Wordless Wednesday

   

  

Ode to Notebooks

I have a confession. I am obsessed with school supplies.  There's just something so wonderful about a brand new mechanical pencil, with its pristine eraser and sharp tip that makes my notes better. Even more than  I love a new pencil, I loveee a pretty notebook! I have dozens, most with only a line or two written on the first page.

You can have fun notebooks, practical notebooks, and even secret notebooks.  I have a notebook for my assignments, one to log my workouts in, one to gush about boys I like, one to doodle in, and one just for my explorations. I'm addicted and I don't care who knows it!

Here are a few that I have my eye on when I go school supply shopping for the next semester:

Oscar Wilde notebooks - Mara Mi

Canvass with a Camera

I bought my first, real camera at the end of the last school year.  It was quite an investment, but I have not regretted it! I've used it to capture the small parts of our campus that I'm afraid I'll forget someday.  There are statues, light fixtures, and even ceilings all over school that are so beautiful that I have to have a picture of them (Stapleton, anyone?)! Here are a few I took early in the year:

I highly recommend you take a camera - it can be your phone - and take a walk around our campus.  When you really start to look, you'd be amazed by all of the lovely details you'll find!

Tempted to Travel

On rainy December days (please make it stop!), I like to imagine what it would be like if I were in another country.  I think I'd be wandering aimlessly down crowded streets, window shopping, and generally enjoying the novelty of the sites and people I pass. If I like noticing the environment I currently live in, I would have a field day in another country!

I'm not sure where I would travel first because there are too many options.  If someone asked me to choose, I'd probably dither for a very long time!  I know I want to experience the fashion of Paris, visit the Royals in London, and share a pint in Dublin.  

For now, I content myself with the knowledge that I will travel someday.  I will be as free to explore as the little, blue bird above ! Given the chance, where would you most like to go? 

Critter Watch

If you live or work on a college campus, you have probably seen the plump squirrels that wander gracefully around the grounds.  I'm kidding, of course - there is nothing graceful about the little creatures.  They waddle about and struggle to stay aloft tree branches.  I swear I even saw one lying on its back, waiting for someone to toss him leftovers from lunch!

This is the average size of a campus squirrel:

On the other hand, the poor fellows have led me to appreciate critters like this:

                  

 

What kind of creatures do you notice in your environment? While I don't usually see sheep, chicks, or blue herons around my campus, I have seen them all by my home in MN.  The next time you go for a walk, take a look around - you might be surprised by all of the things you'll notice!

Color of the Day: Red

 Through my procrastination, I have found a color that is really speaking to me lately - red. I have always loved red - red nail polish, red pumps, red dresses, and red popsicles - but it seems to be one of the hot colors this season.

Here are a few pictures that have me riding a crimson tide!

      

        

 

           

Searching Cemeteries

Cemeteries have always been my favorite place for exploration.  There is something I find irresistible about the old gravestones and the history they represent.  I don't find them eerie or upsetting in the least; instead, I am drawn to them like a moth to a flame.  I imagine most girls feel the same exhilaration finding a great pair of shoes as I feel when I stumble upon an old graveyard.

These three pictures were taken at Rutherford Cemetery in Stillwater, MN.  Rutherford had its first burial in 1851. It is also the resting place of many veterans who served as far back as the Civil and Spanish American Wars.

I know I'm confusing my holidays a little bit, but I never miss a chance to look around.  Today's unseasonably warm weather put me in the mood to find a graveyard in the South Bend area (any one have suggestions?!).  For now, you'll have to bear with me and enjoy a Tim Burton Christmas season!

Touchstone: Vivian Maier

Vivian Maier: Self-reflection

I'd be lying if I told you that people watching wasn't my favorite pastime. I love seeing what people wear, how they interact with others, and even listening to to the things they say.  I people watch while shopping, driving, and my favorite - while I'm sitting around in the airport. It's fascinating to see how different everyone is!

I recently discovered a photographer who was an expert "people-watcher." Vivian Maier, an amateur street photographer, captured all manner of urban living.  Maier lived in France, New York, and Chicago.



In 1956, at age 30, Maier moved from New York to Chicago where she nannied for almost 40 years.  On her days off, she canvassed the city and captured more than 100,000 photographs of city life, architecture, and anyone who caught her eye.

Her photographs remained a secret until they were unearthed by Chicago historian, John Maloof, in 2007.  Her work has been featured in newspapers, magazines, and exhibits across the world since they were found and continue to receive critical acclaim.  For more of her beautiful images, check out: Vivian Maier: Street Photographer.

Structures and Color

Hello, and welcome back from break! I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was full of good cheer and even better food.  Last week, while taking a break from the kitchen, my mom, my sister, and I went on a photo journey to Franconia Sculpture Park in St. Croix Trail, Minnesota.  The park features various artists and is supported largely by donations.

Although there were dozens of pieces to explore and capture through my lens, I focused most of my attention on Bridget Beck's sculptures:

Her use of color and different shapes seemed chaotic at first.  However,  as I continued to explore the special hide-a-way, it became more clear that she was using the colors and the different shapes to give her overall work a sense of balance.  

If you ever make it up to Minnesota, I would be happy to take you with me on another jaunt to this amazing place!

Hello!

Hello!

My very wise (and creative) mother always reminds me to “notice what [I] notice.” Though it seems obvious that a person would see what she sees, or hears what she hears, the saying goes a little deeper than that.  With that little phrase in mind, I pay closer attention to the colors, patterns, and images that capture my eye. 

I have always been an explorer.  I love peeking into every door I pass and seeing decorations or people, and then trying to decipher the reason they are where they are.  My explorations take on new meaning and a world of imagination when I notice what I notice. I hope my posts will show how I canvass my environment and perhaps add a little color to your day!

These pictures (green!) are the funny, bright, and unusual images that I have noticed this week!