, originally uploaded by LeSophie.

I told you there were some funny ones in this batch.

More photobooth funnies here and here (and super hooray congrats to my hula girl on being the official project#131!)

Good weekend, k?
Smooch.
Out.

through the curtain, originally uploaded by LeSophie.

This photo is one of the many that I shot in Cozumel, Mexico several weeks ago. I am giving it special attention today because...well...it has gotten special attention all by itself. Over at Flickr (click link below photo for specific comments at the site).

And, although I really do like it, I have a question for all of you...why this one?

I have never received this amount of attention on a photo before. It has created a bit of a question mark above my head as I have other shots that I personally consider to be more striking. More moving. It is sometimes difficult for me to step far enough back from my own work to see it as others might. To detach myself from it.

So, any ideas? I would so appreciate your insight...

(edited to add...I have decided to submit this image to the Dreamscapes theme over at JPG magazine. If you really like it could you be so kind as to throw a vote my way :)?

Step 1:
Stop by local estate sale, purchase 'Champale' sign with electric cord for $4.75, drive straight home to see if it works, plug in and place above vintage bar cart only to ooooh and aaaah as the internal christmas lights start randomly flashing.

Step 2:
Invite the right people over for dinner. You know they are the right people if they show up with freshly baked bread, garden salad, handmade ravioli and sauce from Lucca's as well as assorted hand chosen chocolate truffles. They do this because they like you a whole heck of a lot. Also because of the total disarray of your kitchen due to...
Step 3:
Empty glass fronted kitchen cabinets, wash thoroughly, paint interior 'Irish Green', install green glass knobs from Anthropologie and be amazed at how such a little sumthin' sumthin' like that can make such a big difference in a room.

Et Voila!
Stellar.

I've been slack about Music Mondays for awhile. I am rethinking it a bit. Scaling down to a suggestion here and there methinks. Having said that I can't keep quiet about this one anymore. Unless you've been hiding under a rock you've heard about Amy Winehouse but have you seen this?...



Hot.
Damn.
I do believe Justin may be mistaken because this girl?
She already brought sexy back.
Ouch.

This little lovely is one of twelve photobooth shots captured in a vintage booth at the Santa Cruz boardwalk arcade one month ago. There are other classicly hysterical ones that I will share in time but I chose this one today because it best captures the beauty - outer and inner - of these friends, Beth and Belinda.

I have hinted around the edges that it has been a tough couple of months for me. I originally had other plans for this night back in March. And then things changed. I suddenly had an extra ticket to see Patty Griffin at a small club in Santa Cruz that night. I considered selling it. Or letting it dry up and go unused. Standing alone in a crowd of strangers and letting the powerful emotions stirred by the music wash the pain in me clean.

But these girls? They would not stand for it. Not only did that extra ticket get used but another was purchased and the three of us journeyed the hour and forty minutes down to this funky little beach town. We stopped first at the arcade to indulge my photobooth obsession, had an excellent dinner at an out of the way Greek restaurant and then headed for the venue.

The music started as we stood ten feet from Patty and, then, the most beautiful thing happened. I stood between these two dear souls and they cried as the beauty washed over us in waves. I had feared it would be me with the tears but I was marveling at the overwhelming sense of gratitude that I felt when Patty sang these words...

" Tomorrow may rain with sorrow
Here's a little time we can borrow
Forget all our troubles in these moments so few
All we've got right now, the only thing that
we really have to do
Is have ourselves a heavenly day..."

And did we ever.


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More photobooth friday here and here.

Culling 650 images down to approximately 90 over the few days since we've been back has been lovely, gratifying and exhausting. So I thought, today, an edited version of the meme over at hula's place would be just the thing...

james brown or marvin gaye?
I don't really listen to either but I'll pick Marvin because:
a) well, he was sexy and
b) I only ever think of Eddie Murphy doing "hawt tub" when I hear James Brown anyway.

chinese or indian takeout?
chinese take out
indian eat in

fleece or knitted blanket?
don't ask a knitter that!

girls with makeup or without?
with a little and then 'BAM!' with the red lipstick

costco or whole foods?
duh - whole foods is around the corner and only one adult and one child live in this house.

wildflowers or arrangements?
arrangements of wildflowers

cello or trumpet?
cello.
PickleBoy knows how.
I have always wanted to.

salt water or fresh (for swimming)?
all of the above but force me to pick and it is most definitely salt (have you seen the last three posts?)

chatspeak or absolutely NOT?
NOPE.

digital camera or old-school?
don't ask me that...or, well, ok - every kind of camera.

time or newsweek?
I will not read either. I hate the 'entertainment' and sensationalism of most journalism. Having said that, my answer is NPR and The Sun.

cream and sugar or not?
black coffee in bed

CNN or BBC News?
see the answer above coffee

iTunes or something else?
iTunes until someone comes up with something better (which is unlikely to happen)

socks or barefoot?
six months of each

brass or pewter?
I long for twelve place settings of hefty simple (a little banged up) pewter silverware - ah pure luxury that I would use every single day.

wool or cotton?
wool for knittin
cotton for wearin

gerald ford or jimmy carter?
Jimmy all the way (again, look at the answer above coffee)

thrift store or outlet?
I actually laughed when I read this one. Um, thrift store.

japanese garden or english garden?
English up one side and down the other (right now please)
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I do want to say thank you for all the comments and support this week. It seems my journey is gaining speed and it would not be nearly the same without you guys in my corner.

thank.
you.

the other side of the island.


Here is the link to the last of the three slide shows from this amazing journey.

There are more stories to tell than time. I asked B upon our return how we ever had such a saturated, experience-laden trip without expending very much effort at all. Although we couldn't come up with specifics as to why, she thought it might have something to do with the total and immediate immersion into another culture that you feel the moment you step off the plane. I agree.

I also think it has a lot to do with avoiding brochures, tours, typical tourism. She and I separately grew up visiting Mexico and speak some of the language, we all have a hearty sense of adventure and a true reverence for 'Mexico style'. My best suggestion is (and this would go for any trip really) rent a home or condo to get away from crowds, rent a car or jeep, go everywhere you can on your own and explore, attempt to speak the local language a bit - it makes a difference as long as you try - in essence, become a traveler instead of a tourist.

If you must take a cruise to Cozumel, get off, rent a jeep (NOT a scooter or a segway) and drive the long southern way around to the other side of the island for beauty and solitude. Be careful with the water over there - it is a little rougher. Best to park at one of the two/three restaurants with palapas and swim a little, sit in the shade, eat some ceviche and be a million miles away from anything you know in your day to day...

Or just go for a whole week like we did :)

yum.

palapas.

floaties.

the end.

The Mexican people have the most amazing way with color. The hues, the layers, the saturation. It is so distinct and unbelievably inspiring to me.

cerveza.

take care of me.

ice is sold.

amarillo.

A slideshow of my set of images capturing more of the 'colores de cozumel' can be viewed here.

B & Ri - the shot of the trip.

We have been back for several days. I have been sifting and sorting through the 650 images we shot while there (that is not an exaggeration) and am presenting them in stages this week. We begin the week with the candids of our group of five. Ray, Belinda, Mason, PickleBoy(Riley) and myself. The pictures really do the talking more than I could. Suffice it to say it was the

Best.
Trip.
Ever.

These are five favorites of the first 36 images. Follow this link if you want to see them in their entirety as a slideshow.

Ri & Mas are flying.

the crew.

back to the beach.

happy me (taken by B).

_________________________

Thanks for stopping by and also for all of the comments on the last two posts while we were away. Part two tomorrow...

You cannot believe the saturation of these colors even when you are
sitting
right
here.
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Thank you so for the tremendous support on my last post.
What better than a spell on the white sands and in the gentle aqua seas of Cozumel after such a big month. PB and I will return with further-freckled skin and renewed vigor at the end of next week. I will try to throw some new images on the blog while we are there but, if not, you will understand?

May your holiday be fluffy bunny and dark chocolate-filled.

edited to add: Woohoo! This blog turns one year old on the 5th!!

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SPC is all about body parts this month. Check it out.