311 Pow Wow Festival

This was my first music and camping festival and despite the long drive (14hrs), heat, and ant bites, it was more amazing than I anticipated!  In fact, it left me so hyped up on 311 that I've been all 311 all the time and am now planning for my next big 311 event.  So many cool people were at Pow Wow and it was great to see the unity amongst total strangers.  311 really carries quite a following of dedicated fans.  It has always amazed me, the energy that surges through everyone during a 311 show and Pow Wow was most definitely the epitome of energy.  At one point I just gazed over the crowd of people who were all jumping in sync and it was a very surreal moment.  In fact, so much so that I got goosebumps.  Goosebumps in August in Florida, while totally covered in sweat.  That speaks volumes. 

I took over 600 photos during the festival weekend so it took awhile to sort through and decide which images were good enough to share.  I have decided to still do just one image per day so for now because otherwise, there would be 50 images on this blog post and that's just too many.  SO....for now I will leave you with one of my favorites from the whole weekend.  I was super happy to have captured this moment.  After 20 years they still can smile like this and have this much fun doing what they're doing?  To me that's amazing and makes me love these guys even more. 

Daily Photo Hiatus

So, the daily photo is not dead...just on hiatus!  Last weekend I spent time in Live Oak, Florida for the 311 Pow Wow Festival.  It.Was.AMAZING.  Thus the reason for the hiatus, and I am currently editing the photos from that adventure.  However, I felt that I really needed to make a blog post so here I am. 

I decided on a few from the Tori show that I blogged about before (and then mentioned I would be posting more from that show).  I have yet another amazing performance to look forward to from my favorite redhead since she is playing DC in December.  Excited!

In the first image she was playing "Leather".  Not sure how I remember that, but my memory sort of has a mind of its own.  Is that redundant?  I don't know, but it makes sense to me.  In the third image you can see that she may need to retire that sequined American flag jumpsuit.  Some of the sequins have come off and it's looking a bit tattered.  Plus, it's just unsightly.

Mexico

These aren't new photos but this morning I am dreaming of a nice sunny vacation (where there is no humidity like here in Maryland).  I have always had a special place in my heart for the beach.  Since I am originally from a coastal area I spent my very early years on a beach and it has stuck with me.  I'm talking about Ocean City, MD not Mexico but still...any beach is good for me.  Some people have speculated that perhaps in a former life or something I was a sea critter.  Or maybe I just take after Bampy, my grandfather... who would take his beach chair up to the beach, slather baby oil all over his tan skin, and soak it up all day long. 

So here are just a few images from a trip to Mexico back in 2009.  Nothing intricate here, but that's what relaxing beach life is the opposite of.  Why do you think Jimmy Buffett writes all of his songs about this stuff?  People who are aware of my musical preferences know of my dislike for Jimmy Buffett but hey, that guy's got the right idea on how to live life.  Yeah.  Gotta give him props there at least. 

Under a hut

Peaceful morning

 

Self portrait.  I took this same photo in Ocean City, MD for my black and white 35mm film class as part of my "revisiting youth" theme for the final project.  For some reason I tend to take this type of shot in places I go to.  I believe it is because in my mind, I know that it is just this one moment I'll be exactly here.  Because you never could stand exactly in the same spot again.  and, maybe sometimes you wouldn't want to.  That's what memories are all about - remembering then, the journey getting you to where you are now and what lies ahead. 

Pretty deep sentiment to go along with a picture of my lower extremities.  Oh well, that's my thought process.    I've given fair warning in the past for random tangents so there you have it.  Yay Mexico!

It's been a wild ride. I wouldn't change a minute.

In honor of tomorrow's 311 show which I will be attending with some of my favorite people, I decided to use 311 as the theme for today's post. 

These images were taken last October for 311's Halloween show in Atlanta, GA which just so happened to be the theme for my first blog post ever.  You can expect more of this theme since this time next week I will be en route to Florida for yet another fun event - the 311 Pow Wow Festival.  This is the first camping music fest curated and headlined by 311.  I will be there with friends in tow, living the VIP life in the land of unity that is 311 fans!  I will not be blogging during that time of course, but I hope to be out capturing many wonderful memories through the lens of my trusty Nikon!

So here are just a few other images from that Halloween trip.  The show was twice as long as normal and everyone was in costume.  You should be able to guess immediately what theme our costumes were.  Since one of the photos is OF me I obviously did not take it.  I wasn't going to post the photos of us in costume because they aren't really my "artwork" but who cares?  It's my blog, I do what I want! 

This is a very random assortment of images.  But...I am a random kind of gal.  Isn't that random?  (if you get the reference there, you're awesome...and even if you don't get it, you're still awesome for taking the time to read my blog.  Thank you!) 

311 receipt

Out for a stroll in Atlanta

This place had the best burger.  We went two days in a row.

No Sioux City sarsaparilla here.  Just white russians.

I believe this was taken after I had just said, "he's a good man...and thorough."

Baltimore's Harbor East

No rhyme or reason for me choosing these few images for today.  I just like them!  These were taken in 2009 in Baltimore, specifically Harbor East.  The first image is of the Landmark Theatre's marquis.  I looked up and just had to snap it from this angle.  The second image is from inside a chic restaurant called Pazo, which was my first (and thus far only) tapas restaurant experience.  I would return!

...I just wouldn't order the classic martini containing a blue cheese stuffed olive. 
I loathe blue cheese. 
Why did I order a drink with a blue cheese stuffed olive garnish? 
Probably because it seemed like a good idea after I had already had oh, a few other cocktails prior to arriving at Pazo.  Oh well!  At least I'm up for trying new things, right?

Inspirational

Back in 2008 I came across this guy's blog -  http://www.mattlogelin.com/

The first night I started reading it, I sat there for 3 hours just reading and reading.  

The gist of his story?
Pregnant wife (Liz) goes on bed rest.
Baby Madeline comes via c-section.
24 hours later Liz passed away.  Pulmonary embolism.
Matt lost his wife and gained a newborn baby in the course of one day.
Devastating and miraculous all at once.

Maddy is now 3, Matt still keeps the blog, and this year he had a book published - Two Kisses for Maddy.  There was a book tour and he came to Gaithersburg, MD so of course I went.  He was the keynote speaker and I had a seat in the front with my friend Ben who agreed to come with me.  Then I had my book signed.  You can kind of see Madeline in the red shirt there in that last picture below where she is occupied at the book signing table. 

I highly recommend checking out Matt's blog and certainly buy a copy of this book!  I read the whole book in one morning.  It is truly inspirational and is a reminder to all of us that time spent on this earth is not to be taken for granted.

I would also like to mention that Matt's blog is not just inspirational, but humorous.  I have had many laughs reading his style of blogging and after awhile you really feel like you know him.  He also has kick ass taste in music and takes tons of photos (which often illustrate his blog writing). 

Artscape / Matisyahu Part 2

Matisyahu continued....