Street Musician

Eastern Market, Washington, D.C.

To Love

I love watching people. I love seeing the people who stand out as more daring than I am, who express themselves differently than I do. This picture was taken in D.C. and is posted for Love Thursday.

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Last night, we had a wonderful visit with my grandparents' best friends. It was so wonderful to see someone from home. We enjoyed drinks at a brewery near Seth's work, and then took them to Brooklyn to enjoy some delicious Italian food at one of our favorite restaurants. It was such great fun, and I definitely understand why my grandparents love these two so much!

By the way, today is the first day of my spring break and I'm Overly Happy. It was nice to wake up calm and relaxed, wonderful to see the morning sunlight fill our apartment. I'm off to have lunch with Seth, and then to explore the city for the afternoon. This evening, we are joining Alissa's family for their Jewish Passover dinner. It'll be a new experience for me, considering I didn't have any friends who celebrated Jewish holidays before moving to New York. I'm excited to be a part of it!

Text Hello

Washington, D.C.

Other D.C. pictures here, here, and here.

Sight Seeing in D.C.

Like I mentioned before, I took so many pictures in D.C. last weekend. And the best part of it is, I'm in love with so many of them that I'm having a hard time trying to decide what to post!!

Saturday morning we started off by going to the White House. I have to say it was weird to actually see it. I always had a perception of it in my mind, and of course, it was different in real life. It's kind of like my idea of how big the Statue of Liberty is. Before NY, I thought it was Huge. And it is Huge, just not as Huge as I thought, especially compared to the City.

The White House was beautiful. I wish I could go into it... I cannot imagine living there, where many Presidents of the past have also lived.

After the White House we were on a mission to find milk shakes (Seth and I have been on a shake kick, eating them for dinner a few nights in a row about a week ago...). We ended up at Potbelly's and definitely enjoyed our delicious shakes!

Milk shakes in hand, we headed for the Washington Monument. We had gotten a great view of the monument on Friday night after we arrived. I got a few night shots that I'll have to post soon.

Saturday was so windy, especially up near this monument. Aisha nearly got blown away!

The flags around the monument with the most beautiful blue sky (Something I really don't see in NYC!).

After the monument, we made our way to the cherry blossoms. There were SOOO many people under the trees, so we only stayed for a moment before heading to the Lincoln Memorial.

This one was definitely one I wanted to get up close to. I was shocked by its size, so massive and huge. This monument definitely makes Lincoln have a powerful presence. I think I liked this memorial the best. I loved the view from the stairs looking out over the reflecting pool and onto the Washington Monument with the Capital building in the background. I loved sitting and people watching. After enjoying this monument for the longest time, we headed towards the monument for the Korean War Memorial.

The Pool of Remembrance at the Korean War Memorial

Following the Korean War Memorial, we headed back towards the Cherry Blossoms and wondered along the water towards the FDR Memorial.

A rough economy.

As we finished the FDR Memorial, we headed around the water to find our way to Georgetown to meet up with another friend for dinner (actually met this friend a weekend when Aisha was in NYC and it was so wonderful to see him again, in D.C. instead). I love the way the sun was shining across and I could capture both of these monuments.

And here's one of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial as the sun was setting on D.C. We didn't make it up into the memorial. Yet, we still enjoyed its beauty from a distance.

Watch for more pictures to come! I have some great street photographs to share! Loved the street photography in D.C. I already want to go back for more!!!

Washington Monument

Here's one image from the monuments this weekend. You can see from the water that the wind was really blowing. Up against this monument was the worst of the wind! A little wind with wonderful weather is perfectly fine though.

Photographer in D.C.

I've been sitting at my computer for hours this evening looking through this weekend's photos of my D.C. adventure. I love them all. I want to post them all. But there are probably too many (over 700...) so it will take me a few days to sort through, process, and upload my favorites.

It was nice to get out of the city but weird at the same time. I'm wondering when I got used to tall buildings and so many people... I'm wondering when that became normal? It was interesting to realize how my perceptions have changed. Had I visited D.C./Virginia area from Kansas, I would have thought it was busy at all moments... So much around me... but coming from the City, I had many moments where I caught myself thinking, Where are all the people? Wow! I can really see far! (Of course this wasn't during the peek times of Saturday and Sunday when I was exploring the most popular places of D.C... those areas, of course, were quite full of people!)

By the number of pictures I took, you can tell I love to use my camera. A weekend trip had me over-excited about the new photo opportunities I would have. I can feel myself becoming more daring, more brave, less afraid of being a photographer. Pushing myself as a photographer means going outside of my comfort zone, talking myself out of my fear. I want to photograph people. I want to photograph people I know. I want to photograph people I don't know. I want to capture them in moments when they know and are okay with me capturing them. I want to catch them in moments when they are oblivious to my lens. I want to create art behind my camera... Yet, when it comes to people, I'm a bit scared. Scared of being caught, scared of not being successful, scared of... I don't know. Just scared. But I'm getting comfortable in these photographer shoes I've been trying on. I'm starting to feel like the pants are fitting and the camera is feeling like a normal piece of me, of my vision.

This weekend, I did work on becoming less fearful. I Played Photographer, as Shutter Sisters put it in today's post. I snapped a few pictures of the people I was with (here's another, my friend's cousin was happy to let me snap a few pictures of her as I practiced), after spending a few hours getting comfortable with my surroundings. I got right up close to practice street photography, capturing some of my favorite moments while people watching in D.C. I almost, almost asked strangers to let me take their pictures. I wanted to. I am going to. I just didn't do it this weekend. I will make it my goal to be at the point of asking for others' photographs by the time I return to D.C. for another trip.

(I kind of wish I lived closer to home, where I could make my friends and family victim to my photo practicing needs... for now, if you know anyone who might be daring enough to let me hang out and shoot them from behind my camera, let me know!)

O... and a few things I am enjoying today...

• This wonderful song by Jose Gonzales (I found it on this wonderful wedding blog, Green Wedding Shoes - I love the wedding blog, even though it's been 9 months since our wedding! I think it's the wonderful wedding photography. I'd love to be able to capture the love and beauty of marriage through the creative art shared on the blog.)

• What A Day by Greg Laswell, a song Seth and I heard tonight on the season finale for season 3 of Numb3rs. What a season finale too... I cried, and I'm still kind of sad. (Funny, we started at season 3 on accident and have been watching it for quite a while! Love Netflix Instant Play, even if it lead us to season 3 before 1 & 2.)

• Love the blog i live here: SF. The photographer is amazing and talented. Her pictures are beautiful and inspiring. I also Loved the recent post on Melissa. It's a wonderful and inspiring post. I want to go to San Fransisco!

Yellow on the Trees

Tiny yellow flowers.

Mama and Daughter

I followed this adorable mama and daughter down the sidewalk the other day. I couldn't help but take a picture, the little girl was too cute! Little people are so wonderful!

Hope you all are having a wonderful Saturday! I also wish you wonderful weather to go out and enjoy this weekend! I'm currently in Washington, D.C. taking in lots of sights, enjoying the company of my husband and a good friend, and snapping many memories with my camera!

Happy Birthday Trish

18 years ago today, my sister Trishia began her life, my first sister. Today, she's celebrating 18, freedom, adulthood... something like that. We've had an interesting sisterhood, growing up throughout our lives so far apart... I haven't too often felt the sisterly annoyance that most sisters know all to well from growing up living with each other. Not saying I never felt it, but I didn't spend most of my life being driven crazy by this sibling!

I am so excited to see where Trishia takes life, where she ends up (hopefully closer to me someday!), what she ends up doing. She's a wonderful artist, has many aspirations to live life, to experience, to be happy... and I know that she will find her happiness, however and where ever it may be.

Trishia, Happy 18th! I absolutely admire you and all the wonderful things you have going for you! You never cease to inspire me, every time I talk to you... Your thoughts, questions, creativity, talent, writing, photos, words, ideas, adventures... I wish I lived closer to you. Which reminds me, move to Austin, fall in love with it, convince Seth that we should move there after NYC! (Are you still planning to move to Austin? Or on to a new plan??) Anyway, I love you! I hope you have a wonderful and interesting 18th birthday!!! Love, A

NOTE: Photo pulled for Trish's facebook. It is NOT my photo. I did not take this picture, but the photographer is wonderfully talented, yah? And my sister is amazingly beautiful!

Happy Flare Friday

I keep taking pictures of the leaf-less trees, hoping each one will be last one of the season... I'm still watching them for signs of Spring!

Flare Friday is becoming part of my normal end-of-the-week routine. I spend the week looking for shots of flare... Some of my past ones are here, here, and here. Notice my theme? I guess I have a thing for flare through the trees! I'll work on expanding my flare compilation... maybe this weekend while I'm in D.C. I can capture some new flare! It's supposed to be sunny :)

Find more flare at Flare Friday!

Cherry Blossoms

Off to Washington, D.C. after work to stay for the weekend. Seth and I will both be visiting for the first time ever. We chose this weekend so we could attend the Cherry Blossom Festival. The weather is forecasted to be amazing... and there will be an abundance of sights and photo-taking opportunities! AND we will be enjoying wonderful company (Aisha is so sweet! She wrote the longest email of links and information so we could find things we'd be interested in doing and seeing while visiting D.C. and her!)



I cannot wait to see the beautiful Cherry Blossoms of D.C. These are a few from the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, taken last weekend. Speaking of the BBG, I was wonderfully surprised by membership cards today in the mail! Thanks Momma Barb! You are Amazing!! Now, I can go Whenever I want :) And this month is the Cherry Blossom celebration there too (check out here). PLUS, it will give me good grounds to convince Seth to go often too! I really feel that this gift is exactly what I need. I've been missing home, missing the "outdoors" feeling. The BBG will give me a chance to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature! It is also so beautiful, so close to my hope, and something I should be taking advantage of having! Plus, I have guest passes, so the next few people who come visit will enjoy the BBG on me!! (Who's it gonna be????)

And the Friday Fill-In (sorry I missed last week... was too busy)

And...here we go!

1. Angel or not, I'll love you either way.

2. Bring me a sweet treat, you can have me any way you want me.

3. As my mother used to say, you're full of it.

4. I love an ice cold drink after I'm done working out or doing something strenuous.

5. Even in the most crowded of rooms I still miss my friends (who now live in all different places and far from my place).

6. A car ride with me behind the wheel is a day fraught with peril. (Although my brother did call to tell me that he's found someone a bit scarier than me... his girlfriend! But Desi, I don't believe him!!)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a four and a half hour bus ride to Washington, D.C. and dinner and drinks upon arrival, tomorrow my plans include exploring D.C. and the Cherry Blossom Festival and out with Aisha in the evening and Sunday, I want to eat more food than I need at brunch, visit the flea market, and squeeze in as much of D.C. as possible before I have to get on the bus back to NYC!

Lovers Under the Tree

We need a letter that's like 'I & U' together for when we're doing stuff like this, he said & I hugged him & said a lot of people want a letter like that. --StoryPeople

The Cloisters

A trip to The Cloisters earlier this week. It was a nice museum day, had a wonderful guided tour, and saw beautiful and amazing art.

I kind of wished I could have just stayed there... in the cloister. The sun was shining in, the grass was green, the architecture surrounding was beautiful (even if it was still closed off with a temporary glass wall for the cooler season). Most importantly... it was fairly quiet, with a soft sound of running water from a fountain. It was perfect. I momentarily dreamed of being a monk.

This is the hall surrounding the cloister. The sun was shining in through the arch ways.

Stained glass windows. It's amazing that this art can still be together and visible after so many years. The wooden statues, tapestries, and the fresco paintings.

A Vase Solution

Beautiful fresh flowers from Mr. last week.

Sadly, I've been responsible for breaking 3 glass "vases" since we moved into our apartment in July. (... 2 were tall glasses that I used as vases... My husband gets me flowers; I repay him by breaking our glasses.) I have found the solution to preventing anymore glass from shattering all over my living room floor, while still getting fresh flowers. This fool-hardy plan is cheap, good for the earth (Re-Use!), and won't break next time I knock the flowers off the shelf (because we all know I Will do it again!)

I got the solution to my vase problem from bubbalulu.com. Check it out here! (Thanks for the inspirational solution!!)

Someone Somewhere Loves You

Hope written on the bench. (Captured this on the Brooklyn Bridge, NYC)

This month, I'll be capturing Hope, inspired by the Shutter Sisters One Word Project. Speaking of Hope, a few Shutter Sisters are participating in the Name Your Dream Assignment contest. Their project, Picturing Hope, is very moving and can be found here. Please go to this site, register quickly (takes less than a minute), and vote for Hope. There are only a few days left before the voting is closed, so go quickly!

See what other pictures of Hope are being shared... Here!