I wanted to get these images up before I inundate you with the photo’s from the road trip, because I am going to be a big show-off for sure.  I never go anywhere anymore so a trip away from home has become an event of epic proportions. One day, I just may get all Mrs. Limestone on you (so envious! Truly one of my fave armchair travel + reno addictions) but for now you will have to settle on images from cities within my state, lucky for me I live in the Golden state, so there is much exploring to be had.

I have had quite a few emails about my failed MMXI PROJECT (wherein I was to edit a photo a day for all of 2011).  Well, I had some bumps in my road, mainly quitting of an old job, starting a new one, getting canned from said new job, then making the huge decision to go back to being a freelancer, thus throwing caution and a false sense of security into the wind.  That’s a lot to digest whilst trying to edit my poorly shot images on a regular basis.  I do want to continue doing an on-going photo project but maybe it won’t be as ambitious?  Or perhaps I will start up in June and have a fresh mid-year start? As you can see, decision making is not my strong suit. 

Can you believe this was taken out of a car going 80 miles per hour?  Me neither  I usually spend an inordinate amount of time trying to avoid camera shake and my inability to sit still does not help my  cause.  I also shoot my digital camera as if it had expensive rolls of film placed in it, being very, very careful not to ‘waste’ a shot.  Some people would think this is a great way to shoot, that I am more thoughtful with my compositions, but really part of the excitement of digital is being able to throw caution to the wind and just ‘go for it’.  On the ride home I decided to be more carefree and took shots like this from a speeding vehicle.  I know if I was thinking of my camera as a film camera I would have never wanted to be so spontaneous with my shooting.  How fun to be able to come home and see which shots turned out OK, which one’s failed (delete) and which one’s would make it on to the blog. Gosh darn I love technology. 

The Fancy and I went on a little adventure yesterday and left our *gasp* zipcode.  I have been known to not venture farther than a 3 mile radius of my home for long stretches of time.  I’ve been wanting to explore new areas not so much for the thrill of experience, (as it seems I am quite content at the moment with the pleasure of routine), but because I was getting a little tired of shooting the same things.  I don’t think you need to leave your zipcode to be creative with your photographs but gosh darn does it help when you can find new subjects to inspire you.  We actually went through multiple zipcodes as the City of Angels is spread out so far and wide that I probably went through at least a dozen without even knowing it.  We stopped in three of them–one for lunch at an outdoor cafe which seemed so decadent on a Tuesday (and that was before I had the fries), another to visit a Hollywood landmark and the third to stroll on a newly gentrified street of sweet boutiques and outdoor cafe’s.  I then went to work at 5 p.m. to meet my new freelance branding + design clients and I have to say this current work day suits me so much better.  Today I am supposed to be driving up North to discuss another potential project and that can only mean more zipcodes to explore and more opportunities to be had. I feel like I am in a Dr. Seuss book–Oh the places you will go.

I am very lucky, granted a lot of my luck I’ve created through perseverance but sometimes I get a good ol’ dose of the old fashioned kind where it seems to materialize from the ether and I have to pinch myself because I can’t believe my good fortune. A few months ago a series of odd coincidences happened, I mentioned to my best friend that I wanted to start working with fragrance again, she in turn mentioned Sarah Horowitz whom she worked with briefly, (Sarah is the indie perfumer’s perfumer), a woman whom I have worshiped from afar for what is going on a decade.  My friend said Sarah was so nice and I should call her.  Call her?  That would be the equivalent  of a fledgling fashion designer saying she liked a pair of Louboutin’s and a friend suggesting that she call Mr. Louboutin. Not going to happen.  I decided to check out Sarah’s site and found out to my sheer delight that she was teaching classes!  At that first click I hadn’t worked with fragrances for nearly three years because I knew how strongly scent and memory are linked and I didn’t want to create something that would remind me of my former job where I worked in a windowless converted broom closet for umpteen hours a day.  The timing was perfect because I was finally pardoned by the job Gods and able to leave and see the sun again. I signed up for class.

I didn’t realize until I took the class how much I missed my olfactory experimenting.  Some people that read my former Blahg may know that I am a parfumer and want to know why I would take a beginning perfumery class?  First, if you had the opportunity to take a class from someone you truly admired wouldn’t you?  I also reveled in being around other individuals that loved scents.  It was like being dropped off an exotic land where everyone understands your strange language and peccadillo’s–sublime.  Are you going to leave Sarah’s level one class and be a  world class perfumer? I am sure she has had some prodigy’s but I don’t think that is the goal, it’s an introduction to the world of perfumery, the opportunity to play, meet like minded individuals and have access to one of the great indie perfumer’s in the world. Since the class I have not stopped working on formula’s, it’s very relaxing for me and perfumery makes me work on the one thing I am not so great at–patience.  Lucky for me patience is something that I can work on, thus improving my ‘luck’ tenfold.

I don’t know about you but this image makes Monday this much more special, no? Is this really an animal or is it just another impostor?  I’m not sure but it sure is cute.  I love me a little white pup (?) in a top hat, ‘stache and monocle, you?