365 Outtakes July 2009

Music: Love Game - Lady Gaga

365 Outtakes May

Music: "Where I Stood" - Missy Higgins

365 Outtakes – April

Music: “Mr. Brightside” – The Killers

Birthday

With Emma and my Mom’s birthday being on the same day we couldn’t think of a better theme for this week.

This is Perceptions from Puddles.

Left is *Em*
Right is *Jess*

Gagalicious

Friday night Sarah, Mom and I went and saw Lady Gaga at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Though our seats were not the best (they could easily be described as nose bleed) the show was AMAZING. I had very high expectations for her stage show and was not disappointed. My expectations were totally exceeded when it came to her live singing as well. I knew she had a great voice but when I have seen her perform on TV she has often sounded a bit out of breath. Well that definitely wasn’t the case this night.

My favourite non-Gaga related bit was the audience around us. We were mostly surrounded by 12 year old girls who were not only just adorable to watch at their first concert but hilarious. Lady Gaga’s show is very explicit, with her language as well as sexual dances and gestures. At one point I looked behind at one group of girls and they were open jawed looking completely confused. I also enjoyed watching all the uncomfortable Dad’s, who had brought there daughters, while Gaga spoke of blow jobs.

I would for sure see her again again and again. 

365 Outtakes – March

Music - “That Beep” – Architecture in Helsinki

Things I Love Thursdays – My Mom

Things I Love Thursdays makes it’s triumphant return with a very special edition. Today is my Mom’s birthday! YAY! Now I know what you are thinking, everyone loves there Mom! Very true…..but not everyone has a Mom as special as mine. One who is willing to go above and beyond on every occasion no matter what the task.

I love you very much Mom. I hope you have a wonderful day! xoxo

Dirty

For this week’s challenge, Emma came up with Dirty. I pretty much got the idea for my photo immediately and was very excited to see what Emma would do. I was not disappointed and am really happy with how it turned out.

dirt⋅y - [dur-tee] – adjective
1.  soiled with dirt; foul; unclean
2.  obscene; pornographic; lewd

 
This is Perceptions from Puddles

Left is *Em*
Right is *Jess*

Winter Fun!

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Comfort

This is Perception from Puddles

Left is *Em*
Right is *Jess*

Sweet

Sweet for my sweet, sugar for my honey….

This is Perception from Puddles

Left is *Em*
Right is *Jess*

Colouring

No matter how many times I see this it still makes me laugh.

365 Outtakes February

Music: “Your Know I’m No Good” – Amy Winehouse

Flickr Friday

This week was pretty crappy and the amazing photos by my flickr friends brought beauty to dark days.

1. 20090325_10544, 2. The Moon Through Barbed Wire, 3. hiding, 4. upended, 5. Houses on a Wall, St Peters, Sydney, 6. Autumn walk, 7. Day 13 - 14.October.2009, 8. Roadside Shrine, Sydney, 9. DSC_0136, 10. black top diner, 11. Beads, 12. champignon, 13. 104-365 Lakeview, 14. "Red Nose Day" 047/365 * 13 03 2009, 15. autumn didn't want to leave, 16. 20090215_10009 copy c-ll, 17. big boy, 18. Untitled, 19. day three o seven. add color to my sunset sky., 20. Winners, 21. Oh, Gidget, 22. Outside the Vault, 23. The sky when rain is not pouring out of it, 24. untitled, 25. Out for a walk

Things I Love Thursdays – Autumn

 
Since I was little autumn has always been one of my favourite times of year. As the weather gets colder and wetter and the last of the leaves are falling from the trees I realise how beautiful this time of year really is. I love the crispness in the air on a sunny fall day, the feeling as you shuffle through the fallen leaves and cozy nights in.

I have to say my absolute favourite part of autumn is the colour. The yellows, reds and oranges that make regular tree lines streets explode with colour. 

365 Outtakes January

I have many Flickr contacts that I follow and inspire me daily with their amazing work. One of these such people is Melody Censor. I love all of her work, especially her 365s. For months I have been enjoying the videos she makes from her 365 outtakes. I also have ended up with many great outtakes during the project and always wanted to do something with them. I have taken Melody Censor’s idea and made my own.

Below is my video for January 2009 365 outtakes. Hope you enjoy.

Song is “Live Without” by The Panics

Dusk

Week five of the challenge – Dusk. I love the serene and holiday feeling of Emma’s photo and then the scary Halloween feeling of mine. Love it!!

This is Perceptions from Puddles

Left is *Em*
Right is *Jess*

Things I Love Thursdays – Halloween

For as long as I can remember I have loved Halloween. It is my favourite holiday by far and I look forward to it all year. I love the costumes, the decorations and of course the candy. I like that it is dark and spooky but still can be fun and kooky.

I have been doing a few 365 entries this month with a Halloween theme.

Fright Night

Monday night I went to Fright Night at the PNE. I had never been before and was pleasantly surprised. It was so much fun. I feel this will now become a Halloween tradition for me.

I convinced Denise to come on the Coaster with me….

Lace

Week four of the challenge and our first attempt at a non-colour related theme. Lace

This is Perceptions from Puddles

Left is *Em*
Right is *Jess*

Things I Love Thursdays

In an effort to focus on the positive I am starting “Things I Love Thursdays”. While looking at my Flickr photo favs for inspiration of things I love, there was one topic that seemed to repeat over and over….Wyatt. Now the fact that I love Wyatt is nothing new – but I also have a love of photos of Wyatt. Especially when said photos are taken by his ridiculously talented parents – Beat and Urq. Don't believe me? Check out DJBeat’s photostream sometime.

1. morning light, 2. owp, 3. Untitled, 4. Untitled, 5. Untitled, 6. 20090803_48115 x4, 7. 20090722_46787, 8. 20090708_45861, 9. 20090624_44091, 10. 20090621_43796, 11. hbm [4], 12. one word : hope, 13. 20090329_20068, 14. 20090325_10544, 15. 20090318_20128, 16. 20090221_40294, 17. 20090217_40184, 18. 20090211_40108, 19. 20081214_30194-1, 20. 20081222_10015-1, 21. 20090118_40553, 22. 20081213_30174, 23. 20091010_00328, 24. the story of the pear, 25. 20090926_51758-1

Simplify

I seem to be going through a phase lately where I just want to simplify and organise. Maybe it is just the season or maybe just a new road I am travelling but I feel as things are a bit cluttered in many aspects of my life. I also seem to have let things get into a bit of a cycle without really thinking about whether or not they are the right options for me.

Am I paying to much on many of my services? Is there something out there that would be a better price and give better service? Do I really need to follow this many flickr profiles and bloggers so I barely get a change to view the people I actually care about’s pages? Am I making my life more complicated then it needs to be?

I have been feeling a bit like this for awhile but I think what threw me into actually doing it was this test I did. SCWink had suggested doing this quick “life assessment” program – Clean Sweep - where you answer a series of true and false statements divided into the 4 major life areas of Physical Environment, Well-Being, Money & Relationships. The basic idea is that you check off the statements that are currently true for you, then go to work on the ones that aren't currently true for you, and come back regularly to re-assess until you get a 100 score, or a "clean sweep."

I am generally a glass half empty kind of person who continually worries about what is going to happen in the future and if I am making the right decisions. So when my results came back as mid range on every area I was surprised. It made me think that maybe I am a little overly critical of my life.

My currently results were -

Physical – 14/25
Well Being – 12/25
Money – 14/25
Relationships – 14/25

The questions have inspired me to look at my life and change things that just aren’t working. So that is what I am doing. Starting with the small stuff.

I suggest giving the program a go. It only takes about 10 minutes and who knows what you might find.

Blue

I love blue. So many shades all so beautiful. A colour that can express a multitude of feelings and makes a great addition to any song rhyme. This week it was the theme for our challenge.

I have to say this is my favourite compilation so far. I think it really expresses the two different places and lifestyles.

This is Perceptions from Puddles

Left is *Em*
Right is *Jess*

Green

The dictionary defines green as:

Green –noun

a color intermediate in the spectrum between yellow and blue, an effect of light with a wavelength between 500 and 570 nm; found in nature as the color of most grasses and leaves while growing, of some fruits while ripening, and of the sea.

For me green is crisp, clean and fresh. Like biting into a granny smith apple.

This is Perceptions from Puddles

Left is *Em*
Right is *Jess*

Perceptions from Puddles - RED

The lovely Miss Emma has moved to Singapore for 6 months to a year. I know, sad faces all around. To make the time go a little bit faster and the miles seem a little less far we are doing a weekly photo challenge. Our first week’s theme is red. Stay tuned. :)

Red - noun

any various colours resembling the colour of blood; the primary colour at one extreme end of the visible spectrum, an effect of light with a wavelength between 610 and 780nm

our weekly challenge to make the miles apart seems a little less far. god-sisters experiencing very different paths - one in Singapore/Indonesia and one in Vancouver this is Perceptions from Puddles.

left is *Em*
right is *Jess*

A Little Early Halloween Fun

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Two Birthdays, A Broken Curse & A Grand Final

So I am terribly behind on my blogging so here is another catch up to get us (a bit) closer to the present. Last month was birthdaylicious! First was Weston’s 36th. We went for dinner at Red Door (always a fan favourite) followed by drinks at the Cambie. I had actually never been to the Cambie before (shocking I know) and quite enjoyed myself. Though not nearly as much as Weston :)

Last months second birthday also marked the end of a decade long curse. Sarah aka Crawfy celebrated her birthday without a hitch. Something normal for most but a miracle for Crawfy.  We had a beautiful brunch at the Pan Pacific (I wish I was there now) followed by drinks and games in Coco.

 

The Grand Final was also last month and was the first for are Canadian friends. Saints vs Geelong was a great game and fully converted those who were still undecided on footy. Can’t wait for next season!!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

09.09.09

For my 365 on September 9, 2009 (9/9/9) I wanted to do something that would represent the triple 9s. I decided to go with nine faces of Jessie. I really love how it turned out.

Time Flies – Wyatt is One

Last weekend we celebrated Wyatt’s first birthday. I can’t believe that it has been a year already! It really doesn’t feel all that long ago that we found out that D & D were expecting! The party was small, intimate and laid back. Family, friends and the birthday boy – what could be better?!

My favourite part of the day was the cake. They had this lovely blue and white carrot cake from cupcakes which they placed on some brown paper on the floor and lit a sparkler. All pretty normal right? Wrong. The fun part is that this cake was pretty much just a cutting cake – their were cupcakes for the guests. Wyatt was placed in front of the cake and was let at it. I loved this concept. I mean how many birthdays for small children do you attend where the cake cutting is over in three seconds as they do a quick blowout of the candles and then whisk the cake away before the birthday boy or girl can get their hands on it.

At Wyatt’s party not only was he able to really enjoy his cake but it made for amazing photos. This is something I will for sure carry on as a tradition when I have children.

Below is a diptych that I created from a photo from D & D’s shower and another from the party. The difference a year makes.

To check out more of the photos from the day visit : http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutter_pixie/sets/72157612959839950/

Worst Blogger Ever – Along with a Summer Recap

I really should have called this blog "Lazy with Nothing Interesting to Say". I have been so terrible with keeping up with my blog as of late I am disappointed in myself. Really I should be blogging more then ever since it is summer and it has all been busy busy. Though maybe that is why I haven't. It's true that when you are out busy living it you rarely write about it.

Maybe that is just me.

This weekend we are staying in. I don't mean in the way that we are not leaving the house but in the way that we are not making plans to go out. Don't get me wrong, I love going out. I like nothing better then a jam packed weekend with friends and events and of course photo ops. I have found though that the older I get the more it takes it's toll. I am tired and miss just hanging out with nowhere to be.

But don't get me wrong - I may be tired out and looking forward to a weekend of no plans but this summer has provided a multitude of fun and adventures.

Here are just some of the highlights -

An impromptu trip to Perth - sad circumstances but fun to catch up with friends

A 21st Birthday - The lovely Miss Sara Q welcomed 21 with lots of drinks and giggles

Seth turned 2!! (and he has a bit too much to drink :) )

Many concerts - Sneaky Sound System, Coldplay, Russell Peters and on one night Kings of Leon and Emma and Rob's engagement party

Nights of drinking and debauchery with friends.

And a goodbye - Emma and Rob left to go to Singapore :(

As it all comes to a close I have a sneaking suspicion that just because summer is ending the fun wont be.

PINK

Jill of All Trades, Master of None

I have been in a bit of a whirlwind of a daze recently. I feel as if I blinked and all of a sudden in was mid-August. I have not felt very creative as of late which could be the reason for my lack of blog posts. It also could be the high standards I place upon myself which in turn when I don't meet said standard I feel the overwhelming urge to give up.

Lately I feel don't feel particularly great at anything. I know I am good at quite a few things but not amazing at even just one. I was speaking with a colleague at work the other day and she was showing me this woman who had done youtube videos about how to apply makeup and now Sephora has given her her own makeup line. You could do something like this she said.

This is something I think about daily. I would love to be one of those people who fall into fortune (or at the very least ongoing paychecks) by just doing something they love and are good at. You just have to find your "thing" my colleague said to me. Oh is that all!

In the new world of blogging and twittering and youtube, how does one make themselves stand out from the crowd. I love to write and do photography but I can name hundreds of others who are already doing it and talents far surpass mine.

So what is a Jill of all trades, master at none to do to find that "thing" to stand out?

Jennifer's Body - A Disappointment?

I just finished watching the Jennifer's Body (otherwise known as Diablo Cody's next project after Juno) trailer. I am a huge Diablo Cody fan, more for her writing of her memoir Candy Girl then Juno so I was pretty excited for a new project from her.

I am worried. The trailer for this movie makes it look like Jawbreaker for the next generation and let's be honest, Megan Fox is no Rose McGowan. So is this a case of bad trailer? bad acting? or god forbid just a bad script. I guess only time will tell but I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Also one can't help but notice a striking similarity between the movie poster for Jennifer's Body and the one for True Blood. Really guys? This is the best you could come up with?

Check it out for yourself and let me know your thoughts.

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=10988

Daddy's Girl

Last Sunday was Father's Day. I spent the afternoon with my Dad and then went out for a yummy meal with him, my Mom and Lindsay at Raga.

I am happy to say that this actually wasn't that out of the ordinary for us. I am lucky as I am really close with my Dad and tend to see him at least 2-3 times a week. And isn't that how it should be?

Thank you Dad for being great, funny, a fabulous hairdresser, making me laugh and most of all for being the best Dad a daughter could have! I love you Daddy! :)

Fighting is never the answer.....unless...

Friday night Sneaky Sound System was playing at Celebrities. They are one of my favourite bands and I was so excited all day for the show. We headed downtown at around 7pm and had a great dinner at Moxie's on Davie. Doors opened at 9pm and we were lined up there on the dot. I figured that with doors at 9pm Sneaky would probably come on around 10 or 11. I was wrong, oh so wrong....

By 12:30 there was still no sign of them. Sarah and Don had given up and gone home and after that many hours of the same techno song playing over and over Lindsay, Mom and I were near breaking point as well. Celebrities was over crowded and due to the time of night everyone was drunk and drugged out by this point.

1am rolled around and finally Sneaky Sound System entered the room. I say entered the room and not took the stage because that pitiful platform they had them on could not be considered a stage. The sound was pretty bad but we were ridiculously close so all was good. Until it wasn't...

Mom and I were standing there enjoying the show when all of a sudden we were doused in liquid. I look across onto the dance floor and saw these idiots pouring water everywhere out of their water bottles. I yelled at them to stop it and they came at us. Saying that they were going to f*ck us up and trying to get over the bar we were behind. I said to just relax but they were set off. As they started to get closer to Mom and I that is when Lindsay stepped in and told them to fuck off. When they kept coming forward Lindsay threw a punch at them but I held him back thinking at this point we could still simmer it all down.

They turned their attentions to Lindsay and started to make cutting gestures across their necks and saying how they were going to kill him. Lindsay was of course trying to get to them as well and Mom and I were just trying to diffuse the situation. Mom and I kept saying to them that they didn't want to do this and just relax. That is when they made their way up the stairs and over to where we were standing. Mom and I were standing between Lindsay and them trying to keep it calm and that is when they started going at us. We of course had to step away and then it was on. Lindsay threw a punch at the first guy and connected. I turned to Mom in time to see her pick up a bottle. I took it from her and told her to go and get security.

The rest I only remember in bits and pieces as it was all a bit of a fast moving blur. I remember seeing Lindsay fighting with the two guys as it pushed back towards the bar. His fists were everywhere and he was kicking new guys away. I turned around for a minute and by the time I looked back Lindsay had his back to the bar with two guys on the floor, two guys in a head locks (one in each arm) and one guy still going at him. At some point in all of this Lindsay got hit in the head with a bottle. I started approaching guys around the club asking them for help, hoping they would pull the guys off Lindsay but I was ignored. When I turned back to the fight I saw a new guy pulling at Lindsay. I went at him thinking he was helping the other guys but he explained that he was trying to help Lindsay. It turned out that by this point they were close to getting Lindsay to the ground and this guy was trying to help Lindsay get up.

This is when security finally showed up. They escorted all of us out of the club, Lindsay going peacefully and the other guys kicking and screaming. As we walked out of the club I caught a glimpse of one of the guys Lindsay had been fighting. His face reminded me of the son in that Cher movie the mask. He had lumps all over it and it was purple, blue and red. We explained what had happened to the bouncer and he said that he was fine for us to go back in should we want to. As hard as it was to leave the concert, Lindsay's shirt was ripped off, he and Mom were both covered in blood and the guys, which were now around 10 people, were still yelling how they want to kill us. We felt it was best to go home.

We were lucky. The whole night could have gone a lot worse. Lindsay's head was sore from where he got knocked with the bottle and Mom's neck, shoulder and arms are sore from when one of the guys punched and attacked her. But we are alive.....

....and I even manage to get all the blood out of our clothes.

Playing with Processing

Lindsay got me Photoshop Elements for my birthday. I generally am not a huge fan of post processing but with my 365 project I am finding that I need the options. I am getting used to it but am no where near pro. I do however love some of the things I am able to do. Especially making my photos look retro.

I feel an addiction coming on.

Not Quite Spiderman

So because of Lindsay's fight last weekend he has been too sore to train this week. Which is great for me! Not only do I get to spend extra time with my Marmaduke but the weather has been fabulous and we have been going out on photowalks every night (accompanied by the fabulous Margolicious).

It has been a lot of fun having other people with me while doing my 365 not only for their ideas and help but also to share the often hilarious situations that I get into while doing them.

It was also helpful when I needed saving last night. The top picture was taken at the school just down from my house. I had this great idea that I would take my shot hanging upside down. Once I climbed up however I completely panicked and Lindsay had to help me down. He convinced me to get back on and helped me rethink the shot. I think without him being there I totally would have given up! I love how it turned out in the end though. :)

LOVE

Going for Gold

Saturday was Lindsay's tournament. Is was good be back in the martial arts world again. It was a fun, though long, day and both Lindsay and Randy both went home with the gold.

I had a lot of trouble shooting in the gym, more then I expected. Next time I will have to rent a flash or something. Still managed to get a few good shots and Mom managed to get Lindsay's fights on video.

I am so proud of Lindsay!!

Links to Lindsay's fight videos:

Fight #1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-CZZji-hrY&feature=channel

Fight #2 Gold Medal Match http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7LWfPgud9Q&feature=channel

Happy Birthday Me!

Saturday night we went out and celebrated my birthday with dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory and drink at The Lamplighter and Metropole. It was a great night with lots of laughs. Luckily I wasn't too hung over the next day :)

Today is my 26th birthday. I have to say that so far it feels no different then 25. Though I do feel that 26 sounds far too grown up for how I feel (and act). This birthday has made me realise though how many amazing and caring friends I have here. I am one of those people who will often feel that life is greener on the other side. This becomes a larger issue with having the option of two beautiful places that I could live. This birthday made me see that sometimes things can be just as green where you are.

So thank you to everyone that has made this birthday a special one!