I've haven't been very good about keeping up with this blog, I know. Lately it seems like I don't have time for anything, and when I do, I don't want to do anything. But, I am now being referred to as a photo hoarder. I take pictures of everything but then no one ever gets to see them. I only want people to see the good ones, but never get around to sorting through them!

I just had a guy from Spain come stay at my house for a night this week. He is travelling all 50 states over the next year, documenting it through photography and a blog. (How nice it would be to be able to travel for a year!) While he was here, he taught me somethings about my camera. Did you know that those numbers on the display screen actually serve a purpose?? Now knowing just a little bit about my camera will hopefully renew my interest and allow me to go out and practice more. So, keep checking back - there will hopefully be more pictures soon! Meanwhile, here are a few I took a while back. :)

These first two are of my precious Lilah. After I bought this camera, I took 100s of pictures of her and our other dog, Edie. These are two of my favorites.

Pretty flower on our back porch!

This precious dog is Edie, Lilah's sister and best friend!

Check in soon, and I should be getting more put up!

I want to see the world.

I've been thinking a lot lately about who I am and what I want to be - more specifically, where I want to be. After months, I know exactly what I want.

I want to see the world.

I spend a lot of time looking at pictures of beautiful things in beautiful places, and one day it finally hit me - I want to see all of these things, all of these places for myself. I want to take beautiful pictures for myself, from my eyes. Too many of us live our whole lives on this beautiful planet and never see anything outside of our very small corner of the world. We're blessed to live in such an amazing place, why can't we experience it all?

Every morning, I wake up too early, drive the same way to work, and sit in the same small cubicle until it's time to go home - by which point it's typically already dark outside. Eat dinner. Go to sleep. Repeat and count down the days to the weekend.

Don't get me wrong, I love my job - but there's more out there for me. I don't want to leave this world not having seen the world.

I've been pushing this nagging desire back for a long time, but it won't be ignored anymore. So, I've been brainstorming how I'm going to do it - if I can do it - how long I can do it. Then, today, I stumble upon this blog. www.ottsworld.com She left her corporate job to travel the world. She left with the intention of going for a year - just to get a break from her routine and cubicle job - that was in 2006. She's still traveling.

Someday, I'll be able to say that I saw the world - I hope that day is soon. It starts now.

Fondren

Courtney and I went to Fondren this week to take a few pictures, and we found a plethora of murals hidden behind one of the coffee shops that we had never seen. Here are a few of them.

I think this first one is probablly my favorite. Courtney even attempted a photo shoot of us in front of it - but neither one of us are very good models, so I won't subject your to those pictures. :)

Then there were these next two as well. The first I just thought was intereesting. The second was really cool. it was falling off of the fence, and it seemed like it was completely forgotten.

There are also these two "people" posted up outside of the Fondren Building that I LOVE. I'm not sure of their names, but I call them the Cat Lady and Senor Taco.

Hopefully in the next couple of weeks, I'll have more opportunity to go out and take some pictures and post more! hope you enjoyed these few.

A few more from Downtown Jackson

Here are some more pictures from Downtown Jackson this past week.

This is a super cool fire hydrant (I assume that's what it is?) that I found on Amite. It caught my eye from down the street. It's certainly one of the most unusual fire hydrants that I have ever seen.

And the dripping pipe next to it...

Later on our walk, Courtney found one parking meter downtown that was different than the others. All of the expired meters said "expired" or "-0:00," but not this one....

Here are the walls by the train station with ivy growing all over them. Every other wall seemed to be overtaken by ivy.

Finally, the Standard Life Building. There's something really cool about this building, and I took lots and lots of pictures of it. 

That's all that I'm going to post for now. Hopefully, this weekend I'll be able to go a visit a few places around town that I've been looking forward to visiting. So there will be many more to come!

my first try. how'd I do?

For five years, I've wanted a good camera. a good professional-style camera. Well, I finally got it. I love it - but I have NO idea how to use it. Hopefully, I'll learn how to use this soon - I need to know something more than point, shoot! The plan is to go out at least once a week and take pictures in a new place. This is going to be my full and open adventure in learning photography. There are so many beautiful things in the world, and I want to see it all. Here are some of the pictures from my first photo-shoot. Enjoy. :) 

These pictures were all taken in Downtown Jackson, MS. 

These first few I took in this abandoned lot. The whole building was dilapidated and presumably condemned, but I thought that there was something beautiful about it.  

This next picture is at The Mayflower in Jackson. As many times as I've been to this restaurant, I have never seen this sign. I can't imagine that many people do see this sign anymore. 

This next building was probably my favorite of the day. Looks like it was a shoe shine and barber shop. The ivy has taken over, and it has so much character!

I have many many more pictures from this trip downtown. I'll post more over the next couple of days. Hope you enjoy!