.425 hallow hypocrisy

there's nothing hallow about halloween anymore. in fact, like most christian or american traditions, it has become grossly misdirected: bunnies and easter egg hunts replaced feasts and festivals for hebrew liberation, santa claus and christmas trees replaced the celebration of jesus christ, candy corn and costumes replaced honoring the dead, of both, saints and sinners. and this capitalistic country benefits the most from all of our mass produced sentiments. 

BUT

that is not what this post is about. 

this post, dear friends, is about me happily becoming a hypocrite.

it's about enjoying a warm day, with even warmer people, disguised as ghoulish monsters or fairy princesses or overtly sexual law enforcement. it's about spending time with my littles, who eagerly awaited the day for "tricky treasures" (her words). it's about me debating on whether or not to allow her to knowingly partake in the festivities this year (she was a year old last halloween, and clueless to it all. so, outside of a gifted costume, our day went on as normal). it's about me relenting and recycling her last years costume, just to see sheer happiness burst out of her eyes.

(that's right. i recycled her costume. she didn't even know she was wearing one, then, and was all to happy about being a pumpkin, now)

we didn't really "trick-or-treat" in the traditional sense. random errands begat candy from joyful employees at, both, rite aid and 7-11. then, we went over to my godmother's house where ne-ne (my not-so-baby cousin) piled even more goodies into her bag and tisha, my god-sister, topped it off with a brand new toothbrush. afterwards, we headed back home to stop over my friend, and neighbor, kim's house, where she had individual goodie bags waiting for toots and the adorable twins, kayla and jordan who live down the street (they were fairy princesses). we stayed there a while, kim and i talking, toots and bootsie (kim's pug) fighting over candy while trick-or-treaters came in doves (toots helped aunt kim pass out treats). 

all-in-all, it was a nice day. toots enjoyed herself and even got to eat some sugary snacks she's (almost) never allowed to eat on normal days. i enjoyed myself and even allowed myself to eat some sugary snacks i (almost) never eat on normal days and my awesome gifted lens (thank you, becky, again and again!) had it's first field trip day. 

(((yay to the day)))

  

.407 fall

took a walk to family dollars for my favorite apple scented aromatic candles (that doesn't smell a thing like apples) and toots got entranced by the card aisle. toddlers are funny that way. buy them a toy, and they can take it or leave it, but let them rummage through the kitchen drawers (or in this case, a card aisle) and you've made their entire day. 

during the walk back home, i took a few pics of fallen leaves for this month's "fall" theme for the creativity project. 

(i'll probably take more, as these aren't really what i wanted to capture)

.399 toying around

i recently joined flickr to give  home to my hipstamatic prints (an iPhone app based off of traditional film photography, hipstamatic gives you a range of lenses and films to buy). while on flickr i stumbled upon a group made solely for hipstamatic toy stills. i love stills and i love toys, thus, this venture was to try my hand at getting one or two shots to add to the group. i liked the print so much that i tried to recreate the feeling with my camera, but it didn't turn out as well as i'd hoped. anyway, the irony of my favorite digital iPhone app, is that is has me seriously considering a return to film and manual development, a beauty that has been largely desecrated with the up-rise of digital imaging... 

[below is the hipstamatic shot. you can view my entire 'hipstamatic' photo gallery on flicker]

.381 day 356

i don't have a macro lens. 

so every time you see an insect pic, know that i'm conquering my fear of close proximity to them.

.373 day 348

pre-run of my block's upcoming flea market was cut short due to the massive amount of bees swarming above us. a hive, bigger than a basket ball, teetering pretty close to falling, went undetected by anyone for the entire summer. undetected, until now, due to it's weight pushing a branch it's built upon lower to human view. if it falls, we're all up shits creek. a hive this large houses hundreds, close to one thousand, bees at a time, bees that will be hella pissed at whoever is closes when it drops. so, we packed up what didn't sell and postponed 'til after labor day. toots is probably the only one super happy about that, as she was boldly reluctant about selling toys and cars and clothes she's grown out of to anybody. 

i was able to get a picture of the cutest, furriest baby bee on a flower bed in the front of my lawn. 

i've never seen a baby bee until now. they don't even have stingers, yet.

we call her 'cousin essie'. not due to actual relation, but to her southern flare of familiarity. 

jeffrey a.k.a mystikal

(i wonder if he tires of me calling him that)

if there is any neighborhood pow-wow in the morning, you're sure to find kim with a mug of coffee in her hands.

finally got a picture of kim's illusive teenager, c.j. 

yup, good ol' uncle harold again. 

we're headed to my cousin-in-laws birthday dinner as soon as i get dressed.

(if i can focus enough to actually do so)

the first leg of revamping these boring canvas slip-ons. 

i added that button today, by tomorrow, they will be a whole different pair of shoes.

pics coming soon.

update: click 'here' to see finished product.

.319 day 286

when i take walks, my favorite subject to capture are humans. but when i drive, i become obsessed with the sky and the clouds and the way they wraps themselves around bodies of buildings. driving and shooting and human beings blurring by, and the sky never seeming to move at all. the day's storm etched it's own pictures in the crevice of the clouds, and i'd swear, if you'd asked me, i'd have said that i saw each moment that it stroked each line. i lived in settle awe today. planted, yet, floating. whenever there are days like this, i question how anyone could believe in no god. how anyone, with sight and pulse and and breathe and blood could believe that something this beautiful, doesn't come from something even more than that...

"i believe in god, except, i spell it nature"

[frank lloyd wright]