Too early.

I don't do mornings well, even if I've had a solid amount of sleep. Bare with me for this haphazard post, ok?

Where did I leave off??

Jill wrecked her car about a week ago, and out of panic I flew to Rome for one quick night visit. I couldn't stay long because I had 2 photo shoots the very next day. On the bright side, when I drove back through Rt 13 on my way home, the trailer full of old vinyl was still there, so I was able to pick up another box of treasure.

Thursday saw me shooting senior portraits with Brooke, an old high school friend's little sister (who's a senior! insta-old feeling.) - she is gorgeous and was super charming to work with. Even though she technically purchased my lowest package, I'll probably spoil her with extras because she took soooo many fantastic shots. I'm almost done editing them, and I need to finish before I hit the road this afternoon. 

Later that afternoon was shoot #2 for Joe, another practice shoot for me prior to full-photo employment in the fall. It was ungodly hot and I had some issues with a milkshake.

Friday...I'm sure stuff happened.

Saturday was the Old Timer's Yankee game in the city. Another scorcher of a day, but thankfully we had air conditioned seats in the Audi Club (it isn't cheap, but it's luxury baseball viewing, I felt so spoiled all day long) - there's a buffet, all you can eat seafood (classy food) and hotdogs (stadium food). You even got your own waitress for drinks, it's a little unreal. We ended up losing, but it was still a delightful trip as I hadn't been to the new stadium yet.

Sunday... more stuff? My memory doesn't work this early.

Monday I finally had a face to face with Kyle. I'm still up in the air as to how it went, but we're going to try the friends thing. Admittedly I have to make the next move, but I've been so busy it's been ridiculously tough this summer to even really be staying in contact with my other home friends, let alone none of which I was dating previously. However, I did pick up my desk from the apartment and I have a work space - my desk looks all profesh and photo-production-ready. Makes my work flow so much easier.

Later that night was shopping with Casey and sushi with Amy. Discovered the bar Belmar in Binghamton that I'd never attended before - it was a dimmly lit, homey establishment. I am looking forward to more visits.

Tuesday was a Joe shoot, and nothing else really.

Wednesday was supposed to be another shoot for Joe but it got cancelled, so I headed to Rome a little early. Over the next few days, Jill and I took it easy with a ton of RedBox and Netflix movies. Thursday we had sushi with Mike and attended Trexx with a bunch of Caz Lovlies. It was so nice to see some of the kiddies again, however it just made us feel like the "old kids" all over again (maybe it was just me, residual from the Brooke shoot).

Saturday I ended up in Syracuse early, shopping with Lauren for Casey's party later that night. We never found anything, but I did get some wicked sunglasses for $1 from H&M. 

Later that night, we were joined by Christine (Laur's roommate), Mike & Casey at the new apartment (which is stunning for the price they're getting), and a whooole lot of drinking ensued. I've never ridden in a taxi in America before (only in Europe) so that was a new adventure as no one wanted to be DD (and why would we? Casey's birthday is like more fun than a calendar holiday). We had plans to go all out in Armory Square and end up riding the bull at Daisy Dukes, but sadly we only made it to 2 bars before we discovered the extent of some of our friend's pregaming ;)

I did, however, help a guy win a bet and got a free shot out of it. It's the little things.

[Yes, that's Micheal's puke. Yes, that's a bird eating it the next morning.]

Got back to the apartment and had a really long, really cathartic heart to heart with Casey after everyone else went to sleep. After getting Dunkin the next morning, I was on my way back to Binghamton. 

And I've literally been here 48 hours and I'm off again.

This afternoon I leave for Connecticut, where I will whisk the one and only Kate MotherEffin Sculley away for a coastal adventure for the week. I want to say I'll keep everyone updated, but I really don't think I can - I don't believe anywhere we'll be staying has internet, and I have very little desire to tote my compy around for the week. 

And considering I haven't been keeping updates short and fresh at all lately anyway, you probably won't miss anything at all. 

See you next week, kiddies!!

Have some of your own adventures, I'd love to hear about them!!

Gah!

Constantly busy!

I'm so sorry for the huge blog hiatus my fellow slackers (ok, just the better part of 2 weeks, but believe you me, I've been blogging since 2002 and haven't missed this many days in a row since I started, so I feel like it's been forever). 

I have spent the last 2ish days sort of catching up on my favorite blogs, and for some surreal visual inspiration and adorable motivation, I must highly suggest Miss Mackenzie's blog, Strokes of Serendipity. She's super crafty, and hilariously enough, we've been following the same blogs for quite some time, as I have been a creep and went back to her first post and have been working my way to the present for 2 days now, and she has pictures posted from back when I first saw them on other blogs too (up to 2 years ago!). Wicked cute. (Not to mention she's my long lost soul mate.) Check her out.

Tomorrow, first thing in the morning my dolls, I will give you a life update (as my past few weeks have been too much fun to keep to myself!), and then I have to promptly hit the road to Connecticut to see Miss Kate Sculley for a few days of unbridled adventure, full of outdoor concerts, fresh fresh fresh seafood along the coast, a private lake (and hopefully daaays of sunshine), all culminating with a wedding of an old college friend. [Whoa run-on sentence.] In the meantime, I need to edit a few more pictures of Brooke from a recent senior shoot while waiting for my laundry to dry, and then get to sleep.

Sweet dreams sweeties ♥

Whirlwind!

Oh hey there blog, long time no internet service.

The past week has been unreal.

Uh where to start... Gracie's birthday in downtown Syracuse resulted in us deciding we needed to take a Last Supper photo at sushi:

Then on Tuesday, Warren came home and brought back some delightful lavender soaps from France (they just smellll like the little shops in France, so of course I'm completely thrilled).

I got to Rome, passed out, and then took Jill to work her half day so I knew how to get there to pick her up later. While she made money, I spent money, and got myself some boots for the concert

It's how I roll. Even knowing how much I was gonna be walking in NYC.

Picked Jill up and headed down I90 to White Plains. No idea how we got out of paying the toll on the way there (??) but we did manage to get lost for a solid hour and a half (and we were making such good time too...)

Finally got parked and settled and on a train into the city by 6. Tony met us straight off the train because he's the best New Yorker of all time, and he hoofed us 20 minutes by foot to Madison Square Garden. Grabbed Manning, her cousin, and a bite to eat, and showed up to our seats just as Semi Precious Weapons was plowing through their set.

I'm pretty sure I love them. Definitely need to pick up their album.

Then... Lady Gaga. My camera couldn't handle how far away our seats were, so here's a few shots from Stephen's Boston Monster Ball adventure.

[Our seats]

[Steve's seats]

Love.

Left the city by 1am, and drove straight back to Rome that night (exhausting and at times probably not a wise decision...). Jill had a great interview that resulted in her getting a new job (stage hand! yay no more food industry!) and I slept in. We killed the rest of the day hanging out in various places in Rome that were way too hot and not a whole lot of fun until we hit a pool late that afternoon. We attempted a drive-in double feature, but the mosquitoes and heat kicked our asses before the second movie could start.

Friday was a lot of bad news that has since resolved itself, and I headed to Wolcott to see Hanners. I met her besties Mackenzie & Katie, and went to Jacks bar finally with her - I already knew I adored Katie, but turns out Mackenzie and I are long lost soul mates. This girl cracks me up and we have ungodly amounts of embarrassing things in common (blogs! beer! silly bands oh my!) - instant friendship. We bonded over the 104 Store diner food at 3am.

Saturday was Hanner's grad party, and I was the walking dead. I had to nap mid-afternoon just to be a human that night. Blake & Ashley showed up (weee mini caz reunion - we missed Timmy though), and then I got to meet her other bestie Sam Caster. Playing Spoontz (vicious Soviet Russia-style Spoons) felt like settling into old friendships I had always had. It was so weird, and so comfortable.

Sunday saw me back in Binghamton finally, but shortlived, as my parents and I had to head out to Greene for family reunion (previously known as Hillbilly Hell) - this year was surprisingly low key, and the weather was beautiful from under a willow tree, next to the pond, watching little boys jump into the water "froggy-dive" style.

Monday was a "day off" - I hung with Mom, we toured a few liquor stores searching for a particular brand of sweet tea for Dad (Jeremiah Weeds Sweet Tea, in particular, if you're interested), and restocked my travel kit for upcoming adventures with Kate Sculley.

Yesterday found me back in Caz, and against all odds, the rain held off and I got an excellent shoot in with Martin Welych. On the way home, I happened upon a big old pile of FREE on the side of Route 13. After watching American Pickers the night before, I couldn't let all of those cardboard boxes go unexplored.

Hello random jackpot of interesting:

There were two more boxes filled like this, but this one in particular had the most unwarped disks in it. This vinyl, once cleaned up quite a bit, will play on my mom's record player - they're all 45s and they would be in great condition if that pile of FREE hadn't survived a downpour before I got there.

[Just in case you can't read those, they're WHAM! Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, and Grand Funk's Do The Locomotion. Yes.]

But seriously!! The best of the 70s and 80s are in here, they're all doubles-sided singles meant for a jukebox. We used to have one back when I was little, but it's been gone a long time. I hope some day to have one again so these beauties don't go to waste.

Today, I am contract-writing, Light Rooming Martin, and I made my own agenda (yes, I hand-drew a ton of lines into a sketchboook from July 2010 to July 2011.) -- finally I can start scheduling out and not forgetting things. So necessary. I also finally hung my dray-erase calendar so I can see it whenever I get up. Getting organzied is finally coming together.

I'm debating applying for a job in Utica. I just don't want it to start until late fall... but I'm pretty sure it's an immediate-fill position on the off chance they'd want me anyway. Still gonna stew on it a little longer.

Tomorrow is a full photo day - bank & Staples in the am, Senior portraits at 1, Joe shoot (aka training) at 3:30. Dad got fed up with me carrying all of my expensive pro supplies around in a plastic bag, so he forfeited my pay tomorrow night on the shoot to preemptively get me a solid camera bag. It's a beauty, I just had other plans for that cash.... oh well, it's an extremely necessary supply.

Has everyone else's summer been this busy and wonderful simultaneously?!

Omlette+Stuff

I just made the ugliest omlette of all time. I just thought I'd share:

Yes it stayed in one peice... relatively. But it's ugly.

Tasted pretty good though... and considering it was my first omlette adventure, and I didn't accidentally scramble anything, I'd say it's not too terrible.

In other news, here's just some fun pictures off the new camera, for no particular reason:

I love that the pets all sleep alike.

Tattoo is healing & holy unattractive right now. 

Poolside for the 4th with Laur & Christine (fixing her bellybutton ring - looked like hardcore surgery)

I love the pinhole option. Makes the vintage in my soul very happy every shot.

Tonight we're going out for Gracie's 21+1! Downtown for sushi and Soundgarden and some mild boozing. I can't wait to be regrouped with the lovelies for a few hours ♥

Quickie

Text message convo that needs more respect to it's hilarity (TFLN doesn't think we're funny...)

Laur: what r u doing today?

Me: Sitting on the couch, watching top chef dc. Starving. You?

Laur: Sitting on the couch, watching a virus attack my computer and pop up porn while my spyware is trying to tell me there is a Trojan trying to come in my back door. And wishing I was swimming.

Fin.

It Happens - Just Like That

Preface: Yes, charmed life, I'm completely aware. I don't know how these things happen...

Option: Mom scored some extreme nose-bleed tickets for Lady Gaga in Madison Square on Wednesday night from work. 

Problem: Still house sitting, don't want to leave the puppy alone for a night. Do I ask someone to check in on him? Is that questioning my morals about responsibility? I am young and can do the hardcore driving to and from in one day, when will I get this chance again?

So I got the tickets with high hopes that something would work. I had to figure something out. 

Accidental Solution: Warren's family is sick, and have decided to come home early from France. Tuesday. Terribly upsetting news for them, perfectly acceptable for me. 

If I had passed up the tickets, I would be beyond upset by Warren's news. I took a risk, and .. tada. 

Charmed life aside - I'm going to see Lady Gaga with Jill & Manning on Wednesday!!!

Jill & I split Manning's ticket for her birthday.

I cannot wait - it's going to be tough; we leave Rome at noon, hoof it to the edge of the city, take the Metro in to Madison Square, meet up with Manning, concert @ 8, then fly right back to Rome that evening so Jill can make it to her job interview at 11am. 

This whole week is stacked with amazing.

This life... just... wow. Charmed.

Such a whirlwind of the past few days! My life blows my own mind sometimes with how well things work out every now and then.

On with the photos and stories!!

Wednesday I installed my show at Merlins... badly. Pepper would have been appalled. Badly nailed corners, no level or a ruler, and I gave up at one point and defaulted to duct tape. It was dark in there during the actual show though, so no one was the wiser.

That night was drinks and seafood with my fam & Casey - couldn't ask for more.

Jill came that night, ready for our full day Thursday.

Thursday was an early start dropping my car off to have the clutch looked at, and to buy tank tops and a point&shoot camera finally at Target before our appointments. Tank top success, camera fail. They had one I fell in love with but they were completely out of stock. Cue heartbreak because I wanted better than cameraphone pictures of the tat experiences. After moping, we settled on IHOP for breakfast and I settled down.

When we arrived for our tattoo appointments, I wanted to see if Dave could fit in Locatelli around 5 when she was getting into town. He wasn't sure, but her tattoo was small enough, black ink only, and she already had it laid out. He said he'd try.

Me first:

I'll try to take better picture when it's all healed.

Halfway done

We are the music makers & we are the dreamers of dreams

Jill

Hold Tight

After running a whole gauntlet of errands, Locatelli landed in town, and within 20 minutes was inked up herself:

Yay tattoo party!!

(Best pint glass ever [yes we stole it.] & The Franks.)

We met my fam at the Pub for some dinner and drinks, then the 3 of us picked up Kevy and went to Merlins so they could see the show up & dance our fannies off. Met up with other lovelies and had a delightful time. Poor Locatelli and her lack of alcohol intake lately - that tolerance just isn't what it used to be =p I still think the night was entirely worth it. 

Friday we saw Locatelli off and I got my hair did. Probably the shortest my hair has ever been & I just love it. It's a bright red now rather than the faded brown I had acquired.

Sandwiches from Original Italian Pizza & the movie Shortbus, and our afternoon was made.

Got dressed, met Gracie & Mike & Casey & everyone else who came to support my show around 6 (I have the best friends & family). 

I got such positive reviews, I almost couldn't believe it. It's one thing to hear from family and friends how much they like the work I do, it's another matter entirely when strangers seek you out to tell you they love it. I got at least 3 job offers from it, here's to hoping they all pan out in the near future.

Thank you to everyone that came out to see the show and all of the other amazing work on State Street last night!!

We missed Lauren & Hannah quite terribly.

We remedied the situation by drinking enough for ourselves and them, and dancing extra hard when we went down town after the galleries closed. From Merlins to Dillengers to Paradigm to Flashbacks and back to Merlins. Dillengers was nice to just relax and enjoy good 80s music and damn-decently priced drinks. 

After starting a dance party at Paradigm, I was left uncomfortable after being insistently hit on and annoyed, so we rushed over to Flashbacks instead. The light up floor was empty, so we obviously took full advantage. Merlins was empty when we got back there, and we decided it was more important to go find food than start yet another dance party. 

The Spot gave us grilled cheese sandwiches and Mike got the best omlette of all freaking time - a cream cheese omlette. Literally a plain egg omlette filled with half a brick of cream cheese. OMGyum.

Home by almost 4, and we all had to get up by 7. Gross. Worse was that Gracie convinced Jill to stay for the night and just not sleep & drive home to get to work in time by 4:30am. Poor thing has been a zombie all day. Gracie and I fueled up, picked up the camera I wanted at the Target in Fayetteville, then the puppy in Tully all before 11am. Obviously, we got to Warrens & passed out until Mama Jarvis picked her up around 4. 

(My new Olympus baby - she's got 14 megapixels of fury & some artsy settings like Pop Art & Pinhole, you best believe most of my pictures from this camera won't be "professional" and "color corrected," I can't wait to play around with her this week)

I have since been enjoying TCM movies, and I've decided that my Heaven is most sincerely An American In Paris - beautiful people, beautiful scenery, beautiful choreography, and a happy ending.

This post is way too long, so I'll fill you all in a little later about why (on top of everything else) my life is absolutely charmed. 

Tune back in!