And Where Has Summer Gone?

'And The Boys'
-Angus & Julia Stone

Summer has been busy.  I've been around.  Sadly won't have my annual August trip to Tahoe.  Sample of of my summer thus far, in no particular order...

Much more to come including a few more CA trips this summer for work and housing and several events.  Hope your summers are going swanky!

'You Can't Keep Me'
-Amy LaVere


-Gawdun

Dance on Your Floors

'My Only Wish'
-Jessica Simpson

For my final posting for today.  (Three in one day that is record for me fewwww.)

Last week Nicole and I attended that Sin City Roller Girls roller disco event down in Vegas like old times. (They used to host it at the Rain nighclub at the Palms but since it has moved over to The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel Casino) Being friends and working with the roller girls has it's perks as we did not have to pay a cover for the club and were on the list.

I like being on a list.

I opted out from skating with the rest of the fun people so that I could take photo's.  I did not bring my work camera as I wasn't on the media list so I just stuck to the trusty cell phone and used a trusty app called 'Vignette.'  If you have an android based phone I must tell you to get the app.  It's worth the freeness of it.

Here are the shots from the night.

Favorite Shot #1 (above)

Favorite shot #2 (above)

Favorite Shot #3 (above)

Favorite Shot #4 (above)

I'd love to hear your thoughts on these please.

It's nice to once in a while shoot photos that are not on a specific assignment or job and things that I want to shoot.  It helps keeps me creative and fresh.


'Time of the Season'
-Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan


-Gawdun

In Rome they Do It BIG!!!

'Christmas Tree'
-Lady Gaga (probably the most random Xmas song EVER, but then are you surprised being from Gaga?)

As mentioned a few post prior I traveled to Vegas for a day of Christmas shopping with the destination set for the new H&M location that was replacing the old FAO Schwartz toy story in the Forum Shops at  Caesars Palace Las Vegas.  If you read the past post you would know that they actually didn't open on the scheduled November 20th.  Instead it would be two days from the day we were there.  So of course I was lucky that I had to attend a roller derby game that same night when it would open.  So you bet your bottom dollar this boy, and his friends Kenley, and Nicole got up early and drove down just so we could get the lucky opening door gifts.

We got there and had to WAIT in line to even get in the store, it was AMAZING!  I have never for one waited in line for a movie so to wait in line for a store to let us in was beyond me.  But we managed to score some sweet re usable shopping bags, and little note books.  I loved it.  However the highlight came when we got close to the door.  They gave out these little poker chips with scratch spots on the back.  Once scratched it had a money denomination.  I had $25 so that meant I pretty much had free money.  You better believe I used that up.

Now before I shut up and post the photo's of this marvel of a store let me describe the reason why I love me some H&M.  First off they are comparable, but better, to the Old Navy of Europe.  However you don't find many shirts with stupid decals of the store of pictures on them.  It's simple, well designed, decal-less, affordable clothes for the person looking to dress high style and not spend 50K on a new wardrobe.  Perfect for me as I have began the transition to get rid of my decal stamped Shirts and go for a more modern 50's look, which is were I love.  Think Mad Men style.  For opening day they had killer rack deals, $5 clothes and such.  So with that in mind here is what I spent and saved.  I WOULD HAVE spent $201.60.  I LEFT PAYING $59.40.  I'll let you do the math on how much I saved.  Only one item did I pay full price for it, and that was a GIANT bow tie.

Enough of the ramblings on saving, here are some pics for this gem.  Oh and I did find out for those interested that this location has a live DJ (I hope he wasn't just for the opening) and they will have items in this location you WILL NOT find in any other H&M.

Now here are the main reasons for this post, the eye candy I wet myself for.  The store seriously has the best displays in my opinion it just blew my mind.  Mind you it is 3 stories when you see these.

 Yes that is a DJ and his mannequin partner in crime

All the mannequins were hanging from wires and out of control rockin awesome

One final thing about this place is my mind as a photographer goes on major overdrive.  Styling is a huge part of photo shoots and the entire time I am there I am thinking what would be great for a shoot and such.  So if there are any guys or gals out there that want to collaborate with me and this store let me know!  I am for real let's set something up!

'The Night Before Christmas'
-Brandon Heath

-Gawdun

Bows of Holly

'Christmas Lights'
-Coldplay

I have been gone from the blog world for a minute.  I know, I know "The Horror!"  I could tell you that I have been busy which is yes very true as I have had family photo shoots and also a wedding shoot in Vegas, along with bartending and table waiting but that would be a lie if I used just "being busy."  I have had no desire to sit down and blog simply put.  I have been a blog party crapper.  Maybe it has to do with the fact I am running 3 blogs (or attempting) with one being ARG IMAG Photography, the business blog.  Whatever reason may be I have taken a blog hiatus but am back now.

I've begun compiling the listing of all the music mentioned at the start and finish of blog posts from this year.  That playlist will be available to view come January 1, 2011. (1/1/11)

St. George this week has flooded.  Not as bad I guess damage wise as the 2005 flood.  HOWEVER I have just one irritation with the hype around it.  Some of you may have seen this remark as my Facebook status but I must explain.  I HATE when people make reference to floods as a "common occurrence."  Unless you have factual evidence I don't want to hear the phrase, "oh this is a 100 (90, 75 etc) year flood.  Simply put I don't think weather truly has a pattern like the human race does.  I think the simplicity of my brother backing the toilet up has more of a pattern and can be called one than flooding does.  I had someone this week tell me that the flood of 2005 (which I didn't live here then) was a 100 year flood and the one of this week was a 90 year flood.  I won't lie, I laughed in their face and called them out.  Not nice but had to be done.  -The end of my flood rant-

December has been a busy Sin City Roller Girls month.  Nicole is also back from her master program in N.C. so we have attended most of the events.  I did the Twitter feed once again for the team during their bout this month.  We also attended yet another roller disco event they hosted.  They moved it from the Rain nightclub at the Palms to The Joint at Hard Rock.  Not as fun I will admit but it was a good time.  I opted to not skate it up and took some sweet photos.  I will be posting them tonight along with my photo's from the H&M opening at the Forum Shop.  That opening blew my mind!


'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas'
-Aimee Mann


-Gawdun

I Could Not Believe It!!!

Over this weekend I made it down to the Season 6 opening game for the Fabulous Sin City Roller Girls. I was not partaking of the photography side of the bouts (what we call a game in derby speak) as this time I was the teams official Twitter-er ( @SinCityDerby for those that speak tweet.) However I did bring my trusty Lomography camera I spoke of in my last post to test out on a derby. I am printing them this week so check back for shots that I hope turned out. Anyways I was also pumped that it turns out I wont miss the October bout like I thought I would. They moved the date a week earlier! I was going to be in Reno for the October one but it looks like I will be there to cheer and scream my heart out.

I do have to give a shout out to my dear friend Annie for letting me crash at her place, it was a hoot. And man was she cheering enough for the both of us! She picked up my cheer slack so I could keep up with tweets (tweeting is not as easy live as it looks). However we need to down Oreo's next time. I mean we had two bags and not one was opened, but hey at least we got some Arrested Development in!

I will say though that the last two minutes of the last half of the bout were AMAZING! I have never seen a final push to score like that before. I was edge of my seat screaming!!!!

That is all.

-Gawdun

Much To Go About

'Gimme Sympathy'

-Metric

Until I post some of the most random stories from my vacation last week enjoy the photo's I took backcourt (backstage) and on court for the Fabulous Sin City Roller Girls final game of the season!

ARG IMAG Photography

(you have to click the link above)

'New Divide'

-Linkin Park

-Gawdun

YoU Ain't Kidding!

Hold the phone. I just learned Macy Grey, oh how I love her, has a new album out June, 22. I'm so excited and I seriously just can't hide it!

I noticed that a large amount of the blogs I follow have done a great deal of updating this week. And then there is mine and it has been a touch and go for some time now. I am pretty sure that I will have no reason other than clients that will keep me from updating this. The big blog-update-blockers would had to have been LOST and 24. Both of which ended in a twenty-four hour period.

LOST- AMAZING! There are many theories out there on the ending and it makes me laugh. It was pretty self answering and yet people still try and read into it. Like I told a friend on their blog, "Unless your name is JJ Abrams or one of the other head guys I won't believe your explanation on the ending." Each person has their own idea of the ending and not one is better than the other. The series was just the best. Well written and such. Even better it was announced that the complete series will be on a complete DVD/BluRay box set. EVEN BETTER than that it will retail on Amazon for $148.99! Yup I've already began coin collecting for this.

24- Jack was a great guy! I think we need a couple of him in our high profiled government fields. At least we know we wouldn't be getting ripped off by our leaders. He would always do the right even if it meant bending a few rules that dumb people put in so they could get away with corruption. Needless to say the series ender of 24 was fantastic. Chloe didn't let me down and neither did Jack. Oh and big news because I was Tweeting about the show as it was happening I was linked on a twitter trend grid. For those that don't tweet I can't even explain how awesome that was and again I can't even begin to explain what that is. You just had to be there.

Last Saturday I was asked to do photography at a Fabulous Sin City Roller Girls bout (game). It was Rockin AWESOME! I was the more close up back stage photog. Check later on my photography page as I will be posting some of them later tonight. I just loved the fact that I was asked to help with it!

Oh dang I gotta run, we are cleaning the church and helping a sister move in my singles ward. Till later.

'Bad Romance'

-Lady Gaga

-Gawdun

You Know the Ball Pit at Mc Donalds?

Yup that is the true statement of all things around me! I'm not complaining at all, I tend to attract commotion and chaos. However I don't rely upon it. (Ann you can't say anything about that :-P)

I have a lot going on as mentioned in my past posting. I still haven't heard back if I am to photograph next weekends Sin City Roller Girl bout, but I am still hopeful that all is still set for that. Yeah if I forgot to mention that I was asked to photograph the upcoming bout for the Sin City Roller Girls as one of the normal photographers will be gone that weekend.

Work over at the Ruby has still been laying on the stories of joy and frustrations. I also have a supply of many notes left for me on receipts by customers. All of them are great! I do have one bad one and it makes me laugh. I save all them, good and bad. They all make me laugh anymore. I fully understand that I wont be stuck there longer than needs be, as long as I don't stall and drag my feet. When things get real rough there I go back and think about this amazing little old couple that comes in only when I am working there. They actually ask for my schedule for the next week so they can come when I am there and sit in my section. I just love them. The husband wears the classic flannel shirts with occasional cardigan while the wife wears these outrageously large sun hats that hide her awesomely huge glasses. Seriously they are rocking trendy and should be featured on the Sartorialist blog.

Things with ARG IMAG Photography have been good. I sometimes feel like a marketing hooker.

I sure don'e feel like a hooker though when I get done so that is the plus side and people aren't afraid that I will give them a disease. Although I sometimes wonder if my prices and the same as a real hookers prices. I'll make sure to ask next time I see one in real life though.

I sure hope everyone saw the Betty White SNL episode last week. It was seriously the funniest thing I have seen in a longggg time. All I have to say is "muffins" and, "...and the tiny people wont be orange. They'll be freaky hispanic & chinese dudes!"

And finally the new Betta fish is doing much better than the first one. If I never mentioned it my Betta that I had the name contest for died after a few weeks. It turned out from all my research that he wasn't sick. He was just depressed. Yeah, depressed, that is what I said. With the depression they starve themselves. My new guy eats like a hog. Plus he does tricks for me! (Seriously I did not mean for this posting to have so many hooker references).

I guess that is a sign I must go for now.

(oh and for those that ask my mother, two brothers and sister are doing well)

-Gawdun

When It RAINS Derby

Being a friend of someone trying to join the local roller derby team has it's perks. For one since the local and closest team is in Vegas we travel a lot to and from the lovely city. (On a side note I LOVE Las Vegas, not just because it's in my home state it is more than that and very hard to explain.) So besides Derby Bouts, and practices they also have an event called, Down and Derby. I'm not sure how they manage it but the RAIN nightclub inside the young, trendy and famous Palms resort and casino holds this event and it is a party! They have skate rentals and of course if you want part of it you can drink and party from 10pm-4am. Don't worry I did not partake of the drinking part of things but you better believe this blogger and friend rented some skates and jammed it out on the dance floor.

First off the costumes and get ups we all wore were classic. Here is Nicole and I (the actual person joining the team) in our clothes of choice.




Rocking right? Well we got to RAIN and had to sign a waiver just in case we injured ourselves saying that The Palms would not be responsible. After getting past the 6 bouncers we made our way into RAIN. Upon entry you have to walk through this tube of red lights being reflected off this metallic, reflective siding. I'll save you from too much info as yes I do have photos AND videos. But can I just tell you that I can't wait for the next Down and Derby! It was sooo much fun.

-On the ceiling they have this light set and accessory beam that besides lights dissperses fog, snow AND FIRE!!!!!




Talk about how you could feel the heat from above. It was great when they played the classic disco hits that shouted "fire" in them.

I wasn't able to take my good camera in as I didn't have a press pass but I am going to see what I can do about it for the near future. So all I could shoot with was my phone.














And here you go with some videos. Most of these involve the breakn dances going on in the middle of the dance floor. The craziest part is all the trick dancers were wearing skates and they were off the chain AMAZING!!!







I saw this shot going into The Palms but waited till I left to get it. (That is usually a bad move with great shots but it worked out this time)



I'm not sure what the adventures are to come in the next week but I will keep you posted. By the way, any of you that are in the area for my "Golden Birthday" (26 on the 26th of Feb) we are planning on hitting up RAIN and a pre dinner at this Persian Diner I found in Vegas.


-Gawdun