Urban Photography and FIlters

I've been playing around my my camera more and more. I especially love photographing things I see around the city. I've also been enjoying a new program called PhotoFilter which is exactly what it sounds like, a program with different photo filters. It's a free download which you can find in the Mac App store under the Photography genre.

Grumpy

This week has been intense and stressful. I've read an entire novel and enough literary theory to fill a binder. I have a Modern Art midterm on Tuesday that I need to study for. I also had an interview for an internship where I'd be developing a website. I'm crossing my fingers that I was impressive and professional (and that my purple hair wasn't too much of a turn off). It's the weekend and I was looking forward to sleeping in, visiting with my cousin and being straight up lazy. Not of that's happening now. Meh. I feel exactly like this kitty.
[photo credit.]

Random Occurances on the Internet: Undo

Tyler Parkinson's Undo.
All too familiar with this situation...

Chest Cavity

Oh Valentine's Day. Here we are. Old Enemies. I've been broken up with on you, spent you alone and hated everyone who celebrates you. I hate the corporations of pagan holidays. I really do. I'm all for having a fertility festival in which I get whipped with goat hide. It sounds like a good time. If you have someone to spend the day with, enjoy it. If you don't, you can be rightly cynical or just not give a fuck. It's your choice. In my opinion, cynicism is always more fun. [photo credit.]

Enemy of Love

There is love, of course. And then there's life, its enemy. ~ Jean Anouilh

Self-Pity

Today's just been one of those days. I was horribly unprepared for my classes and somehow missed a paper. Ugh. I hate missing assignments and I honestly had no idea that it was due today. No idea. In addition to this, I did not get a part in the play I auditioned for yesterday and I thought I did relatively well. Then the lack of my non-existant love life reared its ugly head with that holiday being on the way and all. It's a bunch of little things but on top of each other it makes everything suck right now.
I hate feeling sorry for my self but sometimes you just have to.
Not all the time.

Sometimes you need to take time for yourself. Acknowledge that things suck. Then move on.
So tonight, I'm doing just that. I'm feeling sorry for myself, staying in bed, ordering sushi and watching Bridget Jones's Diary. (And then something even sappier if I feel the need to cry.) Sometimes things suck and it may seem like nothing is going your way. Be sad. Get over it. And remember how awesome you are.
[photo source]

Random Occurances on the Internet: Leaf Cut Art

Leaf Cut Art by Lorenzo Duran

20 Things I'd Like To Say About...

1. When texting the person of interest, use correct grammar.
  Do: I like you.
  Don't: i think u fine.
2. When sexting, know that you should just stop.
3. If you're trying to impress someone, dress like it.
4. Acting stupid will only get you the attention of stupid people.
  Don't: "I hate books."
5. Compliments are a sure fire way to anyone's heart.
   Do: "You look beautiful today."
6. If you don't try, you'll never know what could happen.
7. Unless you're an escort, don't do it at work.
8. Be genuine.
9. When said person's parents are around, is the wrong time.
10. Don't be explicit with someone you aren't dating.
   Don't: "Girl-who-I'm-not-dating, I'd like to forcefully insert my $!#@$% into your @#^!#(*^%."
11. Smile.
12. Be a little obvious.
  Do: "I think you're swell."
  Don't: "I'm flirting with you!"
13. Being quirky is endearing, being creepy is... well just that.
  Do: "Aardvark babies are adorable!"
  Don't: "I follow you home from work every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday night."
14. Speak with the person of interest about things they like. Sometimes that means Googling microbiology or Japanese woodblock prints.
15. Listen to what they have to say. Maybe the time you're spending isn't even worth it.
16. Have confidence. If you don't think your worth it neither will he or she.
17. Be spontaneous.
   Do: "I'm going to get some coffee. Do you want to accompany me?"
18. Humor is great for making a good impression on someone and for covering up your own awkwardness.
19. When in a previous described situation, feel free to substitute my awkward wording to sound like a regular person.
20. Don't mention that I give you your flirting advice.
   Do: "I'm awesome all by myself!"
   Don't: "You read Abstract and Obstruct, right? NO? Well that's where I learned to flirt."

Random Occurances on the Internet: Mini Food!

Adorable miniature food sculpture by Shay Aaron

Cheer Up!

Sometimes when I need cheering up nothing does it quite as well as adorable baby animals. All photos link back to source.

Dress Me Up: First Day of School

This semester I had two first days of school. I had one class start this Wednesday and then three start this Thursday. Old habits die hard and I had to dress up for my first days of class. I love dressing up. It makes the day a million times better just by putting effort into what I'm wearing and I feel better about myself.

Dance Class

I'm so excited to start dance class again. My college consortium offers free dance classes for students and I signed up for ballet and modern technique classes. I danced for eleven years (ballet, jazz, modern, pointe) and quit when I was a junior in high school. It was one of the hardest decisions of my life but I had to do it. It was something I loved; I felt beautiful on pointe. Unfortunately, some people are mean and I was bullied a lot and went home and cried almost every day. It still makes me mad that I let a clique ruin dance for me but it was right at that time.

I took an advanced ballet class last spring semester and failed horribly. I wasn't as flexible or coordinated as I used to be and my leg muscles had gotten weak. I knew all the steps, I just couldn't make myself do it. This semester I'm taking intermediate classes. It should slow things down a little and get me back into the swing of things. I'm sure the first couple weeks will be hard but I'm also going to start eating better and exercising to get all my muscles back into shape.
It's a lot of work but one my dreams is to be back on pointe.
[photo credit.]

Nostalgia

Today felt like I was still in high school, but in a good way. Wait what?
I know. It's weird. I spent a good part of my day watching Gilmore Girls, which I adore. I own the entire series on DVD; it's hilarious and I get caught up in Lorelai and Rory's drama again and again even though I can just about quote every episode. My old GameBoy DS also made an appearance when I was looking for my DVD remote so I turned it on and have played the Sims Bustin' Out almost all the way through at this point. I'd be embarrassed for myself to admit this pretty much to the entire internet but the Sims games are just fun and addicting and I haven't played with my GameBoy since maybe my freshman year of high school. My nana made spheghetti for dinner and it's one of my favorite things to eat when I'm back home and I never have pasta sauce as good as hers. After dinner I went out for coffee with my friend Erin. Erin is one of my best friends and we've been close ever since we sat next to each other in our English class freshman year. We don't see each other too much since I go to school in Boston and she's in Providence but whenever we get together we also have a lot of fun.
So weirdly enough, I had a good day back home in Rhode Island. It was semi-reminiscent of my high school years (which sucked) but today seemed to compile all of the good parts.