Night Photography

So my latest photography assignment was experimenting with night photography, and long shutter speeds. As soon as I looked over this assignment the first thing that came to my mind was merry-go-rounds and glow sticks. I grabbed my brother and friend Emily to help me out a bit. This was an interesting assignment, and I am pleased with the results.  

I also have this photo in black and white. I can't decide which one I like better. Comments?

So my latest photography assignment was experimenting with night photography, and long shutter speeds. As soon as I looked over this assignment the first thing that came to my mind was merry-go-rounds and glow sticks. I grabbed my brother and friend Emily to help me out a bit. This was an interesting assignment, and I am pleased with the results.
This was a really fun assignment. It got really frustrating at some points, but it was an assignment that really stretched my thinking. There was also a lot of trial and error, so I feel like I really learned how to use my camera. It was just fun, and I really want to do it again. Hopefully the next time I go it isn't raining! That really put a damper on things. Plus, my battery ended up dying, so I couldn't experiment for as long as I want to. Overall, I think I got some interesting photos! Success!

Velma No More

So I got a haircut on Saturday, and it was absolutely fantastic. For a while here I was trying to grow my hair out a bit. For some unknown reason I was fascinated by the idea of being able to put my hair in a ponytail. I was determined to make it happen, but I got impatient and realized short hair suits me a lot better. So I have gone back to short hair AND my natural color! I can't even remember the last time my hair was my natural shade. Too long!

 

 Before

After

 This new hair cut has kind of been the best thing EVER! I have never had it this short before, so I have been getting used to it. It seriously is fantastic though. When I wake up it pretty much looks the exact same as it did the day before, I barely have to use any shampoo and conditioner (heck to the yeah), and it takes a total of about 2 minutes to style. Talk about my kind of a hair cut! I am a little worried that because it is so easy to manage I will find myself becoming very lazy when it comes to appearance. I am going to do my best to avoid that.

The kids at work had very mixed feelings about it (as they always do with my wild and crazy hair cut changes). One little girl came up to me and told me that she loved it, but then got really quiet and told me she had to tell me something. I told her that it was ok, and that she could tell me what she was thinking. She then proceeded to tell me that I looked like a boy... HAHAHA! It was actually really cute. She was so embarrased, and I think she was confused as to why she liked it so much because it was a boy hair cut. Working with kids you develop a thick skin pretty quickly, so comments like these obviously don't offend me. I know they don't mean anything by them. They are just voicing their opinions, and being honest. The majority of the kids liked it, but a few told me they liked me better with longer hair. I always love hearing what the kids have to say about my new hair. Their reactions facinate me. My favorite quote of the day was when one of my little first graders came up to me and told me with much enthiuasm, "You look handsome!" Seriously the greatest thing of my life!

One of the things I want to teach the kids I work with is that not everything in the world is black and white. I want them to realize that there are all types of different people, and that everyone has different interests. I want them to know that it is ok to be different, and as long as you are happy that is all that matters. That is why I let them say whatever they want about something as silly and pointless as my hair. I want them to be able to express their curiosity and confusion as to why I choose to cut my hair short like a boy. By letting them talk to me about it I can tell them that yes, the haircut I have is a boy haircut, but that there is nothing wrong with that. Girls can like "boy" things, and boys can like "girl" things. I want them to see that these "things" that we have classified as being strictly boy or girl stereotypes can easily overlap, and that it is perfectly normal and ok. I don't know if this makes any sense. I just think that people, specifically kids, nowadays are unable to have complete control over their creativity due to social norms and gender stereotypes. I want to teach these kids that it doesn't have to be that way. That you can still be normal even if you bend the rules of society a little.

I feel like I am rambling, so I am going to stop that discussion here.

 (Apologies for the crappy insta pic)

This weekend I went to my first concert of the year! It was more of a dance party, but I see nothing wrong with that. It was just a bunch of dj's doing their thing. One of my friends knew one of the djs, so that is why we went in the first place. That isn't usually my type of thing, but it was actually very fun. It was quite an interesting night full of dancing, unexpected run-ins, and seeing Neon Trees at Village Inn afterward. I know I probably should have been starstruck... but I wasn't. I tried to be, but I was just kind of like, "Eh... Neon Trees. It started with a whisper.. good song. Lets listen to that on the way home." It ended there basically, but it is a fun story!

Well that was basically my weekend. I got to see some old friends from high school on Sunday, so that was quite fun. I also got to see my friend Emily who I haven't seen in FOREVER, and we went and took some night photos for my photography class. It was so much fun getting to hang out with her, and I am so happy to have my concert buddy back! Other than that, I had a pretty relaxing weekend. Any of you do something fun over the weekend?

1.24.13

found here

Today I just feel like writing. Is that alright? No specific posts. I will pick up on all that stuff on Monday. Until then I just want to write about random things. I usually do that anyway, but this is just a warning. Until Monday, any posts (if there are any) will just be some writing. Maybe I will add an awesome quote or graphic to make it look pretty. Like I just did...

This quote (if this is even a quote) is kind of my favorite right now. I don't know about you, but sometimes I get sick and tired of being compared to everything and everyone. Nothing is about being yourself. If you are going to do something, it should be like something else. Take the above quote for example, "Look like a girl. Act like a lady... blah blah blah." What does that even mean? Like for real though think about it. These are just things that our society has ingrained into our heads that we have to  be. It is what you need to act like or be like in order to be acceptable. Well I don't agree. I get the concept, but I think we should be whoever we want to be. I don't think we have an obligation to fit into societal norms. Just be yourself. I would think that the majority of people are pretty normal without having all these "rules" that we should be living by. Just sayin'.

This past weekend was a longer weekend due to MLK day. Basically what this means is I didn't have school OR work. Aka best thing ever! How did I spend my extra free day. Why going to the dermatologist and exploring Barnes & Noble of course! You guys, I seriously spent like an hour and a half in Barnes & Noble just looking around. I gathered plenty of fashion, art, and photography books and enjoyed and hour and a half of beautiful pictures and inspiring messages. As I was going through what I would call a cookbook created by Nylon magazine I realized how purely content and happy I was just sitting there in a crowded Barnes & Noble looking through random books with pretty pictures. You know what else I realized? It was completely free!

Lately I have been really stressing out about money. Mainly because I have my Europe trip on the mind. I seriously am trying to figure out how I am going to pay for the entire thing. I realized that I really needed to change my spending habits in order to save enough for my European adventure this coming July. So I came up with this idea while sitting in Barnes & Noble. I made a plan to live a simpler lifestyle. I realized that I needed to become less attached to material things, so here is the plan I came up with..

1. For this entire year, the only clothing I can purchase is clothing that I have thrifted. Looking at my closet (and my mama's)

*So I am now coming to finish this post. The fire alarm at the library just went off, so we were rushed outside.. into the freezing rain. Literally, freezing rain. Campus is like an ice rink today. Ridiculous!*

2. For this entire year, I will only go to see movies at the dollar theater. Except for the Great Gatsby. That is my one and only exception. Midnight showing anyone??

3. This might not be a hard one of the rest of the world, but it is going to be extremely difficult for me. I can only go to concerts every other week. Gah, kill me now! I haven't been to a concert for TWO WHOLE weeks, and I am dying! DYING!

4. I am dying my hair back to blonde, so I know longer have to pay for color. Only haircuts from now on.. sigh.

5. Once it gets warm again (aka not freezing rain, the literal kind) I am determined to ride my bike everywhere I can. I am actually stoked for this one.

Well there you have it. These things might not really matter to the average person, but the all matter somewhat to me. I don't have a lot of money to begin with, so these are the little things I get to do for myself. It will be a challenge to take a little bit of that away, but I know I will find other things to fill my time with. It is worth it for Europe! Haha It has actually been kind of fun to think of things to do that are free instead of going out and spending money. I think this year is going to be a very creative year which I am really excited about!

Do any of you have fun and FREE activities or ideas that you enjoy? Please share!

Well I think that is enough writing for today. Don't want to get too boring! I hope everyone is having a fantastic Thursday! All you fellow Utahns... be careful out there! Don't forget your ice skates!

The Blue Rooftops

I had to get creative for this song. There wasn't a single video of the audio OR live version of this song. So instead you get a lovely video of my blinds as the song plays through my speakers. This is "The Blue Rooftops" by Karen Peris. I can't stop listening to this song. The piano is so simple, but insanely beautiful. I love the way it was recorded. It sounds as though someone is playing the piano downstairs on some awesome vintage piano. I just can't get enough of it!

Hopefully this video works. Today I plan on bumming around a bit. I need to finish up some homework, and I'm thinking of going and exploring some local bookstores. Hope everyone is having an awesome Monday, and for a lot of you have a nice little break from school!

Currently..

 Reading..
Foam magazine. Last year around this time I was at Barnes and Noble with my grandma. I believe I had gotten a gift card for Christmas, so I was looking for something new to read. I don't usually go for magazines, but this one caught my eye. I have been hooked ever since! It is all about fashion, art, music, and the ocean. This past issue was an issue all about bloggers, so I have been absolutely in love!

Playing..
Karen Peris. Over the break I house sat for some of my favorite humans on the planet. As payment I go an amazing hand made chandelier, and a copy of Karen Peris' album Violet. I have pretty much been listening to it non stop since. It is like the perfect winter music, and it is the best background music. A lot of it is just piano which I of course love. It is just fantastic.

Watching..
Mad Men. I am obsessed and almost caught up. Finally!

Dreaming..
I have been having the biggest itch to go hiking! It is probably due to the nasty smog here in SLC. It is seriously disgusting, and I want so badly to get some fresh air. Unfortunately, it is extremely cold. This makes it difficult to find willing humans to go with me.

Excited About..
Emily comes home this week! I am seriously so stoked. It has been like two weeks, and I am so excited to have my concert buddy back!

Well there is a little taste of what is currently going on in my life. The 49ers just won a football game which means they are going to the Superbowl. There was a lot of jumping up and down by my brother and dad. Like literally, my brother was hitting the ceiling with his hands. Haha So that is exciting! 

So like I said last week, I have decided to do my own spin on a 52 project. Alright, it's not really my own spin. I am sure a million people do self portraits. Well I am behind already because I started late, so here are two. 

This is me channeling my inner Reid.

Happy Sunday!

College Street Style: Anna

Spring semester has started which means College Street Style is back on! This week I met with the lovely Anna from Anna Apricot.

 Name: Anna

Major: Health, Society, and Policy

What is your favorite thing to wear?

"My favorite thing to wear is a button up shirt with jeans. It is comfortable but doesn't look too sloppy."

 Who or what inspires your style?

"I don't think there is one person that inspires me. I love to see what celebs are wearing like Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone, but I also love reading blogs and seeing what real people are wearing. I think it is all about finding something you feel good about and wearing it proudly."

I had a lot of fun taking pictures of Anna. She is pretty much the most hilarious person on the planet. If you read her blog you will know what I mean, so definitely check it out! Also, I absolutely loved this outfit. Those boots are fantastic, and I am such a fan of the peter pan color.
 Thanks Anna!

Well it's a Saturday night, and I am still trying to figure out what I am doing. There is a possibility of driving down to Provo to visit some friends and maybe go to The Moth & the Flame concert. I wish I was up at Sundance celeb stalking, or something fun like that. Maybe sometime this coming week! We will see. 

Random side note before I go. I had a dream last night that my hair was blonde again. I liked it. I am going back to blonde. Just thought I would share. 

Hope everyone is doing something fun for the long weekend! I'm hoping to guilt a friend or two into going on a hike, and exploring some book stores. We will see how that goes.

Happy Saturday!

What I Wore

 

headband/ UO :: vest/ f21 :: top/ UO :: pants/ j crew :: boots/ nordstrom

So here is what I wore a couple days ago. I have been waiting forever to pair this headband with an outfit, and for some reason this was the one. It took me a while to figure out how I wanted to style it with my very awkward length hair. Eventually I figured it out, and I have got to say I like the outcome. I don't usually go for things that are pink, but the polka dots sold me. 

Alright, so most of you know I am a HUGE Criminal Minds fan aka Reid fan aka Matthew Gray Gubler fan. Anyway, yesterday's episode ripped me too pieces, and I am still trying to recover. There is not much I can say other than I am scarred forever more by witnessing a sobbing Reid, and I no longer believe in love or happy endings. Okay that might be a stretch, but seriously that is how heartbreaking and emotionally scarring this episode was. It was seriously unreal, and I still don't know what to think about it. It was one of those moments were something awful happens, and it is like instant tears appear out of nowhere. Even if you don't want to be sad your brain knows that you can't mentally handle it without crying. So cue the tears! Seriously though, it was awful.. but incredible. Oh Criminal Minds, why do you do this to my brain??

So I haven't posted in a bit, and I have really been racking up the awkward moments. It is quite fantastic. So here it goes!

That awkward moment when you actually think about wearing a fake wedding ring to your stats class because you feel left out. 

That awkward moment when you are the only person on the planet that didn't watch the Golden Globes... so you feel left out. 

That awkward moment when you introduce yourself to someone and they respond with the following phrase, "OH.. you're Shelby." Uh... what the heck is that supposed to mean?

That awkward moment when you can tell you are unwelcome someplace, but you have no idea how to get out. 

That awkward moment when you freak out to your friends about the new Criminal Minds episode that will be on later that night (Tuesday), but Criminal Minds is on Wednesday.

That awkward moment when you can tell someone is staring at you through their peripheral vision. This is almost more awkward than being stared at straight on..almost. 

That awkward moment when people always look at your computer funny, and you realize it might be because of these..

 Well, that's all for today. I hope everyone has had a fantastic Thursday! It is time for me to go finish some homework, and send good vibes into the universe that Matthew Gray Gubler goes to Sundance. (Any contribution of good vibes in this favor would be greatly appreciated)

p.s- what happened to snapchat? I feel like it died, and I miss it!

White Blank Page

As I said yesterday, I have been on quite the Mumford & Sons kick. This actually happens quite frequently. I just love them. I missed them in concert last year which I was really bummed about, but hopefully I will catch them next time!

I also mentioned that yesterday was my dad's birthday! Whoo for birthdays! Here are some photos of the celebration. 

 For some reason our family has this fascination with pulling pranks on each other, especially when it comes to opening presents. Here is my dad opening the TAG to his actual gift. Haha

The actual gift.

 

Our family loves technology.

It was a fun day spending time with family, and we topped it all of with a chocolate eclair "cake." Yum! So happy birthday to the best dad out there! Like for real, I am not even joking. 

So a lot of blogs that I follow have started doing a 52 week portrait project with their kiddies. You know, where they take a picture of their kids once a week for an entire year! Well I really wanted to be a part of it, but I do not have any children... dilemma? Absolutely not. I have decided instead I am going to do a weekly self portrait! Yay!

Here is my self portrait for this week. Super random, but I just had to hurry and snap it. Hopefully I will get a little more creative each week. I know I am a week late, but I don't think that matters. To tell you the truth I really wanted to do this because I want to see the evolution of my hair for a year. Should be interesting. 

I hope everyone has a fabulous Monday!

Currently

Reading..
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. I honestly can't remember the last time a book had an impact on me like this one did. Probably when I read Perks of Being a Wallflower. I just couldn't put it down. A little bit ago I asked people on Facebook for book suggestions, and this was one of the books that was suggested. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It seriously was just so good, and I still can't figure out why. Books don't usually make me cry, but I couldn't help myself. If you haven't read it I would definitely recommend it!

Playing..
I have been on a Mumford & Sons kick lately. I just keeping listening to whole albums on repeat. I know a lot of their songs sound the same, but I just don't get sick of them.

Watching..
It's true. I am a big time Downton Abbey fan, so the start of the third season has been quite the treat for me. I just can't get over this show. It is so good! I usually hate stuff like this, but for some reason I am hooked. I am not complaining. It doesn't help that I kind of have a big time crush on Matthew...

Dreaming..
I am still dreaming of traveling. All I want is to go to the beach at the moment. It doesn't help that we just got like three feet of snow the last couple days. Absolutely ridiculous. I really want to go to Hawaii. I have never been, and I just keep seeing picture from there popping  up all over the place. Nothing sounds better than laying on the beach in the sun right about now.
I also have been trying to think of things I want to photograph. Hopefully my photography class will help with that one.

Excited About..
There is something I am EXTREMELY excited about, but I am not quite ready to share it on this here blog yet. Don't worry, the news will come eventually but for now I am choosing to keep it to myself. Just for a little bit.

I hope everyone has had a fantastic weekend, and an even better Sunday. I have had quite the lazy weekend. Due to the snow, I have been stuck at home. A lot of Criminal Minds watching has been taking place, and hanging out with the family. Today was my daddy's birthday, so it has been a fun day. Pictures will come tomorrow!

Hope everyone has an awesome week, and has some fun things planned. I know I do!

Stop

I am not usually one to have New Years resolutions. They have never really been my thing. I never stick to them, so I just don't make them in the first place. I was thinking over some of my past resolutions, and I think I know why things never worked in the past. People set their expectations way to high. No one makes any short term goals. Instead of not having sugar for lets say a week or maybe a month, everyone is all, "I am not having sugar for the whole YEAR!" What? Are you serious? I don't know what super humans are out there, but does anyone have that much will power? I sure don't. 

I have decided this year I am going to work on some things that I want to try to stop doing. Things that will make me less stressed, and stop worrying so much. 

The first thing is to stop over analyzing things. I seriously over analyze EVERYTHING. It is one of my worst habits, and because of it I am a constant stress case. I over analyze time a lot. I think to much about what I have to get done, and worry about not getting everything done. As I have taken the time to think about it I have realized that I am fine. I have enough time to do the things I need and want to do. If I want to read a book for a little while during the day, I can do that. If I want to watch that new episode of New Girl, I have the time to watch it. I jam back my schedule with so many things that really don't matter that much that I lose time to do the things I really love, and that help me calm down. 

So here is to stopping the over analyzing. Or at least working on it. 

I know this is such a random post, but I just thought I would share. I think I am just trying to find ways to keep my stress level down. Anyone have any tips? Anything would be greatly appreciated. I am hoping that this little resolution will help at least a little. I think overall it is a good rule.

I have a couple awkward moments for you all today, but not that many! Whoo! I know I said that yesterday, but this time it's for real. So here it goes..

That awkward moment when you def almost get hit by a car as you are walking to your class. Alright.

That awkward moment when you see the speed walker with a walker again! I kid you not you guys, this man walks faster than me. Maybe I am just out of shape? I don't understand it!

That awkward moment when you can't for the life of you understand people who have accents... and then in your photography class you get paired up with a guy who has an accent. Better yet, the assignment was to bring 20 pictures about yourself and what you like to do. We then had to go through all the pictures with our partner, and tell them what each photo meant. After, you were in charge of telling a group about your partner based on their photos. I am not going to go into any details about how that went. I think you could probably guess. 

I hope everyone is having the most fabulous Thursday, and for those of you that live in SLC drive safe! The snow is crazy right now. Until next time..

What I Wore

I have decided that once a week I am going to do an outfit post. I am doing this mostly to get my face on this here blog a little more often, and because fashion is a major inspiration in my life. It only makes sense. Please be patient with me. I haven't done these types of posts for a while. I am still trying to figure out what works, and what doesn't.

Here is what I wore today!

 

beanie/ Cotton On :: cardigan/ friend's closet :: skeleton tee/ Matthew Gray Gubler shop :: leggings/ Cotton On :: boots/ Nordstrom

So there you have it. I understand how strange this outfit is. I didn't quite understand until I started taking pictures of it. Oh well. I was extremely comfortable, and that is all that matters in my book.

I only have a couple awkward moments for today. Yay!
That awkward moment when you decide to wear shimmery purple pants, and a shirt with a big skeleton face on it...
That awkward moment when you see a guy with a walker, and it looks like the walker needs him more than he needs the walker... and you are just looking around wondering if anyone else is seeing this.
That awkward moment when you have to bring 20 photos about yourself to your photography class, and you realize more than half of the photos you have are from Instagram.
That awkward moment when you look at the pictures you just posted to your blog, and realize your stupid lazy eye that only shows up in pictures is back to haunt you. Oh well, my camera battery died while taking these so I didn't have many options.

So it looks like I had more awkward moments than I thought. What's new, really?
I have been so thankful to be back in school. It is nice having something to do rather than just sitting around all day. Did I share my class schedule already? I don't believe I did. I am going to do that now!

So far I am loving my schedule for this spring semester. I am taking a digital photography class, which I am beyond stoked to be taking. I am excited to really learn all the different things I can do with my new camera, and I think it will be a good way to keep me motivated to be creative. I am taking stats which sucks, but it is the last math-like class I will ever have to take. Hallelujah! I am taking an intro to my major (Communication Science & Disorders) which I am really excited about. The only downfall is that it is online, and I suck at online classes. Say a little prayer for me that I can get through that! The last class I am taking is Society and the Criminal Mind. Soo I might be taking this class entirely based off the fact that it is kind of like Criminal Minds in a class form. So far it has been extremely interesting. A lot of people in this class have differing opinions, so it makes the discussion really interesting. I am taking this class with one of my friends, so that is just an added bonus. We both agreed that we couldn't remember that last time we had been so interested in a lecture. It is a pretty intense class.

Well that is it for today. Until next time folks!



Between The Lines

Unfortunately, I do not have a College Street Style post for you today. It is the first week of school, and I couldn't find anyone to do it the past two days. I should have one up next week.

I feel bad that I don't have anything for today, so I decided to take pictures of my outfit. Whoo! So exciting. You will have to ignore the ugly background. It is like zero degrees outside, so I decided to be a wimp and stay inside.



Well there you have it. I think I am going to try and do these a little more often. I always forget how time consuming it is. On my previous blog I started with doing outfit posts. I haven't done one for a while now. Hopefully it will get a little bit warmer soon! That way I can go outside.

 

School has been good so far. I am really stoked about my digital photography class. I think it is going to be a fun one.

I have decided to start making a list of all my awkward moments, because there are too many to remember. Haha Here are some of the awkward encounters I had today..

 

That awkward moment when you find out that the city you live in is quite small, and everyone is freaking connected SOMEHOW.

That awkward moment when your best friend sends you links to hilarious videos, and you can't help but laugh out loud. This wouldn't be a bad thing if you weren't sitting in the library...

That awkward moment when everyone in your stats class is married... and I'm just sitting there like... single.

That awkward moment when you are reading in the library, and when you look up from your book there is some guy hard core staring at you. What makes it even more awkward is he was completely caught of guard by you looking up, so you both just look away quickly and pretend it didn't happen.

 

Well I think that is it for today. Hope you all have a fantastic Tuesday!