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hillarygayleI decided to go ahead & sleep last night. I wasn't getting enough sleep when I tried to stay up all night to readjust my schedule, so after a discussion with Bryan, I thought I would try it this way: I sleep the night before, wake up very early when my boys leave, do some things around the house & putter about on the intarwebz, and then take the longest nap I can manage before waking up to go to work. This way I'm getting MORE sleep than I usually would instead of losing sleep while trying to orient to nights. At least this week I'm 2 nights in a row (Thursday/Friday). At first I thought I was getting the shaft completely, but I realize now what T (our patient care manager, which translates in this case to "lady who schedules us") was doing was making sure I could attend the arrhythmia classes. I do the classes during the mornings on Monday & Wednesday this week and next, and in each case I work Thursday & Friday nights. It works out well. It does not leave a weekend for going to Dallas though.
I thought it was hard visiting the Texas Grandminions during nursing school, but it's no easier now. In one case my schedule was simply too stuffed to leave room for trips, but in this case it's simply too chaotic. There's no rhyme or reason to it, and Bryan & I are rarely off during the same periods of time. I think this will change when I'm not the "new girl" anymore.
If I was going to try to take a nap this afternoon in prep for my night shift, perhaps 2 cups of press coffee was not the greatest idea. *vibrates with energy*
My fellow amateur photographers! I'm considering a camera lens for Christmas. The problem is, I'm not yet very well versed in lenses. I've no idea what I want so far.
I do know that the lens that came WITH the Alpha-330 is great for close-range snapshots & general shooting. It is NOT that great for zoom. I found this out at the DMB concert, where I thought I'd be able to get really great close ups from where we were, but I didn't. Next time we hit a concert, I wanna be able to get all up in Rashawn's trumpet.
That is not a euphemism.
So to that end, here are some lenses I'm looking at. If you know more than I do about this, please chime in. I'm hunting down information on what the mm measurements indicate about the lens performance, what range of aperture is best for me, etc.
Sony SAL 18250 Alpha DT. High magnification with lens hood, it tells me.
Sony SAL 18200 Alpha DT.
Sony SAL 75300 Compact Super Telephoto Zoom Lens. If I'm really looking for zoom, this appears to be the place to look.
Part of me wonders if I'm just going to have to start a lens collection & then determine what works best for what conditions & situations. I'm really excited to have the leisure time & money to actually spend learning amateur photography though. These "time" and "paycheck" things. They are unfamiliar to me.
I found a lip primer! Q mentioned a Nivea lip balm at Wal-Mart that has the same formulation as a high-end primer (I can't remember which primer). I was at Target to pick up some Sexy Motherpucker lip gloss (ALSO highly recommended; more staying power than any other gloss I've found, even though it smells gross to me), and I decided to stroll through the moisturizer aisle to see if I could find the balm Q had showed me. No such luck, but I did find another Nivea product. Q-10 (O hey how you like that letter?) Rejuvenation serum. It's meant for putting on in the morning as you would a moisturizer to prevent sun damage. I figured it might hold up well to lipstick. Lo & behold, it does! So if you're looking for a lip primer for less than $4, you might go check out the Nivea stuff at Wal-Mart & Target.
Currently in makeup, I'm having a love/hate relationship with cream eyeliner. The Sephora blockbuster has 7 cream eyeliners in great colors. I love the way they go on, and I love the way they create a dramatic, bold line. Liquid liner: tiny precision lines. Cream eyeliner: dramatic, mysterious, Sophia Loren eyes. The kind you want when you're doing a smoky eye; you can use the cream liner over the smoky layer to define so you don't get raccoon eyes.
However, SMUDGE. -_- The Sephora cream liner smudges & I don't think it's just because of the formulation. I've tried other cream liners, and they smudge too. The problem is my prominent browbones & the way my eyes are set into my head. When my eye is entirely open, my lash line actually touches my browbone. This means that whatever I put on my lash line will transfer to just above my crease if it's not fixed. You may recall I encountered this with applying mineral pigments to my lash line as eyeliner with just water. Once I found the Pixi sealant, that solved that problem.
I'm thinking applying an eyeshadow over the cream liner might do it. It would have to be in the same shade, obviously, and I'd have to be super careful & use a very small brush (maybe my smudge brush, just tapping it?) so as not to destroy the look of the line itself.
I haven't been a fan of Tori Amos since Little Earthquakes. She left the more lyrical, melodic, get-stuck-in-your-head type of music for a more esoteric type that I can't follow well. The rhythms change frequently and without any type of logic I can see, the lyrics seem more like freeform poetry than lyrics, etc. I'm sure lots of people love that style, but I prefer a little more form to my music. A rhythm that can stick to me, something I can sing to myself.
Midwinter Graces is her newest, and it's a Christmas album. Sort of. Maybe more of a holiday album. One of the reviews says that she marries the concept of rebirth of the light (a common theme in many belief systems) with that of the birth of Jesus. Essentially what the Church was trying to do when it co-opted the Midwinter Holiday (Saturnalia, Longest Night, Solstice) and turned it into Christmas. Kind of neat. But beyond that, when I previewed the songs on iTunes, I liked what I heard. It's like she's returned to the things I loved about Little Earthquakes. I may end up buying this album.
This led me to preview the songs on "Abnormally Attracted to Sin", which is her album released in May of this year. Well, then. It appears maybe she's come back to that sort of thing in general. From what I can hear, "Strong Black Vine" and "Not Dying Today" sound precisely like something I'd listen to. This album appears relevant to my interests. THANKS, TORI!
In other news, I am now the proud owner of The Baronessa. We have decided to call this Bryan's gift to me for passing the boards. I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL THIS COMES IN. Someone's gonna have to come over & help me lace the thing, though. I do not think Bryan will be brave enough. Not to mention he'll most likely be distracted. Because me. In a corset. I am still searching for the appropriate butt-wear to pair with this to wear to the Rocky Horror Picture Show party. I think I'll be wearing it with jeans & a blazer to get my tattoo, whenever I go for it. It will leave my back bare, plus it's FREAKING HOT. What better thing to wear to get your deep & meaningful tattoo than something that makes a statement about yourself?
Makeup, corsets, tattoos, boots, fashion in general. This self-expression mess is FUN, Y'ALL!
I thought it was hard visiting the Texas Grandminions during nursing school, but it's no easier now. In one case my schedule was simply too stuffed to leave room for trips, but in this case it's simply too chaotic. There's no rhyme or reason to it, and Bryan & I are rarely off during the same periods of time. I think this will change when I'm not the "new girl" anymore.
If I was going to try to take a nap this afternoon in prep for my night shift, perhaps 2 cups of press coffee was not the greatest idea. *vibrates with energy*
My fellow amateur photographers! I'm considering a camera lens for Christmas. The problem is, I'm not yet very well versed in lenses. I've no idea what I want so far.
I do know that the lens that came WITH the Alpha-330 is great for close-range snapshots & general shooting. It is NOT that great for zoom. I found this out at the DMB concert, where I thought I'd be able to get really great close ups from where we were, but I didn't. Next time we hit a concert, I wanna be able to get all up in Rashawn's trumpet.
That is not a euphemism.
So to that end, here are some lenses I'm looking at. If you know more than I do about this, please chime in. I'm hunting down information on what the mm measurements indicate about the lens performance, what range of aperture is best for me, etc.
Sony SAL 18250 Alpha DT. High magnification with lens hood, it tells me.
Sony SAL 18200 Alpha DT.
Sony SAL 75300 Compact Super Telephoto Zoom Lens. If I'm really looking for zoom, this appears to be the place to look.
Part of me wonders if I'm just going to have to start a lens collection & then determine what works best for what conditions & situations. I'm really excited to have the leisure time & money to actually spend learning amateur photography though. These "time" and "paycheck" things. They are unfamiliar to me.
I found a lip primer! Q mentioned a Nivea lip balm at Wal-Mart that has the same formulation as a high-end primer (I can't remember which primer). I was at Target to pick up some Sexy Motherpucker lip gloss (ALSO highly recommended; more staying power than any other gloss I've found, even though it smells gross to me), and I decided to stroll through the moisturizer aisle to see if I could find the balm Q had showed me. No such luck, but I did find another Nivea product. Q-10 (O hey how you like that letter?) Rejuvenation serum. It's meant for putting on in the morning as you would a moisturizer to prevent sun damage. I figured it might hold up well to lipstick. Lo & behold, it does! So if you're looking for a lip primer for less than $4, you might go check out the Nivea stuff at Wal-Mart & Target.
Currently in makeup, I'm having a love/hate relationship with cream eyeliner. The Sephora blockbuster has 7 cream eyeliners in great colors. I love the way they go on, and I love the way they create a dramatic, bold line. Liquid liner: tiny precision lines. Cream eyeliner: dramatic, mysterious, Sophia Loren eyes. The kind you want when you're doing a smoky eye; you can use the cream liner over the smoky layer to define so you don't get raccoon eyes.
However, SMUDGE. -_- The Sephora cream liner smudges & I don't think it's just because of the formulation. I've tried other cream liners, and they smudge too. The problem is my prominent browbones & the way my eyes are set into my head. When my eye is entirely open, my lash line actually touches my browbone. This means that whatever I put on my lash line will transfer to just above my crease if it's not fixed. You may recall I encountered this with applying mineral pigments to my lash line as eyeliner with just water. Once I found the Pixi sealant, that solved that problem.
I'm thinking applying an eyeshadow over the cream liner might do it. It would have to be in the same shade, obviously, and I'd have to be super careful & use a very small brush (maybe my smudge brush, just tapping it?) so as not to destroy the look of the line itself.
I haven't been a fan of Tori Amos since Little Earthquakes. She left the more lyrical, melodic, get-stuck-in-your-head type of music for a more esoteric type that I can't follow well. The rhythms change frequently and without any type of logic I can see, the lyrics seem more like freeform poetry than lyrics, etc. I'm sure lots of people love that style, but I prefer a little more form to my music. A rhythm that can stick to me, something I can sing to myself.
Midwinter Graces is her newest, and it's a Christmas album. Sort of. Maybe more of a holiday album. One of the reviews says that she marries the concept of rebirth of the light (a common theme in many belief systems) with that of the birth of Jesus. Essentially what the Church was trying to do when it co-opted the Midwinter Holiday (Saturnalia, Longest Night, Solstice) and turned it into Christmas. Kind of neat. But beyond that, when I previewed the songs on iTunes, I liked what I heard. It's like she's returned to the things I loved about Little Earthquakes. I may end up buying this album.
This led me to preview the songs on "Abnormally Attracted to Sin", which is her album released in May of this year. Well, then. It appears maybe she's come back to that sort of thing in general. From what I can hear, "Strong Black Vine" and "Not Dying Today" sound precisely like something I'd listen to. This album appears relevant to my interests. THANKS, TORI!
In other news, I am now the proud owner of The Baronessa. We have decided to call this Bryan's gift to me for passing the boards. I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL THIS COMES IN. Someone's gonna have to come over & help me lace the thing, though. I do not think Bryan will be brave enough. Not to mention he'll most likely be distracted. Because me. In a corset. I am still searching for the appropriate butt-wear to pair with this to wear to the Rocky Horror Picture Show party. I think I'll be wearing it with jeans & a blazer to get my tattoo, whenever I go for it. It will leave my back bare, plus it's FREAKING HOT. What better thing to wear to get your deep & meaningful tattoo than something that makes a statement about yourself?
Makeup, corsets, tattoos, boots, fashion in general. This self-expression mess is FUN, Y'ALL!
