Photography Competition

School is out for the quarter (hoorah!), the beach is filled with oiled and unsteady spring breakers, and i've been busy battling it out with two Germans (Anne & John John), a Spanish girl (Laeticia), and a Californian (Sean) in a photography competition.

EF, a company that offers educational programs and language training to students around the globe, is hosting a photo competition for the Ad School students. For round one, we had to submit ten photos that depict the city that you live in. The winners from that round were flown into Miami to shoot the city, school, and students out here. Heavy shooting schedules and (awesome) dinners have been taking place all week. The winner will be announced at brunch on Saturday and then jets off to LA and Hawaii to shoot their schools out there...did I forget to mention the $3000 scholarship?!

Pretty much the dream job I've always wanted...to travel, take lovely photos, and meet interesting people along the way. Wish me luck!

Happy 90th Birthday to my Lovely Grandma!

Liquor Ads

I apologize for being MIA this past week. It’s always a lil’ traumatic when your computer dies the weekend before finals. The good news is, I’m alive…and thanks to David, Mr. Apple Store Genius, my baby has been revived for the time being.

For photography class, we had to shoot a liquor ad. Here’s what I came up with...

My Very First Photo Shoot...

...with a model and a makeup artist!
For one of my classes, I had to shoot an album cover (story).
Thanks to Jessica and Roselaine for making it happen! You girls are awesome.
Model: Jessica Zoo Campo
Makeup: Roselaine Bienaime-Brizzi

Jin Soo Rocks

Meet Jin Soo. He's a design student from Korea.
I just love his look...so I dragged him into the studio to take his picture.
Seriously, how cool is he?!

Key West

Off to Key West for the Weekend...

The tan starts tomorrow.

Vizcaya

This past weekend, Neighbor Mike and I took a trip out to Vizcaya Museum & Gardens. It's a beautiful home that was built in 1916. When you walk out the back doors, all you see is the beautiful bay. Pretty stunning, if you ask me.

Sam & Charlotte

Two weeks ago, while walking down Ocean Drive, I ran into the most adorable couple. I stopped and asked, “How long have you two lovebirds been together?” With a smile on her face, the woman looked over at her husband and sweetly responded, “Many, many moons.” That’s when this photo was taken

Shortly after the sun went down, I returned home, sat in front of my computer, and started to download all of my photos from the weekend. I kept flipping back to the image of the older couple on the bench. Every time I looked at it, I would smile right along with them. I thought to myself…this couple needs to have this.

I spent the next two afternoons monitoring slash stalking the benches of Ocean Drive.
All of the crackheads were out, but unfortunately, the couple that I was looking for was not. I passed by another older couple on my way home, showed them the picture, and started to make some headway on this little case of mine. Shelly and Ellie (I couldn’t even make this stuff up) had spoken with this couple the previous weekend. I found out their names were Sam and Charlotte and Ellie gave me the general area where she thought they lived. Before I ran off, Shelly decided to serenade me with his harmonica. I swear, forget these douchey thirty-year-olds, the next man I date needs to be no younger than 85…that’s when the true charm kicks in.

I walked over to the area where Sam and Charlotte supposedly lived. There was a nursing home close-by, so I popped in and asked the woman at the front desk if she recognized the couple from the photo. She did not. Slightly defeated, I went outside, looked around in every direction and approached two elderly women walking into the building next door. The younger one of the two looked up at me and said, “You’re lucky…Sam just got home.”

I was welcomed into Sam and Charlotte’s little South Beach apartment and walked out feeling like the luckiest girl in the world.

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!

Have a Colorful Weekend Everybody!

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days…

…start making internet babies.
I've never been more amused by a pop-up.

Cuban Special

My neighbor Mike and I went to Little Havana this weekend to experience Cuban cuisine. As I walked through the door of Versailles, I noticed that the majority of the dishes were lacking color. I typically prefer food that is red or green, but whatever, living on the edge is just something I do…I’m wild like that.

We skim over the menu and decide to start with spiked Cuban coffee and plantain chips. I’m guessing this is normal in Cuba. For the main meal, Mike orders a Cuban sandwich and I order one of the specials: macaroni with chorizo, ham, corn (something or other) and plantains. I don’t know why I ordered what I ordered, but everything else looked like it came with fried this or rice that and because I’m not a fan of either, I figured the macaroni would be safe. Much to my delight, the macaroni comes out…red. On a separate plate, the plantains are carefully laid alongside a small bowl of white crumbled mystery food. I take a short inquisitive look at it and say with confidence, “Ohh…that’s the corn part of it. I think it’s some sort of cornmeal that you dip the plantains in.” Neighbor Mike agrees. I pick up my knife and fork, dip the plantain into the cornmeal, and grant this new, bizarre food entry into my mouth.
Delicious. A little strange…but delicious.

We were standing up to leave the restaurant when I decide to ask the waiter one more question about Cuban food…”So...what exactly was that crumbly, white stuff next to the plantains?”
He hesitated as he tried to find the English word for it —
“cheese” he said, “erm, parm…parmesan cheese.”

Right. I was dipping plantains, like a dumbass (sorry Marlene), into parmesan cheese. Awesome.
Next time I go to Little Havana, I’m going to wear a pin that says, Cuban Special.

Take a Look at That View...

Miami and I are going through a romantic phase all of a sudden.
If only our love could pay the bills...

Thinking of You...

...and wishing you were super close.
Yes, I'm talking about you...and you, and you.

Perfect Weather. Perfect Weekend.

My weekend went something like this…morning run, met birthday boy no.1 for drinks, experienced Ocean Drive in all of its weirdness, late night, early morning, COFFEE, photo shoot in studio, bike home, photo shoot at SoBe hotel, coffee with neighbor, freelance design whatnots, late night, early morning, brunch with birthday boy no.2, frozen margaritas, more hotel shots, run on the beach, and more coffee.
I kinda love my life.

Stumble Upon

This makes me happy.(sigh)
Wishing you all a very love-ly weekend!

Miami...A Sunny Place for Shady People

...trust me, I've met plenty of shade-sters in the short time that I've been here—which makes me semi-tempted to drop out of school and join the military. For real, how great are those boots!?

Thanks Blaine for trusting me with your bulletproof. At least one of us will make it out of Miami alive.

Embracing the Cubaness

To be honest, I really don’t know a whole lot about Cuban culture, Cuban people, or Cuban ways…give me a year in Miami and I’ll get back to you on that. One thing I do know is that these people can brew a ridiculously amazing cup of coffee…and the desserts (holy mother) taste even more amazing than they look. There’s still plenty of time until bikini season, right?

Work It.

Something happens to girls when they’re on vacation.
I’m not sure if it’s simply the fact that they’re on vacation or because they’re stripped down to bikinis and it kinda reminds them of the Victoria Secret Catalog.

All of the elements are there: the water, the sand, the sunlight, the bikini…the only thing missing is that truthful friend behind the camera that will say, “Enormously” when you ask if that pose just made your butt look big.

Life Advice Friday

Wisdom from the lovely Debbie Crabb...

"Always have a Mapsco of the city that you're living in, don't marry until you're thirty, have been in a two year relationship, and have lived by yourself." -Debbie Crabb