Major Catch Up Time

Yes, folks it's been a while. I am way behind on posting so I'm just going for a quick recap of the last few months and hopefully I can get back into a regular schedule.

It's been very busy around these parts, mostly with work and holiday time. I've been getting a lot busier with assisting jobs, some of them really cool. I've done a few jobs with a photographer who shoots for Real Simple. She shoots their paper sculptures for the section title pages. Here's the artist who makes them, with the photographer working on the champagne bottle:



I've also been assisting a home/interiors/still life guy who I found in Real Simple. I've worked with him on jobs for Glamour, In Style and Natural Health so far. Here are a few pics from these jobs.

Caitlin (the other assistant) looks bored. She was fun to work with.

Before!

After!

The kitchen in the amazing huge loft that rich people live in where we were shooting for Glamour.

The rich person's view uptown.

Do you like my gourds? Of course you do:






On a temp job in a pinkish mood:



Just a walk in the park on a cold, wintery day.




These are from a shoot at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia studios in Chelsea, the site of my very first assisting gig in new york. This time I felt more prepared, more confident and relaxed. Then I found out that the photographer shoots a roll of film in about 15 seconds! Luckily there was another assistant so we were able to keep up with him, but barely! He shot over a hundred rolls of film of two set ups. Of course, when you are working with animals it can be difficult. We shot a blue eyed white dwarf rabbit and some geese. I didn't realize how loud geese are...

Puerto Rico!

We just got back from a quick trip to Puerto Rico. The tickets were just over $200 on jet blue and we stayed for four nights in a vacation rental with friends. There was surf, sand, pina coladas, late night dips in the pool, early morning walks on the beach, coqui (singing frogs,) and lots of time in the ocean. Here are a few pics. More to come when I get the the 3 rolls of actual film developed that I took.

On the job

Here's a pic from an assisting gig back in October, I think. (I'm pretty far behind on updates for this blog, so I'm playing catch up. Bear with me!)

DUMBO Arts Festival

These are phone pics from the DUMBO Arts Fest a while back. They were part of a digital image projection onto the bottom of an overpass. Pretty.

Surfers on the subway

Babies in the window

Birthday bbq

Saturday was my birthday bbq. There was pulled pork, sangria, lots of friends and, of course, twister! We also played four square - finally making good use of our extra large deck, I guess. I received some lovely presents and had a really fun time. Tomorrow is my birthday. I'll be at a super fun temp job. Yea! Just kidding. I'll be doing powerpoint and wearing business casual in a cubicle with no windows. But! I'll be making some money and hopefully catching up on all the email I've been neglecting. I think Riff and I will go out after work for dinner and drinkies to further celebrate. Why not? It's not everyday you turn 27. (wink, wink!)

The Gossip

Riff, Naomi and I went to see The Gossip on Wednesday night. They were playing at Irving Plaza which is very close to Union Square. It was a cool venue, except the drinks were pretty expensive (I guess not for Manhattan, but for me, yes, expensive.) The space reminded me of the Showbox in Seattle, but it was a bit smaller. They had an awesome balcony, where we scored leaning rights against the railing. We saw the 2nd band, Erase Errata, and I was not impressed. Just not my thing -very discordant and, uh, erratic. I liked that they didn't sound like most other bands, unfortunately all their songs sounded about the same. The Gossip were awesome. Beth Ditto shouldn't wear super high heels, though, because I want to see her run around the stage and get crazier. In high heels she seems sort of hobbled. She took them off after the 4th song or so, and I was relieved. She has an awesome voice, especially because of the sheer force of emotion she loads into every bellow and scream. After the show we went to Revival which is just down the block on 15th. I wish Revival was my neighborhood bar. I like the atmosphere, I like the staff, the drinks are strong and keep on coming, and we watched Labyrinth while listening to the Talking Heads. It was a fun night.

A graphic representation of this blog

I found this applet on a circuitous route that all started with my aunt emailing me photos of dogs in silly costumes. I sent her the link to my favorite cute site: Cute Overload (or as riff calls it: Cute OverLord.) Pulling up CO, I found the most snuggleluscious little kitten with a link to the original site: http://supermarketclash.blogspot.com/
and on this site I found a really pretty depiction of a web site as a graph. The graph is based on your web site's code. There's a key to what each color is under the image and you are invited to tag it and post it on flickr. Try it for yourselves!

Also check out Sala's art project (the creator of the web site graph generator): 1000 paintings.

Self-portrait on lunch break, 42nd St

Another day in Manhattan, temping at The Weather Channel.

On my lunch break.

Pretty clouds @ The Weather Channel

Damn, I've been busy for once. I'm working @ TWC Sales Office for the next two weeks. Isn't their break room cute with the clouds on the cabinets? Everyone here is really nice and they haven't given me much work to do. Yay!

This past weekend I spent two intense days doing a cupcake photo shoot. I'm really pleased with how everything came out, now I just need to find time to go into full production mode on the images.

Last Thursday & Friday I assisted on another Bridal Guide shoot. This time, no expensive jewelry, but we did shoot a piece about digital cameras. There's this little pink one that is super cute... I think it comes out in a few months.

We've managed to squeeze a few barbeques in here and there. On Sunday night, William made grilled sausages with grilled onions and peppers, Naomi & Travis came over and we drank a bottle of the wine we got at Olivino, the cutest wine store in Brooklyn. Naomi did all the dishes at the end of the night, bless her heart, because she knew I was beat and had to be at work at the crack of early the next morning.

If anyone needs any weather information for the next few weeks, drop me a line, I've got the inside scoop! Weather you like it or not!

Pretty clouds over Bed-Stuy

Snakes on a plane... now boarding!

Niagara Falls

Last weekend we took a trip to Niagara Falls Canada. We had fun with Nancy, Tom, Ben, Todd and Kayla. Check it out on Flickr

Naomi on Bricks

I'm pookie

Look how pookie she is. Just look at that paw on the lower right.

Assisting, with kitties!

This was one of three kitty siblings who live at the embroidery company where I assisted on a photo shoot. This cutie pie hanmmed it up on the work table next to us all afternoon.

Rooftop Fun

Riff, William and I went to a 4th of July party with our friend, Ellen, in Park Slope. The company was excellent, the fridge was overstocked and the view was fantastic. The fireworks were a bit disappointing, maybe because of all the hype. Riff took all the photos in this post.

Bubble Battle

For no reason at all, a bunch of strangers met at Astor Place to fill the air with bubbles. Everyone was smiling.

Jewelry shoot

I've never worn a $13,000 ring... until now.

Assisting in DUMBO

Another neighborhood name created by realtors. It stands for Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass. I was assisting on an editorial shoot at the portrait subject's sweet apartment. How's this for a decent view from your living room?:




Oh, and there's a park:



All these pictures were taken from the inside, see?:




Pretty sweet pad, huh?

Hilary Duff

So Hilary Duff just walked past me in the reception area of Juicy Couture. I'm not really up on my pop culture, but I found out from her web site that she's only 18. She's been in a lot of movies and I hear she sings, too. Everyone here got very excited. She wasn't alone of course: there were two cameras, a sound guy, a bodyguard and like 4 or 5 assistants. I don't know why they were filming her. Maybe it was a Juicy PR thing. Like wear our clothes for free and we get to tell everyone. I don't know.

Lulu goes to the vet.

We rode in a cab to the vet on the Upper East Side. I had both pooches in a Juicy doggy carrier. They were really crammed in there, poor girls! Little Lulu put her head on my arm for the whole cab ride.

Today we're going to Barney's to have two of my boss's purses repaired. I think I'll probably drop the dogs off at her apartment first. She said to tell Barney's to fix the purses and if they give me a problem to tell them her name. So her name will bring respect at Barney's, a place where they sell cotton shirts that cost $450 dollars. Not to mention leather and silk and satin things that cost $1000's. Crazy. I'll be glad to get back to the relatively sane world of photo assisting after this temp job ends.

Today I was 15 minutes late due to leaving the house a few minutes late and then getting stuck on the subway because of "signal problems." Then I left the dog gate open in my boss's office and Ellie ran out and took off and I had to chase her around an entire floor of the Empire State Building. Then, the best part of 6/6/06 so far, I went to Starbucks to get coffee for my boss and after navigating 33rd Street, a revolving door, the security metal detector, a throng of tourists, the elevator, the Juicy lobby door and office door and a long hallway, I finally tried to remove the doggy gate to go into RB's office and I dropped the triple tall hot americano all over myself and the floor. Damn it! I cried just a little and no one saw. Just squeezed out a few tears and got over it. I was ready to go back to Starbucks, but RB just had me get coffee from the break room. It's 11 am now, just 7 hours to go here at work...

Lulu

another day, another dog...

This is Lulu, the vice president of sales and merchandising's petite. Not pictured: Ellie, the other one of the bosses "girls." I am temping at Juicy Couture as an executive admin assistant. This has involved getting Starbucks every morning, picking up mascara, stamps, and 50% less fat Herr's Air Popped Popcorn for the VP, my boss. I also was sent out with a wad of cash to pick up doggy medicine at the vet and dog food at the pet store. After completing my doggy errands, I stopped to get a hot dog before hailing a cab on the corner. It was a beautiful day and as we headed back to the Empire State building from the Upper East Side, I rolled down the windows and enjoyed the breeze while noshing on my tasty treat. I didn't realize until we were half way back to work that I had left my cell phone behind. I had the taxi take me back to the hot dog cart, but he didn't have my phone. Retracing my steps I found it back at the pet store. I returned to hail another cab and the very concerned vendor was so happy that I had found my phone that he offered me another free hot dog! A very doggy day.

By the way, I'm not complaining about the lack of admin in my assisting. I would rather run errands than sit in a cubicle all day. And the VP's dogs are actually really sweet little things despite my natural distrust of yappy lapdogs. This is a Juicy job for sure!

The Stuff People Throw Away.....

Yes folks that is a Sony plasma flat-screen TV. 50" I think! This TV costs around $2000 new, yet its just thrown haphazardly to the sidewalk with the rest of the garbage. Melissa and I saw this in lower Manhattan.