photos from the restaurant

My boss asked me to shoot a couple of the restaurant's cocktails - I guess one of the drinks is going to be featured in a magazine soon, or something like that. Anyway, here are two of the shots I liked, as well as two of the decor and two of this random tree outside through the curtains (I couldn't decide whether I liked it better dark or light, so I played around with both).

I miss my pups.

Came across this picture today in going through my files. It's one of my favorites.




While I'm at it, this is another favorite. Have I mentioned I miss my dogs?

like a kid on christmas eve

my itunes preorder of iron & wine's new album just became available. going to go listen now and report back. ooh, so happy.

from the game

Such a fun day. We were sitting way up high, so we had this view of everything - from the field all the way out to the water. And the fans were so loud it vibrated in your ears. Add in nachos and some bud light, and you have a rockin' good time.

the week in review

the good, the bad, and the ugly (but in reverse order, so I can end on a good note):

the ugly: My rental car was broken into Friday night - the rental car I had because my own car had been stolen three weeks prior. Ridiculous. And they stole my camera. Definitely not a fun way to end a 14-hr workday. =( But at least it didn't have my favorite lens on it at the time. My favorite lens is still safe and sound at home (for now).

the bad: stupid work drama (lame)

the good: 1) it's starting to feel like fall, 2) I got a killer deal on the most comfortable mattress ever, 3) a couple of prospects opened up in different areas of my life, which is always encouraging, 4) the Seahawks game was awesome, and 5) the US women's team advanced to the semi-finals.

So, all in all, not a bad week. Just a bit tiring. I could use a nap. =)

I really really want to see this movie. Really.

silly youtube won't show the video anymore, so go here: http://oncethemovie.com/

long day, part 2

There are days like yesterday, when if I was ten I would have covered my diary with hearts and flowers and unicorns and such and then gone outside to play a lively game of hopscotch.

And then there are days like today, when all I wanted to do was put my pj's back on, lie in bed, and have someone play with my hair and promise me that tomorrow things would seem less cruddy.

long day

but a freaking cool one.

=)

flamingos, doorknobs, and cigarettes

Don't ask me why, but these were the things I felt like photographing today.

Robert Stivers: a new favorite photographer

He's phenomenal. Check him out at www.robertstivers.com and www.companyxiv.com. He's also featured in this month's issue of PDN on fine art photographers.


- photo (obviously) by Robert Stivers

recent discoveries while wasting time on apple trailers

1. there's a movie out called "i want someone to eat cheese with" - i must see this movie.

2. a morgan freeman voiceover: "there is a story about the greek gods. they were bored, so they invented human beings. but they were still bored, so they invented love. and they weren't bored anymore. so they decided to try love for themselves. and, finally, they invented laughter, so they could stand it." i like this very much.

3. i really need to find more productive ways to spend my time than watching trailers online.

hurray!

I just found out I get to go to the Seahawks game this Sunday. My sister entered a raffle at work and won two tickets. I'm so excited - there's no way on earth I'd have been able to afford a ticket on my own. Three cheers for my sister's good luck.

"life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. it's about learning to dance in the rain."

Oh, how I love cheesy but fabulous quotes. Not kidding, I can't get enough of them. Does this make me a freak?

seniors' polka: just about the best thing ever

The Children's Museum, where I'm working part-time as their bookkeeper, is located in the main building of the Seattle Center, and upstairs there's the main food-court area. And every Monday around lunchtime, a little band sets up its gear and begins to play traditional dance music, and all these senior citizens get up, pair off, and begin to dance. It is absolutely the sweetest thing to watch, and I don't mean that in a condescending way at all. It's just so pure and fun, and it feels like you've traveled back in time. Today they were dancing something along the lines of a polka. Fan-friggin'-tastic.

a lovely stretch of highway

Along the drive from Seattle to my sister's house in Mill Creek, there's this one stretch of the freeway between exits 178 and 179 where towering walls of dark green trees flank you on either side. No building or other sign of the modern world (other than, of course, the freeway itself) is in sight. I've driven it probably a hundred times now, if you count each direction, and every time it just makes me full of awe and so happy to be here.

as I enter a new week...

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace.
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

Oh Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

- st. francis of assisi

This has been a favorite of mine ever since I was given an old bookmark (belonging to my great-grandmother, I think) with it on it.

a few seattle night shots

My sister and I went out to Kerry Park a few weeks back and played around. I feel sort of clueless when it comes to night photography, so we just experimented. Here are a couple of the ones I liked:

mama needs a haircut (as well as a new pair of shoes)

This is probably the longest my hair has been in years. And spending crazy lengths of time in the shower attempting to detangle it all is becoming a bit annoying. I just don't know where to go up here. And I certainly don't want a repeat of the Italy incident, in which I went to the first person I found and ended up with the dreaded triangle hair (immortalized, to top it off, in a new driver's license photo when I returned home). I'm seriously tempted to copy Annie Clark's (St. Vincent's) hair, shown below, but I'm not sure I'd have the courage (or the cheekbones) to make that happen. We shall see.



As for the new pair of shoes, I need that too. The car thieves rode off with about 3-4 pairs (including my beloved pink flats), and the two "sensible" pairs I bought recently have fallen apart on me in under a month. Apparently I'm not so lucky with the shoes.

a rainy Sunday afternoon with no place to be

= perfection.

Technically, I have a to-do list about two pages long, but I'm ignoring that fact for the moment and listening to the rain while still in my pajamas. It's been a long week. =)

gender-bending vegetables

I love the history channel. So random. I just turned it on and quickly heard something about "gender-bending vegetables." Apparently they're doing a series on the history of sex. Knowing this helps a little, but I'm still somewhat baffled and intriqued. Anyway, it's like walking into the middle of a conversation and going "what the ...???"

I do not like carrying trays. I do not like it Sam I Am.

As most of you know, I took a job as the hostess at this borderline pretentious hipster restaurant in Lower Queen Anne, my rational being that it has a somewhat flexible schedule (so I can take on assisting gigs whenever they come up), it's not an office job, the pay is decent, and it's a connection to the food world, given I'm thinking I might be interested in food photography eventually. And I figured I'd make a pretty good hostess - I'm friendly, I'm helpful, I can schmooze when required, etc. One thing I didn't consider: I'm just about the clumsiest person alive. Grace and agility have never been my strong suits. So, when called upon to perform some basic backwaiting, I've discovered that 50% of the time I'm going to spill something. Usually just on myself, but occasionally on a guest - tonight being a particularly brilliant example, when I shattered two full glasses of champagne on the concrete floor, splattering a decent amount of the bubbly on this sweet older lady's coat. Thank goodness for kind people. As I'm blushing horribly and inches from breaking into tears, this lady just smiled and with her most beautiful British accent told me not to worry at all, that I was doing a fine job, and that, by the way, she loved my hair. Seriously, nice people make the world go 'round.

hi there

If you're reading this, you're most likely my family or a close friend. If so, I miss you! That said, I'm hoping this will be a good way for you all to stay informed about my random shenanigans up here in the rainy Emerald City. As well as to hear whatever musings are running around in my head. (Probably more of the latter rather than the former, since I tend to have more musings than shenanigans, I'm sorry to say.) Also, I don't keep a diary, so you might end up hearing more than you ever cared to know. Just fair warning there...