTunes: Con Te Partiro by Andrea Bocelli

Since I've been spending much of my time studying or trying to catch up on all the little things that have been piling up, tea is becoming my constant companion these days. The cold, blistery weather definitely makes tea all the more appealing. I really enjoy using sugar cubes. There's something quaint and old-fashioned about it that appeals to the romantic in me.

Today's tea suggestion: Adventure tea by YumChaa

gaggle of girls

Gaggle of Girls
January 2008

My iTunes: Vienna by Billy Joel

My apologies once again for being a poor post-er for the past few days. I hope that after my crunch course is completed, I will be able to get back into the swing of posting pictures daily. I've also been having computer trouble (again) -- it's been exceedingly s-l-o-w, so I might take it to Staples and have them look at it while I still have the laptop under warranty. We'll see. Have a happy Monday!

bare feet

Bare Feet
January 2008

My iTunes: Good Morning, Baltimore from "Hairspray"

Who would have ever expected Baltimore to have 70-degree weather in the beginning of December? I pulled out the T-shirts and drove with the sunroof open and the windows down blasting my Hairspray soundtrack. I enjoy singing "Good Morning, Baltimore" on my way to work in the morning in January with 70-degree weather!

And now, back to the books...

burning the candle at both ends

Burning the Candle at Both Ends
January 2008

My iTunes: Just Showed Up for My Own Life by Sara Groves

Oops -- looks like I have missed a couple days! I've been burning the candle at both ends and have had a full schedule. I'm taking a VERY brief break from studying for an exam tomorrow. These shortened classes pack a lot of information into a short amount of time... I'll be burning the midnight oil tonight!

Now back to the books...

christmas wreaths

Christmas Wreaths
January 2008

My iTunes: Amico, Abbiamo Vinto from Mozart's "Cosi Fan Tutte"

Christmas decorations are still up, but probably won't be for much longer. People seem to get through New Year's and then realize that Christmastime is gone and the decorations disappear all of the sudden. My brother's birthday is tomorrow, the 12th day of Christmas, so my parents have always kept their decorations up longer. I like to make Christmas last as long as possible, so that's fine with me!

wishful thinking

Wishful Thinking
January 2008

My iTunes: C by Poulenc

The weather outside is frightful -- a chilling 20 degrees Farenheit. I've put on my warm socks, wrapped myself up in my robe, and am curled up under an afghan listening to a collection of music by Poulenc, Faure, Debussy. If I close my eyes I can almost imagine looking up and seeing the sun through the blossoms and feel its warmth on my face. But that is wishful thinking...

sugar, spice, and everything nice

Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice
January 2008

My iTunes: La Cenerentola by Rossini

I like taking pictures of people. When I look at portraits of people, I like to imagine what their life is like. Who are they, where are they from, what will they do when they grow up? Each person is a unique individual, and you'll never meet someone else exactly like them.

candyland

Candyland
January 2008

My iTunes: Giovinette Che Fate All'Amore from Mozart's "Don Giovanni"

There is something about the bright colors of candy that seems timeless in a way. Our parents and grandparents probably bought brightly colored lollipops for a penny when they were kids, and candy still hasn't gone out of style (though some health-conscious parents may think it should). Seeing candy in a candy shop, or especially in an old-fashioned country store like the one I took this picture in, just reminds me of my childhood and makes me wonder what it was like to be a kid 50 years ago, or if the kids 50 years from now will have some of the same experiences I had. I'll bet that sugar highs at age 5 are definitely going to be around...

I thought I would try something a bit more abstract with the filters and editing on this picture. I went really abstract when I was playing with it and it ended up looking like something Picasso or Dali would have painted. I go back and forth with my feelings on heavily edited photos. Sometimes the editing really makes the picture, but then other times I miss the feeling that a picture gives of a snapshot of time and the truthfulness to life. There must be a happy medium somewhere, right?

best of 2007

Best of 2007
January 2008

My iTunes: Vienna by Billy Joel

I think that a good way to start off the new year is to reflect back on the old year. I'm a frequenter of several daily photo blogs and I noticed that a lot of them are doing something like this, where instead of posting a new photo today, they're posting their best or favorite picture from 2007 to kick off 2008. So I thought I would take a leaf out of their book and do the same.

It was hard to choose a favorite, but I kept coming back to this one. It's not a "normal" photograph -- perhaps that's why I like it. This photo collage was probably the most challenging and intimidating assignments for me in my digital photography class. I wanted to do a good job, and I felt like I had a lot more artistic freedom with the assignment, and necessarily a lot less boundaries off which to work. But I didn't just want to get a good grade on the assignment -- I wanted my collage to mean something to me in a personal way and to reflect some small part of me. I think I achieved that.

But I thought I would ask you, my readers (or maybe only my one, faithful reader from Philly), which was your favorite picture from 2007?

Happy New Year -- good luck with 2008!