First Diana + Dreamer Snaps- (IMAGE HEAVY)

I own a Diana+ Dreamer, as I mentioned a few posts back, and I adore it. Sure, it's not the camera I'd use everyday, due to it being a bit complicated to find 120mm film and a developer everywhere. But I did use it once! I decided to try out some black and white film in my 'Sis' Ash's neighborhood. If I didn't do it then, I would never have had the courage to take it out. Many of us have this thought that because we aren't photography student's or professionals, we wouldn't be good photographers. But, I say pisht, to all that! That's one of the things I adore about Lomography. They encourage you to get out there, and use your camera in the most unconventional ways. Why? Because it's your world you'll experience, not someone else's! Any one of their camera's are a lot like finding home in a moleskine, or other journal of your choosing. The great thing is that you never know what surprises will develop with the film! It's always lovely! So here are a few of my first Diana+ snaps!

{dedicated to Casee, a fellow Lomographer}

Nano Gift No. 7: 10 Golden Rules of Lomography

I love Lomography! Lomo's are those photographers you see carrying vibrantly colored toy camera's, hoping to take the one shot that paints a world through their own eyes. I even bought my own Diana + Dreamer, which takes dreamy little chimeric photographs that are perfect for storytelling. Lomo camera's photograph the world in the way that a novel captures galaxies. So here's a nonconventional Nano Gift. Lomography lists their 10 Golden Rules, and if you replace the word 'camera' or 'Lomography' they can be used for writing. And really other aspects of life.

Take your camera everywhere you go

Use it any time – day and night

Lomography is not an interference in your life, but part of it

Try the shot from the hip

Approach the objects of your Lomographic desire as close as possible

Don't think (William Firebrace)

Be fast

You don't have to know beforehand what you captured on film

Afterwards either

Don't worry about any rules

Source: Lomography | Photo

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{weheartit }

Polaroids are like photographic crack to me. Quick snaps, not meant to take themselves seriously, or try too hard to be a masterpiece...they just are. It's all about little moments. Or the big moments, depending on what glass it is for you. They seem very personal to me, like it could very well be someone's diary in photographs.

I think I might use polaroids for my wedding photos {in addition to the glossy masterpieces}. Also, when I graduate from Grad school, I'm definitely using polaroid to make that day extra surreal.

I happened upon a 20 pack on ebay for only $19.99. That's the cheapest I could find. I'll post the snaps as soon as they come.

Now, to choose a moleskine for them....

Chinnamerig

his is my tree Chinnamerig. I dubbed him this after smelling his scent outside of my apartment door when my parents surprised me with him. We haven't had a tree in two years, so it was a serendipitous surprise. The name just came out of my mouth as I jokingly grappled for one, and it stuck!

I hoped to make him an eclectic tree, so I dug out my valentines day angel bear/heart lights, and strung them along his bottom half. We haven't completely dolled him up yet, but he's perfect to me. Smaller than the monstrous trees we've had, but just right.

I thank my Lord Jesus for getting my family and I through this year. He helped me to achieve such amazing feats this year, from graduation to getting into graduate school, and continued to provide for us! He's truly a marvelous God, I love Him, and thank Him for saving us!

Even though its a bit too late, as retail has caused me to completely lose sight of really celebrating this season the way it should be, here's what I would've done. I find the singer 'A Fine Frenzy,' to be quite intriguing. She's like a more eclectic Jewel. She's come out with a Christmas album, and although I don't have it, it inspired me to wonder how she would decorate. I can imagine it would be natural and DIY. Handmade birds nests of twigs adorning the trees, asymetrical stars, or snowflakes made from yarn, or cut from construction paper. Steaming cocoa in an adorable ceramic mug. There's probably more, but I am a bit exhausted. I just know it would be homey, and wonderful.

Tonight, I even got to see the huge tree in Rockefeller Center! It seemed to be even more gorgeous than it was last year! Good times.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Cheers

Cara Moleskine

{I love Moleskine}


was a huge journalizer when I was younger. All of my books were more like journal's moonlighting as scrapbooks, and visual collages. Lately I've been getting back into it.

Nothing makes me feel more artistic, and more like a writer than a fresh moleskine. Any moleskine, size or shape. I just purchased this small unlined notebook a couple of weeks ago, and I'm already going crazy pasting photographs from urban outfitters catalogs, and drawing instead of finding the photo equivalent.

I feel like the allure behind these Moleskine's that so many artists have used, fuses present artists together. I often look at Moleskinerie, a website dedicated to showcasing moleskine artists, diarists, and slapstick journalizers like myself. It's such an inspiration, and just shows you never have to write on lined sheets, or compose paragraphs, or even write anything. But its about imprinting yourself in the page. These notebooks leave room for you to draft your stories, and imprint it with who you are. Sometimes it makes me think that someone else might read it, and maybe be inspired by it, so why not treat your regular day like its special because you're breathing and you didn't have to be.

Also, you might notice that my title is in welsh. I think I might have a reason to learn this beautiful language because I found out yesterday at seven a.m. that I've been accepted to Bangor University in Wales to complete my Master's Degree. I feel like I am on a cloud, or even intoxicated with jaded green absinthe. I thank God for this victory, really. But an entire entry on this is coming up soon!

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Nail Varnish- Sephora by OPI: Colours {arm candy, what a broad, 212}

Cupcakes: MAGNOLIA

I spent the day sauntering through Midtown, past Rockefeller Center and millions of bead and fabric stores. The fall weather had that certain whiff of holiday spirit looming.  There's always something special about being anywhere near Rockefeller Center during the holidays, almost magical...even with rude pedestrians barreling into you.

I picked me up some cupcakes, and some sick nail varnishes from Sephora.

Then I came home and pilfered through some of my Great Grandmother's jewelry. She was so beautiful, and classic!

It was a pretty perfect day all around.

I Heart DIANA

These photos were all taken via my lovely Diana Dreamer. My second set, and I couldn't be more pleased. My first set were characterized by wraiths materializing out of black and white smokey cloud cover. Really, not too pretty but I give myself the benefit of the doubt. 
One day, I just decided to drag Ash {my sister for all intents and purposes. Cousin is too light a word}, around her neighborhood. Like the trailblazer she is, she was all for it, helping me to find places with the best light, or intrigue. I have more, but I loved these the most.
I can't wait to get better at it, because as mind numbing as it can be sometimes to have to wait for pictures to develop, in an age where art can appear in blinks, the surprises you get when you finally pick up your prints are wonderful. I encourage everyone to get at least one camera that forces you to have pictures to develop.