A Quick Hello!

Whew!  Blogger must be having a "moment"... my internet is working fine and it took FOREVER to get to the point of writing!  AGH!

This morning I am going to try on wedding dresses.  Before you get too excited for me, the dress is not a big deal in my mind.  In fact, I have learned through photographic evidence that whenever I think I look cute in a dress, I in fact look like I gained 30 pounds.  This is what the camera says.  And the camera never lies.  I have this warped impression of what I look like, and it's something like Kiera Knightley, when in fact, I more closely resemble Warwick Davis.

ANYWAY, I wanted to write and say I FINALLY received Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom in the mail!  WAHOOO!  I was so excited, I nabbed the four free plug-ins from Alex Beadon, and spent the evening trying to figure out how to import my iPhoto images to LR (which is annoying by the way, and includes steps).  Mostly, I just used some images I had on the computer and toyed with them.

I am more familiar with PS having used it before for school and on my PC before it died, and have only a 30 day trial to go on for LR knowledge.  And since I forgot about the trial after a couple days, I really only used it for about a week.  So I decided I'm going to learn how to at least make minor edits with LR.



I used the presets already included just to see what I liked and what worked with the kind of images I typically take.  Okay, the one on the right was just a silly picture Bear took of me one day and I was bomb-rushing him, so the image really can't be saved.  But at least it was fun!

Then I used one of Alex's free PS actions, "Black hearts White" on a forlorn looking photo of Josie.  This was taken in our narrow, windowless hallway with the D90 and my 50mm f/1.4 lens, but the light was REALLY yellow, even with the white balance set to tungsten.  I couldn't get the image neutral enough for my tastes, so I thought trying it in B&W would be a good alternative.  This action is supposed to be reminiscent of aged black and white film, I think, but I adjusted it a little by increasing the contrast and other such minor tweaks until I felt satisfied.  Look at that face!  So despairing!



Well, tomorrow I may have some pictures for you of me in a white dress!  O.o

I promise any of the pictures will NOT be what I am going for.  And will probably be fairly ridiculous because all I own at the moment are sports bras, which are probably not appropriate under garments for trying on a wedding dress.  Oh, well.

Wish me luck and a lack of panic attacks!  I was never good at shopping... and I always loose patience with trying clothes on!  Clearly, I am more nervous about having a meltdown than I am excited...

Happy Wednesday!

xo

PS- Do any of you have an tips or advice on LR or PSCS5?  Or know where to download any free actions/presets I could play with?  I love to play with pictures!

Wow... a blog award!

I've seen these things get passed along on blogs before, but never thought I would get one.  It's a little silly when you think about it, but also really exciting!  I was one of the bloggers selected as a "recipient" by Kafe 80s, and I would be lying if I said it didn't make me smile!

The rules state that I have to:

    Thank the person who gave the award and link back to them in your post.
    Share 7 things about yourself.
    Pass this award along to 15 recently discovered blogs.

★    ★    ★    ★    ★

My seven things are:

1. I am actually really, really short, and most of my friends are really, really tall.
2. I am obsessive about things for a maximum span of two weeks, and then I move on (just check my posts... see how much I read for two weeks?  And then... nothing.  Weird)
3. I have a love-hate relationship with running my own business.
4. While at work at the library, every sound irritates me and I hate to talk.  As soon as I am out of the library, I long for noise and conversation.
5. I am still convinced that there is a lake monster in the lake by my Grandparent's NY summer home.
6. I have kept journals off and on since I was six and have an entire shelf of a bookcase dedicated to housing them.
7. I am more concerned with my appearance and how people perceive me than I care to admit.

Here are 15 recently discovered blogs (I wouldn't say these are all RECENT, and are listed in no particular order.) Check these out, you will be so happy you visited!

1. Patchie[Verbs]

2. SpottyDogBlog

3. Order & Chaos

4. Gregarious Peach

5. Verbal Vomit

6. The Traveling PhoBlogWriPher

7. Iffy Inklings

8. With Lavender and Lace!

9. The "H" Word: Adventures in Housewifing

10. Danielleorama

11. Cameron + Whitney

12. <3elycia

13. The Dainty Squid

14. A Beautiful Mess

15. lauren lemon

Check out any of these blogs and you will either learn something insightful, leave with a smile, discover something new to try and do, or marvel at something amazing and artistic!  The last four are kinda popular and probably have no idea I exist, but if you happen to be new to them, they are pretty amazing blogs with some of the most seemingly centered, driven and grounded ladies I "know"!

The New Direction

As I mentioned yesterday, I am taking my business, MET Photography, in a totally new direction.  I know I was pretty vague in my last post, but feverish writing sometimes does that.  I knew what I meant, but it was probably lost on some of you, who don't have access to my brain.  Okay, all of you?  Unless you happen to think just like me?  haha

Anyway, I have been working on designing the new website and I am here to share some screen shots of the prototype!  I scrambled some important things, like my email, last name (oops, missed one.  Now you know I'm German!), and business name (which will be revealed only after I go through the process of really owning it!), but you should get a better idea of the direction I am taking!





Clearly, I am trying to follow my new direction of colorful, fun, quirky photography in the design!  My style has several sources of inspiration, among these are:

You Can't Be Serious- I LOVE the carefree, colorful, playful way they capture everything!

Emily Porter Photography- Emily and Bobby have such a unique way of viewing things, and even though they specialize in weddings, which I don't, point of view is everything in photography!

Georgia Peach Pictures- new on the scene, Georgia (whose personal blog I have referenced here before) has a great eye for photographing youngsters, and brings an honesty to her portraiture that I adore.

Patchie [Photography]- okay, so she's my maid of honor and second shooter often times, but she's really come into her own.  I really admire her ability to find detail and her portraiture is pretty darn creative!  It's hard to resent her incredible talent when I can learn so much from her!

The Second Shooter- another bridesmaid and far off best friend, Squeebie has really come into her own as well.  Her fun approach to pet photography in particular screams personality and greatly influences my approach with furry family members!

I'm also excited to announce (okay, brag) that this last month I managed to snag editing softwares, a flash diffuser, and a 50mm f/1.4 lens for less than $500... which is kinda massive savings.  I am super excited to get all my goodies and play with them!  Eep!

So... any insight on the new direction?  Does it look as fun and exciting as I hope it does?  Any advice or criticism?  I'd love to hear from you!

Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!

xo

Pssst... Updates!

I forgot to mention, but you probably already noticed, that the blog has some new tweaks to it!  I also added a new page on the bar above, called My Library.  If you go there, you can see all the books I've read or am currently reading.  Clicking on any of them links you back to where I blogged about them!  Neato!



I got the idea from this page on Food Coma.  I loved it so much, I wanted to see if I could do something similar.  I am not sure if we are going about it the same way, but it works the same way, which makes me super happy!

Field Guide: This Week Online

Hello!

Today I am posting some other things online that I have found that you may also be interested in.  I am considering it a field guide to my online expeditions.  ha

* Order & Chaos has a giveaway going on now!  Hurry, it ends this Friday!

*  I am dying to get one of these!  I have been for a while, and I think I am finally caving.  I'm having a toss-up between this one and this one... they are both super cute!

* brookeshaden's flickr stream.  Some of this stuff is disturbing, but it's so creative!  Also, there is some nudity involved, just so's you know.



* Verbal Vomit.  Most of Hannah's entries have me laughing out loud at work.  Her illustrations are pretty terrific!  Be sure to check her hipster posts, because they are particularly hilarious.

*  Carlos [Lobato] Photography on flickr.  He added me as a contact yesterday and I am in love with his colorful, otherworldly portrayals of his surroundings!



Well, that's about all I have.  We are having a pretty windy and rainy evening here, which keeps cutting off my internet connection.  Hopefully you found something of interest in my short list!

xo

Happy Friday!

Okay, so usually I Photobomb today, but I have nothing TO Photobomb.  Also, I've had a few posts this week with a lot of photos, so it's like a break now, right?  So today I am directing you to a few blogs I am really into at the moment.  I hope you enjoy them!

* With Lavender and Lace!  Kelsey is the cutest, and she rocks film like no other.  While most of us have caved to the digital era of photography, she says "more film for me!"  I totally respect that!

* Danielleorama!  Danielle is pretty freaking awesome.  She is entering the world of vlogging, which is scary to me, but she is totally brilliant!  She is always true to herself and has the best sense of humor!  Dig it!

* La Famille!  Alicia's family is so cute, and she is full of stories, perceptions, and ideas about the modern family and life in general.  She also makes lots of cute things!

* Gregarious Peach!  Georgia's life with her kiddos as seen from her blog can really put me in dangerous mama mode.  I can't wait for kids of my own if I can manage to be as cool and creative a mama!  Peach and Theo are growing up so fast, and I feel I know them a bit, just from watching them grow via the blog... even though we literally live half a world apart.

Go check them out!

Have a wonderful weekend!  We're going to Medieval Times tonight, and Saturday I have head shots to finish at the local theatre, a funeral to attend, and then a 5th birthday party.  Phew.  Sunday will be slower for me, but poor Bear has to work.  Ah, well.

See you Monday!

xo

Squeebie has a Blog!

My friend Squeebie, who I've spoken of multiple times here, as well as had a featured photobomb about her recent visit, has gone and got herself a blog!  I am super excited about this, because she is truly one of the most creative people I know.  I always think about her when I read books that feature vivacious female characters, especially when the description matches their physical looks (I know I am such a bulldog and am stuck on CdL, but Squeebie is truly Jilly Coppercorn in real life!).

For Lent, Squeebie gave up Facebook for forty days (except for Sundays, because those are loophole days not actually factored into the forty days.  When you add Sundays, the sum is greater than forty, apparently.  I never knew that before.), and instead updated friends and family here in MD through a news anchor-ish installment via YouTube.  Of course, YouTube didn't like that she used popular music (even with credits!), so she redirected her output through Vimeo, and occasionally Facebook's video uploader itself.  She shared her videos every Sunday on Facebook, which is, let's face it, the one place everyone actually seems to hold true to that "I'll keep in touch" promise.

Now, of course, she's back on Facebook, but living all the way out in KS in a constant state of boredom (I kid, but seriously, I understand there isn't much to do in her area and she doesn't know a whole lot of people), she needed a new project.  Thus the blog.  Here's some info on this hilarious and outspoken individual:

1. She loves her Dalmatian more than some people love their kids.  I'm not kidding.  Of course, the people who don't love their kids are usually not the kind of people I associate with, but anyway.  She really truly loves her dog.  He is her furbaby.  In this vein, she also adopted another dog who belonged to a friend who could no longer take care of her.  She paid to have the dog taken from the shelter before they could euthanize her and be shipped to KS.  True animal hero.

2.  She is one of my bridesmaids who is also engaged to her man, and I am excited to photograph that wedding!

3.  She and her man are involved in firefighting and paramedic work.  Not that that is what the blog is about.  But it is important to her.  And I admire them for all that, because blood freaks me out.  And fires scare me.

4.  She will deny this, but she is a very talented photographer.  She has "the eye".  I've been watching her work over the past couple of years, and it's getting really really good.  Especially pet portraiture.  Which I think she'd be ace at.

5.  She is particular about her books.  As am I.  Except her peculiarities are different than mine.  She doesn't crack the spine, and apparently washes her hands before handling them.  (I lack that dedication.  I write in my books to fix grammar and spelling mistakes missed by the proofreader.  We are peculiar in totally polar opposite ways.)

I really hope some of you will stop by SpottyDogBlog and check it out!  She's just getting started, but I know it'll be a really unique and creative corner of the interwebs!

Happy Tuesday!  xo

Photobomb Friday: Best of the series...

If you haven't already, go check out Patchie's blog!  Today is my guest post that I mentioned!!!  She is at the Cape right now, relaxing away with Her Boy!  Meanwhile, I've been swamped with my jobs and my business, so today I am recapping some of the past Photobombs that have had the most success...


1.  Early Photobomb... iPhonography Edition!

2. A Thursday Photobomb of a two parter... (here's part two, as well):

3. The first of many Local and State Park related Photobombs!  It's also the ONLY Photobomb with a video so far!

4.  A recent Photobomb of a pretty adorable Little Man!

I'm already getting going on next week's installment... and it's gonna be different!  I'm kinda excited, even with the archiving involved... and that's the only hint I'm giving!

Have a happy weekend!!!

xo

Wedding Wednesday: Pinterest

Okay, I succumbed.  I was a little nervous that I had to "request an invitation" to join... which I guess is a precaution to ensure that the servers aren't over worked?  Anyway, I have had enough people tell me I HAD TO GET an account, that it was so helpful to them for planning a scheme, I crumbled.  I like things that are nice and easy... don't you?  It seemed easier than downloading a million images and making a huge collage... and it keeps track of where I found things online in the first place (in case those inspirational things become actual elements later on down the road)!

So, here is a sneak peek at my wedding Pinterest board:

It seems a little bit jumbled, but there is a definite direction!  I can't wait to get it all together!  If you have a Pinterest account and wish to find me there, I am codename Marizabeth!

PS- Big congrats to Steffani of Iffy Inklings on her engagement!  She and Vince will be pulling off a wedding in a matter of WEEKS!  I can't even imagine.  Best of luck you two!  And CONGRATULATIONS!

Wedding Wednesday: Real Weddings and Planning via Bloggers II

I am actually getting excited about planning our wedding again!  This puts Bear in a good mood, or as he says, "oh, good, you want to marry me again?!"  For the record, I never wanted to NOT marry him, but I would like to avoid some of the pressure of planning a wedding.  I have a lot of strong-willed individuals in my life who all are giving a lot of input about what our focus should be, the venue, the food, the music, the attire, everything.  I am a people pleaser, so it's difficult for me to just say HERE, THIS IS WHAT I WANT!  The only upside to that is I am fairly certain I won't become a bridezilla.  At least, I hope not.

Anyway, I am back to the three most influential weddings for me in the blogiverse.  I am such a sucker for the bright colors, whimsical feel and handmade elements!

First up is Elsie of A Beautiful Mess and her lovely wedding!  I love the jewel tones, which I also plan to use (hey, jewel tones look lovely on pale people and my party, groom, and self are all pretty pale).  She even used the straws I am looking into, library cards, a candy bar... and everything is so whimsical and handmade without looking non-cohesive.  LOVE IT.  It makes me happy to see so many elements I've wanted to incorporate look so good in a wedding context!

credit: arrow & apple

Second up is the wonderful Elycia of <3elycia!  I love the few sneak peeks she has shared so far!  I also recommend if anyone is looking to get married soon, check out her Wedding Guests feature.  So many wonderful DIY ideas and some just plain fun and quirky guest posts!

credit: kara lodder photography; elycia

Last up is Emily of Emily Porter Photography.  She recently experienced the wedding as a bride instead of a wedding photographer!  I found her post on that extremely helpful for me... I am often wondering what settings people who are photographing me have their equipment set at; are they aware that the sun is going to create a light flare, or do they want that effect?!?!  I am definitely nervous that I will just want to photo geek talk with my Aunt who will be our photog all night!  I love the sweet decor and the personality in their wedding day... hello, Angry Birds lollipops!  haha

credit: ken kienow

I am currently uploading my future sister and brother-in-law's wedding photos for them to share with friends and family and spent almost all last night working on their album!  I still have to meet with her and get her approval before I send it to press, but I am feeling really accomplished.  Part of the reason I haven't done more on our wedding is because I've been dragging out theirs with the post-processing.  Getting all this done makes me feel finally ready to get things going for ours!  Eeep!

What are the things you look for most in a wedding?

Oh, and one more question... do you feel it is necessary to have a big sit down dinner at a wedding, or something more casual?  I personally like the casual take, but I've had lots of nay-sayers.  What say ye?!?

Wedding Wednesday: Pause

Basically, I have run out of inspiration for Wedding Wednesday, so rather than bore you all with mediocre wedding posts, I have decided to put the feature on "pause".  When I start making more plans and getting excited again, it will no doubt pick back up!

You may have noticed some changes in my blog layout.  I removed the long list of blogs I follow from the right sidebar, mostly because the list was HUGE!  I am working on setting up a better page you can access from the top bar to recognize all the bloggers out there that keep me inspired! *edit: I discovered I can show the 5 most recently updated blogs, and you can click to see all of them if you want!*

Speaking of which, I definitely did a little happy dance when I saw one of my buttons has been linked to the "daily reads" page over at Kafe80s!  I love Kristin's blog and her awesome style, so I am truly tickled to be on her radar!  If you have a nostalgia for all things '80s, definitely check out her blog!  I especially loved the Labyrinth post... not to mention her adorable kitties and their antics are highly entertaining, and she posts some pretty tasty recipes as well.  Did I mention she's in a band?  Awesome.  If you grabbed a button from me, please let me know!  I plan on saying something fun for each of you on here by way of gratitude!

via: kafe80s

I mentioned yesterday that I was writing a guest post for a fellow blogger... and I did it today and sent it out!  It will be posted at the end of the month-ish.  I had never written a guest post before, and found it both fun and challenging.  The subject matter is one I don't usually discuss, and I found it a lovely excuse to wander down memory lane... even though half the photos I wanted to use were on the PC that died.  If anyone wants me to write one for your blog, I would love to take up the challenge again!

from expired 35mm film, 2009/2010

Have a great Wednesday!  xo

Patriotic Weekend

Here in the USA, last weekend was a holiday weekend as we celebrated the 4th of July.  I am not a very patriotic person, but I do enjoy the extra day off and the fact that I still get paid!

We took the opportunity to spend time with friends and family, and Patchie and I went to the Uncle Sam Jam in the National Harbor... and The Wailers were going to perform!  I was super stoked about that when I figured out what was going on!  Anyway, Saturday's shenanigans will be my Photobomb this week, so be sure to check back Friday to see some awesome photos from the National Harbor!

The rest of the weekend was kinda low key.  We went to a cast party at Patchie's Boy's house and slept in in the mornings, went shopping for food, and cleaned the house.  The ants this year have been INSANE and I am at a loss to find something that will finally kill them.  We have so many traps around the house for them, I bet we'll find some next Spring in the Big Clean because we definitely have lost track of where some of them are hidden!

On Monday my Mom came over since my Dad went to Michigan to visit my Opa and Oma (Opa's not doing too well, he is increasingly forgetful which may be dementia... and Oma had polio when she was young and they live on a huge farm, so Dad and his siblings are going to help out with what they can).  The in-laws made ribs, sweet corn bought from the Amish community, and pasta salad with veggies.  We all ate and talked and laughed and went through Tori and Doug's honeymoon photos and video, and family friends Phyllis and Joe went through the photos I took from the engagement as well as Ben and De's wedding album.  Later, we met up with Patchie and Her Boy at a local seafood/tiki bar for drinks and skipped stones on the water.  We had a pretty ridiculous thunderstorm and small rain showers all weekend, so we headed back to our house for wine and video games like the classy adults we are!  Tada!  Weekend in a nutshell!

How was your weekend?  Did you do anything special?  I'd love to hear about it! Keep tuned... I've been asked to write a guest blog post for a friend about subject matter I rarely get to write about!

PS- Look at the baby birds from the back porch!  They went from shy fuzzy cotton balls with beaks to miniature empire penguins in no time flat!

Have a happy Tuesday!

xo

PPS- Don't forget to enter Patchie's Giveaway!  Only three days left!  The lucky winner will be announced on FRIDAY!

Giveaways and Thoughts on the Subject...

So, Patchie is currently hosting a giveaway over on her blog!  She teamed up with the mind behind Tinker B Boutique to offer $20 store credit to Tinker B Boutique!  I can vouch for the adorableness, cleverness, uniqueness, and addictiveness of those scrabble pendant necklaces!  Patchie gifted two of them to me for my birthday this year, and I am kinda obsessed.  I wear one or the other (if not both) of them every other day!  Just the right mix of whimsy and unobtrusive, brought out by the bold colors and funny text.  I always have people wanting to read them.  I urge you to stop by and enter!  Entering is really easy... just follow Patchie's blog for starters!  There are other ways to win listed underneath... very few entries have been made so far, so the chances of your winning are pretty good right now!!!

via: patchie[verbs]

Here are some thoughts on giveaways while we are on the subject... it seems to me that a lot of blogs have these giveaways, and in many cases, the response is astronomical (hello, 2598 comments?!?!?!).  I notice that many blogs followers list greatly increases with the posting of a giveaway.  However, if you don't have many followers or people to get the word out to begin with, it's kinda dissapointing to check in and see nobody has entered your giveaway!  It's not very fair to the blogger or the sponsor of the giveaway!  Morale = low.  Which is why I want to say... if you have a friend who is attempting their first giveaway and the going is tough, PLEASE HELP PROMOTE THEM!

So I ask you, dear readers (I know you are out there even if you don't always comment!) to please encourage Patchie and Tinker B Boutique!  Both individuals are trying to put themselves out there, and both deserve support!  It only takes a couple minutes, truly, and the products are fantastic!

As incentive, I offer this: if you go enter Patchie's fabulous giveaway and in your comment mention Marizabeth sent you, I will conduct my own giveaway of one of my Fine Art Prints from my own business.

*If 50 of you enter, I will post a link to the available prints and let the winner choose which image they want, rather than choosing a print ahead of time.

*If 100 of you enter Patchie's giveaway, I will ship a framed and signed version of the chosen print to the winner!

Now go and enter!  You could win two giveaways with this method!  Woohoo!  HURRY, PATCHIE WILL ANNOUNCE A WINNER ON JULY 8!

Wedding Wednesday: Real Weddings and Planning via Bloggers

The best thing about the blog community is that we all try to make situations easier on those who may be going through the same thing and happens to stumble upon our little corner of the interwebs.  We post DIY step-by-steps for anyone else who needs to know how to reupholster a chair, we post how-to's on make-up application, how to find the most flattering clothing styles for specific body types, recipes that work, guides to cities... the list goes on.

 We also share our experiences with planning, making decor for, and the final results of our weddings.  This is amazing, because for as awesome as wedding-specific blogs are, they often do not delve into the trials and errors, happy accidents, and meticulously planned intricate details along the way to the Big Day.  Thanks to the Blogiverse, we can access each other's advice and warnings, and learn from one another's mistakes!

Today is a short post, because I have an online lecture and exam to take for my job.  Because I am not providing a very awesome read, I am directing you to someone who can!

*  I am so happy to have found this wedding-planning doppelganger!  Elycia's wedding planning process is very very similar to my own... and even the color schemes are alike!  I was really pleasantly surprised when I perused her wedding posts... I have more confidence in my own plans, since I am kinda able to see how they may turn out.

*  Elsie's wedding plans are so beautiful and kinda quirky at the same time!  I am loving the little peeks at the Big Day she is beginning to post... she's so very artistic and made a ton of her own decor.  She also had a wedding blog that served as a kind of drawing board, where ideas and inspiration were tossed around, and is also worth a peek.

*  Miss Kaelah is also posting lovely inspiration, and stunning photos of her engagement ring over where all the honeybees hang out!  Her color palatte is totally different than mine, but I love the aesthetic she is shooting for... I am positive it will be a gorgeous wedding!  And: if you live in the Nashville area and are looking for portraits to be taken, you could get a FREE session!  Help out Kaelah's man Mike get his photography portfolio filled out so his business can take off!  And: want to win a Fuji Instax camera?  Yup, that's happening, too!

*  For inspiration on writing those personal vows, head over to the blog full of love letters!  It makes such a nice read, and is such a nice reminder that under the news and bad headlines in the papers, the world is still full of honest-to-god people with feelings and love.

Wedding Wednesday: Weddings about the Interwebs

Happy Wednesday!  Today I bring you some pretty epic weddings I have stumbled upon in blogland!  Oooooh, aaaahh.  ***All of the images below came from the links in the bullets above.  I didn't take any of them.***

* Zooey Deschanel's wedding invitations.  I LOVE her, and these are so perfect.

* A Marie Antoinette themed bridal shoot!  Lovely.  Check out the original post for the amazing creative team behind this!

* A modern wedding inspired by TRON.  I kid you not.  It's pretty radtastic!

* A roundup of flower-infused beverages.  They all sound amazing... I really can't wait for our kitchen to be finished so I can try my hand at some of these!  (I know that sounds silly... but we have NO counters or surfaces anywhere right now, aside from the floor...)

Some recent vendors I've stumbled upon who are adorable:

* Better Off Wed

* Kozue

* Lucky Bee Press

Also, be sure to keep an eye out over at A Beautiful Mess for the wedding pictures of Elsie and Jeremy!  The sneak peeks their friends have posted already are adorable... I can't wait for the professional shots from Arrow and Apple!

Thursday LinkLove

I have sooo much to do today, it's kinda ridiculous.  I begin the day with a training class for work (in a mere hour), and then work until the end of the day, so this post will be a quickie.

Do you like bright colors?  Do you like fun things?  Do you like photography?  How about Red Bull and phrases involving the word "shmisters"?  Then you may dig what I have to offer today...

I want to introduce you all to a wonderful photographer in the LA area (where I have never been myself), miss Lauren Lemon, originally from Reno, Nevada.  If you have a Flickr account, you are probably familiar with her work.  Her work is so amazing; always polished photographs with an interesting theme or story to be found... and her trademark saturated color!  But what's the fun in talking about art?  Art is meant to be viewed!

Click here to see Lauren Lemon's portfolio work!

Click here to view her 365 Project!

Click here to learn about Lauren Lemon's Jumpology!

Here's her blog!

OK, I gotta run!  Have a lovely Thursday!

Hair!

So my hair has faded and is basically back to blah.  It's occurred to me lately how I feel more natural with bright hair than I do with my natural hair color.  So I went out prior to work yesterday and bought some bright red hair dye.  It was a toss-up between the red or orange again.  They were out of orange.  Red it is.  (I also picked up some earrings, sunglasses, a lanyard for my fancy work ID, and some blue eyeliner that I am pretty stoked about!)


I've been looking at all these lovely hair colors lately and am itching to be bright and beautiful myself!  I found these on Tumblr... some of them don't have original sources, but I will link to where I found them!  If you do know the original source, please let me know, so I can give credit where credit is due!  Thanks!

via: nicetryzia

via: thedaintysquid

via: laurence2

via: francescajane

via: source

via: source 

via: source 

via: source

via: source

via: source

via: source

via: source

via: source

via: source

In the future, I am pulling all photos from Flickr directly so I can credit the photographer.  It annoys me how Tumblr people reblog everything and leave no trail behind.  AAAAHHH!

Well, I have a training class at 9 am for my job, but I hope some of these colors brought a smile to your face!  If you want to learn more about dying your hair vibrant colors, check out The Dainty Squid's Kaylah's three part blog post about it here, here, and here.

I am going to learn how to better post lots of photos here soon!  I hate how the widths don't all match up (it drives me nuts!) and plan on using Little Chief Honeybee's Kaelah's tricks and tips on how to blog more uniform photos!  Hopefully, things will look nicer around here!

That's it for now!  I promise to post photos when my hair is dyed again... but it may take some time!  My schedule is CRAZY at the moment!

xoxo