ASH THAT WAS ONCE TREES

I found out that my friend Grace Kaskie died recently in a car accident. It was very surreal. It still seems fake. She was a sweet girl.

Aside from that I have a few things to share.
First, of course since I no longer have a subscription to Nylon they did a feature on Jason SCHWARZTMAN... there is a bit online though that you can look at here.

Also.
From the Lomo world... they recently released the Diana Mini in white.

And they have a online magazine that is interesting that you can submit to, get tips, learn how to do weird experimental stuff and so on.

Kevin sent me two websites that are good.

One.
Two.

I particularly like the photos in RANDOMS for website two.

And finally here is a piece of mail that Kevin sent me while I was in Prague, also featured on his Tumblr.

He will send you mail if you ask and provide an address.

P.S. K and I have started our other blog... kinda.

Its called slidesinthecarousel.

TWENTY ONE

So, today is my twenty first birthday. It's weird for me to think that I am already that old. I feel like I'm entering that whole world (the late 20s to 30s world) and it is interesting and strange. But now I'm fully legal in the states and can drink alcohol in public and the like, so there is that. I think I am going out tonight with Jane, my dad, and maybe Emily... but it might just be a little party with me and dad and Jane. Jane is going to be crazy and make a big deal about it, but she will also be super fun. I want to make sure I have film for lomo photos. And speaking of lomo... they are having a retail therapy sale... depending on how much you buy they will throw in freebie surprises. They just released a new film stock and a hello kitty fisheye... however I want the new LC-A. Here is a package deal. I would recommend looking at the photos they have in the sample album, they are all so delicious. My mom bought me an interesting ring last night because she is cute and stuff. She can't remember what the stone is but it has all these little flecks of things at the bottom. I'm going to pick up half frames that were finally developed today. And take my poor little car down to the shop. It couldn't make it up my driveway the other day... I hope its not going to die and that it just needs a little fix up. I love that car. I also want to make a peach pie since they are in season and it will be delicious. And now I will leave you with a weird baby cake video.

JANINE

Every time I read Janine's Alaskan blog I start filling up with all kinds of things (emotions, feelings, thoughts) because she is an amazing and wonderful person and I love her. I hope we are pen pals as long as possible.

TALK

So I got some boating shoes today. I'm rather fond of them.
Evan also got a pair of shoes due to the buy one get one half off deal. Also I briefly posted something about this on my Tumblr... but here is more info on the taxidermy beer. And I started following Joey on there... he had some good things that you can see here.

My grandma comes today. My mom is driving her back from the airport now, they won't be back for a while. I have T for the weekend... Fri morn (break) Fri night, Sat, Sat night, Sun morn. So I'm being a legit mom right before my 21st birthday (on Sunday). I may just take everyone to Toy Story 3 (and that includes my abuelita.)

Actually I tried to get Evan to go to the new Twilight with me today but he wanted to see the second one first.

I just downloaded a album of remixed Lindsey Lohan songs (in honor of her incarceration) that I found out about on Kelly's blog. So far it is weird.

I'm sure I have forgotten anything else...

SOME THINGS I GOT ALONG THE WAY

I simply love the wonderful thing that is photobooth because it allows for an easy way to share things like the following items that I purchased in the Czech Republic.Most of these things are from the flea market. I also got the most fantastic old pop gun pistol but had to leave it at the airport. On further discussion my mom and I decided that I should have just left it in my suitcase and not said anything when they asked me if there was anything resembling a weapon in my bag, but I guess going the safe way made for less trouble. I still wish I had it. And I hope that someone else appreciates it. I also got a old map, postcard and photos from the flea market. Flea markets in Europe are generally great because they hold on to old things. The lady had like ten Brownies in super good condition at the stand where I bought mine, along with Nazi knives (daggers.) They also had phonographs. I love that place.

MY NOSE

So naturally, seeing as it is four thirty in the morning Colorado time and I have just been traveling... well lets see here... 8 and a half hours to JFK, 5 hour layover, 1 hour delay, 3 hour and forty five minutes to Denver, 3 and a half hours to Basalt.... 21 hours and forty five minutes, I had to do a blog post featuring my septum piercing. I got a much smaller ring put in yesterday. My mom hates it of course and my dad is going to hate it more, but she reacted okay, "so this is your new thing huh?" Its always a shame to disappoint the parents but I'm glad they know in the end.
I think I look a little insane in that last one. But I am very tired so lets just leave it at that. Anyway... thoughts? I'm still curious to see what other rings look like and will keep it for at least a bit. I can flip it up now which is nice for when I have to watch children and the like since it is still a fairly taboo piercing. Maybe with the exception of indie kids.

WONDERS

So today we watched Valerie and Her Week of Wonders along with three other films. (The Joke, Diamonds in the Night, and Conspiracy of Pleasure. Diamonds in the night has a really good and interesting opening shot but I can't seem to find it on youtube...) Anyway, here is a scene from Valerie to give you a sense of how lovely its shots are. It is really weird and twisted and surreal but I really liked it. I wanted to find this scene where the character Eagle is on top of a bookcase playing a... banjo? (he switches instruments a few times) lullaby to Valerie, but again I couldn't find it. I would recommend watching it (the whole film) even though its really weird and a little effed up because she is always seen somewhat sexually and she is 13. Today was our last day of class though, all I have left of the program is the final screening tomorrow and the farewell dinner. I am curious to see what people think of my film. I'm pretty proud of a good chunk of the visuals. In other news... THERE IS A LOMO STORE IN PRAGUE and we are going there tomorrow! So excited. Last night we went bowling which was ridiculously fun and a good idea. Now I just want to go bowling all the time. Hopefully when I get back I will go at least once before the summer is over. Umm. I think that's all.

BANG BANG

So while attending the 45th Karlovy Vary international filmfest I saw this great little flick that was audience favorite at Cannes. It is by a director who is only two years older than me and is one of the leads in the movie (he is the dark haired character. Its called Les Amours Imaginaires and features the song Bang Bang. Therefore I give you the trailer plus several renditions of Bang Bang.

FAST

Recently, while looking at the Newhard family blog, I discovered that Chapin made a claymation. Kristy and I spent the last two days editing our short film for the program. A total of 31 and a half hours so far. We are nearly done, we need to add one title card with the actors names and compress it. I'm really very happy with the way it came out. The end sequence is so pretty and the music fits perfectly. Hopefully I will be able to post it here soon. I leave on Sunday and have been very busy in the meantime with wrapping things up. More soon.

OH AND.

I started a tumblr randomly today, it is entitled BREATH OUT THE SKY.

FARM

So. Its been a while again. But I assure you I have been busy. I just got back from a Czech farm in fact. It was absolutely wonderful. Kristy and I worked on Julie and Caitlin's set so they would work on ours and started to chat with their actor, a guy named David. He started to tell us about this farm that he helps out on every so often. His friend owns it and hired an American kid to restore it and he would go up there and help out and ride his bike around the country side and just get a vacation in general. Eventually he found out that I was from Colorado and that Kristy was from Maine and called up Evan, the American kid who was hired to fix up the place, because he was from Colorado and had just worked for the Main Trail Conservation Crew (which was Kristy's summer job last summer.) So after those coincidences David announced that he was thinking of heading to the farm from Thursday until Saturday which also happened to be when Kristy and I had time off from our school obligations (not to mention we had been discussing going somewhere during that time) and invited us along. We met up with Evan, David and Evan's visiting friend Jeff Thursday afternoon and all piled into a little car to drive up to the farm which was near the German border in a town called Lobendava. The farm was funky and old in parts but they had done a wonderful job fixing up a chunk of it which we were living in. The fixed up part included a wonderfully country kitchen that we used to make many delicious things, including two pies: mango and apple strawberry. The first day we got there we went on a bike ride into Germany (about five minutes away on a lovely little tree lined country dirt road) and sat in a gorgeous field while it turned to dusk. We laughed and marveled until a small bug flew into my eye and caused it to turn red and a little puffy. We rode our bikes back and found a big bowl of pasta that David had made with a fresh basil pesto sauce. After eating we all piled back into the car and drove over to another farm where there was a screening of some films in Czech. The farmer had couches arranged on the grass along with a coffee tabled that housed snacks and candles. We bundled up in blankets and got comfortable for the double feature which was projected onto a sheet hanging in the entry way of the barn (he opens the doors and puts the screen there.) The first film was by a South Korean director and shot almost entirely in one location, the second was by Czech director Jan Nemec. We all fell asleep during the second film and got up after it was over dew covered and ready for bed. The next morning Kristy and I gardened (pulling up weeds and putting down mulch) while the guys moved wood and cut down grass and such. After lunch we drove to the quarry and swam in cool, refreshing water. The pool was tree lined and beautiful and after getting our fill we drove back to the farm. We then went on a grocery run and got veggies to grill and flour for the pies. On our way back the car started to overheat and we ended up coasting down a hill and pushing the car back into a safe spot. Evan had tried to put water in which resulted in a mini geyser of sorts. We walked the remaining 1KM back to the farm and the guys got the car and fixed it while we baked pies. We grilled outside with coals from our campfire and had many delicious things. Great eggplant, onion, tofu, peppers and potatoes. It was all ridiculously delicious. We finished it up with pie and went to bed. The next day we weeded for a bit and observed snails before showering and having lunch. Then we put out a blanket and sat outside drawing and reading until it was time for a watermelon snack. Then we got back into the car and drove back to Prague. It was amazing and wonderful. Good company, a great host, fun activities and it was beautiful and just funky enough to be cool. Just before we left I found the coolest sewing kit from the 40s or 50s. It was wonderful. I'm hoping for some great diana mini photos. I think it will be my favorite part of this trip. In other news, we shot our film and will be editing it tomorrow, here are some scenes from the "set."
We tied cream paper cranes to tree branches with grass and shot through rose tinted sunglass lenses (inspired by my rose tinted sunglasses.)

Our Czech film producer Tomas is in the back, Me and Kristy on the left and our "crew" Jule and Caitlin on the right with the baby slate. Keighley and I have decided to start a blog inspired by Kristin's recent endeavor, the wear-a-thon on Bright Young Things. We are each going to post what we are wearing that day, all we have to do is name it. As of right now we have the titles: drawn that way

carousel stitches

to interpret your looks

do i run rare

don't turn my picture

AND

Some other things I've been collecting from the net.
Milos Foreman is wonderful.

CZECH THINGS

I got my septum pierced yesterday after talking about it for a long time. Its weird that it is actually in my nose now. It hurt to get it done as most body modification does, but it wasn't too bad. I'm not thrilled about the ring but it was the best option out of what they had. I am planning on trying to switch it out in two weeks and may just go back to the shop and see if my piercer will do it for me. I want a small "pincher," a crescent shaped ring with an opening that allows you to flip it up. I have one picked out that is made of bone and white and small. Once I switch the rings I think I will really like it, but in the meantime it is still weird and foreign and I am getting used to another piece of metal in my face. I need to figure out a way to post a photo. In other Czech events, last night we went to a Karaoke bar and sang a lot. It was very fun and silly, we even tried to sing along to the Czech songs (largely sung by one of two middle age women with actually very decent voices.) We ended up staying until they closed and walked up to the dorm as the sky was getting light. A few days ago we took a day trip into a little town nearby called Sedlec that is home to the bone church. It is a small church that is decorated with human bones. It was weird but interesting and a good voyage. The train ride back we stood in the isle of the train with our faces out of the open windows watching the rolling green scenery and forests pass us by. It was lovely. This weekend we are going to the Karlovy Vary filmfestival in Karlovy Vary which is also home to spas, mineral baths and hot springs. Its going to be good. And finally, there is a (not very good) documentary on one of my film professors here that some NYU kids made on Youtube. There is a part two if you are interested as well. He is extremely amusing, especially since he will run around and yell about things that are "crap" or "fucked up." He also calls the auto settings on a camera "Japanese" and says "do you understand" a lot. A lot. Overall he is just a good character.