And so we go.

The Phoenix show back in Seattle last night was fantastic. Since it was the last stop on their tour, we were treated to two extra songs that did not appear on the setlist I dug up last week. Sweet! The only downside? We barely got enough sleep and are battling a bit of jetlag on Oahu now. Which leads me to this:

http://www.heatherandshawn.net/blog/index.html

Click the link as we are now blogging from Oahu! ;)

Off to Oahu.

We leave bright and early in the a.m. for Hawaii. We'll be on Oahu until Monday evening, complete with free high-speed internet. So, of course, we will be blogging! Our travel blog will be home to our journal and impending photo essays. Follow this link:

Travelling Light

But first, the summer of rock continues (although it's technically the autumn of rock now, I guess). Our trip to HI is bookended with good shows--Phoenix is tonight, Tuesday is the Scissor Sisters. Ta ta!

Cafe Press.

Forgot to mention, I built a little site with notecards, postcards, and other goodies featuring my photography for this weekend's exhibit. It'll be open for approximately 3 months.

http://www.cafepress.com/heatherlocke

The photo above was by far my best seller...

Il fine della festa.

We spent the entire weekend attending events and working at the FotoItaliana exhibit at Seattle Center. It was interesting to connect with other photographers, and to chat with visitors who share our passion for Italia.

The financial outcome was pretty decent, too. I didn't quite break even, but I did sell 5 pieces: 4 small prints and 1 large unframed piece. That's quite a rewarding feeling, as this was the first exhibit (outside of college) I've been part of.

As we were breaking down the exhibit last night, a fellow photographer really laid in on me. She felt that I had priced my small prints too low, a decision I made because I want my own art to be accessible--something most people could afford. Because the framed pieces were significantly more expensive (and also quite a bit larger), she seemed to be under the impression that I placed too much value on the frame, rather than the work itself. I was flabbergasted as she was going off on one, and kind of wish I defended myself a bit now. I certainly didn't join the exhibit to garner opinions from someone like her.

And, not to be a total rag, but she sold nothing.

My turn.

So, now it's my turn. Today marks my first year in Seattle. I love it, I hate it, I still don't know for sure that we belong here.

I wanted to get away from certain things, but have discovered that some things you just can't get away from. I was hoping to reshape my career. And, of course, that takes time and things are still in the works. I wanted to spend more time with my hubby, doing more adventurous things. We've traveled a bunch, learned to ski, and done some other cool things together. I wanted to feel younger, or at a minimum, my age again. That, I think, I have achieved. So, I'm certainly thankful for that.

Now, I'm off to get ready. I succeeded in getting some of my Italy photographs in an exhibit this weekend. So, we get to drink wine, eat cheese, and act semi-pretentious for a few days. Sweet!

{ J/K about the pretentious thing. Seattle just isn't like that. I dig that. }
Photo by Dave R.

This one is for the ladies.

Sorry to be such a girl here, but damn! Who has seen this ad? S just discovered it in the newest ESPN mag. Click for the large, printable view.

And, for those wondering (namely ARV), did I tell you I think I figured out the mystery of the long-sleeved jersey? I'm feeling certain that he has to wear the sleeves just to cover the tatts. Mmmm.

Sunflowers.

One cool thing about Seattle is the fact that you can buy a bouquet like this for a mere $5 at the Pike Place Market. Cheap!

Boston comes to town.

We had a fabulous day playing around Seattle with Dave from Boston and his lovely girlfriend, Jessica. We visited the troll, the Locks, the market, Seattle Center, the library, and went on a cruise. We ate crepes, gelato, and some yummy pizza. And, since Dave is also an avid photographer, we had a great time just shooting lots and lots of pictures.

I'll post some of the killer shots taken with his camera once I have them in hand.

Everything is everything.

A setlist from Phoenix's show in NYC has been posted online. And I am *totally* pumped about seeing "Funky Squaredance" live. Sweet!

We are artsy fartsy.

Some nights, we just sit around the house while S plays guitar and I make things out of paper. I think we are nerds, he thinks we are artsy. =)

Goodbye kitty.

Meet Goodbye Kitty, Hello Kitty's pathetic counterpart. S's sister recently emailed this poster to us with the following details: "Poor goodbye kitty was shot out of a cannon, sent to school and even crapped out by an elephant, awww!"

Also, linking to my uncle Rich's photography blog in the right column. Good stuff...

Anyone?

Anyone have a webcam and somewhat fast internet connection? If so, we can chat for free with Skype (or another program if you have a preference). We just set ours up and it's pretty darn swell.

One Year.

Today is my one-year anniversary of moving to Seattle. From sleeping on Nathan's floor, to moving into a new place and welcoming Heather to the city, September '05 was a crazy month. The rest of the year has gone by so quickly I can hardly believe it (I don't know why this continues to shock me every year).

We're still trying to figure out if this is the place for us. We definitely enjoy the laid-back attitude, skiing opportunities, perfect local gelato, and good bands that stop here on tour. However, we're still missing everyone back home, and can feel islolated out here. The recent addition of talking with our parents via webcams has helped stem that tide.

Tonight we'll be dropping by the first place I stopped in the city after landing: Pies & Pints.

(For a blast from the past, my first blog posts from Seattle can be seen on the right side of the screen under September 2005.)

Geena.

So, here's a random. Apparently, Geena Davis was shopping in the store I work at on Tuesday. She's a rubber stamper!

Back to it.

We are back after a trip home to celebrate the impending birth of my sister's first child. It was a great trip. My only complaint: it misted on us like we were in Seattle in January nearly the entire time. What the heck? More later...