i really need to start sticking with things.

Leave it to me to wait around for a rainy day to finally update my blog. Let me rephrase… leave it to me to wait around for the FIRST rainy day in MAY to finally update my blog.

This has always been a problem of mine, sticking with things. I like to tell myself that I can do this every day, it’s not hard, just write SOMETHING every day! I’m just lazy. I haven’t taken any good photographs in a while. I’m slacking.

My boyfriend has been talking about starting a Photography company for a while now. “Grophens Photography” (it’s our last names smushed together). A while back, my good friend Steffanie and I were going to start “Simpsetto Photography” (also our names smushed together).

Well, Grophens now has a group on facebook. It’s private for now, until we work on it a little more. We’re going to need our own website soon. I’ll post as much as I can on here as well. So basically this is what we’re working with:

©Alex Stephens

In other news: I’m starting Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred as soon as I submit this post. Should make so a excellent workout. Or, if you’re looking in through my living room windows, it should make for an EXCELLENT comedy.
Enjoy :*

no more jersdays.

It’s been a week since I posted? I’m supposed to be getting better at this. I have been 100% addicted to tumblr! Especially all the “thinspo” (thinspiration) and weight-loss blogs. Although some of them are not that healthy, it’s nice to have a community of fellow girls and women for support. I’ve only lost about 2lbs, but that’s in one week! I’d say we’re off to a very good start 🙂

On Tuesday, Kelly, Shannon and I had a nice lunch at Panera Bread (mine was about 500 calories!), and then wandered around the Arboretum in Oakdale/Great River. I was hoping to get some photographs, but when I got home and started to edit them, I realized they were nothing special. SO, I’m not posting any. However, I did find some photos of my snow pup! She may be ugly, but I just LUBHERR.

Have a great day! xoxo (gossip girl?)<3

happy jersday

Good afternoon fellow bloggers. I am currently in a serious food coma. My Grammarie, Aunt Elaine and I went out to lunch at a great little place in Sayville called Cricket’s. I had a tuna melt, if you are at all interested. On the drive home I was asking my grandma about the red light cameras that seem to be slowly making there way to every major intersection. A few weeks ago I ran a red light and was afraid the camera got me. I was told they usually mail them out a few days after the picture was taking. I assumed I was in the clear. Welp, as soon as I got home, I headed towards the mailbox (as I usually do when I come home) and SURPRISEEEEEE:

Major FML moment.

Any other news in the world of j9? Why yes, thank you for asking! I pretty much get hit on every shift I’m working at Barnes and Noble. The other night I got a note from an anonymous:

(I happened to be wearing a purple striped sweater that night) Who are youuuu?

Anyway, I still need to get my butt out in the Photography world. My best friend Kelly (who I think comes up in every post) had mentioned a fashion show in which they need a photographer for…and someone else from the salon is wondering how much I charge for weddings! By the way…can anyone tell me how much an average wedding photographer goes for these days? I’m capable of googling this information but I’d like to hear from fellow photographers.

Enjoy your day! j9<3

get it get it

Being 150lbs and only being 5′ 2″ is not okay. I’ve been saying this for months. Now it’s time I actually did something about it. I follow a lot of “weight loss” blogs on tumblr. I found one post by this girl freakofnutrition called the 100. It consists of the following: 100 jumping jacks, 90 crunches, 80 squats, 70 leg lifts, 60 jumping jacks, 50 crunches, 40 squats, 30 leg lifts, 20 jumping jacks and a 10 minute run. It kicked my ass this morning. I got to 30 some-odd jumping jacks and my dog attacked me. I guess she doesn’t like jumping jacks. I’ll have to do this behind closed doors from now on…

Aside from the “100,” I’ll be making healthier food choices, riding my bicycle and doing other outdoor activities, and playing my wii fit!

Let’s see if I can get down to 130 by June. Wish me luck!

“yesterday you said you would do it today.”

My best friend Kelly and I are starting our own little book club. We’re both really into the ABC Family tv series Pretty Little Liars, so we decided to read the book series! Today is a perfect day to sit down and read the rest of book number one. If anyone wants to join feel free to e-mail me.

I really need someone to motivate me to take photographs. I always say I’ll take one photo a day, just to keep up with it, but I’m so lazy! If someone gave me a photo assignment, it would force me to break out my canon rebel and get out there. If anyone knows of any interesting spots to photograph on Long Island, pleaseeee let me know! MOTIVATE ME, PEOPLE!

A few months back my good friend Bridget and I went to Kings Park Psychiatric Center. I got some cool, creepy photographs that I’ll share with you today. Honestly, I’m surprised I haven’t posted them yet! Enjoy 🙂

making progress?

After careful consideration, I have decided that sucking it up and finishing school is my best bet. I can’t babysit forever, right? Funny story: I was recently “let go” from a babysitting position. Turns out there are some insecure 30 some-odd year olds in this world. Apparently this woman thought her husband and I were sexually involved. Haha! Yeah, in his dreams.

I need to get back into the swing of things. Miss Kelly Mescall and I have been talking about doing a photo shoot on the beach. A few years ago, Robbie Riccardo, a close friend of mine, had asked me to do a photo shoot for his EP album cover. I always love taking pictures on the beach. The colors are always so bright and vibrant. Here are some of the photographs I took of Robbie that day:

In other news: My friend Kelly started working at a new salon in Islip – the beehive. All the girls there are great and do amazing work! Follow them on twitter and “like” them on facebook. If I’m lucky, I’ll be doing a photo shoot of the girls at the salon some time soon~! 🙂

Have a great day everyone!

i’m back…again!

Remember the time I told you guys that I have a hard time sticking to something? No? Well, I do. About two months ago I had said to keep your eyes peeled for excerpts from my “short story.” I found the notebook today. It is absolutely terrible. I love how I think I have all these hidden talents. Fail. I’ll share some with you anyway.

1.
As I was blow drying my hair, I realized two things. One, this fucking one-piece bathing suit forces my “back-fat” to come out and play. And two, I make really, and I mean really, terrible decisions. Where there used to be bright purple streaks of hair, there are now blondish pink-orange streak. This is just the least of my problems.

I am twenty-one years old. My parents have given me anything I have ever wanted up to this point in my life. Why, someone please tell me, why would I move out? And to the Bronx, NY of all places? Well, Kellie Monaco and I have been best friends since we were twelve years old. Back then, nothing came between us. These days? Everything comes between us. Don’t ever live with your best friend. Ever.

Back in February of 2009, Kellie was in search of a roommate. I figured, since I was planning on going to college in the city after graduating from a two-year community college, why not? It was a cute, three-bedroom apartment in Riverdale. Since there were only three bedrooms and four girls, someone had to share their room. Since Kellie and I were best friends, we volunteered ourselves.

The other two girls we shacked up with were Mim and Sarah. I already knew Mim. Kellie had lived with Mim the year before. In the past, Mim had been difficult to live with (says Kellie). Knowing this about Mim, Kellie decides to live with her anyway! Sarah comes off as someone who gets along with everyone. From the very beginning of this living situation, Kellie had portrayed Mim as the “bad” roommate and Sarah as the “sweetheart.” Because Kellie and I had been friends for so long, I went along with this accusation. As time went on, things sure did change.
—

I wrote two more interesting “chapters,” if you will. One about Mim (and how much I fell in love with our friendship) and one about Sarah (and how every little thing she says or does is not without a bitchy attitude). What are the odds of Sarah or Kellie reading this? Slim to none. They really could not care less about me at this point.

ANYWAY, I’ve been told by more than one person to get back to blogging. So, here I am. I’ll leave you with (what my mother will think is an inappropriate) self portrait. Taken with Photo Booth so it’s not the best quality.

sometimes i think i can write…

My former best friend and I stopped talking almost a year ago. Part, come to think of it, most of it has to do with decided to room together. I had just turned 21 and was about to start classes at a new college. My best friend at the time was looking for a third roommate. Why not?

It’s sad, you know? Having someone be there for what feels like your whole life suddenly: dwell on something that should have been forgotten, stop putting an effort in and finally decide she wants nothing to do with you.

Anyway, when she was home from college we were inseparable. If she was going out, it was assumed I’d be at her side. And vice versa. Moving in seemed like the best thing possible. The fact that we shared a room may have been our first mistake. Moving in together at all may have been our ONLY mistake.

About a month before I moved back in with my parents I started to write somewhat of a short story about what happened between us. The more I wrote, the more ridiculous I realized the whole situation was! People change. That, or we grow to realize who people are deep down. I plan on sharing some excerpts from my wanna-be short story in the near future. Keep your eyes peeled.

“You can’t love anything more than something you miss.”
-Jonathan Safran Foer

i’m back, hopefully.

As you can all clearly see, I did not take one winter-esque photo every day. In fact, I didn’t take any photos until this past Saturday. I took a drive to the beach with my friend Bridget and photographed some of the winter scenes. I’m not sure what it is that is holding me back form doing what I love. I love taking photographs. Whether the photographs are of people, places or things, it doesn’t matter to me. I just miss the feeling of taking (what I think is) a really great photograph.

Anyway, I never heard back from JedRoot. I’d like to keep looking for some form of photographer assistant job, but between work and school there seems to be limited time for anything else. I supposed I need to manage my time and get better organized. All planners, highlights, and different colored pens. That’s what my life needs to be.

I would like to get some sort of project started. Something to keep me motivated and inspired. It may not help me stay focused on my school work, but I’ll feel better 😀

I’ll leave you with a few photos from the beach and from this snowy day we’re having!!

slacker.

I know, I’ve been slacking. I’m trying to get into the Christmas spirit. This is something that doesn’t always come easily with me. So, here’s what I’m going to do: every day until Christmas I’m going to take one photograph. The photograph will have to be of something winter-esque We’ll see how this goes.

One of my favorite bloggers (afirmin) wrote a neat little poem about me on twitter: “Through the lens her world appears, Photographers life could be her career, @findingmyphocus will 1 day, Know her talent will certainly pay.”

In other news: my transcripts are on their way to Farmingdale State College. Hopefully I’ll be accepted into the Visual Communications program. 😀

I’ll leave you a photograph from last winter:

“snow pup” ©janine grossetto