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cooking

my new years resolution is to start cooking at least once a week. if y'all have any recipes y'all like please share them. its going to be a long year.

Sugar

Went home for Christmas. I love home. I'm going to start making more trips to Blue. We wormed the horses today and I went for a nice long walk with my camera. I even saw a big snake.

Soup and Poker

Thanks everyone for coming to my soup n poker party. A good time was had by all! The soups were extra yum - even if half the party opted for the creamy tomato instead of the clam chowder i slaved over all day. Mmmm... I have lots of left over soup.

My plan is to become a poker super star. If anyone wants to sponser an up and coming player please let me know. I look great in sunglasses and I can bluff with the best of them. They're gonna call me Mary "all in" Sledd.

Babies and Telephones

Photographed another family for holiday cards today. (even though it is very close to christmas)The baby was only 7 weeks old and the mom looked FANTASTIC. The baby is yawning in this photo, but it sort of looks like he's hollering.

Ever gotten stuck in a phone tree? This site has an amazing collection of customer service numbers and the back doors to talk to a real human.

Gallery News

Last night at a party at the Artist Studio Studio I met a guy who is putting together some gallery shows and asked if I'd like to hang some work in them. (Nothing beats sight-un-seen gallery representation) The location I'm most excited about is Spider House. Its been a long standing goal (since high school) to show my photos at that coffee shop. Granted it may seem like an odd venue choice for me at this point it is going to be radical. Not sure what work I'm going to show - but I'll create something spectacular and I expect all of y'all to come to the opening. Gosh I hope he actually calls... : ) Isn't that guy in Voxtrot?

Alpha Sigma Sigma

Just wanted to let everyone know Alpha Sigma Sigma is closing its doors forever and is having one last party... here's the scoop.

"Saturday, December 17th @ Art Studio Studios, party o'clock. This is the last bender that will ever be held at the warehouse, as we have to move out at the end of the month to make room for the bulldozers. But don't cry, unless that's just a little "party" in your eyes.

We're at the corner of Jessie St. and Butler Rd. One block north of Barton Springs, and one block west of Lamar. You've been here before, you know this stuff.

So, bring your friends, bring some booze, and have sex in the secret bathroom. Whatever. A.S.S. doesn't give a fuck. Go nuts." - Rush Captian '04-'05, Sterling Allen

holiday fun

took prom photos at an AWESOME party last night for the alamo. it was BIG fun - even if i was BEAT from a long day of assisting. working all day today was tough and i just wanted to take a nap.

Dad

I found this picture of my dad while I was going thru my old stuff. So strange the things we save. Most of the stuff in the trunk was junk so I threw it away - but I'm going to keep this old photo. I sure was a sleepy baby.

Its very cold in Austin today so I've hulled myself in my house and I'm not going out. Out of bordom I got a subscription to Rhapsody. Its AWESOME! I should have gotten one ages ago.

I survived.

Bookish Cat

Mom gave Dexter a new sweater for my birthday. He seems to really like it. Its pink argile. Dexter also enjoys wearing glasses and pretending to read for my stock photos. Such a good cat. It's all the kitten yoga I did with him when he was very young. Imprint training is very important with cats. It may also be that he is mildly retarted and I feed him into complacency.

T Day Update

Mom just got here. She wants me to sweep, mop, fix the record player, clean my study, vaccuum, wash my hair, and boil some eggs for gravy. Luckily I have an hour and half before guests get here. I love her!

Thanksgiving (a day early)

Thats my turkey. He's still raw - and maybe a tiny bit frozen. Hopefully noone will get food poisoning. My entire family that still lives in austin (about 12 people) are coming over for Thanksgiving (+scott) I'm a bit nervous that he is going to think my family is strange. Thankfully my mother hasn't showed up yet to freakout! I just know shes going to show up and start bossing me around even though its my dinner and my house. Sometimes she has a hard time letting go.

My favorite thing about holidays is my families Purple Jello. Its sooooo yummy. Its black cherry jello with pineapples, creamcheese, coke a cola and bing cherries. (and then pecans on top, but I grew up on a farm with pecan orchards, so i don't like them much. I also don't eat beef the other thing we raised on the farm.)

Wren

Wow. My friend Lazlo has one heck of a cute baby.

Wheres my cheese???

The answer is - in the trash. I stopped having a regular house keeper months ago because she had a habbit of throwing away important things. She also likes to hide things - once she hid my hasselblad and i almost had a heart attack because I thought it had been stolen. Turns out it was just at the back of the linen closet behind a blanket (don't ask how I found it) The latest victim was my aged yellow gouda. I can just imagine her putting the cheese to her nose, curling up her bottom lip, and then throwing it away. *sigh* At least she seemed appologetic and promised she won't throw anymore cheese away. If it weren't for silly thanksgiving she won't even be here.

Gym

I joined a gym. This may be hard for y'all to believe but I've but on almost 20 pounds since graduating college a few years ago. I used to run a few miles every day and eat extra healthy food. Then I discovered the sloth lifestyle - I stopped running, started drinking and ate mostly cheap food. Putting on pounds happened slowly at first and then all of a sudden - I'm pudgey!

So I've been doing cardio and yoga and some weight lifting. Joining a gym wasn't quite as expensive as I thought it would be and I joined an all girl gym (which is populated primarily by old ladies) so I don't feel any pressure to "preform" for others.

December 4

I'm having a big birthday party and tv show screening. Party starts at 7pm. If you need directions to my house please drop me a line or leave a comment. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone there! If you need gift ideas here are some things 20 something year old girls like...

Good Ideas-
Hensel Porty Plus 1200wts Light Kit w/ Modifiers
Epson Stylus Pro 4800
Fuzzy Slippers with Hard soles
Anything from Christian Diors J'adore line
Capes
Mixed Cds
Rechargeable AA Batteries
Dress socks (argile or other size 7 or M)
Trashy Magazine Subscribtions
Photo books
Pink sound blocking ear muffs
Funny medium(small) tee shirts
Victor 1460-3 adding machine (or equilivlant)
Silver Jewlry or anything gaudy
Tea (green, peppermint or other)
Records
Stinky Cheeses (gouda yum yum)
Baked goods
Sun Hats and dresses (size 6 vintage 36,26,full)
Scarfs (not wool)
Fun-feti Birthday cakes
Power tools
Furs
Patio Furniture
Cat toys
Olives
Art (nothing bigger than 10" x 10")
Purses (homemade is better)
Staionary
Anything Monogramed (ie pink towels, gym bags)
Inky pens

Bad Ideas-
Candles
Pictures Frames
Sented Soap
Stars
Journals (i've already got one)
Cooking gadgets
Home manicure kits (the dirt likes living under my nails)
Concert Tickets

Leah and Bradly

Leah and I both went to Austin schools in Jr. High and High School. I ran into a her a few months ago and she asked if I would photograph her wedding. She didn't want tons of photos just casual shots of what was going on. I thought it would be fun so I volunteered. I loved her polka dot theme! She even had guests get into by requesting they all were dots too.

Boating

i left my gloomy house and go boating with lorenzo candice and scott this afternoon. we had a lovely time. a coldfront is blowing in later this week so it was probobly the last of the summer fun for the year.

nothing beats drinking beer and boating. what made it ultra nice was that we had the lake to ourselves!

Felix

i've decided to have Felix, the old cat that lives on my front porch put to sleep. i feel TERRIBLE about doing it, but i think its the most humane thing i can do. i've tried giving her antibiotics and cleaning her wounds with all sorts of stuff, but she just doesn't seem to heal and now she is having a hard time eating. the weather is also about to get cold and i don't want her to be uncomfortable. its silly, but this is one of the hardest decisions i've had to make in a long long time. my wonderful loving mother is going to take her in for me. i was going to, but i think it'll be easier for me if i don't. i don't want the vet to guilt me into have any treatments done. the cat is almost 20 years old. when she was about 15 she was attacked by a dog on the 4th of july. she was missing (presumed dead for 14 days) and then one day her corpse showed up on the lawn. when i ran up to her i discovered she was still breathing. $1200 later she was all fixed up. after that i decided no more extrodinary measures when it comes to old critters. so. dear old felix this is the end. :( i'm so happy i don't have anyone else i have to justify this desicion to. i can remember getting sooo mad at my mom when she had my dog put to sleep when i was a kid (that poor old dog should have been put to sleep about a year before she had it done) now i understand. it was for mom to decide to put the dog to sleep and me getting mad about didn't help. rrrg.

weddings

Leah had a great polka dot theme wedding. :)

Dinner Party FUN

I hosted a dinner party last night. I had a great time. We served eggplant parmisan and a ceasar salad. between the 7 of us we drank 9 bottles of wine and a six pack. WOW. the kitchen is almost back to being clean and I'm not AS hungover as I thought I might be. I highly reccomend dinner parties. They are a bit labor intensive and can get expensive fast, but they are well worth it. i don't think the last guests left until after midnight.

Folio

For the first time EVER (in my memory) a potential employer wants to me come by and show them a portfolio. Like a book of photos. Real prints. WOW.

So I had to go thru thousands of files to find my favorites. I choose all color photos shot with strobes. Its frightening how "tight" they are. My style is more defined than I thought it was. I decided to only include photos of people. This ad agency needs lots of different kinds of photos and once upon a time i would have taken in a book showcasing my many different photo skills - food, buidlings, still lifes - but not anymore. I only want to take ad photos if they involve people (i say that but if they offer enough i'll photograph anything)

wish me luck guys!!!!

Ryan J and the plumber

Exciting day yesterday. The plummer came over to fix my slow drains, leaking faucet and broken sprayer. I wanted him to replace my faucet with a new mroe fashionable one and he WOULDN"T!!!! He said I had a fine faucet and they don't make them like that anymore. So strange. He didn't seem to care at all that the thing looks old. He just swore up and down that if I replaced it - it would break all the time and never be as nice again. He blaimed china.

Also photographed and up and coming country musician... guess up and coming may not be the right term. He's already had a song in the top ten of the charts.

Texas Prize

This was the fanciest party I've been to all year. Tix were $300 each and the celeb attendants included - Ann Richards, David Hickey, Michael and Susan Dell and on and on. The theme was Excess and wow did everyone take it to heart. I wore a little black dress with lots of jewels and some patton leather farragamo shoes with bows. I went with my friend Ryan because he is the only other person I knew who was near my age, not gay and had a ticket to the party. We did a lot of drinking ( i was still hungover at 9pm the next night ) some dancing and lots of hob nobbing. A very fun night all together. The longhorn band played, the signature drink involved taquilla and dinner was served at the Driskill.

Records

I'm in a good mood. Someone dropped off two boxes of old records at my office this morning. They were just going to throw them away! Lots of AWSOME classical stuff and some rock and folk. Its making my day at work much more fun.

Anyone else going to see the new HP movie when it comes out. I'm tempted to buy matinee tickets for the friday it comes out and watch in the afternoon.

Cutest girl in Texas

For a night!!!

Canon Pro Service

Today I got my letter from Canon Pro Service. I'm now on the team. Yipee!!!

Chronicle

Did y'all see the photo they ran? Looks more like a portrait than a live shot. Sometimes they pick the strangest ones - i'm not saying i don't like it... just that lots of the other stuff was way more rock star like.
http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2005-11-04/music_TCB_all.html
scroll down half way to see the photo.

Plants

Interesting. I'm working at the shop today because my mother is on a buying trip. Its fun to answer peoples plant questions. I know an alarming amount about plants. If y'all ever have any burning horticulture questions - i'm your man.

In other news. Think i'm going to the big fancy Texas Prize party with my buddy Ryan. Its going to be TONS of fun. Tickets are shockingly expensive so i'm hoping mine gets "taken care of" for me. What to wear? Black. I think i'll wear a black dress with sparkles on it. I'll be the prettiest one (i mean youngest/poorest one) there.

u2 - BONO

Drove to Dallas tonight to photograph U2 and then drove all the way home. Lots of driving. I saw a very sad scene on the way there. A pillow flew out of the truck in front of me - and scared me. I stopped for gas after that and emptied what was left in my blatter. Then a few miles down the road I saw the same truck with the hood up on the side of the road. It made me sad. Not only were they loosing things, but the truck died. Lots of people seemed to be moving. Guess thats what happens at the end of the month.

Bill Clinton

Spoke at the Texas Book Festival today. His speach was pretty good. Not suprisingly he spoke about the current problems the Rebuplicans are having telling the truth.
He is looking much much older. Also interesting his style of answering questions. You can tell when he is about to move on to another question because he repeats the question he was answering. Wonder what he would think of my Hillary picture? :)

Austin Film Festival

photographed shane bl@ck today. he wrote and directed the new movie kiss k*ss bang b@ng. really nice guy. i've been VERY SICK all week and was too wacky from the cold medicine to think of a great way to photograph him so i just put him in front of a brick wall. so ameture. rrrg. oh well.

Jason S. from Rushmore and Shopgirl

Don't want the blogbots to find this. Rrrgg. Photographed Mr. Jason today. He was SOOO funny!!! Nice guy.

DECISIONS!!!

Do I want to photograph U2 in Dallas next Saturday or Chris Elliot in Austin? Such hard choices...

Ryan James

Photographed him the other night. He plays a mean guitar.

Merrit

Did a big photoshoot for an up and coming model. She looked great in all the clothes, but she only has a few facial expressions. Oh and she's only, sit down boys, 14 years old.

Tax Return

Finally got my tax stuff back from the accountant. (I had to get two extensions because things were messy) The good news - I'm getting a $295 refund because I over estimated how much I owe. The bad news - my accountant charged me $400 to figure out that I had overpaid. RRRGGG.

Things I LOVE

in no order

Vintage sundresses (Cotton)
Icepops
Carrots
Swimming (in non-chlorine water)
Dexter
Vinyl
Riding horses
Gardening (Oct - March)
Libraries
Wine (white)
Taxidermy
Photo books
Laugh Attacks
Mom
Taking pictures
Tirimsu
Lunches with Granny
Cameras
Bikes
Naps
Organic milk
Montana (Central)
Day dreaming
Expensive coats
Factory People
Trapping possums
Plumaria
Hair dye
Magnets
Sewing
Pink (the color)
Reefs
My birthday
The future
Gordon White
Highland Park

and lots and lots of other things i'll list later.

Featherproof offers light and ‘enchanting’ reads...

Check it out... this is an article about my good old friend Zach Dodson who lives in Chicago. We were humanities majors together and got in lots of trouble. :)

Chicago’s literary scene works to fill the independent niche
By Tiffany Breyne
Assistant A&E Editor
pic
Photos Courtesy Featherproof Books

Word to the wise: Shit is about to hit the fan. Bat shit, that is. Or at least that’s what Jonathan Messinger and Zach Dodson, the founders of Featherproof Books, are saying about their first published book, The Enchanters vs. Sprawlburg Springs, written by Columbia fiction writing teacher Brian Costello.

Describing the book as “bat shit-crazy,” Messinger and Dodson are pumped to release Costello’s debut book about “overnight hipster scenes, suburbia and tortured musicians who want to change the world,” which is set to be released Dec. 15.

But they say Enchanters is just the beginning for their indie publishing group, aimed at advancing local writers career’s while working towards the bigger goal of broadening Chicago’s independent literary scene.

“What’s best, I think, about Chicago is that people don’t think there’s a vibrant literary scene outside of New York and L.A.,” Messinger said. “I think that once people break out of that idea that you have to rely on these big corporations to make literature, these other scenes become more important and more vibrant. And I think that’s what happening with Chicago.”

Messinger, books editor at TimeOut Chicago, met Dodson when Dodson was working as a book designer, and they dreamt up an independent publishing company for writers such as themselves who didn’t want to try the large publishing house route.

“It started off as fantasy and then we started taking steps to make it happen,” Dodson said. “And it kinda happened by itself. And I guess as long as we keep taking those steps it’s gonna keep happening—or until we drop from exhaustion.”

Dodson is now the associate art director at Shelter magazine, and both men are working nonstop to help build press for Costello’s book. They are also working on their other project for Featherproof, the Light Reading series. The Light Reading series is an expanding group of short stories readers can download and print off Featherproof’s website and fold together to create a slim, easy read—perfect for long commutes on the el where space is limited and staring at the person across the aisle can only go on for so long.

For Messinger and Dodson, the Light Reading series is a helpful—and free—way to spread the work of authors who might not have a chance to turn out their work through mainstream publishers. It’s also a way to share their combined love of art and literature.
pic
Photos Courtesy Featherproof Books
The faces of Featherproof: Zach Dodson and Jonathan Messinger. Left: Brian Costello’s book, in stores Dec. 15. Below: Messinger and Dodson toughen up.

“We really wanted to bring that physical aspect,” Dodson said. “And not just with the mini books, but with the novels too—each one will be designed in a special way. With the Internet, words can become cheap. There’s something special about a book and the paper and the smell.”

Messinger and Dodson base the business aspect of their publishing company off their influence from indie rock labels. From contracts to PR, they hope that maybe their company can help independent authors just like smaller labels have helped independent musicians over the years. Messinger likens their collection of Light Reading stories to a seven-inch record or a compilation of bands that music labels would put out on one CD—both writers and consumers of independent culture can catch a glimpse of what’s available to them.

“Those [smaller music] communities have had such success,” Messinger said. “It’s an always growing frustration for me—I feel like the literature being done in Chicago right now [and] the ideas being explored are more socially relevant and intriguing to me than anything done by any band. Not just in Chicago—anywhere, really. And so you have all these kids that will pay $15 or $10 to go to the Empty Bottle and see this band and see music, but they balk at paying $10 for a book or something like that, and so I think that what we’re trying to do is bridge that gap.”

Messinger believes that Columbia, along with other institutions, have had a lot to do with leading the way in Chicago’s literary scene. He credits several people involved with Columbia for promoting their love of literature: Costello; Todd Dills, who got his MFA at Columbia and has been running his own business, the 2ndHand, for about five years; and Joe Meno, a Columbia fiction writing teacher and author of Hairstyles of the Damned.

Featherproof wants to join in on the literary action with their promotions for Costello’s book at different music venues here and on the West Coast.

“Part of our deal is that we really believe in readings that aren’t just guys in tweed jackets reading into their books,” Messinger said. “It’s really fun to have bands and make it real so people can come out to it.”

For more information on Featherproof, go to www.featherproof.com, and check out a sneak peek of Costello’s book, The Enchanters vs. Sprawlburg Springs, out Dec. 15.

Factory People

Here are a couple of my photos from the party last night! It was great. I love working for factory people. Some day I'm going to make an awsome book of all of my favorite photos from their parties. I already have a yeras worth.

Domino Harvey

this is what i was able to salvage from the shoot. not much i know,b ut better than nothing. i'm getting ready to do a photo shoot at the parish. i'm not to keen on all the late nights ... but i need the cash.

Marfa

To go or not to go. So many of my friends are going. It is always such a fun thing to do... its just sooo far away and I'm a touch broke. Not to mention I'm supposed to be dog sitting. mmmm... what ever is a girl to do.

Low Light

I've been testing the new camera in ambient darkness. It does very well with converting color temperatures. The tungston lights all look like they've been geled. Its wonderful. It will save me tons of time in photoshot. It is also amazing how it deals with reciprocity failure. The exposures are more acurate than they would be with the sekonic. just amazing.

Jerk Face Wilson

I photographed a private party for Anthony Nak tonight. The party was fun, but Luke Wilson was total JERK! One of the primary reasons I was hired to photograph the event was because they were expecting a celebrity appearance... When Luke arrived I let him get a beer and chat with some folks before I approached him. I was extra sweet and asked if I could just take a photo or two for Nak. He said NO! Not even a nice no. It was a pretty rude no. Anyways... I was left with only the option of hiding behind the bushes (house plants) to photograph him. Not fun!

- Post previously removed because of too many hits from the Wilson Fan club. -

the cobra snake

look. i made thecobrasnake.com

I'm telling mr. cobra snake that I dressed like him for the party and that under my polka dot skirt i have on shorts that say "bling bling" cause you know its true!!!

dallas observer

just noticed they used one of my photos. hope they pay for it!!!

Dallas Observer

2 hour drives

use lots of gas.

cj

decided to go out and take some pictures for the arcives. snapped this nice one of my childhood friend cj. we see eachother once every 5 years or so. she's a nice gal.

OMG TV SHOW TIME

got the tape. going to have a huge party. you are all invited~~!!!!

Austin City Limits

ACL continues. I have a terrible sunburn. A splitting head ache. Sore legs and back. Next year I'm not going to shoot this silly festival. And if I do I'm only going to shoot evening acts. The light is better then anyways.

Fader Party

Working hard. Partying harder. Spent a record 17 hours photographing yesturday.

photo update

busy taking photos.
here are some samples.
these were for the best of austin.

Baby Mimm

Another cute kiddie.