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

I Needed A Good Avataring...

Who would have thought that witnessing a good o'l fashioned avataring would change my dismal cloud to a cloud of light?

Lesson learned:  When you have one of them days just look at your back up photo files, I'm sure there will be a mind lightener in there somewhere :)

PS:  Morgan and Kenley will have the best avatar children ever, I'm just saying.


-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

Not Just the Magazines

'Belong'

-Cary Brothers

When I was a wee laddie, (I still feel that I am) I tore up the pages of many books. For clarification I would read them. Oh how much I loved them. I had no problem clearing a Box Car Children or similar style of book in one day tops. I mean I loved the literary world. As with most of us the desire to read and time to read escaped me. I blame the iPod as I love me some podcasts and I also blame the great Google Reader since it delivers all the daily news and blogs I subscribe to via RSS feed each moment they are newly posted.

I am trying to better my ways of the classic for of words. I have began to purchase books and read them. Last week while I was watching Brothers and Sisters with the family, the book, 'Walden' was brought up. I was always told how much I needed to read it and that I would love it. Although unlike movies I don't go out and read all that are referred to me. But after the dialogue on TV about this book and thinking about the excerpts we read in high school I decided it was time to read it.

So yesterday while on yet another Vegas trip (this was a photo working one) I stopped by our lovely friends at Barnes and Noble and picked up a copy of Henry David Thoreau's book, 'Walden.'

Literary world ready or not here I come! Let's embrace and have a moment.

'Everybody Hurts'

-R.E.M.

-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

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