Talk Studios Art + Photography

I can’t believe my last post was on April 7, 2011. When I wrote that post, I had no idea that it would be the last one of the year. Then again, I wrote it during one of those life changing moments that hits you like a ton of bricks and disrupts the norm – a norm that was in desperate need of disruption though. So really, I should have expected that to be the last….

….until now.

I don’t intend on doing any more challenges to blog every day for a month or every other day for 2 months. I found it to be stressful and discouraging. I’m only going to blog when I can and if I have something worth sharing. That works the best for me, and I won’t feel like I’m rushing to fill up this space with nonsense….unless of course, I feel like the nonsense is share-worthy. ;)

Being that it’s now January, I can’t help but think about the goals I accomplished last year, and which goals I’ll accomplish this year. I haven’t written my goals for 2012 just yet, but I will. I’m quite busy working on accomplishing a mighty large goal that I didn’t even know was going to be on my list for this year until it happened. But it’s there…occupying all my free time. More on that very soon!

Anyway, I just wanted to share some recent changes.

1. The blog got a facelift! Did you notice? She’s much cleaner now. And I did away with the “witnessing life converse about art” slogan. Sadly, it confused too many people.

2. Talk Studios is no longer offering portraits. I’ve decided to solely focus on set photography and personal projects. However, I am a senior portrait photographer for Melissa Jill Photography. Woot! If you’d like information on our high school or college senior portrait experience, please email me at sara@melissajill.com.

3. Did I mention Talk Studios is solely focusing on set photography and personal projects? ;) I had some really great opportunities last year, and worked with some amazing people on some super awesome projects. I’d love to keep that going this year!

Well, that’s all for now. Just a little update. It feels good to be back! :)

“This is the year of change”.

I said that at the beginning of the year as a joke to a friend, but then I quickly started to see that almost everyone close to me has had or is going to have a significant change in their life this year. People are buying houses/condos, starting new jobs, moving in with significant others, graduating with their masters or undergrad degree, starting their masters degree, graduating from a specialized program, getting accepted into a specialized program, and some have even moved to a new state to start a new chapter of their life. One did it for an amazing career opportunity, another did it for love, and the third did it for family.

It’s quite overwhelming when you look at it all as a whole like that, but not overwhelming in even the slightest negative way possible. Every change (so far, knock on wood) has only been a positive one in that person’s life. Challenging, yes. I can’t think of a life change that isn’t a challenge to accept or adjust to in some way. But devastating, life threatening or dream crushing, no. I’m so happy for all that’s going on for my family and friends!

And now it’s my turn.

I recently did a post about how I was searching for a condo/townhouse to buy – well, that didn’t pan out as well as we hoped, so we decided to hold off for multiple reasons. Buuuuuuuuuut, this past weekend I signed a contract to rent an apartment in Downtown Phoenix! So, I’m FINALLY moving out on my own!!

This is big news, folks!! You see, I’ve been living at home for much longer than I intended. I gave myself a goal to move out of my mom’s house by the time I turned 25. I was SO close to that goal, but it was all dependent on whether or not a proposal I submitted at my previous job was accepted, meaning I’d get a promotion….with a raise. Unfortunately, I got laid off instead. Haha. But, I believe everything happens for a reason and that was just more proof. I may not have reached my goal at that time, but I believe it was because I wasn’t on the right path. Since then, I’ve made decisions that changed my path and my life feels more aligned now. It feels right. So, it makes sense to me that 14 months after my 25th birthday, I actually accomplish my goal. It just wasn’t meant to be then.

But it is now!!! :)

Not only is this big news for me, but it’s big news for my family! Last month, my lovely Aunt moved in with us from Chicago to start a new chapter of her life. She’s the one I mentioned above that moved for family. My Mom, Grandma, Abby and I love her so very much, so we of course welcomed her with open arms (and paws)! Problem was….we didn’t have an extra bedroom to welcome her with. We did however, offer her our pull-out couch in the living room.

One of the (many) great things about my Aunt is her easy-going-go-with-the-flow-I’m-good-don’t-worry-about-me spirit. Not once did she say to me, “Pack up your shit. I’m moving in, and I get your bedroom. Figure it out.” Instead, she said “I’ll live in the living room for as long as I need to. Don’t worry about me. There’s no pressure for you to move out just because I’m moving in”. And there wasn’t even the slightest bit of underlying guilt! She’s amazing. Although, you can’t help but feel bad when your Aunt is sleeping on a blow-up hide-a-bed with no privacy, while you are hardly ever home to even use the room she can’t have. Ridiculous. So, I decided that this was going to just be more motivation to make it work and finally move out.

I knew there was going to be some overlap, since I couldn’t exactly just up and move. No big deal though, right? Sure. Except that I really had no idea what it would be like to ACTUALLY have her move in. I’m not saying she’s difficult to live with. Not at all. But I forgot that she wasn’t going to be on vacation – with one suitcase. She was moving here….with all of her belongings. In our living room. I thought I needed more space before she moved in….now, I’m basically bursting at the seams.

I want to document this experience for all of us, so at holidays we can laugh about that time when my Aunt lived out of the hall closet and could never find the things she needed because she wasn’t sure which box it was packed in. And how I came home from work one day, and the entire kitchen was rearranged. ;) This is my “BEFORE” post (before I move out), then I’ll do a “DURING”, and an “AFTER”. I may need to do multiple during and after posts since things will be done in different stages.

Here’s how we’ve been living lately:

We pulled furniture from different parts of the house to help give her places to put things. And in the mean time, have found things we forgot we had. Like that awesome serving plate. Secretly hoping that gets packed up with me….

The living room is right off the kitchen and eating area. It looks like a cozy little studio apartment! I guess it’s not so bad when you think of it that way.

Oh hey there, how’s it going. This is our hall bathroom. Crazy wallpaper, right?! I love it. My Aunt needed a place to do her make-up, so she put a small desk in this itty bitty bathroom. Haha.

Not much makes sense in this room right now. Haha! This is our family room – or as I like to call it, our “great” room. It’s my favorite room of the house. PS. That couch is coming with me! Woot! I love that couch!

Okay. So.

I thought it was only fair that since I’m putting my Aunt on the spot with all her stuff being everywhere….that I should admit to all MY stuff being everywhere. My room is a diiiiiisaster. Normally, I keep it fairly clean and organized, but life has been too crazy to keep up, plus I knew I was moving. Why organize now? I’ll organize it as I box it up, thank you. ;)

All that crap on the floor is from cleaning out some of my drawers, so the organizing to move has officially begun!

Oh, closets. How do you get like this? You will not look like this in my new home.

Below are two of my favorite pieces of furniture – and I’m so happy that my Mom is letting me take them with me! :) The dresser in my closet is an antique that she bought when she was 21. So cool! The drawers like to stick, like that one there that’s open, and one of the handles needs fixing….but I love it just the same. I’ve used it since I was a little girl and have always treasured it. The bookcase/drawers is from Ethan Allen and was originally my Grandma & Grandpa’s. My Mom has memories of it from when she was little. I love all this family history. It’s what makes a house a home.

Please note my collection of Vogue magazines. Thank you, Inspiration.

And then there’s this fine “little” list of who to notify of my new address and things I need to get. I wish moving out was simple in that you pack up what you want in boxes, fill up your car/truck, drive to new home, unload, unpack, done. Ha. There’s so much more you need to do – like be a responsible tax paying, insured citizen.

Here’s to growing up! Cheers!

Aaaaaand, I’m back! :)

If you follow a lot of blogs, I’m sure you’ve seen this type of post dozens of times. To be honest, I love them! As a girl, it’s fun to see what other girls keep in their purse for commonality, but it’s also good to see what works for others and get some inspiration for what to always keep on hand. For guys, I would imagine it’s interesting for the sheer wonder and amazement of what on Earth us girls lug around 24/7.

What sparked this particular post for today though, was a short-lived cleaning frenzy last week…and by short-lived, I mean 15mins. It would have been longer, but I’ve had a very short attention span lately. In fact, this was the post I started and put on hold after deciding to take the week off from the challenge.

Well, 10mins into my cleaning craze, I saw my purse and without thinking twice, I grabbed it and dumped everything onto my floor.

And if felt SO good!

It might sound like the total opposite of cleaning, but it’s not. It’s so liberating to start with an empty bag, and put what you want back in. I do this at least once a month.

I thought it would be fun to do a “what’s in my purse” post, but just the way it was all sprawled out like that. I decided not to clean it out, organize it, and then do a post like most people do them, because for me, that would be lying. My bag is really never organized. It’s a bag, not my closet. And it really doesn’t need to be organized, but it does make life easier when it is. It just never stays that way. Haha.

Here’s what I’ve acquired over the last month or so:

1. Notes from a vacation rental in San Diego that my friends and I are renting for a week this May. So excited! :)

2. I lovelovelove Jimmy Johns! But who doesn’t?

3. These are my favorite pair of sunglasses. Unfortunately, I carry them around more than I wear them. I need a new set of contacts ASAP.

4. I carry water with me everywhere I go. I feel extremely guilty for using water bottles. I need to get one of those metal bottles….

5. This is a cool box that my business cards came in from moo.com.

6. The case for my point and shoot camera….notice how my camera is not in it’s case? Yep. That’s usually how it is.

7. A copper coin purse that I got from a little store on College & University in Tempe. I think I got it in 2008. It has seen better days.

8. Another pair of sunglasses, haha, that I also can’t wear at the moment.

9. This is the tag from a squeaky toy that I bought as a birthday present for Abby’s doggy friend, Dixie.

10. My car keys! I have a Fry’s card, but yet I shop at Safeway…..weirdo.

11. I always…ALWAYS….have gum with me. If I don’t, I freak out.

12. Receipts, receipts, and more receipts.

13. I bank at Chase.

14. Neosporin….why not? I wish I could say this is always in my purse, because it’s so random. But I threw it in there for one day, and then never took it out.

15. I got my wallet at Urban Outfitters for 10 bucks! I love it so much.

16. My unprotected point and shoot camera. It’s a Casio. Eh, it’s okay. Not great though.

17. Coins are commonly not found in my coin purse. Just in my purse. So does that make my purse just one big coin purse?

18. A grocery list that my mom gave me. I try to be a good daughter from time to time. ;)

19. MORE GUM. These are empty though. Haha.

20. Another receipt from a night out with friends.

21. I’ve been using Vaseline on my lips for a couple of years now. I never use Chapstick or Blistex anymore. Here’s why: I was once obsessed with Blistex until I used it so much that my body developed a reaction to it. My doctor said not to use anything on my lips that has wax in it. Wax dries out your lips, which is what causes that craving you feel, like-your-lips-are-going-to-fall-off-unless-you-get-more-Blistex-(or-Chapstick)-immediately!! Thus, you keep buying more, and more, and more. So, to cut the craving, don’t use anything with wax in it and your lips will thank you! And Vaseline lasts so much longer than anything else. I’ll never go back!

22. A girl’s best friend.

23. My make-up bag.

24. Oh! I forgot to mention that my moo.com box also holds other people’s business cards. It’s just an overall handy little box.

25. This belongs to my favorite strapless dress from Anthropologie. If I ever desired straps on it, I just pull this out and ta da! I have straps! I’m not really sure why it’s in my purse though. I haven’t worn that dress recently.

26. This is a rarity! I never have cash on me. Ever. It’s only a dollar though, so it’s not really anything to get too excited over.

27. Pens are a must-have. But Sharpies are essential….bright colors especially.

These things always change too. The ones that don’t change are: keys, gum, water, sunglasses, wallet and coin purse. I usually have a hair-tie in there; not sure why that’s missing. And I forgot to include my phone. Other than that, anything can end up in there.

What about you? What random things end up in your purse (or wallet)?

PS. Here’s where my bag lives….with all my other bags. This is an old coat rack that my mom gave me. Best thing ever. Oh, and the bag I’m currently using is from Urban Outfitters.

Hey guys,

Clearly, I’ve already missed Saturday and Monday’s post for this week. And I’ve been working on a post that should have been for yesterday (Wed), but it’s already Thursday and it’s still not finished. So, I’ve just decided to let this week go and start fresh next Monday. As I mentioned in my last post, I’m in the process of trying to move out on my own and it’s a pretty hefty feat! More changes have come regarding that, so there’s just a lot going on at the moment. I’m going to keep the challenge going, but I’m taking this week off. I will tack on these four days to what my end date should have been (April 30th). Instead, it’ll be May 9th.

Thanks for reading and keeping me motivated! :)

Oh, Challenge. You are not my favorite thing right now. I have about a million and one things to do, ideas and inspiration filling my brain, family and friends I’d rather spend time with, but still you pull on my heart strings. You are almost as bad as a mother’s guilt trip. You keep gnawing away at me. I couldn’t focus on ANYTHING I had to do, knowing that this post hadn’t been written yet. And to be honest, I had ideas about a million and one other things….except what to blog about tonight. Regardless, let the guilt be gone – I am back on track!

I don’t know about you, but I believe in jinxes. I don’t like calling them superstitions, although some people do. I never had to knock on wood (yea-ya, ‘Bosstones!)….okay, so I knock on wood ALL the time actually, but I reallyreallyreally just wanted to throw in that lyrical reference. Anyway, I jinxed something recently. I know. Ugh. I thought I was being good and NOT jinxing it, but I’m fully blaming the jinx on this one.

I’ve been condo/townhouse hunting with my family for quite some time now, and we recently made an offer on one. I didn’t want to tell a soul, because of the jinx. I cannot tell you how much I loved this place. It had so much character, bright light, a great floor plan, and a KILLER price. I don’t want to say which condo it was, because this is the internet and things tend to get fishy up in here, but I will say that what seemed like a good area, ended up not being a good area at all. It seemed perfectly safe, so I didn’t even question it. But “word on the street” that it was a bad place to live was confirmed by a good friend that I trust with my life, and we immediately pulled our offer. I was devastated. Everything was going SO well, and then bam! Then I thought, I could have avoided this all together had I just let go of the jinx and asked my friend to begin with. BUT NO.

Then I remembered.

I told my friend Anne about the place the week before. And my Dad. And my friend Cathleen a few days before. And I started to decorate the space in my head. And then the night before this happened, I had even dreamt that the offer had been accepted!

Crap. I did jinx it. I got too excited and the universe said, WHOOOOOA. Not so fast, my friend. Don’t ever mess with the jinx. I will have you know, the jinx is one powerful little bit of energy.

So, the hunt continues and I have learned my lesson. I’m seriously not going to tell a soul or even dream about whatever offer we make next, but what if that’s a bad area too and I’m just too innocent to know?

That’s where you come in! I could really use your help and thought collectively, you might be able to pinpoint areas of Phoenix that I should stay away from. That way, I don’t cross the jinx AND I don’t make a bad purchase. They may look nice during the daytime, but then….I’ll fear for my life at night. Those are the places I need to know about. So if you know of some, I’d really appreciate it if you could leave a comment or send me an email. You’d pretty much be saving my life.

And if you are just as innocent as moi, no worries! Check back to see if there are comments later, so you’ll know where not to go too! We gotta help each other stay safe.

:)

Oh! And in case you’re thinking, “um, Sara…wtf….why didn’t you just ask your friend BEFORE you made an offer? There’s no jinx in that.” True. But we really did think the area was perfectly fine. Really. I didn’t get any heebee jeebee feelings from the place. But out of nowhere, we randomly hear bad things?….that’s why I’m convinced it’s the jinx. It was just too random. That, and I really don’t want to take responsibility for not doing my homework. ;)