Did I mention…

I love my camera? A lot. Due to cold weather outside, I haven’t really been able to take it out for a test run and let it do it’s beautiful thing. It’s actually kind of nice today (and I have the day off, thank the Lordy and MLK Jr.) so I thought, why not?

 
I am just so happy that I have a camera that works and has a much better quality than my previous one. These photos would have been blurry, or I would’ve needed to edit them to get such rich colors. These haven’t been touched, and I am so excited. The second one down is so warm, and all I did was put it on the Foliage setting.

Also, this was a photo taken of an amazing sunset on Wednesday evening. That’s my backyard…where I took the photos from above. Can you believe how much snow there used to be? Or rather, how much snow isn’t there anymore?

Budding Romance

I know we just met. It was brief. But I couldn’t wait to see you again today. And now I know for sure, this is really it. When I’m with you, I feel comfortable. Happy. Maybe even a little sexy. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this way. I was weary at first. I don’t usually look for these types of things over the internet. You never know what you’re going to get. But I’m so glad I did this. Because this is the start of a very beautiful relationship.

I am, of course, talking about my new Chinese Laundry Trust Me boots. Black leather. They are the most money I’ve ever spent on a pair of shoes in my life so far and I’m so happy. You can’t go wrong with black leather boots. And I’ve been wanting a pair that go over-the-knee forever now. So this girl is head over heels.

My dream…

If I could do anything in the world (I guess you can but you have to actually make efforts and strive to achieve your goals), I honestly would become a professional dancer. I love dancing. I don’t do it enough, and I obviously don’t do it for real. But I wish I had practiced it my whole life. I just always felt like the little dance classes I took weren’t what I wanted (I did jazz, tap, and a bit of ballet, not for very long). I think I’m more of a hip-hop, modern, salsa-ish gal.

Anyway…here are some dances I really love.

Basically, I love anything that fits with the song, that shows true emotion and almost tells a story. Maybe one day, I’ll be able to tell a story like that.

Golly Gee

My friends are cute. I love them. I feel like me when I’m around them. Which isn’t nearly as often as it should be. Ugh.

I’d quite enjoy a vampire weekend…

I was driving to work yesterday morning, in a rather grumpy mood (I’ve been sick with a cold since Monday, tired from waking up early to get to work with said cold, and just plain cold as always) when I decided to put Vampire Weekend on.

I had one of those moments when everything is wonderful and you feel perfectly content with your life. My car was finally warm, the sun was flickering through the trees (it doesn’t come out much these days), and Ezra Koenig was serenading me through the Bu’s speakers. Life is great sometimes, even when it’s not (Scroll down to April 2nd…:( ). I also realized I really do tend to like things involving vampires…

Take this pen to paper…

I am suddenly brimming over the edges with all kinds of creativity. I have a bunch of ideas for photo shoots and I even started thinking about a short story…I’ve had one in my head for a while now but I just never get around to doing anything about it. Which is my problem.

{PaperTissue}

All of the things floating in my head are fantastic (in my mind), and would be even better if they were finally born into amazing pictures to frame or pages to flip through (in a notebook, I’m not expecting anything I ever write to publish beyond the pages of this blog haha). The only problem is, I never let myself get around to it. But I want to change this. I want to stop talking to myself in the car on the way home and write these scenes down. I want to stop saying I’m going to go get props and accessories and go buy them. I know I have people to help me out and back me up and who are just as excited as I am about the things I want to do. I want to get off my butt and do it already.

I just hope I finally follow through.

Average Girl Beauty Recommendations

I am far from a glamour girl and I’m nowhere near perfect. My tastes in make up and products have changed a lot over the years. But there are some things I’ve stood by for a long time, that maybe even changed my life in a way. So why not take the time to discuss?

My skin isn’t flawless and perfect. Man, I wish. I’ve been through lots with it and luckily, it’s been doing pretty well. Over time, I can probably credit Cetaphil face wash for that. I was introduced by a dermatologist, which was interesting because many before her had prescribed me all kinds of medicated, smelly washes. This is a simple, non-irritating formula that I swear by and have been using religiously since high school. I feel like a lot of us get pissed off with our unruly breakouts and try and attack. But sometimes, all you need is a simple wash that keeps everything in order without stripping all the necessities.

I know there is a competitor but C.O. Bigelow’s Rose Salve is easier for my to obtain and I don’t use anything else. I’m not one for lip gloss and I think lipstick looks weird on me, so I’ve always been a lip balm girl. Unfortunately, the sticks tend to dry my lips out more than moisturize them. This tin lasts for a long time…I’m pretty sure I’ve been using the same one since before I graduated college. It actually makes my lips feel soft and smooth and it just makes them look and feel healthier. It may seem strange to put something scented like flowers on your lips but there is no taste and the smell is so light it disappears pretty quickly. I am a big advocate of this product. 

When it comes to makeup, less is more for me lately. When I have a lot of make up on, I don’t feel like myself. I like when my skin can shine through. I’m not perfect and sometimes heavy makeup just accentuates that. So I stick with concealers and blush. The one place I can have fun and experiment is mascara. But I almost always run to the Rimmel aisle. The mascaras are priced well and there are all kinds of formulas you can try. I go through them pretty quickly because I love loading it on. I’d recommend any one of their mascaras, but I am currently using the one above, which is the latest product.

Moisturizing  is super tough for me because I have combination skin. If I don’t moisturize enough, I get dry spots. If I use something too greasy, I am an oil slick. So finding something good was hard for me. I’ve been using this Aveeno moisturizer on and off for years now (sometimes I use something a bit creamier for colder weather) and whenever I stray, I always come crawling back. The formula is perfect for my oily streak, because it almost mattes it down. And yet, I’m still soft and smooth.

So there ya have it. I know it’s not much, but I’m pretty low-maintenance when it comes to beauty products.