tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508821760476262042024-02-06T21:54:18.504-07:00ampersander-boundrebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.comBlogger188125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-59783246701075077272008-07-03T06:05:00.001-07:002008-07-03T06:07:07.875-07:00[ checking in ]Well hello there bloggie land! I'm alive! The trip is fantatical so far... I'm currently in Baltimore, MD, staying with friends from college. Just thought I'd say HI!rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-90500302769253846952008-06-26T16:29:00.002-07:002008-06-26T16:31:51.313-07:00[ the unthinkable has happened ]I have become more of a girl than I ever thought would happen.<br /><br />Not only am I bringing actual make-up on vacation (more than just concealer and chapstick, I mean)... I couldn't decide what shoes to bring.<br /><br />So I'm bringing <span style="font-style: italic;">FIVE</span> pairs.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">FIVE.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What?</span><br /><br />When did this happen?!?<br /><br />I also threw a <span style="font-style: italic;">dress</span> in my bag, just in case.<br /><br />Mom... I hope you're happy! You and Sarah's evil plan to make me girly seems to finally be working! ;)rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-68634131529904066542008-06-25T19:42:00.003-07:002008-12-08T14:31:54.867-07:00[ it's vacation time ]I am <span style="font-style: italic;">officially</span> on vacation!<br /><br />I leave tomorrow night on a red-eye to Boston, and then I'm having three solid weeks of no-work-bliss. Where am I going for three entire weeks, you may ask?<br /><br />Well....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheyEnHTKfW_13K41Vp7ON2WaI1uxlmFherWWz-g9hC9VH0DxBII_E4DhnQNICbneMvM_vmiQGXnOeNOZEEDR9piuUnzCpFW538YwbpNXhWdZScp-Pngg30FCZlTYiN5soaR4QpJ2oRpcQ4/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheyEnHTKfW_13K41Vp7ON2WaI1uxlmFherWWz-g9hC9VH0DxBII_E4DhnQNICbneMvM_vmiQGXnOeNOZEEDR9piuUnzCpFW538YwbpNXhWdZScp-Pngg30FCZlTYiN5soaR4QpJ2oRpcQ4/s320/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216015198125402082" border="0" /></a><br />All over the damn place!<br /><br />I'll be in Massachusetts Friday morning through Tuesday morning (in a different city each day); New York City Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday evening; Baltimore Wednesday evening through Saturday morning; Raleigh for Saturday; Greenville, SC from Sunday through Thursday; then back to Raleigh from Thursday to Tuesday. Then back to Phoenix on Tuesday, July 15th.<br /><br />I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">so</span> incredibly excited for this trip. I'm going to be seeing a ton of my friends... most of whom I haven't seen in over a year... some of whom I haven't seen in three or more years. Plus, I'll be seeing pretty much my entire extended family, whom I haven't seen since my sister's wedding last March. It's gonna be freaking awesome.<br /><br />So, if you notice a long lapse in posting here, for once I will have a legit reason. I still haven't decided if I'm going to bring my computer with me or not. I barely have any space left on it, so I'd have to do a bunch of frantic moving-files-around and backing-shit-up tomorrow before I leave in order to have space for any pictures I take while I'm gone. But if I don't bring it, I'll only be able to take photos until my cards fill up, which will probably be really really fast, because I'm going to hopefully be shooting a lot.<br /><br />So, I guess I should probably do the frantic moving-files-around and backing-shit-up tomorrow, so that I can bring it, so that I won't have to watch how much I shoot. I am bringing several cameras... a couple film and two digital. But, if I bring my computer I won't have to worry about it at all.<br /><br />Therefore, thank you blog, for letting me argue with myself on you, because now I've made a decision.<br /><br />If I don't post for three weeks, see ya in three weeks! Have a rockin' Fourth of July!rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-32963915095926600532008-06-21T07:35:00.003-07:002008-12-08T14:31:55.173-07:00[ photo proof ]Well, I promised to show some photo proof of my escapades shooting a <a href="http://ampersander-bound.blogspot.com/2008/05/dangerous-occupation.html">wedding from a roof</a>. And now, I've got it. I don't have the close-ups that my boss shot of me, but I do have one that I shot of the wedding from the roof, and one my boss shot that you can see me all tiny-like. Enjoy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBliA2hwsyxDzaEV_IEtd9xHutQLBr_nGIRiGXo2c9xls0Rv8aKwv0rrTpsUSXGE48rZAM3HBB0ynY-yzqVc-dRh7vJHPb6QqCYmgIL5H734duD7x4QLH3lrxgz-dROeAos4hIglehyphenhyphenRP/s1600-h/wedding.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBliA2hwsyxDzaEV_IEtd9xHutQLBr_nGIRiGXo2c9xls0Rv8aKwv0rrTpsUSXGE48rZAM3HBB0ynY-yzqVc-dRh7vJHPb6QqCYmgIL5H734duD7x4QLH3lrxgz-dROeAos4hIglehyphenhyphenRP/s320/wedding.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214344379963120706" border="0" /></a>rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-48212548743697101162008-06-20T08:47:00.003-07:002008-06-20T09:06:00.912-07:00[ gilmore girls makes me sappy ]So, I'm sure I've mentioned before that I absolutely love Gilmore Girls. It remains my favorite television show of life, and I have the entire series on DVD. Every once in a while, I pull it out and watch random episodes or entire seasons.<br /><br />So I watched the last two episodes of the series and then watched parts Season 4 recently, and I gotta say... it makes me so damn sappy. I freakin' well up like once an episode! What the hell?!? I've never ever been much of a crier before... why is Gilmore getting me weepy? When Rory graduates Yale, and Richard tells Lorelai to just enjoy the moment, I get teary. When Rory gets her job and says "What about the rollercoasters?" and Lorelai is clearly trying not to cry, I do it for her. When Richard has a heart attack, I'm a freaking disaster. When Luke and Lorelai <span style="font-style: italic;">finally</span> get together (both at the end of Season 4 and at the end of the series), I get so sentimental and gushy. When the whole town is cheering for Rory at the party in the last episode, tears are racing down my face.<br /><br />Whaaaat is wrong with me? When did I become a sap? Now that I think about it... I cried when I was watching the Sex and the City movie, and Carrie confronted Big in the street and thwacked him with her bouquet. When did that kinda stuff start making me cry?<br /><br />A few years ago, it would have been hard for me to remember the last time I had cried. I mean, I kind of giggled when Kate Winslet dropped Leo to the bottom of the sea in Titanic. Now, I'm afraid to watch the whole movie, just in case I finally do get weepy when that happens. Where did my cruel, hardened heart go?<br /><br />Maybe I got sappy and sentimental at love and loss because I lost love. Stupid love life being nonexistent right now. Bah.<br /><br />I'm going to go watch some more Gilmore Girls, before I have to go to a photoshoot. Maybe I'll make it through an episode without crying like a baby.rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-21915927587384261452008-06-13T10:11:00.003-07:002008-06-13T10:29:02.189-07:00[ one whole year ]Today is my one-year blog-o-versary!<br /><br />One year ago today, I started this sucker. We've had good times and bad together. Sometimes I have neglected it. Sometimes it's felt like my best friend.<br /><br />Let's see... how has my life changed since starting this blog:<br /><br />+ I moved across the country<br />+ I planted the seeds of starting my own business<br />+ My longest romantic relationship to date ended<br />+ I visited the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas for the first time<br />+ I took large strides towards making friends in a new place<br />+ I lived in two different, but equally awesome, apartments<br /><br />I'd say that overall it's been a pretty good year. It was my twenty-third year of life; my first year on my own; my first year being away from my college friends; my first year as a college graduate; my first year as a real adult; my fifth year knowing that photography is what I want to do with the rest of my life; my fourth year of not calling Sandwich home; my first year of not worrying about exams and tests and due dates; my third year of being a twenty-something.<br /><br />It's pretty fitting that I started this blog just three days after my birthday. With every year that I get older, this blog will be another year older too.<br /><br />I wonder what this year will bring for me. I've officially started living my twenty-fourth year of life. Is it right to say it's my twenty-fourth year of life, when my age is twenty-three? I've been alive for twenty-three years, as of three days ago, so now I'm starting the twenty-fourth year, right? I'm going with it.<br /><br />Anyone else's blog-o-versary coming up? How long have you been blogging? What's changed in your life since you started?rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-91835487144833962822008-06-11T18:07:00.002-07:002008-06-11T18:16:35.633-07:00[ yesterday was my birthday ]Yesterday was my 23rd birthday! Woot!<br /><br />I stayed home from work, and basically just bummed around and relaxed all day. I did some reading (Harry Potter One in Italian and a few chapters of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier), playing video games (old school Mario on Super Nintendo), and movie watching (Amelie, although I fell asleep part-way through... must have been tired).<br /><br />Then Jesse (yes, my ex-boyfriend) took me out to dinner (not on a date, for those of you who thought, <span style="font-style: italic;">"What?!?"</span>) to this Mexican restaurant called Sam's Cafe that's right near my apartment, and has amazing Southwest Shrimp Quesadillas (shrimp, goat cheese, roasted corn, rice... soooo good) and tasty margaritas. And our waiter was wicked cute, and carded me for my margarita, and then gave me free cheesecake because it was my birthday! Score!<br /><br />Overall, it was a good day. I got a bunch of emails, Facebook messages, text messages and phone calls wishing me a happy birthday.<br /><br /><br />In other news, <a href="http://www.tbs.com/shows/myboys/">My Boys</a> is back tomorrrrrrow night! So excited... I finally get to find out who PJ brought to Italy. I'm pulling for Brando or Alex. I really hope it isn't the baseball player or Thorn. You should watch it!<br /><br />In other, other news, I love working at the office downtown. We share the space with an architecture company. Three really cool guys work there, and one of them has taco nights pretty frequently. Hopefully I'll be able to go to the next one. And another one owns a coffee shop a few blocks away, and frequently brings us back free coffee. Today I got a delicious iced coffee, for absolutely zero dollars. Awweeeesome!<br /><br />Happy Hump Day :)rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-52838942827498248992008-06-09T23:05:00.003-07:002008-06-09T23:13:48.573-07:00[ the search for the perfect bathing suit ]I am on a quest for a bathing suit that I like and that flatters my body. Unfortunately, I have a weird body type. Whenever I read articles about the best bathing suit for your body type, I'm always a combo of several different types.<br /><br />I'm relatively short... 5'3" to be precise. I'm relatively athletic, with some extra cushion in the stomach area that I'd love not to be on display. I've got a really short torso, paired with pretty long legs... my legs are actually over half of my height, from heel to hip. I've always been lucky with the muscle in my legs... no matter how much soccer I played or how much weight I could lift with them (when I was at my peak fitness level, pretty close to twice my weight), my legs have always stayed pretty lean. I have a small butt. And to top all of that off, literally, I'm a D-cup.<br /><br />I'm definitely not willing to rock a bikini. I'd prefer a one-piece, but will probably need to end up going with a tankini of sorts, because of my tiny butt and big boobs.<br /><br />Anyone have any tips? Know any articles that will save my sanity on this issue? Because the only bathing suit I own is a probably six-year-old Speedo one-piece. You know, the kind with the circle cut out of the back. And it's a crazy green pattern that officially hurts my eyes. And I live in Arizona now, and it's damn hot. I'd like to be able to take advantage of the pool that is literally right outside my window, without feeling like I look like an absolute idiot. And without looking chubby.<br /><br />Help!rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-52121504025244671482008-06-02T10:51:00.002-07:002008-06-02T11:07:25.452-07:00[ on attempts at green living ]A while back (<a href="http://ampersander-bound.blogspot.com/2007/11/quest-to-live-green.html">in November</a>), I compiled a list of ways I was attempting to live my life as greenly as possible. I still am making attempts, and thought it was about time for an update.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What I Do To Live Green:</span><br /><ul><li>I have CF bulbs in all of my lights</li><li>I moved to a much smaller apartment: I use less electricity, water, etc.</li><li>I've started bringing bags everywhere I shop, or refusing bags when I can easily carry what I've purchased<br /></li><li>I try to take short, quick showers</li><li>I open my blinds instead of turning on lights</li><li>I'm still a vegetarian, with the exception of seafood</li><li>I still rarely eat out</li><li>I still never use plastic utensils or paper plates</li><li>My air conditioning is at a comfortable 85 degrees, which is quite cool compared to the three-digit weather we've been having for weeks already</li><li>I make sure to turn the a/c off when I'm not at home or when I just don't feel like I need it</li><li>I not only turn off my computer when not home, but flip the switch on the entire surge protector -- vampire electricity is a bitch</li><li>I also unplug my television and dvd player when I'm not using it, as well as any and all chargers</li><li>I now ride my bike to work, as it's only a half-mile away -- I can now go days without getting in my car</li><li>I dry almost all of my clothing on a drying rack, and those that I don't, I dry on the Energy Preferred setting on my dryer</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">What I Am Hoping To Do To Live Green:</span><br /><ul><li>Get a basket or one of those towing-thingies for my bike so I can take it to the market instead of my car</li><li>Take advantage of the farmer's market I've discovered that is only a few blocks from my apartment, twice a week</li><li>Find a way to start recycling again -- my apartment complex doesn't have a recycling program, but I'm sure I can find one</li></ul><br />I like feeling like I'm making an effort. Just one person making a small effort won't change things... but if everyone made small changes and small efforts... the change would be incredible!<br /><br />What do you do to live green?rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-73140660425975899112008-05-30T09:53:00.002-07:002008-05-30T09:55:52.994-07:00[ guest bloggers wanted ]Hello out there in blogland!<br /><br />I'm going on vacation for a little over two weeks at the end of June, and have made a promise to my dear little friend, the blog, that I would not continue to leave it unattended for weeks at a time.<br /><br />Anyone want to guest blog for me?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(Anyone know precisely how the guest-blogging-action works? 'Cuz I don't. But I wanna!)</span>rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-16165863244174239082008-05-29T20:32:00.004-07:002008-05-29T20:38:00.183-07:00[ dangerous occupation ]Anyone who thinks being a wedding photographer isn't dangerous, listen up:<br /><br />This weekend, I second-shot at a wedding with my boss. For the first ten or fifteen minutes of the ceremony, I shot from <span style="font-weight: bold;">on top of the roof of the resort</span>.<br /><br />On <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">top</span> of the <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">roof</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">,</span> people.<br /><br />And to get on said roof, there wasn't a staircase or a ladder or anything. Nope.<br /><br />That would be easy.<br /><br />I had to duck through a couple overgrown trees, and hop across a small gap onto the roof.<br /><br />And every single step I took made the roof make scary noises.<br /><br />And the roof was of course, not flat, but sloped. So my worth-shit-absolutely-horrendous-balance had to actually work for me. Luckily, I only almost-fell once. Maybe twice.<br /><br />And of course, my boss got a total kick out of me being up there, and snapped a few photographs of me. In at least one, I look <span style="font-style: italic;">absolutely</span> terrified.<br /><br />Photographic proof coming once I gank the pics from work.rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-58589503729658926312008-05-25T11:32:00.004-07:002008-12-08T14:31:55.403-07:00[ update on life ]Once again, it has been forever since I've posted. Almost three weeks. Myyyyyy bad.<br /><br />I've actually been really busy. To prove my point, check out this tiny screenshot of my calendar for this month:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaA4RF1ZWLXHNN6doRngeNSGgI4uLSaIyVnOpvzUFx74s38psLVcQVnyujkmusRZNLEiyrpkVl0L8q27gx5ut91KepZHouglrrXmA5wr28_aPFeii4l29IMuNgIZ8SLgUhhYQ3mYpkDROI/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaA4RF1ZWLXHNN6doRngeNSGgI4uLSaIyVnOpvzUFx74s38psLVcQVnyujkmusRZNLEiyrpkVl0L8q27gx5ut91KepZHouglrrXmA5wr28_aPFeii4l29IMuNgIZ8SLgUhhYQ3mYpkDROI/s320/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204390511287967746" border="0" /></a><br />So it's been a busy couple of weeks. I've been working down at the studio three days a week; there have been a couple weddings recently; I've actually had quite a few of my own clients recently; I've been having events with my <a href="http://www.meetup.com">Meetup</a> group pretty regularly, as well as hanging out with some of the members outside of the group; and I just started working with another business, a health product that has actually been working wonders for both my back pain and my allergies since I started using it, and will also help me get out of the rat-race before I hit 30.<br /><br />I also recently decided to make a serious effort to do more reading, less television-watching and less random-internet-surfing. Reading more and having more to do has equated to less general time on the computer, with means less blogification. I used to read voraciously when I was younger, and it recently came to the point that I couldn't actually think of the last book I had read. I have definitely successfully changed that: since the middle of April, I've read six books, and I'm working on a couple more.<br /><br />One of the books I just finished (as in about an hour ago!) is <a href="http://notsalmon.com/book-detail/?bkd=bounce_back">The Bounce Back Book</a>, by <a href="http://notsalmon.com/">Karen Salmansohn</a>. It is a great little book of 75 tips on "how to thrive in the face of adversity, setbacks, and losses." The tips are amazing for helping you through hard times in your life, both small and huge. It's a really quick read, and totally beneficial. Some of the tips are the types of things you should incorporate into your daily life whether or not you are in a particularly tough spot.<br /><br />Some of my favorite tips, which I'm going to work on bringing into my everyday life:<br /><br />#10: Happiness is a choice, not just a matter of genes or good luck.<br />#22: Give yourself 120-second recharging sessions.<br />#35: Don't just write a "To Do" list. Write a "To Be" list.<br />#55: Sing your heartache out.<br />#58: Cultivate the habit of zest.<br />#70: View change as chance.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(All quoted from The Bounce Back Book)</span><br /><br />Obviously there are sixty-nine more amazing tips, and lots more detail to the six I shared with you. I highly, highly recommend picking it up. It's less than $15, and worth every single penny.<br /><br />So after that crazy tangent, I'm once again apologizing for being away so long. And once again, I am promising to try to be better. I should post about the fun things happening in my life, instead of just doing the fun things, right?!? Indeed!rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-82457377677030431762008-05-06T17:33:00.002-07:002008-05-06T18:00:34.645-07:00[ takes me back ]I've all by given up watching television lately. I only have basic cable, so there isn't too much to pick from beyond news, various sitcom reruns, and shitty reality shows. I've started listening to my vast iTunes library and reading instead, and I've noticed specific memories are cropping up when certain songs come on.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen</span><br />When I was studying abroad in Italy, we were in Rome at the end of the semester, and had our final dinner at a really cute restaurant, tucked into a side road, off a large piazza. We ate outside, and were serenaded by a man playing guitar and trying to think of American songs to sing us once he realized we were American. His fly was also open the entire time. He started singing Bohemian Rhapsody, and our whole group started singing it at the top of our lungs. We even, without any planning, sang the different parts correctly (the Galileo part, mostly). Now every time I hear it, I feel like I'm back in Italy, practically yelling Bohemian Rhapsody, probably pissing off everyone within earshot, loving every second of it, and being insanely sad that the trip was over.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Listen To Your Heart by DHT</span><br />Reminds me of almost every single party we had in our senior year of college, because we always played it at least once, and every single person sang along. But in particular, I remember driving around with one of my closest friends, Brent, and we were randomly calling people. When Listen To Your Heart came on, we turned it up insanely loudly, and called our friend Hot-Dan, and proceeded to sing the entire song to his voicemail. Why? No idea, but it was fun as all hell.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy by Big & Rich</span><br />Another case of belting out a song with Brent. I agreed to drive to Wilmington with him to buy his gigantic television our sophomore (or was it junior?) year of college. After bickering the entire time we were in the store, we hopped back in his car (a bright red pick-up truck, lovingly named Little Bitty), and were jamming to a country station. We were pretty much the only ones in our group of friends who really loved country music, so we always listened to it together. Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy came on, and we rolled down all the windows and started <span style="font-style: italic;">screaming</span> it. And when the "and we made love" line came on, we yelled it especially loud... and totally freaked out a guy next to us at the stoplight. Goooood times.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I Love Rock & Roll by Joan Jett</span><br />Our senior year, most of the parties I went to were at my apartment. We had an awesome party apartment. And one of the most fun parts of the parties we had, and several chill evenings as well, was that one of our friends had the XBox Karaoke game, and was actually willing to bring the entire game system over so we could play it. And two of our guy friends, Aaron and Scott, were so incredibly determined to get a perfect score. But after trying on one song maybe four or five times, they gave up for the time being. Kelly & I decided to sing I Love Rock & Roll... and <span style="font-style: italic;">totally</span> got a perfect score on the first try! It was absolutely fantabulous.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cecelia by Simon and Garfunkel</span><br />One of the a capella groups at our school sang this song as their alumni song at every concert... any alumni from the group who were at the concert would get on stage and sing it again. I think I actually prefer their version to the real version. It was so much fun, and always so good.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Accidentally In Love by Counting Crows</span><br />My friend Darrell, who I had known since our freshman year, was in an a capella group in college also (same one as Jesse), and finally got a solo song our sophomore year. He's an incredible singer, and would also sing to us whenever we asked him. When he found out he got a solo, he came sprinting to my room, and was so excited he could barely tell me. And then I made him sing the entire song to me, standing in my doorway.<br /><br /><br />Maybe I miss college or something. All those memories are from college.<br /><br />What song takes you back?rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-86987254202955776532008-05-01T13:01:00.002-07:002008-05-01T13:04:00.496-07:00[ on ladylike behavior ]How in the hell do you ride a bicycle in a dress? A sundress, that's kind of flowy, and comes down right to your knees?<br /><br />How do you ride a bike without flashing the world your underwear?<br /><br />I've adopted the riding with one hand on the handlebars, one hand holding down the skirt approach.<br /><br />Do you just say screw it and walk? Do you just say screw it and throw on a pair of shorts underneath the dress?<br /><br />Although, I suppose saying "screw it" wouldn't be very ladylike either...rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-63457833177776382262008-04-25T11:40:00.003-07:002008-04-25T14:35:38.946-07:00[ angry at the television ]I am ticked off at TBS at the moment.<br /><br />They keep showing me little tiny commercials about how <a href="http://www.tbs.com/shows/myboys/">My Boys</a> is coming back in June.<br /><br />JUNE!<br /><br />That's in, like, forever.<br /><br />I have been waiting to find out who PJ brings to Italy since <span style="font-style: italic;">AUGUST</span>!<br /><br />I want My Boys back now.<br /><br />They won't even show me old episodes now.<br /><br />Bastards.rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-84852626364650818682008-04-25T07:16:00.002-07:002008-04-25T07:52:09.674-07:00[ checking a few off the list ]Just a quick update to my <a href="http://ampersander-bound.blogspot.com/2008/03/march-31-101-in-1001.html">101 in 1001</a> list.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">009. Read one business book a month</span><br />I'm just over half-way done with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/E-Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209133142&sr=8-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It</span></a>, by Michael E. Gerber. It's about the three distinct personalities that everyone has (usually one way more-so than the others) when starting a business: the Entrepreneur, the Technician and the Manager; and about finding balance between those three. It's also about treating your business as a product that will be reproduced a thousand times, and how to make it error-proof, and able to run without you.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">019. Go back East to visit friends & family at least once a year</span><br />I haven't gone yet, but I am knee-deep in planning my East Coast extravaganza for this summer. I'll be hitting up Boston, Cape Cod, Baltimore, Raleigh, Greenville and possibly NYC to see friends and family. Most of the friends I haven't seen in almost a year (over a year by the time I get there), and a few friends I haven't seen in several years. It's gonna be <span style="font-style: italic;">awesome</span>!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">043. Drink 64 ounces of water every day</span><br />I'm officially a camel. Some days I feel like I'm about to float away. And the craziest part... I'm still frequently thirsty! Living in a desert really takes it out of you, huh?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">049. Start shooting one roll of film or 50 digital images every week</span><br />I've actually been able to do this thanks to my own clients! Week One was the <a href="http://www.ladieswholaunch.com">Ladies Who Launch</a> Bio Makeover Party; Week Two was an infant shoot with an tiny and oh-so-freaking-adorable four week old; Week Three was a fashion shoot for my friend's children's clothing line; Week Four will be a shoot with two little girls on Saturday; and Week Five will be a corporate head shot session next Friday!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">055. Explore Phoenix - one new place per month</span><br />This month I ate breakfast at <a href="http://www.mattsbigbreakfast.com/">Matt's Big Breakfast</a>. It's a tiny (literally maybe seats 20 people at a time) building, just a short walking distance from my apartment, and it's highly praised out here. It's even been featured on the Food Network. The food was absolutely incredible! And by the time we were done (I was with my parents), there were about 20 people milling around outside waiting for a table!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">056. Learn to enjoy wine</span><br />I tried a Pinot Grigio from Italy that I really really liked. Of course, I can't for the life of me remember what it was called. However, I know what the bottle looks like, so if I see it again, I can buy it!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">070. Build a stylish and professional and FUN wardrobe</span><br />I got a few new, really nice, pieces. A fabulous black cotton dress from GAP, and a few nicer tops from Old Navy. Does anyone have any recommendations for places I can find nice, but fun, clothes, but for not too much cash?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">084. Watch one classic movie a month</span><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070903/">The Way We Were</a>, starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. I picked it because (don't laugh!) it's mentioned a lot in Gilmore Girls. I had never seen it, and I like it when I know what the hell they are talking about on the show. So now I get all those references. Plus it was fantastic. And double-plus... <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000602/">Robert Redford</a> is freaking HOT! I mean, I always thought he was attractive (Have you <span style="font-style: italic;">seen</span> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071577/">The Great Gatsby</a>? Hoooly moly!), and this just solidified it. Yummy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">086. Meet a famous person</span><br />I met several at the Phoenix Film Festival! Read about it <a href="http://ampersander-bound.blogspot.com/2008/04/phoenix-film-festival-people-i-met.html">here</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">093. See a cultural event once every six months</span><br />Jesse & I went to see a ballet at the beginning of the month. It was performed by Ballet Arizona, and was called Mixed Repertory: A Celebration of Dance! I really liked it a lot... I've always though ballet was just incredibly beautiful. Seeing The Nutcracker is my absolute favorite thing to do around Christmas time.<br /><br /><br />Yay! Slowly chipping away at it!rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-24601342622809522182008-04-20T16:22:00.003-07:002008-04-20T16:29:33.093-07:00[ my middle name should be random ]And now, a random sampling of the haps of my life:<br /><br />I know I'm wicked late to jump on the bandwagon, but I <span style="font-style: italic;">finally</span> saw <span style="font-weight: bold;">Juno</span>. And I heart it just as much as every other person who has raved about it. I watched it two times this weekend, and contemplated letting Blockbuster charge me the extra $20 for keeping it. In the end, my desire to actually have money in my pocket led me to return it today.<br /><br />As much as gas prices suck, I'm actually pretty okay with it. Mainly because my car gets <span style="font-style: italic;">rockin</span>' gas mileage. I kept track this time around, and since my last fill-up, my little Suzy got an average of 29.64 miles to the gallon. GO SUZY!<br /><br />I named my bike Lily. For absolutely no reason. She's a blueish green, and doesn't even look particularly feminine. But I looked at her and said "Lily." First thing that popped to my head... sometimes shit just goes down like that.<br /><br />Speaking of names, how do you refer to yourself? My whole life, I've been Becca to my friends and Rebecca to my family, teachers, professors and bosses. But now, I always introduce myself as Rebecca, so that's what most people I know in AZ call me. But I called a couple old friends from good-ole-Sandwich today, and I actually <span style="font-style: italic;">stuttered</span> when I was saying who it was... "Hey! It's Rebe... Bec... Rebecca. Becca (last name)!" I didn't know my own name for a minute. It was weird.<br /><br />And lastly, I know I already mentioned this once, but if you haven't checked out She & Him, Volume One.... <span style="font-weight: bold;">DO IT NOW</span>!rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-9350700826269727392008-04-17T17:32:00.004-07:002008-12-08T14:31:56.784-07:00[ grand canyon ]A few weeks ago (okay... like three weeks... so I'm a little slow posting), my mother and father were visiting for their spring break, and for one day, we went up to the Grand Canyon. We took a really nice tour, so didn't have to do anything but sit back, relax, and see the big ass canyon. None of us had ever been there before, so it was pretty awesome to see it.<br /><br />I took some of my fun cameras with me, but don't have those pictures yet, so you'll just have to enjoy some digital ones!<br /><br />Now, I knew the Grand Canyon was big. The word "grand" is in the title. But seriously... it's HUUUUUUUUUGE. I was in complete awe.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_oeQBmmAjZL_ZFusF4EwOaf_DldwCD1d3Qk61HcqO3IASiQ8dIxNyjA5va7tbSxHWvSYwFppH9JBryVBH7ksKuJjzqJr-7ZkqeDbPCRmoYsTSokDqCNxRXSshrRl4WzVUc0JOZQOigdK/s1600-h/gc_002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_oeQBmmAjZL_ZFusF4EwOaf_DldwCD1d3Qk61HcqO3IASiQ8dIxNyjA5va7tbSxHWvSYwFppH9JBryVBH7ksKuJjzqJr-7ZkqeDbPCRmoYsTSokDqCNxRXSshrRl4WzVUc0JOZQOigdK/s320/gc_002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190377821489759682" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcovo3AIZHWmlf53zqXm0rQ-EakzA_NCsg9puHpLcg27UYlH2q6UrT3c_cQNMJ6vFfLoajAqsCZMVkdpcWRWVFFJXRT0-U_t3bmCUsukEt1_JpNRvLrnoncAgjY_2cLh4Qdpy8XFZTAZ0y/s1600-h/gc_007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcovo3AIZHWmlf53zqXm0rQ-EakzA_NCsg9puHpLcg27UYlH2q6UrT3c_cQNMJ6vFfLoajAqsCZMVkdpcWRWVFFJXRT0-U_t3bmCUsukEt1_JpNRvLrnoncAgjY_2cLh4Qdpy8XFZTAZ0y/s320/gc_007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190377821489759698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4JZxBWIbEa52sDlba4klMZEQHwrAo9lQ3Lo78nlMlZFDcxv5auBZzkh3ApZiHvFIr4MJLtr1ZB_RHmPTImG0dGsJ455pa9C-h2YbEjAmr7_IJoz8UxA1s5CkbnEmELHxXYnPOHuney-z/s1600-h/gc_016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4JZxBWIbEa52sDlba4klMZEQHwrAo9lQ3Lo78nlMlZFDcxv5auBZzkh3ApZiHvFIr4MJLtr1ZB_RHmPTImG0dGsJ455pa9C-h2YbEjAmr7_IJoz8UxA1s5CkbnEmELHxXYnPOHuney-z/s320/gc_016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190377825784727010" border="0" /></a><br />Possibly my favorite picture that I took digitally. I'm a dork, I know:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpK_BPVWCXEY-MKFP0mv6EDHGPpP7XX1v1l7b4H2Wz7V9bUUhUqpMI1pkmpr_1kjLT27isnLgK3vcc2sJwrAyqJwXdrVtrWtNCsL1Gl1hjHqlxMSmUgcE1LckKNFnOvEolAjGoXit4l-0/s1600-h/gc_024.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpK_BPVWCXEY-MKFP0mv6EDHGPpP7XX1v1l7b4H2Wz7V9bUUhUqpMI1pkmpr_1kjLT27isnLgK3vcc2sJwrAyqJwXdrVtrWtNCsL1Gl1hjHqlxMSmUgcE1LckKNFnOvEolAjGoXit4l-0/s320/gc_024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190377361928258930" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36L8xnmrgFYwRBO2IztPCIsNSkrTaA4bQxEOPLFHHAohrGiio5-LHZtUBkfdMyrMjgnpTIq5gsQu4Vs58in8z4XVhR8Spn9I7rk1piDEvCSVxCDDyTF5C6m9snNsbibOLRnVTsPqqlI0f/s1600-h/gc_028.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36L8xnmrgFYwRBO2IztPCIsNSkrTaA4bQxEOPLFHHAohrGiio5-LHZtUBkfdMyrMjgnpTIq5gsQu4Vs58in8z4XVhR8Spn9I7rk1piDEvCSVxCDDyTF5C6m9snNsbibOLRnVTsPqqlI0f/s320/gc_028.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190377366223226242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcjDMS9g6I8QxlyMv_4TL4Qe1F6wOad2uOttbHAyS7DGFUjutupl3aijccDkcd-68MzuctWHi1LmQIJpt7gNioDbcgP5FmeBCyttJul6VHu1FFBEkWBQxWv5VDJTAhj23Jgs96ukx2L7J/s1600-h/gc_039.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcjDMS9g6I8QxlyMv_4TL4Qe1F6wOad2uOttbHAyS7DGFUjutupl3aijccDkcd-68MzuctWHi1LmQIJpt7gNioDbcgP5FmeBCyttJul6VHu1FFBEkWBQxWv5VDJTAhj23Jgs96ukx2L7J/s320/gc_039.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190377370518193554" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06qzwZJ8lUmwtchbqYCKMSzQbhovTpVCDJgQCiMa0X6-F0Ht2BHTBnbLJlTTs3iC4RYPYew4st05HZTAKbjZJVta64CxDJAz93MpQgUBDFR90u-t4mkIwm3PGDwf3NC61tEtj1pTllR5t/s1600-h/gc_046.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06qzwZJ8lUmwtchbqYCKMSzQbhovTpVCDJgQCiMa0X6-F0Ht2BHTBnbLJlTTs3iC4RYPYew4st05HZTAKbjZJVta64CxDJAz93MpQgUBDFR90u-t4mkIwm3PGDwf3NC61tEtj1pTllR5t/s320/gc_046.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190377374813160866" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZb4ZYx3hps9fjxDyozleq9ChyvjU6shgBsYAa0ffRbDrtFpWgdhR3oktHjdi39y4JhAtzKexzDUzwI7ux42POKp_5ep7MiJMmCxL9evbuqlv_Haewqr1crbTK1MH_fzpsPqMZfiQH4NAB/s1600-h/gc_052.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZb4ZYx3hps9fjxDyozleq9ChyvjU6shgBsYAa0ffRbDrtFpWgdhR3oktHjdi39y4JhAtzKexzDUzwI7ux42POKp_5ep7MiJMmCxL9evbuqlv_Haewqr1crbTK1MH_fzpsPqMZfiQH4NAB/s320/gc_052.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190377379108128178" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vMlWpxgJH9V69njgRO4lXfJ3jCJHnZouS4OZahsbWi6I0C1UUY8LyGkNJ5HNDg_6Zv0fjidfnR0y0shaowmADz-d3lx3EqHCfhdSwNdMj4Eaq_WW3LN9aGIJ5ktikuMsUwKFP8HooFHO/s1600-h/gc_057.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vMlWpxgJH9V69njgRO4lXfJ3jCJHnZouS4OZahsbWi6I0C1UUY8LyGkNJ5HNDg_6Zv0fjidfnR0y0shaowmADz-d3lx3EqHCfhdSwNdMj4Eaq_WW3LN9aGIJ5ktikuMsUwKFP8HooFHO/s320/gc_057.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190377099935253858" border="0" /></a><br />For about 50 more images, check out my <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/ampersander/sets/72157604589051813/">Flickr Page</a>!rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-23915792991264977042008-04-13T17:26:00.003-07:002008-04-13T17:49:10.414-07:00[ phoenix film festival: the people i met ]So, at the Phoenix Film Festival, I got a chance to talk to a bunch of producers and directors. But I alsooooo got to meet a few actors. No one incredibly hugely famous, but it was still pretty cool.<br /><br />First off, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0582257/">Johnny Messner</a>. Now, the only thing I knew him from was a few episodes of The OC, so I won't be shocked if you have no idea who he is. On The OC, he was Julie's ex-boyfriend from way back, and one day he showed up with a porno starring Julie, and then Caleb had him killed. Rockin'. Anyway, he was in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448993/">The Art of Travel</a>, which I looooooooved.<br /><br />I actually had two separate, ten or fifteen minute conversations with him: one right after I saw his film, and one during one of the parties. His voice scared the shit out of me, because it's wicked low and gravely, but I wasn't expecting it to be <span style="font-style: italic;">SO</span> low and <span style="font-style: italic;">SO</span> gravely in person. He asked if I liked the movie, and because I did, we talked about it for a little while. He was really nice, and wicked stoked that so many people liked the movie.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.variety.com/graphics/photos/reviewk/rkillerinstinct_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.variety.com/graphics/photos/reviewk/rkillerinstinct_01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Secondly, and probably the one I was most excited about, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000628/">Jonathan Schaech</a>. If you've ever seen That Thing You Do, he played the lead singer of The Wonders. He was in a horror film called <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479201/">Organizm</a> at the Festival, which I didn't see, because I'm not too big on horror films.<br /><br />I basically just exchanged pleasantries with him. He was going into a film that I was taking tickets for, so I tore his ticket and told him to enjoy, and he thanked me. After the movie, he left the theatre first, and I got to actually meet him and introduce myself. Woot!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://socialitelife.celebuzz.com/images/jschaech121306.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://socialitelife.celebuzz.com/images/jschaech121306.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Next is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0695247/">Pras</a>, from the Fugees. He did a Q&A session after his documentary <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0795381/">Skid Row</a> showed. Everyone asked questions, and he answered them. I was practically unconscious because it was two in the morning, so I didn't so much meet him as be in the same room with him.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://getsomenoise.com/images/press/pras_mitchel.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://getsomenoise.com/images/press/pras_mitchel.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />And lastly, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0922342/">Shane West</a>. What I actually knew him from was A Walk to Remember and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but he was also on E.R. for a few years. The first time I saw him, he was coming out of the Q&A session after his film, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0384683/">What We Do Is Secret</a>, but I didn't say anything to him because he was completely surrounded by practically-fainting girls, and I didn't want to add to it. So he just hung out in the hall for maybe fifteen or twenty minutes, and all I did was smile at him as I walked past to leave.<br /><br />Later that night, I was working the Awards Party, and he was there too, so I did get to say hello and introduce myself. I didn't have too much to talk about, because I didn't really want to say that I only knew him from those two movies, neither of which I particularly liked, and I hadn't been able to see the film that was in the Festival. But we chatted for a few minutes, and he seemed really nice and genuine.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://z.about.com/d/tvdramas/1/0/W/4/shanewest.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://z.about.com/d/tvdramas/1/0/W/4/shanewest.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />So, yeah... I got to meet a few actors and a rapper. Goooooo me. It was pretty cool. I was proud of myself for not acting like a moron. I was able to string whole sentences together, and not act star-struck, so that's good!<br /><br />[ found the pictures through google ]rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-3326764854088484592008-04-13T16:44:00.004-07:002008-04-13T17:25:59.824-07:00[ phoenix film festival: the movies i saw ]For the past week and a half, I've been volunteering at the <a href="http://www.phoenixfilmfestival.org/pages/">Phoenix Film Festival</a>. I mostly took tickets, directed people to the right place, and answered questions. Because I volunteered at least 20 hours (I think I ended up logging closer to 30), I got to see as many movies as I wanted to for free. I ended up having time to see five films, as well as a collection of College-Student-made Short Films. I <span style="font-style: italic;">highly highly highly highly</span> recommend all of them!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C3Rfq5BKwo">Son of Rambow</a><br />This movie was absolutely incredible. The person who described it to me said it was about "two British boys who decide to make a Rambo movie after seeing Last Blood." And I thought, "Oh dear lord, why am I going to see this?!?" But it was so so much more than that. It was an incredible story of friendship and boundaries and coming into your own. It's extremely funny and extremely heart-warming.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28OLBrW6PSM">Mongol</a><br />I never ever in my life thought my brain would create the thought "I feel bad for Genghis Khan," but this film made me think it. I have to admit it. It's a biopic about Genghis Khan's life, before he was Genghis Khan. It covers his life from the time he chose his wife and lost his father, at around age 9, up through the battle that sealed his destiny. It really is an amazing and beautiful movie. It makes you remember that everyone is human.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2ACldThrBA">The Art of Travel</a><br />This is one of my new favorite films. It follows a young man named Connor, who is about to marry his girlfriend and go off to college, when his whole life turns around. He ends up in Nicaragua by himself, with no money. When he eventually makes it to Panama, he meets two people who will change his life forever. It is an exquisitely done film, starring Christopher Masterson. The scenery is just amazing, the story is so well-done. It made me want to go to an airport and get on the next international flight, no matter where it was heading.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcPj3UPyShI">Skid Row</a><br />This one was intense. Pras (from the Fugees) lived on Skid Row in LA for nine days, with no money and no help from his crew or friends, filming the entire experience with hidden cameras. There is just no way to describe this movie. All I can say is it was at once intense, terrifying and heartbreaking. I actually had to turn away a few times, because I simply couldn't handle what was shown on the screen. It was really well-done, just really horribly sad.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlBBzpG7aF4">On Broadway</a><br />This one actually won the Audience Award at the festival. It stars Joey McIntyre (yes, of New Kids on the Block) and Eliza Dushku, among others. It's focuses on an Irish family in Boston. When Joey McIntyre's character's uncle dies in an accident, it inspires him to write a play about the traditions and connections within the Irish community. Basically everything is against him, but he knows in his gut that he needs to write the play and get it on stage. This film is absolutely beautiful. Heart-wrenching, really funny, incredibly touching, extremely inspiring. I absolutely loved it, and it definitely deserved the Audience Award.<br /><br />Really great films, all of them. Others that I wanted to see, and were highly recommended by others at the festival: What We Do Is Secret (couldn't find a trailer); <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnZ1uXfW4j0">Take</a> (which won Best Film); <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWrN8fT-SJM">The Life Before Her Eyes</a>; <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ax3zvt_guo">The Visitor</a>; <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B64sAqL3sno">Dakota Skye</a> (which won Best Screenplay); and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o4nShCaAy0">11 Minutes Ago</a>.<br /><br />Stay tuned for a report on who I met!rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-7155444051316760962008-04-07T08:38:00.003-07:002008-12-08T14:31:56.934-07:00[ someone thinks i'm excellent ]<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoweX0qo3Bb3JNl3PDpcrxVvsqMOgxB1yQYufBq5Cszr2mMH56byXGRUpxcODHNHdE4l9NZagj9-9UeP5oppcmTGs13FIrzxVqJoOuozsfztBYywDdiNmxBfe37CUduwLBnOzYH4DPaDIH/s1600-h/excellence+award.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoweX0qo3Bb3JNl3PDpcrxVvsqMOgxB1yQYufBq5Cszr2mMH56byXGRUpxcODHNHdE4l9NZagj9-9UeP5oppcmTGs13FIrzxVqJoOuozsfztBYywDdiNmxBfe37CUduwLBnOzYH4DPaDIH/s320/excellence+award.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186529119851525506" border="0" /></a><br />Holy mackerel... someone thinks I'm excellent! I actually was awarded an Excellence Award, by the fabulouso <a href="http://labloggergal.com/">Kat</a>! I'm kind of bummed that she was the one who awarded it to me, because she's definitely one of the people I would give it to! So definitely check her out... her blog is greatamundo!<br /><br />But yay! I got a blogging award from someone! Yay :)<br /><br /><br /><i>The Rules: By accepting this Excellent Blog Award, you agree to award it to 10 more people whose blogs you find Excellent Award worthy. You can give it to as many people as you want but please award at least 10. You deserve this! Feel free to award people who have already been awarded.<br /><br /></i>Therefore, I lovingly award the following people with an Excellent Blog Award:<br /><br />Tiff at <a href="http://truthbombs.wordpress.com/">Truth Bombs</a><br />Sadira at <a href="http://foolsewoode.blogspot.com/">Foolsewoode</a><br />Jen at <a href="http://simplybreakfast.blogspot.com/">Simply Breakfast</a><br />Sarah at <a href="http://sarerinthal.blogspot.com/">Sarerinthal</a><br />Jessica at <a href="http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/">How About Orange<br /></a>Chelsea at <a href="http://chelseatalkssmack.blogspot.com/">Chelsea Talks Smack</a><br />Candace at <a href="http://bigcheex.blogspot.com/">Big Cheeks</a><br />Katelin at <a href="http://gorgeousfootstepsinthesand.blogspot.com/">Gorgeous Footsteps in the Sand</a><br />Nicole at <a href="http://nicoleantoinette.wordpress.com/">More is Better</a><br />Elle at <a href="http://itgirlelle.blogspot.com/">The IT Girl</a><br /><br />Go visit them all! Now!rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-30656978119422485732008-04-03T12:27:00.002-07:002008-04-03T12:41:26.927-07:00[ happy april ]Happy April!<br /><br />I know, I know. You're thinking, "Wait!?! A <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">real</span> post from Rebecca?!? No freakin' way!"<br /><br />It has indeed been a while since I have posted something that wasn't a list. I have been unmotivated. It has been pathetic. I've had plenty of time to post, I just haven't wanted to.<br /><br />However... now I am <span style="font-style: italic;">busy</span>.<br /><br />I am currently the type of busy where the only way to survive is to be insanely productive. I am the type of busy that I love and crave and seriously can't live without. I am busy with work stuff, fun stuff, volunteer stuff.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I am busy.</span><br /><br />I'm the fruit loop who hates having nothing to do. I was the weird kid in grade school who hated summer vacation because after a week of hanging out and doing nothing, I was bored. I was the kid who played on four soccer teams at once, just to have something to do. I was the high schooler who got up early to do some extra homework, went to school for the day, read during lunch, stayed after school until 5 o'clock to help with the theatre company's production of South Pacific, raced home to change into practice clothes, drove 45 minutes for a 2 hour soccer practice, drove 45 minutes home and then did homework until midnight.<br /><br />And I'm the kid who loved that.<br /><br />I like having stuff to do. I am insanely productive when I have an insane amount of things going on. I am at my best when I have too much happening. I am happiest when I'm running to and from things. I am blissful when I don't have time to watch television. I am ecstatic when I have to spend all my time <span style="font-style: italic;">doing</span> something.<br /><br />And now I am busy. I am happier than I've been in a while.<br /><br />Simply because <span style="font-weight: bold;">I'm busy</span>!<br /><br />And you, my dears, have the following posts to look forward to (I guess I'm still in list mode!):<br /><ol><li>My new decision on what the most romantic part of a movie is</li><li>My mother's insane jewelry making skills</li><li>My first-ever visit to the Grand Canyon</li><li>My new soccer team</li><li>My insane LWL meeting on Monday night</li><li>My first-ever blog award (which I'm so excited about!)</li><li>The Phoenix Film Festival, at which I'm volunteering this weekend</li></ol>And probably more that I can't think of right now, or which haven't happened yet!<br /><br />Now I've got to do some work, before I head back to work! (I love this!)<br /><br />PS: If you haven't already, check out <a href="http://www.pandora.com/music/song/she+him/why+do+you+let+me+stay+here">She & Him</a>! AMAZING!rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-54299102792444237172008-03-31T14:07:00.004-07:002008-04-25T08:00:01.209-07:00[ march 31: 101 in 1001 ]New and improved! I actually managed to completely write the list before posting it... and even categorize it!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Start Date:</span> April 1, 2008<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">End Date:</span> December 27, 2010<br /><br />Bold = Complete<br />Italic = In Progress<br />Linked = Posted About<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BUSINESS</span><br />001. Legally establish FiveGoodGoats<br />002. Enter local art shows<br />003. Create a portfolio book: a real, bound book<br />004. Get to the point that 5GG is my main, if not only, source of income<br />005. Self-design & publish a book of my photography<br />006. Have a table of photographs for sale at Downtown Phoenix's First Friday<br />007. Update 5GG.com once every three months (0/11)<br />008. Go to a Ladies Who Launch LIVE event<br />009. Read one business book a month (<a href="http://ampersander-bound.blogspot.com/2008/04/checking-few-off-list.html">1</a>/33)<br />010. Photograph a famous person<br />011. Get a part-time job or internship a few hours a week in graphic or interior design<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">TRAVEL</span><br />012. Road trip Western America<br />013. Visit Hawaii<br />014. Go back to Italy<br />015. Take advantage of cheap Southwest flights<br />016. Visit San Francisco<br />017. Visit London<br />018. Go to LA<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">019. Go back East to visit friends & family at least once a year </span>(0/3)<br />020. Plan a backpacking trip across Europe to go on before I turn 30<br />021. Visit a National Forest<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">LEARNING / EDUCATION</span><br />022. Research a new photographer every week for a month (0/4)<br />023. Take one art class a year (0/3)<br />024. Expand my literary influences - one new author a month (0/33)<br />025. Increase my fluency in Italian<br />026. Learn to make jewelry<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">027. Read 100 books</span> (0/100)<br />028. Learn how to screenprint at home<br />029. Learn to sew<br />030. Learn to cook: at least two new recipes a week (0/66)<br />031. Take classes in three different, and extremely varied topics<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">032. Read all of the Harry Potter books in Italian without referencing the English versions</span> (0/7)<br />033. Take a cooking class<br />034. Get a library card at the Phoenix Public Library<br />035. Make a decision about Grad School - what to study<br />036. Learn basic car maintenance<br />037. Take a class in or self-teach myself more about web design & HTML<br />038. Learn about one new and entirely random topic a month (0/33)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HEALTH</span><br />039. Start hiking regularly<br />040. Create an exercise plan and stick to it<br />041. Go rock climbing (indoor or outdoor)<br />042. Do 50 push ups in a row<br /><a href="http://ampersander-bound.blogspot.com/2008/04/checking-few-off-list.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">043. Drink 64 ounces of water every day</span></a><br />044. Try skiing (again) or snowboarding<br />045. Run a 5K, preferably for charity<br />046. Fix my posture: stop slouching!<br />047. Buy all fruits & veggies at a Farmer's Market for one month<br />048. Run a mile without having to walk<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">PHOTOGRAPHY</span><br /><a href="http://ampersander-bound.blogspot.com/2008/04/checking-few-off-list.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">049. Start shooting one roll of film or 50 digital images every week</span></a><br />050. Scan all my negatives<br />051. Teach a photography class<br />052. Photograph my shoes<br />053. Write emails or letters to 5 photographers I admire<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOR ME</span><br />054. Get over my fear of deep water<br />055. Explore Phoenix - one new place per month (<a href="http://ampersander-bound.blogspot.com/2008/04/checking-few-off-list.html">1</a>/33)<br /><a href="http://ampersander-bound.blogspot.com/2008/04/checking-few-off-list.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">056. Learn to enjoy wine</span></a><br />057. Buy and wear a bikini for the first time<br />058. Track my spending for a month and use it to create a detailed budget<br />059. Make a list of 100 things that make me happy<br />060. Send a secret to Postsecret<br />061. Back up all important files regularly<br />062. Complete a Sudoku puzzle every day for a month<br />063. Create an inspiration board<br />064. Save at least $50 a month; up it to $100 a month when/if possible (0/33)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">065. Do something nice for myself every day</span><br />066. Make a list of 50 things I enjoy doing alone, and do each and every one of them (0/50)<br />067. Spend one evening a week without watching television or using my computer<br />068. Go to a spa and get completely pampered<br />069. Refinish or paint my dining room table and chairs so they match<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">070. Build a stylish and professional and FUN wardrobe</span><br />071. End my day with reading, not television at least twice a week<br />072. Get a watch that works or fix the two I have that don't<br />073. Make my bed right after waking up<br />074. Decide if I really do want a tattoo; if yes, decide where & what<br />075. Stop using plastic bags completely<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOR OTHERS<br /></span>076. Send handmade or self-designed cards only for holidays and birthdays<br />077. Participate in Habitat for Humanity<br />078. Find a non-profit that I am passionate about and volunteer with it<br />079. Purge my closet - things that haven't been worn in 6 months or more go to charity<br />080. Send real mail to a friend 10 times (0/10)<br />081. Send a care package to someone who needs it<br />082. Leave a 100% tip for a particularly good waiter or waitress<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOR FUN<br /></span>083. Go bowling<br />084. Watch one classic movie a month (<a href="http://ampersander-bound.blogspot.com/2008/04/checking-few-off-list.html">1</a>/33)<br />085. See a movie at a drive-in<br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://ampersander-bound.blogspot.com/2008/04/phoenix-film-festival-people-i-met.html">086. Meet a famous person </a><br />087. Take photos in a photo booth at least 3 times (0/3)<br />088. Have a picnic<br />089. Fly in a hot air balloon<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">090. Put all one dollar bills I receive as change in a "do-something-fun" fund</span><br />091. Ride a roller coaster<br />092. See Jimmy Buffett live<br />093. See a cultural event once every six months (<a href="http://ampersander-bound.blogspot.com/2008/04/checking-few-off-list.html">1</a>/5)<br />094. Go to a hockey game<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BLOGGING<br /></span>095. Be a guest blogger for someone<br />096. Participate in at least three of NaBloPoMo's monthly challenges per year (0/9)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">097. Become a better blogger: blog at least two times a week</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">098. Become a better commenter: comment on at least one post a day</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AT THE END<br /></span>099. Donate $1 to charity for every item not completed<br />100. Put $1 in my savings account for every item completed<br />101. Create a new 101 in 1001 listrebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-75550226292025099952008-03-30T23:30:00.004-07:002008-03-30T23:37:32.518-07:00[ march 30: favorites ]A month of lists wouldn't be complete without a list of favorites! Here are some of mine.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MY FAVORITE:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Color:</span> Orange<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Song:</span> Now & Forever by Richard Marx (the ultimate love song... it never gets not-good)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pet:</span> PUPPIES! (Although I've never had one)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">City:</span> Florence, Italy<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Country:</span> Italy<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Meal:</span> Breakfast (especially pancakes)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Item of Clothing:</span> My orange and blue New Balance sneakers that I bought in Siena<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">TV Show:</span> Gilmore Girls; My Boys (comes back in June!!)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Film:</span> The Princess Bride<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Book:</span> The Hobbit<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scent:</span> Pomegranate Martini from Bath & Body Works<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vacation Spot:</span> Italy<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Type of Weather:</span> Sunny and warm, with a slight breeze<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Body Part (on the opposite sex):</span> Arms<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Body Part (on me):</span> Freckles (not a body part, but still my favorite)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Drink:</span> Coffee<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Season: </span>Winter<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Time of Day:</span> Dusk<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Holiday:</span> Christmas<br /><br />Any favorites I didn't reveal that you'd like to know? Ask away, my dears!<br /><br />I can't believe that March's NaBloPoMo list-making craziness is almost over! I've got to get to work finishing compiling the big doozy list: a new and improved 101 in 1001 list! I also have about half a dozen non-list, real-life posts in the line-up, that I haven't had a chance to post... seeeee you tomorrow!rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2350882176047626204.post-3261322992450995142008-03-29T23:08:00.000-07:002008-03-30T23:29:38.883-07:00[ march 29: movies i've watched too many times ]So, I love movies. I really do. It's a weakness of mine, up there close to my weakness for music. I just love movies. I like most types of movies; pretty much everything except for horror films. I'm not a huge sci-fi enjoyer, but I don't hate it either. And I'm slightly embarrassed to say that not many of the movies on this list of films I've seen more times than I probably should have are really that good. Most of them fall more in the category of so-bad-they're-good. I love them, and own them all!<br /><ol><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Princess Bride:</span> As my all-time favorite movie, of course this one is on the list. Can't get enough of it. I can quote a lot of it from memory, and when watching it, can come close to reciting it verbatim.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">National Treasure:</span> What can I say... I love Riley! This movie just cracks me up, and is so much fun. I totally loved the second one too... "Oh no, God save the Queen!"</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Transporter:</span> So incredibly falls in the category of so-bad-it's-good. Completely and utterly ridiculous. It has some very fun music, and is just so fun to watch.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gone in Sixty Seconds:</span> Another Nicolas Cage movie, which is kind of funny, because I don't necessarily like him as an actor. This movie is just great though... I love the cars and the characters... the cast is great!<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Super Troopers:</span> I was introduced to this movie at the very end of high school, was told that I wouldn't like it unless I was high, refused to get high to watch it, and absolutely thought it was hysterical. It is one of my favorite movies, if only because it never gets not-entertaining.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spaceballs:</span> Just flat-out funny. Cracks me up every time I watch it. I particularly like when they comb the desert.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Robin Hood Men in Tights:</span> Again, just hysterical. Love the dancing, love the singing, love all the innuendos. LOVE when Patrick Stewart shows up as King.<br /></li></ol>And two movies that are climbing the list, considering I've watched them both several times in only two weeks (and these are actually great films!):<br /><ol><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Across the Universe:</span> If you haven't seen this, you are completely insane. It has rocketed into my top two favorite movies, second only to The Princess Bride. It's just so visually interesting and stimulating; the musical arrangements and the singing are amazing; the acting is great. I just freaking love it. Yay for the Beatles bringing us so much fantastic music that such a great movie was able to be crafted from it. It makes me want to flesh out my Beatles music collection.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stardust:</span> It's just fun. It's a fun and interesting story; it's got some great actors in it (Ian McKellan narrates at the beginning and end; Peter O'Toole has a few minutes of amazingness as the King; Michelle Pfeiffer plays a crazy, scary witch; Claire Danes is the Star; and Robert De Niro plays an incredibly flamboyant pirate named Captain Shakespeare).<br /></li></ol>What movies have you watched a squillion times? Any you're slightly embarrassed to admit?<br /><br />[ postdated because i was out of town! more on that soon! ]rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445560464223869054noreply@blogger.com0