These Kids Are so much Hipper than Me

Please, may I introduce two members of that counterculture that isn't organized enough to be, nor wants to be a counterculture- the hipsters.  These two are particularly good.  They border on scenester just because what they are doing is so poppy/ Japanese.  The backpack, let me start with the backpack.  Woah.  That person with it on is a guy, and he looked to be about twenty years old, and he's rockin the miniature, cutesy stuffed animal backpack.  That's.  Awesome.  I wish I had the courage to pull off something that eccentric, but I don't.  Maybe that's for the better, but he just looks so fun!  The girl looks a little bit like  a Lady Gaga wannabe.  These two were just hanging out one cloudy August day at South Street Seaport.  I didn't talk to them.  They walked around the area in circles- I don't know if they were intentionally trying to get people to notice that they were much cooler than everyone else.  It was working.  Check out the girl in the yellow in the top photograph.

Now they just have to whip out their American Spirits and a PBR and they are good to go.

I am nowhere near that cool.

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

A Nice Cup of Rob

So, Rob is the guy who owns that dog Tofu, who I shared a bunch of pictures of before.  He came to visit New York for a few days in August, right before Danny and I went to Austin, and we had such a great time!  

A friend coming to visit gives the New Yorker a chance to do that thing they are never supposed to do- tourist stuff.   

shiver. 

Everyone who lives in New York says that they hate touristy things.  They are way too cool to enjoy the M&M store, Times Square sucks, Macy's is overrated, and god forbid anyone ask them to go on a sightseeing bus.  Here's the secret, though- most of us really enjoy all of them.  We're just trying to be way too cool to admit it.

Anyways, these photos are of Rob doing something not touristy.  Rob's kind of strangely obsessed with hipsters (just wait for the next post), and he wanted to do things in New York that the hipsters do. I recently graduated from NYU, so, though I don't consider myself to be a hipster, I am familiar with their ways.  So, I took him to Think Coffee.  He got himself a massive mug of tea and a grilled cheese, while Danny and I had iced coffee and a brownie.  

Manhattan, New York City, New York

The Flowers of New Canaan

I spent a surprisingly large amount of time in New Canaan this summer. I had never heard of the town before, but since Danny was working there, commuting in and out of the city five days a week, I became pretty darn familiar.  It's a charming town- I know I've shared some of its architecture and street life before, but I wanted to share some of the flowers I saw there those many times I visited.  The town was decidedly upper class- ritzy seems to be an appropriate word.  So, massive front yards were landscaped with gorgeous flowers of many colors.  Enjoy!

 

New Canaan, Connecticut, USA

My Art Is Many Pieces Put Together

Some mosaics by the brilliant Stefanie DiStefano, from her home, and a bridge near her home.  I know I posted about her work two days ago, but I can't seem to shut up about it.  She's really good- and she does some of her work as charity! How amazing is that!

More on her on her website, http://www.flamingoranch.com .

Austin, Texas, USA

A Night Out

Some typical street scenes from Little Italy.  Mulberry Street is hopping on weekend evenings- especially in summer.  I know that Ive talked about it before, but I can't really emphasize enough how much I am charmed by that area.  The first photograph is a young couple buying gelato.  The girl's outfit is so perfect!  I like it in general, but for a date night in Little Italy... that girl's got style.  The second photograph is of one of the many restaurant hosts who yell to the passersby, trying to get them to come into the restaurant.

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Tools of the Trade

 

Paintbrushes, ceramics, beautifully coloured walls and window frames... this is all par for the course at the home of Stefanie DiStefano.  She's a friend of David, Danny's dad.  We went to a brunch party at her house while we were in Austin. 

I had been introduced to some of her artwork almost nine monthes earlier, when I was shown a stunning mural in the outdoor seating of a Torchy's Tacos in South Austin.  I was impressed with the incredible attention to detail- and the fact that the Torchy's mascot was the same as the one from my middle school.  

Anyways, her house was fabulous.  It was one of the most artistic places I have ever visited.  The floors, walls, counters, windows, they are all at least partially covered in her mosaics.  Fun paintings hang from the walls.  Beaded curtains.  Cacti.  Massive amounts of porch space.  It was, as I said before, fabulous.  

And Stephanie is a lovely person!  I figured she had to be pretty cool if she was allowing a stranger to tail along to her brunch, and she proved me right.  Despite the fact that I got attacked by a cactus in the front yard (meh) it was a great day.  Expect a few more posts showing her house and work.  

Here's her website: http://www.flamingoranch.com

Austin, Texas, USA

Photographer Feature: Lauryn McCarter

Lauryn McCarter is half Irish and half Hungarian, and feels that this fact has disproportionately affected her life.  Jersey-born and raised in Virginia, Lauryn is an NYU Directing major but spends her summers working as a farmhand. She is spending this semester studying in Prague, traveling through Europe, and refilling her creative gas tank. 

More of her work, including photos and short stories, can be found at www.halftrue.tumblr.com. Lauryn shoots with a Canon Rebel XS named Amelia. Her favorite thing in the world is animals.

 Bric a Brac Shop, Staré m ěsto, Prague

Lonely Wicker Unicorn, a courtyard somewhere in Staré město, Prague

Florist's window, Prague

African wild dogs, Zoo Praha, Troja, Prague

Fisherman's Bastion, Buda, Budapest

Prague, Czech Republic
and
Budapest, Hungary

Swinging Around

Teddy bear princess doll, on the swing in my parents' backyard!

West Grove, Pennsylvania, USA

Like Stat

Have I ever mentioned that my little sister is gorgeous??

This is her.  Studying for AP Statistics.  She's a senior in high school now, which is just crazy to me.  Just about as crazy as the fact that I'm done college.  Sheesh time flies.  Anyway, here she is, studying away, looking stunning on my family's lovely porch overgrown with pink roses. Amazing.

West Grove, Pennsylvania, USA

Model: Julianna Buck

Gone to Seed

  

 

A study of some lettuce that had gone to seed.  I didn't actually know what this was at first- I thought it was some kind of delicate wildflower.  But, nope!  It was lettuce that had not been picked in a few weeks, and had grown and was planning for the next generation.  The mouse doll was my little addition to the scene.

West Grove, Pennsylvania, USA

Flutter By Again

Another shot of that same beautiful, black butterfly.  Took my breath away.

Sorry, once again, for the lack of posts recently.  I work fourteen hour days, and I just haven't had time to deal with my blog lately.  I shall try to be better about it.

West Grove, Pennsylvania, USA

Flutter By

This was taken in my parents' backyard.  They have zinnias all over the place in the fall... all of the flower beds that have been full of other plants get simply taken over.  Orange, purple, pink and yellow dominate the yard, rather than the expected green.  And what comes along with them?  Butterflies.  Dozens of them!  Simple moth-like ones all the way to elegant blue and yellow ones.  Stand in that yard for five minutes, and I guarantee that you will see six or seven different types of butterflies. It's absolutely magical.

West Grove, Pennsylvania, USA

Johnny Jump Up

Jump it! (Louder)

West Grove, Pennsylvania, USA

Tiger Lily

Lillies are my favourite kind of flower.  I spied this one in a garden next to my voice teacher's house and had to photograph it.  I didn't notice until I downloaded it onto my computer, that a small ant is crawling out of the flower!

Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Roll the Dice

On our last night in Austin, a bunch of us got together and played a late night game of Illuminati in the gazebo by the pool.  Danny and I had gone for a late night swim in the pool a few nights before, but were rudely interrupted by the sounds of a pack of coyotes killing a deer about twenty feet away, in the woods.  When that happened, we prompty ran away.  Coyotes don't generally attack people, especially in groups... but I am pretty little, and it was much safer to just leave.  This night, we had six people, and lots of lights on, so we weren't particularly concerned.  That's Danny, with the dive and the instructions, in the very dim light of a single 60w lamp.

Austin, Texas, USA

Baby Branch

A small branch with fresh, green leaves on a tree in Danny's dad's neighborhood.  

New beginnings, happy days.

Austin, Texas, USA

Photographer Feature: Erica Norman

I am Erica Norman, and I have lived lots of places and gone to many different parts of the US and have even traveled to Europe multiple times. Regardless of that, the best place I have ever lived or been to is the Delaware/Pennsylvania area. It is filled with hills and forgotten buildings and a wide variety of things to look at. It's no wonder that I've taken up photography recently.

This collection of photos depicts Hagley Museum and Library's grounds during the summer of 2010. Hagley was a gunpowder mill founded by E.I. DuPont over 200 years ago, and today is one of the gorgeous parks around Wilmington, Delaware. It is worth taking a stroll around during any time of the year, but beware the geese in the spring; they will attack you.

Powder House 1: 

This may or may not be a powder house, I can't remember. What I do remember is that it is, in fact, a very old building. Old buildings are fascinating and photo-worthy, especially if they have fines climbing up them, as this one does. I do not have a clue of what kind of vine this is.

Vine:

This is a close-up of one of the vines that is on the picture of the powder house. I decided I wanted to take a picture of it because of its tiny little delicate flowers and shapely leaves.  I still have no idea what the vine is called.

Portal:

This is a picture of a storehouse, I believe. I took a picture of this because it looked as if it was a portal to another world. Doorways and arches are wonderful subjects for pictures and imaginations to focus on.

Green:

The sun was coming through the canopy of leaves above in such a vibrant way that I was almost forced to take a picture, because my conscience told me I would regret it if I didn't.

Two Paths:

This is a picture of the beginning of the main path/road of the Hagley grounds. The viewpoint is a little skewed, but I think that was because I was on a hill. I am on the less traveled path that goes up the hill and into a more woodsy part of the grounds.

You can find more of my art here: http://glassflower7.deviantart.com/
My blog is here: http://elvenrantpage.blogspot.com/

Wilmington, Delaware, USA