Day 30: Faceless Self Portrait

Amber Fischer Photography 30 Day Photo Challenge

Day 30: Faceless Self Portrait

So today is the last day of the Photo Challenge, and I find myself extremely sad. I have greatly enjoyed participating in this game, and made it a point to make sure I never missed a day. It gave me a purpose in searching for and finding the perfect photo for the day and I treated this challenge like homework and made sure I always had my photo posted before midnight the day it was "due." I learned so much more about photo editing, cropping, angles all because I was intrigued to see what results I could get. And most importantly, I learned more things about myself.

So. Faceless self portrait for the last day. It is funny that the last days portrait brings me clear back to Day 1's photo: Me. If you recall, my photo for that theme was a picture of the words from Alice in Wonderland saying "...who in the world am I?" So, have I answered that?

In 30 days I have revealed some of my greatest loves, desires, hopes, secrets, and deepest feelings. 

Who am I?

I am a wife, daughter, and friend who loves her husband, family, friends and cat more than anything.

I am the biggest fan of Alice in Wonderland, Yetis and cryptozoology, all things Disney, Tim Burton and the macabre, Meat Loaf and his rockin' tunes, old abandoned houses and too many other things to list.

I am a believer of monsters, ghosts, Wonderland and will forever be in search of all of those things.

I am fun, young at heart, imaginative and passionate. 

I am a sewer, painter, builder and craftsman. 

I am an artist. 

I am me. Alexz. Spooky Pooky. 

Forever changing. Forever young. Forever happy.

Day 29: Dream

Amber Fischer Photography 30 Day Photo Challenge

Day 29: Dream

I dream a lot. I dream in every way possible; whether it be daydreaming, dreaming in my sleep, or my larger-than-life aspirational dreams, one thing is certain. I never stop dreaming.

Sometimes I fantasize about silly, frivolous things- but sometimes I find myself lost in thought over serious life matters. Sometimes I dream about crazy and strange happenings while I am asleep- but sometimes my dreams are as boring as a long, uneventful day in real life. My dreams and aspirations for my real life have varied and changed throughout the years from being a Kindergarten teacher to being a world-famous artist. But there is one thing I have always loved that encompasses all three of those types of dreams since I was a tiny child.

I dream of Disney all day long. Day in and day out.

I daydream about being in Disneyland or Disney World constantly- it is my happy place. I daydream about working there just as much. In fact, I daydream about them so much, I find myself in Disneyland in my nightly dreams CONSTANTLY. I can't ever stop thinking about the entire concept of Disney. But most importantly and the most grand of any of these dreams is my lifelong dream to work as an imagineer for Disney. 

I have imagined myself as a concept artist for movies, set designer for both the parks and films, Tinkerbell on top of the parade float, roller coaster designer- you name a Disney Job and I can guarantee I have wanted to do it. I would even be a janitor just to go to Disneyland everyday. Walt Disney is another one of my biggest heroes of all time, and he inspires me so much to do great things. He created one of the biggest legacies in the world all because he dreamed big. Like he said-

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."

Oh, I know it Walt, and just you wait and see what I do with that advice. Watch out, Disney. 

Day 28: Summertime

Amber Fischer Photography 30 Day Photo Challege

Day 28: Summertime

Have you ever seen anything so cute in your entire life? I doubt it. This is what summertime is all about: playing, dress up, tea parties, and just plain fun. I am not so sure the Mad Hatter is pleased but she is DARN CUTE. Along with the white rabbit, Alice, the Red Queen, and the Cheshire Cat, they all joined tonight for a lovely spot of tea and some summer fun.

My favorite summertime memories are always filled with laughter and playing; especially playing pretend. I had so much fun tonight shooting these adorable characters for this amazing session. While the girls had their fun playing and chatting, I got to have my own fun with high school friends doing the same thing. Like I said, that is what summer is all about.

Day 27: Hate

Amber Fischer Photography 30 Day Photo Challenge

Day 27: Hate

Okay, so you are probably wondering what is going on here when you see all the things in this picture you all know I love dearly but yet the photo is labeled hate.

You can see the Alice in Wonderland, Coraline, yetis, a zombie, a cthulhu, a day of the dead plush, etc. And I can tell you that there are several other loves of mine that go outside of this shot. So what is the deal?

These are not only items I love of my favorite themes, but these were all gifts to me from people I love dearly. Almost everything up on this shelf (and throughout the rest of my place) are gifts from people I have met in craft swaps through Craftster. They were all made specifically for me, with the sole purpose of bringing me happiness and joy. And they do. For me, they represent not only my deepest loves, but my friendship with these people that I speak to everyday and consider to be some of the greatest friends I have ever met.

So again, where is the hate? All these people live miles away from me. I have not met one of them in person but I can tell you so much about them. Some of them, like my BFF Amy, I know inside and out. They are my closest companions but I have never even heard their voices. I hate that they all live so far away from me. I have stuff up there from my real life BFF too, Tara, and she lives in Portland and I only see her a few times a year. I hate it. I want to see and speak to them in person every day. I hate being so far apart.

As much as I hate that though, it will never  be enough to deter how much they mean to me and how hard I will try to meet each and every person I have come to love. 

Day 26: Love

Amber Fischer Photography 30 Day Photo Challenge

Day 26: Love

I have so many loves. 

I love my family. Kevin, my parents, my relatives, my friends. I love art. Painting, drawing, sewing, assembling. I love reading. Fantasy, True Crime, History, Mythology. I love music. Rock, punk, oldies, ska. I love my heroes. Meat Loaf, Tim Burton, Walt Disney, Leonardo da Vinci.

I just love so many things. 

That said, I was having a hard time picking what to photograph today. Should I capture one of my interests or hobbies that I enjoy so much? Or should I take a picture of me and Kevin or even ust Kevin? Should I go out and find a couple and try to take a candid shot? The options were endless. And I realized that is one more thing I am in awe of. 

There is an endless array of ways to show love through creativity. Whether it is showing a couple in love, the ones you care about so deeply, the interests you are so fond of, you can get as creative and personal as you want. Because I could not decide on just one of those, I decided to get a little more conceptual with my photograph today and show a literal interpretation of cards spelling out the word love. 

I LOVE that you can be as creative as you desire. And there is a little secret here. Playing cards will forever remind me of my wedding and my admiration for Alice in Wonderland so this photo represents two things I love dearly. 

I just love that.

Day 25: Evening

Amber Fischer Photography 30 Day Photo Challenge

Day 25: Evening

Today was one of those days that goes on forever and is just so incredibly boring. 

I couldn't find anything to do. I have several projects to work on but I couldn't commit to finishing a single one. Everything on TV was boring. My mom and I walked to the Oban Festival downtown, but we were early so it ended up not being very entertaining for us. I visited Kevin at work for an hour where he was just as bored. 

It was just a boring day! 

So when I drove to my parents house this evening and saw my brother's cat staring at me lazily, looking just as bored I snapped this picture. By the time evening rolled around today, I felt as bored and apathetic as this cat looks. 

Let's hope tomorrow is a little more entertaining!

Day 24: Orange

Amber Fischer Photography 30 Day Photo Challenge

Day 24: Orange 

To all my friends who laughed at me when I said monsters are real: HA HA back at you!

I discovered my new orange friend here yesterday just outside of Payette. "Monsters aren't real." Pfft. I told you all!

Day 23: Old

Day 23: Old

I absolutely love old, antique teapots. Not just because of my obsession with Alice in Wonderland, but because they are so beautiful and delicate.  Each one unique and graceful, teapots provide so much more than just tea. They provide camaraderie and story-telling as they bring people together for a spot of tea.  This particular teapot was a gift to me from my mom at my Tea Party Bridal Shower last summer. 

I had seen it at an antique sale (it is part of an entire set) and fell in love. I wanted it so badly and secretly hoped it would turn up at my birthday party the next night. No such luck. But I still found myself thinking about it constantly. I wondered where it had originally come from and what homes it had traveled through on its way to ending up in an antique sale. Each mark on it held a secret of its past life that captivated and intrigued me, consuming my thoughts all summer. 

A couple months later, after finally giving up hope of receiving the tea set, my mom pulled a fast one on me and presented it to me at my Bridal Shower. I could not have been more delighted! The entire set now holds a place of honor in my home now, and can be seen right as you enter. I love the whole set and this teapot in particular reminds me of my mother. Not only because it was a gift from her and represents her love for me, but because she is mysterious and beautiful and has so many stories to share from her life. Just like this teapot, she has an unmistakable beauty and her kind nature pours out to everyone she meets. 

I love this teapot but not as much as I love my mom. 

Tea Cup Chandelier!

Tea Cup Chandelier!

I made this Tea Cup Chandelier today! It doubles as a birdfeeder, too.

This was it before:

Not a bad change, eh? I had been wanting to make one for MONTHS, and I finally found a light fixture chandelier a few weeks ago. 

I used  tea cups, saucers, ribbons, tulle, faux flowers, and lots of spray paint and gold ink. I spray painted each saucer and cup a different bright color and used bright colors for everything.

It makes me happy! :)

Day 22: Happy

Amber Fischer Photography 30 Day Photo Challenge

Day 22: Happy

Lots of things make me happy. I am simply a happy person!  

Bright colors make me happy.

Fun decorations make me happy.

Finishing a project and seeing my vision come to fruition makes me happy. 

I made this tea cup chandelier/bird-feeder today. I had been wanting to make one for the longest time, and today when I finally did it and finished it, I was just so happy! 

Day 21: Time

Amber Fischer Photography 30 Day Photo Challenge

Day 21: Time

"There was nothing so very remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so very much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!" (when she thought it over afterwards it occurred to her that she ought to have wondered at this, but at the time it all seemed quite natural); but, when the Rabbit actually took a watch out of its waistcoat-pocket, and looked at it, and then hurried on, Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge."

Alice in Wonderland- Lewis Carroll

Much like the White Rabbit, I can never seem to manage my time and I am late for everything. But maybe this is because I spend too much time daydreaming about talking white rabbits, and lose track of the time? I cannot be too sure if that is the problem, but either way, I do know that I must go now. No time to say hello, goodbye, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!!!

Day 20: Favorite

Amber Fischer Photography 30 Day Photo Challenge

Day 20: Favorite

This is Simba. As you can see, Simba is a little worn out- l like to say well-loved though. Christmas morning, 1994, I woke up to a beautiful Christmas tree with what seemed to me, millions of presents. I just knew one of them had to be Simba. As we opened our presents, one by one, each one great, many Lion King themed, I still had not found the one thing I wanted most inside any of the packages. 

When The Lion King came out in June of that year, I ended up seeing it several time in theaters. Yup, my obsessing over things began extremely early. I collected all the McDonald's and Burger King toys that came out and friends and family would bring anything Lion King to me or my mom. I had toys, books, crayons, shampoo- everything Lion King. I even had the official Lion King Christmas Ornament that year. But there was one thing I did not have and I wanted it more than anything in the world. The official baby Simba plush.

I remember getting towards the end of my presents and I still did not have my beloved Simba. But then, when all the wrapping paper had been ripped apart, all the packages had been opened, and all that was left under the Christmas tree was a big empty space, my mom just happened to find one last package hidden by Santa Claus. Ripping it open, I screamed with delight to see my precious, desired Simba. One of my favorite memories ever.

I have slowly given away and sold most of my childhood toys and stuffed animals but Simba will never leave me. He slept with me every night. Comforted me when I was sad or scared. Brought me joy when I was happy and playing. He went with me to every slumber party, traveled with me on every vacation, and he even went to college with me. Simba embodies not only my favorite childhood movie and toy, but my favorite childhood memories. He was there through everything.

 And he always will be. 

One Last Birthday Post!

 I wanted to show off my birthday presents I made for myself more clearly.

I am obsessed with making these tiny handsewn plushes! They are quick and easy and so cute! I have a huge list of other characters I plan to do for myself and Amy. :)

Here we have: the Cheshire Cat, Doctor Who (who will be receiving glasses later), Meat Loaf, and my signature yeti, Waddell!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Birthday Extravaganza!

I had an AMAZING birthday, and could not be happier with my weekend! 

For starters, Thursday night (or Friday morning) I heard a knock on my door at midnight. Turns out my brother and best friend drove down from Portland to surprise me! Tara was my friend from school and my maid of honor; that night at my wedding, she and my brother met and hit it off. A month later he moved to Portland to be with her. Crazy, right? But awesome. I miss them both so freakin' much so it was a great surprise. Plus, Tara brought her cute puppy!

Friday, I kicked off the day with a surprise from Kevin. I had a dog that literally was my best friend and she got me through my toughest years. Middle and High School were rough on me, but I had Coco, my big, fat chocolate lab to get me through it all and I loved her dearly. I am tearing up as I write about her already. My junior year of college, she died right around this time right before my birthday and right before I got home. It was incredibly hard on me and I never got to say goodbye. I have still had such a hard time dealing with it so I could never bring myself to go to her burial site. Well, Kevin got my parents to help him- together they all went out and cleared out all the 5 foot tall weeds where she is buried, landscaped around her and my dad made a rock headstone for her. My mom got out all my pictures of her and Kevin arranged them on a board and set it up next to her grave. He took me out there blindfolded and read me a beautiful story he wrote about me and my dog and explained to me that she will always be with me. There is a lot more details and he even incorporated a Meat Loaf song. It was the most special birthday gift I have ever received in my life. I didn't get a picture of the site, but I plan to go out there once we have a nice day again and get some good shots.

So, now that I am bawling like a baby, lets get light-hearted again! I spent the day in Boise with Kevin, Tara, Chad, our friend Zack, and two friends from college that had just moved to Boise the day before. We just walked around downtown, went to my favorite store, the Record Exchange, and that night we had cake and a bonfire with all my friends and my family. It was perfect!

The celebration continued on Saturday! First, I got the most amazing package from my BFF, Amy (The Mad Crafter)! It seriously made me cry, it was so awesome! She let me choose a pattern from Etsy that she would buy and make for me so I chose a penguin, but I wanted her to zombify it. And boy did she rock it! 

Then she made me a Dalek, and a Sonic Screwdriver,  which went perfect with the Doctor Who I made myself! 

And she sent me an adipose and Weeping Angel Charm. I now have the nerdiest phone in my hometown.

Oh, and this tiny Hedwig! Which is perfect, because I also received a full set of Harry Potter books! I have been begging for a set for years! 

Then, the most epic surprise of all! Look! Look! She crocheted me! It is my Spooky Pooky logo! This is the part that made me cry! It is so cute and sweet and personal and thoughtful and about 1,000 other things! One of the best gifts EVER!!

Doesn't she go perfectly with the Cheshire Cat I made for myself?! :D

Amy blogged about her here, and it seriously made me cry. (I am emotional this week, I guess!) She is seriously the bestest friend ever. 

After opening my amazing package, Tara, Chad and I met Autumn and Colin again at my favorite place ever. Well, in this area (so not Disneyland). The Old Idaho State Penitentiary!

I ended up making a haul on my birthday with some pretty sweet swag! 

Art supplies like my beloved spray paint, a crate to carry all my projects around since I travel with them place to place, and a killer tripod from Kevin.

Clothes, necklaces (the NBC one is also from Amy and the other two are from my mommy!), 

and hair products!

Cards and money are always welcome. Ha!

 Kevin got me the Real McKenzies on vinyl because I love records and they are one of my favorite bands. And he got me the first season of Glee!

 I also got some random things of my favorite themes: Domo Coasters, a mini penguin pillow pet, an adorable Bigfoot book and postcards with dead people. lol. I always end up with lots of dead things on my birthday or other holidays. ;)

 I ended up with TWO Alexz in Wonderland dolls and love them both dearly! I also got a new Alice book for my collection. 

Soooooooo, all in all, my birthday rocked. Sorry for such a long post, but I wanted to document my whole birthday so I can remember it forever. It was that good. 

Father's Day Gift

Happy Father's Day!

Well, I already posted about my Pop (see it here) and his gift, so I thought I would show off the mounted turkey more clearly. If you didn't see the post, my dad is an avid hunter and fisher. He loves the outdoors and he loves mounted animals. I am not a fan but wanted to do something for him that he would get a kick out of for Father's day. After several ideas, I settled on a turkey since he just patented a one-of-a-kind goose and turkey decoy. 

He has several real ones mounted in his man-cave basement, and to be honest, they gross me out thoroughly. But I was able to render a cute one that I am pretty proud of! He liked it a lot! :)

Day 19: Dad

Amber Fischer Photography Challenge 

I used to think that my dad and I were so incredibly different. I used to think that we didn't understand each other one bit, and had not one thing in common.

My dad, or as I like to call him, my Pop, likes to hunt, fish, camp and be outside all day. He loves rocks, turkeys, fish, deer, elk and anything to do with the outdoors. Actually, it is more like he lives for these things. Hunting and fishing are his livelihood. I could not be further from that mindset.

I like to watch movies, hang out and work on my art, and I can't handle being away from my technology for more than a few hours at a time. I like cryptid creatures, zombies, and skeletons and anything else along those lines. Those are MY personal livelihoods. 

But not so very long ago, I realized something very important. This summer, while planning my wedding, my Pop dropped everything to help plan and build some of the most spectacular pieces of art I have ever seen, all for one special day. All for me. He gave up his hunting and fishing all summer, the things he enjoys most in life, just for me.

For my Halloween Wonderland Wedding, my Pop crafted an incredible Wonderland tree, a beautiful trellis for me and Kevin to stand under, and a large replica of the Mad Hatter's Hat. Did he do this because he loves and knows Alice in Wonderland as much as I do? No. He did it because I am his one and only daughter and he would do anything for me. He went way above and beyond the call of duty and produced jaw-dropping results. 

On my wedding day as we were all decorating and setting up, I looked up to see my pop traveling towards us with his gigantic construction trailer hauling these giant, elaborate pieces of art. I was awe-struck. People were following him in and pulling over to see what was going on.

It was at this moment, that I understood how much my dad loved me and how much I loved him. It was at this moment that I realized that we are not different at all. 

We both see the world as a beautiful place. We both have the desire to make it an even more beautiful world through our art. He likes elusive creatures that live in the wild like turkeys, elk and fish. I like elusive creatures that live in the wild like yetis, bigfoot, and the Loch Ness Monster. He likes to mount all those creatures he loves and turn them into art for his home. I like to sew all my favorite creatures into plushes and place them everywhere in my home. We are both artists, always questioning and pursuing art.

I made him this turkey for Father's Day. A silly little gift, yes. But I meant for it to symbolize so much more. His gifts to me are obviously a whole heck of a lot more time-consuming and amazing, and now they symbolize our relationship. They symbolize this new journey we are on as we learn more about each other. But I meant for this funny little turkey plush to let him know that I now understand the things he loves so dearly. 

I may not like hunting and fishing still, but I can understand why he does and relate it to my own passions. And I can appreciate that so much of my passion for life was passed down from him. 

I used to think that my dad and I were so incredibly different. This year I learned that my dad and I are one and the same.

Day 18: Zoom In

Amber Fischer Photography Challenge 

Day 18: Zoom In

If there was an award for the most visits to the Idaho State Penitentiary, I have a feeling I would be a top contender. I love that place with a passion. 

With it's beautiful and now uncommon architecture combined with the decaying that comes with hundreds of years, the entire facility has a haunting allure to it. Every creak, rasp and groan the place makes only beckons me more to come see it. No matter how many times I go, I never get tired of it. I cannot explain the hold this place has over me, but I can tell you it definitely has me captivated unlike any other place in the area.

As I have mentioned before, old and especially allegedly haunted places fascinate me. As you enter them, you can feel all the emotions that once were alive and growing inside each building. Anger, sadness, fear, rejection, loneliness, gratefulness, hope. Millions of emotions just stirred up and left there to forever brew. 

The prisoners, the guards, the cooks, the families with residents- they all left their stories there. They left their fingerprints on the bars, their tears on the beds, there screams in the stairwells. And as you walk through each lonely, desolate corridor, it is almost as if you can hear those desperate cries, see those lonely hands longing for touch- and most of all, feel those empty eyes watching you as a shiver runs down your spine. 

Day 17: Real Life

Amber Fischer Photography Challenge

Day 17: Real Life

Today is my 25th Birthday. It doesn't get more real than that.

I had plenty of ideas for today's theme, but they were all revolving around either boring or static themes, or some even depressing ideas. I couldn't bring myself to do them. 

At then at the end of today, I was looking at the 4 tiny plush friends I made for myself as a gift with their tiny birthday hats (which I also made today). At that moment, I realized I couldn't pick something from "real life" because my real life isn't anything like what you are told it should be. My real life revolves around worlds that do not exist, creatures that cannot be, and even that will never happen. 

I truly believe that there are big, hairy monsters lurking in in the snowy mountains of the Himalayas. That a complete stranger can show up on my doorstep and will take me traveling through time in his TARDIS. That other worlds exist that I can find by falling down a rabbit hole. And I would do anything for love. 

Magic can absolutely be real if you make it and let it happen. Believing in the impossible is so much more fun than believing in nothing. When a white rabbit showed up on our doorstep a few months ago, I chased it down until Kevin caught me and carried me back inside our apartment. Why? Because it was fun to pretend that rabbit was going to lead me to Wonderland, (if he truly was, Kevin ruined my chances of going!). 

This isn't to say I don't know how to be serious or an adult when I need to be, but I will never grow out of tea parties with my stuffed animals and looking for Bigfoot in the trees of Oregon. I will always try and create magic everywhere I go, and pass it on to other. 

In real life, I am 25 years old today. In my heart, I am still a child discovering all the wonders of the world and celebrating my birthday with my favorite friends. 

It's my Birthday, Yay!!!!!!

Today, I am 25 years old. I am so excited for today's activities! My brother and best friend (who met at my wedding and are now dating seriously) drove down and surprised me last night. So fun! So today we are going to Boise to dink around and just be care-free and have fun.

 I am going to announce a giveaway in honor of my birthday later today so stay tuned!

My other closest friends showed up too- the Cheshire Cat, Meat Load, Doctor Who, and my Yeti pal, Waddell. All that's missing is my epic package from Amy, and Amy herself!

P.S.- I swear, I am turning 25 today, not 7. :D

Day 16: Print

Amber Fischer Photography Challenge

Day 16: Print

Printmaking: the process of making artworks by printing designs onto paper. Often researched in secondary school art classes, (where I learned the process), printmaking most often covers only the process of creating prints with a certain element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. My friend Jenny certainly took that to heart when she created this portrait depicting an evil version of me with my pet bat, Diego. And I love her for it.

There are several techniques and avenues for printmaking and they can be very tedious. But as you can see, the end result for those who put their heart into their pieces, the results are amazing with highly detailed images.

I will always treasure this print from my dear friend. 

Day 15: Necessity

Amber Fischer Photography Challenge

Day 15: Necessity

Is it a necessity for me to have a tiny yeti floating in a tiny hot air balloon in my house? Ehhh...probably not. But is it a necessity for me to create such frivolous things like a tiny yeti floating in a tiny hot air balloon? Absolutely. 

For me, creating is not just something I do- It is who I am. I try and create something new everyday, whether it be a huge, elaborate painting that takes several hours or even days to a trivial and silly decoration created from found objects that take less than an hour, I need to be crafting something. When I am not, I get so incredibly antsy I can't stand it! My studio/craft room is filled to the brim with paints, fabrics, trinkets, beads, found objects- you name it, I probably have it! I fill my place with these things though, so I am never bored and without a project to do.

So, silly little trinkets, plushes and drawings may not be a necessity to get through life- but for me, creating those things certainly is. 

It's Almost my Birthday!

Since my birthday is Friday, I have been being a little bit selfish and taking a couple hours each night to make myself a tiny plush. I am going to be 25, so I figure since this a big one, I can be a little greedy this time around. ;)

Sunday Night's Creation:

The Cheshire Cat!

 

 

Cheshire is my favorite Alice character! (Although, I love them all, and Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter is not far behind!)

 Monday Night's Creation:

My Yeti! (Waddell is his name, by the way! In case you didn't know the name of my signature yeti. :D )

 They are my tiniest creations yet, at not even 3 inches tall! Tonight's and Tomorrow's creations will be posted soon!