I would like to with a very belated Happy 26th Birthday to one of my faves, McKenzie Zamber from The Hound + The Fox!! I almost didn't make it in time to post this video ON the day of McKenzie's birthday because my uploading speed was awful :(
Why am I sharing about H+F again so soon, you might ask?
First off, there's no such thing as so soon with these guys, okay?!
Just kidding. I actually filmed a reaction video to their “Baby Mine” video, released July 18th, 2017. Baby Mine is originally a lullaby from Dumbo. Excitingly enough, the footage of their video is used in MY reaction video with permission from McKenzie herself.
Enjoy the video, guys! :D
Here's their original video :)
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If you click on it, it'll ask you to enter your email.
I'll be sharing about our Disney karaoke party (from Sunday) on this #WeeklyWednesday.
If you missed the party, you DON'T want to miss this!! :D
Byee~
P.s. It's also my dear mother's birthday today, but she's out of town until later this week, so yeah :( Mother + child feels all over the place, guys.
Monday, July 24, 2017
Friday, July 21, 2017
Landscape Photography Class: Nature Photography | #FeatureFriday
Our first assignment(s) for class were to produce Nature Landscapes in Color (1) and also in Black & White (2).
Here are some of the ones that I took, submitted for class, what I thought when I took the photo, and also what I plan to do with it going forward (as far as my final portfolio submission for class is concerned.
Slight disclaimer, some of the colors may look a little weird/strong/faint depending on your monitor.
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Comment below with which one YOUR favorite was and why.
I can always use more feedback, and for an amateur photographer like me, it's an invaluable piece of my education :)Subscribe (with your email) in the upper right hand corner of your screen if you haven't already and also, comment below with artists that you'd think I'd like!
Continue to pray for me!~ (I have like...10+ mosquito bites from the shoots from this week)
Thank you!
Here are some of the ones that I took, submitted for class, what I thought when I took the photo, and also what I plan to do with it going forward (as far as my final portfolio submission for class is concerned.
Slight disclaimer, some of the colors may look a little weird/strong/faint depending on your monitor.
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I liked the shapes of the rocks, the texture of the soft leaves with the hard ground, and the vertical lines of the trees and rocks played off of the roots/sticks going diagonally quite well (I thought).
Submitted this one to class. Overall response was good, but feedback was that it was a little too yellow. Gonna need to fix that for the final portfolio (FP).
Some funny fungi thing. Thought the colors were cool.
Didn't submit to class.
The almost mandatory one shot up the tree that every photographer has to take, but never submits unless there's actually something else that's interesting happening in the photo. lol XD
Beautiful butterfly. Unfortunately dead :(
Loved the texture of the powdery wings though, and since it wouldn't move no matter how close I got, it was worth taking anyway. Submitted to class, but probably won't include in FP.
The sun actually made the top left corner of the bottom left leaf glare white in the photo (like the bottom edge of it). Fixed it in Adobe Photoshop, but left the bottom edge alone since you could still see the actual EDGE of the leaf. How do we like my PS skills? lol
You would normally see me staying away from creepy things, but a tent caterpillar "tent" is something that just...caught the light so well and in this case, it's DEFINITELY going into the FP. I may retake it to see if I can sharpen out more of the webbing, but I LOVED this photo.
There's something Lord of the Rings-ish about it (Sheloby?).
Gorgeous rock textures, lines that go UP the rocks and into the tree trunks, which ALSO go up :)
FP for sure.
I'm hoping your monitor lets you fully appreciate this one.
This was a class (and instructor) favorite, and Ashriel's affectionately referring to it as Lothlorien.
There's definitely an otherworldly ethereal quality to the lighting and the (not my word, the instructor's) creaminess of the gradient going through the leaves. Originally shot in color, minimal editing (aside from just converting to B&W). FP guaranteed piece.
This little guy was as big as my thumb. No joke. Reminded me of the fat slug from Epic.
Thought it was cool. Class LOVED the bokeh at the back (the dappling light, for you non-photo people), but it's a little blocked up in the image around the stump and the mushroom, in addition to the details on the slug.
MAY make it into the FP if I can tweak it, but that's still a maybe at this point.
Thought it was cool when I shot it, didn't seem as awesome compared to the others though.
Didn't submit to class in the end.
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Comment below with which one YOUR favorite was and why.
I can always use more feedback, and for an amateur photographer like me, it's an invaluable piece of my education :)Subscribe (with your email) in the upper right hand corner of your screen if you haven't already and also, comment below with artists that you'd think I'd like!
Continue to pray for me!~ (I have like...10+ mosquito bites from the shoots from this week)
Thank you!
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Cassie Visits + Instagram LIVE Karaoke Party | #WeeklyWednesday
So sorry this is late, everyone!
I had to get up early this morning to take photos for class and didn't get a chance to come into the blog to properly update you all until now!
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Cassie Visits!
This is essentially the main highlight for this week.
Let's just state, right now, that I have one of the best friends ever.
To begin our "origin" story (lol), we were introduced by our mutual friend, David, who pretty much told me that he had met her out in Colorado while he was working there and as it turned out, she was coming to OUR university. What are the odds, right?!
Anyway, Cassie's super...I don't know, American? lol I'm super something else.
Not 100% Asian, but I'm Asian enough to where I throw Americans for a loop sometimes.
So, when I set out to become friends with her, let's just say that culturally speaking, it would have been a little difficult to find talking points. She's super outdoorsy, I'm super not. The list could go on and on.
But then, we discovered with that we both liked Disney. Surprise? XP
THEN we realized that we both LOVED the idea of Jack Frost (Rise of the Guardians) and Elsa (Frozen) as a couple (or OTP, whatever you prefer), ship name #Jelsa. I kid you not, I have a DEDICATED Pinterest folder to the topic lol XD
From that point onward, we met once a week, Tuesdays, in the Student Center, for lunch and exchanged all of the Jelsa related memes and pictures that we could get our hands on, bonding over our fangirling moments.
If you're raising your eyebrows and thinking that that's the weirdest way you've ever heard of two people becoming friends, you're not alone. We've shared that story with several people, and almost all of them, including David (when he realized that we were practically besties now), were like "Um, WHAT?"
Anyway, the reason I'm super blessed to have Cassie as a friend is because this week, she (bless her heart) was fully intending to drive up from Texas to surprise me (unannounced) at the karaoke party coming up this Sunday. I'm still blown away by the thought that she'd even consider doing that! Talk about the best "present" ever! Unfortunately (fortunately? Agh), she just got a new job that requires her to be at her new place, thus throwing her original plans for a loop. I'm happy for her, but I was mildly disappointed that she wouldn't be able to attend the party (she's practically a fixed pillar of it, ok?).
She passed through town on her way to stay with her family for a week (before heading off to her job), and stopped in to hang out with me for a couple of hours. She also brought her sweet new puppy, Bella. She has the cutest ears, fur pattern, and the best doggie smile ever.
I love this girl <3
Thank you, my dear, for making the trip! It LITERALLY made my summer that much better.
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Instagram LIVE Karaoke "Party"
Ash and I decided to relieve our boredom and also hype ourselves up in anticipation of the karaoke party coming up this Sunday (full details next #WeeklyWednesday) and did a "request it, and we'll sing it" Disney karaoke LIVE stream from Instagram last night.
It went about an hour, and it was fantastically hilarious.
We're gonna do more (ideally) between now and the party, so if you're not following me on Instagram (@arielyiningloh), keep an eye out for the live videos! :D
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#FeatureFriday this week will show off the pictures that I took for Assignments #1 & #2 from my Landscape Photography class, 1) Nature Photography (Color) and 2) Nature Photography (B&W). Look forward to it! I'll share more about my photo-taking experiences there, as well as more about the class (so it'll actually have words and not just photos).
If you haven't subscribed yet, please do so :)
Click the "SUBSCRIBE" button in the top right corner of your screen, enter your email, and you're done!
I had to get up early this morning to take photos for class and didn't get a chance to come into the blog to properly update you all until now!
------------------------------------------
Cassie Visits!
This is essentially the main highlight for this week.
Let's just state, right now, that I have one of the best friends ever.
To begin our "origin" story (lol), we were introduced by our mutual friend, David, who pretty much told me that he had met her out in Colorado while he was working there and as it turned out, she was coming to OUR university. What are the odds, right?!
Anyway, Cassie's super...I don't know, American? lol I'm super something else.
Not 100% Asian, but I'm Asian enough to where I throw Americans for a loop sometimes.
So, when I set out to become friends with her, let's just say that culturally speaking, it would have been a little difficult to find talking points. She's super outdoorsy, I'm super not. The list could go on and on.
But then, we discovered with that we both liked Disney. Surprise? XP
THEN we realized that we both LOVED the idea of Jack Frost (Rise of the Guardians) and Elsa (Frozen) as a couple (or OTP, whatever you prefer), ship name #Jelsa. I kid you not, I have a DEDICATED Pinterest folder to the topic lol XD
From that point onward, we met once a week, Tuesdays, in the Student Center, for lunch and exchanged all of the Jelsa related memes and pictures that we could get our hands on, bonding over our fangirling moments.
If you're raising your eyebrows and thinking that that's the weirdest way you've ever heard of two people becoming friends, you're not alone. We've shared that story with several people, and almost all of them, including David (when he realized that we were practically besties now), were like "Um, WHAT?"
Anyway, the reason I'm super blessed to have Cassie as a friend is because this week, she (bless her heart) was fully intending to drive up from Texas to surprise me (unannounced) at the karaoke party coming up this Sunday. I'm still blown away by the thought that she'd even consider doing that! Talk about the best "present" ever! Unfortunately (fortunately? Agh), she just got a new job that requires her to be at her new place, thus throwing her original plans for a loop. I'm happy for her, but I was mildly disappointed that she wouldn't be able to attend the party (she's practically a fixed pillar of it, ok?).
She passed through town on her way to stay with her family for a week (before heading off to her job), and stopped in to hang out with me for a couple of hours. She also brought her sweet new puppy, Bella. She has the cutest ears, fur pattern, and the best doggie smile ever.
I love this girl <3
Thank you, my dear, for making the trip! It LITERALLY made my summer that much better.
------------------------------------------
Instagram LIVE Karaoke "Party"
Ash and I decided to relieve our boredom and also hype ourselves up in anticipation of the karaoke party coming up this Sunday (full details next #WeeklyWednesday) and did a "request it, and we'll sing it" Disney karaoke LIVE stream from Instagram last night.
It went about an hour, and it was fantastically hilarious.
We're gonna do more (ideally) between now and the party, so if you're not following me on Instagram (@arielyiningloh), keep an eye out for the live videos! :D
#FeatureFriday this week will show off the pictures that I took for Assignments #1 & #2 from my Landscape Photography class, 1) Nature Photography (Color) and 2) Nature Photography (B&W). Look forward to it! I'll share more about my photo-taking experiences there, as well as more about the class (so it'll actually have words and not just photos).
If you haven't subscribed yet, please do so :)
Click the "SUBSCRIBE" button in the top right corner of your screen, enter your email, and you're done!
See you Friday!~
Monday, July 17, 2017
Band Debut for Kairos Impact | #MusicMonday
Remember how I went on that rant a couple weeks ago about how cool it is to KNOW a really talented musician and how awesome it is to see them making something of it that people can actually purchase? Add the furthering of our Lord's Kingdom to the mix and you've got a really good reason to go out and support these guys.
May I present to you, ladies and gentlemen, Kairos Impact?
Back to the topic at hand, I've worked with each of these members MANY times on church worship team, though I'm closer friends with three of the members (specifically). I can personally vouch for their musical giftings from the Lord and also for the innate talent that each of them possess towards their respective "instruments".
Allow me to break it down for you. Hopefully, should any of the band members read this, they feel like I've provided a decently accurate description of what they can do? :)
This list is going from left to right (from the picture above).
Mike Peterson:
A solid musical pillar, Mike is the drummer for the team. I respect anyone who can play multiple instruments and play them well. As far as I know, the drums aren't actually Mike's first instrument, or if they are, they weren't his primary instrument until recently. I still remember him receiving pointers on how to improve his drumming from our other drummer at church, but look at him now! WOW! Mike works hard at his day job too, and as I myself have seen many times, has to balance his work with his family, his church commitments, and now this band! I've also heard Mike play the piano before and as a fellow pianist, let's just say I'm impressed by the versatility of his playing and how he can "jam" to just about anything that the next member I'm about to introduce to you can play.
Caleb Ingram:
This tall, thoughtful bass-man is one of my favorite people ever. I'll give you just 3 reasons why, because if I don't limit myself to that, we'd be here all day.
#1: he doesn't read music but his bass line is to DIE for. I absolutely love hearing Caleb play, no matter what it is. There's an anointing on his playing that just MAKES YOU LISTEN. I've been the unofficial bass player for months (playing on the keyboard) and though I've improved, I have NOTHING on Caleb's playing. We've had other bassists in the worship team before, but I can ALWAYS tell when Caleb's on stage.
#2: he's one of the kindest people ever and truly cares for his friends. He, like Mike, is a very busy man, and yet I still manage to spend quality time with him and his lovely wife. Remember when we went out for quality coffee at Crown Brew Coffee Co.?
#3: he prioritizes his family. Can I just say how refreshing that is? I know MANY other guys Caleb's age who prioritize so many other things, and while there's nothing wrong with prioritizing church (please prioritize that at least a little more in your lives, people, ok?), there's something to be said about a guy who commits to the worship team in the way Caleb does and also prioritizes being with his extended family. 'nough said.
Cassie McGhee:
I've gotten to know Cassie better over the past year and if you haven't heard her sing... You need to. She has one of the best voices for worship music that I've ever heard and there's something so emotionally soulful (is that a word?) about the songs that she puts her voice to. It's clear that God has her going places and I pray and hope that she will be presented with the opportunities to share what He has given her with the world. She's also a pretty spectacular tambourine player (that exists, guys, it really does) and brings an extra measure of joy to song that she plays with, and is an extremely fashionable mother to boot. She's always shows up to church in the cutest stuff. #futuremomgoals for anyone who's getting married soon lol XD
Olivia Price:
I can't brag about my American "daughter" (it's a LOOOONG story) enough. She's practically a staple to my musical arrangements for Calvary Chinese Fellowship. I don't know how I would've gotten through the past couple years of arrangements without her violin. No matter what kinds of crazy things I've thrown at her, she's powered through on her strings and gotten it done. The poor dear has even had nightmares about me writing "whole notes only" music for her prior to a performance. hahahaha XD
There's something particularly exciting about being able to create something that you know will eventually be played, on stage, for the world to hear. It's a small thing, but having someone who you know will do their best to learn and play it is so encouraging to the creative process. I've had many times where I've had a tune or some other creative idea in my head, but have shut it down (I can hear you all screaming "nooooo" right now) because it isn't realistic for the point in time (with my schedule) or because I have no way of executing it. Livvy is one of my main go-tos when I have something I need played. I'm so grateful that God has given her the gift for strings that He has and, even more, so that I have gotten to know her and watch her grow into the beautiful young woman of God that she is.
Danae Price:
I'm looking forward to seeing where God brings this girl. She has grown and stepped up in so many ways in so little time that it's just stunning to watch her journey with the Lord. God has blessed her with so many talents, from singing, to piano (she's the pianist for the band, by the way), to guitar, to bass, to...I don't even know what else anymore. I'm just so proud of her and her sister both <3
This "music dreams relating to Ariel" seems to be a trend with the Price girls. Olivia's caught Danae sleep-talking about needing to make me a chord sheet (a sadly realistic scenario). hahaha XD
I love my girls <3 So glad we got to hang out last week.
Also, aren't these pictures just...amazing? The ones I've shared here within the blog are my personal favorites, but you can click through to see the full album, as taken by RDG Photography.
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Kairos Impact has just released their first single, "Only You Can Satisfy" online.
I'd love to provide you with more links, but after a ten minute online search, I was only able to locate the single on CD Baby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/kairosimpact.
I DID find it on YouTube, but it's a simple (unfortunate) case of someone infringing on the band's copyright, rather than a legitimate upload from anyone affiliated in the band.
Really? It's been like...a week. That's messed up. :(
Anyway, it's LITERALLY $1, guys. Pick it up and support our brothers and sisters in Christ.
That extra shot of expresso in your Starbucks can wait till next time, right? :)
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Do you know any other Christian bands that could benefit from more exposure online?
I love promoting local artists, particularly the GOOD ones that deserve the promotion. Hopefully you've gotten a sense of that from these #MusicMondays? :)
Subscribe (in the top right of your screen( if you haven't done so already! Or share this blog post with someone who might be interested! :D
I've got some exciting things to share on this upcoming #WeeklyWednesday.
Look forward to it! It's been a year in the making!
Byee~
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Hanging with the Prices, Summer Photography Class: Day 1-3, and Spider-Man Homecoming | #WeeklyWednesday
Another long post because I love taking photos (when I remember that I have a blog lol), I have friends who actually like hanging out with me (you do too, right? That's why you're here?) when I'm not doing a million things at once. XD
One Jump Ahead of the Blogline! XD
(bonus points if you caught the Disney reference)
- Hanging with the Prices
- Summer Photography Class: Day 1-3
- Spider-Man Homecoming (opinion, no spoilers)
To "jump", hit "Ctrl (or Cmd for Macs) + F" and type in the EXACT title.
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Hanging with the Prices
Ash and I FINALLY got some good quality time with our faves, Danae and Olivia! :D
The fun started Friday night with a couple of hours of Disney karaoke. Nothing too crazy, just messing around and being ridiculous :) And who knew that Danae loved Mother Gothel? I might have someone to carry the Disney villain flame on after all (aside from Ash because we all know she's already made a freaking bonfire).
I made a spaghetti squash casserole-ish thing that actually tasted pretty good, but I'm not sure if I liked it enough to make it again. I made it 100% right, don't get me wrong there, but it's just not quite...my thing? Maybe? Anyway, the girls tried Melon Pan (melon bread: no melon inside, but the pattern on top looks like a melon skin) for the first time. They liked :)
Saturday, the girls came over for lunch (the food of which I don't remember at this time) and after an hour of trying to make it work, got my keytar going. FINALLY!
Here's a video of our success XD
Dinner was okonomiyaki and we watched Maleficent to wrap up the evening.
Sunday, Danae and I were on worship team. It was my first time playing guitar for Calvary's team, and it was actually REALLY FUN. I didn't have to do any fancy intros (because I know NONE of them) and got to play on full-blast as fast and actually operate on full-speed, something I'm never able to do with CCF songs. It was really refreshing :D
We had mini chicken pot pies for lunch and then made our way to St. Louis for all you can eat sushi at Sushi Ai. Where we proceeded to be ridiculous in public. Surprise, surprise :P
It was really crowded when we got there (good for them!). Sunday is a "Buy One, Get One 50% off" special at Sushi Ai, meaning that their normal price of $20 per person for all you can eat sushi drops to $15 per person (if you split the bill equally). Not a bad deal at all, especially considering the variety that you can get. We were seated upstairs (our first time, we've been downstairs the other times we went) and got a pretty good view of the sushi making process :)
Here's a picture of the beginning of my sushi haul.
You know me. I enjoyed eating so much, I didn't take anymore pictures. Oops.
Also, can I just brag on my girls a bit? My sister, I know, can eat anything I can eat.
But my PRICE girls? HOLLA at my girls because they were downing that stuff like pros and I'm just so freaking proud that they tried just about everything that I recommended they taste. WONDERFUL side effect of Calvary. Adventurous taste buds. <3
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Summer Photography Class: Day 1-3
It's...going okay? I'm feeling stressed because of all the photography vocab that I've forgotten that the rest of the class is throwing around like everyday language (because for them, it IS). They had a moment yesterday when the instructor was asking "Guess the Exposure" and all I could do was sit like an idiot and not understand how things worked.
On the other hand, I have a new camera. Which is exciting, but I literally just got it and haven't had the time to figure it out yet. It's a different brand and is WAY newer than my previous camera, meaning there are lots of things it can do (awesome) that I don't understand (not awesome). I went to the library immediately after class on Monday to check out photography books to brush up while I can since this week is technically the "easy" week, but I have homework due soon.
Please please please pray for the following (with this class):
For class:
- that I'll quickly learn all the terms I don't know
- that I'll quickly learn how to use at least the BASICS of my camera's range
- none of the camera parts will break and that all batteries work
- that I'll learn to use the printers for class and print my photos correctly
- TIME MANAGEMENT because I'm way in over my head
For the outdoor trips I have to take to nature parks and such for photos:
- that I can avoid (or there won't even be any) bugs that I'm allergic to
- decent temperature
- good scenery that I can take photos of (or see hidden bits of that are worth a photo)
- safe environment that I (not too outdoor savvy) can hike around in carrying my camera + pack
- I'll know how to pack WELL, but pack LIGHT
I'll keep you all updated as best as I can. :)
Here are some photos from our class "field trip" (haven't been on one in forever) yesterday to Pomona Natural Bridge:
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Spider-Man Homecoming (opinion, no spoilers)
I'm gonna keep this short and sweet so that I don't accidentally spoil anything for anyone, but you HAVE to see this movie. Saw it last night, and WOW. I've seen all of the Spider-Man movies, and in my opinion, this takes the cake.
The previous actors (in my opinion) have fallen short of the character that is Peter Parker.
Tobey Maguire was too nerdy. Andrew Garfield was too "cool" to the point where he WASN'T nerdy (geeks felt it, let's be honest). But Tom Holland? He's pulling off equal parts nerdy + cool (as Spider-Man). MAJOR PROPS to this guy.
To bring up my initial skepticism with the movie, I wasn't happy with how they were making Spider-Man look in Captain America: Civil War because I was extremely put out with how they made him go up against battle-seasoned heroes like Captain America and the Winter Soldier. I loved BOTH of them, so seeing them "lose" against a teen was not a happy time.
Resolved: In SpM: Homecoming, Tony Stark makes several apperances and there's one point where he tells Peter (who was getting a bit ahead of himself) that is Cap really DID want to kill him, he would've lost. Good job, Tony. Good job.
NOT Resolved: um, Winter Soldier couldn't be taken down strength wise by ANYONE PRESENT so how in the world did a teenager fresh off the hero boat (if you will) catch his arm and just stand there and WS wasn't able to move? WHAT. IN. THE. WORLD. I don't care if he's essentially got the multiplied strength thing that Ant-Man has, that was WAY too easy for him. There was not NEARLY enough of a struggle for him to stop WS and I wasn't happy with how that turned out >:( because WS is awesome.
I like him MUCH better after the new Spider-Man movie. He went through the necessary "new hero" inward struggle of finding his place in the hero world. And I'm very happy for him.
Also, Spider-Man is FINALLY a realistic high schooler. I realize the actor is 21, but he looks like high school in the movie, so I'm a happy person. I had almost forgotten all the stupid stuff that happens in high school (obviously because I never participated in it myself, but had heard stories), so good job, Marvel for making semi-realistic high school show up, right alongside teenage awkies that is life.
In conclusion, GO WATCH IT. You will like :D
P.s. Fun Easter egg shared by Kristi, the voice of SpM's suit, Karen, is voiced by the wife of the guy who voiced Jarvis, Iron Man's suit. lol XD
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We have homework due (gah) in class (obviously), so #FeatureFridays for the next couple of weeks will feature my homework.
...Yes, I'm cheating.
Please don't unsubscribe TT-TT *cries*
If you know of a mutual friend of ours who would probably want to keep updated with my blog, please help me get back in touch with them by sharing this blog and telling them to SUBSCRIBE!! I hate losing touch with friends :(
Cheers!~
One Jump Ahead of the Blogline! XD
(bonus points if you caught the Disney reference)
- Hanging with the Prices
- Summer Photography Class: Day 1-3
- Spider-Man Homecoming (opinion, no spoilers)
To "jump", hit "Ctrl (or Cmd for Macs) + F" and type in the EXACT title.
------------------------------------------
Hanging with the Prices
Ash and I FINALLY got some good quality time with our faves, Danae and Olivia! :D
The fun started Friday night with a couple of hours of Disney karaoke. Nothing too crazy, just messing around and being ridiculous :) And who knew that Danae loved Mother Gothel? I might have someone to carry the Disney villain flame on after all (aside from Ash because we all know she's already made a freaking bonfire).
I made a spaghetti squash casserole-ish thing that actually tasted pretty good, but I'm not sure if I liked it enough to make it again. I made it 100% right, don't get me wrong there, but it's just not quite...my thing? Maybe? Anyway, the girls tried Melon Pan (melon bread: no melon inside, but the pattern on top looks like a melon skin) for the first time. They liked :)
Danae
Olivia
Saturday, the girls came over for lunch (the food of which I don't remember at this time) and after an hour of trying to make it work, got my keytar going. FINALLY!
Here's a video of our success XD
Dinner was okonomiyaki and we watched Maleficent to wrap up the evening.
Sunday, Danae and I were on worship team. It was my first time playing guitar for Calvary's team, and it was actually REALLY FUN. I didn't have to do any fancy intros (because I know NONE of them) and got to play on full-blast as fast and actually operate on full-speed, something I'm never able to do with CCF songs. It was really refreshing :D
We had mini chicken pot pies for lunch and then made our way to St. Louis for all you can eat sushi at Sushi Ai. Where we proceeded to be ridiculous in public. Surprise, surprise :P
Hmm...
We're not looking at anything in particular lol XD
It was really crowded when we got there (good for them!). Sunday is a "Buy One, Get One 50% off" special at Sushi Ai, meaning that their normal price of $20 per person for all you can eat sushi drops to $15 per person (if you split the bill equally). Not a bad deal at all, especially considering the variety that you can get. We were seated upstairs (our first time, we've been downstairs the other times we went) and got a pretty good view of the sushi making process :)
Here's a picture of the beginning of my sushi haul.
You know me. I enjoyed eating so much, I didn't take anymore pictures. Oops.
Also, can I just brag on my girls a bit? My sister, I know, can eat anything I can eat.
But my PRICE girls? HOLLA at my girls because they were downing that stuff like pros and I'm just so freaking proud that they tried just about everything that I recommended they taste. WONDERFUL side effect of Calvary. Adventurous taste buds. <3
------------------------------------------
It's...going okay? I'm feeling stressed because of all the photography vocab that I've forgotten that the rest of the class is throwing around like everyday language (because for them, it IS). They had a moment yesterday when the instructor was asking "Guess the Exposure" and all I could do was sit like an idiot and not understand how things worked.
On the other hand, I have a new camera. Which is exciting, but I literally just got it and haven't had the time to figure it out yet. It's a different brand and is WAY newer than my previous camera, meaning there are lots of things it can do (awesome) that I don't understand (not awesome). I went to the library immediately after class on Monday to check out photography books to brush up while I can since this week is technically the "easy" week, but I have homework due soon.
Please please please pray for the following (with this class):
For class:
- that I'll quickly learn all the terms I don't know
- that I'll quickly learn how to use at least the BASICS of my camera's range
- none of the camera parts will break and that all batteries work
- that I'll learn to use the printers for class and print my photos correctly
- TIME MANAGEMENT because I'm way in over my head
For the outdoor trips I have to take to nature parks and such for photos:
- that I can avoid (or there won't even be any) bugs that I'm allergic to
- decent temperature
- good scenery that I can take photos of (or see hidden bits of that are worth a photo)
- safe environment that I (not too outdoor savvy) can hike around in carrying my camera + pack
- I'll know how to pack WELL, but pack LIGHT
I'll keep you all updated as best as I can. :)
Here are some photos from our class "field trip" (haven't been on one in forever) yesterday to Pomona Natural Bridge:
Class hiking down
Pomona Natural Bridge
Going down to the bridge
Class taking photos for "class"
The underside of the cliff face (in all the coves) were COVERED in centipedes and all
manner of other creepy crawlies and I hightailed out of there quick when I noticed
that there were literally HUNDREDS of these things over my head.
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Spider-Man Homecoming (opinion, no spoilers)
I'm gonna keep this short and sweet so that I don't accidentally spoil anything for anyone, but you HAVE to see this movie. Saw it last night, and WOW. I've seen all of the Spider-Man movies, and in my opinion, this takes the cake.
The previous actors (in my opinion) have fallen short of the character that is Peter Parker.
Tobey Maguire was too nerdy. Andrew Garfield was too "cool" to the point where he WASN'T nerdy (geeks felt it, let's be honest). But Tom Holland? He's pulling off equal parts nerdy + cool (as Spider-Man). MAJOR PROPS to this guy.
To bring up my initial skepticism with the movie, I wasn't happy with how they were making Spider-Man look in Captain America: Civil War because I was extremely put out with how they made him go up against battle-seasoned heroes like Captain America and the Winter Soldier. I loved BOTH of them, so seeing them "lose" against a teen was not a happy time.
Resolved: In SpM: Homecoming, Tony Stark makes several apperances and there's one point where he tells Peter (who was getting a bit ahead of himself) that is Cap really DID want to kill him, he would've lost. Good job, Tony. Good job.
NOT Resolved: um, Winter Soldier couldn't be taken down strength wise by ANYONE PRESENT so how in the world did a teenager fresh off the hero boat (if you will) catch his arm and just stand there and WS wasn't able to move? WHAT. IN. THE. WORLD. I don't care if he's essentially got the multiplied strength thing that Ant-Man has, that was WAY too easy for him. There was not NEARLY enough of a struggle for him to stop WS and I wasn't happy with how that turned out >:( because WS is awesome.
I like him MUCH better after the new Spider-Man movie. He went through the necessary "new hero" inward struggle of finding his place in the hero world. And I'm very happy for him.
Also, Spider-Man is FINALLY a realistic high schooler. I realize the actor is 21, but he looks like high school in the movie, so I'm a happy person. I had almost forgotten all the stupid stuff that happens in high school (obviously because I never participated in it myself, but had heard stories), so good job, Marvel for making semi-realistic high school show up, right alongside teenage awkies that is life.
In conclusion, GO WATCH IT. You will like :D
P.s. Fun Easter egg shared by Kristi, the voice of SpM's suit, Karen, is voiced by the wife of the guy who voiced Jarvis, Iron Man's suit. lol XD
We have homework due (gah) in class (obviously), so #FeatureFridays for the next couple of weeks will feature my homework.
...Yes, I'm cheating.
Please don't unsubscribe TT-TT *cries*
If you know of a mutual friend of ours who would probably want to keep updated with my blog, please help me get back in touch with them by sharing this blog and telling them to SUBSCRIBE!! I hate losing touch with friends :(
Cheers!~
Monday, July 10, 2017
#HollensFamily Pride (ft CAN'T STOP THE FEELING! - Peter Hollens) | #MusicMonday
#HollensFamily Facebook group header photo from back in 2014 by HollensSis, Laura Jolly.
I loved this one :) Saved it and everything.
There's a monthly contest to keep the header pics fresh and to let HollensFam show off their mad skills :D
Shout-out to my #HollensFam this #MusicMonday because I'm just so proud of the fact that I'm a part of it. You guys' posts make my day. Every awesome thing that happens to each one of you makes me smile. Every sad thing causes me to pray that things'll get better. But everything that's posted there just makes me proud that I'm a part of such a kind and loving fan-base, the #HollensFamily, named by none other than our elf-eared (self-dubbed) Dorky A cappella Dad (or DAD if you caught the acronym :P).
To people who don't know why I'm excited to talk about #HollensFamily today...
Have you ever heard of Peter Hollens? No?
Okay, let me rephrase. Have you HEARD Peter Hollens?
The man is so talented, he makes all of his own tracks with JUST his voice (and some claps). You might be thinking "oh sure, it's just another a cappella thing Ariel likes" or "uh, that's easy, anyone can record themselves a bunch of times", but you know what I say to that?
We shall have a fabulous garden party and you aren't invited. :P
Just kidding. Peter has a "kill 'em with kindness policy" that's rubbed off, so I'll be nice and instead have you listen to Peter's covers of songs that you like and will thereby like MORE once you've heard his version. I say Mwahahaha XD
You've been ushered into the family now.
All jokes aside, Peter is, absolutely, by far, one of the most loving artists that I know.
I've lost count of the number of times he's been in interviews and has put people in their place with what I feel is one of the top ten things he shares in life, the importance of genuinely loving your fans. He says "I love you" to the fans so much and we can all tell that he really means it. It's clear from just about everything he does how much he prioritizes his fanbase. And that's really cool. I've never had a moment where I felt like Peter was just saying that he loved the fans for the sake of the fans being "satisfied" that "senpai noticed them" (or oppa, if you're more into K-dramas).
Every single video of his is either 1) something he's personally been wanting to do forever and is super excited to share with us (fans) or 2) something that a bunch of the fans requested. How many artists (even just on YouTube) can have people say THAT about them? I feel like his work with Patreon (which is awesome, by the way, if you don't know what that is) and other like-minded artists have started a trend though, because I'm noticing that more and more artists are starting to think and care more about the people that make up their fan-base instead of just...well, their fan-base.
He's also one of the few YouTube artists who I can tell is truly trying to make an effort to meet the fans as much as possible. VidCon, random meet & greets when he can, and above all...fan collabs. How many people do you know actually MAKE collaborations for their YouTube channels with their fans? We've all heard of collabs with OTHER YouTubers that are mutually beneficial (viewers from either channel see the other YouTuber in the video, hopefully resulting in more subscribers for both), but collabs with fans...? Those are few and far between. On a small side note, Pentatonix did a few, for which I really love and respect them for.
Let's be clear, I do NOT idolize Peter. But I do look up to him. As a Christian, I find my value in God and what HE sees me as. But you know, it's really cool knowing that every time I share an artist's videos, I could potentially be adding to their livelihood if I miraculously manage to add even ONE PERSON to their fan base. That's a pretty cool feeling.
You what else is cool about Peter? He looked at a world that told him no, told himself YES, and put in the love for his craft and the hard work necessary to make it. And here he is.
You know what else is amazing about him? He's not FIGHTING other artists to get to where he is, he's helping them all get there WITH him. I love how he handles his working relationship with other artists. Much too often, we hear of drama in the media about this celebrity getting into a fight with another or how this artist stole another artist's whatever. I can 1000% vouch that that'll never EVER happen to Peter.
ANYWAY. The reason I'm super excited about Peter (this week) is because...I'm participating in a collab with him!!! :D I can't wait for that video to be done to share it all with you! It's good quality stuff (not my video, necessarily, but Peter is sure to do something awesome with it).
So, in the meantime, here's the last collab that he did. LOVED it to pieces <3
This is the message he posted to the HollensFamily fan group (that he's in and you can actually tag him in things and he reads + responds!!) back when he was still making this video:
Anyone in Salt Lake/Park City/Provo wanna be in a video? Oct 3rd? SECOND UPDATE READ BELOW!! Could everyone who is able and willing to be there AND has some form of dancing skill (you will have to learn an easy dance)
Can't stop that #HollensFamily pride!~ :D
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Here's are links to Peter's stuff :)
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/peterhollens
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeterHollens...
Snapchat: peterhollens
Periscope: peterhollens
Instagram: http://instagram.com/peterhollens
Tumblr: http://peterhollens.tumblr.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/peterhollens
By the way, he has a bunch of CDs out and stuff for sale like...everywhere.
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Any other members of the #HollensFam out there? Comment below with your favorite video of his and I'll share my EXACT favorite moment (time-stamp and everything) that I liked <3
#HollensFamily for the win! :D
Subscribe in the top right corner of your screen if you haven't done so already!
I'll be sharing about the photography class that starts today (eep!~) on #WeeklyWednesday.
Please be praying for me! Thank you all!!
Cheers!~
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