Hello.  Sorry for my absence there for awhile. 

I kind of went through a whirlwind of busy and got swept up with things. And on top of that my introvert meter was on overload.  And then I shut down for a bit.  

But some time has passed now. And I’ve had a chance to journal … so I feel better.

I could talk about 50 million things that have happened since I’ve been gone, but instead I’m going to try to narrow it down to the best five. Here goes it:

1  STEAK, YUENGLING, AND (500) DAYS OF SUMMER - Last Friday I had the best night ever. It won’t sound like a lot but it was perfect for me and came at the best time. As an introvert, sometimes I need to be alone. But as a Quality Timer, I also need to be around people.

It’s a fine balance I have to keep.  

Anyways, last Friday started off by myself. Roommates were gone. I decided to have steak & potatoes for dinner and my very last Yuengling (I had to special order them awhile back). And then I ushered in summer with one of my favorite movies ever - (500) Days Of Summer.

SUCH A GOOD MOVIE. 

There’s so much that’s great about this movie.  The story, the photography direction, their performances, the wardrobe, the music, the way that it’s edited, the motion graphics, the kitschiness, the whole fact that it’s a coming-of-age movie disguised as a romcom. So so so good.

Anyways, I loved it so much that I watched it again yesterday with commentary. Now I appreciate it even more. 

2  UCB / DIAMOND LION - After my dinner & movie goodness, I went out to catch an 11 PM show at UCB. I’m so glad I did because it was Diamond Lion, a complete musical improv group.

THEY MAKE UP SONGS ON THE SPOT.

It’s outrageous. And hilarious. And I have to go to it again one day.

I’m so glad Mary texted me about it that night.  And that I fought off my grandma tendencies to stay in so that I could hang out with some cool peeps and laugh a lot. So good for the soul.

If you’re ever in LA, let me know. We’ll totally have to go to a show together!

3  BTVS FOR A NEWBIE - Speaking of Mary, she recently decided to watch the pilot for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And me, being a good sport about rewatching great television, decided to watch it with her.

Granted, the first season you have to push through a lot. There’s a lot of horrible 90’s outfits and just bad costume and special effects. But once you get to season two - IT’S BRILLIANT from then on. The story is just SO GOOD.

By the time we got to UCB last Friday, she was already in Season 4. And of course, some of us were super excited about her watching the episode Hush (it’s one of the best episodes).

All this to say - you should watch BTVS (and if you’re game, watch Angel also to take it all in). Because it’s the best.

* * *

BONUS: My favorite moment of watching BTVS with Mary thus far was when we were watching the episode where Angel is revealed as a vampire, and she says “so basically this is just like Twilight?”

I seriously got so upset, I was like “Get out of my house!”

But jokingly. But seriously. 

Not like Twilight at all.

She’s way past that now.  

4  SUMMER TRAVELS - I’m planning some summer travels! I’ve been meaning to do a DC/NYC trip for awhile now and I’m just really glad some friends gave me a little nudge to just go soon. And a little bit after that I’ll be going to Seattle for a family trip.

The goals for my travels are threefold: 

• Get out of town and let my brain breathe for a bit … I’ve come to realize that I need to leave LA every 3-4 months or my brain will explode. I just need to get some perspective sometimes.
• Go shoot something. I need new creative inspiration. I think a change of scenery will be good. Plus, I already have a few shoots in the works.
• Visit friends and family. I mean - isn’t that what it’s all about? Love God, love people. And I love me some quality time with good friends!

If you’re in any of those cities and want to hang out or book a shoot - please let me know!

5  WE’RE GETTING PUBLISHED - Also, big news:  my creative team and I are getting published in the next issue of Impress Magazine. I know, I’ve never heard of the magazine either but apparently it’s a big magazine that’s circulated all over Canada.  

We did a sunrise shoot about two weeks back that comprised of six summer beach looks. I cannot express to you how well this shoot went! It was like everything was working in our favor. The makeup was flawless. The model was incredibly easy to shoot. The lighting was perfect. And the wardrobe Mary pulled was amazing.

I can’t wait to show you the spread when it’s done but for now here’s one of my favorite images from the shoot.