Third Thursday October

I've finally replaced my camera (since my D5000 was stolen)......I've upgraded to the Nikon D90 and I am having tons of fun playing around with it. Last night at the Joplin art walk I took a few photos while wandering around downtown. The sunset was just gorgeous.

This was the last art walk of the season. My favorite thing about the art walk is stopping by the Focal Point gallery for a cheap original print by the MSSU art department. And eating pizza at the Blackthorn. Awesome stuff.

I'm so glad it is Friday.

Lomography {Framed}

Today, I am in Kansas City at the Nelson Atkins museum for an art teacher conference. We are doing boring things related to common core standards, but I am always up for a visit to KC with art teacher friends. Anyway, tonight is the 3rd Thursday art walk in Joplin and unfortunately, I do not think I will make it back for much of it. However, if you are down there, stop by the Fluffy Pop shop and check out my new photo strip  frames.

I made these frames using sticks. They are perfect for photo booth strips. I had actually designed them just for photo booth photos....but then I dug out the box of contact strips from the darkroom and realized that many of the photos were the perfect size for these little frames. The photos have been hand processed in the dark room, 120 film from both Holga and Diana medium format cameras.

They are reasonably priced, so make sure you check them out and take one home!!

The fotoclipss are from Photojojo.

They look much better in person....so make sure you find the big green and yellow RV parked on main street in downtown Joplin and go inside to see them for yourself!!

Lens Baby: Kansas City Art Walk

The Kansas City art walk is one of my most favorite things to do. It seems I only ever get to go in the summer, so it is always super hot.

I love wandering through the galleries and taking photos of the people in the streets in the Crossroads District.  I really really love the Hammerpress studio....and the Grunauer, the German restaurant.

A few of these photos are neat shots from the weekend in KC, but most are from the art walk. 

These are from a little Moroccan place in Westport.

3rd Thursday: JUNE 2012

3rd Thursday last week was so fun! My friend Martha's shop Fluffy Pop made its debut and was very well recieved, with lots of great feedback, I am so proud and happy!!

One of my favorite things about the art walk is seeing friends that I ONLY see at the art walk. It is so fun to wander around bumping into people and catching up on what they are up to for the summer.

The question that I always get asked (by friends, family and other teachers) is: 'What are you doing all summer?" Well, I am not teaching summer school....so I am pretty honest with my answer: "What ever I want."

I've already been to the movies twice this week....and I take naps. I work out whenever I feel like it. I might go to one zumba class, one spin class, and then hit the trails another day....I try to keep the house clean, but some spaces are just always cluttered, because at the moment I do not have enough hangers for all of my clothing so it just piles up outside my closet. My studio is a dizaster. I made up that word. It means dizzying-disaster and I do not want to approach the clean up and rebuilding process.

I hear coworkers bragging about how their house is so clean and dinner is done for the day but I don't really feel like those are worthy accomplishments, I've got a serious to-do list for this summer....and I've started some massive mosaic tile projects (more about that later).

Anyway, here are some shots from downtown last Thursday.

Me and Martha

I decided to try something fun for the summer.....Last Thursday, Heather and I died my hair Ombre.....its fun, but it will go back to normal before school starts!

Fluffy Pop

Today: Summer rainstorms in the morning are the absolute best, especially when you have no where in particular that you have to be.

This is my 5th week of summer vacation....(I still have 7 more weeks off!!!)...my summer vacation is going perfectly so far. The laundry/dishes are caught up, the house is clean, I've been cooking healthy meals and making it to the gym several times a week...I'm working towards my goal of reading 10 books this summer.

I've also been creating a few items for my friend Martha's mobile shop. Fluffy pop makes its debut at the Joplin art walk tonight and I am so excited!! I think this shop/mobile art gallery is exactly what the art walk needs. I enjoy walking around downtown and talking to friends, but this show is going to amp up the coolness factor of the entire scene. Trust me.

If you are out and about in Joplin tonight, stop by the shop and buy some cool jewelry, a vintage dress, or a painting. If you don't live around here, you can check out the mobile shop over on the fluffy pop blog: http://fluffypop.com/?p=109 

Hope to see you out at the art walk tonight. I think this rain will be gone by this evening and it will leave cool temperatures for wandering around downtown!!

What we wore: Martha and Nellie {Art Walk}

Sometimes you meet someone and from the beginning, you just know that you are meant to be friends.

Martha and I met in October and after getting to know each other, it became obvious to both of us that we value and appreciate the same things.

Its hard to make new friends as an adult, especially outside of the work realm. To meet someone with so many similar interests and sense of style, in rural southwest Missouri, that is pretty awesome.

So, here is a new little feature on this blog: What we wore! Every time we get together, we both appreciate what the other is wearing so much that I thought it would be fun to show it off a little.

Martha just started her own pop up vintage shop called Fluffy Pop. She has an amazing little travel trailer full of handmade crafts and art and vintage clothing. She has amazing style and a great eye.

Last month, we wandered around the Joplin Art Walk. It was a little bit hot and steamy, we were both sweating our bangs off by the end of it....but it was a fun night and a good memory. We stopped at the 9art photo booth for this cute little mustache pic.

Thanks for reading!!

Art Walk with Lens Baby Part 3

The sun vanished last night just after we finished dining on the 609 patio for dinner. Many of my photos have a blue-ish tint and I kind of love it. Art Walk is one of my favorite things about Joplin. I love running into old friends and making new ones. 

 Last fall, I took my D500 around town with the Lens Baby attachment. You can see photos from that trip here.