rachael yamagata- LA, troubadour










shot this concert for IRR on saturday night. I was late so didn't get my "up in her face" spot on the floor....I was too busy making cinnamon rolls.

It's funny really because 5yrs ago if I would have had the chance to photograph one of her concerts I would have been there 3hrs early, sweating in an outfit that would have taken me days to pick out. this concert ended up being memory replacement for me and how it all worked out was really perfect.

I strolled in when I pleased, lucked out with some good vantage points, heard some of my favorite songs including "sunday afternoon" and was accompanied by my husband.

I didn't realize it till I was there but somehow being late because of cinnamon rolls gave me this extra boast of freedom. freedom from the past I guess. this post may confuse some of you who have no idea what I am even talking about, but I think a lot of you can relate to the feeling of "release".

I believe in one capacity or another we are always tied to our past, but there are ways to control your past instead of letting it control you.

my point with all this is I am suppose to be a rock star.

I know in the bottom of my heart that I was made to rock out my emotions in front of an audience of fans. fans= people who get it. after I left the concert I was talking it out and came to the conclusion that love sick song writing is like taking a 8hr conversation about some part of a painful past and letting it reduce on the stove till only the best, most flavorful parts are left. five minutes of what matters. intense communication really gets me. now how to learn to play an instrument and write music?....trust me, with the battleground my heart has survived (public but mostly private), I would make a great rockstar.

"not going to live for you or die for you. won't do anything anymore for you. not going to shed one more tear for you....at least not till sunday afternoon."- rachael yamagata

trader joes

at least three times a week I eat a whole cucumber with trader joe's hummus. it is the best hummus in the universe! is it the sesame oil that is the addictive substance? is it the combo of garlic to chic peas? sometimes I use my finger and just wipe the plastic container clean when I near the end. I have started buying at least 2 at a time because they only last a few days. thank you trader joes. thank you.

if you love trader joes (flaws and all) you will watch this clip and nod in understanding.

I want to go to there, RIGHT NOW!

dreaming

this has been circulating in the blog world and I wanted to join in.

I think this happens every night while I sleep. dreamers will strongly relate.

I love stop motion. this is so beautiful. so intimate. there is so much trust someone gives you when they can sleep in front of you or with you. you are never more vulnerable than when you are still and deep in dreaming.

enjoy!

wanderlust


I have always been romanced by the idea of living on the road. being in a different place every night, covering miles of road, playing cards in bed to the sound of crickets. My obsession has been with buying an airstream for quite some time, but then I came across this little beauty on apartment therapy. LOVE! not sure where the bathroom is...minor detail! I WANT!

I am not really into "buy us gifts for our wedding", BUT if anyone wants to buy us this I will humbly accept.

simply breakfast

I have been following this blog for awhile and am sad to see it near its ending. she posts beautiful photos every morning of breakfast. there are not many things I love more in this world than breakfast and pretty photos. I think I would really like food styling.

she has printed a couple books that you can buy here.

( I love the old wood table she eats most of her meals on)

tree vs. stars

my honeymoon destination search brought to light a few more possibilities...

...like staying in a TREE HOUSE!

I loved swiss family robinson as a young thing and was very intrigued with the inner workings of living in a tree house. I've always wanted a master bedroom with a "roll away" ceiling so you could just sleep under the stars. no 5 star hotel could beat that. I love this idea.

read more about tree house hotels here or here.

...or what about this! a luxury safari camp in africa! I'm not sure how you would be protected from the wild animals but who cares if you can really get this view!

last but not least, SPACE. I'm not sure why I hadn't thought of it before. seems perfectly reasonable. book your flight to outer space here.

kineto pictures- documentary style defined


one of my most talented friends, damian, is one of the owners of kineto pictures in SL. (you might remember them from here) they have a great company and a great blog. I read a post on their blog today about documentary film making and I thought it was a nice description for still documentaries as well...so I borrowed a bit of their post, but go check out their blog for the full post.
A lot of people may think that a documentary style automatically includes a handheld camera and shaky framing. And although those aspects are often used in documentaries, they’re not really what define them. We like to think that what makes a documentary interesting, is how a story is told, without necessarily a storyteller. Everything is presented factually with real people and real events. If this is done correctly, the filmmaker is able to present the opportunity for the viewer to have a personal connection with what is going on without the guise of any fiction. It also gives the cameraman, the editor, and the director a unique chance to create a narrative for a real-life story that has possibly never been told. Have you ever heard of Steven Wiebe, the title holder for the second highest score on Donkey Kong? Or what about Little Edie, the turbaned, reclusive social-climber from the Hamptons? What’s most fascinating about documentaries and the documentary style, is that the ordinary is able to become extraordinary. Using this kind of style makes every pan, angle, and cut have a purpose in order to visually create meaning. Suddenly the shaky camera isn’t an awaiting headache for the viewer, but the proof that they’re invited along for the ride. I guess what I’m trying to say is, with our business, it’s personal.

I need a new planner

I am a paper planner sort of girl. I know some are super electro with their calenders, but I need to scribble. I had a perfect 2008 planner from staples. It had monthly views and weekly with tons of blanks pages and spaces for my lists, but it is no more! I can't find it anywhere. I did find these:

..from here and they look pretty great, but I can't see the month view...what if the cover is flimsy and the paper is cheap?

does anyone have any paper planners they love? or are all of you reading this post from your iphone and wondering what "paper" is?

9/11

I made my last post not thinking, at that moment, what day we were remembering. I'm glad the city was on my mind.

two years after the attack, I packed 2 suitcases and moved there. my flight happened to be on september 11th. my mom cried. I moved to NYC without a job, without a place to live and I only knew 2 people. the first night I was there I sat in the rain on the metropolitan museums steps waiting for a phone call from somebody I was hoping would let me sleep on their couch. I loved that moment. everything was a question.

I was there a month before I moved there, working for my dad when the "blackout" happened. we were kicked out of the marriott marque in times square and slept on the street. my sister and I sat with thousands of strangers in the middle of a dark times square staring at the stars above. I think most people thought that would scare me away from wanting to move there. nope. the opposite happened. I feel in love. I don't think you can sleep on cigarette and gum covered asphalt in times square and not feel like you and the city are in it together.

a bunch of my friends agree that when you live in the city (and love it) it's like you're dating each other. I can go into this line of thinking more if you like....but when I moved, and didn't come back, it felt like a break up...and now I find myself love sick. It's a boyfriend I just can't get over.

we'll always have our sleepovers on my rooftop. always.

(here are some photos of the night of the blackout. courtesy of my first digital camera, the nikon coolpix. proof that my mom, sister and I actually slept on the street).




stars and stripes

the other night while laying on my tramp I saw a shooting star...right here in LA! (grant saw 3..or so he says)....it got me thinking...

the subject of "if you could be anywhere for the 4th of july where would you be?" came up today, and without much thought I blurted out, "laying on the roof of a houseboat in the middle of lake powell watching an amazing firework show and then staring at the stars". I was asked if I had ever watched a firework show in the middle of lake powell and I said no. I didn't know it had to be a realistic circumstance. adding to my original idea, I would also like to be eating a papaya as this happened and then go for a night swim in the nude and look like angelina jolie.

happy independence day.



children kids

some of my friends are part of this new childrens cartoon. the artwork is fantastic and the little voice they use for the main character is perfect.

see more of children kids here.

way to go devon & alicia. I can't wait to see more!

ink threat

Some friends of mine started this company and I am super excited for them! Anyone can submit designs for tee shirts clothing etc...and people vote. If your design is chosen it is printed and sold and you make money. not bad, not bad at all . Check it out at inkthreat.com