HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEN!

{look how short my hair was!}

two years ago, before our married days, we went all our for halloween. I was Amelia Earhart and the mister was a Newsie. We went to parties (yes, as in multiple), handed out candy, Brandon even played in a halloween show with a bunch of other great musicians.

Last year I passed a kidney stone on halloween. nuff said.

and this year we are getting super creative:
I'm going as a waitress and he's going as a psychiatric technician!

oh wait....maybe we are just going to work....

isn't growing up just soooo much fun?!?!

hope you are all party-ing it up for me!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

xo
kitty

Kitty Bonding

if brandon weren't so pathetically allergic to them, I'd totally be a cat lady.

Puma has such an attitude. He looks like he isn't enjoying my company but I know he misses me :)

THANK YOU

I just wanted to say thanks to you all. Thank you for the sweet comments you leave when I post about my art. I'd like to say that I'm so artsy fartsy that I make art for arts sake only, that I eat sleep and breath art and that I do it for myself and no one else. But I'd be lying. I think it's safe to say that we all want our efforts and our work to mean something to someone else. Art is important to me, it's my life medium of choice. And I just wanted to thank you all for boosting my confidence when I need it most. For being such great supporters :)

In other news the husband and I feel like we are running around with our heads cut off. It's that time of the year (that seems to never go away) where things are just crazy. I've got midterms, we've both got semi-new jobs we are still adjusting to, and we've had our fair share of health dilemmas. At the end of the day we are so exhausted all we can do is watch an episode of Parks and Recreation and hit the sack! and then it's waking up way too early and starting all over again. Bleh. But I do have lots of catching up to do because somehow fun manages to sneak it's way into our mundane lives here and there :)

heres to more posting and more art!

xo-claire

and another self portrait....

****

this was an assignment for my photoshop class....is it just me or does making something "assigned" take all the fun away? For the project we had to add interpretive color & texture and portray something about ourselves (duh). Basically this was all way beyond me which is where my handsome stud of a husband comes in a saves the day! He's had less experience with photoshop than I, and he still kicks my butt. I thought it would be fun to do a 40's themed hollywood glamour shot cause lets be honest....who didn't look good back then right? I also thought it would be fun to add color to the photo like they used to with black and white photos (ya know the type, your grandma's eyes look sky blue but in real life they are all dull...) it was like oldfashioned photoshop :) oh, and I took out the texture in this version cause I prefer it that way.

It's a little tribute the the "old soul" in me. Anyway it turned out to be a pretty fun project but I wouldn't brave it again, or on my own. Seriously, Brandon, I LOVE YOUR GUTS!

Oh, and my hair may be 50's-60's and the shot may look 40's and the re-coloring may be pre 30's but hey, give me a break, I didn't live back then, I did the best my hollywood warped mind could do :) Also, my photo teacher didn't recognize it was me. He said I look "45 years old, maybe older" WHAT THE WHAT?

sisters

This is part II of this film project. I originally used about a million words to portray this concept, and now only one seems fitting to me: sisters. I'll be posting part III later today (or as soon as I get a bigger flickr account....)

p.s. thank you so much to my lovely models: Becca, Sarah, & Ashlee, you were truly wonderful to work with!

It's feeling/looking a lot like fall over here

{especially on my instagram: @belleandwhistle}

thank-yous

cardigans

fall shopping

gourds

warm baths

& silly halloween decor

HAPPY SATURDAY!

I made this magazine cover

meaning I took the photo and wrote all the text to look like the real deal all for a photoshop class (which I'm hating/loving). And I was pretty proud of myself, though I did initially spell practical wrong....
come on, are we not at all surprised?!

a bit of fall

I collect a lot of things: cameras, suitcases, tins, old postcards. Brandon collects guitars, harmonicas, and anything else that'll make a tune :)

yesterday I collected a bit of fall.

what do you collect?

as of late

I've have about 10 drafts in my box that could have been published this last week. Do any of you do that? I'd write something, get distracted by who knows what, and then when I'd come back to it the next day it wasn't current anymore, at least to me, so it didn't make sense to publish it. Instead, I did this. Which kind of explains my life as of late. Lots and lots and lots of work.

but here's a small recap, here's what's been on my mind:

I entered one of my favorite personal works into an art show yesterday. It's weird how my work becomes my baby. This particular baby I have protected and kept to myself. Maybe I do that because I'm still too attached, because it's still doing what it needs to do for just me, or maybe I'm just too protective. I'm scared for this little part of me to go out into the big world (meaning my campus/community) did I prepare it enough? Will the other art be nice to it? (ha....this is why we don't have kids yet. I'm too busy babying my art). I know that the chances of my work being selected for this show are pretty slim, but I'm proud of myself for pushing it in that direction. It's the first work I've felt I'm saying something about myself that others can relate to. Basically, it's the first work that really means something.

I got a job as a waitress. I don't care for it much for a bajillion reasons. I've already cried, correction, BAWLED in front of a customer. It was horrible. maybe I'll share the story, but probably not. I have to remind myself how lucky I am to even have a job (and two at that!). Someday when I'm more heated up about it (it depends on the night) I'll do a little "tipping 101" guide on here. Apparently Utah doesn't know how that all works...

PHOTOS! I'm so desperately behind on posting my work here. I'm in the process of creating another blog/website for my photography work and that will hopefully make things a bit easier. In the meantime I've got a few weddings and other business to share! stay tuned! And for those who have inquired, I still do photo work, contact me at cathorley@gmail.com for rates. Also, this blog has needed a little TLC for some time, bring your hard hats.

giveaway: I recently read something that said "the easiest way to see if you are a person of your word is to think of the last few promises you made, if you've done them, you are a person of your word!" since the house still isn't clean and my homework still isn't done that that darn giveaway SILL hasn't happened, I'm thinking I need to work on this one. Here is a promise though: it will happen. And it will be better and bigger than ever :)

I'm going on a big trip to one of my favorite places in the world!!! more on this later :)

Fall: I'm loving it! I went on a mini walk yesterday and gathered some lovely leaves for a little shoot I did. It's funny how the season where everything is dying feels the most renewing to me. I love the rain, I love the colors, I love this time of year!

now I'm going to post this silly picture-less thing before I change my mind!

blah blah blog

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dear fall,

how did you sneak up on me so quickly?!

happy you are here.

xo-claire