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Street Photographer

18 Jul

Self Portrait by Vivian Maier

Photo by Vivian Maier

Photo by Vivian Maier

Photo by Vivian Maier

One of the things I admire most about photojournalists and street photographers is their ability to capture life in action. Raw. No posing or fancy lighting or perfectly placed props or planning meetings. There’s something magical about looking into the faces of the people in their photos, frozen in time, and wondering what must have been going through their minds or how their life had taken shape.

This weekend I had some time to kill in Los Feliz, so I decided to flip through some of the fabulous coffee table books at Skylight Books. In the midst of my wandering, I discovered a book of photographs by Vivian Maier, a New York City/Chicago nanny who took thousands of captivating photos throughout her fascinating lifetime (1926-2009) and was only discovered in 2007 when historian John Maloof came across her work, found in a local-Chicago thrift auction house. Not only was I fascinated by Maier’s life, which very much broke the mold of her generation, but also by her photos, which were beautiful, haunting, funny and intriguing all at the same time.

I think when I wrote Summer Bucket List item No. 12, become a better photographer, (more on my progress with that in a later post), I really had photos like these in mind. A girl can dream …

{Photos by Vivian Maier}

On Getting Older

31 May

Do you guys ever get anxiety about growing older/aging? Since college, I feel like time has just been slipping by and even I can’t believe I’m already 27 years old now! It feels like yesterday I was just 22 and starting my first full-time job, and it seriously feels like yesterday I was just 23 and moving away for grad school….

I’ve always been aware of aging since I was very young. When I was 8 or 9, my fourth grade teacher had a minor heart attack that left us with a substitute teacher for almost two months. After he returned, he gave a passionate speech about how precious the time in your life is and how the hours and minutes and seconds that go by will never be yours again. Even then it felt like a heavy talk for us kids to grasp, but it stayed with me. However, it made me very sensitive about time and very anxious about how little control I had over it…when I turned 10, I knew that I would never be a single-digit age again, and when I first started high school, I distinctly remember thinking to myself that I would come to this place at 14 and I would leave it at 18, and that was a fact. In college, I was genuinely sad on my 20th birthday because I would never, ever be a teen again and it was so bewildering to know that these phases of my life could just move on without me, whether or not I was ready to move on as well…

But then, a couple of years ago, I came to the realization that aging is the best proof that we are indeed alive. Once that clicked for me, I felt such a great sense of freedom from worrying about the passage of time; instead, I started to see aging as a gift and I understood that my fourth grade teacher’s lesson to us was gratitude for time. When I came across the quote above today, it once again struck me how lucky each of us are to be able to get older every day, and what a privilege that truly is. On a related note, I also remember having a talk with a friend long ago that we wouldn’t plan for milestones in our lives, such as the age we’ll get married or the age we’ll have kids; instead, we would just always be the perfect age for wherever we were in life. (And really, what’s the fun in having everything planned out?)

How do you guys feel about getting older? Do you worry, do you not care? What matters most to you at this point in your life? I’d love to hear your thoughts. :)

{photos of Paul Newman & Joanne Woodward via}

Never, Ever Give Up

8 May

 

Have you guys seen this video about an army vet who was told he wouldn’t be able to walk unassisted again, and how yoga–and, most importantly, his own determination to keep going–changed all of that? His story definitely got me misty-eyed…and more motivated to up my yoga practice to every day now! Or, at the very least, to finally try Crow pose on my own.

p.s. Thanks to Adam & AJ for sharing this!

Just in Case

16 Apr

DIY Project: Suitcase Vanity and Towel Holder - Design Sponge

I missed last month’s Rose Bowl Flea Market, but I have just the thing in mind to pick up next month: A cute little suitcase like the one in this adorable DIY from Design Sponge. My bathroom is tragically short on space — and decorations — so I think this would be just the thing to spruce it up!

{Photo via Design Sponge}

The Ups and Downs of Planting

26 Mar

DIY Project: Recycled Pallet Vertical Garden - Design Sponge

DIY Project: Recycled Pallet Vertical Garden - Design Sponge

 

I have what is likely the least green thumb on the planet. If any of you have been watching “New Girl” and saw that episode in which Nick finds out he can’t even care for a cactus, that’s me in a nutshell. Still, I always have high hopes for planting projects — especially this one from Design Sponge that seems like it requires relatively low effort for a beautiful result.

And it’s yet another great project you can create using recycled pallets!

{Photos via Design Sponge}

The Perfect Pity Party

21 Feb

When I’m feeling blue, there’s nothing I like better than cocooning myself in my room with some of my favorite things–How I Met Your Mother episodes on Netflix, Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice-cream, treats from BabyCakes, extra-comfy pajamas–and just distracting myself for the evening. It works like a charm.

Kate had a similar idea when she posted about how to throw yourself a pity party, but hers is a pitch-perfect visual of how to do it with some style and some cheekiness. And she adds, “Over the years I’ve realized that wallowing in self-pity is just a pitstop on your way to accepting the bad things that happen to you. So why not have a little fun with it? Soon enough you’re looking towards better things.”

So true. What makes you feel better when you’re down?

{image via Wit + Delight}

Love Ever After

7 Feb

Those who know me well know I am a die-hard, hopeless romantic who gets all gobbly-gooed about love. And old people. Have I told you the many times when just seeing an old person sitting alone makes me want to cry? Or, more often than not, how many times I’ve teared up when I see two adorable old people walking hand in hand? Sigh.

Well, my sister just told me about Love Ever After, a project documenting couples who have been married for 50+ years. It was started by photographer Lauren Fleishman, who’s trying to raise funds for it after she discovered a love letter her grandfather wrote to her grandmother during World War II. How sweet is that? And how awesome would this project be if it became a reality? I, for one, can never get enough of love stories.

21 Days of Healthy Eating

5 Jan

One of my favorite magazines, Whole Living, has joined forces with one of my favorite blogs, My New Roots, to create a 21-day clean eating action plan. They lay out everything you should eat for three weeks, photograph all of the meals, and present detailed recipes for each one, promising vibrant health and better energy at the end of it all. The plan takes a bit of effort to blend and juice some of the drinks, but otherwise, the majority of the meals seem really easy to pull off and require just a few basic ingredients. And if you’ve been eating lots of meat and rich desserts over the holidays, this is a return to simple food with lean protein and no dairy or refined sugar.

Are you guys looking to eat healthier or change any habits? I’m planning to try out this challenge over the next few weeks…just minus the morning juices and smoothies (no blender or juicer :(). Think you guys will try this plan, too?

Graffiti Nouveau

28 Dec

It seems that graffiti has really branched out since my youth. Take “yarnbombing” for instance. It’s a new graffiti trend that swaps out spray paint for a knitting needle and yarn. I have to say, the results are pretty amazing.

I wonder how long it takes to complete one of these projects. It seems as though yarnbombs must be created by magical elves rather than real people. Either way, I’m in love.

Check out more yarnbomb creations at yarnbombing.com

Paul & Joanne

8 Nov

I’ve long been fascinated by the 50-year marriage between Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Since I was a kid, I’ve seen photos of them and they always look so blissful–relaxed, silly, and just plain happy in each other’s company, in that simple way that only people in love can be. Can’t you just feel the adoration in the way Paul looks at her?

Joanne once said, “Sexiness wears thin after a while and beauty fades, but to be married to a man who makes you laugh every day, ah, now that’s a real treat.”

What a gem these two are. :)

p.s. see more photos here.

{via Snippet & Ink and A Cup of Jo}

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