Treat Yo Self 2013

All the ugly fancy stuff at Target went on sale.


Another Lush haul happened. It was from the post holiday BOGO sale. The website even crashed!


I dragged Lena to Chinatown and got a new soap dish.


Got a wikked awesome Christmas package in the mail from WAH and DEE! This is from my olde elementary school where I met DEE in the 4th grade. We hated each other.


Other goodies included:
+ Lumps of coal candy (for Lena, which we ate immediately)
+ "Fear The Beard" Brian Wilson t-shirt
+ Mustache flask
+ BFF poo and tp tote
+ DIANA MINI LOMOGRAPHY CAMERA!

What?! Yes! This was such a thoughtful care package! Lena got a lil' sumthin-sumthin, I have always wanted some kind of tee or sweater from my olde schools, I totally don't own a flask and I needed a new tote. But the camera was a shocker! Thanks, guys!


I got a hot shoe adapter for the Mini Dannii and hooked up the Fritz the Blitz. It looks hilarious, but it works. I have yet to finish a roll. I'm pretty excited to see how it turns out.


In addition to getting the flu, I got another new camera! I have been making eyes at the Fujifilm 210 for a while, but I thought the price tag at Urban Outfitters was too high. So after some web browsing, I saw it on B&H for $30 less.


It came with a clip on macro lens with a mirror for selfies.


I kinda don't know how to use it.

Things I Learned Over Winter Break

    Anxiety (DREAD), is apparent in your cooking. My ribs were a hit, but I knew I messed up the rest of my dishes. Although, I cannot attest to zits in result of bad juju vibes. And that...is a good thing - Martha Stewart. Just try to cook with love. But if you can't be bothered, try to be somewhere remote over the holidays.

    I am related to a canine murderer. Death by dehydration and neglect. You know how most serial killers start off with animals? I'm not saying that I'm related to a potential serial killer (or am I?), but there is a direct correlation between compassion towards animals and compassion towards other human beings by pet owners. It doesn't take a genius to recognize that leaving two small breed dogs in a cold garage tied to a baker's rack is a PRICK MOVE. You can't chalk it up to my parents being worried that these two little dogs will pee and poo everywhere in the condo. Take those pups on a walk and let them do their business. Never mind, I'll take care of it.

    Animals love me because I'm zen. Ask any of the felines and canines at Downton Tabby.

    This year's Crimbo haul includes:

+ Sprocket Rocket with Fritz the Blitz camera
+ Chocolate brown Fred Perry duffle
+ Replacement SuperSampler camera with 3 rolls of 800 film
+ Hello Kitty all purpose clutch
+ Hello Kitty throw blanket
+ Keith Harring "baby" Obey tee
+ Mustache bottle opener keychain
+ 2 pack of Mini Instax film
+ Kewpie-like naked baby phone charm
+ L U S H
+ 2 pairs of Nike trainers
+ Magnetic photo display line

    I scored this light box display thing from work while cleaning out the loft. I don't exactly know what to do with it, but I'm glad to have it. Hoarding in 2013!

    This NYE was spent half asleep on the couch watching a Triple Ds Marathon with Bronchials McGee. Do I have any New Year's Resolutions? Just the same ones as last year: eat better, be active, read more, paint more, save more and go on a proper vacation (I.E. with L). They're not unattainable goals, as I read more than a hand-full of books in 2012 and was vegan for a good 3+ months. I've got my gym shoes and my girl. I'm kicking your arse, 2013! But not too hard because I have a lumbar strain.

Olympus Dukaka

I mentioned a few post ago (no one cares) that I dusted off my Mom's vintage Olympus EE-2. It's a half frame camera, so I was able to get 48 pictures from a roll of 24 exposures. But my local Costco photo lab printed two of the exposures on one 5x7 print.


Anyway, here are a few shots that I am pleased with:


I stood underneath an overgrown willow tree when I took this photo.


This is from an aloe plant on my balcony. My mom likes to massage aloe into her scalp to stimulate hair growth. It has never worked, so she bought a hair piece instead.


I find that I am constantly taking photos in parking lots. How boring.


This shot was taken at a stoplight on Harmon and Audrie. The sunroof was open and I had something like 4 cameras on my lap. I stuck my arms out and pressed the shutter. Lucky shot of the MGM Signature Towers, which by the way, is a classy establishment. Here is the (somewhat) same shot with a different camera, La Sardina:


Dreamy lomography.


This palm tree is in the parking lot of my local Target. I also took a picture of this tree with a different camera, the SuperSampler:

 
This photo reminds me of the zombie apocalypse. Or the world without electricity as depicted in my new favorite guilty pleasure, NBC series Revolution.


This is a tree in front of my local library. I took that photo with the Fritz the Blitz flash (and a blue filter) attached to the Olympus. It looks really funny, the Fritz connected to the Olympus, but I'm happy to have a flash for it. It's the gift that keeps on giving.


Hotshoe!

Pocket Rocket

Merry early Christmas to me! L got me a new Lomography camera: the Sprocket Rocket! It's a panoramic camera. With a 24 exposure roll, I get 11 shots. It's been a hilarious film experiment.


The good people at my local Costco photo lab, God bless their souls, don't really know what to do with my film. I mean, they at least develop it correctly. Printing is a different story. After researching some options over Google and YouTube, I've come up with a process that sort of works.


I lay the film on top of my light box.


Then I take a picture of it with my iPhone and e-mail it to the iPad (I do not trust the iCloud because I am iParanoid).


And then I revert the image using the PS Express and/or PhotoForge2 apps. So I'll probably continue to get my film developed at Costco and have normal prints done. Then flip the rolls from the Sprocket Rocket digitally. DIY in 2013!