First Impressions of Chicago

Here are some photos from my first day in Chicago starting with these really cool pedal buildings. I took this after we got off the train from the airport, you, know, when we completely misunderestimated (thanks for the word, Bush) the distance from the train station to our hotel. This would be at 5am Pacific time, just so you get the whole picture. I was a hot mess, and that's a compliment to 5am-after-a-redeye Nicole.

 This was the lunch dessert I enjoyed during a break from shopping after my well-deserved nap.

And these were taken after my second nap when I ventured out to find dinner while Stephen was shooting photos with some skateboarders across town. I couldn't find anything for takeout that was reasonable price or time-wise. I walked to Due but they said the wait for a takeout pizza would be an hour and fifteen minutes. Uh, no. I'm already ordering a pizza by myself I don't need to hang out for an hour by myself waiting for it. So I ended up stumbling into another place called Giordano's which was a twenty-five minute wait and much close to our hotel. Win.

 I liked this quote carved into the old Tribune building.

I See London!

Hello, Tuesday. Tell me, why can't you be Friday? I am tired again today because I had a soccer game last night (we won! and I assisted a goal!) and then I stayed up going through pictures from my trip and picking which ones I like and want to share with you. There are lots! We also did a family portrait shoot while we were there with the sweetest people so I will share some of my favorites from that too. And I did a little food session with some asparagus in my kitchen last week. Looks like it's time to sit down and to get through some pictures.

It's been kind of hard to get back into the swing of things, but I am forcing myself to get something done photography wise every night, sleep be damned. And I am making a few investments in photography gear (including a practical/geeky style backpack I have always tried to avoid) to get ready for the wedding I will be shooting in October. I'm super excited and nervous. And anxious. And nervous. I think you get the point.

Oh, by the way, the photo was taken in Chicago on Michigan Avenue. Marilyn is a traveling art piece so I'm not sure if it's still there but it was covered in people all day striking ridiculous poses and standing under her skirt. Did I make that sound creepy? Good. It's funny to me how people always want a picture of themselves standing in front everything they see. How many pictures can you possibly have of yourself standing in front of everything? When did that start anyway? And isn't anyone as paranoid as I am about handing over valuables to strangers? And germs?!

It's Friday!

cake., a photo by nicole cross on Flickr.

I am having a crazy sweet tooth the last three days and if something like this landed on my desk today I would be very appreciative. Hint, hint. I hope you have a good Friday and a fun weekend!

Day Thirty-Self Portrait

Since two very large mosquito bites are currently residing on the better half of my forehead I decided to think of some small part of myself that might express how I feel. I have been exhausted since our first attempt at returning home and I have not been able to catch up, let alone unpack.

One thing I do when I'm tired is I pull my hair down from whatever "style" I am sporting and mess it around with my fingers before tossing it up into a messy bun on top of my head. I usually repeat steps two and three until I go to bed. I tend to do the same thing when I'm writing regardless of whether I have caffeinated myself into oblivion.

Hey, whadda-ya know! I do concur it's day thirty! That's all folks!


Day thirty of what?

Day One: Selfie
Day Two: What I Wore
Day Three: Clouds
Day Four: Something Green 

Day Five: From a High Angle

Day Six: From a Low Angle

Day Seven: Fruit 

Day Eight: A Bad Habit
Day Nine: Someone You Love
Day Ten: Childhood Memory 
Day Eleven: Something Blue 
Day Twelve: Sunset  
Day Thirteen: Myself with 13 Things
Day Fourteen: Eyes
Day Fifteen: Silouette
Day Sixteen: Long Exposure
Day Seventeen: Technology 
Day Eighteen: My Shoes 
Day Nineteen: Something Orange
Day Twenty: Bokeh
Day Twenty-One: Faceless Portrait
Day Twenty-Two: Hands
Day Twenty-Three: Sun Flare
Day Twenty-Four: Animal
Day Twenty-Five: Something Pink
Day Twenty-Six: Close Up
Day Twenty-Seven: From a Distance
Day Twenty-Eight: Flowers
Day Twenty-Nine: Black & White

Day Twenty-Nine-Black & White

Good morning. Here is a photo I shoot yesterday. I don't shoot much black & white, but I do have some black & white film in my mom's old Pentax that I carry around when I don't feel like lugging my slr but don't want to miss out on having a camera. The things you see when you don't have a camera, I tell ya. Anyways, I decided I wanted to find something with texture for this assignment and I when I was walking with a friend at work I noticed the way the trees were casting shadows on the rough black cement below and decided to play around with that. I like the way it kind of looks like a fossil.

One. More. Daaayyy!!

Day twenty-eight of what?

Day One: Selfie
Day Two: What I Wore
Day Three: Clouds
Day Four: Something Green 

Day Five: From a High Angle

Day Six: From a Low Angle

Day Seven: Fruit 

Day Eight: A Bad Habit
Day Nine: Someone You Love
Day Ten: Childhood Memory 
Day Eleven: Something Blue 
Day Twelve: Sunset  
Day Thirteen: Myself with 13 Things
Day Fourteen: Eyes
Day Fifteen: Silouette
Day Sixteen: Long Exposure
Day Seventeen: Technology 
Day Eighteen: My Shoes 
Day Nineteen: Something Orange
Day Twenty: Bokeh
Day Twenty-One: Faceless Portrait
Day Twenty-Two: Hands
Day Twenty-Three: Sun Flare
Day Twenty-Four: Animal
Day Twenty-Five: Something Pink
Day Twenty-Six: Close Up
Day Twenty-Seven: From a Distance
Day Twenty-Eight: Flowers 

Day Twenty-Eight-Flowers

I usually run away from bees (it's irrational, I know) but I braved it and got real close to this guy for the flower assignment. You can't really tell, but this is really tall and was swaying in the wind and through my lens it kept looking like the bee was gonna swing right into me, which eventually caused me to run away. But luckily, for all my efforts and bravery I got this photo.

Only one more day to shoot, y'all! Tomorrow's shooting assignment is another self portrait (blah) so I think I may opt to do whatever I feel like, cause that's more of how I roll.

Day twenty-eight of what?

Day One: Selfie
Day Two: What I Wore
Day Three: Clouds
Day Four: Something Green 

Day Five: From a High Angle

Day Six: From a Low Angle

Day Seven: Fruit 

Day Eight: A Bad Habit
Day Nine: Someone You Love
Day Ten: Childhood Memory 
Day Eleven: Something Blue 
Day Twelve: Sunset  
Day Thirteen: Myself with 13 Things
Day Fourteen: Eyes
Day Fifteen: Silouette
Day Sixteen: Long Exposure
Day Seventeen: Technology 
Day Eighteen: My Shoes 
Day Nineteen: Something Orange
Day Twenty: Bokeh
Day Twenty-One: Faceless Portrait
Day Twenty-Two: Hands
Day Twenty-Three: Sun Flare
Day Twenty-Four: Animal
Day Twenty-Five: Something Pink
Day Twenty-Six: Close Up 
Day Twenty-Seven: From a Distance 

Day Twenty-Seven-From a Distance

Hello, again. I just got home from my first day back at work, a soccer game and the grocery store. I know I owe you a couple photos, but I hope you forgive me for eating a burrito and passing out last night after I finally made it home. This was taken on Saturday after our original flight home was cancelled as many other flights were due to lightning storms in Chicago. While I was not happy our flight got cancelled, I was happy that our original flight was cancelled in Traverse City instead of our connecting flight in Chicago where I could not have possibly taken such a peaceful photo because I would have been a) stuck in an airport, and, b) in the middle of a torrential downpour.

Day twenty-seven of what?

Day One: Selfie
Day Two: What I Wore
Day Three: Clouds
Day Four: Something Green 

Day Five: From a High Angle

Day Six: From a Low Angle

Day Seven: Fruit 

Day Eight: A Bad Habit
Day Nine: Someone You Love
Day Ten: Childhood Memory 
Day Eleven: Something Blue 
Day Twelve: Sunset  
Day Thirteen: Myself with 13 Things
Day Fourteen: Eyes
Day Fifteen: Silouette
Day Sixteen: Long Exposure
Day Seventeen: Technology 
Day Eighteen: My Shoes 
Day Nineteen: Something Orange
Day Twenty: Bokeh
Day Twenty-One: Faceless Portrait
Day Twenty-Two: Hands
Day Twenty-Three: Sun Flare
Day Twenty-Four: Animal
Day Twenty-Five: Something Pink
Day Twenty-Six: Close Up