Mustard Yellow

I really can't find a good logical explanation, but mustard yellow has got to be my favorite color of all times.  And I realize there are so many other brilliant and beautiful colors out there but honestly, I'm sticking to it.

Perhaps the reason is because I notice so many things in that specific color.  I find that like a big yellow school bus, the color just sticks out.  You can't really miss it because it catches your eye's attention right away.  Another idea that I associate the color with are sunny days and warmth.  And being stuck right in the middle of Rochester's cold winter season, a person would want nothing more than sunny days and warmth.

And when purchasing items and objects that I like?  Well you can assume that my first color choice will always be, mustard yellow.

I swear by all that I am, that one day when I buy a house, the first thing I will do is paint my front door mustard yellow.  I don't even care if the color looks mix-matched with the house. The house will have to fit with the color.

WARNING!  Eye's might roll after reading this paragraph! 
But my favorite dream car that I wish I could drive everyday for the rest of my life is...an El Camino.  Yes yes yes!  I know!  Shush!  I am completely aware that GM doesn't make this unique model anymore and that the cars get literally 5 mls to the gallon BUT, I absolutely love them!  And of course, my choice color will be mustard yellow.

And of course, regarding all things clothes, yellow it usually is.  And I've mentioned before about the color yellow and Asian skin tone?  And really, I say boo to that.  Who ever follows that white after labor day rule anyway?  Not I.  And I especially won't follow any silly color rules as well regarding my favorite color, mustard yellow.

A picture is worth...

...one thousand words, or so they say.  But what a picture really can do is change the way you feel about things.  Photographs can really make a detrimental impact on how we relate to any subject matter. 

Take our most current event of today.  The disaster in Haiti.  I know that on my part I have heard the call and watched the news.  I've read the articles and felt the compassion build up inside me to reach out and help.  If anything, I would love the opportunity to go down to Haiti and rebuild.  But that's not what Haiti needs right now.  What the country needs is money readily available to help send down medical supplies, food and water.  And over these past days, I've heard that cry to help and donate money.  But it wasn't until I viewed an article and looked at the photographs did I really stop to think and feel and finally, give. 

A few photographs took my compassion and sympathy and turned it into empathy.  And I only hope that those out there that do feel how I did, can take a look and realize the disaster in that poor country and truly feel empathy for the country of Haiti and her people.

To view the article and photographs, please click here. 

*Viewer discretion is advised due to the graphic nature of the photographs.


Reputable Donation Sites:

American Red Cross

Habitat For Humanity

UNICEF

UMCOR

Courtesy of the Boston Globe, REUTERS/Carlos Barria

 

Courtesy of the Boston Globe, REUTERS/Hans Deryk

Courtesy of the Boston Globe, Getty Images/Marco Dormino/Minustah

 

She had the heart of a Lyon

So yesterday was a very warm and sunny Rochester day.  And going on my thrift-ing kick, a friend and I made a trip to a small town called Lyons, NY to visit a new thrift store called "Be Thrifty".  Little did we know, that when we got there, there was a vacant town and a mean little closed sign hanging from the store's window.

Now coming from a small town, I should have realized that certain general rules need not apply to the small town attitude.  Certain situations like forgetting your wallet at the general grocery store and knowing that your word is good to pay it back as soon as you get home to retrieve that said wallet...only in a small town.  Or how about the town grapevine and the tempting appeal of hearing about your next door neighbor?  Be careful, it might turn around on you...but only in a small town.  And of course the leniency of store openings and closings?  If its a slow night and things are dwindling down, don't be surprised to find things closing before the 8pm closing time.  Some things are higher on the priority list, like dinnertime and Sunday Night Football, but only in a small town.

So really, I should have known better.  I wasn't all that irked to find the store I wanted to go to on Saturday closed and instead, I left with sentimental feelings and memories of my home town and it's quirky behaviors.

Shameless Shoutout to my wedding site

I know that this might seem a bit distasteful to put a shout out about my other website, but it's Friday and really I have nothing better to say at the moment. 

Really though, my other website, Something Blue Photography, shows a lot of my and the other shooter's, Shinay McNeill, wedding work.  We started to come up with the idea after shooting a friends wedding together this past October.  It was so enjoyable that we've decided to partner up and shoot weddings into the 2010 year.  And hopefully beyond... 

What I like the most about wedding photography though it can be borderline cheesy, is always 100% personable.  What I mean to say is that the work speaks so much of two people making a decision to stay by each other for the rest of their lives.  And for us to be able to document that?  To see emotions and help create such wonderful memories?  It has always been a pleasure doing so. 

There is no need to coax any emotions out of someone during a day like that.

The Self-Portrait

The self-portrait usually gets a bad rep. Words like vain, egotistic and narcissism can be related.  And I would have to say that about 1/3 of my photography are self-portraits!  Yikes.

But the true definition of the self-portrait is the representation of the artist.  A representation.  There is so much creative freedom in that one word.  And there lies the complete appeal of the self-portrait.  When I was younger and used to play dolls with my sister, we would always begin a barbie story with, "Imagine that...".  The same goes with my self-portraits.  I will always imagine different scenarios and ideas that my character is going through.  It's fun and usually a good way to express my feelings and ideas.  And something so personal can only hold a deeper respect and meaning for the photographer and hopefully the viewer.

"Um, excuse me, I'm trying to take a self-portrait???"

"Really now, you're being quite rude."

"Don't be sad, we can share."

"See, this is nice."

Dress:  Plato's Closet
Tights:  Target
Cardigan:  J. Crew Outlet
Necklaces:  Thrift Store and Plato's Closet

La Dolce Vita

"We must get beyond passions, like a great work of art. In such miraculous harmony. We should love each other outside of time... detached."

-A quote from Steiner in La Dolce Vita, by Federico Fellini, 1960. 


Such a powerful movie with more told in-between the lines rather than on the screen.  I find that we are all "Marcellos" in this world- trying to find our happiness within something or someone, never fully satisfied with what we have and can do.  More more and more. It speaks of our fight with our morals and society's ever present opinion and weight of her cruel judgement.  I think that La Dolce Vita tells more on the human condition then any great story.  More than Fitzgerald's Gatsby or Dreiser's American Tragedy.  So dark but true. 

And beyond that, La Dolce Vita is a brilliant show of light and portraiture.  Watch it.  Then watch it again but this time stop and pause the movie at ANY establishing scene.  Fellini is brilliant, he'll always be!  His use of light, movement, angle and arch are so far superior that the viewer is set within a particular mood and feeling without ever knowing it.  You are instantly drawn in and held captive by Fellini's beauty.  There is so much emotion in each "portrait" shown.

Blue and Black

There are two color combinations that I never seem to match up correctly.  Brown/Black and Blue/Black.  Perhaps it's because of my father.  He works as a principal and has to wear a suit and tie everyday.  Sometimes my mother has to help pick out his clothing the night before because he can't seem to make out the subtle difference between a dark blue/brown pant and a black sock.  Like wise, I can't seem to find success with outfits. 

Lately, browns and blacks have found a perfect harmony thanks to great riding boots that seem to be on every Rochester girl alike and anything from cute black leggings and tights to dark washes of black jeans.  This also works vice-versa.  But as for blue and black?  Besides your favorite pair of comfy jeans and a nice pair of black boots, where else do you see a successful matching?

Over the weekend I went out thrift-ing again with a friend managed to pair together some items to make a surprisingly workable outfit.  Not only that, but I renewed my love of cheap costume jewelry.

Cardigan:  Gap, Gift from friend
Dress:  Thrift Store
Belt:  J. Crew Outlet
Tights and Necklace:  Plato's Closet
Boots:  Seychelles