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July 31, 2009
Summer Social Online Sale!
Summer Social products for sale online! Go go go go now!!! Four of my prints, including the pretty peony photos are up there, $5 for 4x6 prints. Hip Hip Horay!
Okay, now I gotta run to work! Have a great weekend y'all!
Posted by starmagn at 12:20 PM | Comments (0)
July 29, 2009
Soon soon soon!
I simply cannot wait to premiere the new Amy Nieto Photography Portfolio and The Oddities and Photography Blog (yes that's what I'm calling it, tentatively, it may change in the next... 5 seconds).
Why should you be excited? Because fun goodies will happen! Like, prizes! Raffles! Free portrait sessions (gasp!)! Free prints! Whole lotta funness!
And it shall all happen sooooooooooooooooon!
Hearts!
{Also, if you follow ANY Portland blog you may have realized temperatures are in the triple digits. You may have realized almost EVERYBODY is whining and crying about it. It's making me sick. I guess having lived in Vegas through two summer taught me to NEVER complain about the heat. YOU try living in 120 degree weather}
Posted by starmagn at 05:58 PM | Comments (3)
July 28, 2009
Eyes I cannot escape
I have a confession to make. For the past two and a half years, I have had the same wallpaper on my computer screen. I am sure this may come off as a shock to you. Rest assured, it is not due to laziness (sorry you just lost a bet).
No, I have had the same wallpaper for the past two years because I simply cannot bare to part with it. I cannot imagine a day without that darling bluejay above glancing at me, afraid a second later it'll just fly away and leave me by myself in that vast field. I see wonderful imagery almost every day, in and outside the internet, but none has captivated me more than this snapshot of a stolen moment, a decisive moment if you will, captured by the wonderful The 10 Cent Designer or Flickr fame. She is a professional interior designer in Canada and a fantastic photographer. Oh and she's a pretty cool, funny lady too. Please visit her Flickr. Fall in love.
Do you have any image, be it a photograph or painting or even a song, that refuses to let you go? An image that stands some sort of test of time, the more you see it the more you understand - or understand less, perhaps. I'd love to know all about it :)
Posted by starmagn at 02:34 AM | Comments (3)
July 26, 2009
Emotions that words cannot describe....
The Summer Social was a most wonderful, invigorating, inspiring, fun evening. Fantastic, talented people that I am honored to call friends. Soothing warm weather that, while it reminds me of my old home in the Caribbean, solidifies Portland as my new HOME. Scenes like the one above fill my heart with happiness, like lavender in a delicate satin satchel.
Thank you Abby for organizing and everybody else who helped and attended. I am gonna go ahead and PASS OUT.
HEARTS!!!!!
Posted by starmagn at 03:43 AM | Comments (6)
July 24, 2009
HAPPY FOOT-TAPPING SONGS FRIDAY!
Because I am extremely busy till sometime next week (HA who am I kidding, all this month and the next) I will space out my blog posts, though I have several planned out. Yes, that's the true mark of a geek: planning your blog entries while you are at work serving food. Or on the bus. Or in the shower.
In the meantime, I am declaring this day HAPPY FOOT-TAPPING SONGS FRIDAY. I am super duper happy right now, and hope this super duper happiness stays with me throughout the upcoming Pacific Northwest Winter. So I shall share three of my favorite foot-tapping songs. I encourage you all to do the same! Yayz! :
T-Rex - I love to Boogie
A clip from one of my favorite movies of all time, Billy Elliot, sung by one of the most AWESOME bands form the 70s, T-Rex! I dare you not to do a little dance to this song. You can't help it!
Phoenix - Lisztomania
Totally awesome song from French band Phoenix mashed up with clips from Brat-Pack movies from the 80s. BRILIANT!!! (Thanks Josie for sending me this!)
Feist - 1,2,3,4
I may have expressed my love for Feist in this blog. Her music gives me purpose and brightens up any gloomy day. This song and fun video is no exception!
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND Y'ALL! Don't forget about the Summer Social!
Posted by starmagn at 02:53 PM | Comments (2)
July 17, 2009
Pages from the Sketchbook #6
I have been thinking a lot about space and decoration in the past few days. Mostly pondering how to decorate a room with all the goodies I already own. Which are a lot. Among them, I have a few frames bought at thrift shops. While the notion of clustering empty frames up on a wall popped up everywhere in the design world about two years ago, I still enjoy the concept behind it. Grouping collections.
We group artifacts of the same kind in one spot all the time, for convenience, practicality, sentimentality. Most of us have a shoe box or treasure box full of old photographs, our grandma's old jewelry, notes you used to pass on to your BFF back in high school, love letters (received and unsent), or even your first few fallen teeth. Rainy Sundays usually prompt you to sit on the edge of your bed (with the intention of tidying things up a bit before the week rolls around) and revisit all these memories and collections. A smile or a tear may show up. Sometimes those items move from their often visited place in a shoebox to the trash can, as you realize that all those love letters and birthday cards an old flame wrote to you were all lies. Our collections aren't even permanent. Time, like it does on everything else, takes its toll on them.
What do you collect? How often do you revisit it? If you have pictures or stories about collections, how about you share them with us. I'll be delighted to hear about your rainy Sunday rediscoveries. :)
As always, click on image to view bigger. Hearts.
Posted by starmagn at 01:52 AM | Comments (3)
July 14, 2009
Summer Social!
Oh I am SOOOO EXCITED about the Summer Social organized by the one and only Abby Powell-Thompson of abbytryagain fame! Please please please join us for an evening full of homemade ice cream, pastries, wonderful arts and crafts, cute decorations and a Polaroid booth managed by yours truly! HORAYZ!!!!!
I met Abby when I organized a little photo get together with some local awesome photo girls, we nicknamed ourselves The Ladies of Fernhill. She is a funny, sweet person and y'all need to meet her, or at the very least visit her blog for amazing photos.
Abby also started a blog to feature some of the vendors as well as provide updates and information.
This is shaping out to be one of the best Summers of my life. ^_^ Something MAY happen in August that will be a MAJOR milestone in my personal life. I hope it happens!!!!
Posted by starmagn at 01:00 AM | Comments (3)
July 06, 2009
Amy Nieto is a card-carrying Nerd.
And darn proud! On July 3rd I had the amazing privilege of watching Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes back, unarguably THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER FILMED BY MORTAL MEN. No argument will be accepted on this forum. The film was sponsored by 101 KUFO Portland and screened at the Baghdad Theater on Hawthorne Street. The 501st Legion was there AND IT WAS ALL JUST TOO EXCITING FOR ME TO HANDLE. I have seen ESB on the silver screen about 12 years ago, which was awesome, but the members of the 501st were not there with authentic character gear and uniforms. Which is awesome.
Ahh the sights of dozens of geeks lined up... in single file to hide their numbers, of course. Some geeks were playing Monopoly Transformers. I wanted to make fun of them with like HA HA YOUR NEW MOVIE SUXXX but then I realized I had to go all the way to the end of the line and they were at the very front. Grr.
I seriously want to join the Legion, maybe sometime next year. They show up at screenings, birthdays, events, with proceeds always going to charity. These guys and gals are awesome and I want to be part of that awesomeness. As soon as I get my crap together.
To the left I am posing with Mara Jade, one of the Expanded Universe novel characters, and my favorite fictional character of all time. Mara Jade used to be an Emperor's Hand but then later was turned to the light by Luke Skywalker and after a LONG period of time both realized they loved each other and got married, only to see Mara die at the hands of Luke's idiot nephew, Jacen, 20 years later AND I AM STILL PRETTY FREAKIN UPSET ABOUT THAT.
The 501st Legion is actually Vader's elite squadron of stormtroopers. Like these were the hardcore ones, not the wimpy idiots who simply couldn't aim at all even if the survival of the Empire depended on them. Which apparently, it did.
Random Jedi #52: Defender of Peace and The Republic by day... Movie Theater Traffic Control by night. What, you think Jedi get paid well? Times is tough, man.
Someone always HAS to dress up as Leia in Slave Outfit. Slave Leia, or it didn't happen.
Tips for the Rebellion! Far right features Stormtrooper TX 5346, who properly explained to me the significance of the orange shoulder pad (psst, it means he's a sergeant). I salute you, 5346. His serial code represents the order of his fave SW episodes. :D Mine would be 5463.
Cort and Fatboy presenting the 501st Legion. Seriously, I must thank the Legion and KUFO for bringing ESB to the big screen this weekend. Star Wars is more than just a film with space battles, cool special effects and funny hairdos. For me it's a way of life, it's my escape and often inspires me and reminds Good will always triumph.
Thank you thank you thank you.
This was an AWESOME weekend. Star Wars, fireworks, America's b-day, hot dogs and free food all around. SCORE.
And this post is REEKING in geekness.
Posted by starmagn at 02:25 AM | Comments (9)
July 05, 2009
The PDX Click Chicks
Yes, the PDX Click Chicks is the name of a fun group of professional wedding and portrait photographers in the Portland area founded by super adorable photographer Missy Cochran, whom I met at the WPPI convention in Las Vegas a few months ago. We gather every month and talk business, present a workshop or tutorial, munch on cookies and occasionally photograph willing subjects, like Melissa Tomeoni's husband Josh. Melissa instructed on possible ways to pose subjects and how to approach them before the photoshoot. I think we were supposed to focus on Josh... but i kept getting distracted by other stuff. Like Megan's and Mel's pigsy-tails. It's tough.
that's a rad tie.
Quickly enough, Melissa was urged to step in front of the lens for a semi-engagement shoot. :)
Jamie, Megan Elle, Christy and Angela Lee
Melanie Jade (I LOVE her name) is such a joyous happy person. Her laughter and happy mood is quite contagious. I would like to remember what story got her so animated. hehe
Melissa, Katie and Andrea, who has gorgeous hair as well. And makes films. Which I think is super rad.
Our paparazzi ways garnered enough attention on Alberta Street.
What a fun group! Cheers!
Posted by starmagn at 11:59 PM | Comments (2)
July 03, 2009
I.WANT.IT.ALL.
Via CakeSpy I came to know about Layer Cake Shop, and OMG. I WANT EVERY SINGLE THING FROM THIS SHOP. EVERY.SINGLE.THING. NO EXCEPTIONS WHATSOEVER. I DON'T CARE IF I CAN'T BAKE EVEN IF THE LIVES OF 40,000 IMPOVERISHED AFRICAN BABIES DEPENDED ON ME BAKING A SINGLE COOKIE, BUT I WANT EVERYTHING FROM THIS SHOP.
Did you get my hint that I would like everything from this new shop? Especially those adorable red-striped twisties at the very top? OMG. Adorable. I am in love.
You all must head over to layer Cake and FALL IN LOVE WITH TWISTIES AND EDIBLE GLITTER. Seriously, who invented edible glitter? Whoever it was must be a genius for combining two of the world's greatest things: food and glitter.
I am off to sleep before I explode.
Posted by starmagn at 03:35 AM | Comments (2)
Portland Saturday Market
Not to be confused with the Farmer's Market, the Portland Saturday Market is an awesome open-air arts and crafts market that runs throughout the whole weekend during the Good Months of the Year in Downtown. If I am not mistaken, it has been the longest running in the Nation. I hadn't been since last August, just days after moving here, so I'm glad I had company this time. :)
To the left is Lesley who is totally badass and sweet and awesome. All at the same time.
You find all sorts of performers and strange things at the Market.
Kjell is the owner of Plywerk, and I met him during that first time I visited the Market. It took me so long to make friends back when I moved to Las Vegas two years ago, but here in Portland I had already befriended Kjell on my first weekend! His wife Kim is SUPER adorable.
Lesley and I didn't quite know what to make of these. They're just... well, creepy.
Wow, hard core tye-dye is still in style? Blows my mind.
OMG, I spent a good 20 minutes GIGGLING at the PHILOSORAPTOR t-shirt. TWENTY MINUTES. Whenever I have spending money in my hands again, I'll buy like fifty of these. PHILOSORAPTOR!
You know there's a higher being up there somewhere when plants that eat animals exist. AWESOME. Just plain AWESOME.
I WANT THOSE COLORFUL LIGHTS AND I WANT THEM NOW.
I am slightly disappointed nary a narwhal was present on this play table. We need more narwhals in our lives.
Posted by starmagn at 02:56 AM | Comments (5)
July 01, 2009
Gratitudes: Warmth
This Winter was HARSH. I know some of the Pacific Northwest veterans, and perhaps even inhabitants of states such as Minnesota or Wisconsin laugh at me, but it was HARSH. For many reasons: like the two week arctic blast in December, or the tough times, or the lack of thunderstorms.
So unlike a couple very silly people who detest temperatures above 60 farenheit (seriously!) I AM FREAKIN ECSTATIC ABOUT OUR 94 DEGREE "HEAT WAVE" THIS WEEK. Like, BRING IT ON AND DEAL WITH IT, PORTLAND. I honestly love feeling the heat on my skin, sweating a little bit (hey, it can be hot!) and being able to wear a tiny tank top and short shorts. Oh... and no longer being the whitest Puerto Rican I know. There's finally color in my skin. Thank you Sun.
It's like a little bit of my Island is back with me. mmm.
Posted by starmagn at 11:14 PM | Comments (5)