Shabd

Shabd, a photo by mixed alternative on Flickr.

New summer pack...I'm in love with this thing. I did get a bit of dirt on it today at Lums Pond (grad party times two, today! We brought Abu, it was an interesting first-time experience for both him and us), but I think I'll live. It's adorable and just the perfect size and I was so hesitant about the color (this [-] close to getting my default color, grey, but decided to stray a little) but it has turned out to be absolutely perfect. Wheee!

Amber

Amber, a photo by mixed alternative on Flickr.

Accidental shot from my beach trip :)

nine days later

It's spring break! And really, ridiculously warm outside. So much so that I have a headache from staying in my room...thus instead of an insightful piece of my mind, here's a photo I just uploaded from my trip to California:

(from Flickr)

Aren't its feet just darling? :)

before the storm, after the storm

And there will come a time, you'll see

With no more tears; and love will not break your heart

But dismiss your fears; get over your hill and see

What you find there; with grace in your heart & flowers in your hair.

gravity

infinity

(flickr)

Relax

And take your time

To trust in me

And you will find

Infinity

i love this:

"dealing with desaster"

(I figured out what my January book was! A Rope and A Prayer, how could I forget?! I also finished All the Pretty Horses for AP Lit today--a bit slow at first and difficult to read due to all the imagery...but possibly one of my favorites. I might even read the next book in the trilogy for March, though I hear it's fairly dry. Hmmm.)

disalignment

(flickr)

lazy mile

(via Flickr)

Went running for the first time in ages. Felt incredible. This is the result :)

day thirty (!!!)

A photo of yourself today + three good things that have happened in the past 30 days

My 365 for today; click photo to be redirected to my Flickr :)

1. I got an iPhone...and a case for it (today!), along with discovering many new and intriguing applications. Pocket frog, you are my favorite.
2. I ate more avocados than I have in probably the past year. Having another for lunch tomorrow!
3. I learned to appreciate gym class for what it is--basic physical education. Although this is completely hypocritical since I'm dreading tomorrow's speed ball game...I am neither a punter nor a dunker nor a good passer, and this game mixes my lack of talent in three completely different sports (football, soccer, basketball). I preferred our floor hockey unit :(.

And the 30-day challenge (#2!) is complete! I'm excited, should I start another? Hmmm :)

day nineteen

Another picture of yourself

milk&honey

First stop motion-type video, though I was more playing with iMovie than focused on content. I'm hoping to try this again soon with a more legitimate result.

This is also the first time I've tried posting a video on Blogger...I will easily admit that it's a bit of a pain that I have to upload it...and then I just realized I could embed it from Flickr. Yay me.

ANYWAYS, enjoy.

snow

I found a dead stinkbug in my right rain boot prior to taking this photo. A bit traumatizing (I've come to except it in all my shoes that I don't consistently wear, but it's always surprising and definitely annoying when I find them).

Also, I took this way in the PMs, maybe 5:30? The light was shot but I guess that's the reason why there are slow shutter speeds!

nose knows

I've never liked the profile of my face...until this night, this picture:

Not sure what happened. Somehow I feel facially proportional again. I think.

one more...

I know, I know: studying. However, I realized something.

Wide-angle lenses are like an addiction. You think your 28-135mm kit lens is decent and can take great landscape shots until you buy the 17-40mm. And then you're happy, really happy, because it's a beautiful prime and you know you'll use it forever and it's such quality glass that it will please you shot after shot after shot.

And then there's the 10-22mm. Not a prime, but just as expensive.

But even wider.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/efs1022/pool/with/5255876556/

I waaaaant oneeeeee...but I suppose the greater need at the moment is a decent zoom lens. And macro. And fisheye, for funsies. I'm hesitant to invest in non-primes (I know, I sound like a brat), though the primes cost a fortune, because I know they're highly replaceable. Primes are timeless. A real investment.

But this one is so, so tempting...

day six

A photo of an animal you'd love to keep as a pet

I was going to go with a Shiba Inu picture that I conveniently saved onto my desktop last week, but as I already have a cute little Bichon and a dog is too commonplace (sigh), here is my real dream pet:

(My photo, found here: click!)

I never really knew that you can own toucans as pets, but found out on YouTube (haha) one day when I was browsing through recommended videos. Apparently they cost a fortune and only live about 15 years (seems long, but Macaws live up to 50 years...), so I'm not sure how tangible my dream is. Maybe if I'm a multimillionaire and live in an Apple-esque apartment flat. How could would it be to have a couple of toucans (all loved dearly, of course) wandering around a white apartment? So cool.

But despite, um, the aesthetics of the bird (how come this is such a reoccurring theme in my blogs lately?), I really love how sweet they are. And also assumedly neater than parrots. And they don't actually bite, since their beaks are actually weak, which surprised me...but makes sense; look at the size of that thing compared to the bird's actual body.

Nonetheless, my answer: a toucan.

day two

A photo of something you ate today

Finally!!! Day two has been conquered :), even though this is technically a photo of a drink. Godiva coffee + creamer, in fact. I love this adorable mug that a friend gifted me for Christmas...just looking at it makes my day brighter. Aesthetics, aesthetics, aesthetics.

day thirty

Whatever tickles your fancy

This wraps up my 30 day challenge journey! It was fun, although I wasn't very consistent in posting. I think I'll be looking for another blog challenge to complete throughout January (maybe one a month? Ha, I crack myself up); sounds both fun and torturous!

For this last day, I'm going to just provide a link to my Flickr--as a part of my New Year's Resolutions, I decided I'm going to attempt the 365 project for both self portraiture and general photography. As if either wasn't overly ambitious on its own.

Wish me luck! I already had a close call with Jan 1st's self portrait, but I'm determined to try and make this work...eep.

Day One (photography)

Day One (self portrait)

I also realized today that in addition to my current NYRs, I'm going to add:

18 | No lying down with the laptop, and minimize use of laptop on bed (which I currently am doing...)

19 | Do homework and read books while sitting in a chair, unless deliberately trying to fall asleep.

I have a problem with utilizing my bed to its fullest...ie sitting on it absolutely all the time, whether eating or doing homework or reading. Not only is this horrible for my already-deteriorating posture, it creates this huge crater in my bed. Which sucks. And seeing 2011 is a major savings year (with my brother on his "own" at grad school, this is the first year in four and the only gap in nine total years that we won't be paying for college tuition), I probably won't get a new bed or mattress, which I was hoping for :(.

But anyway, today was relatively quiet. I didn't exercise (poo) due to the early closing time and fact that I fell asleep while reading a required book. However, R&R is always nice, and I can pardon myself, seeing it's the New Year :).

However, I do need to go to sleep now and start being super efficient in everything I do. Thus, bye for now!

day nine (before 12am!!!)

A photo you took

See: www.flickr.com/photos/mzheng :), although I haven't updated recently (I have no real photo editing program on my new Mac yet and have only imported a few batches).

I need to get on that.

Visiting UD tomorrow!

Coucher de Soleil

Coucher de Soleil
Originally uploaded by mixed alternative

La premiere photo...regardez grand, s'il vous plait? Je pense que je dois telecharger plus souvent. Quelle horreur ;). Mais vraiment, il fait magnifique la...probablement, je ne vais jamais voir un autre coucher de soleil commes lesquels a la Nouvelle-Ecosse. Magnifique. Tout simplement magnifique.