Laura in a Bulova Commercial

My bestie from my New York days is in a commercial for Bulova, which gives me a chance to brag on her for a bit.  She was my roommate for years, both in the model's apartment, and then later in Prospect Heights in Brooklyn.  I'm pretty sure that she had this effect on men wherever we went, which was kind of fun, because we never seemed to find any door closed to us.  The two of us had a blast together-- I remember always laughing (Larry, my affectionate nickname for her, is hilarious), and enjoying being twenty-somethings in the city that never sleeps.  Seeing her here makes me nostalgic for those days!

Shoot for Japan

My friend Taro emailed me these a couple of weeks ago.  I shot these in New York City at the beginning of September for a clothing store in Japan.  They were shot with the newly opened High Line Park in the background.  (I recommend visiting if you get the chance!  It was an elevated rail system that was constructed in the 1930s and was abandoned for many years before being opened as a park in 2009.  It affords majestic views of the Hudson River, and has the added benefit of making you feel like you've left the bustling city streets behind for a bit).  I love pictures with that quintessential New York feel!

XOXO,

A Really Cool Photo Blog

by Rusty Ralston via here (or click on the picture)

My friend Autumn turned me onto this "blog," or rather, photo essay that a friend of hers is doing.

His name is Rusty Ralston and his project is entitled,

"30 days (and nights) in the Williamsburg-ish Bushwick-ish section of Brooklyn."

So far, there's only a few pictures posted, but they are haunting in their starkness and austerity. For anyone who is a fan of New York City, or of these Brooklyn neighborhoods in particular, or if you happen to love beautiful photography, then you should definitely check out Rusty's work over on his blog.

I can't wait to see what all 30 days brings!

XOXO,

Swing of things

My first weekend back in the city has been jam-packed-- it certainly has not taken me any time to get back into the swing of things.

Corrie and I passed Saturday taking fun pictures around the city. I used Picnik to adjust the look of our photos. That night we went to Megu and Beatrice, two nightspots. We had a blast dancing until 4am and then sleeping in late today. Here are some highlights from the weekend:

Part of the subway art. I can't remember what stop this is on the metro.

Christmas in the city

Corrie models some cool vintage glasses

Outside Bopkat Vintage in Brooklyn-- my new favorite vintage shop

"Playing" with the subway poster.

Goofing around at Beatrice Inn, where, incidentally, you're not supposed to take pictures.

My New Winter Jacket

Yesterday we had our first official snow, and today I noticed that the lake was freezing over. I think it's time for a new winter coat-- especially as it looks like I'll be in New York City in December, which means I'll be outside A LOT. I was inspired by Fog and Thistle's search for the perfect parka (she did the dirty work and compiled a group or worthy competitors), and coincidentally, ended up selecting the same jacket that she did-- a warm, white one from Eddie Bauer.

It was not that cheap but I found a great coupon code (20% off the order plus free shipping with code FRNDDEAL until November 24th) at the website RetailMeNot.com. If you're shopping online, I recommend you stop there first and see if there are any applicable codes-- I saved $40 this time.

My new jacket, arriving in 7-10 days

Heading Home

I leave the land of sand and surf tomorrow morning and head back to the East Coast. It has been a wonderful month filled with new experiences and beautiful new friends and I am loathe to leave. I must stay positive, so I'm making a top 10 list of things I'm looking forward to returning to (in no particular order) that act as my consolation prize.



1. Play my violin. Surprise, surprise. The non-violinist actually misses her instrument and looks forward to squeaking out a few notes on the old fiddle.





2. Eskimo kisses with Siegfried. Siegfried is my Miniature Pinscher. Weighing in at a hefty 20lbs or so, he is less the dragon slayer that he was named after and more a shy, whimpering pup. One of my favorite features, however, is his nose, which isn't much different than others in the species, except that his likes to rub my own when I give the command, "Eskimo."




3. Go in search of the Dead. Being in Los Angeles has meant that I haven't had the time to work on my quest of discovering my roots. While I may never be able to prove if I am indeed related to the infamous James Brothers or the Queen of England for that matter, I am eagerly filling out my family tree on Ancestry.com. I've made it back to the early 1800's on some of the line, but that's barely scraping the surface.

4. Time with the Sis (and other family). There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home. Dorothy was on to something with this oft-repeated mantra: no matter where one goes, or what worlds one see, there's nothing that compares with home. Whether on the spiritual level, or just here in the day to day, both body and soul are only completely at rest when they're at home. And, for me, an integral part of being home is time with Ernst, the Moo, and the Poo.

5. The Greatest City on Earth. Being on that other coast line means that I'm near one of the world's greatest cities: New York City. Even though I like to claim that I'm scarred from my experiences there, you'll find me hunkered down there at least one week a month in the city that never sleeps. And why not? My best friends in the world live there, my favorite church is there, and no matter what, I seem to still be able to get work there.

6. Back to Church Life. While it was fun bouncing around to all the churches that Los Angeles has to offer, there's something to be said about going to a place where everyone knows your name. My church in Delaware, Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Newark, is kind of like that; I've been going there since I was 14, so the people there treat me like I'm part of the family. My other church, Redeemer Presbyterian in New York City, is where I have my membership, and is home to some of the best teachings on the Bible that I've ever heard. Visiting there is like seeing an old friend: I find refuge and comfort and know that I'm loved.


7. Miss Morgana la fey. Much like the character in the Arthurian legend, I am utterly bewitched by my 14 year-old niece, Morgan. She's suddenly cool, and discovering better things (like boys), but I'd like to think that this old aunt still has a place in her life. She's a pet lover, so we like to take the pups to Middle Run Natural Area (where on a recent trip we rescued a raccoon!). She loves movies, MySpace, and photography (especially of herself. Sigh.), and I try to push a bit of books and culture into that teenage brain. All in all, we're a great twosome, even if she does think I'm a big loser:)


8. Back to the Grind. The sewing machine grind that is. It's the hobby that I love to hate. I find it utterly consuming, with me chained to my sewing machine or patternmaking tools for hours at end. And yet, at the end of the day, the devotion is worth it as there is nothing in the world like creating something and being proud of it. I'm into vintage reproductions these days and my latest project has me making a late 1800s inspired military jacket. I'm also quite proud of the vintage-inspired apron that I recently made for a pregnant friend.





9. Catching up with Old Friends. The old rhyme goes, "Make new friends but keep the old. One is silver and the other is gold." I made some amazing new friends in LA, but the ones on this coast have been here for the long haul. They've helped me move, picked up my pieces when I was falling apart, and been a good shoulder to lean on when I needed it. I'm thankful for these guys, and incredibly blessed in my friendships.

10. Back to Work. Believe it or not, I am looking forward to going back to work. Can't imagine why? Well, it means I get to put a little more money in the ol' bank account which means I can continue my travels-- and hopefully visit my new friends again.

Must Love Dogs (For New Yorkers)

I saw this ad in a restaurant in Brooklyn. It's perfect for people who love dogs but it isn't really practical for them to buy one for their own. For the details, click on the picture in order to view it at a larger size.

Away from my desk

I haven't been able to post these fast few days, as initially I was uninspired, and more recently I've been just plain busy.  I made some rather of note plans: I'm going to Los Angeles for the month of September.  It was an impromptu decision based on an opportunity arising (my best friend's sister needed someone to sublet her apartment) and the realization that I wouldn't likely have such a chance again.  My hope is that I shall be able to find a modeling agency while out there and procure a little work.  At the very least, I hope to catch up with some old friends, spend a little time at the beach soaking up those California rays, and rest on my laurels with out too much interruption (surprisingly to some, I do quite look forward to not knowing many people where I'm going.  I would love some "me" time-- and am thinking of getting a sewing machine when I get there so that I can sew in my new-found me time).

I spent a few days sorting the particulars out about LA, and then I turned around and came to New York City for a job.  I had a fitting on Friday, with a job on Tuesday, and, as always, it seems that every possible second is filled with trying to catch up with people.  Of course I do a miserable job, and inevitably leave knowing that I missed out on a few people.

This Wednesday, I will fly out early morning on US Airways to Augusta, Georgia (my birth place), where I will meet up with my parents who are currently in South Carolina.  Carolina is where I'm originally from and all of my family (with the exception of my immediate family) still live there.  I should already be there, but this job is keeping me here.

I can't write much today, although I am taking pictures to hopefully share in a future entry.  Tomorrow will be another full day, and then I work and fly out, so it shall most likely be a few days before I post again.