I loved this book so much! I finished it a few days ago and I totally was stoked on it! It was very inspiring and really well written. I highly recommend it to anyone and I really love the message that it contains. It’s gotten me even more interested in meditating regularly and in Buddhism.

The author Noah Levine has a great story and amazing style of writing, it’s very honest and true, I really appreciate it. He grew up listening to punk music and being angry at the world and it grew into him learning to meditate and then eventually start teaching.

I am looking forward to seeing this documentary and also reading his other book Against the Stream. There also is a Dharma Punx group at a meditation center not too far from my house, I am going to check it out next week and I think it will be really good for me.

]]> http://taraophotos.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/book-review-dharma-punx/feed/ 0 taraophotos http://taraophotos.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/the-slackers/ http://taraophotos.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/the-slackers/#comments Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:00:16 +0000 taraophotos http://taraophotos.wordpress.com/?p=1712 Keep reading →]]>

So last night I went to see one of my all time favorite bands, the Slackers. I can remember the first time I heard them, I use to have my irish step dancing rehearsals in the back room of a record store called Monkey Mambo, up by Metrocenter Mall. I was planning to go see Flogging Molly and I had seen on the flyer that The Slackers were playing as well, so I went in the store during a rehearsal and bought “Live at Ernestos” I sat and listened to it instead of my dance music in my headphones and got reprimanded by the instructor for not practicing. Starting then I’ve rarely missed them play when they’ve been in Phoenix and their shows have been some of the best I’ve been to.

The kind where you wake up with lots of eyeliner packed on and smeared, hair a mess, smelling like cigarettes and with your lungs so sore from dancing and blisters on your feet from dancing in heels. The whole next day the lyrics keep streaming through your head and you get a whole renewed feeling of utter love and happiness from their music again, just like the first time. Unfortunately, last night was not like that, at all.

Perhaps I’m getting old, but kids these days- yuck. I was getting pushed around, had no room to dance and the crowd just sucked hard. I was in strange mood when I got there and after almost not being let back in after going to my car to put my purse away, I was just irritated. I was really anxious and just feeling kind of sad but I got to dance for a bit, then enjoyed the last few songs sitting in the back. It’s so great to see some people I rarely see and everyone looking so dapper, except of course the ugly gross dudes in the leather jackets who smelt like rotten lunch meat.

After last night I am going to have an even harder time getting myself to go to shows, I get tired and anxious and the crowd irritates me and I get way sweaty. I still love seeing bands live, but sometimes it’s truly not worth the hassle. All in all, seeing all the rad people there was worth it, but I am just getting too old I believe.

I decided to move a shelf that was in the garage into the closet and put my shoes all out in the open!

I love how something so simple can make everything seem a lot neater and more organized, it’s like a whole different closet!

Today is my FOUR YEARS as a vegetarian!!!!

Lately, I feel lost. I feel confused and I feel lazy. I feel unmotivated and like I am wasting my time. I know I can’t go go go all day everyday but I feel like since working from home I’ve spent too much time “relaxing” ie, sleeping. And sleeping too much makes me feel really weird and totally crazy.

I have so much to accomplish and so many goals and projects and all I want to do is sleep. Part of me thinks I am becoming depressed again, but it comes and goes so I really think it might just be my sleep schedule which is always different. I crave routine, I am the type of person who likes to plan and have every hour of the day busy.

So lately I have just felt icky. I don’t know what I would do without Mike and my puppies. I have so many amazing people in my life, but unfortunately I don’t get to see them everyday. I feel blessed though that I get to see Mike every single day and have his love. And the love of my puppies is something that is totally different, but so amazingly great. I feel like as long as I have Mike and the love of my Lou and Edina I know I can do anything.

Obsessing over: the idea of planning a wedding. I never really cared much to daydream about getting married, but I’ve started reading blogs and looking at all sorts of wedding stuff. I can pretty much guarantee that me and Mike will tie the knot one day. Not sure when it will be, we talk about it on occasion, but the idea of marrying him and getting everyone together is super exciting to me!

Working on: Lots of photoshoots I cannot share yet! I am trying to get published in some pinup magazines and they mostly want stuff that has not been put out. So I’ve done and edited two amazing shoots that I just want to put out into the world so badly- but I am really hoping to get published in the next few months, I really wanna get into Retro Lovely!!!

Thinking about: the wedding I am going to photograph tomorrow! The groom is an old friend and we get to shoot him and his bride with his 1950s Cadillac!

Anticipating: swap meet/thrift shopping with my dear friend Jessica on Sunday! Also, I get off work in an hour and a half and get to sleep! Excited about this as well.

Listening to: An awesome mix my friend Joanna sent me in the mail- she put up part of it on a playlist you can find here- it’s seriously so gooood!

Eating: lots of cereal- I’ve been on a real kick! Specifically Kashi Cinnamon Harvest <3

Wishing: that someone wanted to donate me a Canon 5D Mark II out of the kindess of their dear little heart!

Got this from Miss Danielle over at SometimesSweet.com

So, maybe you have heard of menstral cups- maybe not. They seem a little strange at first, but now that I bought one and have used it only since yesterday, I am totally happy with my purchase.

The brand I chose was Femmecup, because they had an ad in BUST magazine with a coupon code. There’s lots of brands out there, they seem to be pretty similar. Femmecup just seemed to have a lot of information and when I went to checkout offered an option to donate towards feminine products for third world women- so of course I threw in some extra!

I won’t go into too many details, but the site helps a lot with how they work…I totally highly recommend them- let me know if you try it!

]]> http://taraophotos.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/the-femmecup/feed/ 0 taraophotos http://taraophotos.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/friday-favorite-links/ http://taraophotos.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/friday-favorite-links/#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:43:02 +0000 taraophotos http://taraophotos.wordpress.com/?p=1656 Keep reading →]]>

from October 2010

I am really eyeing this set of Kat Von D lipsticks…should I do it? Ooooh and look at Nicki Minaj’s new pink lipstick!

Is it just me or do you just love Mary Kate and Ashley- they are darling! Oh my goodness- here they are on Arsenio Hall when they were tiny!

I want these nesting dolls- they are so cute!

Been watching Saturday Night Live while working- this sketch with Paris Hilton is hilarious! And this clip from this past weekend is hilarious!

How rad is this Cupid themed Engagement shoot!

I’m wanting this bow skirt something fierce!

A really awesome post about storing produce- very informative!

I really want this Johnny Cupcakes tshirt!

I’ve been needing to live in New York lately and seeing stuff like this doesn’t help that desire!

Modcloth teases me with such cute dresses- like this one! And look at this darling swimsuit!!! And I have already been drooling over these shoes!