[a peaceful mind]

{above: i love shoes.. the framed photo above was taken from Nylon magazine because i am obsessed with heels of all kinds.. i ripped it out, made a custom mat for it, and framed it in one of my ornate, gold, thrift store frames. it makes me happy! i actually custom matted and framed another Nylon clipping too but it's not pictured.}

my lover and i have spent the day so far in smiles and kisses. we paid some bills (and rent), went to the library where i discovered some fabulous books i will blog about this week, worked out at the gym (running makes me feel so strong and sexy), and made a deliciously healthy lunch together. we've been running low on money this week so i threw together a few random fridge finds and created the yummiest lunch ever! i took frozen corn and threw it in a small pot, dropped in a pat of butter, then added some leftover jasmine rice w/scallions from last nights dinner, along with some chopped onion, and chopped Italian stewed tomatoes.. i let it all warm up for a few minutes and that was that! add a little salt and pepper and you're in heaven!

well, now i'm off to thumb through my library finds and snuggle buggle with lover boy!

happy Wednesday!

[i'm in love with you]

*just a little drawing i did last night*

had a brilliant day with my sister and Jess. i love them both so much. a day of shopping, wedding talk, Chipotle, and the Sex and the City movie! it was just what i needed to get me in a happy mood for the next two weeks of work. Jerod worked all day and the movie made me miss him more than usual. Whatever happens in the lives of Jerod and I, my hope is that in the end, it's still us. We've got that mentality that we take on the world together, and I hope it always stays that way.

i read this somewhere today and loved it.. possibly because it reminds me of the way i think, "In the same way, I like people with chipped nail polish; it's as if their life is so cool, they don't have time to think about it."

-and i recently bought a new bag, along with a cute pair of sandals-

[Saturday Musings]

today i've been thumbing through Graffiti Paris, i love it.

I stumbled upon this little interview earlier and decided to interview myself, below is the fallout.

what first sparked your interest in photography: I think part of it was that I was lost and yearning for something to be good at. That, and my desire to create an interesting life for myself. I so often felt alone and ordinary, so I began creating what I wanted people to see in me. Eventually it morphed into a way for me to expose the world. I no longer hid, I took comfort in the fact that pain, sadness, and mundane aspects of life are beautiful in their own ways, and I wanted to show people that.

what was your first camera: My first camera I am not sure, but my first “real” camera was a gift from the woman I was a nanny for in high school. Becky, she gave me an old Pentax K1000. I still have it and use it.

favorite thing to photograph: I’d have to say that in general, it’s people. Emotive portraits, social injustice. Anything that reaches into the core of you and forces you to feel something. Along with plain old, ordinary, everyday life.

favorite artist/photographer: Annie Leibovitz.

most memorable advice you've been given: Never lose hope, my mom is a two time cancer survivor who has been titled “terminal” and she refuses to give up hope.

advice you'd give starting or aspiring photographers: I’m still an aspiring photographer, but I would say to look at photography as an extension of yourself. You can always tell what I’m thinking or feeling in my photographs. Each one contains a little piece of me.

favorite color: Havanna-style teal.. or isn’t it aquamarine? That greenish, blueish, color that is so popular in Cuban decor. I love it. I could decorate my entire apartment in it. Well, maybe not the entire apartment.

if you could eat only one thing: Fruit of all kinds. I love fruit. Never tire of it.

something you can't live without: Family, exercise, and a good nap.

on repeat from your headphones: “How Far We’ve Come” by Matchbox 20. It reminds me of where my family started out, where we are now, and where we’re all going. We’ve all come so far and I’m so proud of us.

what inspires you: Old photographs, clean lines, organized chaos, color, family, healthy food, dance, domesticity, plastic Japanese toys, nature, magazines of all kinds!

[Brilliant Bento!]

i am love, love, loving these Bento boxes! and the price for the set isn't so bad either; $20.99. i'm not sure if the set includes the book pictured though. however, on the website you can find menu ideas and recipes! i'm going to try some of the sandwich ideas out for lunch next week.

jerod and i take lunch everyday to work and i think that Bento boxes would be perfect for us. we already use reusable containers but this way it would be more compact and portioned.

along with the boxes i've discovered a book a want to check out (my library didn't have it). it's called Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children. it seemed brilliant from the review, and i'm always looking for new tips and food ideas for healthy lunches! ive got breakfast and dinner down, but for some reason lunch seems to be difficult. i think it's a combo of whats yummy, healthy, portable, nutritious and will also hold up well until lunchtime without becoming soggy, mushy, and yucky!

so here's to healthier lunches! if you have any of your own ideas, feel free to leave a comment!

[fun with Green]

loving these simple, earthy, chic bracelets.
they are available at everybodygreen.com
i LOVE the Go! Green ocean trio and dusk trio.
they are made with 100% cornstarch based resin - NO PLASTIC

go buy some!! buy me some too!!

[happy times]

drifting somewhere between awake and asleep, here i am. super peaceful. full heart. life is happy happy right now. money isn't a constant thought, but a careful consideration. we've fully embraced the savings of walmart for groceries. along with not making a list and creating meals out of the produce and meat on sale, we're doing really well! :o) even if we weren't watching money, i'm thinking that's the way to go.

beyond that. i have UCF orientation on Friday and i'm insanely excited! i'm accepted to UCF and now applying to the Nicholson School of Communication. with my major being Advertising/Public Relations; since UCF orlando doesn't do photography. and Jerod has gotten all of his FullSail paperwork together, so he's on his way! we both start school at the end of August and the anticipation is growing.

i love it out here in Orlando. bright lights, big city. it's been awesome. everyday is inspiring. although i miss the beach, the city is my heart. i think it's all those years spent in Cleveland.

but - 30 Days is on!!
stay informed! get inspired! and speak out!
-love and hugs-

-i took this photograph the other night at Ikea-

[sunday night sleepiesssss]

[i'm back from my little internet vacation]
more tomorrow.