29 days

Wild monkeys on Miyajima.

274/365 The sun rises with my desires

I couldn't sleep last night, so I was up as the sun rose. I took the chance to go ahead and shoot some photos out in the limestone quarry that's not far from my house. I loved a lot of the photos I got out of my short little photo op.
I have 4 other pics that I love and I wish I could use them for the next 4 days, but that's cheating. I kinda am cheating by using this one. But, sorry. I needed some sleep when I got my fanny home. There is no picture taking tonight. ha.

Outtakes:

273/365

I did this pretty quickly before I head into work. I know that once I get out of work, I'm going to want to come home and sleep since I didn't really get a wink last night.
I'm sorry it's shoddily and kinda strangely put together. I would have spent much more time on it, but I just didn't have the time.
I liked the way it turned out though, even if it is a bit wonky.

30 days -changed from 31 days

I realized while trying to fall asleep tonight that my countdown should end on the 29th of June rather than the 30th, because I will be leaving at 6am on the 30th anyways. So, knowing how I probably won't be going crazy on the computer until I at least arrive in Japan, that my countdown should be one day sooner. And wow. That means in exactly 1 month, I will be on my way to Japan. I'm so happy and excited right now. The somewhat unknown adventure I'm about to be off on makes me antsy and ready to get out of the current job i'm in right away. I want to make some good friends and new friends that I can go dance, karaoke, party with. I want to do what I didn't get to really do in college. Just have straight up fun. 

Nishi-Shinjuku from Tokyo's Metropolitan Government Office

272/365 SOOC (straight out of camera)

 

My bf and I just felt like playing around. My photos of late have been pretty simple and there isn't much post processing to them (if there is, it's pretty minimal/simple) and it kinda just reflects how things are going for me right now. Things are slow and peaceful and I'm feeling like spending time with my loved ones rather than sit at the computer editing one photo.

I want to be throwing out these magical photos, but right now life in the real world is more important. Though, I still love my flickr family and want to push myself to get better. I will eventually.

32 days

On the streets of Magome.

271/365 Wedding Attire

I'm off to a good friend's wedding and just snapped this before I head off. I wear this vintage dress to all my formal occasions. I love it so much. Have a happy Saturday!  

Best Viewed On White

33 days

Todaiji Temple in Nara, Japan

Japan's first permanent capital was established in the year 710 at Heijo, the city now known as Nara. As the influence and political ambitions of the city's powerful Buddhist monasteries grew to become a serious threat to the government, the capital was moved to Nagaoka in 784.

270/365 かんたんの写真

Today has been a busy day. Stephen and I ran around doing multiple errands and his Red Dead Redemption came in. That means I've lost access to my boyfriend for a while. He's going to be engrossed in that game. 

It's alright though. To give me something fun to do, we are going to go see Prince of Persia (free) before he can get to into it. Then I am going to watch The Wolfman and Alice in Wonderland. So, it's movie night for me. Wow. What a boring blog entry. 

34 days

Ainu Museum in Shiraoi, Hokkaido.

269/365 Caught

 I kinda hated the Gaga photo so much, I went ahead and just shot something completely different. This one I like much better. It was simple to do and the effect to me is much better.

35 days

Bridge on the grounds of the Inner Shrine of Ise.

Bad Romance = Bad picture

For the group Theme of the Week in Flickr where it's Gaga week. I tried to do the bad romance makeup when she's about to blaze up the place. It kinda sucks in my opinion. oh, well. moving on.

268/365 Insomnia

Can't fall asleep lately. I dunno what's wrong. I've had a long history with insomnia and I hate it when it hits this hard. 

36 days

Shiratani Unsuikyo park on Yakushima Island

267/365 mosaic

I've had this bulb that has a color mosaic over it and have yet to use it for anything. I think I used it once before, but with a shade over it. This time I just wanted to let it throw whatever colors out and then I added the little smoke wisps here and there. I've been in simple mode or just right now my mind is in other places than spending 3 hours on a tutorial the past few days. I'm in a creative slump. 

The gaga challenge in My face is my Canvas sounds like so much fun. I hope I can at least do something fun for that.

Things are counting down for me though and my mind is elsewhere. Right now family, friends, and my pup are my top priorities. So, my photos the next few weeks may include a lot of shoot and go shots or candids. It'll be good for me. I can look back on my 365 and see where things started going crazy right before I left. 

37 days

While investigating Osaka online, I found a destination I definitely want to visit if I can. Chihayaakasaka-mura.

Here's the link to more about the place:

Chihayaakasaka-mura

I don't know how long they plan to keep that on the website because the web address has May in the address. It may only be up for the month of May and it's almost over. So, basically you can just google the place and find any information pertaining to it. 

266/365 Yes, this is my boyfriend

He was working out and dancing around to Karate Kid music. My response is all in the body language. :P He really deserves his own kamikaze headband. "you're the best around...."

38 days

Kiyomizudera in the winter time. It's one of the most well known temples in Kyoto.

39 days

I want to go to the Ghibli Museum more than anything. This will be a destination that will be traveled to no matter what. On one of my vacations, this will be a destination. I will probably take that week to go to Tokyo as well since it's nearby. Yes. This is going to happen. 

*determination*

265/365 100 more to go!

Please View On Black It looks so much better on the black background. I'm down to my last 100! I've learned so much during the past 265 days, it's amazing. I had about 2 minutes to get a picture together today, but I got it done. It's simple and sometimes simple is the best. Time for bed! work work work. Gotta make the money for Japan!

264/365

This is the most I can give today. Enjoy my geekery and one of my favorite posters in my room. You can't get more SOOC than this.

It's also my papa's birthday. He's 75 today. 

263/365

I was a bit rushed today. I'm getting a lot done today including seeing my Chinese friend off back to Hong Kong. She and I will hopefully staying in touch as much as possible while I'm in Japan, so she can stay with me and I can stay with her in Hong Kong and Guangzhou.

40 days

Kagoshima-Ken, Kagoshima city

I stayed about an hour and a half drive away from Kagoshima city, but I did have to go to Kagoshima to take care of a lot of business before I left Japan. This volcano is still active and it still spews ash on a regular basis. Many people decide to climb the mountain, but only at their discretion. They are warned. 

Things to ponder

This list was posted over on the Japanistan.com forum. It's amazing how true some of these are.


1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is a great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5. I'm prettysure I know how to get out of my neighbourhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue-Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14."Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

15.I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damnit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away? LOVE THIS ONE!!! J

16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

18. I think the freezer deserves a light aswell.

19. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

20. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

21. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

22. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

23. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent an A-hole from cutting in at the front. Staystrong, brothers and sisters!

24. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

25. Is it just me or do highschool kids get dumber & dumber every year?

26. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are goingto die after leaning your chair back a little too far..

27. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

28. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

29. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push thesnooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyesclosed, first time, every time!

262/365 Creation

View On Black

The front page of Yahoo news inspired this. It was talking about about how we exist and how matter dominates over anti-matter. It's hard to understand, but it's extremely interesting. I am the creator of worlds! :-P

261/365

I got my hair done. It's blonder and shorter, but yet I look almost exactly the same. I dunno if that's a good thing or a bad thing. =P

41 days

The Birushana Buddha in Nara, Japan.

I haven't seen this site yet, but it's one of the many destinations I would like to see. 

42 days

Canal City, Fukuoka Japan

Avery and I spent quite some time at this nifty mall. It was only a short walk away from our hostel and we used it as a meeting place for our Japanese friends to pick us up and show us around. I found the most awesome little luggage bag for 1000円. 

43 days

Arashiyama, Japan near Kyoto

These Bamboo groves were a pretty amazing site.

Image from: http://www.photopassjapan.com/kyoto_selected/image31.html

260/365 Unmethodical war paint

Yeah, I kinda just threw on some paint on my face without really caring how it ended up. But, in the end I don't mind the outcome. It's colorful! 

44 days

I feel like starting a countdown towards the start of my embarkment into Japan. I'm getting everything slowly together and preparing as much as possible. I'm packing things away so they don't get nasty and dusty while I'm gone. I'm also condensing and getting rid of things that just sit around my room and collect dust on my shelves. All my important things will be kept safe and sound though. Thanks to my incredible grandparents. One of those things is my precious dog. 

I'll be posting a picture a day of Japan until I leave. This will be fun!

Koyasan, Japan

Photo by flickr user: hyfija

259/365 Coastline Contour

Pre-occupied today. I've been on a Glee Marathon. I had no idea that I would become addicted to this show. So, I stupidly stayed up until 7 in the morning. Then I had to be at work at 10am.
Glee is so fun!

258/365 We miss you Jim

Jim Henson. One of my personal heroes and someone who shaped my childhood passed away 20 years ago today. You still inspire and have set the bar so high no one will touch you. We miss you Mr. Henson. I know I do.

257/365

Ok. I did a fantasy tutorial tonight and jeez, I am really really happy with the way this came out. Not only did I learn A LOT doing this tutorial, the final product came out exactly how I wanted it to. They used knights and pegasus's in theirs, so mine ended up being much simpler.

I even took that photo of me in my living room with a fan blowing hard in my face and a single work light above my head. So, it all worked out for me. It's one of my personal favorites of my 365. I don't have many, but this is one of em!

It's also the re-emergence of my favorite flowy dress.

Ali through my eyes

I am damn proud of this one. I did this. I can't believe I'd ever reach a point that I would be able to create a digital image like this. I love the groups on flickr. They are all so supportive and the most incredible and creative people. No one is there to be destructive in their criticisms and they are a group of people that help you when you are at a loss for what to do next. 

I've met some amazing people on Flickr and the support I get has been the best I've ever had for my artistic endeavors. I can't thank them enough. 

256/365 dirty smear

For some reason I just feel like this photo. Dirty, unkempt, messy. Not sure why.

I realized today that I can't NOT do photoshop. I intend on shooting photos to find my place with natural photos and them turning out as good as they can be, but I think I'm going to continue on with what I've been doing.

I like creating false worlds. Or images that cannot be produced naturally. It makes me feel the most creative. It's not me to force myself into not playing with photoshop. I feel like i've gotten better with PS within the last 256 days. I want to continue on that path. It makes me feel like I'm doing something or achieving a personal goal. It may not be like everyone else's, but it's mine.

I think restricting what I shoot is just not in any way a smart idea. I got to edit the wonderful alibubba's photo today and what came out was something that surprised myself. I never thought that I could make an image like that ever. But, I did. So, I know some people like seeing more natural photos, but it's just not me or my complete style.

255/365

Like I said before, here is a wonderful sitting shot again. I need some cool wardrobe or something to make these images more interesting. I wanted to do some contortion or lay upside down, but I was right next to an extremely busy intersection. I didn't exactly feel like dealing with the stares and honks from strangers in their cars. Until I get some balls, this is what you get. :)

254/365

It's my little devil dog! I have a feeling the photographs for the next few days are just random sitting shots in somewhat interesting places. (I guess?) That's all fine and dandy. My little pup is the star of this and the last photograph. I think leaving her behind is going to be the thing that breaks my heart the most. If i'm traveling where she can't go, I find myself waking up in the middle of the night reaching around for her. She's usually cuddled up right in the nook between my neck and my legs when I'm in the fetal position. Yeah, that's right. My dog and I spoon. 

So, all tests came back normal. I'm officially at ease in my mind about everything that involves my health. I can't believe what stress will do to you. My dr. said that stress sometimes mimics very serious diseases and yet it's all some stupid reaction your body is having towards any event that may be causing you some unnecessary worries. I guess a move to another country isn't exactly an unnecessary worry.

The good news is that the 4 medications I have to take with me are going to be a lot cheaper than I had thought. Since my job doesn't offer insurance, I was expecting to pay at least $700 for 13 month prescriptions for all my medications. Well, thanks to HEB and Walmart, it's a whopping $296. Trust me, that's uber good. God bless those $4 medications. 

253/365

I'm so glad I'll be getting out of the environment I'm in now in a couple of months. When one person at your job makes you want to hit them in the face every time you see them, you know it's time to go. The one thing I know I can be happy about is I know this person is just a bitter and jealous human being that can only take out his frustrations on other people. He moves from person to person. I feel sorry for the next girl he decides to make enemies with. It's rather strange he picks fights with only women at our job. I wonder if he has some mommy issues. Maybe she didn't let him suck on her tit long enough. 

252/365

I'm getting stuck. I feel like I'm not progressing right now in my photoshop skills. I'm doing the same things over and over again. I'm seeing some amazing things happening over in Me through your eyes and I feel like I must know the ways in which these people create such magic. I was really proud of my Castle in the Sky photo I did for Joel, but it's only one gem that has come out of a lot of rough images.
I need to find more tutorials and get my butt in gear.
But, besides my whininess, that group is so incredible!! 

Me through your eyes

Currently on Flickr, I'm involved with a group called "Me through your eyes." It's an amazing group where you trade photos and process them. Then you share your final product with your partner and share it to the group. I've met some amazing people and have had some amazing images given back to me. Here are my partners and the examples of what the final products have been:

my process on @latent_image's photo.

@latent_image's process of my photo.

my process on colleen's photo.

Colleen's process on my photo

My process on theladymargaret's photo

My process on Joel's photo (Boy_Wonder) In a complete literal sense, this boy IS really wonderful at what he does.

Joel's process on my photo. (God, I love this one)

This group has been so much fun so far. 

Here's the link to the group if you are interested in checking it out:

Me through your eyes