Snow Daze

It snowed today in Dallas. It only happens a few times a year and for a day and then melts.

I don't like snow much but it makes for a new perspective on my surroundings.

Buzzing just like Neon

Yes I'm alive and still here. I've been crazy busy lately. Ok not really. But I have been both social and occupied, which is overall, a good thing.

This picture was the neon open sign in front of a cupcake shop. The double chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing was too die for.

I went to a Chinese restaurant

When I'm 64... the above picture is from lunch with my grandmother at Pei Wei.

The picture below is from the MayDragon.

Wandering pt. 1

All of these photos were taken in downtown McKinney. It is so quaint and adorable. A perfect place for a photoshoot really.

I highly recommend if you are in the area to check out the bookshop. It specializes in first editions and just generally old books. The store smells amazing. I want to be a librarian, so this shop was like heaven.

A creek in fall

My sister is in town. Today we walked around a creek area. It was gorgeous.

Only one more cycle to go

I've had the worst semester ever. Next please!

Make crazy-grandmother time more enjoyable

Here are a few ways to make running errands and driving your crazy grandmother around more enjoyable. (hint- it involves a camera.)

The first step is to always have your camera out. You never know what photo-ops might arise.

This pile of leaves that came swirling at me and into my face could have caught me off guard. But I had my camera to protect dust from shooting into my retinas.

When crazy grandmother takes you to lunch and rudely talks on the phone to other people, don't feel bad about taking out your camera. It is more interesting than your grandmother anyway.

The previous three pictures were all taken at Tom Thumb after we went grocery shopping. I spent a good ten minutes waiting for her to pick up whatever it was she forgot to purchase two minutes ago.

Don't take pictures while driving, but do take pictures while sitting at red lights.

Desaturated

My emotions can be summed up in these two pictures.

The top one is my balcony, the bottom is the field by Walmart.

Summing up my state of mind

This guy was alone on the steps in front of the clubhouse.
I was alone on the steps in front of the clubhouse.

We're not so different.

Mary's room and binary

Beads in Mary's room.

A stunning bracelet Mary is working on.

Mary's wire work

I love Mary's room. I could spend a lot more time in there.

We also made a t-shirt. I love it.

Happiness in Simplicity

The centerpiece on our table at Central Market

My colored pencil collection.

SWACURH

This weekend I was at a Residential Life conference at TCU.

I did not get much sleep- as evidenced by this 7am photo after pulling an all nighter to finish our school's display for a competition.

A knight at a store we were stalling time at before the conference.

My bed-buddy (roommate) and me :heart:

The theme for SWACURH this year was the 80's and the region's mascot is a rubber duck.

School days in yellow

An outside view of McDermott Library

Working on cutting out a stencil for my SWACURH shirt

An offering

An alter outside of Zenna's Asian fusion restaurant.

Apathy

Every week I observe social studies classes at a DISD high school to complete my teacher certification requirements. I was nervous going into it. I went to school in the suburbs, and heard horror stories about DISD schools. It did not take me to realize that a DISD education is a horror story... but not because of anything remotely related to the students.

The students sit quietly in class all day.

The majority of their school work is copying directly from the textbook onto paper. Sometimes they'll get a worksheet. None of it is challanging. Most of the time they don't complete their work. They don't care. Why should they?

DISD is a terrible school district because of the district itself.

Most of the teachers I have run into are either unqualified to teach or simply don't have passion. They are fed up with the system, and only come to work for attendance points and a paycheck. The students are fed up with the students and only come for attendance points.

If I were a student in that school, I wouldn't do my work either.

I wish I could take pictures of the high school interior.

It is very old.

It is completely outdated.

It would make for a lovely photoshoot.