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HAPPY BIRTHDAY I HEART FACES!

Just a wonderful, wonderful blog.  If you are interested in a FREE photography community that is totally RAD, then click on that link above! Happy Birthday 'I Heart Faces'!

OH LA LA...

{via ariel gordon}

I HATE LAME PEOPLE

How's that for a Monday morning topic?  I just found out that someone went on a shopping spree with my debit card. I usually don't have much money in my checking account but I was planning on making a down payment on a car this weekend. They left me with $60 in my checking account, but that's of the last looksy, it may be ZERO by the time you are reading this.  Thank goodness I went for gas and groceries before this happened.  The bank said it would take 10-12 days to replace by then I will be out on the main drag with a card board sign and begging cup.  I am so angry that if I was face to face with this evil person I would want to stab them in the neck with a dull pencil.  This isn't the first time this has happened, it happened many moons ago and it was equally as devastating. For the record the last time it happened the bank said not to use my debit number EVER when paying for transactions, since then I never have. I never shop on line unless I can via Paypal and I rip up all info within an inch of its life.  I guess this is part of being in a cyber society but having zero dollars is no picnic. Let's just say happy Monday to me..

THIS IS DELIGHTFUL....

This gem was shared with me by the charming Cre8tiveGirl just something she made...Thank you sweet girl you are a talent!

I WISH I HAD A DODO....

I recently checked out  'Return of the Crazy Bird' The sad, strange tale of the Dodo' from the library.  It really is sad.  The saddest part?  Besides the extinction and all, was that these docile creatures that had no known predators on their island paradise were considered dumb and had to be dubbed Dodo (derived from the word 'duodo' Portuguese for idiot.)  They weren't dumb they just trusted that everything was as it should be. They would be happy to walk right up to a human and could easily be caught and wouldn't run away, why?  Because they didn't have any fear.  In the 21st century that may seem ridiculous not to have any fear but in the 17th century you didn't have to lock your front door and since there were no humans on your island you didn't have to worry about much of anything but when the next meal or nap was.  They were fat happy birds. I would have loved to have my own Dodo, I would love it and feed it and name it George, if  I didn't already have a puppy named George that is.  If you are looking for an interesting subject to delve into may I recommend the Raphus cucullatus? Raphus so much more distinguished a name than Dodo....

I. Free chalkboard doodle Photoshop brush of a Raphus cacullatus by moi.  Not my best work, but not my worse either...Use for your personal use only, I doubt you would get very far trying to sell it since the feet are all wonky and all.Download here

II. The Dodo Pad.  Some seriously interesting ways to get your Dodo on and get organised (it's an English site they eschew the letter 'z'). I love their cheeky take on the Dodo elevating 'him' to Lord Dodo and giving him his own manor. The illustrations look a touch sinister (wee bit in the eye) but so remind me of one of my fave illustrators Quentin Blake.

III. Return of the crazy bird: The sad strange tale of the Dodo is available here or hopefully you are fortunate to have a library near by that carries such wonderful works.

MY NEW FAVORITE PEN (FOR TODAY...)

I was gifted one of these pens by an incredibly thoughtful young lady, it was in 'hot aqua' of all colors, oh my, just saying that gets me flustered as we all know how boring I am and if it's transparent I probably like it the best.  But alas hear I am on the first Wednesday of the year and waxing philosophical about a 'hot aqua' pen, go figure? The pen tip is near identical to my beloved Sharpie ultra-fine and although the Mark-it has received its share of naysayers saying it gets soft and squishy after some use, I am here to stick up for it.  It has the great tip without the  signature smell and the color selection is so much more varied (and less saturated).  They have it in gray!  My other favorite color after clear and white (yes I know shades not color but still...) The Sharpie pen is great no smell but the point misses the mark, it's no ultra fine point, nope.  These type of pens make my printing look impeccable and I am pleased to brag that a couple people in the queue at the Post have mentioned how incredibly neat my printing is, which I beamed in response.  If you are a Sharpie ultra-fine point fan, you should give these a whirl when you are looking for the same type of point but a more muted +varied color selection and no scent, which I don't mind, but it feels less toxic and that's a bonus, no?  Do you have a pen that you feel makes you write better?

To fuel your pen addiction you may like to mosey over to these links:

Pen Addict blog, great reviews + live samples and excellent comments from the peanut gallery!

The Japanese know their pens, seriously.  I find this little known secret a mecca for cheap + good pen shopping.  Bonus?  You will almost always know when someone steals your pen because it's not from round these parts.

Want the Mark-it pen right now? Amazon has them here.

LOVING LISA WARNINGER...

It's 2010 it's about time I profess my love for yet another girl-Lisa Warninger.  Oh this one is good too, I think you will be happy I shared, especially if you are needing an exceptionally talented photographer for your new collection of clothes, your impromptu family photo session or your portrait for that bio you've been meaning to send out. She's in Portland of all places, swoon, Portland you will be mine soon. That city has been siren calling my name for too long. I just think this lady has talent in spades. She can do moody shots that seem totally candid or beautiful shots with the crispest, cleanest light to make every color pop and complexion glow.  Just amazing.  Here are some of my faves, I like this first set because it has a very cinematic vibe, styling is spot on and it is just moody like all get out...

  And here's a 360 of the above, where the light is so sharp and clean it can be sliced with a scalpel:

Nice right?  Here are some links for you so you can do some exploring on your own:

• Loved Lisa?  She also has this very cool blog which is part Sartorialist part Lucky mag called Urban Weeds.
• Looking to expand your photo skills?  Find a wealth of info on everything from equipment to buy, post processing images, to just chit chat it's called Clickin' Moms, you don't need to be a mom to join.  It's the best kept secret for a newbie/moderate level photographer.  The members saved my butt on a photo shoot I did that had gone this side of ugly.  Can't reommend it enough!
• Want your face to be picture perfect?  Well than you need some of this don't let the price tag scare you, a tiny drop is all you need, so this tube should last you a very, very long time. Note put on AFTER your moisturizer.
  

WHAT'S CUTER THAN BAN.DO?

What's cuter than Ban.do? Not a whole heck of a lot, I tell ya..Stroll on over to The Bright Side Project and try to win one of these bad boys...Now if I can only get the Ban.do girls to spill the beans on what color red lipstick and nail polish are in these shots; Monday won't seem so severe.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year to the most amazing. wonderful, talented and smart blog reader that ever was.  I like to start the new year out strong and since you are reading this you obviously are all of the above and have great taste to boot.  I love you. Really.

The image above is from one of the Souvenir Foto School assignments. I adore it, Alex Sears on the left moi on the right. For six weeks we paired up and created diptychs based off of interpretations of simple words (this one was 'soft').  My classmates out did themselves they were all dedicated, creative and just above and beyond perfect (unfortunately I forgot to ask permission to show their work).  How lucky am I to have met such a wonderful group?  I am in awe that I lived  this many years on the planet and only last year did I really feel that I have connected with like minds via what a lot of people deem an impersonal medium--the internet. They are wrong. The computer has made me more social, more creative and has completely inspired me.  It must of been the same when paper was invented in China all those years ago.  Yes, I have had friends prior, long term friends; I am still friends with my best friend from pre-school for goodness sake but the computer has introduced me to amazing individuals where otherwise I doubt our paths may have ever intersected.  I am so happy they did. 

Happy New Year to you all, I hope this year helps you realize all your dreams (or at least some of them)...

MY FAVORITE PHOTOGRAPHS...

When I was 16 (many, many, many moons ago) I worked at a gallery in Venice that sold prints of famous photographs.  They did not sell this print but they did sell many Avedon's which made me fall madly in love with the photographers work and started me on my obsessive research.  *Note* This was before the invention of the internet so research was laborious.  I saw the above photo session on my Avedon stalking studying and was instantly smitten.  What's not to love for me? Animals?--Check.  Iconic fashion house?--Check? Genius photographer?-Check. A circus vibe-Check. Complicated simplicity (Come on, this must have been a bear, ur, an elephant to execute)-Check.  To me this is perfection. I would love to recreate this image one day, no seriously, I have wanted that since I saw it and I have never had an aspiration to be a model nor do I even like to have my photograph taken.  This is the pull of this image for me. Avedon is said to never have been satisfied with his most famous photograph (the first one) but if he were still alive and we were pals I would have assured him, "Nope you're wrong it's perfect.'

Love this photo too? Duly inspired?  Need to know more?  Here's some links just for you...

-Richard Avedon Foundation

-The above print is available here.

-Love elephants + fashion photographs?  Here's another one that I was introduced to by Victoria at SFGIRLYBYBAY (thank you sweet Victoria for your keen eye).

Wishing you a Happy New Year!  Thank you for all your visits and helping me remain semi-sane whilst I labored at a job that tested both my patience and mental stability.  Without your support this year it would have been much more head in the oven inducing but because of you I have discovered that I can actually accomplish what I set out to do no matter how ridiculous my goal may be.  Mondays filled with cute baby animals?  Why yes, you have indulged me.  I am grateful and hope that this new year brings you as much joy, laughter and thoughtfulness as you have brought me. 

Thank you for being so pretty. I mean that.  I like that word if you haven't noticed. Pretty.  You are, yes you.

xo,

Miss B.