Photography: Chinese Snowballs 04/18/2011
     Snowballs in April? Yes please... but only if they're Chinese Snowballs (don't worry, these are made right here in Charlotte ;) ). Why the current obsession with flowers? Since I grew up in Southern California, amid a landscape of cacti and palm trees, witnessing spring in the South feels like a botanical-forest-jungle-of-lushness. It took me years to understand that you don't need automatic sprinklers and a high-tech irrigation system to make grass grow in this climate. So when I came across these huge hydrangea-like blooms, I stopped dead in my tracks. I pulled off the side of the road, got out the car and cried (not really... ok maybe a little... on the inside). Here, before me, stood a tree of flowering softballs (softballs that I wanted to sniff and pet). I found perfection on a stick. I took a bizillion photos, but these are a few of my favorites. Add Comment Photography: Spring Fever in Charlotte 03/16/2011
     Out with the cold, in with the bloom. Seems almost over night that spring sprung in Charlotte. On Sunday, I went for a walk along Little Sugar Creek Greenway and used my point-and-shoot to take photos of all the blossoming flowers. I'm pretty botanically-challenged, so I had to ask around for the names of all the pretty flowers - but, I think I figured it out: hyacinth, daffodils, cherry blossom trees , bradford pear trees, weeping willow, Japanese magnolia (soooo beautiful!) and my personal favorite, forsythia. Travel To: Home 03/09/2011
      Home is where the ocean is. Had a great trip back home in Oceanside, Ca last weekend. I took my cousin and good friend along for the ride. It was a SHORT trip for a cross country trek, but we definitely made the most of it. //FRIDAY// - Landed in San Diego 11:00am - Straight to Fashion Valley for the H&M deprived Charlotteans - Lunched at Rubio's - Checked into our hotel in Oceanside - Freshened up, then off to dinner at Norte's in Carlsbad //SATURDAY// - Up at 7am - took a long walk on the beach - Breakfast at "The Breakfast Club Diner" - Off to the Carlsbad Outlet Mall (for bargain Banana and Nine West) - Lunch and browsing on Cedros (Solona Beach's Design District) - Then to the Torrey Pines Glider Port for views of Black's Beach and the coast - The Salk Institute (by Louis Kahn) for architecture and an impromptu photo shoot - La Jolla Cove for sunset, sea lions and scenery - Back to O'side for dinner at Cafe Rosarita's with the folks //SUNDAY// - Up at 7am - long walk on the beach and Oside Pier - Breakfast at Longboarder Cafe - Leisurely drive through the hills to Temecula (in TWO of my dad's Miatas... don't ask) - Lunch in Old Town Temecula at Sweet Lumpy's - Back home for a look through old photo albums chronicling my childhood - Cocktail hour on the back deck with the bonfire pit - Grilled out for dinner - Evening spent laughing and reminiscing //MONDAY// -Back to Charlotte    Two days ago, an amazingly talented photographer, Armando Bellmas, tweeted: "If you're anywhere near NoDa right now come to Dialect Gallery (across from Dolce Vita). Giving away all the prints from my exhibit til 9p." Fifteen minutes later I had six beautiful photographs (above) in my hands. Last month I attended Armando's "low-fi" photography installation aptly named, "The Late 2010 Blues." I arrived at the opening reception to find a variety of photographs taped to the walls in a continuous stream of prints. As I scanned the walls, I found myself mesmerized by the patterns, urban streetscapes, faces and random food items. You can imagine my disbelief when I saw that he was donating prints to anyone willing to make an impromptu trip to NoDa. But it was true. "Take as many as you want," he said. And so, I did. Inspiration: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 01/17/2011
 Remembering one of the most inspirational men of all time. Really? Photography Trend 08/23/2010
  Had to try it out for myself. Used a photo I took at Raffaldini winery in the Yadkin Valley. Not too shabby, eh? I Want: More Rings 07/29/2010
 I can't have enough rings; it's physically impossible. No matter how many I have, it's never enough. My hunger for the beautiful-finger-accessories cannot be satiated. Maybe I have a ring worm? Lame jokes aside, while I was taking some pictures of my collection this afternoon, I noticed a trend: flowers, turquoise, and reds. Now that I see them all together, my limited taste in style seems pretty ridiculous. And although I have plethora of rings to chose from... I always seem to end up with the same one on my hand (the red one on the Jadite hand). It's my signature ring. But this isn't a new addiction. It began when I first started earning an allowance. By age 11, I had a silver ring on every finger... seriously all ten... only silver - gold was ugly. I even wore toe rings on each foot. They were my treasures, and each one represented a different story (kinda like a charm bracelet). And now, when I go home to my parents, I bust them all out and let the ring nostalgia pour over me. I know, I have a problem.    Last Friday, my favorite new photographer and I had a three hour photo shoot. Melissa McDougall, of Belle Photography (website coming soon), is an artist. My goal was to capture Not Made In China's products-in-action, and I am absolutely THRILLED with the results. These are just some proofs of the over 300 photos taken. In the coming weeks, I hope to overhaul the "gallery" portion of my website with the new and improved images. Now, if only I could find another model who would pose for free...  Travel to: Louisville, Kentucky 04/22/2010
  In honor of my road trip to Lou-a-vul, Kentucky, I decided to scour Flickr for some photos of Hunter S. Thompson's ol' stomping grounds.  Did you know that Louisville produces one-third of all bourbon whiskey in the United States?!  What brings me to Louisville? It's not the Derby, nor KFC headquarters,
it's the Palace Theater (for a Phoenix concert). (More photos after the jump) Tool: Wood Type 03/25/2010
   Last December, I won the lottery. The letterpress lottery. It was right after Christmas, when I came across some small pieces of wood type at an architectural salvage shop in San Diego's Little Italy. Immediately, I was hooked. I bought out their supply... all 3 letters... for $1 a piece. I needed another hit, and fast. Soon, my letterpress purchasing withdrawls became unbearable, and that's when I started bidding on entire boxes of blocks on Ebay. Luckily, post-holiday bidding appeared to be ebbing, because I won nearly 100 pieces of 19th century type for $32. Jackpot.
What am I going to do with all this wood? ...(that's what she said)... One idea was to get a curio coffee table (with a removable glass top) and display the type treasures inside. Or perhaps I might try my hand at stamping with them (maybe on canvas bags or posters) and see what kind of effects I can produce. Most recently, my good friend Melissa McDougall, of Belle Photography, used them as her subject. She just purchased a new lens (on Ebay of course) and took these stunning photos. (more photos after the jump) | When life gives you hands, make handmade.     January 2012  All  Online
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