Pretty Little Fings

Train Trip: day 10

2011-09-28T01:30:00.000-04:00

HELLO SEATTLE!!!!

i wanted to shout that at the top of my lungs this morning after i woke up and realized(remembered) that i was reunited with Seattle once again. it's been two whole years since i've breathed the fresh/light air and walked it's streets but i still remember my last trip vividly.

we got our start at 8:30 this morning and headed to get a crumpet at The Crumpet Shop. i was so happy to get to be the tour guide for a change and was also glad the girls loved Crumpets...cause let's face it, if they didn't like Crumpets, then we could no longer be friends. we walked around Pike Place Market, got lost in the sea of uniformed Japanese school girls, went down to the Pier to see the Puget Sound, went to an antiques store, and stopped by a printing press. we met up with our friend Vincenzo, went antiquing a little more, then headed for the Capitol Hill neighborhood. we walked around, went to a huge music store (where i bought a cd! first time in years!!), got some yummy ice cream, and walked a million miles to Volunteer Park. Volunteer Park was pretty gorgeous and he took us to the top of the water tower, the green house, through the Dahlia garden, and pointed out the cemetery in which Bruce Lee was buried.

we took a bus into the Ballard neighborhood and had dinner at a rather cool vegetarian Thai restaurant. YUMMY! we caught up a bit at a tea house, Mira, where i drank a Bourbon Street Rooibos after our new friend, Taylor, recommended. we met up with my friend, Shelly, at a really cool placed called King's. i sampled a few beers and decided on the Deschutes organic ale, while Ashley had a locally made ginger beer. we all caught up for a bit and it was wonderful.

unfortunately, we were all a bit tired so we hoped a bus back downtown. now i'm sitting in the common room of the Green Tortoise watching the Big Bang Theory. oh! did i tell you we were staying in a hostel? no? well, we're staying at the Green Tortoise on Pike and 1st. it's a cute little place where they have free dinners 3 days in a week (we just missed ours tonight) and free breakfast every morning (you have to make it yourself!) i'm sharing a bunk with Meg and i'm sleeping on the top bunk. i feel like a little kid again!!

my battery is slowly dying so i should go. our Seattle adventures have been super fun. tomorrow we depart around 4 in the afternoon. i love it here and i know i'm not going to want to leave. (i just love the fresh air here!) after stopping in Spokane, Wa, we begin our 2 day trek back to Chicago and home. i'm so excited since we'll be passing some beautiful parts of the US. I'll be keeping you updated as much as possible for sure.

Train Trip: days 7,8, & 9

2011-09-28T01:00:00.001-04:00

Portland has treated us so well and we all fell in love here. as soon as we arrived, Teresa, my friend's sister, scooped us up from the beautiful train station and gave as a grand tour of the city by car. she took us to the Saturday outdoor market which was wonderful, took us to different neighborhoods, and then took us to the Green Dragon for dinner. we got to taste the exclusive VooDoo Donut's maple bacon beer from Rogue at the distribution center and i got to try a lot of different beers at dinner.

Teresa took us out into the Portland nightlife and took us to a place called Ash St. Saloon to see a band she really liked. apparently, it was the band's last show in a while as they are taking a hiatus after 11 years (they are from Portland). the first band was great. they were from Seattle, called, the Lonesome Shack. the second band was not my favorite (their set was so long and it made me want to go home). the last band that Teresa wanted to see was called Hillstomp. they were pretty good and got the crowd going. the drummer was playing the wash board and made some drums from buckets while the guitarist played a couple of numbers on a cigar case banjo.

we left the scene a couple of times to try to get some VooDoo Donuts, but unfortunately, we weren't very lucky and the line was ridiculously long...so we decided to get a Dutch taco instead (filling in a folded waffle) and boy was it the right choice!

we woke up the next day and went to breakfast at Zell's. they served free scones and gave us free pumpkin pancakes and it was all delicious. we hung out and thrifted in the Hawthorne neighborhood for most of the day and then headed to the Vegan block so i could get my tattoo at Scape Goat Tattoo. i met Silje Hagland online via Instagram (like twitter but with photos) and started talking to her about a tattoo and it all just materialize. later that night we went to the Together Gallery in the Alberta Street Arts district for a Cheap art show where you can bid on the pieces and stayed around for a minute to check out the band. it seems like Ashley and i would really like it there. we went to the Bye & Bye down the street and tried some of their house mixed drinks...i had a beet infused drink!

Portland was fun until we had to weave through traffic to get to the train station the next morning. apparently, it was the first rain in a while and people were freaking out. we ran through the station and missed our train by one minute...BY ONE MINUTE!...luckily, we werent the online ones who missed the train, so they were able to put us on a later train. well, that train was delayed by 3 hrs! we sat at the station unmoved for 2 hrs and were at a stop and go for a long while on the tracks. we were restless and not happy campers at all.

when we finally got to Seattle it was well after 7 and we were all exhausted. we went out for a quick bite to eat an Asian Fusion place that offered extremely cheap sushi and bowls of food for half off during their happy hour. we decided to call it an early night and headed back to the Green Tortoise Hostel and went to bed so we could be ready for the next day's adventures.

all in all, we loved Portland. we may even have a place to stay in the come spring time, but who knows. i hope everyone is doing well back home!

Train Trip: Day 5 & 6

2011-09-24T12:13:00.000-04:00

Day 5 & 6 has been a lot of sight seeing on the train. We stopped in Tucson, Az in the middle of the night and Meg and I stole away and had a quick drink...so adventurous!) We got into LA and hour early so we went to Phillipe's to have breakfast, and took a quick walk through Chinatown and shooed fro fresh baked good and fresh fruits. We walked through Olvera St and saw a lot of Mexican influence art. LA's Union Station was beautiful. The tiles an the high arches were picturesque. We said bye to a friend that we had made on the train (who use to hop freight trains) and boarded the Coastal Starlight towards Portland.

We've been on this train since 10:30 am of yesterday. While going through the coast of California, two older volunteer Rail Trail men came on board and gave us a history, as well as military, crash course. It was really neat since it was my first time in Cali and seeing the coast made me realize how far we are from home...literally across the country!

Last night we almost hit a truck! The conductor had to pull the emergency break when a rig was spotted on the tracks. We stopped for a little, then definitely booked it for the rest of the night...I felt it! Yikes!

We met a guy named Joe, from Luisiana en route to Portland that we've been hanging out with and he's been a hoot. Joe told us about his future plans to go to horticulture school minoring in business and photography. (I even taught him a bit about his camera!) going through different parts of the country he would tell us about different plants and trees we were seeing and that was super helpful. Meg and I had breakfast with him this morning and said our goodbyes when he got off in Klamath falls, Oregon. We just passed Klamath Lake and it was beautiful. We are about three hours away from Eugene and I'm excited to step out and see what the weather would be like. Can't wait to see Portland in all it's glory. I hope I like it there.

If we're on time, our arrival to Portland should be around 3:40 pm.

Train Trip: Day 3 & 4

2011-09-22T04:37:00.000-04:00

We still had our sanity when we finally stepped off the train in Austin. We spent a day and a half on the train with red hat ladies, a yound mom who kept losing her baby, and a friendly older couple. We passed through the golden fields of Illinois, we stetched in Little Rock and St. Louis, and felt sad when we hit Texas and everything was brown and dusty. (that was a major run on sentence!)

We were lucky to have gotten in contact with a friend of a fried of our's named Emily, who graciously picked us up from the bus station (we went there after the train to buy tix...more on that later) and let us stay in her house on the East Side.

On our first night in Austin we were introduced to food trailers. We had an amazing Asian Fusion dinner in the back of a bar where we sipped on some Austin Brewery's IPA. We met up with a friend of Meg's friend and they took us to a cute bar called Cheer up Charlie. I realized how painfully hip Austin was then and there when I saw a guy dressed in gym shorts, a blazer, cowboy boots, a rapist stache, and horn rimmed glasses...and people think I'm a hipster back at home...they don't even know. We called it an early night after a few more beers ($1 dos X's!).

A hot shower after a good night's sleep on a futon felt amazing in the AM. We headed out into Austin and got coffee and breakfast at a trailer called Trailer Perk and walked for miles down sixth street and down Guadalupe St the girls wanted to go to. We grabbed a slice at Mellow Mushrooms and met up with a friend of mine from middle school that I hadnt seen in at least 10 years. It was a nice reunion, full of questions about life and Austin. After we parted the girls and I decided to try out the bus...rather easy...and headed towards The South Side. We Thrifted a little, found a cupcake trailer and got attacked by cupcake hungry bees, and met Elijah Woods...no big deal. I'm here in a costume shop when Meg nudged me and we both looked over and screamed on the inside. We debated whether or not to ask him for a photograph when it was decided that I would be the one to do it...no problem...I was a bit nervous...so I walked back into the store and politely asked for a photograph, he complimented me on my chestpiece and I geeked out a little, our faces touched and I freaked a little more, I got my photograph and geeked out a whole lot more! I was such a nerd I asked him if he lived in Austin and proceeded to tell him about my train trip...what a nice guy!

Walking down the street towards The Congress Bridge, we giggled like little school girls. We stopped to see the bats (which was incredible) and walked back down sixth street. We stopped at Affinity Tattoos to visit my old friend, Vic. And grabbed a yummy dinner at another trailer park...YUMMY!

After repacking our stuff (and desiding to send some junk home in the next state) and saying our goodbyes, Emily dropped us off at the Greyhound station where we headed towards San Antonio. I have no idea how we're still awake right now with the amount of walking that we've done but we're here, waitin for our 5 o'clock train to LA.

Our trip to Austin was wonderful and it wouldnt have been as nice without the help of some new friends, and even old ones too. I'll definitely come back again in the future. Austin was batty.

Train Trip: Day 2

2011-09-20T11:13:00.001-04:00

After lack of sleep from day one we found ourselves in Chicago on day two. The early morning rush around the city was a bit of a turn off for me. We didn't really meet too many friendly people either. We made our way on foot to a breakfast place called Eggsperience that we'd found on Yelp. The food and good and they served big portions at an affordable price...but their coffee was horrible! ($2.69 for a house mug of terrible coffee!) it made me miss drinking Counter Culter coffee from home.

After gorging ourselves full of good food, we made our way towards Millennium Park to see the Bean. We made pit stops at a local grocery store to stock up on some fruit and dinner for later (a lesson learned from the night before). I got two avocado sushi rolls for $3.99...something you can't get for that price back home. When we got to Millenium Park, we took photos at the Bean and marveled at the structure. It was pretty dang cool. I spent a long time trying to figure out a pose for a photo that would make me look like I was standing on the Bean, but I gave up shortly after when they girls didn't seem very amused.

We made our way back to Union Station since we didn't have much more time to explore and lounged around for a bit. Meg goselected for a random bag check as we boarded the train to Austin...they wiped her luggage with a piece of paper and ran it through a machine and that was that. Our trip from Chicago to Austin will take us roughly 17 hours and 1121 miles or so.

I'm disappointed to say that Chicago didn't make much of an impact on me as far as considering it a future hometown. Sure, I loved the architechture and the structures of the old subway, but it made me feel like I was in DC. I talked to a friend who had been there and loved it and we both came to a conclusion that it could have been because I didn't have enough time to explore the greener side of the city. Perhaps another trip back in the future is needed.

Train Trip: Day 1

2011-09-19T00:44:00.001-04:00

My bosses told me that a journey is not an adventure until something goes wrong. Well, I guess we got off to a pretty good start when we found out that our reservations started on the 8th (the day we called Amtrak)instead of today, September 18th. (and yes, i FREAKED out for a few minutes and the counter ladies couldnt find our reservation info) Because Amtrak thought we missed our rides, our reservations were messed up and we had to add a stop to Spokane, Wa.

We forgot to stop at a grocery store to grab some fruits and bread for dinner and by the fourth hour of the ride, we were starving. Train dinner was out of the question because it was so expensive so we started eating the snacks we got, but that quickly ended since it couldn't keep us full. We had to bite the bullet and bought $2.25 Cup O' Noodles to hold us over and so far so good

All is well now and we are en route to Chicago. We just passed Pittsburgh and are hoping to be in Chicago around 8:30 the next morning.

So far on our first leg of the trip we've met a couple named John and Marsha. John sat down with us at the dining area and shared a little bit about his life. He and Marsha have been married for 38 years and met when he moved into an apartment above her's in New Jersey. He talked to us about his favorite city and told us some jokes...dirty ones we'll be sure to tell our dear friends back home.

Since i'm updating on my phone, I won't be able to load the photos. Maybe when we stop in Chicago, i'll add some. Goodnight friends. Let's hope all we get some sleep.

leaving on a train...

2011-09-18T00:03:00.003-04:00

Untitled, originally uploaded by Brooke Pennington.

tomorrow i set off on my journey through the US by train. i'm leaving with two girlfriends, a suitcase, and a book bag with stops in Chicago, Austin, San Antonio, LA, Portland, and Seattle. our trip will take us approximately 15 days.

this will be my biggest adventure to date. i will be updating the good ol' blog when possible, and don't worry, there will be plenty of photographs.

i'm hoping to come home with some new friends, lots of inspiration, and a new favorite city (maybe some place to call home in the future). let me know if you have any suggestions as we will be staying in Austin, Portland, and Seattle. best believe i'll be sipping on a few beers while i'm there!

a party for a very special baby

2011-09-17T23:57:00.000-04:00

this evening i attended a very lovely little baby shower like non i had attended before. this one was outdoors and had assigned tables, quirky games, and even a popcorn machine!

my friends Ashley and Rocky are expecting their first child and they have chosen me as the designated photographer. i was there with them at their first sonogram when they found out that they were having a boy.

so i was even more honored to have been invited as a guest to their baby shower. the weather couldn't have been more perfect...well, it was a wee bit cold...and the lighting, ugh, the lighting, it was perfect too.

i can't wait to meet this lucky little boy. there was so much love and thought put into this little party. love you guys!

let me tell you about my day...

2011-07-31T23:10:00.000-04:00

on the last day of July, i got to shoot paintballs for the first time in my life!!! my new friends Eli and Coral welcomed us into their homes and supplied us with compressed air filled guns to shoot each other with. i walked away with a few bruises but others weren't so lucky.

when it got too dark to see, the boys decided to shoot each other...it was CRAZY. what a great day it was. thanks friends!

birthday extravaganza!

2011-07-10T22:00:00.000-04:00

Remy's birthday has been full of activities. i took her for some healthy breakfast at Mellow Moods where she got to sit on the table and nosh on a bowl of fruit. she ran around for a bit after ingesting all that sugar and came home for a cat nap. then we took her to the river for a refreshing swim on a hot day where she ran around some more and even sunbathed with the girls!

what can i say? i'm just a dog lady and she's just so dang cute!

Happy Birthday

2011-07-10T10:07:00.000-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVORITE GIRL, REMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i hope you all are having a great summer! if you haven't noticed my hiatus, i decided to step away from posting for a bit. but it seems like the itch is back so i will be catching you all up on my adventures very soon! have a great Sunday!

getting ready

2011-05-19T18:04:00.000-04:00

doing lots of last minute stuff around here in Pretty Little Fings world. i got some new business cards for Sunday and they look adorable! thank goodness for Instagram and square business card makers everywhere!

sorry for the crappy photo. i didn't notice that it was blurry. oh well, you get the feel of it, right? i love them!

Handmade Mart

2011-05-17T21:58:00.000-04:00

here's another peek for what you might see at our booth this Sunday.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-05-16T19:16:00.000-04:00

i'll be at Handmade Mart!!!! this will be our third year (i think). that's really crazy if you think about it. CRAZY!
check out my vendor profile here!!! and come visit!

inspiration

2011-05-15T23:18:00.000-04:00

the farmer's market is in season and since Handmade Mart is coming up, i want to show you where some of my inspiration comes from. enjoy!

sew little time

2011-05-13T22:21:00.000-04:00

next week is Handmade Mart! could you believe it?? i've been sewing here and there on what ever little time i have and i wanted to give you a little sneak peek!

ever since i started working at the juice shop, i've been getting so inspired by veggies and fruit...i've been introduced to so many new varieties like the Watermelon Radish above!

it's wild!

2011-05-01T21:08:00.000-04:00

as of last week, i had my very first Morrel. it was so darn delish! my boss sauteed it with butter, salt, and pepper...yum!

today, i was lucky enough to have been given Morrels and wild asperagus too! so after a long day, i decided to destress with a simple recipe.

1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

8 oz of veggie broth

1/2 pound sliced Morrels

8 ounces linguini

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 tsp of garlic salt/powder

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

cook pasta. heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet. saute asparagus in the pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes. add sea salt and ground pepper to taste. add veggie broth and mushroom slices; cook 3 minutes more. since i used 8 oz of broth, the sauce will be super runny, so you could reduce it some more or use as is...i used it as is cause i like a lot of sauce.

toss the drained pasta with asparagus mixture; sprinkle with Parmesan and voila!

Ladie's Tea on Easter

2011-04-25T23:50:00.000-04:00

this Easter, Lacey held a Ladie's Tea for a few of us girls. she planned out a vegan menu in which we could pick an item to make and all got together in her back porch for some tea time. we got dolled up...

Lacey went all out and made several of the dishes on the menu, which were all SUPER delish and i made an easy quinoa salad and vegan red velvet cupcakes using beets to dye the cake red.

the table looked amazing. the spread was all delicious!

no dainty tea time plate for me, i ate a whole lot of food!

we had dessert...

i had a few things on my plate...

this was Lacey's last week before her big move to Alexandria and it was such a special time and we all had a blast. thanks Lacey. here's to a great Easter.

ps - more 'real' photos to come!

...and i shall call you, cupcake!

2011-04-13T11:52:00.000-04:00

i'm sorry about the insane amount of cuppycake posts, but i've just had the urge to bake bake BAKE! the other day, i bought some yummy cupcake liners for $2 and i just couldn't help myself but to stay in on a Saturday night and bake til the wee hours.

this one was a doozie. it's a vegan s'mores recipe that i had found on Cupcakes Take the Cake. i say a doozie because i felt like it took me forever to make. sometimes i admit i jump into things a bit too early and found i that i didn't have all of the ingredients (for the chocolate glaze and the icing). luckily, Lacey came to the rescue and brought some of them. she also helped me decided to forgo the ganache part and instead to stirred some mini vegan chocolate chips into the icing. BEST IDEA EVER. and instead of sticking a piece of graham cracker into the top of the cupcake, i decided to dip the sides of the icing into graham cracker crumbs...like this...

this cupcake turned out so rich and got many good responses. tomorrow i will be making a batch of cupcakes for my girlfriends' senior show here in town. they've asked some of us to whip up some food for the opening and i'm so excited. i've got a few ideas for decorations, but i've yet to find the perfect cupcake recipe. any suggestions?

Food Friday...uber delayed

2011-04-10T15:00:00.000-04:00

voila! Thursday night i had Coconut Heaven Cupcakes from Vegan with a Vengeance. i borrowed the book from Lacey, after learning that a co-worker of mine loved coconut cupcakes...and on top of that, it was her birthday! she mentioned that her most favorite cupcakes were from a bakery in Baltimore and you couldn't get it anywhere else. so i took the challenge and after reading the first line from the recipe:

"These are a must for the coconut lover in your life: dense coconut cupcakes topped off with fluffy coconut icing to die for, thus the name Coconut Heaven Cupcakes."

i used the book for recipe, but i just found one here. the only difference from all of this was that i used sweetened shredded coconut. i cut down the confectioner's sugar (because i ran out) and added 1/4 cup of vegan cream cheese because my icing turned out runny. the results were pure bliss. i loved the icing with the hint of cream cheese. Elia loved it too. she even said that it was better than her favorite cupcake from Baltimore. sweet!!

i want to ride my bicycle, i want to ride my bike

2011-04-05T23:52:00.000-04:00

yesterday felt like summer! we took our bikes out for a nice little ride around town after i got off from work. Shane showed me some great new spots for photographs and i got a bit of a work out (can you believe it?).

i baked

2011-04-05T23:50:00.000-04:00

so i ended up baking Vegan Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. my friend, Chris, just got a job playing the bassoon for the Naval Band and just enlisted, so i took them over to his bonfire. i kept a good bit for myself to pass around to some special people. i got this recipe from Kirby Von Scrumptious which is loosely based on Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World.

they turned out really great and was super moist. delish!

you're my cuppy cake

2011-04-05T16:41:00.000-04:00

this here is a Vegan Chai Latte cupcake. i got the recipe from Bake and Destroy, who got the recipe from the book, Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World. i first got wind of this when one of my girlfriends baked some for her bake sale. i was hooked...i even went back to get seconds and bought extra the next time there was another bake sale. so Sunday night for a pot luck i decided to make some...i made two batches actually. i made both batches with vanilla soy milk, vanilla soy yogurt, and used agave instead of sugar in one (partly because we thought we were out of sugar at the time). the one with agave came out tasting rather muffin-like and not too sweet...which is a great thing since i don't like cakes what are too sweet. tonight i'm thinking about make more cupcakes, but haven't decided on the type. any suggestions?

adventures {photo heavy}

2011-04-04T11:54:00.000-04:00

we took an impromptu adventure on Saturday and it turned out to be a fruitful one. we visited the popular spot called, the Ruins, down by the river that people like to party at (which means lots of broken glass) and explored it's surroundings. we found a weird kiln looking structure and some old buildings and i'm hoping to go back with my actual camera, since all i had at the time was my phone. here are some photos from our adventure!

Shane trying to climb the side of a steep mountain

the Ruins

photo credit: Shane

the train bridge

overlooking the Potomac River

self-timers are so useful

the kiln looking structure...we explored further and climbed to the top...

and found a pretty big hole!

we believe this used to be an old military post...we could be wrong

it had a huge tree growing inside it

what did you do over the weekend?

Food Friday

2011-04-01T12:34:00.000-04:00

for St. Patrick's day, i wanted to make Guinness cupcakes. i had Lacey in mind so i wanted to make sure the recipe was Vegan. i was ready, bought all of the necessary ingredients...and then i scrolled down on the recipe page and found that some of the comments mentioned that Guinness wasn't Vegan. what?!?! then why are there recipes for Vegan Guinness cupcakes?? luckily, i live right above a beer & wine store (how convenient), so Meg ran downstairs and found that Rogue made a chocolate stout suitable for my cupcake...and voila!

i adjusted the recipe based on one from Dulcedo. it turned out rather yummy (Lacey said it was better the next day), but the vegan butter cream icing i had made for it was too runny. i also recently made Vegan vanilla whoopie pies with modified to be vegan orange cream cheese icing and the icing was runny again. can anyone remedy this or point me in the right direction? haaaalp!

Such great heights

2011-03-31T17:52:00.002-04:00

it's such a shame that we take the places we grew up around for granted. seriously, i've lived around these parts for most of my life and i've only discovered the beauty of Maryland Heights in my adult life. i can only count in one hand the amount of times i've been up there. on a recent nice day, Shane and i took a hike up there and had our share of fun exploring the area.

have you been up there?

cute baby pt. 2

2011-03-31T17:17:00.000-04:00

last fall, i was lucky enough to meet Josie and her parents. i was even more lucky to have gotten the opportunity to capture a photograph of her standing up for the first time. she recently turned one and they came back to let me photograph them for the second time. this time, i set up a cute little picnic for them in a secluded spot decked out with cupcakes and balloons.

what a fun little shoot it was. Josie is a lot more active now...but i guess it comes with being one and the whole family is a treat to photograph.

i am a robot!

2011-03-28T21:01:00.000-04:00

my little buddy and i made a cardboard robot the other day out of found items. we went around to a local business with our little red wagon and picked up boxes, recycled goods, and extra craft supplies from my place and went to work!

we ended up with a happy boy and a dapple robot.

i love this little kid!

thrifting!!

2011-03-28T19:55:00.000-04:00

i've been so lucky to have found so many cameras to add to my ever growing collection (hoarding). most of these cameras were under $8...with exception to the Canon AE-1. i'm lucky and most of these still work! some of them came with film in them! i just cannot wait to finish the roll and get them developed!

do you have a collection?

Remy, my love.

2011-03-27T22:34:00.000-04:00

got my latest tattoo from Tom Kenney today...

now my girl will always be with me. i love this pup!

our adventure

2011-03-14T12:32:00.000-04:00

on Saturdays, Shane and i like to go thrifting. i'd say it's one of our favorite hobbies together. his mom used to take him with her when he was little, and i'm just a hoarder. we've found so many great treasures and deals...i'll have to remember to take photos of them and share!

yesterday, we decided to pack up my whole camera collection and went on an impromptu adventure as it was his birthday. we didn't get to take any photos of my collection...but i took other photos and i wanted to share!

fun times!

what we make

2011-03-11T17:51:00.000-05:00

happy Friday everyone! before i go back to work, i just wanted to pop in and show you what's being made around these parts.

last night, Meg made delicious S'More cookies! they were so good!

Shane finished his electric cigar box guitar out of a vintage cigar box that he thrifted for a couple of dollars and some found supplies. this guy is uber talented, but doesn't want anyone to know about it, so SHHHH! he actually carved the handle himself! it sounds so good hooked up to the amp.

and today, your's truly made a dinosaur tail with little C as my helper. he got distracted after a little while, so i had to finish it up all by myself, but i'm certainly not complaining. C is completely into his dino phase and loves anything T-Rex related, so when i saw this tutorial mentioned on Craftzine's blog, i totally jumped on it!\

it was so adorable i want to make more!

hope everyone's having a fantastic Friday. off to work i gooo!

Kool Aid's not only for drinking!

2011-03-10T21:52:00.000-05:00

little C and i made Kool Aid playdoughs!!! my roommie sent me a link and it was so very very easy!

and they smelled so yummy too! thanks to Chocolate on my Cranium!

lets talk about talent.

2011-03-10T21:37:00.000-05:00

my friend Johanna is majorly talented. just look...

it's a mini notebook with sewn covers. i love it! i use it for almost everything; grocery lists, doodles, and important notes. i mentioned how much i liked her notebook...and she made me one! how sweet!

photo courtesy of Johanna_e

26

2011-03-08T21:58:00.000-05:00

yesterday, i turned 26. i still feel the same as when i turned 23. except i'm a lot more achy and i just figured out that i could only eat a row of the Samoa cookies instead of a whole box in one sitting. (it's getting too sweet for my poor teeth.)

i'm not really big on birthdays so i just went about my day. slept in, worked, yoga, followed by a nice and quiet dinner with my work friends, and ended with a 3 way call with my besties. it was stress free and no one got hurt. a good start to 26 for sure.

where have i been?

2011-03-06T17:28:00.000-05:00

dear friends. unfortunately, i've had a string of bad luck. i've been sick for nearly a week (it's on it's way out, but man! it has been annoying!) and my computer got a virus! ICK! (it's away getting fixed as we speak) on my only day off, it has been raining and dreary. that's ok though, Meg and i have turned to the tube and started a movie marathon. we just finished watching Pan's Labyrinth and are about to watch the Big Lebowski. i'm sipping on a bubbly coke with Remy nestled in my lap, there could be nothing better right this minute.

Food Friday

2011-02-26T00:37:00.000-05:00

hi! i , cooked! finally! it was my roommate's birthday, but she was bed ridden with migraine. she had previous plans to cook dinner with another friend of ours, but i saw a recipe for Portabello Stroganoff that Mellow Moods had posted on their facebook and i could not for the life of me, stop wanting to eat it! so i took the bulls by the horns and started to make it...luckily, my roommate felt better and we sat down for a nice quite dinner.

Portabello Stroganoff (recipe via Mellow Moods)

1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup unflavored yogurt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons dried or fresh dill
1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
pepper to taste
6 medium portobello mushrooms (5 to 6 inches in diameter; 1 1/4 pounds total)
2 tablespoons butter or margerine
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2-3/4 cup vegetable broth

**We like to serve over noodles (egg noodles, veggie bow tie noodles, rigatoni, etc.)**
So put some noodles on to boil before you start the rest:

1.) mix sour cream, yogurt, mustard, dill, salt, and pepper. sit aside.
2.) slice mushrooms into long thin strips (1/4 inch think or so)
3.) In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onion; cook, stirring, until soft, about 6 minutes.
4.) Stir in flour until absorbed. Stir in the broth to deglaze the pan. Cook, stirring, until broth boils. Stir in sour cream mixture. Cook, stirring, about 1 minute longer.

Serves:4 Prepare time: 15 minutes.

------------

i had to improvise and made it vegan with coconut milk because i forgot to pick up some yogurt. those of you who know me, know that i'm pretty skeptical about vegan food at first, but it turned out really well, although it took me more than 20 minutes for me to make (because i am slow and i get frantic when i cook). the girls liked it, but the true test is if the real vegan, Lacey, approves. i gave her some leftovers for dinner today, but i have yet to her from her. we will see what she thinks!

Hello!

2011-02-14T11:19:00.000-05:00

and Happy Valentine's Day to you and your's! i'm not usually quite as chipper for this occasion. but the sunshine and the beautiful weather has gotten to me. this morning i made breakfast for my roommates...i present you, Pecan Crusted French Toast!

i woke them up and had their breakfast already sitting on the dinning room table. i think they loved it.

since i have to work today, we celebrated our day on Saturday with a little gift exchange and i got an awesome handmade diorama. next to my Christmas present, it was an amazingly thoughtful gift and i couldn't have asked for anything better or more original.

and last, i want to show you what i'm working on...

stuffed hearts i will be gifting to my girlfriends if they ever get finished today. i'm hoping so, but there's lots going on.

anywho, happy Valentine's Day! i'm off to a little bake sale hosted by some friends involved in "the Vagina Monologues" benefiting V-Day. ("a global movement to end violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of Eve Ensler's award winning play The Vagina Monologues") Then i must report to smoothie duty at work!

i feel sick.

2011-02-02T22:10:00.000-05:00

today has not been a healthy day. i'm feeling under the weather. i've missed work and have been laying in bed watching movies all day...if you know me well, that is definitely a complaint because i don't deal well with not doing anything...now i'm feeling restless, but i still have this nagging headache. ick. and since i'm on the complain train, my iPhone is sick too. as a matter of fact, i've been without a phone for almost a week now. i'm not really sure how i'm surviving since my phone is my life, but i am. at times, it has been a nice change of pace. i'm not distracted by it nor am i worrying about calls. i just freak out cause i have no concept of time and can't get a hold of anyone! ok...enough with that. tomorrow, i have an appointment with the Genius Bar, and hopefully they'll be able to help me before our Philly trip this weekend. any suggestions of where to visit? we'll be staying in Center City!

legos are making a come back

2011-01-31T11:04:00.000-05:00

...or have they ever left us? when we went up to Maine for Thanksgiving. Shane had a huge bag of Lego's to give to his nephew. we played with them pretty much the whole time we were up there. separating the people into piles and building boats...it was a whole lot of fun! as i watched this video (rather creepy, but i like it), i got an itch to go out and buy some myself!

visit Lego Click! to find your inspiration!

Please, may i watch?

2011-01-31T10:56:00.000-05:00

i stumbled upon a trailer of a wonderful documentary that i'm dying to see. if it's coming to your city, it's a must see! i hope it comes to mine!

WASTE LAND Official Trailer from Almega Projects on Vimeo.

seeing red

2011-01-26T11:41:00.000-05:00

i can't deny it. i love being a redhead! so i went back...

i love it!

thrifted finds

2011-01-24T11:52:00.000-05:00

this weekend was full of thrifting and goodies and unnecessary money spending. i picked up a couple of great prezzies for friends and found myself two cameras to add to my collection. the best find of the weekend was the Polaroid Cool Cam for $8...and it still works!!

and on top of that, my entire outfit today was thrifted. needless to say, i feel pretty good. happy Monday everyone! off to work i go.

oh! and...

my hair is getting long. any suggestions?

craft talking

2011-01-23T20:42:00.000-05:00

we love getting together for pot lucks/craft nights. last night our friends came over for some crafting. Meg had plans to make scarves out of old t-shirts and found a tutorial online. she also found a scarf she loved on ETSY and tied the two together to make her own variation.

i really wanted to make a braided one, and tonight, i found this lovely tutorial from this old dress. i'm going to try it out right now! wish me luck!

Food Friday

2011-01-21T15:59:00.000-05:00

every once in a while, i like to take photos of what i eat. Lacey, is really good at that. but me? i'm just shy of mediocre. but when it's just too pretty to dig in without evidence, i whip my camera out. for instance, my breakfast from the other morning.

and speaking of food photography. here's a look at what i baked last night...

that, my friends, is a piece of cookies n cream Oreo fudge brownie. you can thank my roommate, Meg, for that. she was the mastermind and found the recipe from KevinandAmanda.com. (Meg has just found StumbleUpon and she's been sending me food and photography links left and right.) as soon as i saw the recipe, it was over. we hopped over to the store, grabbed the ingredients, and whipped up a batch...oh my goodness was it tasty! i'm not sure if i had undercooked it (like how i like to bake most of my brownies so it's really gooey on the insides) or if it's because of the extra fudge added into it...wait! did i tell you there was fudge AND cookies 'n cream ice cream in the batter itself?? oh yea, and we used double stuffed Oreos. it's so rich i could only handle eating half of a piece...so maybe a nice glass of cold milk would help wash it down.

thanks to Kevin and Amanda (and their cute Bostons!!!!) for this divine recipe...

Cookies ‘N Cream Oreo Fudge Brownies
1 box Brownie Mix
eggs & oil (as called for by the brownie mix)
1 heaping half cup (6 oz) Cookies & Cream ice cream
1/4 Cup hot fudge topping (chilled or room temp)
Preheat oven & spray an 8×8 baking dish generously with cooking spray. Combine brownie mix, eggs, and oil as directed on the back of the box, but do not add the water. Add ice cream and hot fudge to the brownie batter and stir to combine. Pour half of the brownie batter into the baking dish, layer with Oreos, then top with remaining batter. Bake for 40-50 minutes or as directed on the back of the box.

YUMMMMMMM...

we also made...

2011-01-20T15:33:00.004-05:00

as i was looking through my emails today i saw that i had a comment from Diana. my first thought was YAY! I HAVE A COMMENT...and as i clicked to view the comment, my second thought was OH MY GOSH, IT'S A COMMENT FROM DIANA OF OUR.CITY.LIGHTS!!!! after breathing in a brown paper bag for a good minute, i came to and felt less geeky, and decided that today's post is to answer her request...

Diana writes: "What?? I love Google for this reason. So amazing! Must show off what you drew with these."

C and i melted crayons and in doing so, turned on my creative switch and sparked an idea.we took some photos, went over to my place, and made the photos into coloring pages after a few tweaks on Photoshop. C loved it so much we ended up printing a whole bunch and now when we take photos he wants to print it out for his 'coloring book.' eventually, he wants a coloring page of everyone he knows, so he's been toting around a little digital camera and taking photos of people he meets. gosh, a boy after my own heart! i love him!

there's one of the pages with just me in it colored with the crayons we made earlier in the day. pretty cool, huh? the only downside to the crayons was that i think we might have put too much vegetable oil in the tins (i was really worried that it would stick to his mom's muffin tins!). when we were coloring with them, the oils prevented the colors from coloring. i had to go over the same spot several times to get it to show.

so besides all of that, C and i also made...wait for it...mustaches on a stick!!!!!!

i loved them so much i went home and made more with my roommates. we had some photobooth fun as Tom Selleck, a Parisian man, and a hipster boy.

We made more and took them to a party. they were, as you might have guessed, a big hit!

oh! and one more thing! today, C and i put googly eyes on everything!!!!

sorry for the long post! hope you have a great day!

crafting a bit

2011-01-19T00:15:00.000-05:00

i must admit that i havent been the best crafter. i have been downright sucky. working with C, i encounter so many little pieces of crayons and one morning, while coloring in his truck coloring book, a light bulb went off in my head. i took a second to Google the right temperature and voila! we made crayons! C loved it. he definitely enjoyed hammering the little crayon pieces into tinier pieces and when he got tired, he separated the colors. here are the fruits of our labors...

Lovely Bride

2011-01-18T12:02:00.000-05:00

Meghan was the New Year's Eve bride. she was wonderful and so laid back. i loved the hair piece so much!

I love Bostons

2011-01-17T00:20:00.000-05:00

Humor by Mischief Champion

i saw this on a blog today and i just absolutely love it. LOVE IT! now i can't stop going through all of the other drawings from Mischief Champion. everything is GOLD!

hello, hi, how do you do?

2011-01-11T23:37:00.000-05:00

just checking in. i want to show you that i've really just been busy. not lazy...well, ok, a bit of both.

oh wait? did i tell you i'm a barista? well, sort of. i make juices and smoothies too, the healthy kind...not Orange Julius even though they are delish! i've been working on mastering the espresso machine and today i finally made a leaf! it's not quite a 'rosetta,' but it's a leaf and it's pretty.

and i've been working on photos from a New Year's Eve wedding. did i tell you about that? no? yes? oh well, i just did.

ok. so that's it for tonight. promise to be back again soon!

xoxo

I'm four days late!!!

2011-01-04T00:45:00.000-05:00

but...Happy New Year!!

{photograph by Rachel Lee}

i got to photograph a lovely wedding on New Year's Eve, but that meant no kisses. that's ok though. so what did you guys do?

HELLO.

2010-12-27T21:48:00.000-05:00

this year, i got the best gift...

all of the things i love: old cameras, Smartwool socks, mugs + mustaches = mustache (splash guard) mug, Jam Jar, a sewing kit, a vintage suitcase, and a boat load of twix. probably the most thoughtful gift for sure!

i hope you all had a great Christmas!

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

2010-12-18T21:24:00.000-05:00

join me and the FINGS at the Black Cat in DC tomorrow night for some holiday shopping!!!!!! i got a few new items up my sleeve!!! see you there!

poster by Fire Studio.

first snow

2010-12-10T15:38:00.000-05:00

today we got our first snow...que freak out...and as usual, i took a photo...i'm a nerdball.

hope you all have a great Friday. be safe out there!

W.I.P

2010-12-03T01:25:00.000-05:00

you are SO right, Oh Meaghan!

W,I.P

2010-12-02T00:49:00.000-05:00

look who's back in that craft nook again...

Coast to Cote: week 35

2010-11-30T10:41:00.000-05:00

last week i didn't have enough time to post our weekly Coast to Cote. it was week 35 and without further ado, here is our baby...

Pang: A great little place called the Source just recently opened up in our town. It's a place in town to recycle, buy locally made goods and organic foods. Lacey came over during her break the other day and we went over to check it out. This little honey bottle and the logo caught both of our eyes. I couldn't get over how cute it was so I ended up making the purchase. It's a local honey from the next town over. We were both wondering why the color was much lighter than the other bottle sitting next to it. I finally Google'd it this morning and found out that it must have been harvested in the Spring time when bees collect nectar from flowers. Now I know why it was also in a smaller bottle. I love how Google can help in answer my life's questions. Thanks!

Lacey: So about a month ago I started volunteering at the animal shelter in Frederick and I would send pictures of the dogs to my dad. He kept giving me a hard time - saying I shouldn't send pictures because he is weak and will want one (duh, that's why I sent them) - but I really got his attention with the two weenie dogs that came into the shelter. I sent him links from Petfinder so he could read up about the dogs and even though those two weenies got adopted before Dad could make a move, it set off a craze in him to find one and before I knew it he was sending me links of dogs from Petfinder too. This dog - who was named Miss Sugar - was one I saw when we first started browsing Petfinder but then she dissapeared. She popped up again this week and when Dad found out she would be in the area he just had to go see her. And now she is ours! She has had a sad little life but we plan to change that. Miss Sugar - now Pocahontas (keeping with the Disney princess theme - we had an Ariel and a Jasmine previously) was a puppy mill mom. Before she had even reached the age of two she had already had 4 litters of puppies (incredible because she is soooo tiny). Once she got rescued from that unhappy situation she bounced from foster to foster and then was adopted by a family who brought her back. They had a hamster in the house that ran loose and Miss Sugar liked to terrorize it. Luckily for Miss Sugar my dad is a sucker for weenie dogs and now she's ours. She's super sweet and hopefully she will warm up to us all soon. She looks a little nervy huh?

pieces of Maine

2010-11-29T11:36:00.000-05:00

i'm finally back from a wonderful visit to Maine. i made a jar full of the good things we found along the rocky beaches of Winter Harbor.

i can't wait to see all of the photographs on the big screen (we are looking at them together tonight after work and i'm so excited). click on the photograph to see what we found! happy Monday!

crafting for a cause

2010-11-22T22:34:00.000-05:00

i've been known to mention the Fiercegrrl Fund a couple of times on this blog. i have to say that even though i don't know Nicole personally, crafting for the fund is near and dear to my heart. i got a few friends together the other night for some crafting and we made ornaments for the Fiercegrrl Fund ornament drive over food and drinks. we listened to Girl Talk crafted the night away. even a man got involved in making an ornament for the drive...although i'm quite disappointed i forgot to take a photo of the 'space panguin.' here are some photos from the night. enjoy!

i'm off to Maine for a couple of days. i've never been so i'm very excited. i'm even a little excited about the 15 hr drive! expect lots of photos!

Foto Fun Friday

2010-11-19T15:35:00.000-05:00

C and i made a mask out of paper plates yesterday. today we finalized it with an elastic string. we are crafty animals.

Coast to Cote: week 34

2010-11-17T11:19:00.001-05:00

Pang: I had another photo shoot with the Slough's for their fall family portraits over the weekend. The weather couldn't have been more perfect really. In between shots, Haiden stretched out his hands towards me as i snapped a quick photo. Kids are so cute!

Lacey: This past weekend I went to New York for the weekend with my old room-mate Brittney. We've done a bit of a traveling together and I feel like maybe we are getting better at balancing each other's moods and itineraries. Our activities for the weekend centered mostly around museums and food. The first day we went to the MET and checked out the Roman statues and the Egyptian exhibit. We ate at Candle 79 that night (which you must check out!) and were rewarded with amazing food, free drinks and Alicia Silverstone in the building! The second day we went to the Natural History Museum to see the butterfly exhibit (they were flying so close to my head, I was a little creeped out) and then that evening before jumping (or rather pushing and shoving our way) back onto the bus we stopped at Babycakes - an all vegan bakery around the corner from the bustop in Chinatown. Alicia Silverstone's book had tipped me off to this place as well and we were not at all dissapointed. The treats were great, Morrissey was playing and the girls were dressed as pin up 50's girls with their hair up in scarves and their lips painted red.

Foto Fun Friday

2010-11-12T17:56:00.000-05:00

every once in a while, you see a photo and it just strikes you to the core.this photo of the Black Keys in Lollapalooza by Mat Ellis is one of them. (here for better quality). just looking at it makes me want to be a better photographer. the lighting is just perfect...scratch that...EVERYTHING is perfect about this photo. i wonder what Matt's reaction was when he saw this. i bet it was an amazing feeling. that's the question that's been burning in my mind. what's the reactions of these great photographers when they knew they got the shot. i've never gotten a shot of this epic proportion, but i know the moment i captured exactly what i wanted, i get all giddy inside, like there's a ton of butterflies in my stomach...maybe like discovering that you love a person for the first time...i just want to throw my fists in the air and let out a little scream. yea, like that. maybe it's different for everyone.

how do you react? what inspires you to be better at what you do?

Coast to Cote: week 33

2010-11-10T12:57:00.000-05:00

Pang: Let's get nostalgic, shall we? I went over to my grandparents the other day with my new roommates and showed them around the property. We came upon the little swing that used to be a part of the old swing set we had growing up. For some reason it stuck around and was finally bolted down onto this tree branch. Now the little ones use it...well, some of us grown up grandchildren still us it to this day. Seeing it in this light brought back memories of my cousins and I using it in our tree houses, wrapping the chain around the tree branches...makes me wish I was a kid again.

Lacey: This past weekend I had the pleasure of photographing Heather and Josh's wedding reception. My arms were aching by the end of it but I actually had a blast watching everyone dance and have a good time and eat candy and cupcakes (they had a candy table set up and a million cupcakes instead of a cake). Now I just have lots of editing in front of me.

Nostalgia

2010-11-04T15:46:00.001-04:00

remember Vincenzo? well, he finally moved out west to Seattle to pursue his love of photography, film, music, and fashion. i must admit i'm a little jealous of his ballsy-ness. i would love to be there right now...he tried to talk me into it several times so we could be roomies...but i'm too much of a chicken.

we become photo partners over the summer and went on a couple of excursions together and while doing so, he always took clips of videos as well. here's a compilation of his summer clips.

every time i watch this it makes me miss him more and more. follow his photographic adventures here, watch more of his videos here, and read his thoughts here!

Coast to Cote: week 32

2010-11-03T15:23:00.001-04:00

Pang: This week has been kinda blah for me. I’ve been stressing about my move, which turned out to be fine. Subsequently, I’m now stressed out about the unpacking process. I HAVE SO MUCH STUFF. Too much stuff for just one person some might say. I havent been feeling like myself lately, but luckily, I have some great friends and family. My new roommate Meghan gave me a smiley face cookie to brighten up my day.

Lacey: I managed to swindle Ryan into going to the pumpkin patch with me this past week. He wasn't super enthused and I ended up picking his pumpkin but I'm glad we went - even if we still haven't found the time to carve them or make pumpkin seeds.

the best Polaroid find up to date

2010-10-29T23:06:00.001-04:00

Polaroid Sonar OneStep Pronto!, originally uploaded by sparkrobot.

an impromptu pit stop at the local Goodwill this evening was quite fruitful. i've been coveting a denim jacket and found one in the kid's section (fits so snuggly) and the creme de la creme of the trip, was a Polaroid Pronto Sonar OneStep sold for $5.

this little guy was first produced in 1978 and has full auto focus capabilities as well as manual focus. i can't wait to get some film in my hands!!!

Foto Fun Friday: kids at play

2010-10-29T15:38:00.000-04:00

my friend asked me to photograph her step-children. i was REALLY nervous and to break the ice, i asked the kids to play in the leaves (perhaps a mistake? i think not). i love the fact that his photo captured the pure joy in their actions/expressions. we were all essentially best friends after that!

You'll be happy to know

2010-10-29T15:05:00.002-04:00

that i crafted again. the first in a very long time (since my show). i got a request for a custom bat and here she is!

Happy Halloween!!!

Coast to Cote: week 31

2010-10-28T23:57:00.000-04:00

i'm sorry this week is a little late. i've been getting caught up with packing and trying to move after work and things have slipped here and there. please forgive me.

Pang: Last week I stumbled upon a super easy recipe for mini pear pies. If you know me well, you know I love all things small, mini, tiny, you name it. I suddenly had the urge and so I went for it. It was SUPER easy cause I didn't manage to mess it up somehow. I did cheat a little and used store bought crust as our stomachs were telling us we didn't have time to wait.

Lacey: During the summer one thing I love to eat is pasta salads. For whatever reason, this summer, I didn't make ONE pasta salad. So I decided to do it the other day because I had some leftover pasta and kidney beans laying around. I threw in some tomatoes, avocado, shelled edamame and then topped it with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and some italian dressing. I don't know why I waited so long!

Coast to Cote: week 30

2010-10-20T12:45:00.000-04:00

Pang: I promise no more pottery/firing talk from this point on, but i couldn't help but choose this photo. I went back to the firing on the second night to try to get more shots and check out the pot luck (we all know I love food!). While stoking the fire on the first night, we didn't have to use too many precautions, but on the second night, on top of wearing gloves, when the fire reached it's highest temperature, we had to wear goggles (to protect our retinas), a face mask, and made sure our shirt/jackets were 100% cotton (if not, we risked catching on fire even if a little spark were to fly out). I got to help feed the fire and had to put on a cotton flannel shirt and felt an immense difference in the temperature of the fire. I felt like my face was going to melt off if I stood in front of the open kiln door any longer. When the fire is at this stage, the potteries in the kiln are almost at a liquid state (although they retain the shape). Joy's husband mentioned that if we were to poke a pot with a rod, it would go right through. They put out the fire around 1 am, but even with that, it takes four days for the pots to cure and become solid again. Tomorrow is the big unveiling where the kiln doors will be disassembled (they had to build it shut for the firing) and the pieces will be ready.

Lacey: This week on a lazy Saturday we went to Wonderbook in Frederick to rent some movies and peruse the books. I came across the children's book Nos Enfants by Anantole France. The book is sadly falling apart and was wrapped up in plastic but in fact, this is actually perfect because I have been looking for a falling apart book with awesome illustrations (this one was illustrated by MB de Monvel - who may just inspire another tattoo in the future because his little girl drawings are just my taste) because I would really loved to have framed storybook pages decorating my (future) apartment. These are especially perfect because they are in French and they are already literally detached from the spine. I have a really hard time bringing myself to rip or destroy a book - but if it's already falling apart its ok right? In any case I spent more than I usually would, but I'm super excited to see the finished product one day.

Foto Fun Friday

2010-10-15T23:20:00.000-04:00

went to the first night of a 48 hr pottery firing (as mentioned in Coast to Cote) tonight. it sure was chilly, but the wood burning kiln made it nice and warm. love how you can see the fire so well. this kiln burns twice (once on the top, then as the wood turns to ashes it burns again below) and this was the top layer. the kiln is also a smokeless/odorless one, so when we came home, we didn't have to even shower to get the smell off!

Joy, her husband, and co. were all so very nice and i even got to stoke the fire (twice!). i plan on going back again tomorrow night for pot luck and more photographs. by the way, this photograph was taken straight out of the camera!

hope you're having a great night and an even better weekend!

Thrifted Goodness

2010-10-14T16:17:00.000-04:00

the past two Sundays have been fruitful for me in the thrifty department. i found a blue suitcase (matches my other two that i keep plushies in!) for $4! a camera that came with 4 flashbulbs and i was told that i could still find film for it...this i am not 100% sure...any one know otherwise? and a VERY awesome thermos set!! (came with a sandwich box and a leather carrying case!) i LOVE picnics and now i can bring soup since soup season is here!

Coast to Cote: week 29

2010-10-13T01:33:00.000-04:00

Pang: I was on assignment for a local newspaper on Monday to visit a couple of pottery studios. These two studios are a part of Over the Mountain Studio Tour. Our first stop was Sycamore Pottery, where I met Ren and Pam, and our second was Joy Bridy Pottery, where I met Joy who designed and built her own wood burning kiln. This shot (my favorite) was actually my last from the first stop. On my way out of the studio, Ren showed me their propane burning kiln that was situated on a trolley. The light seeped in so perfectly and I loved that Ren was perfectly included.

Lacey: At the Thai and Japanese restaurant where I work we have a new sushi chef. Communication with him can be frustrating at times, but one things for sure - people are loving his new rolls. Kazu, the owner, asked me to take some pictures for the website and for the menu. It's been a little frustrating taking pictures because they will only allow me to take pictures when people order the roll - and I'm also working as a server at the same time - but I'm hoping to get some good stuff out of it. Here is a shot from the first day - the dragon roll.

Gramps

2010-10-12T22:51:00.002-04:00

today my Grandpa turns 62! i love him dearly. Happy Birthday Gramps!

Foto Fun Friday: what's wrong with this picture

2010-10-08T15:21:00.000-04:00

after the race, we went over to the Bavarian Inn for a free beer, good music, and some unexpected entertainment.

Coast to Cote: week 28

2010-10-06T19:52:00.000-04:00

another week has gone by and the weather is getting colder...

Pang: In it's second year, Freedom's Run Marathon has attracted so many people that they had to close the registration. Over 2500 people (I don't actually know the number but this was what I was told by locals and business owners) flocked into our little town over the weekend and ran their hearts out. C's mom participated in the 5K for the first time so I was on full babysitting duty. She finished under her goal and we were all so very proud of her accomplishment. later in the morning C, his sister, and I ran in the 1 mile Fun Run aimed towards kids. He was so shy and didn't want to run at first, but we definitely finished the race looking like real marathoners.

Lacey: Im going to be completely honest with you all. I cheated. I didn't take this picture this week. In fact...I didn't take ANY pictures this week. I was lazy and spent all my free time cooking or with my nose shoved in a book. Next week I will try to redeem myself.

Coast to Cote: week 27

2010-09-29T22:39:00.000-04:00

Pang: Every year, Jefferson County holds a fall arts and crafts festival (Mountain Heritage Arts & Crafts Festival). There were lots of great handmade goods, like animal masks (photos later!) that I wish I could afford, but some really affordable things items too. I got a pair of vintage owl earrings as an early Christmas gift from Meghan. This was the bust displayed at that very booth, filled with vintage buttons!

Lacey: Gone are the days of tasteless terrible cookies. Ever since I have started making vegan cookies I have had no more problems with my cookies coming out too airy or too just blah. This week I made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies - and while they were not my all time favorite cookie (I love shortbread best!) they came out pretty well. I brought some over to Pang but she wasn't home so it was just me, Remy and some cookies. I saved one or two for her - just because Im a nice friend.

you better run...

2010-09-28T13:53:00.000-04:00

i woke up this morning with this song stuck in my head. i've been milling around with the thought of making my very own video to go with this song...i wonder if i'll ever make it happen...till then, enjoy this one, and the hotness that is Ryan Gosling.

Foto Fun Friday: cute babies

2010-09-26T22:02:00.001-04:00

on Thursday, i got the pleasure to photograph one of the cutest and the happiest of babies. Josie and her parents wanted some family photographs and hail all the way from Pittsburgh. they had me photograph them while visiting some friends in the area.

i was looking for some sort of prop in the shed when my eyes stumbled upon this purple bucket. you know my favorite color is purple so i couldn't pass it up...and i mean, babies in buckets?!? loads of cuteness! Josie's parents were really cool when i told them about the idea, so when we got to the right location, we put her right in. Josie is a natural, but with the help of Natalie, he laughed and smiled from ear to ear! the most spectacular moment happened when Josie stood up for the first time. we all cheered in delight and i was lucky enough to have caught the moment on camera. it was magical!

sorry this post is late. we were without internet for a couple of days and it's been a rather busy/hectic weekend. please forgive me!

what's inside that little acorn?

2010-09-23T15:30:00.000-04:00

Captain Hammer

you know what? i had no idea what was inside an acorn. i mean, i guess i knew that it was some sort of nut...hence the reason why squirrels go bats over them...but i didn't know what they looked like. so my buddy and i found some while watching construction (our favorite past time) and cracked them open...to make it easier for our furry little friends...um, and for our amusement.

our acorn piles

covered in fuzz

Coast to Cote: week 26

2010-09-22T17:34:00.003-04:00

love the blue/gray tones

Pang: Our first stop on Sunday was Hudson River Park. It was beautiful and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. this park is the largest park constructed in the city since Central Park and this area used to be piers were ships would dock to unload cargo to the trains. this pile of metal, used to be one of those piers...or so I was told

Lacey: Its been a pretty mellow week here. Ryan has been sick and now I feel the creepy crawlies in my throat and the coughing has started. Fall is right around the corner (its technically today right?) and all I can think to myself is I want to curl up in bed, not be sick, and feel the warm sun coming through the window, because soon the sun wont be so warm, and then there will hardly be a sun at all till spring. Lets enjoy it!

meeting of the photography mind

2010-09-22T17:21:00.004-04:00

Stephanie over at Rinehart Productions thought it would be nice to get a group of people together to discuss photography and start a club where people could come together, give each other constructive criticisms, talk techniques, and ways to get to know our cameras better. yesterday a few of us got together at the Moon (a nickname us cool kids give the Blue Moon) for a little first time meet and greet over dinner.

(DJ, Jess, and Stephanie)

only four of us showed up (i'm pretty sure we'll be picking more up as it goes along) and we all somehow knew each other from different connections so it was really fun. of course since the girls to guys ratio was favoring the estrogen side, so our conversations weaved in and out of photography. next time we plan on actually giving each other photo critics...i'm scared...but i'll write about it of course!

getting crafty

2010-09-21T22:57:00.005-04:00

my friend Jenna asked me to help her with a school project, so she came over this morning and we got started right away. she's a graphic design major and her assignment was to design a type of beer and it's packaging (i believe). she needed help making little Santa hats to go on top of her beer bottle and luckily, i had all of the supplies on hand.

it was really neat to help out. i really loved making these little hats. i'm thinking that if you have a pet, you might be getting these in the mail just in time for holiday photos. let me know if you're interested!

weekend trip

2010-09-20T12:26:00.000-04:00

the weekend trip to NY/NJ was jam packed. the wedding in Bedminster, NJ was small and laid back and the food was utterly amazing. since the groom's family is from the south, they offered things like southern sweet tea, seafood gumbo, and sweet potato casserole in a buffet style dinner. Molly and i were completely touched by how much love there was floating around. we both got all teary eyed during a couple of toasts at the rehearsal dinner (which by the way was amazing) and we both choked up during the father/daughter dance.

on Sunday we went into the city since Molly had two shoots lined up on the Upper West Side and the Upper East Side. i tagged along and helped carry bags and push strollers for the families so they would be at the ready. it was so nice cause we got to see two separate sides of Manhattan since i had never been to those parts and it was right next to both of the rivers surrounding the city. we walked around Hudson River Park and Central Park.

oh! and i got to meet another adorable Boston, Otis. he belonged to the very first family Molly photographed. he was super chill and just all around cute! i totally made a love connection for Remy without her knowing it!

(after his three hour walk, Otis was ready for his nap)

all in all it was a very fun trip. busy, but fun. the weather was perfect and i couldn't have asked for more. what did you do?

the reinstatement of Foto Fun Friday

2010-09-17T12:01:00.004-04:00

i don't know if anybody ever enjoyed these, but i figured why not bring it back? if i wanted to bring routine back into my life, why not my blog? right? i mean, Shepherdstown is full of interesting stuff!

for instance, meet Weimer and his pet squirrel. her name is Mighty Mouse. he found her when she was a baby and has since raised her as a pet. Mighty Mouse pretty much goes everywhere with him (ie. hanging out underneath his hat and chilling in his book bag). as i was waiting for dinner one night, Weimer came up to us and asked if we wanted to see her. i couldn't help but seize the opportunity to snap a photograph

i'm off to NJ/NY for the weekend to assist with photographing a wedding. it should be a really great experience and i was told the bride is super crafty! perhaps this wedding is right up my alley!

have a great one!

my mind was blown

2010-09-16T21:28:00.004-04:00

today i flipped my lens...my world changed.

(spider web up close)

(tiny fuzzy bird feather...i think...)

i was catching up on my daily Photojojo (yea, i'm a couple of days behind) and their article finally inspired me to try it! i know, i know, it's been done before...but i've never done it! and i was so amused that i talked DJ into doing it too! have you flipped your lens? i'd love to see some photos!

Coast to Cote: week 25

2010-09-15T10:43:00.004-04:00

this week's Coast to Cote is rather dark in exposure.

Pang: As I mentioned in an earlier post, a couple friends and i headed to DC to see Best Coast. At one point during the show, Bethany Consentino (vocals) mentioned that her guitarist, Bobb Bruno, will be at the merch table. I yelled out and asked if he was for sale as Bob answered that he would only cost a mere $1...but alas, Bethany had the last words when she said he would be selling for $420. Obviously, I could not afford my very own Best Coast guitarist and I was defeated.

Lacey: Yesterday I did a photoshoot with Jeremy Litten as part of our Where Can't I Chant series. We went down to the National Harbor in Alexandria at sunset and the view was absolutely beautiful. I convinced Jeremy to hop a rail and get out onto this ledge to snap a few pictures and we both agreed it was worth the risk (the ledge was plenty big enough it was just a concern of security guards!).

all play and no work?

2010-09-14T10:38:00.001-04:00

i'm still editing my face off! i took so many photos at Liz's wedding it's not funny. i actually might have over shot, but it was my first wedding! what can i say? i literally didn't want to miss a moment. like this one...

how sweet. so glad i got a snap of this little moment they shared!

my weekend.

2010-09-14T10:22:00.002-04:00

my oldest friend in the world is getting married in two weeks. two weeks! to a very wonderful man and it's going to be such a gorgeous wedding set in a farm house filled with lots of lots of antique furniture. gosh, i seriously can't wait.

over the weekend her bridesmaids and family threw her a Bridal Shower. it was simple and elegant and i was lucky enough to have gotten a few photos from the event.

later that night she had pretty low key bachelorette party. drinks and snacks and a night out in town. what fun!

Which coast is the Best Coast?

2010-09-09T15:22:00.003-04:00

last night we drove down to the Rock and Roll Hotel to see Best Coast. we met a few really interesting people (one at a nice coffee shop, Sova Espresso). none of us had ever been there before and had no idea what to expect. it was a rather nice/cozy place as far as size was concerned (H St construction is a mess though) and the volume was just perfect.

the opening band was Cult and they were pretty impressive.

i haven't been sleeping really well, so i'm off trying to catch some zz's (i just got My So Called Life Season 1 in the mail!!). promise more show pictures soon!

Coast to Cote: week 24

2010-09-08T20:32:00.000-04:00

and the beat goes on...

i hope you all have enjoyed our Coast to Cote collaborations. we've decided that it was time to bring it back. enjoy!

Lacey: Remy. Best Friends. Period.

Pang: On a photo shoot with DJ yesterday, i caught an effortless photograph of Gillian while she was balancing on the railroad tracks.

...AHEM! Remy's my best friend!

Labor Day weekend in photos

2010-09-07T03:53:00.004-04:00

lets take a look, shall we?

bonfires means fall is just around the corner. after the opening a few of us enjoyed the night cozying up to the warmth of the flames.

Lacey and i were roommies once again. since the weather was so beautiful, we kept the doors open for some fresh air and sunshine. "getting some Vitamin D"

my roommate's green eyed cat, Trudy

no slumber party would be complete without pedicures. i was definitely judged when we took Remy to the market. oh well.

while we were walking around town, i got some love...guess i looked like i could have used some.

finally enjoyed wedding favors from a wedding that i was second shooting. their last name was, Lego...get it?!?

one of my oldest friends, DJ, decided to take up photography so we took a little walk around town. he just started a photo blog! i'm so very proud of him!

Deej and i lucked out when Gillian agreed to come on a walk with us. she's a beauty.

and speaking of friends and blogs, my friend Vincenzo started a blog too! SYNONYMIE is fashion, music, photography, and film all rolled into one!

how was your weekend?
ps - click on photo for bigger view!

Saturday night's alright.

2010-09-06T03:00:00.001-04:00

i hope everyone has had a terrific labor day weekend. mine has been busy yet relaxing at the same time. i was prescribed 'steroids' for a wasp sting on my foot (started saturday) and it has been giving me crazy energy. i'm hardly sleeping but that means more work is getting done...like blogging...but it's not really work, more like a hobby or a red headed step child i've been neglecting. don't worry though, as promised, i will become a better blogger. Lacey and i have decided to start Coast to Cote again after a long and overdue hiatus (YAY!) and i desperately need to get the shop back up again. in due time i keep telling myself.

anyway, our opening went really well Saturday night. i wanted to extend a thank you to everyone who came out to support us (even the ones there in spirit...those few know who they are!). Katie and i are very lucky to have such great friends/family. without further ado, here are some photos from "Things with Wings" opening night...

oh hai!

2010-09-03T20:55:00.003-04:00

the show opens officially tomorrow ladies and gents. it will be at the Washington County Arts Council throughout the month of September and the opening reception is tomorrow evening from 6-9 pm. come out and support the super talented Keighty Crochet and yours truly!

and on another note, look at what my roommate got for me today!!

aren't these salt and pepper shakers adorable? and yes, i still love owls. always will.

anyway, please stop in at the show and say hello if you get the chance. it will be great!

hey hey! show's in two days!

2010-09-03T00:33:00.002-04:00

we set up last Saturday (i took lots of preview photos, but my card malfunctioned). so here's an iPhone photo for you. please come out if you get the chance. see you then!

some bunny's been getting crafty.

2010-08-27T01:53:00.003-04:00

i'm working on all reserves here guys. editing, working, and sewing...sewing?!?! yup, you heard right. i've got an art show coming up next Saturday (Sept 4th) and i'm rushing! here's a new piece i've working on...

it started as a fuzzball.

then it blossomed into this!

also...

2010-08-16T19:29:00.003-04:00

i wanted to show you more sneak peeks!!!

Liz and her mom

i photographed my little cousin's 15th birthday party this year.

another one from the Frayedberry shoot. beautiful.

can i show you something?

2010-08-16T19:18:00.003-04:00

Vincenzo showed me this video yesterday and i can not stop thinking about it. i love everything about it! (watching it gave me goosebumps even!). i felt so inspired by it (and it made me wish i was as talented). i wish i'd known a little more about the people who made this...so if you know a thing or two, drop a line...i dare you to tell me that this isn't good.

Hecq Vs Exillion - Spheres Of Fury from Tim.Chris.Film on Vimeo.

found via Nothing Relevant

Foto Fun Friday: better late than never

2010-08-13T19:04:00.003-04:00

awesome., originally uploaded by Pretty Little Fings.

i took this photo last week at the Blue Moon, one of my favorite live music spots in town. at first glance i was like "who are these people" then later realized how dense i had been for not recognizing it earlier.

drum set belongs to The Weights, a pretty awesome band from Brooklyn!

ps - HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH!!!!

success!!!

2010-08-11T12:28:00.004-04:00

guess what?!?!? i've finally finished setting up my craft nook at my new place! it's nice and cozy. i've got a show next month and i really need to get cranking, don't i?