My new love affair

My sister, Sharla, and I have discovered our love a photography and we're always sharing ideas and news etc. She introduced me to something that at first I was doubtful of until I started researching it myself. Now I am obsessed, excited, and in love. With what you ask?

The Holga Camera

I am ready to have a love affair with this camera. Isn't it so simple? YEP! It is! It is a tiny plastic toy looking camera. It was born in the 80's in Hong Kong and yet, it takes AMAZINGLY brilliant pictures. I've been reading on people's blogs about the Holga and the people who take pics with it...LOVE IT! So I'm buying one today to take to NYC with me. 

Film is not dead! And you can still take amazing pictures with film. This camera lets in light, takes vignettes, has filters, fish eye lenses, etc. The more and more I research this product the more excited I am to try it! So here's some photos people have taken with their holgas! So here goes to experimental photography! I'll take mine to washington square park and coney island! I may finally be able to achieve the photography I'm always trying to do with a cheap little plastic camera and old school film. :) Nothing like vintage!

Double exposure:

Yummy Pasta Salad

My brother taught me to make this when he moved home from Italy. But it's a really great and light pasta salad. First, you can use penne or rigatoni and boil it. Don't over cook it. Over cooked pasta is gross. then put it in a bowl and lightly coat it with olive oil, for flavor and so they don't stick together. So you take some of these:

And you dice them up. Put them in with teh pasta

You drain a can of these and put them in the pasta as well

You soak a pound of moz cheese, cubed, in a bowl of water for an hour or two, throw that in

Then add basil, salt, and pepper to taste. I want to try this with chopped fresh basil some day. BUt in the meantime, this light salad is WONDERFUL!

My ball fetching Flying Bat Dog

For those who don't know my puppy, she is incredibly active and energetic. She is also OBSESSED with playing with the ball. It's a never ending obsession. Someone walks in the house and she wants them to play ball. Someone is sitting on the couch and she wants them to play ball. Someone is sitting on the toilet, she wants them to play ball. Someone is sleeping, she wants them to play ball. So today since it was so amazing and beautiful and warm and sunny, we went outside after church. I took my camera and took pictures of my little monster playing ball. She is sooo cute when she plays and she runs and jumps and her ears go all over the place. 

Coco playing hide and seek in the grass.

Her ears are so cute when she runs! hahahahaha!

Running towards the curb!

Getting ready to jump over the curb

Flying Bat Dog!!!!! over the curb!

After a while she got really hot and she went over to the fountain and crawled in then got out and rolled around in the dirt. I gave her a bath only yesterday. Grrrrr!

And then it was time to play again. Now, if the ball bounces, she jumps in the air and catches it and It's the cutest thing. Sometimes she gets some great twists and turns, but these are pretty much straight up jumps to catch them!

And one more of her flying over the curb, which is my favorite!

Hope these brought a smile to your face! They always do to mine!

If you want to keep up...

I hate being one of these people, but I really wanted to keep my photo blog and my design blog seperate from this blog. But if you want to see how my costume designs for A Midsummer Nights dream you can just click here. Or if you would like to see my photography, because I am VERY proud of it, you can just click here. I hope you all had a great great great great Easter.

For those reading this on my facebook, and not my blog, you can see my designs at  http://www.designsbymandee.blogspot.com and my photos at http://www.photosbymandee.blogspot.com

The Curious Savage

In case you didn't know I'm directing a show at the heritage theater. It's called the curious savage and I love this show. I was in it before and although it kills me not to be in it. Fairy May is one of the best parts I've ever played.

Anyway, it's getting closer and I'm a little stressed. Okay, I'm a lot stressed. With directing this and with costuming Midsummer's. But I finally got my poster done. The wonderful Sid Sexton did the first sketch for me and I did all the painting/coloring. A lot more time consuming than I thought it would be, but turned out fantastic! If you'd like to see it larger, especially to get the info, then come see it! :)

One thing that was stressing me out was my set. I don't know how to build a set, I don't know how to design a set. I can dress a set, but don't ask me to design it. Anyway, I asked my wonderful friend Trent bean to design my set. I don't have a pic of the set but I have a pic of the drawings of some of the set pieces. I'm excited for my show, but I'm just still a little nervous. It's tough having this much responsibility but no stage manager or assistant director. Etc. Melanie and Bryce have already been a huge help to me, as they always are. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have them.