Strawberries and creme
A look through my lens
Paris. Everything you would imagine is true. It is beautiful and so unique. The museums are incredible and it is overwhelming how many impressive pieces of art work are kept in the city. The food-- wow! Just wow. I went to an authentic Jewish deli and had the absolute best bagel with cucumber slices on it. Just thinking about it makes me drool.
My favorite part of it all was by far, the Parisian way of life. The people. I was so captivated by them. They are all so beautiful and well kept. In America, we have so many different variation of people. You can go on the Subway in New York and see so many different styles. Funky, goth, sexy, geeky, disheveled-- you name it. In Paris, everyone appears to have it together. They seem content and cool, stylish and modest, reserved and scheduled. Each person was like an unread book. I couldn't read them by their way of dressing or by how they act. There seemed to be so much more to each of them beneath the surface. And for that, the minute I master French I am going back. I love any person/ place/ or thing that begs a story.
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"So you agree? You think you're pretty?" -- this is what I think of every time, I see selfies, take selfies, think about selfies. Regina George, you win!
The following photos are selfies and I'm sorry if that makes them any less cool. The truth of the matter is, If you don't take your own pictures in todays world, who else will? Not your self-absorbed friend to the left, updating her Facebook status, while simultaneously checking into Foursquare. Yes, when I see a good selfie opportunity I take it. No, I would never let the thought of a funeral selfie even enter my mind. What opportunity presented itself in the photos below? Thanks for asking. Actually, it was the fact that my bun doubled as a comfy pillow. So I seized the moment. You know, carpe the heck out of that diem (I saw this printed on a gift bag at Walmart once and decided to run with it). To me selfies are a challenge, a challenge to make the selfie not look like an obvious selfie. Would you know these photos were selfies unless I told you? I like to use the critical thinking skills I pay loads of tuition to earn to configure selfies that look edgy compared to the average mirror pic. I'm only human-- living in a selfie world. Children carry so much magic around with them. If I knew the exact point in time when my innocence and wonder were stolen from me, I'd do everything in my power to track down the thief.
I have two pint-sized siblings and every now and then, I am graced with their spunk. They have no reservations when it comes to showing their happiness, which makes me respect them more than some adults. A long time ago, the boardwalk made my eyes twinkle. I can remember standing in the middle of its long planked boards and feeling like I was inside of a kaleidoscope. All of the lights and colors swirled around me and everything felt so large in comparison to my size. I can't regain this feeling but I was able to capture it through the eyes of my two little amigos. They are too young to realize how much spirit they have, I just hope that as they age, they can fend off all the thieves out to steal their spark. If Chelsea, New York were a hot guy I'd never stop calling him.
I say this because my recent day trip to Chelsea felt like a date. A date where I fell super hard and was teased by the idea of taking things to the next level. You see, moving to Chelsea is just not in my budget right now. It's complicated. Last Thursday, my mom and I took the train to the city for Chelsea's Art Walk. One of my mom's photographs was being featured in a gallery. Go Mom! Chelsea is an artsy and eclectic section of New York positioned right near the water. In true New York City fashion it was packed with action. The streets were a sea of yellow cabs to the point where seeing blacktop was a rarity. What I found most interesting about this place however, was the people. They all seemed to have purpose-- walking around with poise and total familiarity of the area. I felt foreign as a tourist--like I had somehow slipped under the radar and wasn't allowed to be there. Seeing a part of New York that wasn't overtaken by visitors was odd to me. Each person who passed by seemed to have a story written across their skin. I just wanted to sit back and figure them all out. The constant flow of new faces is what entices me about cities. I like being alone but not feeling alone and that's what got me hooked on Chelsea, New York. So Chelsea, if you are reading this-- we just had bad timing. We will rekindle when the time is right. Man, these photos make me happy.
If a genie granted me three wishes, one wish would be to perpetually feel like I did while in Ireland. I gained a sense of weightlessness that is to hard to explain to non-travelers. My lack of control and overall excitement, mixed together and I was free. Something extraordinary happens when we allow ourselves to take a leap of faith. You can see more pictures and read more stories about my travels at Julsie's Travels. This kid cracks me up. As he gets older he is much more reluctant to go on adventures with me. He'd rather be home playing video games or watching football but once we get somewhere woodsy, he can't deny the explorer in his blood.
Like magic, he stops complaining and morphs into Max from Where the Wild Things Are-- being cradled by some creature in the trees (I've never actually seen this movie but I assume this is what happens). He's got a whole lot of spunk and I love that he carries a pen in his coat pocket. He is going to go places one day. I took these photographs when I used to babysit this little peanut two years ago. Today, she is much taller and she talks a lot more, but her sass has remained the same.
I love baby pictures because I think they tell so much about a person. Underneath all the walls we've put up to survive in this world, we are still the same little people we once were. It's like dusting off a fossil. I hope when she is older, she'll be able to look at this collection of photos one day and understand that her sass wasn't earned through time. She was born with it, baby! I hate the following expression but if I were to be use it about anyone, it's her-- this girl is full of piss and vinegar. I think that is why she photographs so well.
Ever since she was little, I'd tell her that some people take time to figure out who they are, but for her it just comes naturally. She's a go-getter and no one is going to change her mind. I asked her to pose for these pictures, so they are not as authentic as I'd like them to be. Although, a bottle of Coke is one of her favorite things in the world and it just so happened to be her prop for the shoot. Maybe that's why she agreed. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
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