A festivus for the rest of us

Happy Festivus for all of my Seinfeld buddies! As you all know, Festivus begins at sundown with the airing of grievances so get your lists ready. 

In other news, the concert I went to Saturday was great. I didn't get any pictures since cameras and phones use was strictly prohibited. Mark Kozelek was fantastic and the opener, bela tar, was really good too. We got back home around 4am and only encountered a little bit of ice on the roads. Overall it was a good trip. 

On Sunday, I had pre-Christmas with my dad's family. It was nice getting to see everyone while they're in town. Unfortunately, my schedule has not left me with a lot of free time for pictures. I'm planning on doing a few things tonight after wrapping my last minute gifts. 

Xoxo

Sasha

winter wasting

wow! that's all i can say at this point. i feel like i blinked and the year is already over. i've been so busy with work and planning for the holidays that i haven't had time to shoot any of the new stuff that i wanted to. i still can't believe that christmas is next week and i still haven't finished shopping for everyone or wrapping gifts. however, today is about catching up on all of that lost time. after work i just have to swing by the craft store for wrapping supplies and pick up one final gift at blue 7 then i can get to work (i better pick up a bottle of wine while i'm out for my all night wrapping party). after i get everything wrapped let the photo taking commence! i have some commission work to work on (got a pretty good jump on it last night) and then i have some stuff i want to shoot before i leave town again on saturday. my friend jeff and i are heading to dallas on saturday to see mark kozelek perform. i'm super excited to get to spend time with my friend before all of the family stuff sets in. i'm hoping to do a little post about the show (and impending bad weather for driving) tomorrow evening.

i'm also super excited because next semester is my last semester of school. yay! i'm not sure what will change after i graduate, probably nothing, but it's exciting none the less.

and now i need your help. i am looking for dried insects (like the ones that people pin in shadow boxes) for some photos i want to do. i was going to buy some shadow boxes and deconstruct them, but i didn't want to risk damaging the insect in the process. if anyone knows of a supplier for such items please let me know.

i hope everyone has a great weekend!

xoxo

sasha

Lavender soap

I spent most of my long weekend making soap. In my dad's family we give homemade gifts (usually food) instead of buying things for each other. Since cooking isn't really my thing and baking is definitely not my thing I went with something non-edible. I used a goat's milk base for my soap and added lavender essential oil. I also picked some lavender flowers from my garden and dried them and added them to the soap as well. It was a fairly easy process once I got the hang of getting the base the right consistency. If you want to try making your own soap you can buy everything you need at the craft store:

- soap base (I used organic goat's milk, but you can also get a plain glycerin base as well)

- essential oils (if you can't find the scent you want check out the health food store for a better selection)

- soap molds ( I also found that the super flexible ice trays work too and come in pretty shapes)

- color (this is optional, but would add a nice touch to the soap)

- dried flowers (I picked my own, but you could also use silk flowers or other little objects)

Your soap base should come with instructions, but I found that putting chunks on the base into a glass bowl and microwaving it worked best. You want to be sure to microwave in short increments (10-15 seconds) and stir in between. When the soap is melty then add your scented oil and color. I mixed my flowers in at this point, but you can place them in the bottom of the mold and pour the soap around them if there's a specific way you want them arranged. It takes about 20 minutes for the soap to set up completely, but if your in a rush you can put the mold in the refrigerator. After everything is set gently flex the molds then turn over and apply light pressure on them and the soap should pop out (if need be you can run a pairing knife around the soap to loosen it on the sides). 

Happy soap making! If anyone actually tries this let me know how it works out for you. 

Xoxo

Sasha

*in other news, I had intended to post some real pictures this weekend, but didn't feel like leaving my house to go somewhere with wifi. Now that I'm back at work I should be able to get some stuff posted this week. 

Hair growth

It's been months since I've cut or dyed my hair. My natural color looks quite different from the platinum blonde I used to be. 

It's still really cold here and the icy roads have kept me inside (so no Internet for except through my phone). I'm working on lots of pictures and crafty type things to keep me from getting stir crazy. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to venture outside and find somewhere with wifi. 

Xoxo

Sasha

Enjoy the silence

Just a few small things that have been inspiring me lately. 

The weather is getting bad again which is making me want to take pictures again. 

Xoxo

Sasha

*sorry for the delay with posting. I've been wrapped up in video games for the past few weeks, as well as taking a small winter holiday.