what i have been working on...

A few snapshots of Mister Trummer. Click on the image to see it enlarged.

the good list.

Photo by me.

1) Went to the park yesterday at sundown.
2) Got some more shots of Philipp to work in Photoshop with.
3) Matthias is coming in a couple of weeks!
4) Planning to make the journey to California at the end of May.
5) My sister and her fella are going to make the drive out with us. Which means...
6) We'll have partners to sleep in our cars with.
7) Listening to Marissa Nadler's, "Ghost and Lovers" first thing in the morning.
8) May is tomorrow.
9) Everything's coming together.
10) Wanting nothing but my love, an open road and the sunshine on my face.

a lover or a fighter?

I married a lover, not a fighter but I keep this image in my wallet because I love it so much. Philipp was probably 18 or so here, I'm guessing. Some Euro photo booth, fists flailing.

shallowness.

Is there a better alternative to choosing your novels by their covers? I think not.Also: I love bookstores.

PS. I love the delicious sound of my husband giggling through the walls at whatever he is reading/watching. He is precious to me.

toys, etc.

Today I went digging through my memory trunk. Steering clear of the high school yearbooks, I got out a few childhood toys as well as these nesting dolls I bought so long ago in Kyiv. I used them as props until I could snap this one of Philipp on the grass... two seconds later my legs were itching off, that's how sensitive my skin is!

light hunting...

Yesterday we went to a local park, which happens to be really pretty despite being on a major road and nestled in between, like, 40 strip malls. It was about half an hour before sunset. Learning to "see" light is a lot of fun because you find it wherever you go throughout the day and it really makes you appreciate beauty in a more focused way. Anyhow, here are a couple shots from yesterday.

retro bathing suit spread

I loved this swimsuit spread in Glamour magazine. It has a retro feel and features the gorgeous Crystal Renn. Check it out here.Also making my frugal heart sing, my bathing suit looks exactly like the red one above. Except I paid $34 bucks, not $350 for it.

more picture dump.

I'm really challenging myself to learn at least one new thing regarding photography each day and to also shoot something every day. Here are four pictures from practicing by the light of our window.

I'll probably be embarrassed by the (lack) of quality in these portraits a year down the line, but I think it will also be kind of cool to see how I grow as a photographer too. Never one to shy away from future opportunities of self-deprecation, without further ado:

Expressions

I just recently started reading this book and really love it. Its full of really gorgeous portraiture and practical tips for getting the most out of your camera. Its one of my favorites in this genre so far. This seems to be the latest cover edition, so look out for it at the bookstore (and be sure not to miss it if its in a different jacket!).

beauty

This book cover is gorgeous. And I am sure its contents are just delicious!

Dania Beach

So as I mentioned, we drove out to Dania Beach yesterday to catch the early evening light. Here are a few faves of the afternoon:Thanks for being my mannequin, honey!

gone to shoot by husband...

Cupcake forms courtesy of the Schwiegermutter.

...in a nearby town. Hehe. The light is getting nice so its off to practice for my Annie Leibovitz shake-down 2009 future victory.

street shadows.

Just playing around with lighting at sunset. This is actually a miniature street sign for a train set, I think. If it weren't silhouetted, it would read, "Basel".

the good list.

1) Homemade granola (read: muesli's better & more delicious cousin) for breakfast.
2) Apparently blogging for exactly a year this week. Cool. I've learned so much about these types of things (read: digital things) since beginning.
3) Finding a closer, more secluded and less crowded beach by accident yesterday and returning to it today.
4) A just-right sized scoop of strawberry ice cream on a just-right sized cone with lots of little frozen strawberries scattered in it. I get really excited on the rare instance that American portions get it right.
5) Old school Americana-style drugstores with the storefronts still intact.
6) Learning how to add a watermark to pictures in Photoshop.
7) Reading essays on the beach from the book, I Was Told There'd Be Cake. Funny.
8) Pale 1960's-esque pink/nude lipstick.
9) Photo galleries on flickr.
10) Wasting vast amounts of time clicking through sample website templates (thanks, Corin!).

miami, it was hot.

Philipp and I got the bright idea to drive down to Miami today. It was hot. It was sticky. It was so hot that I could no longer stand it so I took my strapless bra off in public and tried to hide it under my sunhat, but the clasp got stuck in my hair and was dangling from my head. I am so suave.

lovely script

I love this packaging designed by this firm.

skeem perfume

If I wore perfume on a regular basis I would love to have these just for the packaging! It could be full of rubbing alcohol for all I care! Check 'em out here. Seen via the blog, Oh Joy!

cute & tidy laundry room

I saw this little laundry room on Design*Sponge and loved how organized and tidy it was. Check out he rest of the Canadian home here.

Real Food

I've been wanting to read this book for a long time now & just found it in the library's system. Seems like I am on another non-fiction kick for the time being.

I'm thinking this book is pretty much going to back up my "eat nothing from a box" theory...unless of course, that box just happens to be an IN & OUT box ; )

An interesting snippet along these lines here.

Backgammon out back.

The boys played backgammon outside in the sunshine after lunch. I took a picture of it (obviously).

Polaroid

I took a picture of my awesome salty beach hair after a few dunks in the Atlantic.

Daddy

My Daddy was in a motorcycle wreck yesterday on our family land. He had to go to the ER for some X-rays; I'm glad he is okay. The one redeeming thing to come from my deep-rooted anxiety/fear of death is that I am in constant evaluation of not taking for granted the people I hold dear. What do we have, if not for people?

I love you, get better soon ; )

The Easter Bunny made me cry.

Our plan for Easter was to grab Philipp's dad and go to the beach early in the day, so Philipp was going to wake me up early with coffee this morning. Much to my surprise when I rolled over after being told my coffee was on the nightstand, the Easter Bunny had left me an Easter basket!It was so completely & utterly unexpected by me that I started (still half-way asleep) crying! I love any & all holidays, but this year since money is tight, it was kind of unspoken that we would skip any goodies and just enjoy each other. Turns out, Philipp was bee-bopping all over the place to get these things and make me an Easter basket. Sneaky, sneaky.

The best part was how he insisted that it was really the Easter bunny, not him. Who knows? Maybe it was.

And how freaking excited am I about this new lens? I have heard nothing but great reviews about it and after playing around with it a bit, it shoots so sharp. Yay! Toys!

over, sideways & under.

the good list.

1) Florida's heat is holding out on us...for now.
2) Free, public-access libraries...I've been reading my butt off!
3) Eating a sinfully delicious burger from 5 Guys when you really want it (which is about once a month).
4) Eating primarily veggie apart from that. I ♥ vegetables.
5) Dentist visit this week--no cavities!
6) New Neil Young cd, A Fork In The Road (and archives to look forward to soon!).
7) Nightly runs with the husband.
8) Reading in bed late at night.
9) Going to the movies @ 12 in the afternoon...while everyone else is at work.
10) Learning something new each day...no, really.

extra-thin hammered rings.

I quite like the look of these extra thin stack-able hammered rings from jewelry designers, Blue Poppy. I wonder if they come in rose gold as well? Other lovelies here.

Annie Leibovitz quote.

Yesterday when we were in the bookstore (uh, one of the three we drove to) I was flipping through a book on Annie Leibovitz where she was quoted as "never asking a subject to smile". Hmm. I guess that's a good thing considering how all the pictures I can snap of Philipp are generally always so serious.

very cool packaging.

Peter Gregson
Swear Words.

Some very cool packaging seen on the blog, Design Is Mine.

sunset

Once again I strangled Philipp and dragged him outside for some practice [photo] shooting. This is the sunset outside our back door tonight--no color re-touching by me. Its so lovely at dusk.

blue doors

If ever I had a small cottage or apartment, the first thing I'd probably do (before even buying furniture) would be to paint the entrance door a rich, saturated cobalt blue.From flickr user reya.'s stream.From flickr user y_dans_la_lune's photostream.

beer festival downtown.

Uh, yeah. We're there.

@ the beach.

We went for the first real swim at the beach today. It was alarmingly cold at first but then refreshing. The Milky White Maiden (me) insists upon getting a beach umbrella to shield the sun for such further visits STAT! Florida has some of the most gorgeous colored skies I've ever seen.

for the hate/love of pink?

Anyone who knows me knows I pretty much detest the color pink. I don't wanna wear it and I don't wanna own it. Oddly enough, why do I find this fashion ensemble of Leigh Lezark's as seen on Garance Dore so striking? I'd never choose the color for myself, so it must be the contrast of the black hair and tights drawing me in.

On a similar confession, I think hot pink hair on the right girl flat out rocks!Image seen on Rock 'n Roll Bride.

Also: two other things that excite me: {pink} strawberry ice cream and the little tiny {pink} ice cream sample spoons at Baskin Robbins (I have not been there in ages but they made me so happy as a girl).

Easy Fashion blog

Through Stephmodo's blog, I found a cool blog dedicated to Paris street fashion. It's sort of in the vein of very popular, The Sartorialist, only for a (seemingly) younger & more student-geared crowd. If you have any interest in fashion, or Paris for that matter, check it out here.

delray photos

Yesterday we went to Delray beach for me to practice a few shots of Philipp in different light. They came out okay, nothing spectacular, but okay. I'm learning as I go along...**No chance in getting my shy Scorpio to smile in public while gawkers are walking past.**

a letter regarding bangs.

Dear tolerating & long-suffering husband,

Remember last year when I told you never, ever, ever under ANY circumstances allow me to:

A) Get my hair chopped off short again
B) Attempt bangs

Well, column B) has come back to haunt us. After seeing pictures of Krysten Ritter's (who? who cares.) home tour on The Selby, I want them...bad.

Can't I try again at a highly skilled professional's salon? Last year's abomination was surely the work of an amateur. I know I would gain super human powers if done correctly.

Let me know.

Your obsessing wife,

K Dawg.

vegan scheisse

Every time I leave my deep-fried family up in North Carolina I get the irresistible urge to detox and go vegan. This always makes me laugh, but it is true.

I usually prefer to skip the whole vegan/vegi conversation around mixed company because I find talking about it LAME-O & usually pretentious; especially in certain circles of people who use food as a religious substitute, but I could talk about the non-political joys of cooking & food all day long.

Farmer's Markets are my porn shops, yes, its true.

Anyways, for the better part of 5 or more years I was pretty much vegetarian. I did not need the t-shirt or anything, it's just how I liked to eat. It also helped that living in a former Soviet country with meat being sold on bridges with flies all day left a less than appetizing appeal for flesh in one's mouth.

Nowadays, Philipp and I love a good cut of meat every once in awhile; especially if we know where its coming from, but my heart belongs to fresh produce so that's what I tend to grab and enjoy preparing and eating.

That being said, I just put this book on hold at the library. I'm excited about it. I can't wait to see what kind of veggie centered recipes are in here. I can just feel a trip to the local Whole Paycheck supermarket coming up.

a mister and a maiden.

Philipp is all happy because the Iron Maiden show is tonight. No, I am not going.

cat eyes

Philipp could not resist the opportunity to capture my eye make-up. He did not explicitly say that, but I know that's what he was thinking. Yeah, right. From our 2 day trip to the mountains with the family. Oh. And to all my Swiss family members, I did finally get a haircut. See above. Thank you.

CarWars

Who will overtake the galaxy?

The cooler-than-life hipster couple with their 32 MPG Scion toaster carOR the evil blue-eyed sister with her 2 MPG Hummer submarine behemoth?(That's me posing for the Miami effect. Picture my sister looking like me, only with extremely curly hair, sun burnt and smaller.)

more marissa nadler

Philipp bought me this album right before we left for NC. I like it so much. She is great. Check it out here.Also the digipac arrived a little scrunched but The Mister arranged for the label to send another one our way. I love that he is just as OCD as me in these areas. Crumbled albums and/or cd covers are the worst.

An outdoor wedding photographed by Kirsten Ellis. Such simple + lovely little round cakes.

kitchen

Another baker's rack making me want a little place again. Sort of. Home tour of Kimberly Austin on Design*Sponge.

it's been awhile.

We're baaaaack...from our trip back in time to 1992. We've been in North Carolina at my folk's house with dial-up internet. Tons of pictures to upload and things to sort. A carrot picture from Abby Powell 'til then.