8.30.2010

Glassisimos

Did I mention I love my glasses? Since I picked them up on Saturday, I think I’ve worn my contacts for a total of 2 hours. 002

Glasses happen to make life a bit easier. All you have to do is throw them on and BAM! You can see.

Since my little eye doctor scare in July, I’ve made sure to take good care of my peepers. I wear my glasses to work everyday. But without a doubt, I always felt…frumpy. I didn’t feel the need for makeup because I was already all downhill.

For years, I’ve wanted a nice, classic, kinda hip, young adult look for my glasses. As I grow up (barely), they should do. So I’m happy with these puppies.

Who knows when I’ll start wearing my contacts again…

Fiesta

I’ve defended my good old Buick since I was given the thing 3 years ago. I adore my car. There have been some issues and, let’s face it, it kind of is starting to look like utter crap. But I’ve been thankful for the beast, as it really is my ticket to freedom. Unfortunately, and quite suddenly, I’ve been hit with the desire for a new car.

I don’t really have the funds to do such a thing, but as my dad knows the ins and outs of the car business (because he’s been working at dealerships for most of my life), I decided to ask him what I should do.

I probably won’t be getting one until maybe next year. Maybe. But he brought my attention to the Ford Fiesta. And I sorta instantly fell in love. And when I fall for things like this (as I did with my iPhone), I get super-excited and I try and find everyway in my power to make it possible.

So that’s that. Looks like I’m going to have to start saving even more than I have been. Less frivolous spending. I will have a Fiesta, I will, I will.

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I don’t want this color, but they are promoting the shit out of it. I do prefer a 4 door hatchback though.

8.29.2010

blogcrazy

I have decided to start a Tumblr account. You, here, are my number one blog. But I wanted to start showcasing photos I take of people and places and things that maybe have nothing to do with my life. This is my space to write and reflect and journal my experiences and friendships and journeys.

The tumblr will be a place to simply post pictures, my sudden need to perfect taking photos of beautiful and simple things, lovely people, the places I get to go, and probably repost things that serve as inspiration for me. You’ll still get to see that here. And who knows if this journey will even work out.

It’s worth a shot though.

Love.

Things I love at the moment…

  • Stouffer’s Macaroni and Cheese
  • My iPhone and all of the apps on it
  • Red lipstick
  • Classic Wedge salad from TGI Fridays
  • Catching a late show at the movie theaters with my sister
  • Playing the penny slots at the casino and winning a little extra cash
  • Magazines and all the inspiration and information they give me
  • Warm weather coming back around
  • A night at the bar with good friends
  • Hugs
  • Cropped tees and tanks
  • Doing what I want and just ignoring what other people might think
  • My new glasses!!!! Exactly what I wanted them to be.

It’s been a good weekend, even though I had to work. Still have Sunday though. Yay!

003 012007  Just a couple of random photos from the phone (showcasing some of the things I love).

8.26.2010

Can’t Hardly Wait.

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  • I can’t wait for my new glasses to be ready for pick up.
  • I can’t wait until I have another full work-free weekend.
  • I can’t wait to really figure out myself and what I want to do with my life.
  • I can’t wait until I can afford a new car.
  • I can’t wait until I have my own apartment or move out of the house with a roommate (my sister, I’d hope).
  • I can’t wait to travel.
  • I can’t wait to own a DLSR and hone my skills and make a real hobby out of this.
  • I can’t wait to go to weddings and births and milestones and share moments with family and friends.

Portraits.

Last week, I went to take some pictures with my friend Ed on one of my favorite roads. There’s nothing really special about it. It’s not that long. But the sky is amazing and open, and the road is lined with power lines, something I’ve become obsessed with visually lately. There was also a surprise treat for me, an abandoned/destroyed warehouse complete with graffiti tags. I can’t wait to take more photos of people. This is just the beginning.

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8.24.2010

Impending seasons…

Though the season doesn’t officially end for a few weeks (still crazy, where did it all go?), recent temperature changes have brought to my attention the impending presence of Fall. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy fall. But summer has been a good time for me. I don’t know how I feel about a new season coming, the end of the year rounding the corner.

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I thought out some of my Pros and Cons. I’ll focus on my Cons first, so I can leave this post on a happy note.

Cons:

  • The weather’s going to start getting cold.
  • Gray sunless days.
  • The beginning of leafless trees and dead land.
  • Winter will be coming shortly after.
  • I don’t have a nice fall jacket yet).
  • No more shorts and sundresses.
  • No more swimming in pools.
  • I didn’t get to swim in the ocean this summer.
  • The weather goes up and down so it’s hard to know what you’ll be comfortable wearing.

Pros:

  • Cooler weather = no sweating, cuddling, relaxing, indoors movie watching and wine drinking without making excuses.
  • I can buy a cute new fall jacket.
  • Fall foliage is stunning. And perfect for picture taking.
  • Colorful tights and leggings.
  • Flannel.
  • Flats and boots, shoes I haven’t touched in months.
  • Chunky cardigans.
  • Less humidity so I have better hair days.
  • Hopefully celebrating Halloween.
  • Pumpkin patches.
  • Holiday season will be coming quickly.
  • Wine country in October? Okay!

Okay, so fall is pretty fantastic. I’ll be sad to summer go, but there are plenty of good things to look forward to. Winter, that might take me a little more persuasion…

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8.22.2010

Weekend

It’s been a while since I had a full weekend. I feel like most of my Saturdays have been consumed by work or work-related situations. It was nice to have one off (next one won’t be for another two weeks). I didn’t do much, it appears I’m having allergies or coming down with a cold. I think it’s because I barely ever sleep and I haven’t been staying as hydrated as I would like. Not good, Michal Lynn. Not good.

Still, I had a relaxing time. Bowling with my sister, her boyfriend, and Brad. Seeing my friend Tracy’s new place with her boyfriend Steve (sooo adorable, a cute little townhouse. I’m super jealous). And general laziness, sleeping in, and relaxation (with quite a few cups of tea).

Cannot believe I’ll be back to work for the next six days. I don’t want to do it! Don’t make me go!

In other news, I finally found a pair of glasses that are pretty much exactly what I want. Yes, they are from the Men’s section. But that doesn’t matter much to me. As I sit here wearing a pair of men’s shorts passed down to me from a friend and a Cub Scout tee.

newglasses Here’s to a good week for all!

Why Don’t You Love Me?

"Why Don't You Love Me" - Beyoncé from Beyoncé on Vimeo.

I love the old-school glamour, pin-up, and flashy housewife looks in this video.

I’m not the biggest fan of Beyonce’s music, but I’ll admit her stuff is catchy and this song is relatable. Regardless, I think she is absolutely beautiful. She is woman.

8.19.2010

iPwn

Oh my gosh, I never thought I could love an electronic device so much.

I’ve always been a PC. And I don’t see myself unloading a grand for a Mac laptop. But, making the transition to an iPhone (the super controversial/talked-about iPhone 4 to be exact) was a great decision.

At first I wasn’t sure. A lot of people have talked smack (Antennagate, shattered phones), but my sister’s boyfriend has one and loves it so I figure as long as I keep it safe (and I haven’t had a dropped call yet, something that used to happen several times a day with my previous phone), I should be okay.

Anyways, my main goal with this phone is putting the FUN in functionality (haha). My personal favorite app is Hipstamatic. Considering I love analog photography, this was the perfect choice. Had some fun with it today…can’t wait to have more!!!

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8.16.2010

Blah-day

Seriously, why do Mondays pretty much always suck? Don’t get me wrong, if it’s a day off or there is beautiful weather it can be great. But for the most part, it’s usually crappy.

I had every intention of doing laundry (which I’ll still probably will do), cleaning my room, and staying active.

Instead, I threw on some sweats, considered a rather large bowl of Crispix my dinner, and fell asleep briefly while watching Greek on Hulu.

Oh yes, folks.
Welcome to the awesomeness that is MY LIFE!

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Today’s weather forecast: Hazy in Hazleton.

Currently Obsessed With…

  • the length of my hair, and how it has sort of been behaving lately. I want it to keep growing, but I’m so proud of how far it’s come.
  • Timbers Buffet. It’s the buffet at the casino about a half hour away from town (and about 3 minutes away from Brad’s house) that has incredible food that you can pig out on. I also love the casino in general. I know, that’s totally weird. But the bars are nice, you can nosh on some pretty great nachos, and I won 20 bucks on a whim on Saturday.
  • bettering my photography. I need to stop comparing myself and anything I do to anyone else. But I can’t help it. Regardless, I need to get out more, do more, and take more photos of my friends.
  • my iPhone 4 arriving in the mail. This will be my first smartphone, and I’m so excited! (I still haven’t gotten my shirts from F21, either…hopefully Monday!)
  • not going to bed. And not wanting to go to work. And wanting it to be the weekend.
  • hoping that I get to dress up for Halloween…and wondering what kind of outfit I’ll cook up. And hoping that someone won’t beat me to it.
  • good times with friends. Last Thursday, Maria and I brought Ed, Terry, and Joe to Wilkes-Barre for some grub, a spontaneous try at the Hurricane Emulator (most ridiculous, weird, funny, and totally worth it 2 bucks I’ve ever spent), and dollar bowling games at a ghetto alley.

IMG_7144 IMG_7169 IMG_7175 IMG_7185 IMG_7187 IMG_7199Oh, and rocking out to Taking Back Sunday will always be a good time.

8.15.2010

Mary Elizabeth Winstead

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Saw Scott Pilgrim vs. the World today. Of course, I loved it. Super-cool, gimmicky, a bit too-cool-for-you, but it was a great spin on a story way too many of us could identify with.

I remember Mary Elizabeth Winstead from her role in Death Proof, but after checking out a few photos, I’ve confirmed she’s a new girl crush.

I know what you’re thinking. I like way too many lady celebrities, and I hardly ever drool over hunky boyz. Well, anyone who knows me knows how I am. I admire the photos of these super pretty girls who get to be rockstars and actresses and models. Maybe it’s more like I wish I could be doing that.

But anyways, she’s gorgeous, and I wonder if we’ll be seeing her in more things…

mew marye

8.14.2010

Pause

I am not one to blog about my life. Don’t get me wrong, I love sharing pictures of my friends and family, the things I get to see, some of my experiences and favorite things. But I don’t talk about the issues. And there’s a reason for that…I have a bunch of them. Kidding, kind of.

Basically, this blog is a celebration of the good times. The things I love. The things that motivate me and keep me going. The things I’m most passionate about. This blog is all the things I would like to life to be.

Unfortunately, it’s come to my attention that my life definitely isn’t what I want it to be.

As a 23 year old college graduate who came out of school with the same job she had during school (meaning 18 hour work weeks, no benefits, endless time to stew in my confusion) and has only made a slight step up the totem pole, I find myself utterly confused. Because, well, the options are endless. And all I ultimately want is to be happy. I’ve lived most of my life doing without the things I want, or I found an inexpensive alternative that left me even more satisfied.

I was happy with most of the things in my life until this past month. A few things happened that weren’t catastrophic but definitely didn’t help my self-esteem or where I’m at right now.

The main goal is figuring out what I want to do and how I will be able to do it.

When I was in grade school, I read books like a starving person would attack a buffet. You wouldn’t find me without a spiral notebook or a black ink Bic Cristal pen (still my favorites, to this day) because I had so many story ideas. Once I hit junior/high school (or puberty), that drive to read dissipated and got replaced with movies. I still wanted to write…but maybe screenplays. I just could never carry out a full story. And then that stopped all together.

College had me focused on radio, but even then, I wasn’t sure.

I love so much. Writing/blogging, music, movies, TV shows, photography, fashion. But not one thing in particular stands out enough to say, “Hey, do this.” And what sucks even more, is I am more anxious than ambitious. I suppose writing will always be my first love. It makes me extremely happy to tell stories, discuss the ins and outs of things I love.

I want to figure all of this stuff out in my life. I want to start making my name. Making my living. Separating myself from the past. Whatever I have to do so that I feel like where I am is where I’m supposed to be. I don’t want to let what other people are doing discourage me. I want to succeed on my own terms.

Here’s to figuring all of that stuff out…

8.13.2010

Quick Weekend Updates

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy weekend!
It got here really fast...unfortunately, I'll be at work tomorrow. Fortunately, work only lasts 4 hours. Hopefully those 4 hours will go just as quick as the rest of the week, and the rest of my weekend will slow down.

Not much planned here, aside from an epic epic of epicness. So excited for it. I see no way that it could suck.

Have a great weekend, whatever you are doing!!!

8.12.2010

Where there’s smoke…

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Playing with smoke bombs.

8.10.2010

Truth Facts

  • I wish my hair would grow longer and faster (and thicker and smoother).
  • I extremely dislike white sunglasses.
  • I can never seem to quench my thirst and my stomach gets so full from all the water.
  • I wish there were more hours in the day.
  • I want to see Scott Pilgrim vs. the World SOOO BAD!
  • There are a few things I’ve wanted to do for a while that I’m too afraid to do and someone always seems to do them before me and then I get worried about what people will think of me. I want to stop acting like that and just do what I want because, of course, it’s my freaking life.
  • Jake and Amir make me happy.
  • I can’t wait for the weekend. Or the one after that. And that one next too.
  • I want to start taking photos of people. I should definitely hone more skills on general environments and things. But I think it would be fun to do little model/personality shoots or something.

That’s all for now, folks.

8.09.2010

Just another to add to the list.

As an avid fan of True Blood, I watch Anna Paquin on a weekly basis (and sometimes, as with most of the cast, I see a bit much of her). When I first got into the show, I didn’t like her blonde hair. Actually, I didn’t really like her. But I think it just took some getting used to. She rules as Sookie Stackhouse. I can’t imagine anyone else doing it better. And these pictures below are pretty fabulous.

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If I were to be lucky enough to become a photographer (if I ever get remotely competent), I would love to do fashion photography. Maybe I should look into this, study it or something. I just love the colors, the contrasts, and the way she makes some simple grocery store aisles look super hot.

And now I think I prefer her with that bombshell blonde hair.

{Photos from Paquin Anna.Com, shot by Frederic Pinet}

 

8.08.2010

Forward

Oh, in case you didn’t know, I’m back to work tomorrow. As anyone could expect, I’m not happy about it. But who would be? I think what makes it hurt even more is the fact that I don’t really have anything else solid to look forward to. I had to pick my time off by April 1st, so it’s been a work in progress since then. All the concerts I bought tickets for are over. Basically, any little getaways and plans and scheduled fun have come to a close.

So I have to make new plans, I suppose.

But unfortunately, summer is nearing it’s end. It’s August. The second week. The last summer month, really. Kids will be going back to school in a couple of weeks. The trees will eventually get all orange and brown and fall off and then, it’ll be winter…and I hate winter (Good thing I enjoy fall!).

As my life changes, it’s hard to tell what I will be doing next week, let alone in a couple of months. I’m hoping things will stay the same. Well, in the positive way, not in the habit of me beating myself up. Mostly, I’m concerned about spending time with my friends, family, and cameras. Can’t go wrong with that.

And, it doesn’t hurt that I have a pretty package coming from Forever 21. I like looking forward to the arrival of fun mail…

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Ruffles, frills, collars. Girly fun!

Nighttiming

My sister and her boyfriend Josh joined me at Brad’s house for some grillin’ and night swimming. It was, quite honestly, one of the best summer nights I’ve had this year. Brad and I went shopping after my volunteering stint (all went well and fast, but I do have my very first farmer’s tan/burn) and we bought chicken, hot dogs, and salmon, taco dip fixings, fresh green beans, and other green veggies for salad. I didn’t take any pictures of the spread, and I slightly regret that. But at least I have it stored in the hard drive that is my memory.

We didn’t get into the pool until around 8. We were sitting around, drinking Dos Equis and watching funny things online on Brad’s deck. But I’m almost glad we waited. The pool eventually got all lit up, as did his backyard, and it was like swimming/jumping into a huge bathtub. I didn’t want to get out…unless I was jumping back in. Excellent night…can’t believe it was my last full vacation night…

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Brad took some really great shots. The second from the bottom is outstanding. In other photography news, I found a link I saved last summer in my bookmarks for a website with beginner’s photography tips. I want to teach myself to use my little point-and-shoot to it’s fullest advantage. And also, really expand my hobby so work is just a thing I do in the day so that I can do whatever I want when I’m not there.

8.06.2010

Jersey

Spent the last couple nights in Jersey with my friend, Rafter. We bought tickets for a Kings of Leon concert forever ago and it finally made it. So crazy.

Funny thing is, the concert was my least favorite time of the little outing. Don’t get me wrong…I’ll always have a soft spot for the band. But I saw them a couple of years ago at a sold out show at The Electric Factory and it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. This time, I was surrounded by douche bags grinding to the song “Use Somebody”, got burnt with a cigarette, and nearly sweated to death. Sorry, guys, but unless you start doing some smaller venues, I’ll probably never see you again…

Regardless, my time spent there was fun, even if I do have a couple of bug bites and back pain from sleeping on an air mattress.

Wednesday night, I arrived and we went out for sushi, which is funny because I never eat that stuff but had just been talking about possibly trying it again. I went the easy route and got one roll with chicken and another with cooked salmon and cucumbers. I enjoyed both of them. While my options are limited (I’m allergic to shellfish), I think I’ll be trying another round again soon. Then we spent half the day on Thursday walking on the Atlantic City boardwalk. I’d never been there, and it was nice to see the beach. It was a nice trip, and I’m glad I took it.

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It’s the last weekday of my vacation. Volunteering tomorrow…not very happy about the timing on that. It’s cutting into the final moments of my work-free, relaxation-filled time off. I’m getting sad. But I’ll survive, books and magazines in tow, smile on my face ‘til its time to punch out.