newlywed

So much has happened in the last few months that i do not know where to begin! i need to do a serious update as well as a new layout since i feel like my life has changed and therefore my blog needs a change.

the biggest change of all is my new family. on 09.08.07 i married mr. joseph brook. i am now rachel sarah brook (offically!!) and will do a proper update about one of the most amazing days of my life. here is a picture from my wedding day that i absolutely love.

more to come soon. the fall will turn to winter and blogging and crafting will become second nature again.

i'm back :)
xoxo
-rachel.

euro trekking: an update

i usually hate rainbows. i saw this one the other day and there was something about it that was real beautiful. joe and were walking though downtown halifax, getting drinks and saw this above the buildings. it was just too perfect. i took all these pictures with my moms little cybershot point and shoot and i couldnt be happier with the quality. okay so i know... rainbows are cheesy... but i liked this one. a lot.

in barcelona we stumbled upon this amazing yet horrifically expensive tattoo parlor. we each got bird tattoos on our wrists. mines the one with just the outline. i love it sooo much. ive wanted my wrist done for a long long time and this just was the perfect thing.


this is joe and i. we took this picture in a club in halifax. i really love it. he's my new boyfriend. yes thats right, boyfriend! he's english and he's amazing. hes moving to newburyport as soon as he can afford it. i couldn't be happier. now... who wants to help me plan a wedding? no... really!

yeah, another update

things have been crazy. i have not had a chance to update or even blog!! so here in an update...

+ jw and i broke up for good. i moved out of tewksbury

+ i'm living in newburyport. at my parents! ahhhhhh. its actually not that bad...

+ i am happy for the first time in a lonnnnng time

+ on tuesday, i am leaving for europe for 16 days. cameras in hand... ready to rule the world.

+ i have a new new bff. his name is joseph. he lives in the u.k. and hes the best person i have met in a long time.

+ i'm getting my wrist tattooed while i'm europe. i've wanted to for a very long time. its finally happening! its the outline of a bird. its too cute for words.

+ when i get home, i get to set up my own studio in the room across from my bedroom. i will have all of my things organized and i have tons of space. its awesome!!!

+ i get to go to barcelona on thursday. i'm thrillllllllled!!! i love barcelona. duh.

i'm sure there is a ton more i could add. i just don't know where to begin!

i'll be back on june 7th. i'll have my computer and sidekick too.. just so i can do photo blogs as i travel around europe. i can't wait!!!!!

Spring has finally sprung!

It is actually suppose to be 80 degrees on Monday. I am thrilled. The warm(er) weather is such a nice change. I found this picture in my iPhoto library. I took it back in the summer of 2005 while I was home visiting my parents house from Manhattan. It was the first picture I took with my Canon 10D. There isn't anything incredibly amazing about this picture but it makes me think of the days yet to come. Running around the yard with the dogs and sitting on the patio and drinking wine. My parent's backyard is a true oasis and I just can't wait for it to be warm enough for me to enjoy it. Azim and Mateo love to use the circle in the sunken part of the garden as a race track and chasing each other til they drop from exhaustion. But soon enough it will be warm enough for those days and I can go visit the koi fish and feed them food. I love summer.

obsession: customized google

It isn't often that something on the web excites me but recently google introduced a theme for the top of your google homepage. I chose one that has a little fox on it. He apparently lives in Japan somewhere and the screen changes as the time of day changes according to where you live by simply putting in your zip code. The little fox is so cute. He even goes to sleep in a sleeping bag on the dock. And maybe the customizable google homepage isn't new but I recently just started using it. If you haven't already, you should too. It allows you to add searchable fields for site that you use often including youtube, wikipedia, mapquest and information like your gmail inbox, bbcnews, and your weather forecast.

I also recently updated my firefox browser and the thing has spell check now!! I cannot spell to save my life so having this little option when I post on newsgroups or send someone a myspace message is invaluable. I used to hate firefox but now I use it all the time instead of safari. Now I know none of this is news but I love that fox so much! He even looks like Azim a tiny bit.

finally!

IMG_7586.jpg
Originally uploaded by rah rah!.

i updated my flickr account. its been months. take a look. its not all that exciting, but it's something. the snow is making my hands hurt worse than ever and for the first time, i really do feel like i have arthritis and not just back pain. ughhhhhhhh

about body image.

For the first time since I believe 10th grade, I am under 130 lbs. I think for most people this issue would be inconsequential but it's a big deal to me. Why? well, if you don't know me or haven't seen me in a long time I will explain. I was what I would consider thin until the age of 19 when my obsession with terrible fatty foods caught up with me and I spent half of my twenties round and chubby. For the most part I wasn't completely bothered by my extra weight. I actually kind of enjoyed it. But with my back pain it really made sense to get rid of the extra weight that could possibly be making my back pain worse. This time last year I was at my heaviest, 164 lbs. Since August I have lost about 35lbs. I never imagined that just eating well would cause me to lose this much. I still eat everything that I loved before but just in smaller amounts. It's an odd thing to go from wearing an large/size 12 to a small/size 4-6. I do really feel good about myself again and it isnt just because of my weight loss. As a teenager, I never thought I was skinny enough. I was often told I was fat or that I needed to lose weight when I was tiny (see photo of me at age 15 with my bff at that time, ariana) For me this is a do over. I want to enjoy the work I have done and I want to love my body because it is mine. Even when I was this size before, I was so self conscience that I never enjoyed it. I was so concerned with being thinner that my size and my looks were never good enough. These days, I am just glad that I can leave the house in jeans and a t-shirt and feel totally comfortable. I no longer look in the mirror and see millions of flaws. I do not care if 10 lbs comes back on or if I never lose another pound. I am just happy to be me.

thank god its spring, right?

Enough already!!! I am ready for spring. I can't deal with the damn snow any longer! My birthday is in two weeks and I would love to not wear a winter coat that day. It is weather like this that makes me wish I lived someplace where the weather wasn't so unpredictable that its 60 degrees one day and a major snow storm the next. California is looking better and better everyday...

new website! ooooooooooh!

A new Macbook Pro, a new website! My friend teri told me that my lovely new machine had a program on it called iWeb and a few hours later, a new site! My other site (harsh-truth.com) was build all in dreamweaver and while i love that site so much, i lost all the files, don't have the password for my account on the server and i REALLY needed to update. This new site isn't at all about my personal work (just a heads up) but all about my business. Yes, I have a job! I needed a site just for my virtual tour business. It has become really lucrative but as always, I could use more clients. I mean, who couldn't. For now, the web address is rachelpersonphotography.com which, is a bit long and only redirects you to the .mac server its on. i am in love with the ease of iWeb, i would just like to have my own url at the top. its a start for now and the site name may change to rachelperson.com. who knows! So take a look and let me know what you think. really... any and all critiques welcome!

next on the list, business cards. thats right, i don't have any!!

Mexico: One Adventure at a Time

So I have a slight obsession. His name is Rick Bayless. I have a series recording of his show "Mexico One Plate at a Time" and love his frozen pizzas which are inspired by the tastes and smells of Oaxaca. Why do I adore Rick so much? Well, WHERE DO I START? I think JW put it best when he said "Wow, he really is the only other person besides you that is that obsessed with Mexico" Hmm... Maybe so. I have contemplated going to Chicago to visit my best friend Kerry with the real plan of going to both of his restaurants. That website right there gave me some of the best suggestions on places to try in Oaxaca and even convinced me to suck it up and brave the consequences and try agua fresca. On my quest to find out all things about Rick and his culinary obsession with Mexico, I found out that he does culinary tours of Mexico. WHAT?! The man who lived in Oaxaca and inspired me to cook Mexican (everyday) is giving a culinary tour of Mexico in September. Wasn't I suppose to go to Oaxaca for Dia de Los Muertos in November for a reunion? OH YEAH.... Who says I can't do both? This year has been pretty lucrative so far. But lets just see what this magical trip in tales!!!

MEXICO: PUEBLA, TLAXCALA, AND MEXICO CITY

Experience the culinary and cultural riches of Central Mexico, from the magnificent colonial city of Puebla to the high energy � and art and culinary landscape � of Mexico City. The emphasis of this trip is on the foods of Mexico City, Tlaxcala, and the surrounding areas. It promises to be a unique and exciting opportunity to explore these culinary traditions �on location� in the culture and subcultures in which they evolved. The food found today in Mexico City still reflects its origins; enormous varieties of the centuries-old masa snacks can be found in the city�s markets and from street vendors. Then there are the traditional dishes, such as moles and pipianes, as well as the exciting dishes that are being created by chefs using traditional Mexican ingredients in new ways.

Discover these riches with chef, author, and PBS series host Rick Bayless, one of America's foremost practitioners of Mexican cooking. This program is limited to culinary professionals only.

WHAT?! Okay, I can make a mean guacamole and so pretty good Mexican got chocolate, but I'm a photographer, not a chef. But I emailed the woman who sets these things up and you know what, there might just be a spot for me on the trip after all. This may be my very first time traveling on my own UNLESS SOMEONE WANTS TO COME WITH ME!!!!

Check out the info here, and come with me!!!

...and we have winner

After a few weeks of research and a ton of test drives, I've decided on a new car. A 2007 Mini Cooper!!! The '07 is completely redesigned (the first time since they came out). This car is so smart that I can't believe its actually a car!! My phone somehow (well, via bluetooth) is connected to my car which mutes my music and rings out of the speaker if someone is calling me with the phone number showing up on my screen and the accept call on my steering wheel. The car also tells me how many miles until I need to get gas, if I have a flat tire (wtf?!), when its time to bring my car in for service and it also has a place to my iPod in the glove box where its hidden away. All the controls from artists to playlists are controlled from the little computer or steering wheel. Who thinks of these things? I am so amazed that things like this exist and better yet, that I have the opportunity to take advantage of it. I am going to the dealership to sign my life away (along with my first born) and in a few days, I will have my adult go-kart. And to my baby Jetta, I will miss you so! We have been through so much together and you are like a disfunctional part of my family. Haha! I'll miss you little vdub.

If you are in the market for a new car seriously think about getting a Mini. They get 37mpg! For a non hybrid, thats pretty damn good. If you aren't just go to the website, no really, do it! Building your own Mini Cooper is like being a kid in a candy shop.

shes my ray of...

So I am getting sick again and it sucks. I had a crappy cold two weeks ago and I visited my dad and it seems like he had the same thing I had and has somehow passed it back to me. Gee, thanks dad. Along with being sick, I am completely backed up in my work log and I have a million craft projects started and a bunch to start and complete but the office is a mess and its so time to get organized. I REALLY don't want to get sick sick again and I really want to get organized. But instead, I am going to attempt to watch Little Miss Sunshine without puking from its over-the-top indie quarkiness. Who knows, I might actually like it. I do like Steve Carell.

Bill, Please.

Anna Nicole Smith died today. Of course its been all over the news. I'm sure you already know this. I watch the O'Reilly Factor from time to time to listen to the nonsense that this idiot spouts nightly. While I waited for J.W. to join me to watch The Daily Show, I put on the "factor" to see what ridiculousness was going to be featured on the show this evening. The topic of course was the death of Anna Nicole. Bill spent most of the time berating her lifestyle, celebrity status and stating over and over again about how little he cared about her or her life. Since I didn't have my reporter pad in front of me, I'll summarize. Apparently, Mr. O'Reilly felt as though she had no place being in the public eye. That her lifestyle and choice were amoral and her death was neither a surprise or something we as the public, should care little about. Then why is it, O'Reilly, that you felt the need to spend over 75% of your hour long talk show devoted to her life, death and drug use? And as his guest pointed out, Bill certainly knew a lot about someone he really had no interest in at all. I am not one for glossing over the truth or reality of a persons life after death. Many people tend to make the recently dead into something they were not, hoping their memory will be preserved in a better and cleaner fashion than the life they led. I do not, however, find it acceptable to totally bash someones life and choices on national television not even 24 hours after their passing. I am not a huge Anna Nicole Smith fan but her life seemed incredibly tragic and sad. I do not see her death as a surprise but the loss of a life so young with a brand new child is never an easy thing. I will also say I am NOT a fan of Bill O'Reilly's (if that wasn't already obvious from the above statements). I find him incredibly crass and tactless. Clearly he stood up to both of those lovely traits this evening. Congrats!

As for Anna, I think I'll go out and buy some fresh pickles and enjoy them in her memory ;)

whats (really) wrong with me.

It's more than obvious that I haven't been blogging lately. I also haven't been crafting or going out or spending much time online. I think I've said before how I like to keep things light and fun on my blog instead of highly personal and journal-like. That just is not me. However, after 2 years of chronic pain, I have finally gotten a diagnosis that actually makes sense. It is no secret that I have S.A.D. and that winter makes me miserable and i find winter itself miserable. I am not one to be depressed tho. It's just a lack of sunshine that makes me so sad. A bit poetic don't you think? Nonetheless, I usually spend all winter crafting, knitting, and working on my photo portfolio and my yearly website update. This year is different though. The pain has become so overwhelming that regardless of how excited I am by my numerous projects, my poor back just won't allow me to do the things I would like to do. I have everything I need to complete this quilt (this one was made by someone I found on flickr) but my back will simply not allow me to sit in front of my sewing machine for that long. So, what the hell is actually wrong with me? It's odd, random, and makes a ton of sense. Most likely, you've never heard of it before.

To put it simply, I have arthritis. But you know, not your typical type. NOPE! I have one of the more rare forms. Psoratic Arthritis. Most people know what psoriasis is. Psoriasis is a skin condition that makes you look like a red scaly dinosaur. I however, have a mild mild form which is only on my elbow and is very receptive to topical treatment. Thank god, I am a little too vein to have something horrid like that be out of control. So for those of you that know me well, know there is nothing wrong with my hands or feet or knees. Then how is it that I have arthritis?! Well here's how. It's in my spine. Yeah... spine. Is it degenerative? It can be. They don't know about mine yet though. What does that mean for me long term? Well, my joints could fall to bits and I could end up getting unsuccessful back surgery. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. What the hell is this anyway? I'll tell you. I have Spondylitis, a form of PA that is the pretty rare and often times misdiagnosed as simply back pain since in order to be diagnosed with this type of PA, you do not have to have pain or swelling in the joints in your hands. Many lazy doctors who do not want to put any effort into trying to figure out a difficult diagnosis often chalk it up to fibromyalgia. It's a bucket diagnosis and requires few tests and hype new drugs that most likely paid for doctors trips to various golf courses. But hey, these drugs are safe right? But back to the point. What is spondylitis?

"Spondylitis is inflammation of the the spinal column. In about 5 percent of individuals with psoriatic arthritis, spondylitis is the predominant symptom. Inflammation with stiffness of the neck, lower back, sacroiliac or spinal vertebrae are common symptoms in a larger number of patients, making motion painful and difficult. Peripheral disease can be present in the hands, arms, hips, legs and feet."

Yup, its real. I plan on writing a letter to that primary care doctor of mine. The one I saw in Nov '05 that looked at me and told me that there was nothing wrong with me and that I was lying about my pain. He made me cry and also made me feel like maybe I was crazy and the pain wasn't real. Screaming at him made no difference. Please take a few seconds and read this article that Teri left for me on my del.icio.us. It is heart breaking (and not to mention long) But the end is terribly sad. Please be aware that those with chronic pain suffer more than you know.

I miss you all. I'm not hiding on purpose.

Here in my car.

Okay, I have a lot to catch up on. One, I'm looking to buy a new car although my parents said it makes more sense to drive it into the ground first (how's that AWESOME yellow porche doing dad?) Okay... I'm a bit of a car freak. I am also a bit of a German car freak. I wonder where I got that from. In particular, I love Volkswagens, new and old. Oh yeah, and the occasional BMW. But let's face it. The little VW is the car of the people (no, literally). So let's just focus on that. Two cars. Two obsessions.

Volkswagen Karmann Ghia
"The Karmann Ghia was a two-seater sports car marketed by Volkswagen, designed by the Italian firm Ghia, and built by German coach builder Karmann. Over 445,000 Karmann Ghias were produced between 1955 and 1974" oh and pretty much British spy car and sex on wheels. I have been eBay searching and looking at various VW enthusiasts websites to find the perfect one. But let's be honest, does someone like me need this completely adorable but yet probably totally unsafe death machine? Okay so it is probably not a death machine but buying a vintage restored car isn't always smart economically. Maybe when I am in a position to have more than one car I'll buy a fully restored, low mileage, and automatic transmission gem of a car. Even though the mere thought of having two cars is kind of absurd.


Volkswagen 2007 GTI
Named Automobile Magazine's 2007 Car of The Year, the newly redesigned GTI is sexy, sleek and so fast you'll be surprised your not driving a $90,000 + super sports car. The GTI
has long been the #1 street racing car for those who love to do so. I, am not a street racer nor would I ever become one but I will say I do enjoy my German engineering and a car that hauls and hugs the road and takes those turns like its nothing. You can add an iPod adaptor to your package, touch screen navigation, steering wheel hand controls and not to mention the interior is a hott plaid fabric. Oh and the grill is a contrasting red color (I want the "Candy White" by the way). Did I mention that I did a test drive of this car in July? I still can't stop thinking about it. I don't think its normal to get so excited about something as simple as a car but hey, you haven't driven one have you?! Well go to your local Volkswagen dealership, pretend like you have the money to buy one and drive the shit out of it. No, really... do it. It's worth it.

In conclusion, I have no money, my car is falling apart and my love and obsession for the two above cars is making my head spin. Yeah.

woah

I think this is the longest I have gone without blogging. The holidays were pretty much stress free. I have a million things to blog about and I will get to that ASAP. No, really.

upheavel.

My office is a mess. Well, my office really isn't much of an office anymore. We are in the process of putting the bed back together and swapping the office for the guestroom. As soon as that's done... I PROMISE that I'm going to redo my website. Its been over a year since I did any work on it and this is just unacceptable. I just saw Ferris Caldwell's new website (thanks to Abby) and found it truly inspiring. In case you didn't know, the amazing Ferris went to AIB and graduated from the same program I did. Not that I got the same thing out of it, ha! I have so many negatives to scan and many new design projects to upload. Changing the name of my site my help people remember it too. But, since my computer was stolen and the entire website was on that computer, it is time time to start from scratch anyway... so no time like the present.

duh!

I just had the biggest "duh" moment. After the mess below (my film was ruined - fuck you Hunts!) and the only reason I used it to begin with was because Campus "mediocre" Camera closed months ago and that was my place to get all film developed. Sure, there was dust on my film now and then but besides that it was good old reliable. Well that and I could literally run out the door from my school to their store during break and pick up my film just in time for the printing part of our class as if I had it all along. YOU KNOW YOU'VE ALL DONE IT AIB-ERS! So I googled them and yeah, there is a location right near South Station. So go to Colortek and support a great lab (even if the parking is a total hassle)

simple things.

I've had two pretty shitty days in a row. Yesterday I learned that Hunt's ruined my film. Let's talk about this for a second. In all the years that i have been getting my film developed by other people NOT ONCE has this ever happened to me. The manager on the phone called me to tell me it was a new employees fault. Am I suppose to believe that? Am I a total moron? She said the young lady did not mark it as b&w and therefore it got processed as color. Now Hunt's is a serious place. About as serious as it gets (besides B&H and that other place in the south that I can never remember the name of). They have a professional photo lab there. When lets just say the idiot trainee mismarked the envelope you WOULD THINK the smart, photo savvy girl working the machine would realize it was black and white film BC it says BLACK AND WHITE on the side. But no... and now my film is blank. I am investigating tomorrow and throwing a fuss. I re shot today and it was actually a lot of fun. Things came up tho... and what turned out to be a simple agreement has turned into a walking on eggshells nightmare. fuck me. So as I prepared my bag last night for my shoot today, I came across the very few Polaroids I took while in Oaxaca the last time. This one was my favorite. The lady was so sweet. All she wanted was a photo of her daughter in exchange for a bracelet. She then let me take a picture for myself and she gave everyone in my family a handmade bracelet. To this day, I have two purple ones on. I love her. I miss her country. This photo made my night or what is salvagable of it.

target: i love you.

Since I graduated from college, I haven't had insurance. I've always been a freelancer and of course, insurance does not come with the job. I also never had the money to provide my own. Because of this, I have paid thousands of dollars over the past two years for my prescription medication. Until now. I dropped off a prescription at target one day since I did not feel like driving o multiple locations in order to do all my errands. When I picked my my Rx and the pharmacist rang me up, my prescription was $25 less than I regularly paid. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! This week, my prescription went from $54 to $23 just because Target wanted to lower their prices. They have also instituted this unreal $4 Generic Prescription Drug program. This was started out by Walmart in Florida but my general disdain and boycotting of that company wouldn't drive me to buy prescription there even if they were giving them away. The woman at the pharmacy actually said to me she was happy that I discovered their pharmacy and was happy that they could make a difference in my life. Oh hell yes! All my photographer/artist friends with no insurance, hit up target. They want to make a difference no just make money. What a refreshing change.

PS: Their overhaul of the basic prescription bottle is so well designed. Each family member gets their own different colored ring around the bottle of their prescription so you can tell without reading the label who's Rx is who's! Also, the name of the drug and dose is written in huge letters on the top of the bottle so there is no confusing or eye straining to see which medication you need. Good design for all indeed!