Words That Make Me Smile

I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells.  Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope.  Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities.  ~Theodore Geisel

The creative person is both more primitive and more cultivated, more destructive, a lot madder and a lot saner, than the average person.  ~Frank Barron, Think, November-December 1962

There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept.  ~Ansel Adams

Things are only impossible until they're not.  ~Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation

Trust that little voice in your head that says "Wouldn't it be interesting if..."  And then do it.  ~Duane Michals, "More Joy of Photography"

It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.  ~Henry David Thoreau

Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.  ~Albert Szent-Györgyi

Vending Machine

Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine. Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights. I am excited for what the future brings...and scared out of my wits. 

Elastic Waistbands and Gratitude

Through the years, I have come to find that Thanksgiving dinners take over eighteen hours to prepare and are consumed in twelve minutes. I have also deduced that it has been an unchallengeable American doctrine that cranberry sauce, a pink goo with overtones of sugared tomatoes, is a delectable necessity of the Thanksgiving board and that turkey is uneatable without it. I am quite excited to eat nummy food that is Thanksgiving Dinner!! I am grateful for what I have been given. 

Little Moments

"I love listening to your heartbeat. Every beat is mine."

-NGT 

Colorfulest

I am a synesthete.

Synesthesia (also spelled synæsthesia or synaesthesia, plural synesthesiae or synaesthesiae)—from the Ancient Greekσύν (syn), "together," and αἴσθησις (aisthēsis), "sensation"—is a neurologically-based condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.

I see numbers, letters, days of the week and month in colors. I also see people in color. Now I don't mean black and white as in skin color. I mean actual color. My mom is orange. My dad is black. My brother is yellow. My grandma is royal purple. My best friend Whitney is violet. My friend Sammie is light green. My friend Chase is brown. My grandpa is hunter green. I could go on about the different people in my life and their unique color. But there is one person in my life that seems to have multiple colors. My Nick. He isn't just one specific color. He has so many. When I see him or picture him in my head a whole slew of colors splash across my mind. I am not exactly sure what that means but if I were to guess.....I think he just might be my other half. He is the one that colors my life.

This is the closest thing I can show you of what I see when I think of him. 

Kate Nash

I attended my very first live concert last week! the flashing lights, musky air, and the skeleton dress that Kate wore was awesome! If you haven't heard of Kate Nash stop everything right now and listen to her tunes! Her songs are stories. They are something you can connect with in a very personal way. I can see myself in her songs. I like that. The electricity between her and the crowd was amazing. My boyfriend, who is an avid music listener came along with me. Just having him by my side with his arms wrapped around me made the night even more special.

Eat, Drink, & Be Scary

Mysterious Madi

Beautiful Sammie

Me being a creepy creeper

Where there is no imagination there is no horror. ~Arthur Conan Doyle, Sr.

I took these shots a few weeks ago in the barren wasteland that is the Great Salt Lake. Minus being surrounded by the smell of brine, the shoot was so fantastic and my two cute friends were absolute perfection. The real kicker..... I was the makeup artist. I can't even put on my own makeup without messing up so I was really pleased with the outcome of their makeup and hair. Happy Halloween!!

Somewhere In Time

I just bought this romantic little flick for $7.50 at the drugstore and la la love it! The love he has for her in this movie is overwhelming. Im such a sap. And the quote towards the end of the film just stuck out to me and I had to post it.

"I want to be everything to you"

-McKenna

Hazy Dreaming

I had a dream about my dad. I haven't have a dream about him in years. I have only had 2 other incidences where I remember dreaming about him. I have walked around in a daze today trying to figure out this dream and the little details it had within it. I have been missing him more than usual lately. Im not sure why. Some days are better than others. Time really doesn't heal wounds in my opinion. Time numbs our wounds. I miss him.

The Things He Does

You make my insides get all wobbly when you kiss me.

You make my dopamine levels go all silly.

You make my heart go boom boom.

You make all my saved up wishes come out.

Click

You found me. I found you. In this world of 6,692,030,227 (six thousand six hundred and ninety two million people on record apparently. I googled it), we found each other. Imagine that. I floated around in cyberspace as you were, and we lived 2 decades floating around in the real world without any knowledge of each other, and suddenly my soul saw you and it kind of went "Oh there you are. I've been looking for you."

Miss You

Braids & Mud

So this is from a photo shoot I did a while back. The "mud" smeared all over my face is actually bright red lipstick. Photo taken by the amazing Michael Scott.

"The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful."

Champagne Fizz

So I have had all of these thoughts jumbled up in my skull these last few weeks and I need to get them out into the great void. If you can't make sense of this you are probably not the one going crazy. Don't worry, I am. My mind is like the bubbles in a bottle of champagne. The more I'm shaken, the more I need to let my thoughts out. So here goes..... All creative people need something to rebel against. Talent helps, but it won't take you as far as ambition. Make your vision of where you want to be a reality. If, instead of making approval of things I ask myself, 'What's wrong with it? How can I make it better?' If I ask myself the right question, I know I will get the right answer. When it can't be done, do it. If I don't do it, it doesn't exist. If I cant solve certain problems I am facing, it's because I am probably playing by the rules. I need to constantly remind myself that failure is a major contributor to success. Knowledge comes from the past, so it's safe. It is also out of date. It's the opposite of originality. I need to give myself some more spin. How I perceive myself is how others will perceive me. I am on my own. Fly or Die. To be original, I need to seek my inspiration from unexpected sources. I will be true to my subject(s) and then I will be far more likely to create something that is timeless, not fashionable. That's where the true art lies. I don't have to be creative to be creative. I am on my own, just do it. Better.

Colorful Days

So I had a fleeting thought today while I was driving home in the rain. When I think of certain days of the week, I think of them in colors. Sunday: Brick Red. Monday: Bright Pink. Tuesday: Yellow. Wednesday: Lime Green. Thursday: Dark Blue. Friday: Grassy Green. Saturday: Purple. Now I don't know how I came up with these colors, I just know that when this certain day comes about, a certain color comes about with it.

Just Me

I have been to Paris.

I find excitement in the mundane.

I don't get jealous.

I celebrate my Unbirthday quite frequently.

I try to take one picture every day.

I like puppies and bunnies, but zombies are cool, too.

I am having a torrid affair with my new Nikon camera.

I am in love with a handsome redhead.

I would wear tulle and sequins every day if I could.

I am inspired by things that are not always considered fashionable.

I don't have a favorite color because it changes everyday.

I have a weird obsession with balloons and umbrellas.

I want to go to New York more than anything.

I love laughing with my best friend.

I can't wait to design my own house.

I am never uncheered by flowers.

I love the crackly sound an old book makes when its opened.

I will be able to fly like Peter Pan someday.

Genie

i wish i was prettier

i wish i was braver

i wish i was smarter

It's True

Stuff To Do

Morning Light

White Petals

This little shot I took while lying in the grass and it instantly reminded me of Alice In Wonderland when she is singing about a world of her own. "All the flowers would have very extra special powers, they would sit and talk to me for hours..."

Hi Dad Soup

I love him

I love my mom

I love my best friend

I love my dad

I love my brothers

I love my grandparents

I love music

I love art

I love smiles

I love dogs

I love rain

I love soft kisses

I love fashion

I love love

I love photography

I love snuggles

I love flowers

I love sunshine

I love paris

I love candy

Simple Fact

Feathers and 500 Thread Count

One of my favorite places.

Pretty Pink

Sometimes you gotta look past the junk and find the prettiness behind things.

Hi there!

I decided that I would go crazy and paint my nails different colors. Welcome Spring!

Curiouser

I have never understood why photographers criticize other photographers work. I simply don't get it. Photography is Art. People don't look at an abstract painting and say 'ya know that yellow splatter really shouldn't be there.' Photographers are sharing their art. Their creativity. Their view of that certain object, person, or place being shot. Why should others tell them that it is wrong, bad, ugly, or not 'professional'? Don't criticize art. We are not perfect. Art does not have to be perfect. Art does not have to be made to fit others expectations. It is meant to be appreciated. Not understood.

LOVE is.....

Noticing the little things

My middle Name

How I feel about him

Soft Tickles

An ideal thing

Rereading texts and letters

Being able to hear smiles in the dark

Everything it's cracked up to be

Makes the world go round

Giving each other random nicknames

Never feeling like saying good-bye

Two straws in a drink

Stealing a kiss at a red light

My Perfect Day

Have you ever been asked what your perfect day would be? What would happen? What would you do? Where would you go? As for me, this is all I need for my perfect day.

Visually Greedy

What constitutes great personal style? We tend to think that to achieve great personal style someone must have perfect clarity about who they are and what they stand for. I disagree. I think conflict about who you are often leads to ever greater expression. That is why young people, or the young at heart are those that inspire or move fashion forward. They are struggling to find themselves; "Am I a rocker?" A Jock? Or a little bit of both?" These contradictions produce the most interesting looks. I think most of us are stylish hermit crabs, we change our outershell to camouflage our way into certain social positions. We 'dress the part'. When you accept this idea, people/fashion watching becomes less about what that person is wearing and more about the elements of the look can mean to your own personal style. In a way, being visually greedy allows you to separate the personality from the 'look' and puts the pressure on you to figure out how to harness that stimulus instead of just grading others as 'pass' or 'fail'.

Snaps For Cameras

I want to be a photographer. I want to take pictures. Plain and simple. When I look at a photograph I instantly notice how it is an expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense, and is, thereby, a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety. I'm a beginner. I am definitely not pro material but who's to say who is pro and who isn't? One photo out of focus is a mistake, ten photos out of focus are an experimentation, one hundred photos out of focus are a style. So who knows, maybe I will be the next Fuzzy Photographer! To me, photography is an art of observation. It's about finding something interesting in an ordinary place... I've found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them. Photography, as we all know, is not real at all. It is an illusion of reality with which we create our own private world and as some people know, I am trapped in my own little world. For me, photographs take their power from memory and emotion. A picture tells its own story, shaped by the mood or insights of the person you are at the time you see it. It becomes layered with the past and the present. I want to create something new, and there it is, and it will be me, out in the world, outside of myself and I can look at it, feel it... and I will know a little more about me. A little bit more than anyone else does. I will be my own person, my own me. Lizzie Love.

Davey

On February 21, 2010 will mark the ten years that my dad has been gone. For half of my life, I have somehow survived the passing of my cute dad. While feeling nostalgic and rummaging through some of his old boxes, I found a postcard that he wrote to me in '98. In the far right corner, my dad wrote, "We made it Shorty!" If I have made it this far, I can make it until I see him again. I love my pop. And I know that we will both make it until we see each other and survive this earthy separation between us. There is a plan. 

On a Cold Day

Just a few of the shots from one of my very cold photo shoots where I am pretending to know what I'm doing. Thank you, Michael Scott!  You're amazing at what you do! 

Frosting on the Cake

One of my favorites. 

Hearts & Other Stuff

Doodled this while sitting at my desk. Obviously, my mind wasn't on homework. 

Yes, Please

Jewels and Gems

Most Whimsical Postage stamp I have ever come across. I would love to see these on letters more often. 

Upside Down Crown

I found this ironically appropriate at this point in time. 

Bad Apple

I am a lover of anything classic Disney. Disney runs in my blood. So I say this with the upmost respect but I must speak about something of great importance. Snow White. For one thing, she manages, as the title character in the film, to be the very least interesting person in it. Her only proactive moment in the movie is when she decides to pretend she is the hired help. Otherwise she spends her time apologizing for making a fuss when she was kidnapped, almost murdered, and abandoned. When she's not doing that, she's accepting candy (apples, whatever) from strangers, taking long naps, and marrying the first guy who's willing to kiss what appears to be a corpse. And I'll bet her tall collar is constantly getting in the way of her peripheral vision. The real problem with Snow White, though, is her voice. Even when speaking her voice is unnaturally high and grating, and when she sings, her voice reaches octaves that shatter my eyeballs. To put it bluntly, Snow White is not a favorite of mine, but I still appreciate it for what it is as a Walt Disney Classic. 

 

 

Yipes! Stripes!

“Once you can accept the universe as being something expanding into an infinite nothing which is something, wearing stripes with plaid is easy.” -Albert Einstein 

Oh how I love Black & White Strips. They just make me happy. I love love love the contrast. When I see them on clothes, home decor, fabric, etc, I am in love.

My Red Egg

My putty sculpture that melted in just a few seconds

My purple putty dots

So those of you who know me, are well aware that I have Silly Putty on my person day in and day out. I am constantly stretching and squishing the stuff. I love Silly Putty, plain and simple. I just put all of my stress into that little piece of dough. Now we won't mention the things I have ruined or the clothes that have had to be trashed because of my "forgetfullness" from leaving the putty in random places, but I believe happiness is simply, a little red egg. 

Otterpop

ITS WHAT HE CALLS ME

Faith

Our View

His View

To Name a Few

The Keys to My Heart 

(In no particular order)

love KISSES sweet dreams CHOCOLATE laughter ANTIQUE STORES my little brothers HOT COCOA glitter SHOES SHOES SHOES whispers PEDICURES tickles KISSES smiles CREAMY BUTTER lazy afternoons PHOTOGRAPHS cuddles HUGS a long walk with no where to go LOVE  pajamas SCRAMBLED EGGS honey GARDENS clean sheets FILM FILM FILM kisses SLEEPING IN day dreaming LOVELINESS honesty LEMONS tenderness COOL BREEZE baths TREES chocolate KINDNESS ribbons PAINT the soft space nestled just between being awake & asleep NAIL POLISH tulle OLD MUSTY BOOKS makeup UMBRELLAS long car rides GENUINE AFFECTION poetry SWEETNESS long talks with my mom FINDING TREASURES IN UNEXPECTED PLACES balloons CITY LIGHTS sparkling water TENDERNESS kisses for no reason at all PERFUME BOTTLES down comforters MUSIC humility FRIENDSHIP sweet peas LEMONGRASS my really old green convertible  MOVIES strawberries EIFFEL TOWER really soft sweaters SAND BENEATH MY TOES sunglasses PENCILS glasses MUSEUMS libraries ARCHITECTURE cobble stone streets COTTAGES simplicity DRAWING black and white stripes SERENDIPITY disco balls FLOWY DRESSES organization with just a hint of chaos LOYALTY full lips ANEMONE hand written letters on pretty paper LIP GLOSS the perfect pair of jeans VINTAGE ANYTHING stars KISSES the sound of  his voice RAINY DAYS affection TRUTH mainstreet PICTURE FRAMES ice cream RUFFLES memories FAMILY chirping birds HANDMADE ANYTHING high heels LIFE artists FLOWERS deep dark chocolate truffles SELFLESSNESS long car rides TRAVELING unexpected blessings ANGELS windows DOGS blowing bubbles APPRECIATION headpieces & veils GENTLENESS holding hands WEDDINGS newborn babies LAUGHTER real wood floors CURLS pillows HOPE a good book & time to read it CROWNS soft kisses SPOONING talking on the phone with friends FIREWORKS unexpected generosity FRIZZY HAIR beautiful clothes FOG my fish LOVE wishes INSPIRATION almost any shade of grey TEARS sprinklers LIMES birthday candles CLOUDS and kisses

Finding My Fish

While visiting my mom one weekend, she handed me this glass fish that fit in the palm of my hand. She found this little treasure while she was in China. I asked her why she would give this little prize to me and she replied, "You're on your own now. Go out into the world and find your fish." I didn't quite understand what she meant by that until I pondered it later that night. I was in bed, staring at the ceiling, when I finally realized what she meant. The fish is my magic. It's that blissful moment when I meet my magic, whatever that may be. The fish is now on my nightstand. I am reminded of how I need to find my magic, and of how much my mom cares for and loves me. I love my mom more than anything in this world. And I am going to find my magic.