2010. A Photo Documentation.

I can’t believe how much I’ve shot since I got my new camera, last year. I can’t wait to do this again next year. I plan on getting many more action shots and a lot less voyeuristic ones. 2011 is going to the year I get real bold. It’s also going to be the year where I get a WordPress theme that allows me to post larger photos.

Anyway, eres a wrap up of 2010 through my favorite photos that I’ve taken within the past 12 months.

January 2010

February 2010

March 2010

April 2010

May 2010

June 2010

July 2010

August 2010

September 2010

October 2010

November 2010

December 2010

Rest In Peace, 2010.

This year was filled with things have permanently impacted my life. I never want to forget them. Heres a list of a few highlights:

• My new Kitchenaid mixer
• CANs Ege Bamyasi album
• Learning about gardening
• My weekend at Skate camp
• Meeting my dad
• Charlie, the pup
• Discovering the shortest route to JFK by train
• The clone tool, in Photoshop
• Cowboy steak (steak marinated with coffee grounds, brown sugar, salt, and pepper)
• The TWO times that chocolate almost killed my dog.
• Northeast Kingdom brunches
• Learning how to harvest marijuana
• Valentines Day.
• Learning to make my own jewlery
• My kangaroo suit, that I got for my birthday (thanks mom!)
• 5 hour long lunches on Tuesdays, with Bee.
• Poaching eggs in tomato sauce
• Learning that if you layer lipstick with powder, then another coat of lipstick, it’ll last much longer
• Living room hang outs with James, on Chatroulette
• Smoov-e
• Hitting rocks that made unusual sounds

• Learning how to edit videos
• Ginger dipped in dark chocolate
• Fracturing a rib, during a Mothers of Mercy/ Blacklisted show
• Owning a chinchilla for a few months
• Learning how to shuck oysters
• Always getting a motivational push from Bettina May
• Learning how to operate shot guts, handguns, and assault riffles
• Working in a bakery
• Creating the ShitJamesSaid twitter account
• My trip to Ellicott City, MD
• Not wearing pants at all for over a month
• learning how to make royal icing
• Knitting/ craft night failures with Sam
• Finding the easiest way to clean a handheld blender
• Eliminating boys who flirt by call me “tough guy” or “kid”, from my life.
• Getting to see The Specials play, thanks to Smo.
• How I Met Your Mother
• Going from the bar to the Today Show with Courtney
• Phadwa
• My dorky love for Veronica Mars
• My introduction to Black Cat Espresso

The Catastrophe and The Calm

Remember when it began snowing and I thought it was just lovely? What an asshole, I was.

I thought it was so lovely out, that I even took a stroll out to Shake Shack and received some ice cream with my burger.

I looked down at my hands to see that the lack of blood rushing to them, had turned my fingers into a nice shade of violet. Then I saw lightening and realized it was probably serious enough to get back inside.

Now, the distance between my train stop and my front door, usually consists of a 5 minute walk.

Getting of the train in the middle of a really intense blizzard was a different story. Opening my eyes left me too venerable to letting hail, snow, and wind blind me. after having my face cut open by the weather conditions, I figured out the only way to walk home safely. Backwards. I walked down an abandoned street, backwards, in 30 mph wind. It took me a half an hour to get home.

Then I proceeded to go a bit stir crazy, in my house.

When The sun emerged, its was calm enough to go out and take a look at the aftermath. I always thought I was an anti-snow kind of girl, but I love the way it looks outside! So surreal.

 

Objects of Affection

Photo above is from my Out with the Old photo project from 2009.

The thing I learned from being a fly on the wall around dudes, is that if you want to get laid by your date, you have to really not be expecting it to happen at all. Just clear the whole idea from your memory. I think I went into the holiday season with the same approach.

I was really not expecting anything for Christmas. I had really low expectations. I feel like all I deserve is coal. Well, kairo. Kairo are those little  disposable Japanese heat packs that are primarily made of coal. They last for hours and have the most adorable packaging ever. Thanks to my Floridian years, wearing two of them under my layers of clothing is necessary for daily survival in this weather.

I ended up buying a ton of them as a gift to myself. Then I started receiving the most amazing things in the mail! I had a really amazing Christmas. I got the following:

A KitchenAid, from my mom!

If I had the option of trading my arm for something more useful, I would trade it out for this attachment. Its made everything I do in the kitchen so much easier.

A Wacom tablet from my siblings

Tins, from  James

Candy, from his dietary restrictions.

Abest friend, from Atlanta. (so what if he’s not an object)

A Christmas card that looked as though it had been shot at by a bedazzler, from Nixon.

A few pairs of really comfy sock slippers and a few really endearing Christmas cards, from my nana and great aunt.

Betsy Johnson lingerie, from a secret someone.

and some of my favorite perfume to go along with it.

Twin massive bottles of lavender soap, from TC.

a new adorable keychain, from Twinkie Chan

a Leica R3 rental (shot with my new 50mm), from Frank

This long feathered earring, from Gala. Along with the bone barrette that I made, I feel like a very fancy indian, sometimes.

And a very goofy Indian, at others.

The only gift that I can’t take photos of, is my trip to Thailand and Vietnam, that will be happening in February!  What an exciting gift to segue me into the new year!

Although I brag, I know its not about the gifts as much as the people who gave them to me. Everything I received is about to get some heavy usage (except for the candy, which is already gone and the friend who, again, is not an object.) and I’m going to be able to be reminded of where and who it came from , on a daily basis. I’m an unbelievably lucky girl with some really amazing friends and family.

What did you guys get for Christmas?!

 

Its Snowing!

Christmas Labor

Its not JUST santa and his elves that slave around in anticipation for tomorrow. Santa is a man who has a lot of average shmucks working ridiculous jobs over the holiday season, as well. While walking around Midtown, yesterday, I found some pretty dedicated Christmas workers.

A breakdancing reindeer (a.k.a. your friend from high schools dad); Minnie Mouse in Santa suit (a.k.a. an immigrant working the street)

My best guess for what these people were, were Sugar Plums. The fact that they refused to speak and that I’ve never seen a sugar plum only makes my theory more factual.

The Salvation Army was out doing that thing they do every year while you’re waiting for someone outside of a store. Ringing that damn bell until you cave and give them a dollar just for a few seconds of silence. The wisest upgrade on their part, was this dashing young lad who had  decided to replace his bell with a mic to serenade me.

The man whos job was to guide you  away from a Macys fire exit and toward Santa, almost made my day. That was until AJ, one of my closest friends, saw how sad I was that no one was dressed as a marsupial. He threw on my kangaroo suit and made a lot of little kids very happy and large adults very scared, simultaneously.

What a fantastic Christmas, its been so far!

All photos were taken by Chloe Rice

Except for the last one, which was obviously taken by an elf.

This Job Blows

Let me first say, I was NOT looking at porn on the internet when I saw this photo. Nonono. I was reading a gossipbl…..well I was just bored on the intern…..some one sent me a link that….sowhat? Itsmylife!

ANYWAY point is, nothing bothers me more that a sloppy photoshop job.

So what if this broad has a bun in the oven, or if Charlie Sheen keeps her in his bathroom? Why hide the truths?! Like sometimes I don’t floss after every meal. THERE its out. I feel so much better, already!

Good Shit.

This photographic gem was taken by Ray Suen

If theres anything I like the French for, its their abuse of butter in cooking and their music. A friend once told me “French sounds like you’re taking a dump“, but when French people are singing, at least its kind of like they’re shitting roses.

Below the cut are some French bands I’ve been enjoying lately.

Knuckle Sandwich

Well this video has made my day.

Frosted.

This has been the most stressful wrap up of a year that I’ve ever had to deal with but something about the overall frosted tone of the recent days since that weak haze of snow that we had on Tuesday, is both too calming (and slightly depressing) to let me start the panic. Heres the overall tone of yesterday.

‘Ain’t What You Do, It’s The Way That You Do It.

I feel like Natalie Portman is probably going to go home with an award for her role in Black Swan, this year. It didn’t involve a whole lot of dialogue, but she really did an amazing job at acting out emotions that that were beyond what you would expect from her. Emotions are a difficult thing to fake.

There was something really amazing about watching 14 Actors Acting, and it wasn’t just James Franco makin’ out with himself or Vincent Cassel recreating an amazing Gene Kelly style.

The pacing, the musical tone, and the cinematography in each short scene does a perfect job in reminding you of the catchy message of Billy May.

 

Facts That Will Chiwow You.

A Family/ Self Portrait December 2010

To counteract the unrelenting hatred I have for cats, I love dogs. I watch a lot of The Dog Whisperer. I used to recite the dialogue from All Dogs Go To Heaven. I’ve even eaten dog food and not totally hated it….I mean…what….

Here’s list of some random dog facts and dog photos I’ve taken!

• Dogs have three eyelids. The third lid, called a nictitating membrane or “haw,” keeps the eye lubricated and protected
• The Basenji is the world’s only barkless dog.
• In Ventura County, California, cats and dogs are not allowed to have sex without a permit.

• Different smells in the a dog’s urine can tell other dogs whether the dog leaving the message is female or male, old or young, sick or healthy, happy or angry
• Scholars have argued over the metaphysical interpretation of Dorothy’s pooch, Toto, in the Wizard of Oz. One theory postulates that Toto represents Anubis, the dog-headed Egyptian god of death, because Toto consistently keeps Dorothy from safely returning home.

• Dogs have a wet nose to collect more of the tiny droplets of smelling chemicals in the air
• Small quantities of grapes and raisins can cause renal failure in dogs
• Ancient Egyptians revered their dogs. When a pet dog would die, the owners shaved off their eyebrows, smeared mud in their hair, and mourned aloud for days

• The average dog can run about 19 mph
• A dog’s shoulder blades are unattached to the rest of the skeleton to allow greater flexibility for running

• Apple and pear seeds contain arsenic, which may be deadly to dogs.

• A puppy is born blind, deaf, and toothless
• The term “dog days of summer” was coined by the ancient Greeks and Romans to describe the hottest days of summer that coincided with the rising of the Dog Star, Sirius

• A dog most likely interprets a smiling person as baring their teeth, which is an act of aggression
• Dachshunds were bred to fight badgers in their dens.

• Petting dogs is proven to lower blood pressure of dog owners.
• The name of the dog on the Cracker Jacks box is Bingo.
• The Taco Bell Chihuahua is a rescued dog named Gidget.

• The phrase “raining cats and dogs” originated in seventeenth-century England. During heavy rainstorms, many homeless animals would drown and float down the streets, giving the appearance that it had actually rained cats and dogs

• The most intelligent dogs are reportedly the Border Collie and the Poodle, while the least intelligent dogs are the Afghan Hound and the Basenji
• Dogs have sweat glands in between their paws

• French poodles originated in Germany. Not France
• During the Middle Ages, mixed breeds of peasants’ dogs were required to wear blocks around their necks to keep them from breeding with noble hunting dogs. Purebred dogs were very expensive and hunting became the province of the rich

All photos are by Chloe Rice

Dog facts by Random History

Chloes List of Impending Disappointment

I don’t know about you, but when someone asks me what I want for Christmas, I simply freeze up. All year I think about the things I want as soon as I can afford it, but as soon as December creeps up, I’m at a loss.

Well THIS year, I made a list. Since I’m probably not even worthy of coal, I wanted to call it “Chloes list of impending disappointment”, but I went against myself on the idea.

If you have similar taste to me, perhaps my wish list can help you out!

1.Deer Antler Bullet Necklace 2.Orange Oh La La Demi Bra 3.Black & Ivory Cocktail Ring 4.Haro French Press 5.Body Atlas DVD Box set 6.Gorillaz Rise of the Ogre book 7.Valentine Ring 8.Feminine perfume by Dolce & Gabbana 9.50mm 1.2 lens 10.Canon 7D Digital SLR 11.My Neighbor Totoro Slippers 12.Crosley portable turntable 13.Pen Tablet 14.Patricia Field eyeball belt 15.Kitchenaid Stand Mixer 16.Metal framed clutch 17.Dr. Martens Triumph 1914 grey boots

A Bushwick Brunch.

My Sundays have recently been falling into a bit of a pattern. The alcohol thats still in my system, wakes me up at the ungodly hour of 9 a.m. I go out to the living room to recollect my actions of Saturday, with my room mate James. It always calls for coffee.

My neighborhood doesn’t have too many sit down restaurant options. Its fine because I could eat at the only one we do have pretty much everyday if I had the choice.

Northeast Kingdom is dimly  lit and looks like a lodge in Vermont. The coffee is good. The food is decently priced. Their waiting area plays Looney Toons by a fireplace. The servers are always somehow familiar and comforting. And best of all, its pretty much right downstairs from me.

James and I go there almost every Sunday. Sometimes its just us staring at the bar in silence, and sometimes we take our out of town visitors to show them that although our neighborhood still looks pretty sketchy, we have the redeeming factor of a classy looking place like Northeast!

This Sunday was a bit of  treat since our other room mate, Naomi, was around. Along with an old friend of James’ from Texas. Speaking of treats, I find it interesting to add in the fact that Naomi had taken a couple of special cookies before we headed down for breakfast.

I decided to document it because Naomi is moving out shortly, and although all three of us are friends, we’ve never all gone out for a meal before.

So this was the first and last room mate brunch in this chapter of my life.