Photography is Truth

Changes...

2010-10-18T11:30:00.004-05:00

Or, you could just click here!

scenes from the sea shore

2010-10-09T08:12:00.011-05:00

Okay friends who tentatively suggested they might visit us while we are here.... after looking at these pictures, have you booked your tickets yet?

unwanted love

2010-10-09T08:07:00.001-05:00

Poor Hendrix, her hug was denied by this unhappy little chap at the berry farm who just took it... for about 5 minutes.

Scenes from Jetty

2010-10-09T07:58:00.005-05:00

Perth Royal Show

2010-10-04T00:09:00.006-05:00

My friends Tina Shawal and Mads Aanesen brought me to the Perth Royal Show over the weekend when John was in Laverton. It was a fun experience to see the way Australians celebrate with a fair! My favourite part was definitely the dog barn. I went to bed that night and had dreams of Welsh Corgie puppies!!!

I am always surprised at how well my Lumix DMC-LX3 handles different adventures. True, some of the shots are pretty cliche- but I thought it was fun to wander around without my big Nikon around my neck. It's the photographer, not the camera, right?

Thanks for a great time guys!

Birthday Kayak Adventure

2010-09-24T04:32:00.001-05:00

For my birthday, John rented a kayak and we went to Rockingham. We paddled around the islands, saw some unique wildlife and collected many shell treasures!

More photos to follow...

Bite!

2010-09-24T04:13:00.004-05:00

Birthday!

2010-09-24T04:10:00.001-05:00

What does it mean?

2010-09-18T04:31:00.003-05:00

Hop Hop

2010-09-15T07:44:00.003-05:00

Australian Dirt

2010-09-12T08:31:00.000-05:00

Australia Flower

2010-09-12T08:10:00.000-05:00

King's Park

2010-09-12T06:35:00.010-05:00

Home Tour!

2010-09-12T00:48:00.014-05:00

Welcome to my virtual home tour!

Skin Cancer from the Second Hand Shop

2010-09-12T00:36:00.003-05:00

Don't worry bloggers, our project is over, but the 30-day project taught me to think about making photographs daily, so I'll keep updating as often as possible. If you want to see how John's project went, check out his blog. He's been working on his master's project in Laverton, and his photographs have been beautiful! I'm jealous he gets to take pictures all day, instead of making pictures out of a 8 hour work day! He's doing an amazing job on his project, and I am so proud of him!

Day 30

2010-09-12T00:21:00.007-05:00

Day 29

2010-09-12T00:16:00.001-05:00

Day 28

2010-09-12T00:10:00.004-05:00

Last week was one of my best friend's birthday. Sadly, she is no longer here to celebrate it with us. If she were, I like to imagine that she would be sharing one of these beers with me in Australia. So- this photo and that beer is dedicated to Hannah. I love you and miss you so much! I wish you were here having adventures with me, I know you would be if you were still here.

Blast from the past photo!!! Pole vaulting competition with Hannah in 2005.

Day 27

2010-09-12T00:03:00.001-05:00

Day 26

2010-08-29T09:07:00.003-05:00

Day 25

2010-08-29T08:58:00.004-05:00

Day 24

2010-08-29T08:54:00.004-05:00

Day 23

2010-08-24T10:18:00.003-05:00

The Perth bell tower

cliche.. I know. But it's a 30 day project... it's based around what I see each day!

Day 22

2010-08-24T10:15:00.001-05:00

nick knacks

Day 21

2010-08-24T10:13:00.001-05:00

Day 20

2010-08-24T10:05:00.003-05:00

My new city, Perth

Day 19

2010-08-24T10:01:00.006-05:00

West Coast Eagles v. North Melbourne footie game

"Australia is obsessed with Rugby Union football and a fiendish development of the game evolved by themselves called Australian Rules. But the great Australian sport is drinking." -New York Theatre Critic Clive Barnes, 1974

I concur!
(and still don't understand footie...aka Aussie rules)

Day 18

2010-08-24T09:59:00.004-05:00

The outback... ish

Day 17

2010-08-24T09:52:00.003-05:00

The famed man o' war jelly fish! I popped them with my heel.

Day 16

2010-08-24T09:40:00.005-05:00

Day 15

2010-08-17T08:07:00.002-05:00

Weekend Down South (& Day 14)

2010-08-17T06:07:00.022-05:00

After three days of flight, my fantastic friends Jason and Jess Lenhart have made it to Australia! For the weekend we took a trip down to Albany and got to know a little local Australian culture. We went to a bush dance, stopped along the way at some goofy rest stops, tasted wine, chased sheep, explored the southern ocean and saw elephant rocks and a beautiful bay, climbed to the tops of trees in the 'Valley of the Giants', explored the greatest playground ever, spotted road kill kangaroos AND three live ones, and almost died in Pemberton climbing up a 70 metre tall tree with no safety harnesses, in flip flops. I would say the weekend was a success.

We drove the direct way on Saturday (4.5 hours), and took the lazy, much longer road back on Sunday (about 7 hours...).

photo by Jason Lenhart. Climbing skills by me.

I basically risked my life to take this picture. Please notice how small Jason and Jess are on the ground, and the fact that there are absolutely no safety precautions observed, enforced or even possible on this tree. I'm not scared of heights, but this was scary!

Good thing we read signs BEFORE we do things...

(click the photograph to see it bigger)

Even 40 metres up on the tree tops, John decided he needed to go higher.

The trees in the Valley of the Giants were called Tingle trees. What a fantastic tree name! It felt like we were in a prehistoric jungle.... I won't show you those goofy pictures.

Actually... I can't tease you like that.

On the way down we saw 3 dead kangaroos on the side of the road, we were lucky enough to see three living ones on the way back up!

epic playground

It is so nice to have Jason and Jess here! Thanks for visiting guys!!! I hope you survive the next two weeks...

Day 13

2010-08-16T09:46:00.002-05:00

We went to a bush dance. Please note the portrait of the Queen and the 'no escape' sign. Also- the no booze.

And the plaid. I don't think they got the note on it's popularity in the fashion industry, I think it was just in their closets.

Day 12

2010-08-16T07:54:00.002-05:00

It's Friday. That's all I have to say. It's a rainbow evening... Hurray!!!

Day 11

2010-08-12T10:56:00.002-05:00

Remember the episode of The Office when Ryan got banished to the closet?
... that's kind of like my new video editing space...

Day 10

2010-08-12T10:31:00.008-05:00

All of the closer photographs are located in the panorama. Sort of like a stock yard where's Waldo...

Day 9

2010-08-10T11:05:00.001-05:00

work meeting

Day 8

2010-08-10T11:02:00.001-05:00

Bokchoy and garlic

Day 7

2010-08-10T11:00:00.001-05:00

This photo is dedicated to my sissy

Day 6

2010-08-10T10:47:00.003-05:00

Day 5

2010-08-06T08:32:00.004-05:00

Day 4

2010-08-05T08:58:00.006-05:00

I had a fantastic lunch break at the beach!

Day 3

2010-08-05T08:54:00.001-05:00

Day 2 1/2

2010-08-03T05:44:00.005-05:00

How many RESolutions employees does it take to unjam a printer?

Answer?
5!

Day 2

2010-08-03T05:37:00.001-05:00

Day 1

2010-08-03T05:27:00.003-05:00

Working an 8-5 job has really put a hold on my photography, so John and I are challenging each other to 30 days of photos! Hopefully it will get our eyes back in the viewfinder!

Anybody else want to join?

So without further ado....

Scarborough Beach

2010-08-01T07:50:00.007-05:00

Swan Valley Bike Ride of Death

2010-08-01T06:47:00.025-05:00

This weekend John planned a nice 'leisurely' bike ride in the swan valley.

ha

First of all, you need to understand that bikes+Chelsea=almost certain tragedy and or death.

One of the last times I rode a bike, I got car doored and knocked out. I eventually got my guts up enough to bike again and started on the road to recovery, but my bike was stolen from me for an entire summer! (Until I found it again attached to a bike lock on campus and the police came and soddered it off for me! *Just to clear this one up, I did not lock her somewhere by accident and forget her, somebody legit stole her and then decided to ride her back onto campus, where I scouted her out and FOUND HER!* After writing many LOST bike posters and calling all the bike shops in town, daily. I WIN BIKE THEIF!) By then, I lived so far away from campus down a scary busy road, that I never did attempt to ride a bike again. I only stared at my beautiful bike longingly and thought about the fun times we could have had together. (I was thinking... afternoons in fields full of sunflowers and butterflies, with a picnic and a flowery dress and cookies, tea, and lots of happiness. Maybe kittens and deer too.)

She was a beautiful rust red with curly handles. Totally hipster, yet also an amazing hand-me-down from my grandparents.

*I dug in my archives and found this odd photograph of Nora and Matthew on my bike in my old basement... I'm not really sure why they are sitting on her, in the basement, at night. Or why I'm taking a long exposure shot of them. Oh well... I'll let those questions slide and show you my magnificent bike!)

As you have probably deduced from the fact that I'm writing this blog post, this bike adventure did not end in death... per say.

In theory, the bike afternoon was a good idea. The Swan Valley is a really beautiful part of Western Australia, and a place I have never been before. It was only a half an hour out of the city by train, and the bike trail was mostly flat. Many wonderfully delicious wines come out of the area... and John decided it would be a great idea to bike the loop and give them a taste. So.. lets do the math again. Bikes+Chelsea+Wine= ?

Take a guess.

Basically for most of the time I was listening to my ipod, biking down the road clinging to the handle bars for my life, singing extremely loud just to dispel any fear I had of smashing into the pavement or possibly ride over a slippery rock or pile of sand and go tumbling into traffic.

Well... It did not end up in death, but after 32 km on an unusually uncomfortable bike... my butt certainly thinks so.

Both John and I still can't sit down. At least you can get pain medication laced with codeine here! (I wanted Excedrin.. you know... the pain medication with caffeine? ... They misunderstood me and got me something better!)

I got comfortable on a bike (except for a couple of freeway stretches with BIG semis zooming past) and didn't fall over, even after 5 different winery tastings, and didn't even see a single snake! Although I did ask almost everybody we met along the trail if they had seen a snake! (Turns out.. not yet. Too early in the season!)

We came home with 6 bottles of wine, extremely painful butts, and the glory of being the 'first ones to do the entire loop,' or so the guy we rented the bikes from said.

For now... I am alive, and perhaps conquered my fear of death by bikes! .... until a car door opens and I go barreling into it... again.

Hopefully the death that occurred on this adventure was the DEATH OF MY FEAR OF BIKES!

Great success

Saturday Adventure to Fremantle

2010-07-28T09:02:00.011-05:00

After my first week cooped up at work (which I LOVE! So not really cooped up, but away from sunlight), John realized how much I needed a day out of the house. His answer was a trip to Fremantle... It's a really cute little town south of Perth filled with hippies and adorable little markets. I bought a new purse (for $35 instead of the usually inflated price of $120), fresh fruit and veggies, moisturiser (I have to write in International English now...), and postcards for my favorite people in the world (... if you want an awkward kangaroo postcard, send me your address!) and ground coffee beans and chai! John also introduced me to the 'best' fish and chips in Australia. I really am going to need to be pushed a little harder to accept the whole fish and chips thing... but I'll try it a couple of more times. For now, I'll get my kicks from tormenting the seagulls.

Thank you for an amazing day Johnny!

I really live in a lethal city! (Although one of the people we bought a bed frame assured me that the sharks in Australia have rubber teeth... I'm really hoping she was serious.)

The best, most entertaining, fish and chips in Australia.

A lot of buildings in Australia are really modern and unoriginal. I feel a lot more foreign whenever I see a building that looks really "Australian" *see Nicole Kidman's Australia and other cliche films* like I'm out of the USA.

Instead of driving, John and I took the train. It was great to stop for a second in each town and have the train operator say... "This is Wallagonabie"... *not a real town name... but it's possible!*... It makes me feel like somebody is introducing me to the different towns along the way! Thank you, Australia, you really are quite friendly. (Except for the rude panty lady at Myers)
)

happiness is a double rainbow

2010-07-28T08:40:00.006-05:00

This is how I felt after we got our apartment...

(actual picture at a home store getting bedding after we got the call that we got the apartment)

This is how I felt after I got a job...

(actual picture on the way to work. *Don't worry, John was driving, not me!*)

New Home

2010-07-28T07:59:00.007-05:00

Afternoon Tea in the "Garden"

2010-07-09T02:54:00.003-05:00

Great Success

2010-07-07T07:41:00.004-05:00

The day has come. We made it to Perth!

After an entire month of living out of my suitcase and stopping literally in every timezone since Georgia, John and I have landed. Now we'll be busy looking for an apartment and a job for the next couple of weeks. I am so excited to lay down in a bed that is mine, and get up the next morning for a job.

It will be perfection.

For now, we'll keep looking and exploring around the city!

*UPDATE!* Our apartment is 9 minutes walking distance from this beach! Who would have guessed....

LA---- REWIND

2010-07-05T00:10:00.008-05:00

Concrete Jungle of LA

People scurrying to get their bids in before the end of the print auction at the Annenburg Space for Photography.

Boy smoking pot right next to a little girl in a pink dress. Classy place.

Muscle Beach

And he jumped over 10 'men'.....

LA skyline by night

After the POYi crew boarded their flight back to Missouri, John and I caught a cab back to his cousin's house on Manhattan beach and spent the afternoon napping, walking the beach and exploring the bars. This was my favorite, most unexpected moment of the day.

Thanks for a great week in LA- The POYi awards ceremony was a great success, and a lot of fun!

Sydney in 5 days

2010-07-04T22:19:00.002-05:00

This photo is for my mama!

Finally......

2010-06-23T13:17:00.056-05:00

Well guys, it's here! June 22. The date I have been looking forward to for months. The day my new chapter in life opens and I start down a new path in life. I am finally moving to Australia.

Getting it all together...

I wanted to get down to one large bag and a carry on, plus my camera bag, but that was impossible. I packed and re packed and packed again, and it just didn't happen. My Grandpa Don provided me with the wonderful army bag to store all of my extra lbs of things. It may be '4' bags... but I'm still proud. (4=One large bag, A duffle (that can fit in the big one, it's just too heavy! Domestic flights only allow 50 lbs... I thought it was 70) My on flight carry on (incase my luggage disappears), and all of my camera crap.
Proud of me? I sure am!

Before that happens, I have to get there. Since leaving Missouri on June 14 I have been to Minnesota to drop my cats off at my friend Anna William's house in Northfield, up to Eagan to spend the night with my Grandma and Grandpa, to Edina to spend an hour with my Grandma Dorothy looking through old photos, to Atlanta to say goodbye to my Mom, sister and Doug, down to Pensacola Florida to check out the oil spill, and finally to LA for a week at the POYi awards ceremony.

Iowa to Minnesota

Minnesota

My grandma has a green thumb. In fact, I think her thumb is lime green. Mine is brown. I'm always amazed by her beautiful gardens! This year her gardens were especially amazing.

Hotlanta

After a lazy morning drinking from my mom's new Bunn coffee maker (nummy!) and reading more news about the oil spill, we decided to check it out ourselves and make a mini road trip to the coast. (My mom has lived her entire life in Minnesota, so the option of driving to a coast as pretty exciting) We packed up the car (no, PACKED it... not just the four of us, but our large golden doodle and little pip squeek dog Moses too! At some point my sister even gave her seat to the dog) and drove the 5 hours down to Pensacola Florida to check it out for ourselves.

Pensacola

We were happy to find that the Pensacola beach was clear and free of oil! (Perhaps only for a few more days...) It was a beautiful beach town, and I hope that the oil doesn't destroy it. The water was clear blue and as warm as a bath. My mom and I even saw a 'herd' of eagle rays swim by! I didn't expect to be swimming in the water, I didn't even bring a suit! The water was so warm and inviting that I jumped in with my clothes on. Oh well! Even though we didn't see the oil spill, I felt impacted by the beauty of the beaches and saddened by how many beaches just like Pensacola are being destroyed every second.

The dogs had never been to the ocean before, and they did a great job paddling around trying to save our lives! Moses (the little guy) even had some fun! We left after sunning and swimming for 2 hours, and drove 5 hours back home. 10 hours in the car, 2 hours on the beach... worth it? I say YES!

*Update*
Pensacola was hit by the oil last night. The beaches are no longer as white as the photos from just a few days ago, instead they are covered by oil and swimmers are no longer allowed in the water. That makes me want to cry. I cannot believe how horrible and devastating the oil spill has become.

I'm not sure how to react to the after photo I just saw on TV. All I can do is show you the picture I made while with my family just last Sunday compared to a screenshot of CNN's coverage of the beach today. The first picture was taken 3 days ago. What can we do? I feel so helpless.

"It's pretty ugly. There's no question about it," Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said. "It does break your heart." -CNN

It does, it really does.

Atlanta to LA

We drove back up to Hotlanta and on Tuesday and I caught a flight to LAX (and slept the entire way!), met the boyfriend and lots of photo friends and got settled in our hotel. We checked out the space that the POYi ceremony is being held, went back to the hotel and decided to spend the evening at the Santa Monica Pier.

Santa Monica Pier

I fell in love with the lights, smells and everybody's sheer joy to be there.

I think I saw more people holding hands in one hour than I have seen the entire year! It was amazing. "All you need is love" kept playing through my head. It actually harmonizes really well with carnival rides!

What was under the pier was even more amazing... the ocean! The boys decided to strip their clothing and jump in, while I decided to play with long exposure and the great muted colors left over from the festivities above.

Santa Monica Pier from Chelsea Sektnan on Vimeo.

A moment on the pier...

LA

Views from The House of Blues

Now...

I am currently sitting in a hotel room in Beverly Hills watching Access Hollywood and drinking coffee. It's strange to watch a show about people and places so close to where I'm sitting! Perhaps I should get out of the hotel and check out the Twihards camping out to see the stars for the Twilight premier! Actually, I'm okay just decompressing for a few hours before getting a move on again. I have to get caught up with email, blog posts and organizing my bags.

At 1245 my new friend Dorine and I are going to a taping of Jay Leno! We have a rental car, a GPS and a reservation to a back lot door... it should be an adventure!

*UPDATE*

I am so excited, and so amazingly lucky to be starting off on this adventure. I'm going to keep blogging as much as possible, please keep checking back for updates!

Skee Ball at the Ozarks

2010-06-08T07:16:00.002-05:00

Skee Ball from Chelsea Sektnan on Vimeo.

fun in the smithsonian?

2010-06-08T04:25:00.003-05:00

Moving

2010-06-08T04:19:00.005-05:00

This is what I think about packing up and moving....

Australia really is happening. This week Missouri, next week Georgia, then LA for a week for POYi and FINALLY Australia. A month from now my entire life will be different, it's so exciting!

D.C Sites from a Wedding Bus

2010-06-08T04:11:00.003-05:00

My PhotoShop's licensing is messed up, so you get a little raw footage!

Even though they are a little silly, I like how DC looks on-the-go and behind cursive letters.

Family of Pilots

2010-06-08T04:09:00.005-05:00

Everybody in my family flies... so this was a pretty exciting museum for me!

Homeless Kitties

2010-06-08T04:04:00.001-05:00

Homeless Kitties from Chelsea Sektnan on Vimeo.

Graduated.

2010-05-17T12:39:00.003-05:00

The wonderful David Rees greeted us at the end of the stage... I got a hug!

photo by Joel Kowsky

who I am going to miss mountains!

Somewhere out there....

2010-05-13T00:51:00.015-05:00

2010-05-05T01:10:00.004-05:00

.

It's almost over. Graduation in one week.

Oh. My. Gosh.

Georgia Flashback

2010-05-02T01:20:00.000-05:00

Portfolio

2010-04-26T22:03:00.002-05:00

Chelsea Sektnan Photography by Chelsea Sektnan | BOOK INFO

Spring Cleaning!

2010-04-22T12:44:00.013-05:00

Okay, so I've been a little antsy lately. Who isn't? It's the end of April, school is winding down and the weather is heating up.

For some reason, this kind of weather makes me want to clean. Maybe it's not the weather, perhaps it's the large amount of final projects that are due soon, and how my house always seems to magically become before I begin a project. Another procrastination device I use is StumbleUpon... and one of my 'favorites' on stumble is organization. So lots of the websites that pop up have to do with cleaning, and inspire me to procrastinate even longer... here are a few of my favorite organizational discoveries!

Here are a few things I have been implementing in my apartment-

1. CHEMICAL FREE CLEANING
I have cats, and they tend to lick everything, so chemical free cleaning products are important to me. A few months ago I learned that white vinegar and water work just as well as any product on the market. I have been spraying it on everything, guess what.. it works! More chemical free recipes here.

2. ORGANIZE IN SECTIONS
Start small. Don't look at the entire house and think, "I'm going to clean the house today!" Instead, think "I'm going to organize the spice cabinet!" Take your organizing by sections, and organize the sections into organized spaces. Instead of looking at the entire house and getting overwhelmed... just think about a certain kitchen cupboard. Yesterday I turned up the volume on the TV and turned my organization rage on the kitchen. This started after I couldn't find the hot sauce in the spice cupboard... I pulled out all the spices, coated the space with vinegar, organized the spices into a nice little brownie tin and organized all my tea bags in a box. By eliminating the tea boxes, I saved half the space, and had more room for other things. The brownie tin was a good idea because now if I'm looking for a spice I no longer have to climb up on the cupboard and dig around. Instead, I can just pull out the tin and find the spice much easier! After the spice cupboard was finished... I turned my rage on the pots and pans, the bowl and mug shelf and the utensils. While I was doing this, I threw things we never use onto the kitchen table and after I was done, boxed the unused things and stuffed them in a closet. The kitchen is much more usable now! Check out GetRidofThings.com for more information!

3. HALF EVERYTHING, THEN HALF IT AGAIN
It's AMAZING how much crap we have cluttering our lives! Sometimes walking into my closet terrifies me. It's impossible to put together an outfit when you're overwhelmed.

Less is more. Really, it is. Go through your closet and half your clothes. Then wait a few days, and half it again. If you have clothes that are too small for you, box them up or give them to goodwill. You may be a dreamer, but it's doubtful you'll fit back into those clothes while they are still in style. Just give them up. (Don't give the diet up, just give up the clothes! Sometimes getting rid of the clothes can be a motivator... when you reach the goal, replace the clothes you gave away with some new cute tops!) I finally gave up my size 4 pants... they have been hanging for a year now, and haven't moved.

After you get done with your first purge, drop the clothes off at the Goodwill or sell them to Plato's Closet, and do it again! You'll get cash in your pocket, and space in your closet. Another tip I read about for getting rid of old clothes is to turn the hanger backwards every time you wear an article of clothing, after a certain amount of time you'll know what clothes you don't wear by which hangers are still facing the right direction!

4. Location, Location, Location!
Do you have problems finding your bills or your mail? Or your keys when you're running out the door? Give them their own spot! Keep things were they make sense. Keep keys on a peg by the door, paper by the phone and CD's by your computer. Things will become so much more simple and your productivity will go up once you stop searching for those everyday things!

5. Find a Drop Zone!
Do you have piles of things you use daily piling up all around your house? Designate a cute basket or box to drop those little things in everyday. Take time every week to empty the basket out and organize the loose change you didn't know you had!

6. Eliminate Homelessness
Everything in your house should have a home. No boxes filled with a random assortment of hardware and paperwork, no catch-all consisting of menus, mismatched socks and old rubber bands. Invest in some boxes or plastic totes, put like things together and then clearly label them. Knowing where to find things is a big step toward keeping your life organized.

7. Eliminate nasty from your fridge!
One of the most important parts of your house to keep clean is your fridge. For some reason, it's often forgotten during cleaning sprees. Do you really want to eat food out of a bacteria infested fridge? Really? Yuck... Go shelf by shelf and organize your fridge by levels. Spray a vinegar mix and clean as you go. You'll be surprised how many old meals and expired food you have forgotten about! While going through your fruits and veggies, keep an eye on spoiled produce! (A great resource I recently discovered is a seasonal fruit and vegetable calendar... check it out.) Also, ditch the vegetable drawer and move them up to the top of your fridge and into a bowl. If you keep them out at eye level, you'll be more likely to grab for veggies when you're hungry.

work work work...

2010-04-21T00:26:00.008-05:00

today- finishing up a new revised portfolio and attempting to start my German essay
watching- The Tudors and Project Runway (gotta love on demand!)
eating- breakfast for dinner. (Onion, gouda, and dill eggs with a banana, strawberry, almond butter, maple yogurt smoothie and nutella bread... num!)
petting- Presley. He's being cuddlier than Zeppy today. Wait.. here comes Zeppy. This petting situation may change soon.

9 people visited my website yesterday. Stats up 100%. Great success. (Many from Australia... I think this is a good sign!)

Arrow Rock...

2010-04-19T00:45:00.001-05:00

You have to visit this town. It's beautiful in a manicured ghost town type of way.

Barn Obsessed...

2010-04-19T00:32:00.007-05:00

If you know about some of my hidden hobbies, you know I'm a bit obsessed with barns. If you were unaware of this obsession, you probably are now.

Incase you were wondering, this is a gothic western prairie barn with a new england gambrel roof. The part that caught my eye about this barn was the large design on the front, you don't often see those in the midwest! The design on the front was originally designed to be a hex to keep out bad spirits and witches. Throughout the years the hexes turned into quilt designs. This specific barn was probably meant to be a dairy barn, and has since been used for storage of hay and tractors. The original builders of this barn were more than likely German.

Just a little nugget of information for you.

postcards

2010-04-16T19:30:00.001-05:00

I ordered some new postcards! Send me your address if you want me to send you one!

Burmese Babies Eveeeeeerywhere!

2010-04-14T11:09:00.005-05:00

Pure Romance (Rated R)

2010-04-12T02:28:00.000-05:00

Pure Romance Party (Rated R) from Chelsea Sektnan on Vimeo.

spring bench...

2010-04-12T01:24:00.002-05:00

I love everything about spring.

spring drive...

2010-04-11T21:11:00.011-05:00

John and I went on a wonderful evening drive on the backroads of Missouri. I love this place!

job profile

2010-04-11T18:17:00.002-05:00

Pure Romance Party from Chelsea Sektnan on Vimeo.

critique please.. this is a rough draft

layers of spring...

2010-04-10T21:17:00.000-05:00

exploration...

2010-04-10T20:59:00.001-05:00

purple...

2010-04-10T20:14:00.006-05:00

green...

2010-04-10T20:06:00.006-05:00

something died and got hung on a garage...

2010-04-10T19:57:00.004-05:00

what? Back up Jason! We are investigating this...

confusion...

what?!

Can anybody tell me what these are???

light

2010-04-09T13:40:00.003-05:00

my favorite things

2010-04-07T19:46:00.016-05:00

Moving to Australia is only about 2 months away! I have been starting to mentally pack things for the move in my head, and these are a few things I decided that I cannot live without and will definitely be going in my bag. (I feel like this is a little bit like the sections in SkyMagazine when celebrities say what they can't fly without... except less fashionable.)

1. Etsy.com crystal camera necklace. Etsy is a great resource for locally made products, you can even start your very own store on the site! 2. Yellow Uncalendar planner decorated with old business cards and polaroids. I love decorating with left over photographs! It keeps me on track and sane. 3. Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 Digital Camera with HD Video. I carry it everywhere, it's great for video, and I love the macro option. 4. Bare Minerals lightweight powder makeup. Seriously the only make up that has ever healed my acne, not caused it. 5. Moo.com half size business cards. Absolutely the most handy, original business cards you can find. (Also available with recycled paper!) 6. "A Summer's Day" by Joel Meyerowitz. Inspirational and beautiful, it makes me think of lazy summer days. I want my summer to feel just like his photographs. 7. iPod Shuffle in Green. I never really liked walking around with ear buds in, but the shuffle is tiny and perfect for walking from one part of town to the other. It's also really amazing for working out because of it's so little. My favorite things to listen to are This American Life or Ingrid Michaelson. 8. Twister, the movie. I honestly watch this movie at least 2 times a week. It's epic. 9. Organic extra virgin olive oil. Perfect for moisturizing ANYWHERE. No, really... lips, elbows, legs, face, hair, anything! 10. Duluth Pack purse, perfect for carrying everything including cameras. 11. Melatonin herbal sleep aid, perfect for jet lag and sleepless nights, won't leave you drowsy in the morning. 12. La mer watches, classic, functional and available in every color imaginable! (Not vegan, but still adorable!)

There, you know a little more about me. What are your favorite things?

My test is still tomorrow... I have successfully procrastinated for another hour.

spring garden

2010-04-07T18:45:00.014-05:00

My lovely friend Matthew Huffman invited me to see his garden after our (failed) attempt at finding the Farmer's Market on Monday (It isn't open from 4-6pm on Monday until May, just FYI...) His wonderful garden reminded me about one of the main reasons I love spring, how everything is starting over and new life peeps from the ground so timidly! I love that pale beautiful just grown green color. Sorry, these photos are in black and white, you'll have to imagine that pale green color.

watching- the movie Australia (I'm getting ready for my move!)
feeling- sleepy. I'm crashing after lots of french press coffee!
today- worked in the darkroom from 8 am until 3 pm (used about 50 sheets of paper, yikes) and then went to Tucker Forum and listened to Jay Dickman discuss how to be a freelance photographer. (Left feeling a little panicked and behind the curve on freelancing) For the rest of the evening I will be studying for an Immigration and Migration test tomorrow morning. (or doing everything besides that...)

Please comment on my blog if you get a chance! I love it when you tell me what you think!

moving forward...

2010-04-06T13:19:00.004-05:00

listening to- train, hey soul sister
today- looked at my planner and realized graduation is a little more than a month away!
mood- on edge. Graduation? What? I don't believe it's actually going to happen!

yikes

fort worth, texas

2010-04-06T00:50:00.002-05:00

boys & guns

2010-04-06T00:41:00.006-05:00

We were eating Fuzzy's tacos in Fort Worth and I had to stalk these little boy's game through the fence. I'm not really sure who won...
I never knew sticks could be so deadly!

herb garden

2010-04-05T23:37:00.006-05:00

Today I planted something. 6 somethings actually. Sevia, basil, oregano, parsley, dill, spearmint, and cilantro.

Would you like anything with herbs on it?

I had some helping hands and paws too.

i feel light as a feather

2010-04-05T15:36:00.004-05:00

listening to- pandora james taylor radio
today- potted plants 6 new herbs, went to class, made a quick stop at the grocery store and bought fruits and veggies, cleaned out the fridge made cabbage soup and sassy water. Farmers market trip at 4 pm!
mood- happy it's spring!

rosie the sea lion

2010-03-30T20:25:00.005-05:00

I got to help John out with his job profile assignment today at the St.Louis Zoo, I had a great time behind the scenes meeting Rosie the curious sea lion.

whoops

2010-03-29T18:03:00.001-05:00

Next post...

how to safely and organically mend a sliced off finger!

Park Experience

2010-03-29T17:30:00.006-05:00

Yesterday we went to the park.

This is how Zeppy felt about the experience. She basically hid in the back of my sweatshirt for most of the time. I think it is my job as a kitty mama to help them experience life... instead of just sitting on the couch all day long. Although sometimes that seems like a pretty good life...

I think they would rather not leave the house, ever.

Fava Beans with Feta

2010-03-29T17:03:00.005-05:00

I've been trying new things lately.

After being distracted by the bargain bin at Barnes & Nobel, I found a fantastic new recipe book! The Vegetarian Bible- Fresh From the Garden. I've tagged a few recipes, and actually tried two, and they are TOTALLY out of the box for me. So... I pushed my fears back in the cupboard and I gave them a try.

First of all..... beans.

I hate beans.

Scratch that- hatED beans.

Yesterday, I made Fava Beans with Feta.

The only thing I knew about fava beans was from how Hannibal Lecter ate them. You know the quote, "a census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti."

I didn't find fava beans in the fresh veggies section, but I did find them in a can. It's a start.

Fava Beans with Feta

Ingredients
1 lb Shelled Fava beans
4 tbsp extra virgin oliv eoil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill, plus extra to garnish
2 oz feta cheese, drained and diced
salt and pepper

1. Bring saucepan of water to a boil. Add the fava beans and cook for about 2 minutes, until tender. Drain throughly and set aside.
2. When the beans are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the outer skins to reveal the bright green beans underneath. Put the peeled beans in a serving bowl.
3. Combine the olive oil and lemon juice, then season to taste with the salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the warm beans, add the dill, and stir gently. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
4. If serving hot, add the feta cheese, toss gently, and sprinkle with extra dill, then serve immediately. Alternatively, set aside the beans in their dressing to cool and then chill until required.

Num num num! Dr.Lector was right... fava beans are great! I was surprised by how large they were, I've only really eaten beans when I really have to at Mexican Restaurants. These were smooth, buttery and wonderful. They also opened my mind to the wonderful world of dill! I've been putting on everything now. When using the caned beans, you don't need to shell them. Apparently, fava beans are the staple of many diets, and even saved the Romans from starvation. But here in America, fava beans have never really been popular, and that's because of how labor intensive they are! Like corn, you have to peel and shuck them until you end up with a couple of beans. Save yourself some pain and give them a try in can form, then maybe progress onto the big world of fresh green fava beans.

My Edit

2010-03-25T22:19:00.004-05:00

Dola multimedia edit from Chelsea Sektnan on Vimeo.

>

Isn't Dola wonderful? She just makes me smile!

Class Edit

2010-03-25T21:33:00.001-05:00

Dola Haessig Class Edit from Chelsea Sektnan on Vimeo.

Turn down the audio for this one--- it's a print edit. Watch the other one for audio.

Snowy Morning

2010-03-20T16:37:00.017-05:00

So... it snowed today. Yesterday it was 65 degrees. When people say, "You don't like the weather in Missouri, just hang around a bit and it will change," they are so right.

Zeppy is unhappy with this change of weather. She was enjoying looking out of the open window at the geese.

So am I.

Snow, rain, sun, sleet, sun, snow etc... that's Missouri weather for you.

Instead of sulking about the movement of my flip flops from the doorstep to the closet, I made pancakes.

Num!!!! Except John didn't want any.... so I have a lot left over. Anybody want to come over and drink tea and have strawberry pancakes? They're hot, they're ready, and they're here!

Janky Pancakes with Fruit Recipe

Strawberries, rinsed
1/4 cup real-deal, PURE, maple syrup

2 cups white whole wheat flour (or unbleaced all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup natural granulated sugar (evaporated cane sugar)
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 1/4 cups milk of any kind (I added in some creme brule creamer)
2 large organic eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted (melt in the pan skillet you are going to use. Use as much butter as you want. Go ahead, it's snowing!)

To make the pancakes combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the milk, eggs, and melted butter. Stir all the ingredients until they are just combined. Don't worry if the batter is a bit lumpy, you don't want to over mix.

Heat your skillet, pan, or griddle to medium-hot and brush it with a bit of butter. Test for the right temperature. If a drop of water dropped onto the pan starts to dance, you are in the ballpark. Pour about 1/3 of a cup of batter into the skillet. Wait until the pancake bottom is deep golden in color, then flip with a spatula and cook the other side until golden and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve with butter and plenty of berries and real syrup.
(My Granddad used to make real maple syrup in the spring time at our Minnesotan cabin... so real maple syrup is important.)

They won't be the perfect, fluffy pancakes, but they will be a flavor explosion for your mouth. Goofy shaped pancakes are the best anyway!

This isn't a recipe for one person. Set the table for friends, fashion some sort of center piece and give your friends a breakfast call.

I know.. white sugar... if you have the money for maple sugar go for it.

Mama's Secret Recipe Cookies

2010-03-20T16:31:00.006-05:00

I felt Betty Crocker'ey yesterday, and decided it was about time to make my mom's secret recipe cookies. They were fantastic.

Lets just say there is sugar, flour, baking soda, eggs, vanilla and some extra special amazing things that make them fabulous. Come on over, I'll let you taste one and guess what the special ingredient is. I won't tell you.

Window Light

2010-03-19T22:56:00.002-05:00

I love love love love love diffused window light.

Oh... little brothers

2010-03-19T21:45:00.000-05:00