Just playing around...

I started my photography class a few weeks ago. I'm excited to start learning how to operate my camera better and to process and develop my film in the dark room. I hope i can catch on quick and that i love it... i want to love it. I want and need to find my passions. :) Here are a few pictures from my first roll of film from my new 35 mm Nikon. I just had it developed at Longs (CVS) so I could see how the pictures would come out. Enjoy. 

                                                             The end of Sutton Way
                                                           Out my front door
                                               Looking down Church Street
                                                      Grass Valley- My apartment
                                                                 Colfax, CA- Train Station
                                                       Grass Valley, CA-Del Oro
                                 Grass Valley, CA-Anthony's grandparents victorian house

day of birth

Happy Birthday to me! I turned 23 today. cRaZy! 

My boyfriend always totally spoils me on my birthday and on Christmas. This year he out did himself. 

First he surprised me early with a Nikon N75 QD 35 mm camera.. the reasoning I'm taking a photography class this semester and needed one. Yay! 

Then today after getting home from work he let me open the rest of my presents. The first one was a diana F+ which I'm super excited about. I love the pictures that these cute little cameras can produce! 

But wait there's more... a 50 GB external hard drive. You know because it looks like i'm going to be needing to store a lot of photos! :) whooo... and to top it off this neat ihome thing that you can strap on to your bike and it plays through a speaker. It's a sweet little gadget that I'm hoping to get a ton of use from! 

I love him. And not only because he buys me sweet things... but because he knows me so well. I don't ever ask for anything. He just listens to me when I say I like something. Thanks Anthony, love you! 

And for some memories... My little sister Brittney and I on my 4th birthday... can we say 1990 anyone?! 

9/11

I remember this day so clearly. It was a Tuesday. I was a sophomore in high school. I was wearing my favorite pair of jeans and a pink tank top with my sparkly star belt. I was up early that morning like any other high school student. Turned the TV onto the news like usual and saw that they were reporting that a plane had crashed into one of the world trade center buildings in NYC. I didn't know what was going on. I thought of course it was an accident... until i saw with live feed with my own eyes the second plane crash into the other tower. My step dad was really into watching the news that morning. My mom was still in bed but staggered out wanting to know what was going on.

I left for school and was a bit worried on what was going on. I remember talking with my friends. Wondering if we were next. If a plane was going to crash into our school. We didn't quite understand. In my world history class we just watched the news. Most kids were busy talking with their friends and not paying attention. But not me.. I was really curious as to what was happening.

I remember going home that night and feeling helpless. I wanted to be on the next train (who wanted to be on a plane at this point?) to NYC to help. To be a part of the search and rescue team. To find people alive. I remember writing it down in my diary that night with tears in my eyes. It really hit me hard like most Americans. I was scared, sad, and proud. Proud to be an American. The following weeks at school I wore my red, white, and blue stripped pin on my shirt to show this. A lot of kids did.

To this day I still think about all the people who lost their lives and the ones who sacrificed their lives. I'm thankful for the men and women who helped when I so badly wanted to.
Thank you to those of you who gave so much for our country.



On a more happy note,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DARKIN. :)