Lisa's Likes

An essay on flight

2011-11-17T17:40:00.000-08:00

*all drawings done by my incredibly talented little sister :)

Working (as usual)

2011-09-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here eating chocolate covered espresso beans and thinking how good they would go with a cup of coffee. Naturally.

This summer was such a whirlwind and things haven't slowed down at all yet. Eventually I'll have to stop and do the laundry. And there might be mold growing in our sink. Ew. For now, I'll just stay glued to my desk til I get too sleepy or run out of chocolate covered espresso beans. : P

Road trip!

2011-09-02T11:48:00.001-07:00

We're all packed up and ready to go! I can't wait! This picture is from a shoot I was helping on a couple weeks ago. Hopefully it won't be as hot as it was there!

Venice Beach

2011-09-01T17:15:00.001-07:00

These pictures are from a trip to Venice Beach a while ago, where I bought the first 'Game of Thrones' book (which I never finished reading). I watched the HBO show though, which was pretty awesome!

We are heading to Yosemite again for Labor day weekend!

I can't wait! It's always so beautiful and the stars at night are amazing. I'm really scared of seeing any bears, but hopefully we won't. I read up a little, and all the bears at Yosemite are black bears (which are the kind you DON'T play dead with) and you're supposed to stand your ground because they can run faster than humans. ANYWAYS, I'm sure all this knowledge of black bears will be totally useless and we will have a wonderful bear-free time!

Hello from the palest girl on earth!

2011-08-29T23:16:00.000-07:00

Paintings

2011-04-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

I finished a few paintings this past weekend. Hope you like them!

Lexington Part 1

2011-04-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

In Dallas we went to the Dallas International Film Festival and in the second part of our trip we headed to Lexington, Kentucky. It was so beautiful, and we saw a ton of horses. We also went to a crazy art party, but more on that later . . .

Dallas Texas

2011-04-14T22:54:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a crazy trip to Dallas and Lexington. Here are some pictures from Dallas.

More pics from Descanso Gardens

2011-04-05T10:25:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures from Descanso Gardens we took with my Nikon digital camera. Somebody had been playing around with the flowers that fell off the trees and scattered them throughout the park. So cute, especially because it was Valentine's Day!

Then I saw the cutest rabbit ever.

So cute that I couldn't stop taking pictures of it.

Awww, look how he's nibbling the grass!

Rabbits + flowers + Valentine's Day = a really good day

Arax Film pics

2011-04-04T16:43:00.001-07:00

These are from Valentine's Day. Charles and I took my new camera out for a walk.

Here are some of my pics:

And here are some of Charles' pictures. They're mostly of me :)

Movie watching

2011-03-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

These are all the movies I watched recently.

Except I forgot about this one because I was really tired when I saw it.

You can read the Social Network screenplay or listen to the awesome soundtrack here:
Social Network

Or watch this short video about Cold Weather:
Cold Weather

Animating

2011-03-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

Last week I was pretty bored and decided to try some simple animation. I was inspired to bring one of the owls on my planner to life.

Enjoy!

Hoot Hoot from Lisa Rucker on Vimeo.

Arax pictures

2011-02-14T10:38:00.001-08:00

Charles got me a new camera for my birthday and these are some pictures from the first roll of film I processed.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Some things I like

2011-02-08T16:43:00.001-08:00

cough cough sniffle sniffle

2011-02-05T13:59:00.000-08:00

Just a couple things from my sketchbook this week . . .

Sick

2011-02-03T14:29:00.000-08:00

Blech, I've caught a cold and am not feeling super great. But here are some things that made me feel better.

Bottle from Kirsten Lepore on Vimeo.

click images for links

Chamomile Tea

2011-02-01T11:40:00.000-08:00

Cat

2011-02-01T11:06:00.000-08:00

I saw this cute little cat curled up with a doll in the window of this weird looking bus. I always considered myself a dog person, but cats are starting to grow on me too.

Out scouting

2011-01-31T20:34:00.000-08:00

Charles and I got to go out a do a little location scouting today which was fun. He knows a lot more about photography than I do, so I always learn a lot from him.

Charles and I have both been working a lot lately and I'm thinking it's about time for me to plan a fun weekend vacation . . . I'm not sure where to go yet, but it's definitely time to get out of LA for a little while!

Tom Gauld alphabets

2011-01-30T22:13:00.000-08:00

Birthday

2011-01-28T11:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my 26th birthday!

We had some cupcakes from Crumbs (my favorite)!

And I got an awesome new film camera as one of my presents (thanks Charles)!

Followed by lots of drinking . . .

Testing Testing

2011-01-26T18:56:00.000-08:00

Today at work we did a little timelapse test. It was pretty silly, but I thought I'd share.

More Yosemite Pics

2011-01-26T12:55:00.000-08:00

Taken with my N2000 . . .

Cartoons

2011-01-25T16:34:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid I remember loving these old cartoons we had on a VHS tape! Although it's a little weird that they both involve cross-dressing wolves . . .

Old Pics from Yosemite

2011-01-25T14:46:00.001-08:00

More film I recently got developed . . .

Knick Knacks

2011-01-24T14:57:00.000-08:00

Charles and I were trying to shoot out a roll of film and I love these random pictures he took of things around our house.

Sunny Sunday

2011-01-23T17:47:00.000-08:00

San Francisco

2011-01-23T13:10:00.001-08:00

I finally got some film developed from my trip to San Francisco with my family last August. When we went it was really cold and rainy and foggy, but it was fun anyway. Here are some of my favorites!

Because I am procrastinating . . .

2011-01-22T17:43:00.001-08:00

Here are a bunch of Natalie Portman movies I like.

The Professional. I wish I was watching this right now.

Closer. I wish I was wearing that wig while watching The Professional.

Black Swan. I wish I could watch this movie everyday. Definitely my favorite movie of 2010.

And looking forward to this movie (Your Highness) too.

Something random I learned today

2011-01-22T15:33:00.001-08:00

So this lazy Saturday morning, Charles and I were flipping through TV channels and stopped at Dante's Peak. There was a scene where someone dies and Charles' said "I can't believe they used the Wilhelm scream."

I had no idea what he was talking about.

(But now I do.)

Don't Look Back

2011-01-19T15:38:00.001-08:00

Haven't even watched this yet, but I'm sure I'll love it...

She & Him - Don't Look Back from Merge Records on Vimeo.

She sells seashells . . .

2011-01-16T17:31:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. The last couple of months have been so busy. I miss sitting down and writing in my blog, so I'm going to try and take the time to do it more often.

These are some shells I brought back from Florida.

Yesterday, we saw The King's Speech, which was great.

And today I started reading Don't Cry by Mary Gaitskill. So far, so good!

Fall Fun

2010-11-11T22:36:00.001-08:00

I was super excited about these new socks I got. They're so warm and cozy and perfect for cold weather (or as cold as it gets in Los Angeles anyway).

Graphics from The Graphics Fairy

Black Swan

2010-11-10T17:37:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend, Charles and I went to see Black Swan and it was intense!

I was always on the edge of my seat, but it was so good, we're going to see it again this weekend! I love the posters they designed (if you want to see the other ones, click on the picture).

Such a beautiful and scary movie.

Late Night Librarian

2010-11-09T20:09:00.000-08:00

Been working at the office a little late this week and took a break to go play around in our conference room which has tons of books and a big ladder. I always thought I'd like being a librarian because I love to read and organize. I just finished reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest and stopped by the real library today to pick up a few more books!

Home Movies

2010-11-08T17:17:00.000-08:00

A couple of silly videos Charles and I made over the summer working and camping with friends:

Lisa of Arabia from Charles Son on Vimeo.

Getting Nuts at Yosemite from Lisa Rucker on Vimeo.

Halloween

2010-11-02T22:09:00.001-07:00

I was sort of excited for summer to be over because things were just really busy, but it looks like the fall won't be much slower . . .

For Halloween I dressed up as Gogo Yubari from Kill Bill, it was a lot of fun!

If you're bored, check out this short film (30 min) by Spike Jonze: I'm Here

Morgan & Destiny's Eleventeenth Date: The Zeppelin Zoo

2010-09-22T20:45:00.000-07:00

I love this short film starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lexy Hulme, and Channing Tatum! Everything from the style, to the narration, to the animation is amazing! Click on any of the photos to link to the video!

Guard Cat

2010-09-21T22:28:00.001-07:00

There is a black and white cat that belongs to someone in our apartment building, but can always be found laying around somewhere outside or peering down from some high perch. Charles and I call him the apartment guard cat because he always seems to be keeping tabs on what's going on around the building and I almost feel weird if I don't see him when I get home!

*paper elements from Pugly Pixel!

photos taken by Charles with Canon 7D 30mm lens

Answers!

2010-09-19T20:16:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I'm not the best at getting back to questions people ask, but I promise I'll try harder! Most of the pictures on my blog are taken with the Canon 7D. I also use a Nikon D40 and N3000 a lot and my Diana F+!

Also, someone asked about my skincare routine. My skin can be really difficult, but I think I've found a few things are work really well for me. I moisturize in the morning and night and use an exfoliating face wash once a day. Other than that, I just try to drink lots of water and wear sunblock if I'm outside all day!

*paper decorations from Pugly Pixel!

Yosemite Day 2

2010-09-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

On the second day of our camping trip we hiked up to a waterfall. I'm really scared of heights and it was sort of terrifying but really beautiful when we got to the top. Charles and I also shot a timelapse of the night sky. The stars are so beautiful when you are that far away from any city lights.

Labor Day at Yosemite - Day 1

2010-09-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

Every year a friend of mine plans an awesome camping trip at Yosemite during Labor Day weekend and I was so excited that we were able to make it this year! On the first day we did this intense hike up to this gorgeous lake and by the time we got back down it was dark!

Old Griffith Park Zoo

2010-09-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

Ever since I visited the old LA zoo for a friend's birthday, I've been wanting to go back and this past weekend, Charles and I spent the afternoon wandering around the old structures and empty cages.

It's really neat to see something that used to be in use and imagine the animals that used to live there and the people that used to come see them. The weather in LA is so nice right now. It's the usual mid-70 degree weather, but something about it feels a little bit autumn-ish (which is probably about as much of a season change as there will be!) and it makes me feel a tinge of homesickness for spending time raking leaves and picking apples. In other news, I can not wait to see 'Never Let Me Go' which comes out this Wednesday. I read the book and loved it and the movie looks like it's going to be awesome!

I'm Back! (at least sort of!)

2010-09-12T15:22:00.001-07:00

Sorry for my neglect . . . It's been such a crazy summer and I think the craziness might continue for a bit, so I'll be writing here and there . . .

For the time being, here are a few cute things . . .

The Hundred in the Hands - Pigeons (Music Video) from DANIELS on Vimeo.

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

More San Francisco pictures. . .

2010-08-12T21:15:00.000-07:00

Vacation Pictures

2010-08-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

I've only had time to scan one roll of film from my trip to San Francisco! I brought my digital camera, but forgot to bring a memory card, so I ended up using just my film camera.

Helmet Cam!

2010-08-06T22:20:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! How's the summer going? I just got back from San Francisco (posting pictures soon)! We got this helmet camera rig for a shoot we're doing at work and I got to test it out. It was pretty interesting! If you want to see a video clip of what it looks like, I posted one below. It's just me walking through the office, so nothing too exciting, but it was fun (shot on the Canon 7D with the lensbaby composer lens).

Helmet Cam Test from Lisa Rucker on Vimeo.

The Old Zoo

2010-07-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

A friend of ours had a birthday party at the old zoo at Griffith Park. I'd never been there before, but it was really cool. It opened in 1913 and closed in the 1960s. Definitely planning a trip back to explore some more. Wearing my favorite summer dress again. I bought this dress in December in Ohio right before I moved to LA and since it was freezing cold and snowing when I got it, I just imagined myself wearing it in sunny Los Angeles.

Mt. Baldy

2010-07-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

This summer is flying by! Last weekend I went to a friend's wedding at Mount Baldy and camped out there. The next morning we went hiking to a nearby waterfall. It was so much fun! The water was so cold and clear. Tomorrow I'm heading out to San Francisco! Hope you're all having an awesome summer!

Hi!

2010-07-18T00:48:00.000-07:00

That's me in Ohio eating a hot dog on Monday last week.

And this is me back in LA yesterday. I don't know if it's been my hectic schedule or the crazy heat we've been having this week, but I've been pretty behind on everything. Hopefully I can catch up on a lot of it this week because I'm heading to San Francisco at the end of the month for a little vacation with my mom and little sister. Since it's been so hot, Charles and I didn't venture out of the apartment until the sun was going down and got some gelato. My favorite is almond fig...most amazing thing ever.

Redondo Beach

2010-07-08T06:36:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! Still in Ohio, working hard. I wanted to put up these pictures from a couple weeks ago when we took a little day trip to Redondo Beach.

It was a little windy, but when the sun came out, it was so nice! There was a lot of fresh seafood and even a live oyster bar. I'm not a huge fan of oysters but these actually looked really yummy. We rode on a boat with a glass window below to look at fish and saw a bunch of sea lions sleeping on some sort of old structure.

Back to Ohio!

2010-07-06T06:02:00.000-07:00

Yawwwwwn. I accidentally mistook a bar of soap for my iPhone. Yea, it's pretty early.

We're heading to the airport in half an hour to fly back to Ohio. Which means a long day of sitting, reading, and listening to music!

Tape and other paper elements from Pugly Pixel!

July 4th

2010-07-05T10:59:00.001-07:00

Thank you so much for all the get well wishes everyone! I really appreciate it! I hope you all had a fun Fourth of July. We went to a friend's barbeque and watched the fireworks from his roof. It was tons of fun!

In other news, I'm heading back to Ohio for work! It's so funny because I just got back from there, but I'm excited to go back, I love Ohio!

2010-07-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. Sorry I’ve been gone for so long! Part of the reason for my blogging absence is because of a small operation I had Monday.

When I was 18, I was taking a shower and found a lump at the bottom of my right breast. I really freaked out, obviously the first thing that comes to mind is breast cancer and I laid in bed awake until I finally went downstairs to the computer and started googling and found out there could be other reasons to find a lump in your breast.

I told Charles, who of course told me to tell my parents and go to the doctor, so I told my mom who called my doctor who recommended a breast doctor. We went together and the doctor actually found 2 other lumps besides the one I had found, there were two in my right breast and one in my left. She did an ultrasound and said from the way they looked and felt, they were likely fibroadenomas, but to be sure, they scheduled a needle biopsy.

At the biopsy they used a local anesthetic and made a small cut, and inserted a needle that pulled out a small chunk of one of the lumps. I remember my mom driving me home and looking down and seeing blooding seeping through the bandage and the front of my shirt. It seemed like it was happening to someone else. I never had health problems and I didn’t really understand why this had developed.

The biopsy confirmed that the lumps were fibroadenomas and the doctor told me they were benign and I should go to the doctor every 6 months to check up on them. She said they might stay the same, or grow bigger, or they could shrink and go away by themselves.

So that was almost 7 years ago and that was the last time I saw a doctor about them until recently. I guess I just wanted to ignore the fact that they existed and occasionally I would feel one and just be annoyed, but beyond that I never gave them a thought. I went to a new doctor here in LA and was getting a regular check up and part of that was a breast exam. She asked me if I knew I had lumps in my breasts and I just said “Oh yea, I’ve had those since I was 18.” Then she said something that surprised me “Well, they seem like they’ve grown.” Part of the reason it surprised me was it was the first I’d ever been to see her, but she was right. One of the lumps had gone away by itself and the other two had continued to grow, while I ignored them. She gave me the name of a couple doctors she recommended and after stressing out about it for a while, I finally made an appointment.

The doctor was really nice, she did an ultrasound and we talked about removing them. She answered all my questions and I felt pretty confident about scheduling the surgery. Except for one thing. Money.

Before I scheduled the surgery, I just wanted to know how much would it cost. Thus began rounds of me calling my health insurance company, the hospitals’ financial services, the anesthesiologist's office, over and over and over... Seriously, I couldn’t believe how difficult it was to get an answer from people. And once I finally did get a number, I couldn’t believe how expensive it was. Thankfully, my parents helped me out and I scheduled the appointment.

Up until the appointment, I partly couldn’t wait for it and was partly terrified. I’d never had any kind of operation before.

So this week, on Monday morning, we woke up and went to the hospital really early in the morning. I was so nervous. After sitting with Charles in the waiting room for a little while, they called me back. There was a row of curtains and behind each curtain was a hospital bed and chair. I got into the hospital gown and the nurse told me to lay down in the bed. She checked my temperature and blood pressure and then she left and came back with a couple of needles and things to put the IV in my hand. It didn’t hurt that much but for some reason, it really freaked me out and I started crying. They went and got Charles and he held my hand and calmed me down before the surgeon and anesthesiologist came to talk to me. They spoke to me briefly before the anesthesiologist put something in my IV and all of a sudden I felt really really sleepy. I saw Charles leave just before they put the oxygen mask on me and I was out. The next thing I knew, I was waking up like no time at all had passed back in the same curtained room. The nurse brought me some juice and cookies and asked how I was feeling. I mostly felt really tired, but I was surprised to not really feel any pain. Then Charles came back and helped me eat. I had a little time to rest before Charles helped me get dressed and we went out to the car.

I took a couple days off of work to stay at home and rest. For the first three days I felt really nauseous and dizzy most of the time, and it was really frustrating because I felt like I couldn’t do anything by myself. I couldn't reach up and get a glass out of the cupboard, or pull on my clothes by myself, but Charles was really great and helped me with pretty much everything.

Anyways, now I’m feeling a lot better and hopefully things will go back to normal soon, even though it will still be a little while til I can do things like yoga or jogging again. Honestly, after this whole experience, I feel so motivated to take care of myself and eat right and appreciate my health.

Last of my Ohio Pictures

2010-06-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

All of these (and the ones from the last 3 posts) are 35 mm film taken with my Nikon N2000

Miss you blog

2010-06-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

This is another picture I took while I was in Ohio of my sister. I love going home and seeing my siblings so much! This month has been so crazy! Things will probably settle down in July though, but there will still be camping, a visit from my sister, and a friend's wedding! I love summertime!

Busy June

2010-06-21T19:38:00.001-07:00

Is June crazy for everyone or just me? Looking forward to some lazy summer days.

Happy Summer Solstice!

From Ohio

2010-06-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

Hello from Ohio!

2010-06-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been updating or answering emails, I'm still on vacation back home in Ohio. Every time I come back here I can't believe how green and beautiful it is. So I'm enjoying the peace and relaxation as long as it lasts.

Diana Pictures from San Diego

2010-06-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

These are the last of the pictures from our trip to San Diego last weekend. And my suitcase is all packed up to fly home to Ohio tomorrow.

Monday Monday

2010-06-07T20:56:00.000-07:00

Monday again! Lucky for me, I only have a two day work week since I'm heading back home to Ohio for a visit on Wednesday. It's always so exciting to go home for a while. It makes me feel so young . . . staying in my old room, my mom cooking for me, no work . . . I can't wait!

outfit: dress from American Apparel, cardigan from Urban Outfitters, shoes from Target

photos by Charles with Canon 7D, 85mm lens

San Diego - Day 2

2010-06-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

In the last post, the third from last picture of me standing on the rock was actually a little photoshop comp I did! Hehe, it looks almost real though! These are the rest of the pictures from our trip — Cabrillo Park, Torrey Pines, and Shelter Island. Also, some people asked about a blue polka dot shirt I wore in this post, it's from Urban Outfitters (their online sale section is my go-to for a quick shopping fix!)

San Diego - Day 1

2010-06-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

Balboa Park and Sunset Cliffs

Charles took most of these pictures (with the Canon 7D) and I took the ones of the flowers with my Nikon D40. I dropped off a roll of film today that I shot with my Diana, so I'm excited to see how that turns out! More pics tomorrow!

Spotted Moth

2010-06-02T22:50:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited to tell you about an adorable on-line store I just found out about called Spotted Moth! As soon as I saw it, I really liked it. There are unique, adorable clothes at prices within my budget. These are some of my favorites!

If you use the coupon code "LISA" you get 15% off your entire order (one use per customer) until September! Happy shopping!

San Diego

2010-05-31T21:11:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, Charles and I took an impromptu trip to San Diego this weekend since we're going to have to be in the area for work. Be back in a couple days!

Assignment #2

2010-05-28T20:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Hopefully you saw my post last week about planning to stay more creative.

I invited you to join me (if you feel like it) in this little exercise and Miki-Kun was sweet enough to post her awesome sock rainbow with me!

I love the stripes and stars!

For my second creative task, I decided to do something a little more personal.

Assignment #2: Describe a cherished lost item.

Despite how creepyish my drawing turned out (frankenstein's baby escaped from a pink prison?), it is a sad tale of my favorite Cabbage Patch Doll, Roger, which I had since I was a little baby. One of my first words was even Roger (or so my mom tells me). Honestly, I was so attached to that doll, I even imagined him being buried with me when I died at a ripe old age (so maybe I was a little bit morbid for a kid). If you feel like participating, I made a little Flickr group where you can share your pictures/stories.

Sunny Afternoon

2010-05-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

Yoga

2010-05-26T19:11:00.001-07:00

Thanks for all the nice comments on my last photo! I haven't really done that much manipulation to a photo, so I'm glad it turned out ok.

I'm going to yoga class tonight! I just started doing yoga a few months ago. Before that, I was always kind of skeptical of it, I thought it was just sort of a trendy thing people did, but it's actually the only "workout" I've been able to somewhat stick to in the last two years. Plus it feels incredibly good afterwards when you're all stretched out and relaxed. Namaste!

Day Dreaming

2010-05-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

photo by me with Canon 7D

Random Things

2010-05-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: cake, pudding, whip cream, and strawberries

I painted a pink heart on my fingernail

Lovely yellow flowers

Playing around with my new iPhone app, The Plastic Bullet!

Stop Motion Test Video

2010-05-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

Stop Motion Test from Lisa Rucker on Vimeo.

I did a little test at home today with Charles' camera. Lesson #1: don't let the curtains blow around, it makes the light change (hence the flickering on the dresser). Oops!

(the song is Mike Modrak by Michael Cera)

Staying in a Creative Space

2010-05-20T22:21:00.000-07:00

So, as I've professed before, I love Miranda July and awhile ago I read her book Learning to Love You More, which has this great website that accompanies it. Ever since I saw it, I wanted to do something like that . . . just lots of easy, quick, fun little projects, and it just kept being one of those things in the back of my mind that would occasionally surface, but since it's almost summer, I thought it would be a good time to start!

Anyways, what I'm trying to say is, inspired by the project/Miranda July, I want to start doing regular little "assignments" to help keep me feeling creative, and if you guys feel like doing it with me, I started a little Flickr group to post pictures!

The first one I decided to do is pretty easy:

Make a sock rainbow

Ruffley

2010-05-19T21:50:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been feeling pretty grown up. Worrying about work and money and bags under my eyes . . . It's so stressful getting older sometimes! But I went for a nice hike with a friend and it was very refreshing. Now I'm going to cut up this awesome cold watermelon, gobble it up, watch Mad Men, and go to bed!

Looks like rain

2010-05-18T23:07:00.000-07:00

I actually like it when it rains (most of the time), but the last couple of days it's been very overcast and damp out, but no real rain. All this gray makes me feel very sleepy.

Tonight I went to yoga, which was super relaxing and then had a big bowl of cookie dough ice cream afterwards! Pretty awesome.

outfit: shoes/leggings from Urban Outfitters, cardigan from American Apparel, sweater from ebay
photos by Charles with Canon 7D

Sunday Stroll to Griffith Park Observatory

2010-05-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

outfit: shirt from J. Crew, shoes from Asos, shorts are old cut off pants

photos by Charles with Canon 7D

Yawn

2010-05-15T23:17:00.000-07:00

Last night I woke up to an earthquake at 4:30am. First thoughts:
A) It feels like there's a T-Rex stomping down the street
B) Is a giant trying to remove the roof of our apartment?
C) Oh wait, it must be an earthquake! What am I supposed to do!?

By the time I went through this series of thoughts, the earthquake was over. It's pretty bizarre living in a place where there's a "fire season" and earthquakes happen frequently. When I lived in Ohio, tornados were always the big worry, although I never saw one. Every Wednesday at noon they would test the tornado sirens and I almost miss that familiar feeling of hearing one and being reminded of exactly what day and time it was.

I spent over half the day holed up in bed, sick. Later Charles took me out for soup (and a huge brownie sundae!). Then we rented Fantastic Mr. Fox and watched it at home. Hopefully tomorrow I'm feeling better so I can at least enjoy half this weekend!

Long Days

2010-05-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

Another late night at work . . . lately, I feel like I haven't had any time to really do anything! I'm seeing some Almond Fig gelato in my near future and hopefully lots of non-work related activities for the weekend! You guys been up to anything fun and exciting lately?

Totally 80's

2010-05-10T19:36:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody. It's been a pretty crazy last few days. Charles and I worked on a music video all weekend, which included doing this to my bangs:

I ended up having a small role because one of the actresses didn't show up, but the rest of the time I was assistant camera. Hehe, it looks like the makeup lady is pulling something out of my nose, but I swear she wasn't! Anyways, hopefully I can catch up on some sleep and give the blisters on my feet a chance to heal and I'll be back to normal!

Miranda July

2010-05-05T22:34:00.000-07:00

I love love love Miranda July. I feel like she's such an amazing person, she completely inspires me. And tonight I got to see her speak at UCLA! She's so gorgeous and her mannerisms and voice are just so charming and totally enchanting.

The talk was about a book by Carl Jung called "The Red Book." I'd never read it and have no idea what it's about, but I would sit and listen to her talk about pencil sharpeners for two hours if I had the chance. At one point she actually got up and laid on the floor (as seen in the second picture) and even put the very book the 9-part lecture series was about on the floor and stood on it for the entire Q&A.

Oh, and her outfit was totally adorable, I wish I had a better picture of it!

She's an incredibly talented artist/filmmaker/author/everything, I highly recommend her book "No One Belongs Here More Than You" and film "Me And You And Everyone We Know," and if you're bored, check out some of her websites:

Learning to Love You More, No One Belongs Here More Than You, Miranda July

(the one on the left says "Here you will dream of endless kissing." the one on the right says "Here you will dream of people you admire exposing your fraudulence.")

Lots More Pics

2010-05-04T23:12:00.001-07:00

I'm so lucky Charles is such a wonderful photographer (and that he doesn't mind me dragging him around taking pictures all the time)!

Outfit: shoes and shirt from Dear Golden Vintage, shorts from H&M, hat from Fairfax swapmeet, purse from Urban Outfitters

photos taken by Charles with Canon 7D 30mm and 50mm lenses

Lots and Lots of Pictures (at Descanso Gardens)

2010-05-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been feeling sooooo lazy. Grrr, I need to get out of this funk!

Also, put new things in my shop!

Sleepy Day

2010-04-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

Yawwwwwwwn.

Was at work til 4a yesterday so I'm pretty much a zombie today. At least it's almost the weekend!

photo taken by me with Nikon N2000

Plain White

2010-04-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hi! I can't believe April is almost over and we're heading into May soon. Hope you're all enjoying the spring!

outfit: shoes/purse from Urban Outfitters, shirt from Old Navy, sunglasses from Antique Fair

photos by Charles with Canon 7D

Sunshine

2010-04-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

photos taken by Charles with Canon 7D with 50mm lens

My Weekend!

2010-04-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

*shipping tag from puglypixel

Shop My Closet!

2010-04-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

(Click image for link!)

Sometimes a girl just needs to make more room in her closet!

Check out my shop if you're looking for something new!

Photoshop Brushes!

2010-04-21T23:57:00.003-07:00

I made some Photoshop brushes and I thought I'd share them with you all! They're pretty simple but they were fun to make.

Click to download!

Cold and Casual

2010-04-21T23:40:00.000-07:00

It's really cold and gray outside.

And I don't like it one bit.

Rainy LA

2010-04-20T20:07:00.000-07:00

Today was a cool and rainy day in Los Angeles. But I'm craving mascarpone balsamic fig gelato, so we're going to have ice cream tonight!

outfit: shoes and purse from Asos, shorts are pants made into shorts, shirt from American Apparel, cardigan from Urban Outfitters

photos taken by Charles with Canon 7D

*someone asked how I make my pants into shorts and I wish I had a great secret to share with you, but I just cut off the legs, fold the ragged parts under and sew along the edges.

My Weekend

2010-04-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

Note: The tape strips are from puglypixel! I absolutely love them! Hope you all had a great weekend!

Time for a trim and Olive Oil tips

2010-04-17T08:51:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you've noticed, but ever since I messed up my bangs, I've been wearing my hair up. It's just been such a pain and I decided, enough is enough, so I'm going to get my hair cut today! No more flat, lifeless locks!

Also, I got a really bad scratch on the faux leather part of my purse last week and I was so bummed, but I looked up some DIY remedies, and after rubbing a little olive oil on it, it's barely visible at all! I was so happy :)

Anyways, I hope you all have some great weekend plans!

outfit: shirt and purse from UO, sunglasses from Antique fair, shorts are cut off old jeans, Ohio necklace from swapmeet

photos taken by Charles with Nikon D40 with 50mm lens

New Diana Pics

2010-04-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

From my most recent batch of bathroom-processed pictures . . .

Sunshiny Day

2010-04-14T19:52:00.000-07:00

It has been somewhat cool lately, but today was bright and sunny. I wore the sunglasses I got at the Fairfax swapmeet on Sunday. They're pretty basic, but I everyone needs a basic pair of black sunglasses, right?

Also, thank you to Poppies and Sunshine for the blog award! That's so sweet of you!

outfit: shirt was a hand-me-down, shoes/purse from Urban Outfitters, cardigan from American Apparel, sunglasses from Fairfax swapmeet

photos by Charles with Canon 7D

Bookworm

2010-04-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

I love to read. Thus, I love libraries! Ever since I was a kid, I've been a fast reader. Once I start a book, I hate to put it down until I've finished it.

World War Z is the most awesome zombie book ever! I like reading books that are movies and comparing the book to the movie, so it was a real treat to read Shutter Island and Precious. The History of Love and No One Belongs Here More Than You are two of my favorites, I could read them over and over!

Every night before we go to sleep, Charles and I read a chapter of My Footprint together. I also really like David Sedaris and I came across this book at the Fairfax Swapmeet on Sunday. I'm only a few chapters in, but it's really good so far!

Zombie Survival Guide is by the same author as World War Z. I just picked it up from the library so I can't wait to get started on it. The others are on my hold list from the library! Can't wait!

Black and White

2010-04-12T19:30:00.000-07:00

Today was a little chilly...

Can you tell I'm cold?

How about now?

Well, I was trying to suck it up, but I have a low cold tolerance.

So eventually I got all whiny.

And Charles took me home.

outfit: skirt/boots from Urban outfitters, shirt from thrift store, gold belt from Delias, cardigan from American Apparel

photos taken by Charles with Canon 7D

Weekend

2010-04-11T18:34:00.000-07:00

Busy as a bee

2010-04-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

Maybe I should become a macro bug photographer. Hehe. Anyways, after the houseguests left this week, I needed a little time to get everything back in order and we did some major spring cleaning yesterday. I feel the most relaxed when my apartment is nice and tidy. When there's a mess, I can't relax. So hopefully things will go back to normal and you'll see some good posts from me coming up soon!

photo by me with Canon 7D 50mm lens and 25mm extension tube

Antelope Valley Pics

2010-04-05T23:50:00.001-07:00

These are some of the film pictures I took while we were at the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve!

Santa Monica Pier

2010-04-04T11:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the Santa Monica Pier. It was pretty cold, I couldn't believe people were actually in the ocean. I brought my Diana and snapped some pictures, so I'm excited to see how those turn out! Last time I took Diana pics there I used color film, so this time I took black and white. I hope they look good!

Also, I saw this ladybug crawling around outside our front door and took a few pictures of it before it flew away. So cute!

Santa Monica pier photos taken by Charles with Canon 7D 50mm lens
Ladybug photos taken by me with Canon 7D 50mm lens and 25mm extender tube

Hollywood

2010-04-03T10:27:00.001-07:00

It's been a pretty busy week at work and yesterday some friends/family arrived from Ohio to visit. We took them somewhere we rarely go . . . Hollywood Blvd. It's always filled with tourists, street performers, and all kinds of crazy sights. Anyways, I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Scary wax people . . .

Lisa's Likes

An essay on flight

Working (as usual)

Road trip!

Venice Beach

Hello from the palest girl on earth!

Paintings

Lexington Part 1

Dallas Texas

More pics from Descanso Gardens

Arax Film pics

Movie watching

Animating

Arax pictures

Some things I like

*cough cough *sniffle sniffle

Sick

Chamomile Tea

Cat

Out scouting

Tom Gauld alphabets

Birthday

Testing Testing

More Yosemite Pics

Cartoons

Old Pics from Yosemite

Knick Knacks

Sunny Sunday

San Francisco

Because I am procrastinating . . .

Something random I learned today

Don't Look Back

She sells seashells . . .

Fall Fun

Black Swan

Late Night Librarian

Home Movies

Halloween

Morgan & Destiny's Eleventeenth Date: The Zeppelin Zoo

Guard Cat

Answers!

Yosemite Day 2

Labor Day at Yosemite - Day 1

Old Griffith Park Zoo

I'm Back! (at least sort of!)

More San Francisco pictures. . .

Vacation Pictures

Helmet Cam!

The Old Zoo

Mt. Baldy

Hi!

Redondo Beach

Back to Ohio!

July 4th

Last of my Ohio Pictures

Miss you blog

Busy June

From Ohio

Hello from Ohio!

Diana Pictures from San Diego

Monday Monday

San Diego - Day 2

San Diego - Day 1

Spotted Moth

San Diego

Assignment #2

Sunny Afternoon

Yoga

Day Dreaming

Random Things

Stop Motion Test Video

Staying in a Creative Space

Ruffley

Looks like rain

Sunday Stroll to Griffith Park Observatory

Yawn

Long Days

Totally 80's

Miranda July

Lots More Pics

cough cough sniffle sniffle